Essential Life & Career Advice for Graduates (That Every Professional Should Remember)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Advanced Selling Podcast Episode Title: Essential Life & Career Advice for Graduates (That Every Professional Should Remember)
Hosts: Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale
Release Date: June 2, 2025

In this insightful episode, sales veterans Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale pivot slightly from their usual B2B sales strategies to offer invaluable life and career advice tailored specifically for recent graduates. As graduation season peaks, the hosts delve into essential lessons that span personal growth, professional networking, financial wisdom, and strategic career planning. Their conversational style, peppered with humor and real-world anecdotes, makes the content both engaging and relatable.

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Exploring the "Bells and Whistles" Idiom

[00:00 - 04:43]

The episode begins with Bill and Bryan engaging in a lighthearted discussion about the origin and meaning of the phrase "bells and whistles." Bryan shares his curiosity:

"Have you ever seen anything in your life that has a bell or a whistle attached to it as some sort of added value thing?... I love the etymology of that saying." [02:31]

Bill humorously contemplates the literal application of adding bells and whistles to products, questioning whether any product genuinely integrates these features:

"You're having trouble bringing uniqueness and differentiating... That's one way to do it." [03:00]

They consider reaching out to Todd Capone, a sales historian, for deeper insights, highlighting their commitment to understanding and demystifying common sales jargon. This segment sets a playful tone, emphasizing the importance of clear communication in sales.

---

Embracing Life’s Natural Ups and Downs

[06:02 - 08:17]

Transitioning to the main topic, Bryan initiates a heartfelt discussion about the inherent fluctuations in life and career:

"Life experience is an accordion... times when you're in happiness and joyfulness and times when you're sad and angst... Learn to accept that, that's how it is." [07:20]

Bill reinforces this perspective, emphasizing personal accountability alongside acceptance:

"Did I do anything to cause this? Was our decision-making at fault?" [07:49]

The hosts advocate for a balanced outlook, urging graduates to recognize that both successes and setbacks are natural. This mindset fosters resilience, enabling individuals to navigate the inevitable highs and lows of their professional journeys without undue stress or misplaced pride.

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Seeking Guidance from Mentors

[08:17 - 10:01]

Bill introduces the importance of mentorship, encouraging graduates to actively seek advice from a diverse array of mentors:

"Go ask some of your parents, friends or people who are maybe a few years ahead of you... take a legal pad and go talk to five or six people about their experiences and life lessons." [08:17]

He shares the example of Chris Worthwine, whose approach of brief, focused mentorship sessions provided mutual benefits:

"It's good for me too, because it reminded me of some things." [09:29]

Bryan adds that seeking mentorship isn't merely for the mentees; mentors often gain fresh perspectives and reaffirm their own knowledge through these interactions. This segment underscores the reciprocal nature of mentorship and its pivotal role in personal and professional development.

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The Power of Networking

[10:01 - 11:05]

Bryan emphasizes the critical importance of building a robust professional network early in one’s career:

"Your network is just like a stock portfolio. It's like compounding interest. And if you start early and grow on it, it grows exponentially." [10:01]

Bill concurs, highlighting the ease of networking in one’s twenties compared to later stages:

"It's easier to do in your 20s and 30s than it is in your 60s." [10:57]

They advocate for proactive engagement through platforms like LinkedIn, attending events, and fostering connections beyond immediate social circles:

"Be the person who's at the center of the party and bring other people together." [11:05]

This advice positions networking not just as a career tool but as a long-term investment in one’s professional trajectory, akin to building a financial portfolio that yields returns over time.

---

Developing Communication Skills: Reading and Writing

[11:05 - 14:33]

The hosts pivot to the essential skills of reading and writing, vital for effective communication in business:

Bill: "Voracious reader but also learn how to write your thoughts down and how to communicate properly." [12:00]
Bryan: "Writing does that. If we don't know how to conjure up an idea and set aside time to think through how do I communicate this properly, writing does that." [12:33]

Bryan shares his frustrations with poorly narrated audiobooks to illustrate the importance of quality writing and communication:

"I bought a book... the writing was just awful... it just didn't resonate." [14:03]

Bill humorously suggests co-authoring a better-written book, underscoring their commitment to authentic and impactful communication:

"You can write, you need to edit it... it's the thought process that goes into writing." [13:11]

They stress that while AI can aid in writing, developing personal writing skills ensures clarity and authenticity in communication—crucial for crafting compelling sales messages and building client relationships.

---

Financial Wisdom: Start Investing Early

[14:33 - 17:38]

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to financial advice, particularly the virtue of starting to invest early:

Bill: "Einstein said the greatest power in the universe is compounding interest. It's impossible to get rich quick, and it's impossible to not get rich over time." [15:06]

Bryan supports this notion by advocating for consistent investments in index funds, emphasizing simplicity and long-term growth:

"It's not a financial advice show. But don't disregard the simple way to do this." [16:39]

They highlight the impressive historical returns of S&P index funds, encouraging graduates to adopt this low-fee, high-return strategy to secure financial stability:

"Over time, it's 168% over 10 years, which is about 16% a year. No stock does that." [17:09]

This prudent advice serves as a foundational financial strategy, empowering graduates to leverage time as their greatest ally in wealth accumulation.

---

Strategic Career Planning: Choosing the Right First Job

[17:38 - 19:13]

Concluding their advice, Bryan touches on the importance of being selective about one’s initial employment:

"Be judicious about the kind of company you decide that you're going to work for 40, 50 hours a week." [17:38]

He warns against hastily accepting the first job offer out of necessity, as early career experiences can profoundly shape one’s professional ethos and mindset:

"If you're in a job with a manager who's brutal... you can start going down a path that's hard to get out of in 10 years." [18:49]

Bryan encourages graduates to assess company culture and management styles meticulously to avoid long-term negative impacts on their career trajectories:

"It’s just a feeling thing... how does it feel to be around the people at that company?" [11:05]

This guidance underscores the significance of aligning one’s first professional roles with personal values and long-term career goals, setting the stage for sustained success and fulfillment.

---

Closing Remarks

[19:08 - 19:32]

As the episode wraps up, Bill and Bryan remind listeners of their supportive community resources:

"Go to LinkedIn Group. Advanced Selling Podcast. Join the insider program. Live coaching from Bill every month." [19:10]

They emphasize that while they share valuable insights, their platform is a space for continuous learning and growth, inviting graduates to engage further through their LinkedIn group and Insider program for ongoing support and mentoring.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "Have you ever seen anything in your life that has a bell or a whistle attached to it as some sort of added value thing?" – Bryan Neale [02:31]

• "Life experience is an accordion... times when you're in happiness and joyfulness and times when you're sad and angst... Learn to accept that, that's how it is." – Bryan Neale [07:20]

• "Your network is just like a stock portfolio. It's like compounding interest." – Bryan Neale [10:01]

• "Voracious reader but also learn how to write your thoughts down and how to communicate properly." – Bill Caskey [12:00]

• "Einstein said the greatest power in the universe is compounding interest." – Bill Caskey [15:06]

• "Be judicious about the kind of company you decide that you're going to work for 40, 50 hours a week." – Bryan Neale [17:38]

---

Conclusion

This episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast transcends traditional sales training by offering a holistic suite of advice crucial for graduates stepping into the professional world. From embracing life's natural fluctuations and seeking mentorship to the imperatives of networking, effective communication, sound financial planning, and strategic career choices, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale provide a comprehensive roadmap for sustained success. Their blend of humor, practical insights, and genuine concern for listeners’ growth makes this episode a must-listen for recent graduates aiming to navigate the complexities of their early careers effectively.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Welcome back everybody to the Advanced Selling podcast. The longest running sales training podcast podcast history. It's longest running sales podcast. Did I say sales? I didn't mean all podcasts. I'm Bill Caskey.

[A]

I'm Brian Neal.

[B]

We are delighted you're here. We are always delighted you're here every week. And we would love it if you haven't reviewed the podcast yet. I know we've been going for a long time, but we, we don't usually ask for reviews. And reviews really help. Yeah, unless they're all zero stars, that's.

[A]

Probably not going to help much.

[B]

But if you like what you hear here, then review it and put in a comment. We'd love to hear from you.

[A]

I wonder what is the longest running podcast that's continuous. That's a great little trivia. I'm g. Have to ask that. Yeah. For the off the mark here. Oh, by the way, Insider coming up. Let's go. Let's plug the Insider program.

[B]

Yeah. Insider comes up on the first Friday of every month. So what would that be?

[A]

June.

[B]

The something. It's two weeks from now.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And we have a great group. Got some new members in. So if you have not taken a look at the Insider, go to advanced selling podcast.com insider. It's, it's an hour and 15 minutes every month. We work on specific topics that all topics are relevant to sales professionals, business owners, VPs of sales. And you can find all those topics at that site I just gave you. Put a in the show notes too. We'll put the link.

[A]

Yes, please. And it's live. It's like in person.

[B]

It is live. It's not AI. It is not AI Yet.

[A]

Yet.

[B]

Which brings me to a topic. But we'll talk about that in the next episode.

[A]

You got one? Okay, well, here's some. This is somewhat. By the way, we're going to get our topic today. We're going to talk about advice for graduates. It's graduation season. But before that, you know, in, in, I was listening to a business a video or watching a business video on LinkedIn and a guy was talking and he talked, he was talking about, you know, we talk about feature benefits. He was talking about, oh, the thing, you know, they don't want to hear about all the bells and whistles. He's like, customers don't want to hear about all the bells and whistles. And it got me thinking, have you ever seen anything in your life that has a bell or a whistle attached to it as some sort of added value thing? And I know that well. And I'm like, where did that come from? It had to come from somewhere. And I love the it called etymology. Is that like the history.

[B]

Etymology, I think, is that right?

[A]

The history of like sayings and words and things like that?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But I wonder where bells and whistles came from. And, and we say these things all the time. And I'm like, yeah, you know, we don't want to talk about the bells and whistles. What are the bells and whistles? And, and what? I'd love to know if someone sells a product that actually has bells. If you sell musical instruments or some sort of alarm system. It's like, this is legitimately has bells and whistles. Or should we just take what we sell and just strap some bells and whistles on there? Just.

[B]

Well, that's what I'm saying. You've got products that probably. You're having trouble.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Bringing uniqueness and differentiating. Yes. I got news for you. That's one way to do it.

[A]

Oh, I just don't, it's just funny how people say these things.

[B]

Yeah, that sounds, you know, to be honest with you, as, as I use AI and I don't want to not force the AI conversation. That sounds like an AI thing. That sounds like an AI wrote that and then that person just par. Pared it. Because if, if you're using that term today.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm not sure that's a modern enough term. Like you say that people even know what the hell you're talking about.

[A]

Right, right.

[B]

I, I, I do think, you know, we've, we've laughed about terminology and how things keep coming back.

[A]

Yes. You know, and that one, I was more interested in the, like, at some point, was there something that was sold a product like in the early 1900s that actually came with a bell and a whistle to make it better? There had to be, had to be used to be.

[B]

We could contact Doug Drosen for this, but, you know, who's Doug?

[A]

Do you follow Todd Capone?

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

He's a really great sales voice. He does a lot of history. Sales history. Todd Capone. That's a free show. You should know exactly what bells and whistles. We'll tag him maybe in the show notes.

[B]

Yeah. And you have a guest. You have a guest coming up. Oh, we do.

[A]

Thanks for the reminder.

[B]

30 seconds.

[A]

Let's see. 1, 2, 3. Will probably, probably be five episodes from today. Ish. Something like that. Kevin Koharki is a, wait for it. An accounting professor. He's an accounting professor, and he's going to be a guest on our show. Like, oh my God, sleeper alert. But he has found himself. He's a. He's a professor at Purdue University and I went to Indiana. That's a rival school, but Purdue people are really smart. And he has found a little niche in what I termed sales math.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And he does some basic accounting things. And it's accounting, so it is accounting. So it's not like this riveting.

[B]

I don't care. I don't care what it is.

[A]

So important. Absolutely. And he just has such a great way to. The trick's going to be getting it down into one episode. Maybe we'll do it back to back with him. But he's great. He's not a typical accounting professor. Good, really, really fun, good energy guy.

[B]

So I'm looking forward to it.

[A]

Kevin Parky coming up.

[B]

Yeah, I think we all. I think that's a eye opener. It should be for people that you better had. You'd better figure out finance and accounting and ROI and investment and how money flows through organizations. Because if you're charging money, which we presume you are for your bells and whistles, if you're charging money, you need to know where that money comes from and how it, how it comes to the point where it can be given to you. And if there's no accounting background, that's fine. This will be a great episode.

[A]

It's, it's really good, really good to know. If nothing else, it will remind you that you need to work on that skill.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Topic today. It's graduation season. Big, big time in the Neil house. We've got my, my bio fourth kid. I have a stepson, too. Double graduations going on. So my youngest son is graduating from high school and my daughter's graduated from college last year. And then my 8th grade stepson is graduating from 8th grade.

[B]

So.

[A]

So, you know, I'm going to a lot of graduations and I thought, what advice would Bill and I give a graduate? And it could be a graduate from, you know, dental school, a graduate from law school, a graduate from undergrad, a graduate from high school, maybe not a graduate from kindergarten because they do that these days, but maybe, I don't know. So we're going to start there and then we're going to, I think, tail that into another topic after the fact for you.

[B]

Yeah, I've got a topic that fits perfectly with this, but it's, it probably warrants its own episode. So we'll, as we get near the end we'll talk about that pot topic. What we're going to do today on this topic is something we want you to do ultimately for your customers and your videos.

[A]

Yes. Do you want to start? Do you want to start? Yeah, I'll start. Yeah. Yep. And I'll start. And this is again, this is not necessarily like big life stuff, but it could be, you know, applied for you. So just advice and good for you. If you're listening to this, like, yeah, I graduated a long time ago, but is a good thing for me to think about. I'll start broad first. Like life broad. So all things business, sales, everything. The life experience is an accordion goes up and it goes down and it goes in and it goes out, it goes up and it breathes. And there are times when you're in this mode of happiness and joyfulness and there's time when you're in sad and angst and happy and joy and it just does that. Sometimes your health is good, sometimes your health is bad sometimes. And there's just this natural balance to that. And to learn, this is the advice part. Just learn to accept that, that that's how it is. And it's not good or bad. And it's not like everything's good. So it's good. Everything's bad because it's bad. It just is. It just is. Sales goes up and down, business goes up and down, economy goes up and down, stock market does.

[B]

So your advice there is when you're in a down, a downtrend, just accept that that's just kind of the way it is.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And, and, and you can also say, well, did I do anything to cause this times our decision making is at fault.

[A]

I've yes.

[B]

Through life events where I can say it's the world, but it was really me in the world. Yeah. I like that. It's good advice.

[A]

Accept it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And accept the highest too. To your point about sometimes we can take credit for the highs too, when we shouldn't take credit. It's just, you know, there's some luck involved. Yeah. Just, just accept life on life's terms. That's my first one.

[B]

Yeah, I've got one here which is a meta. It's kind of a meta one. And that is if you're graduating from high school or college, go ask some of your parents, friends or people who are maybe a few years ahead of you, go ask them for the advice too. Because some they know you better than Bill and Brian do. And even. And you know, or if you're a parent on this Suggest to your son or daughter, say, hey, you know what you should do is take a legal pad and go talk to five or six people about what are their experiences and life lessons and observations and success secrets and all that stuff. You will get so much. Chris Worthwine, who? You know, Chris, his son came to me years ago when he was struggling in a business and his goal was to go out and find 15 people who could be mentors for an hour. It wasn't a long term mentorship, it was just mentor for an hour. And he took, he took great notes and we talked about a lot of things. It was good for me too, because it reminded me of some things. So it's not just good for the graduate, it's good for the goose, it's good for the gander. Bells and whistles. Gooses and ganders, my friend.

[A]

Welcome. This is the 1917 edition of Goose and Gander. Oh, you bet you. Well, I'm sure there be more than the gander. What is gander a thing. It's got to be a thing. Like a gander's like a boy goose. I don't know. All right, that's. I love that. And, and what I love about that one, it's applicable to anybody because someone that's listening graduated 20 years ago and hasn't done what you just said. But then we're going to tell the graduates to go do it and we're not going to do it. It's great.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right, here's one that's a bit more tactical for me. And man, if you're a graduate, and I don't care if you're graduating with a Ph.D. or you're graduating from high school or eighth grade, is to understand as early as you possibly can the value of a network and connections. And that is something that if I could teach any young person early to get started early, because the earlier you start, it's just. Your network is just like a stock portfolio. It's like compounding interest. And if you start early and grow on it, it grows exponentially. So it goes, the curve goes up really steep and if you wait, it's really hard to catch up.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that just means using LinkedIn, engaging with others, talking to people, helping others, trying to make connections for others. Is the, is the advice there?

[B]

God, that's so true. And it's, it's easy. It's easier to do in your 20s.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And 30s than it is in your 60s. But it's still. Sometimes we default to the friend group.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

We just default to the buddies that we drink with and play basketball with and all that. And that's good. There's a, there's value there because you, you know, one out of ten of those people is probably networkable, network worthy. I think what you're saying is, no, you got to put yourself out there in a little, A little out of your comfort zone a little bit and go pursue people. Go pursue people. Just have coffee and understand what they do and, and hold some events. Maybe you have a dinner party occasionally or you have. You rent out the back room at Scotty's and just have a. Have a get together. Just be the person who's at the center of the party and bring other people together. I think it's great idea.

[A]

That's good.

[B]

Yeah. Okay, here's one that I have. And I don't know that I would have said this 10 years ago, but I'll say it now, and that is, I would have said read, be a. Be a void. You know, kind of a voice of. For us. No, what's it called?

[A]

Voracious.

[B]

Voracious. Voracious reader.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But also learn how to write.

[A]

Learn.

[B]

Learn how to write your thoughts down and how to communicate properly. So much of what we do today is in the written word. Whether it's the written word that turns into a video or an audio or just a written word turns into an article or an email. And if, if we don't know how to, you know, conjure up an idea and set aside time to think through how do I communicate this properly? And writing does that. Writing does that. And I know that the tendency is to want to use an AI writing platform, which is fine, but at some point you have to kind of develop your own chops there.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And I don't. I don't think people write enough. I. I write quite a bit, and I still don't think it's enough. And every time I do, I feel good. I feel like, okay, well, I got that out and I worked out some language that wasn't right and I read it aloud and it's like, oh, man, that was pretty good article. So I think writing is a. Is a critical skill for the future. And it's one that's probably. You're probably taught in college how to write, maybe the wrong way, because it's. I think copywriting and writing in business is different than writing in academics, but.

[A]

Well, I love that because it's so easy to be a lazy writer. The chat, gbt or pick one out, whatever. One you won't Use Claude. They'll write a whole book for you. Yeah, but there's something. But you. You need to edit it, and it's that. It's the thought process that goes into writing. That's the important part. That.

[B]

And it will be a pretty good book.

[A]

Yeah, right.

[B]

I. I bought a book the other day. What was it? Somebody in a church group that I go to suggested. It's a group. It's a book called Man's A Search for Significance. Search for Significance. And it's by. I don't know, doctor and it was. I bought it on audio. And it was. I shouldn't say this now that I've thrown the guy in, but it was. It was. It was. The. The thought, the meaning was okay, but the writing was just awful. It was monotonous. It was terrible. The read.

[A]

Read.

[B]

The guy who read the book wasn't the author, which infuriates me.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You spend 100 hours writing a freaking book, and then you can't spend four hours in the studio recording it. So you hire somebody. And a lot of the hiring now is AI.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

At least use your own AI voice. You can. You can do that pretty easily. But the point is that it was just not written very well. And I thought, there's a perfect. It was a perfect title because we're all searching for significance, but it just. Just didn't resonate. Just so writing is really critical. So that's mine.

[A]

And then you've got a book to write, too. You can write, you know, Search for Significance. Written better Put it out there.

[B]

Part two.

[A]

Bill will buy it better version one.

[B]

No, I'll write it.

[A]

You write it. There you go. Send it through AI okay, here's my next piece of advice for graduates. And you know, you kind of flip into dad mode when you do these things, don't you? But this is great. And this is good if you're a young salesperson. Good advice, too. Einstein said the greatest power in the universe is what? Bill, do you know Einstein said this?

[B]

Love?

[A]

Nope. Greatest power in the universe is compounding interest. Oh, a little different direction. And I say they have this stupid little phrase, it's impossible to get rich quick, and it's impossible to not get rich over time. And if you listen to Warren Buffett or any other big investment person who's wired that way, he'll say, just start putting money into an index fund in your late teens, early twenties, and never stop, and you'll never, ever worry about money again. And as someone who started late, took a risk, went Bankrupt early by, you know, trying to start a business. I had to start late and good now but I think man, if I could just. Any young person graduating from high school or college, if you could just start just a, just consistent little investing bits into an indexed fund, you can't, you can't lose. And if you look at all the curves, you've seen the ones where the one kid starts at, at you know, age 20 and stops at 30, the other guy starts at 30 and goes until 65. The second guy never has as much money as the first guy.

[B]

No.

[A]

Ever. It's math. It's just math is all it is.

[B]

No, it's good. That's good advice. This, now this is not a financial advice show. And you.

[A]

Oh yeah, you have to do that. I forgot about that. It's obvious. Shouldn't it be obvious to everybody that I don't know what the hell I'm talking about?

[B]

Yeah, I, I love that. And trying to think of a short way to say this. I had a meeting with my financial advisor the other day. Who's not the one that you use. I don't think so we've separated. But anyway and there's a lot of, there's a lot of discussion and this and that. What about international funds in the brokers world? What about investment capital? And there's all this stuff and sometimes when they're talking about this, my eyes like glaze over and my wife's do too. Although she, she understands that she might better than me. But sometimes it gets back to what's the simplest way to invest your money? And it's an S and P index fund.

[A]

That's it.

[B]

And when you look at over time, it's 168% over 10 years, which is about 16% a year. No, no stock does that. I mean you might pick out some stocks like Apple, Amazon, Tesla, but generally in the, in the general market 16% returns, unheard of. But there's very low fees. You can find a bunch of those funds. So again, this is not financial advice. But don't disregard the simple way to do this. And I think you're right Brian, that's.

[A]

The way it's great.

[B]

Okay, here's my next and final one. Here is be judicious. If you're graduating from college, obviously you're going to be in job mode, job search mode. Be judicious about your first position. I know it's easy to say take the first thing that comes along because you want to move out of your parents basement, you want to get out. You want to start making money. Yes. But sometimes we can take a first job that. That creates problems for us down the line because we start to learn. We're still fashioning our philosophy and mindset. And if you're in a job with a manager who's brutal and doesn't really help you and doesn't help you understand anything, you can. You can start going down a path that it's hard to get out of in 10 years. You may leave the job, but you don't leave the. The mindset that you learned in that job. And so I would say be. Be pretty judicious about the kind of company you decide that you're going to work for 40, 50 hours a week. Because there's some really good companies and there's some really crappy companies. Has nothing to do with size or brand or. It's. It's just. Do you. How. How does it feel to be around the people at that company? Sometimes it's just a feeling thing. But be judicious about that.

[A]

That's so. It's such good advice if you're looking for a gig. And so many kids are so. And you know what their parents are into them. Finding a job. Get a job. Get a job. Get a job. What great advice. Okay. Advice for graduates from the Advanced Selling Podcast. A reminder. We're not a financial advice show. What do we have to say?

[B]

We're not even an advice show. We're not.

[A]

Not even life or sales advice. No. Just a couple of dudes.

[B]

Don't take any sales. We finally have said that after 2000.

[A]

Finally. But go to LinkedIn Group. Advanced selling podcast. LinkedIn Group. There's. I think we're at 13,000, 14,000 people. That's fantastic. And join the insider program. Live coaching from my man Bill every month. And everybody should be a part of that. So that's it. We'll see you next time.

[B]

See you next time.