Rocky Garza on Self-Awareness and Personal Growth in Leadership

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Rocky Garza on Self-Awareness and Personal Growth in Leadership"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Mick Unplugged
• Host: Mick Hunt
• Guest: Rocky Garza
• Episode: Rocky Garza on Self-Awareness and Personal Growth in Leadership
• Release Date: March 24, 2025

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1. Introduction to the Episode

In this compelling episode of "Mick Unplugged," host Mick Hunt welcomes transformational speaker, coach, and author Rocky Garza. The episode delves deep into themes of self-awareness, personal growth, and modern leadership, offering listeners actionable insights to enhance both personal and professional lives.

2. Understanding Success: A Journey, Not a Destination

Mick opens the conversation with the assertion, "[00:34] Success doesn't happen overnight." Rocky concurs, emphasizing that "[00:35] success is not a destination." He elaborates that success should be viewed as an ongoing process rather than a final endpoint, highlighting the importance of perseverance and continuous effort.

3. Rocky’s Personal Journey: Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Vulnerability

Rocky shares his tumultuous upbringing, having attended 13 different schools before settling in seventh grade. This experience taught him the difference between disclosure and vulnerability. At [00:45], he reflects, "I was very good at disclosure and very bad at vulnerability." This distinction becomes a cornerstone of his leadership philosophy, stressing the need for authentic connections in both personal and professional settings.

4. Vulnerability vs. Disclosure in Leadership

A pivotal moment in the discussion occurs at [02:33] when Rocky explains his struggle with vulnerability:

"I was very good at giving you what you thought was vulnerability, but for Rocky, it was simply disclosure."
"[20:51] Therefore, in our organization, if I don't do that [be vulnerable], I will make sure you don't see me, and I will absolutely see you."

Rocky advocates for genuine vulnerability as a means to foster trust and deeper relationships within teams, distinguishing it from mere disclosure that doesn't convey true emotional openness.

5. Visionary vs. Integrator Roles in Organizations

At [01:14], Rocky prompts leaders to introspect:

"I want you to imagine if you're a leader currently and ask yourself if visionary and integrator rubs the wrong cord with you..."

He delves into the visionary versus integrator dynamics, explaining that effective organizations rely on distinct roles where visionaries conceive ideas and integrators execute them. Rocky warns against leaders overstepping into roles they're not designed for, which can stifle organizational growth.

6. Building and Sustaining a Winning Culture

Rocky emphasizes the essence of company culture at [01:49]:

"Culture is not what you pontificate, it's what you tolerate."

He argues that the true culture of an organization is defined by the behaviors and attitudes that are permitted, not just the stated values. Celebrating small successes contributes to a positive culture, fostering an environment where employees feel valued and motivated.

7. Importance of Self-Awareness in Leadership

At [38:20], Rocky discusses self-awareness:

"Self-awareness is paramount because it allows us to see others for who they truly are, not as reflections of our own fears."

He introduces the concept of the Upside Down—when self-aware leaders focus on understanding others rather than projecting their own issues. Rocky insists that self-awareness is crucial for relatable and effective leadership, enabling leaders to build genuine connections.

8. Rocky's 'Because': Discovering Deeper Purpose

Towards the end of the episode, Rocky reveals his 'Because'—a deeper purpose beyond his 'Why'. At [41:03], he states:

"I am unique. There is no one in the world like me... I want to remind others that they are unique and to take steps toward creating good in the world because of how they were made."

This 'Because' centers around empowering individuals to recognize their uniqueness and leverage it to make meaningful contributions, both personally and within their communities.

9. Key Takeaways and Conclusions

• Success as a Continuous Journey: Embrace the process of growth without fixating on a final destination.

• Authentic Vulnerability: Foster genuine connections by being truly open and vulnerable, beyond mere disclosure.

• Distinct Leadership Roles: Understand and respect the unique roles of visionaries and integrators within an organization to drive effective execution.

• Cultivating Positive Culture: Define organizational culture by the behaviors you tolerate, celebrating achievements to build a motivated and cohesive team.

• Self-Awareness: Develop a deep sense of self-awareness to lead effectively, focusing on understanding others rather than projecting personal issues.

• Discovering Your 'Because': Identify a deeper purpose that transcends your immediate motivations, enabling sustained impact and fulfillment.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Mick Hunt: "[00:34] Success doesn't happen overnight."

• Rocky Garza: "[00:35] Success is not a destination."

• Rocky Garza: "[01:49] Culture is not what you pontificate, it's what you tolerate."

• Rocky Garza: "[20:51] Life lived in the valley paints an incredible landscape for what life could really be if we're willing to commit to our daily actions."

• Rocky Garza: "[38:20] Self-awareness is not deemed as valuable and important so that I can sit in a room and look in a mirror and go, yeah, that's me."

• Rocky Garza: "[41:03] I want to remind others that they are unique and to take steps toward creating good in the world because of how they were made."

Final Thoughts

This episode of "Mick Unplugged" offers profound insights into modern leadership, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness, authentic vulnerability, and cultivating a positive organizational culture. Rocky Garza's personal journey and professional expertise provide listeners with practical strategies to enhance their leadership capabilities and achieve meaningful personal growth.

For those aspiring to lead with purpose and authenticity, this episode serves as a valuable resource, encouraging continuous self-improvement and impactful leadership.

Transcript

[Mick Hupp]

What's up, everybody? It's your boy migh from the McPlugged podcast. And let's be real, nothing hits like a hot, fresh McDonald's breakfast to start the day. And my go to, it's those fluffy buttery hotcakes. But here's my hack. Get a side of hash browns and add some syrup on top of the hash browns too. Trust me, it is next level flavor. And of course, I have got to have my caramel frappe, smooth, cold and exactly what I need to lock in for the day. McDonald's breakfast, it just hits different. So what's your go to? Pull up to McDonald's, grab your favorite and start your morning right.

[Mick]

Success doesn't happen overnight.

[Rocky Garza]

No. Well, and I think not only does success not happen overnight, but success is not a destination. Like, I think that's why.

[Mick]

Did that make you sheltered?

[Rocky Garza]

Yeah, I realize about the age of.

[Mick]

30, not that you didn't trust people, but it was more of, I don't need to get close because this is a temporary.

[Rocky Garza]

I was very good at disclosure and very bad at vulnerability.

[Mick]

Was that a rocky feeling?

[Rocky Garza]

I was very good at giving you what you thought was vulnerability, but for Rocky, it was simply disclosure.

[Mick]

The biggest reason that most companies don't grow is because of that. You hold the title, but then you also hold all the cards and you won't play the hand.

[Rocky Garza]

I want you to imagine if you're a leader currently and ask yourself if visionary and integrator rubs the wrong cord with you and you're thinking, don't tell me what I am, what I'm not. Let's give it an analogy sense because we all like a good analogy.

[Mick]

Problem number two with most businesses, but the companies that celebrate small success usually have a much better culture. Rocky Garza, the floor is yours.

[Rocky Garza]

Yeah, totally. Culture is not what you pontificate, it's what you tolerate. That's Rocky's fancy word because I like rhyming. Culture's not what you say it is. It's what behavior do you allow?

[Mick Hupp]

Welcome to MC Unplugged, where we ignite.

[Rocky Garza]

Potential and fuel purpose. Get ready for raw insights, bold moves and game changing conversations. Buckle up, here's Mick.

[Mick]

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of MC Unplugged. And today we're joined by a transformational speaker, an amazing coach and an author who's dedicated to helping people uncover their true selves. With a gift for connecting deeply and challenging individuals to live authentically, he's empowering leaders and teams to create meaningful impact Please join me in welcoming my dude, the authentic, the impactful, the fearless, my guy, Mr. Rocky Garza. Rocky, how are you doing today, brother.

[Rocky Garza]

Man, I'm doing wonderful, Mick. Thank you so much for having me on the show. From now, by the way, can I. If I can grab that record, I'm gonna take that with me to my next keynote. And when they say they're gonna read my bio, I'm gonna say, hey, no thank you. Just play. Play this instead. I'm gonna let him play that and I'm gonna walk out right out to. Right on the stage to Bad Bunny or something. I think I just said, I think I just got my new intro.

[Mick]

Oh, hey, well, speaking of that, what's your Bad Bunny song?

[Rocky Garza]

Well, my newest Bad Bunny song is the first. The new one out is on his brand new album. Nueva Vol. Is the. The brand new one he just came out with because it. I can't get enough. He did, he did a bit with Jimmy Fallon that they do in the subway and people just lost their minds. But it is. It's like throwback roots to a song historically that lots of folks know. And then he sort of took that and remixed it into his own. So when you hear it, there's like a whole TikTok thing right now. Like the older generation hear it and they're like, oh, I love it. They're dancing and then it like breaks into his part and then everyone loses their mind. So I'm a big Bad Bunny fan.

[Mick]

So we are brothers from another mother, right? I can't tell you one Bad Bunny song, bro. So my music taste is anything 80s, anything 80s, I don't care the genre. 80s was like it for me. And then 90s hip hop and R and B.

[Rocky Garza]

Okay, now we. Now I got you locked in there. The 90s hip hop and R and B. I'm dialed in with you. That was like all I listened to in that range. 80s. There was like a period of my life. Maybe we'll get to it later. Period of my life. Like there was not a lot of pop culture for me in the 80s that I gravitated to. Just because life for me in the 80s wasn't. Was kind of more survival than it was pop culture references and so on. I kind of. I grew up fairly quick early on in my life, but 90s hip hop, I'm with you. And only reason, let's be honest, that I know that is because there's a couple other Bad Bunny songs that I really liked. And then that just led to I'm a. I'm a. When I pick something and like it, I kind of just stay there. My wife makes fun of me all the time because she knows about all kinds. She's way smarter than me and she knows all kinds of. And then references. And not just pop culture, but in life and so on. And I could. Unless it's like, unless it's Jay Z or maybe Kanye. Like, unless outside of that, if I walk by you in the airport, like, I'm not going to recognize you. Like, I don't really know who you are. You know what I mean? And so like I just. I gave all my pop cult. I just gave it to you. After that, don't ask me anything else. Cause I got nothing else for you.

[Mick]

Episode done. There we go.

[Rocky Garza]

That's right.

[Mick]

So Rocky, man, been a huge fan of yours. I think we were connected through Lindsey Anderson. And then we've been like Instagram best friends for like the last several months. Wanted to tell you personally, not in a dm, not in a text message, man, just thank you for being the human being that you are. You do so much good for corporations, you do so much good in your community that you're an example. And I'll just be honest, man, like, I like following your lead on the example that you set. So I just wanted to personally tell you thank you, bro.

[Rocky Garza]

Thank you, thank you. I really appreciate that, Mick. I think it's something I am learning and I probably will the rest of my life. Two things. Number one is to say thank you. I tend to not want to say thank you. Not because I don't appreciate it, because, well, that means that I might acknowledge that it's true. And I think oftentimes in our lives, our hesitation to accept a compliment isn't because we don't believe it. It's because of where the unknown that comes from. What if we do? So I'm learning that in myself. Hey, Rocky, just say thank you and trust. They got nobody got it. Nobody's got a reason. If you think someone is so spend enough energy to lie to you, hey, I think you're giving yourself too much credit. So I think that's one. And I think the second part of that is, you know, it's been a work in progress just like you. It's taken decades to try to really hone in on what is that. And I'm just now, probably now more than ever, which I hope, I hope I get to say this for the rest of my life, just now feel like I'm really dialing into what it is I can bring to the world that I can do that allows me to stay in my lane, to trust my gut to do those things while simultaneously creating environments for other people to do the exact same thing and recognizing that the overlap of the Venn diagram is so small, if we'll stay in our lane, that we can create a picture collectively that we could never just.

[Mick]

Do by ourself, ladies and gentlemen.

[Mick Hupp]

That's why I freaking love Rocky, man.

[Mick]

You get insights like that all the time. I mean, you're dropping wisdom on a daily. And one of the things that I appreciate about you is something that you said and alluded to that I'm going to ask you to elaborate on. What I heard you say essentially is success doesn't happen overnight. Right? And the reason, and I'm just gonna say it, these are the words of Mick and Mick only. So don't yell at Rocky for saying this, but the reason that most people don't get the success that they're supposed to get. Not saying they don't get there, but that they're supposed to get, is because at some point they stop along the way, right? What Rocky has done, you heard him say decades, and he's gonna continue to work on himself is he never quits.

[Mick Hupp]

He never.

[Mick]

It doesn't matter the highest of highs or the lowest of lows. You never quit because that great win that you just had yesterday, right. Unfortunately, tomorrow still comes, and next week is gonna come and next month is gonna come. And I don't know about you, Rocky, but I'm not in a spot where I can just, like, let last week's success be the end. Because my legacy, not financially, my legacy depends on the work that I'm gonna continue to do. And so I'd love for you to elaborate on that. Just, success doesn't happen overnight, bro.

[Rocky Garza]

No.

[Mick Hupp]

Well.

[Rocky Garza]

And I think not only does success not happen overnight, but success is not a destination. Like, I think that's why most individuals stop, or even you and I occasionally have the moment we think we should stop or we think we might stop. Why? Well, because we are obsessed. And I say we like collective human beings, in my experience, we are obsessed with the idea of arrival, that we think if we could get there, and if I can get there faster than you, then I could stop quicker than you, which means I could have more time to do what I want, because I don't do what I want now. Therefore, if I could get to the place I could do what I want, then I would finally have arrived and so we call that success. We call the ability to stop doing the things that are necessary, even if we enjoy them, success. And I think there's a moment where if, if we allow ourselves to note that, to your point, the only thing that I can guarantee that happens tomorrow within my capacity of human understanding is the sun's going to go down tonight and it's probably going to come up tomorrow. And when we go to wake up tomorrow, everything you did today will either have been a block added to the home you are building or it will been a hammer to the block previously that will be gone. That's it. There is no in between. I'm not trying to like make it to, you know, we're not trying to get too ethereal here or make anybody sad. But like the reality of both, what is possible and what is true is today. That's what. That's what present is. Present is all the possibilities of what could be and what is actually occurring. That's today. That's the actions that we take today. So I think if we can remove the idea of success from being singular, if we can remove it from destination, if we can remove it from the idea of this mountaintop, and if I could, if I could just get to that mountain, then the view there will be so great that will. You know what would be so great? After that view and your Clif bar and your sandwich and the photo you take and the Instagram you did, you're going to walk down the mountain, my guy, you're going to go back to the Valley and life is lived in the Valley. But the Valley's not sexy. The day to day is not sexy. Right? Coaching the team and going to practice and coordinating 149 year olds and their families to get together isn't sexy. But three decades of doing that and getting a message from somebody you talked to 20 years ago, when you coach their team, when you were in college and they were 7 years old and now they're 35 with a family and they leave you a voicemail and say, I remember what you said when I. Coaching and WhatsApp messages with 14 parents isn't sexy. But life lived in the valley decade after decade. And it paints an incredible landscape for what life could really be if we're willing to remove success as a destination and instead allow ourselves to commit to what we're doing daily. Because that's actually the life that we really want.

[Mick]

Every day, bro. This is what I get from Rocky. Every day, ladies and gentlemen, you're going to get a glimpse into the Conversations that Rocky has, the methodologies that he teaches, the principles that he provides for those that are around him. Rocky, where did this start, man? Like you kind of mentioned a little bit, the 80s was about survival. So let's go there, let's talk about, you know, that Rocky, let's talk about that.

[Mick Hupp]

What's up everybody? It's your boy Mickup from the Mick Unplugged podcast. And let's be real, nothing hits like a hot, fresh McDonald's breakfast to start the day. And my go to, it's those fluffy buttery hotcakes. But here's my hack. Get a side of hash browns and add some syrup on top of the hash browns too. Trust me, it is next level flavor. And of course I have got to have my caramel frappe smooth, cold and exactly what I need to lock in for the day. McDonald's breakfast, it just hits different. So what's your go to? Pull up to McDonald's, grab your favorite and start your morning right.

[Rocky Garza]

Yeah. You know, today 41 year old Rocky is. Yeah, it's the seven year old Rocky that was like looking for a place to belong. You know, I love, let me be very clear when I start. Love my mom, love my dad, love my grandparents, love my family, aunts, uncles, cousins, everybody who was a part of the process. And it's a very powerful word. And like you can live a life where you have all of your material needs and recognize that there are many things in life that are missing. My parents got divorced when I was young, right before I turned 2. Never lived with my dad growing up. Love my dad, have the best relationship my dad today I've ever had, and I can spend my whole life without him. My mom's been married and divorced quite a few times, four or five times. So I went to 13 schools before I graduated high school, most of those pre seventh grade because I moved in with my grandparents in seventh grade and I actually went to the same junior high and the same high school. So all those schools are happening pre seventh grade. You know, I didn't realize the term first day of school didn't mean first day at a school until seventh grade. I didn't realize it was a time of year. I thought it was a phrase that we use because this is our first day at this school. Which I was always confused why that seemed to happen for everybody else only once. And it seemed to happen for me two or three times. Right. And so I say all that again. This is not sad, not a sob story, not a woe. Is me, like, I'm 41, been to a lot of therapy, have a lot of coaches. Like, I'm feeling, I'm feeling okay today. And a N D, we're going to come back to that again. And you know, where I sit today is both a result of every day stacked up over the last 41 years. And you know, I think we all have a decision daily, with work, with practice, not in isolation. We have a decision to say, will I make my past pain a mechanism to protect myself from people? Or I use my past pain as a mechanism to propel myself in the direction of my purpose. And I think it's a question we have to ask her. It's a question I have to ask myself daily today. Daily. Been married 16 years, got a nine year old, got a six year old, good friends, a great community, spent a lot of time, effort, energy, building friendships. And I have to ask myself daily, the guy that gets on Instagram every day and says, you got this, let's go, let's do it. I have to ask myself daily, rocky, why did you not express to your feelings to your wife? Is it because you are trying to protect yourself, because you're afraid if you're honest, she will leave like everyone else? Or are you going to express how you feel because you want to propel yourself in the direction of your purpose, which is to build a committed relationship with someone unlike anything you have ever physically witnessed in your own life? But that's a decision I have to make. That's a question I have to ask myself. No one else is responsible for that other than me. And so I think we look back, I look back on my life and go, why was it always so much easier to find value, worth and fulfillment from strangers than it was from the people that I love most? Is that a problem with them? Or is that a result of my inactivity and my inability to allow myself to be present and fully show up without having the fear that they were going to run away. And I think all of those are parts and pieces of the questions we sort of have to ask ourselves. At least me regularly, maybe for somebody else. You only have to do it quarterly. I tend to have to do it daily to go, what are, what are those things? And so as I look back over my life, I, you know, graduated high school, I, I was going to go play football. Then I realized, like, right before I graduated, like, I don't even like football. I'm about to go do this for four more years. This is a terrible idea. And so then Through a SU events. And I'm going to junior college for a couple of years. And I transferred to Texas A and M. I graduated from there. I went to a place out in East Texas called Sky Ranch. It's a summer camp for kids. And I worked there for four years. I came back to Dallas, I joined a staff, pastoral staff at a church for about four years and did that. So I was in full time ministry for about eight years right out of college. Realized that I was a jerk and that I was way more interested in you liking me than I was teaching you about God. And that's a really crappy reason to be a pastor. And so I don't know if I had it. I don't know if I could tell you that, that clearly, but I could tell you I was a jerk. So got offered a teaching pastor job in 2010. Big church, few thousand people said, hey, 26, one tattoo, faux hawk. You think you're God's gift to people? Why don't you teach 25 weekends a year? And I said, why don't we not do that? Because that sounds like a bad idea. And so I said, no. They said, what do you want to do? And I said, you know, of course I want to be a wedding photographer. And that was more like it was a hobby my wife and I had. She had just quit her job. We just got marri married, had an apartment, no debt, no kids, one dog. Let's start a business. Why not? This is pre Instagram, this is pre Pinterest, pre personal branding. Like, we got so lucky. So we rode that wave, sort of our entrance into entrepreneurship. And then I started this business about 11 years ago. We found out we were pregnant with our son. And you know, my wife said, if you could do anything for the rest of your life, what would you want to do? And I did not say this eloquently, although I do like to recount that I did because it does make me feel better about my career choice. As I said, if I could do anything the rest of my life, if I could attempt to end my life having attempted to become an expert at anything, I would love to be a people expert. If I could marry my life experience, which is like the reality of what was with eight years of ministry, which is the reality of the deeply caring for the human being, for people. And at this point now marry that with 15 or so years of entrepreneurship, or we'll call that business or commerce, right? If you could marry history and your past and you could marry that with a deep care and desire for. For a human with the capacity to take that into the market to say, what then shall we do? If I could marry all those things together, if I could be an expert at anything, I'd want to be a people expert. How could I do that? And so a little over a decade ago, started coaching individuals and saying, hey, I had this business. Do you want one? They're like, I'd love to have that. I was like, I'll show you how. And inside I'm like, how are we going to show them how? I know it's never going to work. And, you know, you fast forward a decade and you go, I. I get methodologies and identity mapping, the confidence method and the influence appraisal, and all these sort of ways. And I think for me, what has helped me in all of that make is for me to say daily with my clients, and every time I get on stage, I start every keynote the same. Hey, so glad you're here. Get a pen and paper out. You're gonna need something to write with and write on. If you came to a conference, you don't have anything to write with. I'm asking you to ask yourself. I'm not sure why you're here, but you are here, so get something out to write with. And as we get going, let me start it with this. If you leave today knowing more about me than you know about you, then I failed you. I'm not going home with you. You're going home with you. So buckle in, do the work, show it for yourself. I guarantee you can leave here with something that might actually change your life. Let's get going. Because I have to have that reminder for myself. Otherwise, I will think that I am your hero and I am your answer, and I am not.

[Mick]

So Rocky, I love that, bro. And I want to unplug, no pun intended, a few things there. So, you know, the moving the first day of school. Wow, like, that's so wild. And to hear it from that perspective, because we all had Rockies growing up, right? Like, we always had the kid that was here for the first part of the year and then not there the next part of the year. Maybe three years later, they're back for a little bit, and then they're not there again. So I'm gonna ask you a question, Rocky, that this is me making an assumption.

[Rocky Garza]

Please do.

[Mick]

You're the person I can ask this to. Did that make you sheltered? Did that make you. Not that you didn't trust people, but it was more of, I don't need to get close. Because this is temporary.

[Rocky Garza]

Right.

[Mick]

Like, was that a Rocky feeling?

[Rocky Garza]

Yeah. I realized about the age of 30 that I was very good at disclosure and very bad at vulnerability. I was very good at giving you what you thought was vulnerability. But for Rocky, it was simply disclosure. I was. I could recount my story for the first. For the first, probably five or six, seven years as a keynote speaker. Every. No matter what keynote I gave, every keynote started the same. So I was born in 1983. I was born in Kansas, only there about a week. Came back to Dallas and I. And I would recount my history because I felt like if I couldn't recount everything that occurred, I didn't have the credibility to be on a stage for you to hear what I had to say because I didn't think I had the credibility or expertise in my credentials and. Or my resume. Right. I always joke I'm the only corporate keynote speaker that's never had a resume. Why? Well, because that wasn't my life. My resume is not the certifications I have. Not knocking a certification. They're wonderful. Your boy doesn't have any. Why? Because I didn't know that was a thing for me to do at the time when I should have or could have done it. Because I was in survival, survival mode. I was in disclosure mode. I was in tell the same thing you need to tell to make them go, man, that guy is open. While making sure you don't tell them anything because they will use it and they will get you. And so I think as the kid that moved around a bunch of kid to go into school, like, vulnerability now is my number one personal value. It's one of the values in our organization, our business. Not because Rocky's an expert at it. Because if I don't do that, I know what life will become. Because if I'm not committed to saying I create the opportunity to see and be seen by others, I will make sure you don't see me, and I will absolutely see you. And I've lived that life before. And it was lonely and it was isolating. And as much as people in my life loved me and cared for me, I. It wasn't until I got married and had my own children that I like. Was at the same house for Christmas more than one year in a row because there wasn't a house. Because one year is with grandma, one year is my aunt, one year with my mom, one year with my dad, one year back with my grandma. And I'm not good or bad or bad. Be very Clear love my family. And there was no such thing as tradition. There was no such thing as a space where you belonged. You just went where you were allowed. And I think even today, I think there's a lot of folks out there listening. I would encourage you to ask yourself, do you currently live a life based on the going the places that you think you're simply allowed, or have you begun to build a life where you are creating the spaces because it's where you belong? And that's both personally and professionally. That's in corporate and that's in our community. Pick a category. But I think for me, that was a absolute, clear understanding that I've had to come to grips with over the last decade. Is, are you disclosing or are you being vulnerable because one allows you to be seen and the other one keeps you hidden?

[Mick]

Dang it, Rocky, man, you get me every time, man. Like, I feel that. Like, not that I could ever doubt that it wasn't real, but I feel the emotion, I feel the energy. But what I also feel, and I actually know is, is that none of that defined you. They became pillars of who you are, but it didn't define who you are. And one of the things I probably appreciate the most is the last thing that you were talking about in the first part of the story, which is you went from. Again, I'm going to interpret this. You went from vision to action to business. So again, Rocky, the only speaker that doesn't have a resume, because you just said, I'm gonna go do it, right? Like you and your wife, hey, I'm gonna go start this business. You could have easily college degree, Go work for someone, right? Go. Go build up the skill. But the mentality that Rocky Garza has is, hey, I am the opportunity, right? I get that because I'm the same way. Like, I don't. I don't need a door to open for me when you are the opportunity, right? Like, hey, I'm here. Like, I'm here. Let's go. So for the listeners and viewers, man, especially for leaders, let's talk about that. How do you take vision and then put it into action? Because, Rocky, you know me, one of the things I love people that talk about mindset. I'm not a mindset guy. Because everything can stay up here, right? For those that are listening that watching, I'm tapping my head, everything can stay up there. But it's the action that actually takes that into a plan, into a vision. So for you, Rocky, like, how do you work with leaders to do that.

[Rocky Garza]

Yeah, yeah. Great question, number one. And some of you are not going to like this answer. You start by recognizing that you're probably not the person that has the vision. So let's, let's throw out a number right in your area. There's 100 businesses. Let's say every one of those businesses, at minimum, which we know is crazy, has 100 employees, right? So that's 10,000 people that are employed within 100 businesses. So out of 10,000, 100 of those are asked to be the visionary.

[Mick Hupp]

What's up, everybody? It's your boy mickup from the Mick Unplugged podcast. And let's be real, nothing hits like a hot, fresh McDonald's breakfast to start the day. And my go to, it's those fluffy buttery hotcakes. But here's my hack. Get a side of hash browns and add some syrup on top of the hash browns too. Trust me, it is next level flavor. And of course, I have got to have my caramel frappe smooth, cold. And exactly what I need to lock in for the day. McDonald's breakfast, it just hits different. So what's your go to? Pull up to McDonald's, grab your favorite, and start your morning right.

[Rocky Garza]

That's. Even if assuming the CEO is actually a visionary, he may, he or she, they may actually be an integrator, which means the visionary may be some other role which is not the CEO altogether. They may not even actually have a vision they may have gotten. Okay, we won't belabor the point there because I got me fired up. Number one, you may not be the visionary. So the reason that you are stuck in inactivity is because you are attempting to be something that you were never made and designed to be because you think it will be sexier for you to be the person that has the vision. But out of, out of a hundred companies and there's a hundred employees, 99 of those are executors. Integrators make happeners is what their job is because they were made and designed to do that. And for whatever reason, there is a singular, maybe two if we're getting wild, people who have a vision and their job is to empower and equip people to take said vision and then go execute it because they don't know how. Now, the difference between you and I in that in those instances is that we chose the path of most resistance, which was let's be visionaries and then figure out how in the world we're going to make it happen until we can make enough Money to pay somebody else to actually do it for us because we realize we don't know what we're doing. And so like, that's just a part of what we would call entrepreneurship. Right now we chose the passive, most resistance. So for most leaders, it's identifying. Why don't I back up a second? What is the path for you of least resistance? It is to let go of the mentality that you think you are supposed to carry a vision and discover how can you use your unique gifts and skills to execute the vision even inside your own organization. My job today is to take the vision we have to best, highest use of Rocky's time and everything else somebody else should be doing. Not because I'm selfish, not because I'm arrogant, not because, oh, I think I'm somebody that I don't have to. You don't want me to be in charge of the schedule. You don't want me to plan the curriculum. You don't want me to create the most dynamic booklet. We're going to need to really get you. If we, you wouldn't get one. We wouldn't have a booklet. That's a bad use of my time because I'm not good at it. So I think for leaders to take a step back on number one, you don't own the vision. Now, if you're listening, you're a business owner and you do own the vision. You should ask yourself this question. Am I actually a visionary or do I just have a good idea? Two very different things.

[Mick Hupp]

Ask that again. What's that question?

[Rocky Garza]

Rocky, Are you. Are you a visionary or did you just have one good idea? I know a lot of integrators who have great ideas, but they're not visionaries. An idea is something that we haven't done yet that's going to solve a problem. A vision is something that most people can't see that changes a generation. Which of those spaces do we want to be in? Not good or bad. Not right or wrong. One is not better. One is not worse. What does it make you more valuable? One doesn't make you. Don't put yourself on a chart comparing yourself apples to fish. It doesn't work.

[Mick]

Rocky, we're going to talk to some people right here now, man, because now you have me fired up like. And ladies and gentlemen, sorry. This is what you get when Mick and Rocky get together. So we're going to talk to. I don't care if you're Fortune 100. I don't care if you're a small business mom. And pop, getting ready to start a business. Solopreneur, whatever it is, most of the time, when you are, what's the new buzzword for 2025? Stuck. People talk about getting unstuck, so we'll just play along. I'm not a buzzword person, but we'll just say those that aren't going where they need to go. It's because you have a title, and that title usually is CEO, Founder, president. Insert the highest level for your company. And what Rocky just said is true. You're not the visionary, and you don't allow others to be that. I know. Rocky, without naming their name, Fortune. If they had a Fortune 5 list, they're a Fortune 5 company, right? The head of a certain department with a very nice title is not a visionary. But because of the title, they feel like that's their responsibility. And so after 45 days of doing some analysis, I'm sitting there like, the problem is actually you, because you won't let go. You were totally great at the integration piece. You were so great at making sure the pieces move at the right movement, at the right cadence. Usually that and the. Let me see the problem before it's a problem usually aren't the same people, because this integrator is reserved, and that's why they're the integrator. But because you won't let that go, and you feel like if it's not your idea, I love that you broke down the difference between idea and vision. Because it's not your idea, you're never gonna let said employee or said vision happen. The biggest reason that most companies don't grow is because of that. You hold the title, but then you also hold all the cards, and you won't play the hand. Rocky, your turn.

[Rocky Garza]

I want you to imagine if you're a leader currently and ask yourself if visionary and integrator rubs the wrong cord with you and you're thinking, don't tell me what I am, what I'm not. Let's give it an analogy sense, because we all like a good analogy. CEO has a vision. Let's say they, in fact are the visionary. Wonderful CEO gets together with all their slt, elt, vice presidents, whatever your company calls it, and he casts the vision. Here's what I'm thinking. Here's what we're doing now. In that environment, that visionary is tasking all of you in that room to become architects. Go to your unique departments, go to your areas and draw, create. Show them the plan. I'm talking CAD renderings, electrical, plumbing, where it goes how it stays up, how. What's the foundational aspect you've been given the vision. But your job in operations, in sales and management and HR and people in training, development. Your job is to go architect. Now, the drawing for your people to execute on so that they can then go and say the. Let me get the plugs, let me get the wire, let me go find the electricians, let me. But here's where it breaks down. You walk away from that meeting and you say, I'm now going to go to my team and I'm going to go be the designer and I'm going to see if they can become the architect. Yet. We've created a system of accountability. Whether you're in Rockefeller habit, you're in eos, you're in pick whatever it is, the systematic way that you're going to. You're approaching your business. Many of us, number one, aren't the visionary to begin with. And we're trying to cast vision. It doesn't work. Let's assume that you are. I'm going to ask you to go ask your key leaders, the top five, six, seven people in your circle, are they leaving your office and trying to go be the designer next, or are they leaving your office to go do their job, which is to go be the architect? I guarantee you, if you will skip that layer and go to your senior director level and ask them if their leaders are coming to them with plans or with thoughts. 90% of the time, if you have a problematic organization and you're not growing the way you think, it's because your leaders leave the meeting with you. They go into a meeting and they take your plan, your dreams, they turn it into their own dreams in their own way. They're not actually building plans. So your directors have no idea what to do. And the lack of communication, the lack of lateral leadership and so on. So I could not agree with you more that we want to hold the cards because we think it's going to make us important. When we have to ask ourselves, are we willing to play the hand because ultimately we're trying to win the game. Do you want to hold the two pair of eight, you want to hold the aces, the two aces ready to go, so that whenever you need them, you can play them, or are you playing the card so you can win the hand, so that at the end of the day we can actually win the game? One of those requires for you to trust the people around you, making sure you put your bets in the right places. One of those says I'm going to keep myself safe. So if all else fails, at least I know I will be okay. One of those creates really healthy culture and teams. One of those that does not. Because culture in your organization is not what you pontificate. It's solely based on what you tolerate. I would ask you to encourage yourself, to ask yourself, just you with you, what are you tolerating in yourself?

[Mick]

Dang it, Rocky Garza, all day you have me pumped up as you do every day, right? The next thing I want to do, and I've heard you talk about this, but I want you to elaborate with the group, how important is creating a winning culture for an organization, Right? Because again, these are the words of Mick and Mick only. I see so many times where it's onto the next project, onto the next task, onto the next problem. And as entrepreneurs, we get in that grind because that's who we are. But remember, everyone on your team isn't an entrepreneur. That's why they work with you. Right? So I learned early on to celebrate wins for my team, even if I'm not a person. Like, honestly, I don't need to celebrate a win. Like, my thing is if I'm in the game, I'm supposed to win. However, the game isn't about me. The win is never about me. And so if I didn't celebrate that and create winning cultures and create even small situations where people can get the confidence to win.

[Rocky Garza]

Right?

[Mick]

Like, I personally think that's problem number two with most businesses. Again, I don't care the size. I can go to another Fortune 5 company where the mentality is onto the next one. But the companies that celebrate small success usually have a much better culture. Rocky guards with the floor is yours.

[Rocky Garza]

Yeah, totally. Let's go back to our phrase earlier. Culture is not what you pontificate, it's what you tolerate. That's Rocky's fancy word because I like rhyming. Culture is not what you say it is. It's what behavior you do you allow. Now, I think in order for us to sort of go to that place, let's redefine the definition of tolerance. Meaning what do we tolerate? Because I think oftentimes we. We default to tolerance is the lowest, least common denominator. What will I tolerate? That's. That's the least amount of effort. Well, if as long as you. I've never been inside a thriving organization. I'm not talking about just top line revenue. I'm saying thriving, culturally, community driven, giving back, people want to be there. A low attrition high retention pick. Pick a category that we want to say we measure a company success. I've never been to one that was doing that where what they tolerated was the bare minimum. What they tolerated was excellence. So, like, even if you and I and because we're kind of the same, not really people who are like, I don't need to celebrate a win. You know why we won? Because we showed up today, my boy. That it's like, that's kind of where me and you are. But the average person, right. Is not that way. And so, like, if that's the case, do you tolerate celebration?

[Mick Hupp]

What's up, everybody? It's your boy Mick Hupp from the Mick Unplugged podcast. And let's be real, nothing hits like a hot, fresh McDonald's breakfast to start the day. And my go to is those fluffy, buttery hotcakes. But here's my hack. Get a side of hash browns and add some syrup on top of the hash browns, too. Trust me, it is next level flavor. And of course, I have got to have my caramel frappe, smooth, cold. And exactly what I need to lock in for the day. McDonald's breakfast, it just hits different. So what's your go to? Pull up to McDonald's, grab your favorite, and start your morning right.

[Rocky Garza]

Is celebration tolerated, or is celebration the level of tolerance by which we expect? See, I think we even take the same word and it's the way we use it to go. We don't talk. We don't tolerate that. Or we only tolerate. I'll wait. All of a sudden. All of a sudden, one just became terrible and negative, and the other one just became empowering. Hey, just so you know, we're an organization that we absolutely tolerate celebration. We tolerate excellence. We tolerate meeting our metrics. We tolerate daily behavior, daily activity. We tolerate. We only tolerate you being on time. That's what we do here. We expect you to join us in that because this is not just who we say we are. You should be able to tell by the actions of people in our organization, this is exactly what we do. And so I think so oftentimes, to your point, we go to places and we go on to the next one. Let's get to the next thing. All right. We crushed that project. What's the next project we have to do? And in all of that, I'm not wanting to slow us down at all. I love a good metric of KPI. What gets measured gets accomplished. I mean, we've heard a million times, you can go see a thousand memes on today we understand that and A N D not, but get rid of that word. A N D is the third or fourth time I've spelled that word out for us today. If you're listening, hope you caught on here. And do I check the box of tucking my kids in bed because they have to go to sleep, or do I only tolerate the behavior in myself? It is to lay in bed with my son, to tell him how proud I am, to remind him that his father loves him and no matter what happens, dad is always going to be in your corner because that's the behavior for myself that I will tolerate nothing less. One of those says, good night, son, go to bed. Click the light. One says, this is the level by which I operate because I will tolerate nothing less in my life. And I use an example about kids or family or wherever you are in your life because I find we so often, especially as coaches, especially as speakers who spend a lot of our time in the business space, we are so quick to use a business example that is forgotten. But if you can use a personal example, it will almost always translate into business because I can tell you what I think about most days. Not business. My wife, my kids, my grandparents, my community, my family, my neighborhood, myself for being honest. So in our point of cultures and what we're doing and what we look like and what Ask yourself, what's the behavior you tolerate when you wake up? What's the behavior you tolerate when you go to bed? What's the behavior you tolerate with your kids? What's the behavior you tolerate in the kitchen? What's the behavior you tolerate with dinner? What's a Tonight I'm going. Of all things. And as we get to know each other more and more, Mick, you'll know how funny this will be. I'm committed to go to my daughter's school's dad's pickup basketball game tonight. I hate basketball. I. I hate basketball. I hate playing basketball so much. But I'm going because I want to tolerate the kind of behavior that says when invited by another group of dads who have children at the school that my kids go to school at, who want to engage, that I know how they feel because my job is to talk to them daily. Yep, I already know the kind of conversations that we're going to have tonight. And I already know the kind of freedom I'm going to be able to feel when I'm on the basketball court making terrible shots because Rocky doesn't do things he's not good at. That's not Because I'm good at everything. I just don't do very many things. I just only like to do things I'm good at. But I want to tolerate the kind of behavior of trying new things. My kids know I hate basketball. Part of the reason I'm going to basketball is because I want to tell my son, dad's going to play basketball. And he laughed. All right. We have a Google Doc that my kid is on that he shares. When he gets in one of his classes, he can get on the Google Doc and we can type to each other. And I told him I'm going to do that. His words, my neck. Can you make he write back? He wrote back to me actually. Question mark. Because he's like, bro, you don't play basketball, my guy, this is a bad idea for you. Well, that's because that's the kind of behavior we want to tolerate. And I think the same thing applies in our work environment.

[Mick]

I love it, Rocky. So I'm going to tolerate you having a knee brace on and smelling like Icy Hot Day.

[Rocky Garza]

No, I'm putting the Icy Hot on before I get there. I'm telling you that I'm doing preventative measures.

[Mick]

Man, Rocky could talk to you forever in a day, as you know. Last question I want to ask you. Actually there's two, but the first one is the importance of self awareness. I personally feel like number one, I know it's something that you teach and you talk about, but I feel, and now I know hearing your story, you're one of the most self aware people that I know. Right. And I always tell people you can't be relatable with others if you're not self aware. And so how important has that been for you? And more importantly, how important should it be for others?

[Rocky Garza]

Yeah, I mean, I think it is paramount of importance to be self aware because that allows us to. To when we are aware of ourself, we will reflect others back on us and assume it's about us that makes you relatable. Right. Like let's. We'll go forward and we'll do a little theory we have called the Upside Down. When I am self aware means I'm aware of myself, meaning I can go into an environment with another human being and I can be exponentially more aware of you and what is unique and specific and distinct to you, not what is a reflection of my own fear. So when I know that I am confident in me, I can see you for you. No pun intended. I don't have my glasses on today, but I can see you through your glasses, not through mine. Where we lack self awareness though, we view everything through our glasses. And so every action was about me. Everything you said was about me. Every decision you made was about me. Your issues you're having in your relationships, whether it's your partner, your friends, your family, your spouse, your wife, your husband, the issues you have is because you're unaware of yourself and you think it's their fault. That's issue number one in your relationships. Mine too. Right. And so self awareness is not, I think currently it's not deemed, I don't deem it as valuable and important so that I can sit in a room and look in a mirror and go, yeah, that's me. I mean that's a, that's a component of it. I want to be able to look in a mirror and recognize myself. Yes, but I want to be able to get in front of you and look at you and recognize you, not see it as a reflection of me. And I think that self awareness really asks us to. Let's make it really simple. Just ask yourself. You're listening. Ask yourself this question. Do you spend more time at the window or do you spend more time in the mirror? And most of us spend more time looking out the window trying to find the reflection of anything valuable and hope that it was us because we haven't been willing to get in front of the mirror to say actually what it is.

[Mick]

Love it. Love it, man. Last question for you. What is Rocky's because what's that deeper purpose that's deeper than your why?

[Rocky Garza]

Yeah, yeah. I have and probably will up until this point, spent my life discovering who am I? Why does it matter? And is it of any importance? Am I unique? Has anybody decided that uniqueness was valuable? And can I do anything with that uniqueness on repeat again and again and again and again and again over the last 40 plus years or so I have begun to realize the answer to that is yes, I am unique. Not better, not worse, not actually even on a scale related to any other human being. There is no one in the world like me. And, and, and I am equally valuable to every other person on earth and they are as equally valuable to me. If I can utilize my life, my past, my history, my current day experiences, my future vision, the love of people in my life, if I can use that such that I can not only continue to discover that for myself, but lead people to the place to get in front of the mirror and see that they are unique, to remind them that it is good not just true, that's confirmation, good affirmation and allow them to take any step towards creating good in the world because of how they were made, designed and created. That's really, really good use of my time. And that starts with my kids, that starts with my wife, that starts with me. And if by chance I get to do that professionally, what an incredible life I have lived.

[Mick]

Ladies and gentlemen, he has been Rocky Garza. Rocky, brother, I appreciate you more than you know. Where can people follow find you? What's, what's new that Rocky has coming up or going out?

[Rocky Garza]

Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely. You can follow me on, on. We're on all platforms. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube. It's just rocky Garza. Look for the bald guy with big eyebrows. There's not a lot of Rockies out there that look like me and Mick. So find us. We'll be out there in that space. And then if you're looking to just how you can get engaged in what we're doing outside of just a regular follow, you can go to rockygarza.com confidence that's rockygarza.com confidence you can check out our next upcoming event. We have monthly invite only events we'd love to have you at. You can check it out there and you can register. Grab your seat there. We'd love to have you where we walk through what it looks like to lead without losing yourself. And we go through that on a monthly basis free of charge to you and we'd love to have you at that with us. So just rockyguards.com confidence we need to.

[Mick]

Make that happen so much. So, Rocky, I'm going to go on and choose one that I'm actually going to attend and maybe I'll invite a couple of people to come with me. So if you want to go with me to a Rocky Garza event live and in person with the man, the myth, the legend, Rocky Garza himself. Message me Rocky Garza and I'm going to select two people and we're going. How about that?

[Rocky Garza]

Let's go, man. I'd love that, man. I'd be honored. I'd be honored.

[Mick]

No, it's going to, I'm going to be the honored win. Like that's going to happen. That is totally going to happen. Rocky. Appreciate you, man. I'm going to reach out in the morning and make sure your knees feel good, your Achilles is still intact. Because you know, I did that same thing and I tore an Achilles and I was like, okay, I'm not 25 anymore.

[Rocky Garza]

That's right. That's right. Well, I'm just going to keep playing to remind myself that I'm also not 25, so your boy's not trying to do anything fancy. I'm going to go with the easy layup or the nice free throw shot. Outside of that, hey, I'll get to the end of the court when I get there.

[Mick]

That's what you say. And then you're going to get challenged. You're going to feel good, right?

[Mick Hupp]

You're like, oh, I got the juice.

[Rocky Garza]

I still got it.

[Mick Hupp]

And then I still got old.

[Rocky Garza]

That's right. That's right. So, yeah, so just. I'll just keep my mind. Hey, Rocky, you got no juice, my boy. You got no juice. Just be a human. Just do that instead.

[Mick]

Rocky.

[Mick Hupp]

I love you, brother.

[Mick]

Means the world to every breakthrough.

[Rocky Garza]

Thank you so much. Thank you. Appreciate it. Got it.

[Mick]

For all the viewers and listeners, remember your because is your superpower. Go unleash it.

[Mick Hupp]

Thank you for tuning in to Mick Unplugged.

[Rocky Garza]

Keep pushing your limits, embracing your purpose, and chasing greatness.

[Mick Hupp]

Until next time, stay unstoppable. What's up, everybody? It's your boy, Mick from the MC Unplugged podcast. And let's be real, nothing hits like a hot, fresh McDonald's breakfast to start the day. And my go to, it's those fluffy, buttery hotcakes. But here's my hack. Get a side of hash browns and add some syrup on top of the hash browns, too. Trust me, it is next level flavor. And of course, I have got to have my caramel frappe smooth cold, and exactly what I need to lock in for the day. McDonald's breakfast, it just hits different. So what's your go to? Pull up to McDonald's, grab your favorite, and start your morning right.