S2-E26: Don't Go to Events Without A Plan - Sponsor Games San Antonio

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Deep End with Eric Triplett

Episode: S2-E26 – Don’t Go to Events Without a Plan – Sponsor Games San Antonio
Date: March 16, 2026
Host: Eric Triplett ("The Pond Digger")
Guests: Jason Triplett, Mike Garvey (Side Hustle Squad Podcast)

---

Overview

In this episode, Eric Triplett brings listeners behind the scenes at "Sponsor Games" in San Antonio, Texas. Joined by Jason Triplett (his brother) and Mike Garvey, Eric shares an inside look at how to approach events as a contractor, tradesperson, or entrepreneur. The trio discusses why simply showing up isn’t enough, and how defining your expectations, setting clear goals, and executing a strategy can turn an expensive trip into lasting ROI (return on investment). The episode mixes candid experiences with actionable insights for business-minded professionals looking to maximize their conference and event value.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Having a Plan Before Attending Events

Theme: Preparation vs. Passive Attendance

• Eric's main message: Most people show up to conferences hoping for transformation, but fail to define what that transformation should be.
  • "Most people show up with expectations, but they never really define what exactly it is that they want from the show. There's a big difference. Showing up with expectations and defining expectations is completely different." (01:20)
• Without a clear measurement of success, attendees leave feeling unsure if the experience was “worth it.”
• Eric encourages detailed pre-event planning, even if it happens during travel or just before arrival.
  • "If you don't define what success looks like before you arrive... you'll never really know if you achieved it or not." (02:00)

Timestamp: [00:46 - 02:15]

---

2. The Mindset & Energy at Sponsor Games

Theme: Rolling with the Unexpected & Setting the Tone

• The team discusses their state of mind—coming off little sleep, travel fatigue, and being away from family and business.
  • Eric: "I'm in a pretty hot space right now. Like, I could be triggered real easy and just go off the deep end crazy." (06:50)
• They joke about the haunted Airbnb, but note how environment impacts mood and approach.
• Eric emphasizes the drive to extract ROI from every part of the trip due to the personal and financial commitment.

Timestamp: [03:40 - 07:15]

---

3. Networking with Intention & Directness

Theme: The Right Approach to Making Connections

• Eric shares his method of proactive networking—introducing himself, asking open-ended questions, and quickly assessing whether someone is an asset.
  • "I can walk up and start talking to someone, and people just think we know each other... I just started chatting with this guy with the Shure Mics shirt on, didn’t even know him." (11:00)
• The group reflects on team assignment at the event and how it both facilitated comfort and limited new introductions.
  • Mike: "Putting us on the same team slowed me down a little... It kind of kept me inside my comfort zone." (12:50)
• The value of a planned elevator pitch is emphasized for clarity and impact in those first few moments.
  • Eric: "When you walk into an elevator... ‘What do you do?’ It’s an elevator pitch—you’ve got to know." (57:30)

Timestamp: [10:30 - 13:40], [57:00 - 58:13]

---

4. Defining and Measuring Your Event Goals

Theme: Clarity of Purpose for ROI

• The hosts outline their specific goals, including:
  • Connect with 5-10 content creators for collaboration (55:49)
  • Record at least five podcasts during the trip (61:40)
  • Trade social media handles and learn from everyone at the event
• There’s discussion about not being vague or casual about intentions at events.
  • "Most people come to events like this without expectations because they never really define them... you gotta have a game plan." (22:50)

Timestamp: [44:55 - 47:34], [61:40 - 62:14]

---

5. Candid Moments: Direct Questions and Niche Networking

Theme: Bold Questions Yield Real Insights

• Eric recounts a direct conversation with another attendee, Will—a fitness coach for women over 40 going through menopause.
  • Eric: "Why would a 40-year-old white lady going through menopause go to a black fitness male trainer for advice?" (16:03)
• Will’s readiness and clarity in answering showed the value of confidently knowing your market and anticipating (even awkward) objections.
  • Jason: "He was ready for the question, though. Like he's heard that before. Dude." (16:19)
• Emphasis on not shying away from direct, even uncomfortable questions for meaningful connection and understanding.

Timestamp: [14:30 - 19:53]

---

6. The Right Way to Work with Sponsors

Theme: Authenticity and Alignment Over Transactional Deals

• All three stress only aligning with brands and sponsors they genuinely use and believe in, seeking long-term partnerships rather than quick one-offs.
  • Jason: "I don't want to have 30 sponsors. I want just a handful that I know are going to be daily or weekly use." (34:14)
  • Mike: "There’s not many sponsors—I’ve been approached by other things, but I don’t believe in them, not just taking them to do them." (30:49)
• Sponsors must offer value to the audience; e.g., practical business tools, not irrelevant products (like furniture).
  • Eric: "I want to connect with brands... anything that's helping me grow and expand my business and my travel and all that stuff, like, I want to align with them." (29:51)
• Clarity in expectations—what do sponsors want: conversions, exposure, or impressions?
  • Mike: "Some of them want conversions, some exposure, some brand awareness...it depends where the company is." (77:47)

Timestamp: [30:28 - 35:07], [74:55 - 78:15]

---

7. Reflections on Growth, Comparisons, and Impostor Syndrome

Theme: Learning Genuinely—Not Just Chasing Followers

• Jason shares feeling “small time” compared to other creators but focuses on learning and growth.
  • "My goal was to just learn from people doing it... I can't get past a certain threshold." (70:45)
• Eric reframes the idea of overnight success as illusory:
  • "Snowball. Just like your business. Through time, the connections and years, it builds into a bigger snowball. Nothing's gonna happen overnight." (59:29)
• The group encourages focusing on process and value—followers and sponsorships will come as a result.

Timestamp: [58:59 - 60:42], [70:45 - 72:17]

---

8. Operational Logistics & Protecting the Brand

Theme: Managing Collaboration Spaces & Setting Boundaries

• Discussion about hosting after-event collaborations at their Airbnb—what works, what doesn’t, setting boundaries (curfews, NDAs).
  • "We could literally do like 40 podcasts tonight if we had the guests show up, right? But...people would get annoying after a certain amount of time... a lot of things we need to consider." (26:38)
• Plans for managing guest invitations and keeping control as their network grows.
• The role of strategic partners and the importance of mutual agreement in hosting and collaboration.

Timestamp: [24:53 - 27:49], [62:14 - 64:45]

---

9. The Power of Intentional Networking & Conference Takeaways

Theme: Turn Conferences Into Rocket Fuel

• Eric concludes by reiterating: Don’t gamble your time, money, and energy on chance—approach with intention, clarity, and discipline.
  • "If you don’t show up with a plan, you’re basically gambling that the event is going to magically deliver value and change your life. It just doesn’t work that way." (79:59)
  • "When you show up with intention, define your goals and expectations... that’s where conferences become rocket fuel for your business." (80:11)
• The group commits to following up after the event: Did they execute? Did they get enough out of it?

Timestamp: [79:59 - End]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Eric Triplett:

  • “If you don’t define what success looks like before you arrive, you’ll never really know if you achieved it or not.” [02:00]
  • "People just show up, and they kind of blame the fact that they didn’t do the work or have a plan on the event." [22:50]
  • "I want to collaborate with 10 different content creators." [55:49]
  • "I want to leave sponsor games with real actionable steps, like how we’re going to approach the brands we’ve already talked to." [67:26]
  • "If you don’t show up with a plan, you’re basically gambling that the event is going to magically deliver value and change your life. It just doesn’t work that way." [79:59]

• Mike Garvey:

  • "There has to be a lot of critical thinking beforehand about those relationships that you’re nurturing already." [06:00]
  • "Some of them want conversions, some exposure, some brand awareness...it depends where that company is." [77:47]
  • "It's a snowball, just like your business..." [59:29]

• Jason Triplett:

  • "I don't want to have 30 sponsors. I want just a handful that I know are going to be daily use." [34:14]
  • "My goal was to just learn from people doing it... I can't get past a certain threshold." [70:45]

---

Timestamps – Important Segments

• [00:46 - 02:15] – Importance of defining expectations before an event
• [10:30 - 14:30] – Strategies for direct networking and team dynamics
• [14:30 - 19:53] – Bold conversations and understanding niche audiences
• [30:28 - 35:07] – The philosophy of partnering with sponsors you believe in
• [44:55 - 47:34] – Setting goals for the event and reflecting on different planning styles
• [61:40 - 62:14] – Targeting specific outcomes (# podcasts, # collaborations)
• [74:55 - 78:15] – Brand/sponsor expectations—exposure, conversions, clarity
• [79:59 - End] – Final thoughts: The cost of events, power of intention, and reviewing results

---

Final Thoughts: Takeaways for Event Attendees

• Define your goals and success measures before you arrive.
• Be intentional and strategic about networking—don’t just mingle, have purposeful conversations.
• Prepare a concise and clear elevator pitch about who you are and what you do.
• Focus on authentic, mutually beneficial sponsor relationships — only represent brands you truly use and believe in.
• Follow up and review after the event—hold yourself accountable for execution.
• Enjoy the process, learn from those ahead, and use every opportunity to grow — business-wise and personally.

---

This episode delivers a balanced blend of humor, business wisdom, and genuine camaraderie, making it a must-listen for contractors and entrepreneurs attending events and seeking to deepen their professional impact.

Transcript

[Eric Triplett]

Welcome to the Deep End with Eric Triplett, the pond digger. This is the show for contractors, tradesmen and entrepreneurs who want more from their business and from themselves. Eric brings decades of experience as a seven figure contractor with expertise in leadership, sales systems and the discipline it takes to build something real. Shaped by years in the aquatics world, his insights are rooted in precision, craftsmanship and performance. If you're done skimming the surface and ready to go deeper, it's time to dive in.

All right, welcome back to the Deep End Rockstars. It's Triplet here, Listen, we are at Pod House HQ Studios. We are in San Antonio, Texas. We're at the sponsor Games with Justin Moore. He's the author of the sponsor Magnet. And I'm super excited to kick off this event and be in Pothouse 2 debut for 2026. We're super pumped about it, but we wanted to do something most contractors never really do when they come to conferences. This is what we wanted to cover today. Most, most people show up to conferences with expectations. Like, I spend a bunch of money, I'm going to learn some stuff and it's going to transform my business and I'm going to get better and they move on. So most of them show up with expectations, but they never really define what exactly it is that they want from the show. Like, what are their expectations? It's a big difference. Showing up with expectations and defining expectations is completely different. So when the event's over, you know, there's things that are said, like, I'm not sure if it was worth it. I didn't really get what I expected. I wanted to get something, you know, I thought I was going to come home with some magic juice, the silver bullet. But here's the truth. If you don't define what success looks like before you arrive or even I, I'll throw this out there. Even a lot of times when I look at my full spectrum for my year, I know like, these are the things I need to do, these are the places I need to land to put me in a position to win. And then I book them out and then on the plane I'm like, let me really super, super define what's going to happen here. I'm not saying that's the right thing. I just saying that's what I get caught in. So as I come to this event, I was on the plane in the airport, you know, waking up at 3:30 in the morning to get to the, you know, airport. Like I'm starting to process like what's going to what's going to define my success when I get home? How am I going to know this event really was worth it when I get back? So, I mean, the truth is, if you don't define the success that you're looking for before you arrive or on your way to the arrival, you'll never really know if you achieved it or not. So, again, here I am. This is San Antonio, Texas. This is Pod House 2. I'm sitting here with my brother Jason Triplett and Mike Garvey from the Side Hustle Squad podcast. And we're going to lay out exactly why we came to sponsor the sponsor event, the sponsor Games Texas, what we're planning to accomplish, what our hopes, goals, and dreams are, and how we plan to squeeze every ounce of ROI from the Strip because we're away from our business, we're away from our animals. I left my dog at home. I'm pissed about that. I miss Valor. You know, we're away from our family, our wives, our, you know, kids, all that stuff. We're away from that. So, like, how can we squeeze every ounce out of this trip? Okay. And of course, this is still, like, the testing phase of Pod House number two. And there's some. Definitely some. Some content they want to share here. We're recording in the studio here right now. But there's some things that are going through my mind that I haven't even shared with Garvey yet because, like, there were some big things hit today, and I'm like, oh, I'm ready to make a move in fast decisions. And this is another debriefing moment because as I have Garvey in here with me, he's my partner in Podhouse Studios and 38 Special Productions. And you know, my brother, we brought him along for the trip. So, like, there's all these things that are happening, and, like, as things are flushing live and in person, I haven't even had a chance to reveal those with Garvey yet. And so those are some of the things I want to talk about. So thanks to Garvey for finding this unbelievably legendary Airbnb headquarters today. Let's jump right into it. What's up with this place? Is this place. You think it's haunted? No, no, I think it might be

[Jason Triplett]

100 plus years old. Someone's definitely died.

[Eric Triplett]

Dude, this place is sleeping tonight.

[Jason Triplett]

No, I'm sleeping because we've been drinking whiskey.

[Eric Triplett]

Right?

[Mike Garvey]

True. But I mean, some stuff's happening. Like the old school, like, saloon, like

[Jason Triplett]

this, dude, the creaking over Here for, like, the past two hours.

[Mike Garvey]

There's strong winds here.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, there's, like, weird secret rooms under the stairs.

[Mike Garvey]

There's 22 stairs to get to upstairs.

[Eric Triplett]

It's a long.

[Mike Garvey]

It's a long stairwell, Case.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. So I want to talk about pothouse. So this is cool, but. So. No, I want to get to that. But first I want to talk about, like, coming to event, because if, if someone comes on and we start bullshitting and having a good time, that's cool, because I think there's some value in that. But, like, when people come to an event, they show up with expectations. Like, hey, paid a lot of money, and I, I, I need to learn how to, you know, get. I need to know how to work with sponsors and maximize my, My, my benefit to them and their benefit to me. And they're going to tell me what to do when I get there, but they don't have it outlined like, what they want to take home. Right. I think that's such a critical factor. You know, you can't go in just thinking it's going to get served up on a silver platter without putting in work.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah, it's not going to get served up on a silver platter. I think there has to be a lot of critical thinking beforehand about, like, or those relationships that you're nurturing already. Like, okay, what are going to be the next steps with those I want to walk away with. Okay, these are my proposed brands that I'm working with. Like, take me through where to go next.

[Eric Triplett]

You know, tell me about the networking. So when I walked in the, to the room, I'm in a weird mood right now, too. I don't know if you figured this out yet, you guys, but I'm like, I'm real standoffish, direct.

[Jason Triplett]

I'm direct.

[Eric Triplett]

I.

[Mike Garvey]

Lack of sleep.

[Eric Triplett]

That's what it is. It's total lack of sleep because I

[Mike Garvey]

just came off lack of sleep. And you're also going to be on the road for the next two weeks.

[Eric Triplett]

Two weeks? Yeah. I'm not gonna be gone. Like, that's, that's dramatically affecting me. And so, like, I'm in, I'm in a pretty hot space right now. Like, I could be triggered real easy and just go off the deep end crazy. And, you know, I, I want to, I want, I don't want to get pissed off, but I could get pissed off real easy right now, you know, especially coming off the 4x4x48 challenge, I, I didn't sleep much in the past

[Mike Garvey]

two days on top of traveling.

[Eric Triplett]

On top of traveling and then being away from the family and having all the. All the, you know, we're trying to scale our business and 10x things and like, all this stuff. So when I was there, I was. I'm pretty serious. I'm in a serious mode sometimes I can be really friendly and playful. I'm a super serious mode. And I'm like this. I have to get the ROI here. So when we. When we rolled into the event and I. Dude, I was sleeping. You woke me up to get to the event, right? Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

I was determining how to wake you. I was like, Because I text my wife some pictures of the place, but, like, there was the two of you there and I was like, the brother. The trip of brothers are sleeping. I was like, I don't know how to wake them. Like, I don't know how to wake, like, another grown man.

[Eric Triplett]

You want to show you how my wife usually wakes me?

[Mike Garvey]

Yes.

[Eric Triplett]

No, no.

[Jason Triplett]

I don't know how.

[Eric Triplett]

I was like.

[Mike Garvey]

So she's like, I don't know, bang. Like some pots and pans. I was like, I was pretty loud with the chips. The chip bag. It didn't do anything. So I came over and I was like, hey, Erica, we gotta go.

[Eric Triplett]

You know, so, you know, my alarm went off like four minutes after you wok. If you. Oh, me. Like, I had an alarm. Like, I had a plan.

[Mike Garvey]

Oh, good. Okay. You know. Yeah, you weren't just.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, yeah, I'm just here to party and hang out. But so, so, so we go there and when I. When I get there, I'm like, I wasn't even hungry yet. They're all mingling and hanging out. I'm like, looking at the clicks and looking at all the people with the purple hair and blue hair and like that.

[Mike Garvey]

And we're already. They put you on teams, right, where you're kind of.

[Eric Triplett]

They assigned us it.

[Mike Garvey]

Assigned. I was like, oh, there's no way all of us are going to be together. But luckily they did put us all together and then that was pretty cool. That is cool. I thought they were going to break us all apart. And I'm like, okay. But that also puts people into, like, little groups already.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

And then, you know, we checked in and then stepped into the room.

[Eric Triplett]

Well, putting us in the same team is also, like, maybe not as good because now I'm not in a different room and I gotta meet someone and figure them out.

[Jason Triplett]

So I'm just glad I'm not on the same team as that Rosie o' Donnell chick. Okay, which one was that?

[Eric Triplett]

She might listen. Are you a contractor looking for growth training and to level up your contracting business? If so, join the TWT Contractor Circle. It's our free Facebook group where like minded professionals go to share insight, success strategies for growth and a place to find some accountability. In fact, we have a powerful accountability call every Friday with a live Q and A session at the end. And whether you're seeking advice, collaboration or just a supportive community, this is a place for you request to join today and start building a valuable connection with me as well as our amazing network of contractors. Tango Whiskey Tango. That's TWT Contractor Circle on Facebook. I'll see you on the inside. Now back to the show.

[Mike Garvey]

Only Rosie o'.

[Eric Triplett]

Donnell.

[Jason Triplett]

When we go in tomorrow, he'll know.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay.

[Mike Garvey]

Isn't it true you called fat women pigs? Only Rosie o' DONNELL that was classic, dude.

[Jason Triplett]

That was classic.

[Mike Garvey]

That's what I thought when you said, but look what you're saying. We walked into the room and you were playing no games.

[Eric Triplett]

You noticed that right away I was

[Mike Garvey]

like, oh, he knows that guy.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, but I didn't.

[Mike Garvey]

No, no, no.

[Eric Triplett]

Well that's, that's the thing about me is like I can walk up and start talking to someone and people just think we know each other because the demeanor and the approach and the feel and the, and the conversation that sparks up.

[Mike Garvey]

Is that an eight? No, no, they're not there. But I mean being direct like. Or is that just outside of that?

[Eric Triplett]

It, well, it's being, I mean I have this. So I have in the disc profile I'm an I, I'm a high I personality which is influential.

[Mike Garvey]

Yep.

[Eric Triplett]

I'm a Challenger 8. So I can, I can be present in a room and be authoritative and have a leadership, possibly, you know, set skill set. And so I was just like, I'm just gonna introduce myself, start asking open ended questions, get to know them, smile, laugh at them and like get, find out if they're, you know, an asset to us or, or, or not. Right. I'm going to determine. Right. Yeah. So it's funny, it's because I, I started looking the room and I see this guy with it says sure mics on it. I'm like, oh, I know what sure mics are. Oh yeah, I'm gonna talk to this guy even though I don't use sure mics. And so I start chatting with the guy right away. We hit it off. It's cool. And then you guys are like, oh, he must, Eric knows this guy.

[Jason Triplett]

This is Cool.

[Eric Triplett]

And you guys show up, and we start talking, and. And then, like, as soon as you guys got engaged, I'm like, okay, I'm gonna go find the next person.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

But you didn't know it. I didn't. I didn't announce that.

[Mike Garvey]

No.

[Eric Triplett]

Tell you. I was right. Boom. This. This woman's sitting alone at the table. I'm gonna go find out her name and where she does what she leaves and what, Like. Like, what's going on? And just. I just strategically started going.

[Mike Garvey]

I loved it. I. Like, that's an awesome ability to be able to do that. Not everyone can do that. I don't know if I could do that, really, like, to just. Hey, but sometimes I'm not in the mood.

[Eric Triplett]

I wanted to go to the next. I'm not. I wasn't in the mood today. I'm not in the mood. But I'm like, it's. It's what's necessary.

[Mike Garvey]

What's so necessary. Required to have the plan.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

Going to this.

[Eric Triplett]

And in fact, the fact they put us on the same team right away, it kind of. It kind of slowed me down a little bit. And then I was. I was like. Because, like, we were standing next to that guy for a while, and I was like, okay, cool. I got this figured out. I know who he is now. I'll move to the next one. And then I moved to the next one. And then JT came and sat down. Down next to me, and I introduced him, and we started talking, and then I was like. I was ready to, like, stand up and go, like, oh, I'm gonna grab a drink. You guys need anything? I'll be back. And then I was just gonna go to the next table, you know.

[Mike Garvey]

Right.

[Eric Triplett]

And just start talking to people.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah. Do you feel like the team's almost.

[Eric Triplett]

The teams.

[Mike Garvey]

Well, the teams almost don't, like, keep you with your team, especially if slightly.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, especially if you're, you know, if you're there with two or three people and they keep you on that with the two or three people that you brought, then throws it off a little bit. But, I mean, I think that's okay. I think we'll get a chance to meet everyone there. But it was cool by the time we started talking, you know, like, when we meet someone new, there's this moment of, like, where someone has said, like, justify, like, oh, yeah, I'm on. This is what I do. This is who I am. And then I'm like, well, what's your Instagram page? I'm going to look you up right now. I want to just. Let's, let's just add each other. Yeah, let's just go. Let's add each other. So, like, well, what's your channel? What's your, what do you spend the most time on? You know, we find that Joe, he's got 70,000 on YouTube. I found out Will, he's got 200 something on tick tock and this person's got 6,000 on this. And like, I'm kind of figuring out their intensity of their content creation.

[Mike Garvey]

Can we talk about those people came to our table, just sat down, was like, hey, yeah, well, tell me what, what is it that you do?

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

Oh, I built upon, you know, construction. And then we flipped it back at them and can you talk about the, like the, the guy, Will? I thought that was pretty wild. Not wild. I thought it was super direct. And I was like thinking it and

[Eric Triplett]

I was like, I kind of want you to, I kind of want you to talk about it and then let me come off.

[Mike Garvey]

Okay, that'd be perfect. So.

[Eric Triplett]

Because you, you watched it happen.

[Mike Garvey]

I. Right, right.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay.

[Mike Garvey]

So. So this guy Will sits down with us.

[Eric Triplett]

First of all, he's a handsome, handsome

[Mike Garvey]

black male, probably what, 40s?

[Eric Triplett]

No, he's 30s.

[Mike Garvey]

30s.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, he's. Oh, he, he's 40.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah, I mean, he's. He's 40. Okay. He's 40, in incredible shape. Sits down with us.

[Jason Triplett]

Name?

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah, so he sits down, we're talking about and we're like, okay. And you said, so what do you do? And he's like, well, I'm a fitness trainer for 40 year old. And plus women that are going through menopause.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

And I'm like, all right, that's like a real. That's like a niche thing. That's kind of interesting. And I'm like, why the, why the. Would they go to him? And I thought of it. I really thought, yeah. And then not. What was it 10 seconds later? What did you say? You're like, I need to.

[Eric Triplett]

I said, hey, you, you.

[Mike Garvey]

I need to be super real with you.

[Eric Triplett]

Right. Can I get me straight with you? Can I just.

[Mike Garvey]

Yes, go.

[Eric Triplett]

Go really hard on you and be straight.

[Mike Garvey]

Why would a 40 year old black, 40 year old white lady going through menopause go to a black fitness male trainer for advice? Yeah.

[Jason Triplett]

I was like, yeah, you know what he was ready for? He was ready for the question, though. Like he's heard that before. Dude.

[Mike Garvey]

I don't know if he had it

[Eric Triplett]

that he's heard of before. But you were like, that directly.

[Jason Triplett]

I think he's heard it before because he had an answer and he was like, even I'm glad because that other chick was sitting right next to us who's obviously, you know, 50, 60 years old. And he even said, hey, you know what? If I'm wrong here, you tell me. Okay?

[Mike Garvey]

Right. He had it.

[Jason Triplett]

So he, he's had this conversation many of times for sure.

[Mike Garvey]

That was direct.

[Eric Triplett]

But were you like, that's my fucking partner?

[Mike Garvey]

Yes. He's an eight.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, 38 special.

[Jason Triplett]

Well, before I, Before I saw that he was married, I was like, oh, yeah, he's banging these chicks.

[Eric Triplett]

No, because he's. How can he make and have reoccurring, you know, business and people are weird, man.

[Jason Triplett]

People do some odd sometimes.

[Eric Triplett]

No, he can't be. He can't be banging 12 girls and teaching them how to, you know, deal with their hormones.

[Jason Triplett]

Well, when he said he was doing

[Eric Triplett]

it online, he's doing it online and

[Mike Garvey]

it's a four pillar.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

Thing.

[Eric Triplett]

He's legit, super legit. He's got like 250, 000 people on. He goes live every day for an hour and a half.

[Jason Triplett]

That's crazy.

[Eric Triplett]

And at the end of the hour and every day, hour and a half. And at the end of the hour and a half, he pitches, like, what he can do. Beyond that, it's not banging. Okay. You know what I mean? It's like, I can help you, you know, make sure you die.

[Jason Triplett]

Well, again, that would be a natural thought process though, for like a guy like me or you. Like, you even asked him too.

[Eric Triplett]

What do you mean me? I've been married for 30 years.

[Jason Triplett]

No, no, no. In a way that your mind was starting to go there. Like, okay, not only why would they go to you? But like, you're a handsome dude. Like, Like, I think it just, it was a natural, a natural thought. Like, oh, he's banging these chicks.

[Eric Triplett]

You thought it. I didn't.

[Jason Triplett]

But you know, you fucking.

[Eric Triplett]

I didn't.

[Jason Triplett]

Did you?

[Mike Garvey]

I was like, oh, man.

[Jason Triplett]

Like, yeah, why would they.

[Mike Garvey]

What's happening?

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah, hence. No, look, because my thought was, okay, why would they go to him? Why would they go to him? He's obviously a good looking dude. He's jacked. Like you said, like, how can he. How can he relate to somebody other than. It's a good way to bone.

[Eric Triplett]

No, you're an idiot, bro.

[Jason Triplett]

Listen, that's how I was thinking.

[Eric Triplett]

No, this is not some guy in a small town.

[Jason Triplett]

I know, I know that. Obviously it changed my mind within like 30 seconds. You know, when he started talking about,

[Eric Triplett]

even if he wasn't married and he was having sex with some of the ladies, he has to have a presence to be in a position to have this as his livelihood. Like, this is his job, you know?

[Jason Triplett]

Totally.

[Eric Triplett]

And that's why he's here at sponsor games, because not only is he providing a super valuable service to women, and I challenged him on it, you know, and it was because here's like, I'm in. I'm in sales. I coach contractors on sales communications. And like, I. I look at objections always, Right? So I want to look at your objections when I'm talking to you. I think I've challenged you a couple of times. But, like, if, you know, if you're a contractor, it's like, hey, it's too much money. I got to talk to my wife. You know, these kind of objections. So I was like, oh, this guy. His objection is, I'm a woman. You don't know what I'm going through. You're a man. How could you possibly know like that? That was a huge objection. Just Such a massive slap in the face. I'm like, how do you handle this objection? Right? And so that's. And then clearly he has that figured out. And now he does.

[Mike Garvey]

Right.

[Eric Triplett]

He just wants to figure out, how can I help these women and how can I talk to brands that need to be in front of these women and how can I help pitch their brands to these women and. And get paid to do so? That's what sponsored.

[Jason Triplett]

He did say it literally fell into his lap, and it. It probably connected with him because he basically said, yeah, dude, when I got my TikTok and I started doing this, I only had like, 33 followers. And then one day I posted some random video I was doing, and next thing you know, I had 25, like, 25, 000 followers. And that's when I. It's. It's almost like the freaking light bulb went off.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Jason Triplett]

In his head, that's probably what happened

[Mike Garvey]

at that super niche.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah. I actually need to figure that out. How I need to do. Well, that's something.

[Eric Triplett]

Like, he has 33 followers and he goes viral. You know that that's exactly what you've been asking about, like, how do I get more followers? You got to go viral. You got to figure that out. Right?

[Mike Garvey]

Well, you should try to take him out and be a traitor for me.

[Jason Triplett]

That'd be hilarious. Some fat guy trying to give, but

[Eric Triplett]

you're not jacked and sexy.

[Jason Triplett]

I know, I know. I'm just sexy. I'm like, dude, okay, yeah, he found that niche, dude. And I need to find that light bulb.

[Eric Triplett]

Contractors. If you're sick and tired of not making enough money, you might suck at sales and you don't even know it. Or worse, you suck at sales and you actually think you're good. Before you get upset with me, I sucked at sales too. And for a long time. Here's the difference. I pulled my head out of the sand and I forced the change. That's why I know what you're up against and how you too can turn things around for you and your family. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I got really uncomfortable. I trained hard. I studied books and podcasts, videos, courses, role playing, and I took guidance from mentors and coaches while spending thousands of dollars. But trust me, it was all worth it. I mean, I turned my struggling company into a profitable seven figure construction business. I put together a list of the critical sales techniques that I use to flip my business from surviving to thriving. And I call it my contractor sales secrets. I want to share the list with you. With. No, no. Except just to get you moving in the right direction. It's my way of contributing and giving back to my community and the construction industry that I know and I love. The list is available to [e-mail] I promise you, with these sales secrets, some grit and discipline, I know you can dramatically change your life. So stop what you're doing right now and go to Contractorsalesecrets.com that's contractor sales Secrets. Most people come to events like this without expectations because they never to really define them. And when it's all over, sometimes they say it was a waste of money. Like, oh, the event was cool. I had a good time, I hung out with my friends. But it was a waste of money. I didn't get anything out of it. But the truth is, when they never had a game plan to begin with, they show up. Right. And so but they, they kind of blame the fact that they didn't do the work or have a plan on the event.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

And I don't think that's good. So you know, while we're here at sponsor games with Justin Moore, I, I, you know, we basically kicked off tonight. When we go in tomorrow, the plan is to get everyone's handle trade trade names. You know, Joe came super prepared. He did, dude, like there's like, there's like seven or nine sponsors for this particular event.

[Mike Garvey]

He reached out to everyone on LinkedIn

[Eric Triplett]

he already talked to him all on LinkedIn. Yeah, like that. Wow. He's very, very prepared. So he's going to be successful. So we talked about the, the, the building here, which is amazing. Tell, tell us a little. I do want to talk about the building a little bit more because at Pod House hq, as we travel the country this year, we're looking to create a spot where we can have, you know, today, look, we're really lean, you know, three, Three podcasters I want to talk about. This is really cool, with three podcasters in this cool facility. Multiple rooms, multiple bathrooms, you know, all this stuff styled in. We have studios in different places, outdoor balconies, all this stuff. We even have the outdoor facility out back. So when we were there today, I'm thinking, like, who could we bring back?

[Mike Garvey]

Yes.

[Eric Triplett]

Who would be someone be like, hey, I'd like to you come back and have pot record with us tonight. Right. And then, you know, I, I can respect the fact it was an outdoor area and it's all nice and they had to kick us out a certain time. But there was literally a moment I was like, we could literally fit every single person here back at our.

[Jason Triplett]

Back here, you know, come to.

[Mike Garvey]

Yes. 1, 2, 3, Main street and.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. And. And I don't, I don't think it was a good idea.

[Mike Garvey]

No.

[Eric Triplett]

But. But I thought it could be. It could happen. Like, we could have just if, if we, if we have our, if our game on, if something like that would happen again next year, I could be like, go pick three people. Go pick three people. Go pick three. Like, we could have potentially brought back nine people. Like. Yeah, okay. We'd like to have a private interview with you. We have, we have a private, private studio. And we'd love for you to come back and podcast with us. Please don't share this with everyone. Here's our QR code or whatever, whatever we do to pass that information on. But we could have had Joe and Will and we could have had, you know, Bianca and whoever else come back.

[Mike Garvey]

Justin.

[Eric Triplett]

Justin.

[Jason Triplett]

No comment.

[Mike Garvey]

And even two. But you could have, you could have this board. You could have other people. I see it too, like around here, not necessarily with microphones, but with headsets on that. Want to listen? If you want to listen in on the interview. If you think the guy from Walking Across Africa.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, that guy was crazy. Yeah, he was amazing.

[Mike Garvey]

Was.

[Eric Triplett]

I wish he was here right now.

[Mike Garvey]

I wish he was here, too.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah. But we can't do it tomorrow. Exactly. That's what's not to say we can't do it tomorrow.

[Eric Triplett]

Well, that. That's. That's why I was like. It just. It flooded over me, like, flushed me. I probably turned red. I was, like, looked at Garvey like, how do we get everyone back there right now? But.

[Mike Garvey]

And I was like, wait, we want to bring everyone back? Like, yeah, all right. Like, yeah, we could fit 50 people here.

[Eric Triplett]

Exactly. But. So. So that's gonna happen one day. But it has to be, you know, like, we. You know, we've set up NDAs because we just can't have everyone showing up.

[Mike Garvey]

Right.

[Eric Triplett]

It's not a party house, but it's content creation house. But, like, we could literally do, like, 40 podcasts tonight if we had the guests show up. Right? So. Yeah, but here's the thing. Like, some people would get annoying after a certain amount of time. You know, maybe they have a couple too many drinks and they're kind of, like, giggly and. And then, like, hey, you guys have to leave. And, like, do they have an Uber? Or they. Did they drive their car, right? Driving away, like, funny. So there's a lot of. There's a lot of things that we need to consider, like, that. Right? Yeah, But I was really thinking, like, how could we maximize this? But the. The Africa guy, there was. There was a podcaster who does. He's like a. He has a rock and roll history podcast. And I'm like, wow, what? Like, I just met him, right?

[Mike Garvey]

When did you meet him?

[Eric Triplett]

Right at the end, when they were kicking us out.

[Mike Garvey]

Really?

[Eric Triplett]

Literally kicking us out. Oh, yeah. He was cool. And I was like, oh, my. Even remember his name. I. I think I got his.

[Jason Triplett]

Be there tomorrow.

[Eric Triplett]

So, you know, but. But these are the kind of things that we need to brace ourselves for, because, again, we don't want this to turn into a, you know, a disaster house. Like, I'm super comfortable and happy, and, like, this is.

[Mike Garvey]

I. I feel like I selective group people here. I mean, to tap in. This is a very interesting event because it's not lawn lawn or landscape or design build fitness.

[Eric Triplett]

Like, save water for the.

[Mike Garvey]

Save water for the planet. And, like. And we only scratched the surface. I don't know what. I mean. I don't.

[Jason Triplett]

I'm sure we're gonna find out some more of these people tomorrow. It's been fun so far, so let's

[Eric Triplett]

get to specifics of why we came. So, like, this is a big. This is a big event for me. Like, this is one of the. This is one of the apex pieces of the puzzle. I came for this Year because, you know, like, I'm very specific about commercials that run on our show. I either want to, like, talk about something that I think is really beneficial to my audience. My audience is dual purpose. So I have like a contractor centric show and I have, you know, aquatic centric show, you know, and I think pretty clearly on, as I define it when I'm talking to people, hey, this is a contractor show. This is an aquatic show. So that way if you're a contractor and you don't like aquatics, you can bounce. If you're, you know, aquatic guy and you don't want to listen to contractors, you, you know, like, that's kind of what I set it up as. But what I want to do is I want to connect with brands. You know, like, we're traveling, we have backpacks and we have, you know, like, I want a backpack brand and boots and a boot brand and, you know, a banking company that we were banking with and we're running our business smoothly because of the style of banking codes that we're using and things of that nature. Like, anything that's helping me grow and expand my business and my travel and, and all that stuff, like, I want to align with them and if I can help expose their brand to people that. That vibe with me and vice versa, then it's a, It's a good collaboration. And so my, my goal here at Sponsor Games is to be like, how can I help brands at the highest level? How can I serve brands at the highest level? And my audience. Because my audience, like, I don't want to talk to my audience about a table. Like, this is the best table on the market. You should get one for your living room. Like, it doesn't really matter.

[Mike Garvey]

Right. It's not changing.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. My, my people aren't coming to listen to the show because they like furniture.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah. And they really believe in that table.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. So that, that's not what it's about. But if it's like something that could enhance their, their position, aquatics or business of construction or sales, communications, or running their company or enhancing their experience with aquatics in their backyard, like that that's what I want to share with them. I don't want to be doing stuff too far off the cuff.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah. Just to do it. Like, that's totally where I'm at too. It's like, there's not many sponsors. Like, we've been approached by other things, but they don't. I don't believe in them. So I'm not just taking them to do them.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. Well, I don't. I don't want to. I don't want to sponsor deal with. I don't want a brand deal with someone that's like, hey, let's do this for a month or two. I'm like, I don't. What? Why? Like, I'm looking for longer. I'm been married to my wife for 30 years almost. You know, like, I'm looking for, like, longer relationships with. With brands and stuff like that.

[Jason Triplett]

See, that's. That's the difference between you and a lot of people, though. That's why I was talking to Joe about those people who are street sponsor whores. They just want sponsors because they think it's cool and they're making money, whatever, but they don't really, like, back the product. You know, I don't want. I don't want stuff like that. I want stuff that's useful, stuff that I use, stuff I think that's gonna, you know, benefit my.

[Eric Triplett]

My audience.

[Mike Garvey]

Eric said it the other night, too. It's like, I want to be on a team that. I want to be Michael Jordan. I want to be on one team.

[Jason Triplett]

I'm not.

[Mike Garvey]

I want to be LeBron. LeBron jumping around.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

You know, flopping around, flailing. But no, I don't want to go from one thing to the next thing to the next thing because they're giving me giving you a better deal. It's like, no, I want to use the product. I want to know the product. I want to.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

It.

[Mike Garvey]

To change me. You know, like a couple of our. The banking platform I use, relay, like, that has changed my business, that I have different bank accounts for different things or, you know, any of the other things that I use. It's like I incorporate them in my business. I think they will help you as well. I want to share these with you.

[Jason Triplett]

See, I have the. I have the mindset. Yeah. Obviously you guys are far ahead of me than I am. Right. But the thing about me is I'm very loyal. So, like, if someone takes a chance on me because they can kind of see my vision or they, like, they like me as a person, it's kind of like sales. Yeah. I have a product that I sell and people will buy from me, but for the most part, people will buy from me because they like me. So, like, I want somebody to say, you know what? I'm going to take a chance on you because I kind of see where you're going. I believe your vision, and you're going to be. You're going to be loyal to Me. And that's kind of what I'm looking for. Obviously, some of the brands that they have here, some of the sponsors that they have here obviously would, you know, aren't really my forte. Maybe the sure one. I could definitely see that. But even then, if sure were to say, hey, here you go, I'm like, I don't know if I would use them because I've been using EV for so freaking long. I'm just.

[Mike Garvey]

You know what was really cool with Mario is that like, he was asking me about. He's like, oh, what do you use? Like, Rodecaster Audio Technica or whatever? And he's like, oh, man. He's like. Because he was telling me about what sure has. And he's like, but you know what? He's like, if that works for you, keep rolling with it.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

I was like, wow, that's pretty. That's really cool.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah, he's like, that was cool.

[Mike Garvey]

Whatever. And he said it the same thing to you, right? Like, about. He's like. He's like, damn, man, I'm a musician too. And you know. Right.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Jason Triplett]

He's like, EV is a great brand, which they are. So. But that's, that's what I'm saying. Like, if someone were to take a chance on me and risk. Risk it on me, then, then I'm going to be loyal. That's how I am. I don't want to, I don't want to have, you know, 30 sponsors. I want to have like a solid, just a handful. Just, just five. Just the ones that I know are going to be daily use or weekly use.

[Eric Triplett]

30, bro. I'm down for a solid. 30, I think.

[Jason Triplett]

I'm not there yet, bro.

[Eric Triplett]

I think. But I think it's, it's having that thought process is, is a real, the real deal, you know, having that, that vision, you know. You know, like, like me thinking about the backpack. Like, we're traveling everywhere. We're looking at having a mobile studio in a backpack.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

You throw a backpack on the ground, we'll do some zippers and open it up and a complete mobile studio. Like, I want a backpack. I want, I want to travel. Travel, gear, all that stuff. I want whether Rodecaster were do it or not. But I mean, there's, there's a lot of brands.

[Mike Garvey]

Cameras.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Jason Triplett]

You know, well, Mario of, of all people brought up a, a good thing that I, I. And I'm surprised I didn't think about it. I'm already using the EV stuff. I've been using it for, you know, 20 plus years. Well, I haven't done any, any of the advertising for it. I haven't done any marketing for it. Yeah, I'm, I'm a believer in the product and I talk about all the time. I get you hooked up on, you know, NAMM shows and stuff when we were doing that stuff. But I never like literally talk about the product. I mean, I think I need to start going down that road.

[Eric Triplett]

You should know how to do it yet. And that's what, that's over here. Probably why we're here because I just want brands to know that what like I'm not going to go to these events because, you know, I'm cool and I'll talk about your brand. Like I'm actually traveling the country right now too to become better at serving my brands like that. That's what this complete the stop on our journey is about. Right.

[Mike Garvey]

I think also too, to, to paint the picture of what we're doing here at pothouse number two, to show the brands like what we're doing, what, what this is, what this could be, how to benefit it and be a benefit to them. Right?

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. Because I think, I think most creators are too narcissistic. They're like, well I got this many followers and people watch me and so you should.

[Jason Triplett]

The one upper.

[Eric Triplett]

It's worse. It's worth money for you to like give me free stuff and pay me money so like all my people will see like, it's, it's more than that. It's actual like synergistic work to make it happen. Right.

[Jason Triplett]

So. Well, now we're kind of getting off topic because I think that's a lot of those so called influencers or content creators, you know, they're like, oh Well, I have 5,000 followers so you should give this to me for free. You know, like people get sidetracked and they, I don't think they really grasp really what the, the concept of an equal partnership is people just doing oh because they want free shit. It's not about getting free shit. It's about something you believe in. Like, you know, there's influencers that go to a restaurant like, oh, I've got, you know, 5,000 followers. You're gonna give me a free dinner tonight. And all my viewers. Yeah, dude. It's like I get so disgusted when I see that kind of shit because that's not really what this shit's about. You know, people are just doing it for free shit. I wanna, I wanna do it. I wanna build real relationships, like long

[Eric Triplett]

term, well instagram's been around long enough that people that put in work, they're gonna have 5, 10,000 followers, and they're gonna, you know, like, they think that's enough to make it happen. But it's more to it than that, right?

[Jason Triplett]

I'm making a drink. You want one?

[Eric Triplett]

I push pause.

Contractors. Let me ask you something. How many calls do you make every day just trying to get on the same page with a customer? Describing a problem, explaining a solution, guessing what you're walking into. Now imagine skipping all of that and seeing the job before you ever roll a truck. That's what liveswitch does. Liveswitch lets you connect face to face with homeowners instantly. Live video, real time diagnosis, faster decisions, and better trust. This isn't just another app to slow you down. It's the difference between speed to lead and race to the face. Contractors using live video close faster, waste fewer trips, and show up as the expert before the competition even arrives. If you're ready to work smarter, communicate clearer, and win more jobs, go to liveswitch.com and sign up for a free trial and see what Race to the Face really looks like. And be sure to tell them the pond diggers sent you

guys.

[Jason Triplett]

Balance is key.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay, I remember where I left off. So JT had his first experience with the. The pothouse apparel today at the airport.

[Jason Triplett]

You know, what was that like? Well, dude, I like to think we stand out in a crowd outside of the sweater. But, yeah, I mean, people were looking at the sweaters a lot, but, you know, like, I had a airline ticket that said, you know, I bored, like, boarding eight, and he was boarding five.

[Mike Garvey]

Zone five.

[Jason Triplett]

And so, yeah, and I told Eric. I was like, man, that, dude, I'm just going to. I'm just going to go with you. You go ahead. And sure enough, dude, we'd walk up, he'd go in, and then my. My ticket. His ticket would be like, ching, okay, good.

[Mike Garvey]

Go ahead.

[Jason Triplett]

Then my. My chick was like, like, red alert. Red alert.

[Eric Triplett]

Wrong zone.

[Jason Triplett]

Wrong zone.

[Eric Triplett]

Zone alert. Peasant.

[Jason Triplett]

But they were like, okay.

[Eric Triplett]

Oh, have.

[Jason Triplett]

Have a good flag.

[Mike Garvey]

Oh, really?

[Eric Triplett]

Let me go,

[Mike Garvey]

Pot house.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, seriously. Because. Because when we were walking through the airport, I was watching people, and people were staring at the shirt and, like, looking at the shirt and, like, looking at my. In the eyes and be like, you. You said you look special, you know,

[Mike Garvey]

but we felt the same at iconics.

[Eric Triplett]

No, that's what I'm saying. It extended to Texas. You know, it's like, it was that way in. In Las Vegas in Texas too. So. But we. I. I bought the tickets for us at the same time. I bought all the tickets, like, two. A month and a half, two months ago.

[Mike Garvey]

Right.

[Eric Triplett]

And I don't know why he got zone eight, I got zone five.

[Mike Garvey]

And you're.

[Jason Triplett]

I know what. I know exactly what happened, Kathy Jo, when she went and booked the tickets, she did you first.

[Eric Triplett]

Obviously, she's like triplets the man.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah, obviously. And so when she booked mine, I mean, obviously people had already booked tickets by the time she booked mine. That's how that works.

[Eric Triplett]

Anyways, either way, it works out.

[Jason Triplett]

It works out great. Kathy. Joe, I love you. You've got us dialed in, but we're both.

[Eric Triplett]

We're both in the aisle seats. So, like, behind each other? No, in, like, right across from each other. So, like, there's the aisle. I was like, to the left.

[Mike Garvey]

Are you both aisle guys?

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, we're both aisles. Right. So. But when we walked up, you know, we had the pothouse gear on, and. And she was like, how many in your party, sir? I'm like, oh, she's the two of us. I gave her zone five, and she's like, points me on. Here you go. And then when he goes on, it's like. And she just, like, ignored it. She's like, have a good day, sir. Like, you guys are together. Like, you guys are together.

[Mike Garvey]

You guys are the pothouse.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. So that was super. Super.

[Mike Garvey]

That's really awesome.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. But then we get here to Texas. It's 97 degrees, kind of hard to wear a hoodie. But hey, like, coulda tonight, but yeah, tonight they got cool. But tomorrow's gonna be good. We'll be able to wear them. But you know, like, tomorrow be the trifecta. Yeah, yeah. But today I had on the Pondiger jersey, like the Pond Digger button up, same as the pothouse button up with

[Mike Garvey]

the name on the back.

[Eric Triplett]

With the name on the back.

[Mike Garvey]

With the. With the trademark.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. So the back of this shirt just says the Pond Digger, and the back of our pod house shirt says pod house, content, chaos, creation, whatever. Right. So a guy came up to me at the event tonight. He's like, what ponds you do? How do you do this? What's going on? What is pond Digger? Tell me about it. You know, he, like, he literally came up to me because it's different. I want to know what that means. And so, yeah, I think tomorrow, you know, us wearing our pothouse care is gonna turn some heads and be cool.

[Jason Triplett]

Well, I think it'll be easier also to. To grab A few people to come over tomorrow, come back. Oh, we got. If I can do a podcast with you tomorrow, we would love that. Yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Jason Triplett]

Especially if your name starts with a B. And then we're good.

[Eric Triplett]

We have to figure it out, though, because it's like. Like, hit. This event's. You know, there's only going to be. There's only like. There wasn't that many people here tonight.

[Mike Garvey]

100.

[Jason Triplett]

No, not even that, bro.

[Mike Garvey]

75.

[Eric Triplett]

No, there was like 50, 60 at the most. It's. It's 100 people convention. But, you know, Paul's not here today.

[Mike Garvey]

Right.

[Eric Triplett]

Anna backed out. So. And so. Like, like, so. I mean, you could see there's. There was probably, like, maybe. I. I'm gonna guess 60 people, and then tomorrow maybe 10 more will show up.

[Mike Garvey]

Maybe. Yeah. Yep.

[Eric Triplett]

But it's not this convention where there's 30, 000 people. Because we're at 30, 000 people and we're like, hey, come back to pot house. They tell one friend, they tell two friend, they tell. You know, it's like it starts to build and everyone's trying to come back to our Airbnb and party at Equip Expo. I don't want that to happen. But tomorrow it could be, like, totally different.

[Mike Garvey]

It's a totally different.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

Situation than equipment.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. Tomorrow, with all this wearing our pond house gear, it'll be a little bit more like, hey, what are you guys doing? People are going to want to talk about it, so we should agree on a factor of how that looks like. Hey, if you'd like to come back and podcast, we would like to do that, you know, and we'll figure out what that looks like.

[Mike Garvey]

Time slot.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. Yeah. Well.

[Jason Triplett]

And you only have three microphones, right? Take three of these headsets.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah, I only brought three, but Paul might have others. Paul. Paul Jameson.

[Eric Triplett]

And Paul's asleep by 8, bro.

[Mike Garvey]

But I get to borrow his headsets, you know, if necessary.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay. Don't count on it. Don't count on it. So I want to talk about my goals for the trip.

[Mike Garvey]

Yes.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay, so.

[Mike Garvey]

And you're very methodical. You did this at Conex. I don't know if you know this.

[Jason Triplett]

He does this.

[Mike Garvey]

This is what he does. Yeah, I'm sure you do know this.

[Jason Triplett]

He's always been like this, dude, Analyze. Oh, yeah. All the time.

[Mike Garvey]

Step back and observe. Create a method and then execute.

[Jason Triplett]

That's funny, though, that you can see that from the outside.

[Mike Garvey]

I saw. I've seen it a couple times. I don't really Know, I didn't know it at the time, but at Construction expo, totally just stepped back, analyzed. And that night, he was like, like, okay, this is what we need to do.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

And this is how we're going to execute.

[Jason Triplett]

He's always been a planner, dude. You know what's. You know what's funny? And not to get sidetracked, but. And I don't know how this happened because, like, I'll try to plan, and for the most part, I'm pretty good at it. I can plan.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah.

[Jason Triplett]

But what I've realized is when I plan things, things don't always go according to plan. Right. Like, you can. You can have a total game plan and go into someplace and it goes sideways, and nothing that you had planned is. Is. Is going the way route. So what works for me, like, my brother's a planner. Like, he's always been, and for the most part, it works for him. Whereas I'm more of a. I'm more of a on the fly type guy.

[Mike Garvey]

Things change.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah. Well, yeah, I don't plan, especially in sales because, like, you can plan your day and then, you know, like I said, it goes sideways, so you have to really be versatile, I guess. My brother's very versatile, too. But what I'm saying is I'm not so much of a planner because I noticed, like, sometimes, you know, it's different. Okay, plan your. Your freaking hotel room.

[Eric Triplett]

Room.

[Jason Triplett]

Okay. That's. That's not really planning, but I'm saying, like, he has a set plan when he goes into something. And I. I've realized I don't have that ability to do that sometimes. I just. I like to go in there, like, no plan, and then see what happens.

[Mike Garvey]

Right.

[Jason Triplett]

And a lot of times it works for me.

[Mike Garvey]

We'll work. Right.

[Jason Triplett]

But what I saw, my brother does that, like, all the time, dude.

[Mike Garvey]

I feel like he analyzed the room tonight just like he analyzed Connex. And then we executed on day two, did three podcasts. Did. Did, like, got actual done. And I think that the same thing is gonna happen tomorrow.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

And I like to. I like to sit back and watch it and just tell me where you need me to be and how can I support you and help you with that.

[Jason Triplett]

I will say, being his little brother, he's always kind of taking the lead on things, on most things in life. So I. I kind of just. I'll watch him. Whatever he's doing, I'll kind of join him. If I'm in a. In a situation where I know somebody, then I'll Go do my own thing. But for the most part, Eric, Eric always takes the lead on and it just works out that way. It works out good. You're a good leader, bro.

[Eric Triplett]

Thank you for that.

[Jason Triplett]

You've been doing this a while, so

[Eric Triplett]

I want to be clear. I, I see a big vision, right? But I don't plan as much as it's. It as me sitting back listening to you guys talk. I don't plan as much. So just so you know, like I just, I told, I said I'm. My plan was I'm gonna go Con Expo, I'm gonna go to sponsor games, I'm going to the Koi show. I'm gonna go here like, boom, right? Like that's the big vision. I told Kathy, Joe, like, get these things planned out like it was last night. 11:30pm I, I have to be up at 3:30. I'm packing. Like, you know what I mean?

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

It's just because my life was in the way, you know, like it's busy so I'm packing. I, I should shower, shave so I can just get up in the morning and just like everything is ready. I didn't even know what airline I was on, you know, I just know when I open up my calendar, it's there and I'm gonna touch it, it's going to open up. It's going to be my flight number. It's going to be. That's where I got to go.

[Mike Garvey]

That's huge.

[Eric Triplett]

You know, and, and JT's on that way. He's like, well, what's the flight number? I'm like, I don't know. And he's like, what, what airline we're gonna fly? I'm like, I don't know. I, I don't, I just don't know.

[Mike Garvey]

You don't need to know.

[Eric Triplett]

Just be here at 3, 31550 and we're gonna go.

[Jason Triplett]

That's, that's where you, you, your versatility comes in.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[Mike Garvey]

Yes.

[Jason Triplett]

So, yeah, I mean, I think we both have that ability to do that. You're way more of a planner than I am. But yeah, you, you are very versatile. Because a lot of times you're, you're so busy, it's not like you don't want to plan. Like for the most part when it comes to family functions, Eric's usually pretty late all the time because he's got so much going on, bro. We're like, hey, what time's dinner? Fucking five, I think.

[Mike Garvey]

Right?

[Jason Triplett]

And then I'll be. And I'm like, johnny on the spot, dude. You tell me to be there at 5, I'm there 5.

[Mike Garvey]

You're there at 4:50.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah, dude. And then my brother is not so much, dude. And then. And then, of course, you know, mom will be like, where's Eric? Where's Eric? I. This. We're. We're supposed to do this, like, you know, it's like that pretty often, dude.

[Eric Triplett]

Let's get this back on track.

[Jason Triplett]

I'm sorry, man.

[Mike Garvey]

No, I like this.

[Eric Triplett]

Well, but it's like, you know, I. I have my assistant. She's got all the stuff in my itinerary. I'm like, just like, just get it there. We'll be good. And I know I. I texted you a couple times. It's funny because I know you're like leo, and that's what I love about you. Hq, like, podcast pothouse HQ is like, very, like, law enforcement. Like, military. My dog, valor. Military. Like, Like. I'm thinking more military. Right. And so it was interesting because you were like, when do we land? You said, when you get back from Pennsylvania, back to Ontario.

[Mike Garvey]

Because I want to be there.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. And I'm like, oh. Like, does it really matter? And like, like. And I, like, looked it up.

[Mike Garvey]

I'm probably bothering you, though.

[Eric Triplett]

No, no, it was.

[Jason Triplett]

It was.

[Eric Triplett]

It didn't bother me, but I was like. I had this moment. I'm like, okay, like, here's my buddy on the. On. It's like my partner in Pot house. He's on west. He's on east coast. I'm west coast. He's like, what time are you gonna land back? Like you were in. We're gonna be in Texas together. Texas. I'm going back to New Jersey. You're going to Pennsylvania. And then Pennsylvania, you're going back to Ontario, and then Ontario, you're going to come home for a day, and then you're going to go to Las Vegas, and then you're going to go this. And he's going to come to be a security detail, and we're going to do that. And like, he said, so since he's law enforcement, he said, what time are you going to be back in Ontario? And I said, I'll be there at 1007. I didn't say I'll be there at 10. Like, you know, like, the difference between 10 and 1007 is a lot when it comes to, like, really specifics. Yeah, like, specificity. Right. And I'm like, I'll be there at 1007. Right. And and then like 12 minutes later, because he's like plotting. He's like, he's like on his phone,

[Jason Triplett]

like, that's his trooper mentality, bro.

[Eric Triplett]

That's how he's planning the houses and stuff. He's like, okay, cool, I'll be at such and such O5, like 55. He's like, well, I'll be there at 9:55. I'm gonna be there at 10:07. Like we're literally. He's landing in Ontario. I'm flying from Pennsylvania, probably. I could probably lay over in the Houston for all I know. And then landing In Ontario at 1007, he's gonna land. He's coming from New Jersey, probably landing in o' Hare and then landing in. In the same airport. Like eight minutes apart. Okay, eight minutes apart. Hey, it's triplet here. Let's be real. In a world of reels, swipes and virtual trends, it's easy to forget what really moves the needle. Pond Trade magazine isn't chasing clicks. It's preserving the craft of water features, arguably the last stronghold of long form education in our industry, where real pond builders, koi pros and innovators share their knowledge unfiltered and unrushed. You won't find gimmicks or clickbait in pond trade. You'll find depth, detail, strategy, story. From advanced filtration systems and aquatic plant care to retail strategies and contractor spotlights, Pond Trade is where the best in the business speak freely and where the next generation of pond builders learn what it really takes. If you build ponds for a living, maintain them, design them, or dream about doing it all better, this is your magazine. Delivered free, written by professionals respected by the entire industry. This isn't just content for the algorithm. It's content for legacy. Subscribe now@pond trademag.com Stay connected to the heart of the pond. Now back to the show.

[Jason Triplett]

You know how you said you weren't mad, but you got to understand when you have other people involved in, in, in traveling or doing events, it's not just you anymore. Now, now you got like, you got, you got Mike, you got other people, you got your other podcaster friends. So, you know, like, I know a lot of times you get annoyed with me because I'm like, what? What's the time? And then you'll be like, what the dude? I'm just gonna be there. But when you have other people involved, now you're on their time too. But I'm just saying. Exactly my point. I'm family. I'm A little bit more flexible. Flexible. But when you have other people relying on time frames and they're so used to, you know, punctuality and on time, I could see why Mike is like, hey, I. I want to kind of know. So I can meet you there, or we'll be here at this time. And you don't always work like that. Sometimes. Sometimes you got. That's where your versatility comes in. But I can see why you're like that, dude. All Les are like that, dude. All you guys down to the minute.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah.

[Jason Triplett]

But that's just. That's just your training.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah, yeah, we want to know. I want everything to run smooth.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. Well, it's like. Well, here's the thing, too. It's like, he's my security detail. He needs to know down to the minute.

[Jason Triplett]

Okay. Look at his guns, bro. Look at his guns.

[Eric Triplett]

I gotta figure this out. So let's get back to the goals of the trip, the goals of sponsor games. Like, so my goals right now is I want to. I want to collaborate with 10 different content creators.

[Mike Garvey]

Okay.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay. So I already got my eyes on, like, Will and the Paul walks America or whatever.

[Mike Garvey]

Africa.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, Walked Africa. Like, I. I, like, I'm. I got people. I got my eyes on people.

[Mike Garvey]

Like, yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

But it connects with them at least. And, you know, I want to go through the whole crowd and just be like, hey, what's your. What's your social? What's your handle? What's it like? I want to just trade handles and stuff. Right. So here's an important factor because, like, they're like, what do you do? Right. There's an awkward moment, and I feel like I fell short tonight, and I'm not going to do that tomorrow. I want to be real clear.

[Mike Garvey]

Okay?

[Eric Triplett]

Like, so. And so's like, hey, well, what do you do? You're like, oh, well, I'm a state trooper.

[Mike Garvey]

I didn't even say that tonight. But I'm like, yeah, I own a lot of landscape business and I have a podcast.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, but that's. That's not enough, dude. It's not really what. Who you are and what you are. And, like, I felt that too. Yeah. If someone asks you in, that lady asked you. She was like the interior designer later, and you were like, oh, well, I. I have a podcast, but I had a friend, and then my friend had a podcast, and, like, she's already done.

[Jason Triplett]

She doesn't care anymore.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, like, you already lost her in the first, like, 2.5 seconds, so.

[Jason Triplett]

And the thing is, you did Talk

[Mike Garvey]

to her about your sales.

[Jason Triplett]

About the man. You know what? I did realize that though. I did. I literally caught myself and I stopped. I was like, okay, well, I'm gonna have to change that, I think. I think moving forward, I'm just gonna say, yeah, I sell. I sell. Min quit, man. I do a podcast on the side that's just really kind of.

[Eric Triplett]

Is that enough? Is that who. I mean, that's not enough. I. I like how you shortened it. I like how you shortened it. Let me bring.

[Jason Triplett]

I mean, yeah, what do you. What else you said? It's not enough.

[Eric Triplett]

It's not enough.

[Jason Triplett]

Okay, so that's what.

[Eric Triplett]

I'm gonna bring it home right now.

[Jason Triplett]

Okay.

[Eric Triplett]

But like, you. I saw you, like, going down this, like, rabbit hole and I was like, oh, he lost her already. I. I was. Got to fix this. And someone's like. And so for me it's like, hey, what are you just like, hey, I. I build koi pond cons for people, you know, and like, like, I kind of go in that direction. I did that like five times tonight. And I was like, you just need to lean into what you said you would say when you, when people ask you. It's an elevator pitch. When you walk into an elevator, you're standing there next to someone like, hey, what do you do? And you don't know who they are. Hey, I specialize in building low maintenance aquatic ecosystems for fish and aquatic plants, but more importantly, for people.

[Jason Triplett]

That's good because usually when people ask me what I do for a living, I tell them I sell heavy duty mining equipment like on that show Gold Rush. You ever see Gold Rush? And then I'll ask them. But the podcasting thing, it's almost like, you guys know I'm doing it, but I feel like I'm so small on the podcast and like, I'm just. I'm just a guy.

[Eric Triplett]

It's a small building ponds for people trying to.

[Jason Triplett]

Trying to, you know, know, create something.

[Mike Garvey]

We're also.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah, yeah, but I'm saying, like, dude, I got like 105 subscribers on my YouTube page. Dude, Will has 237, 000 friends or like, you know, yeah, people on his Tick tock. Like, I feel so small to him as. But he's just. He's got his own niche.

[Eric Triplett]

But that's okay. That lady across the way, she's like, hey, I got 500 followers on Instagram. I got a 700, which is crazy to me.

[Mike Garvey]

But even, even Will's like, I have had 33 views.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah, he had 33 friends.

[Mike Garvey]

Friends. And then that by the end of the week, he had 25,000. Like, yeah, none of this. None of this is overnight content.

[Eric Triplett]

He did a piece of content that mattered.

[Jason Triplett]

Do you think so? Are you saying that once you. You could have one video that goes viral and changes the game, but I also don't think.

[Mike Garvey]

I don't think you should be always, like, seeking that piece of viral content out. I think it's a. That what we're doing here, like, these podcasts and everything and building Pothouse, it's a snowball, just like your business, right? Like, it's a small little ball, and it. Through the time and the connections and the years, it builds into a bigger snowball. Nothing's gonna happen. Some people do happen overnight, but I don't see myself. I don't see any of it happen overnight.

[Eric Triplett]

Right.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah. I was telling Eric earlier, I don't have a lot of followers. I'm doing this because I enjoy it. It's fun. It's a release for me. It's. It's like, Eric. Eric used a very good way to kind of correlate his life. He's documenting his life, right? Like, yep. And that's kind of what I've always done, you know, and so I used to be into music. Music was my passion for many, many years. Once I retired, I felt like I didn't, like, I needed to do something else. Eric was doing podcasting. He kind of encouraged me to get started, and that's what I did.

[Mike Garvey]

It's awesome.

[Jason Triplett]

But the thing is, I, you know, I'm trying to build that. That, you know, the. The foundation of trying to build viewers and. And get followers. That's extremely difficult, you know, makes me question. Okay, well, I know that I talk about risque things. I'm talking about politics or, you know, music or, you know, club stuff or whatever, but it's like I find myself trying to. I'll try different things to see what works. Some. Some. Some videos have a lot of views, a thousand plus. And then other videos get like, 200. So that's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to network with people who are doing better, who are better at it than I am, and apparently most of the people here.

[Eric Triplett]

That's not hard to do.

[Jason Triplett]

Apparently not. Apparently not.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay, let's get to the goals. So, like, my goals for the show is specifically, I want to connect with five to 10 content creators. It's easy to do. There's. There's supposed to be up to 100 that we can somehow collaborate with, either podcast or. Or, you know, trade information or do a piece of content together. And then I want to record at least five podcasts that. That we can slide into things. And if we would have had, you know, 60 people come to Podhouse tonight, we would have got that done. But, like, that's another topic.

[Jason Triplett]

But you didn't foresee. We didn't foresee that.

[Eric Triplett]

No, I know, know, and I know I don't want to deviate from that. Like, so when Garvey and I set up Pod House HQ and we set that up, we were like. Like, we had. Everyone has to sign DNA. You know, DNA. Everyone has to sign NDA. Right? Everyone has signed NDA, whether they're our friend or not, whether my brother or not. You're like, you signed the NDA? I signed it. He signed it. Everyone who's been involved in Pot House has to sign the NDA. It's like, you can't show up and be an. You can't show up and bring a one, you know, a plus one. That. That we don't. That we didn't agree. You can't just bring people in. Right.

[Jason Triplett]

So if there are people that come tomorrow, are you going to just make them sign this tomorrow or.

[Eric Triplett]

Well, we don't have a way to do that currently. Like, like, that's something that we need to think.

[Jason Triplett]

Well, you sent me a docu sign. Could you just duplicate that or what?

[Mike Garvey]

Probably, yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

Well, it's something that, like, at this event, maybe it's not so critical.

[Mike Garvey]

Right?

[Eric Triplett]

Like, it. We can be a little more pivot and go on the. On the down low or whatever, but, like, at bigger events, when there's like 30,000 people equip.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

There's gonna be less than 100 people at this entire conference. It's very, very niche. But when it equipped, there's 30, 000 people. And it's like so and so tell so and so and so and tells someone.

[Jason Triplett]

And then people start thinking it's going to be like a party, and then one.

[Eric Triplett]

One piece of content goes viral and then there's too many people here. So, like, so. So, you know, Garvey, you and I have to be real clear and go like him and invite Joe back. Yes. Okay, cool. Hey, listen, I'm gonna invite purple hair girl back to her husband and we're gonna talk about whatever. Like, like you. You, like you don't have authority because Garvey and I are partners on this, and that's one of the big things is because, like, we have. We have like five or ten really important, like, high influence kind of people in that are connected with us that. That might. Might be involved in this, and then we don't want to give them carte blanche to do whatever they want.

[Jason Triplett]

Dude, I'm just. I feel fortunate. I'm very thankful that you guys even invited me to come.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. And I see that. So tomorrow, Garvey, you know, I'm gonna. I'm Garvey. I'm gonna go, like, I'm gonna ask Joe to come back and record with us tomorrow. And you'd be like, cool.

[Jason Triplett]

The sure guy. No, Joe. Phenomenal.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, Joe, phenomenal. But maybe, maybe I'll be like, hey, Mario, let's bring the Africa guy. Be walking after. You know, like, let's. Let's ask those guys to come back and just come in and pop in and we'll have a couple. We'll have a couple drinks and maybe record a couple podcasts.

[Mike Garvey]

I like it.

[Eric Triplett]

And then it'll be like, Hey, 10 o'.

Clock.

You guys got to get the out. Yeah, like. Like, we're gonna have it. We're gonna have.

[Jason Triplett]

That's when the Ms. And cocaine kick in.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay, I'm just kidding.

[Jason Triplett]

Just kidding. I signed an NDA and it said none of that could happen.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay. So I Wanna. I want 10. I want 10 creators collaborate with five to 10 minimum, five podcasts. And I want, I want, I want real. Like, I reached out to 20 different backpack brands right before this event, and five hit me up very serious. I had a boot brand hit me up very serious. Several people hit me up and by. By, like, Like, I want to make sure that. Because I'm. Because I'm trying to tax my business, because I'm trying to do pod house, because I'm trying to do all these different things and grow the ranch and fabrication and manufacturing. Like, I want to be able to be like, I don't want any weird expectations. So they show up. Yeah, I'll give you a backpack and you're supposed to do this for me. I'm like, no, I didn't. I didn't mean to do that. Like, I. I wanted to be real clean and. And crisp. So I want real clear vision on how to. How to expect expectations to meet with those brands like that. So. And then the format of Pothouse too, Like, we've already just learned, like, this is the moment. I was like, I could bring all these people back to the house, but, you know, it's like, I have. I have A partner to talk about. And like, it's cool because you know, with you having that law enforcement background, you know, you and I talked about it. It, you know, like, what should we call The Pod House? HQ.com Pod House. This and that. The pod house. Oh, it was so much to choose from, but I was like, I want to lean into that Leo vibe. Yeah. You know, like this is, this is legit. Like, so tomorrow I'm going to pull you aside or you pull me aside. Like, let's, let's be real clear on that. I want to be real clear with you. Like these two people I think we should bring back. And then we should just be like, hey, by like 10 o' clock we usually clear out.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah, we clear out by 10.

[Eric Triplett]

By 10 we'll probably kick you out. Yeah, you're gonna have an Uber. Right? Because I'm not taking you home.

[Mike Garvey]

Right.

[Eric Triplett]

There's no place for you to stay. You know, even though we have extra rooms right now, it's like that's not what we're looking to do. So I want to be clear on that. So. But I want to leave. I want to leave sponsor games with real actionable steps, like how we're going to approach the brands we've already talked to and we've already been pitching brands like numbers and plans.

[Mike Garvey]

Oh yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

And I almost want to be like, show him those, like, how did we screw this up? He's going to be like, you sent this as an email to someone, you idiot. You didn't have a conversation for like, I want to, I want to, I want to like be really open about that.

[Mike Garvey]

Yes.

[Eric Triplett]

Like, that's part of my goal. Hey, it's triplet here. Listen. In a world where quality is often overlooked. Overlooked. Helix Life Support stands proud, bringing you American made excellence for your koi ponds and water gardens. And I want you to know I worked in the field for over 15 years and had professionally built nearly a thousand ponds before I designed my own proprietary filtration equipment. So trust and believe when I say that Helix Life Support is a product line that was crafted for those who demand durability, advanced technology and a deep commitment to fish friendly designs. Now at the heart of the product line is our patented, award winning Helix pond skimmer. Built with the safety for your koi and other fish as our top priority. No sharp edges, no unnecessary risks, just an innovative fish friendly skimmer you can trust. And every piece of Helix equipment that's made is with high quality materials so you can get a filtration system that's as tough and reliable as it is efficient. Whether you're a first time pond builder or professional contractor looking to elevate your game, my team and I are ready to help you realize that vision for personalized pond design assistance or to get your hands on Helix Life Support filtration equipment. Give us a call today at 800-522-50. That's 800-522-5043. Support American craftsmanship and choose Helix Life support for your pond. Built for koi. Built for life. Built for you.

[Mike Garvey]

Hey, this is where we're at with this brand and we sent a good, better, best.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

X amount of dollars and you know, this is where we're at that.

[Jason Triplett]

Just don't bring the Rosie O' Donnell look.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay?

[Mike Garvey]

Only Rosie ODonnell.

[Eric Triplett]

All right, well, anyh, cool. Let's bring it home. So you have any closing thoughts?

[Mike Garvey]

No, I just think this is unlike any event I've ever been to. It's smaller than 100 people. It's people not in the lawn and landscape industry that I've normally interact with a little bit out of my comfort zone. But it's cool to learn from different people. And a lot of these people, it is their side hustle that I'm learning. I'm like, whoa. I'm like, nam. These are like, everyone's like, oh, I was this. But I'm, I've been interior designer, but I'm also now doing this on. It's all their spirit. This is like a side hustle, like convention really, that I kind of realized tonight. But I, I'm so open to, yeah, like, bringing a couple of, like, really cool people back, opening it up a little bit, and then seeing where it goes.

[Jason Triplett]

You know, when my brother invited me and told me about this, I didn't come here looking for a freaking sponsorship because I knew, I just feel like I'm kind of small time. My goal was to just learn from people who are doing it. Like, obviously I'm at a certain level that I just, I, I can't get past a certain threshold. So I came here to just learn from people who are doing it and, and hopefully gain some knowledge on how to grow my, my personal podcast. Getting sponsorships, I think will come in time when I'm, when I'm getting better. I've never had a problem talking to people and stuff like that. But, like, just in, in meeting a few people today and I'm realizing, like, I don't know, like, I don't have, I don't have nearly the views and followers that some of these people do. So my goal with this next couple days is to just shut the up and learn. Learn from people who are doing it better than I am, and maybe, you know, maybe I can cross it over to, you know, help grow my, my viewership so. Well, it's a bond with my bro. Like, you know, it's cool to do like this, you know, you know, I don't get to do stuff like this with Eric too often, so it's, it's.

[Eric Triplett]

It.

[Jason Triplett]

That's more of a. A value to me than, you know, having followers. Yeah, but it's cool.

[Mike Garvey]

I'm honored to be with you guys.

[Jason Triplett]

Thanks for having me, dude. Appreciate it, man.

[Mike Garvey]

I want to. Eric, other than the five to 10 podcasters, that's one objective. What would you say is objective two and objective three?

[Eric Triplett]

Two and three is to, like, have a clear, defined method into the brands that we want to connect with. Like, we don't have those. We don't. Like, I have a great way to flirt. I have a great way to come in and talk and say, hello, hey, what's your name? This is what I do. But like, to get down to business, that 38 special moment, you know, like, let's get to the moment. I want to get to that moment with those people and then to go back and like, look at this big picture. The big picture is the third piece. So connect with the people, have that real defined moment into the pocket. And then when we get into the pocket, I can really define that and then have this, you know, ongoing tactical approach and strategy to talk to the people. Yeah, it's an important thing.

[Jason Triplett]

Let me ask you, bro, aside from. Sure. Is there. Because there's really only, like, really five sponsors here, right?

[Eric Triplett]

We don't care about the sponsors.

[Jason Triplett]

That's what I was gonna say because that. And that, that was. I'm glad you. Because I was asking, like, are you guys trying to line up any of the sponsors that are here this week?

[Eric Triplett]

No. And, and we're grateful for the sponsors because they help make it event. They make this event happen, you know, and you know, if, like, I do have EV mics, but if the sponsor that's here is like, because, like, we.

[Jason Triplett]

The.

[Eric Triplett]

The, the mics that we used in Las Vegas, they were sure mics. They were, they were amazing.

[Mike Garvey]

Limited edition. Yeah, they were amazing that we learned tonight.

[Eric Triplett]

And I have no, no problem saying, hey, I use the sure mics in Las Vegas at Con. They were amazing. You should try them out too. Like, I love my Eevee mics, you. You know, like, I love them.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

But, like, I would love to help promote that brand because I believe in the sure brand.

[Jason Triplett]

Okay. Yeah, well, and that's, that's. I'm glad you told me because I, you know, as they started naming off some of the sponsors here, I'm like, well, I mean, nothing really here would really suit me other than sure. And, you know, I'm pretty freaking locked in with evs, so I'm like, so to me, it's not about getting, Getting a sponsor, but it is nice to know how to. How to do it. Yeah. How to do it. You know, And I know I, I'm like I said, I'm not that guy who just wants every sponsor, even though I don't believe in the. Like, I don't believe in your product, but I'll take it.

[Eric Triplett]

So this event is about finding the sponsors.

[Jason Triplett]

Yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

For you. And.

[Jason Triplett]

Exactly.

[Mike Garvey]

And then going through the process and it's funny, it's like I'm at the end of a campaign with a company with a. With a sponsor, and I'm like, okay, I need to like, send them. Lock in, Send them the report. Send them what I did. This is it. Okay. And then, like, send them the invoice and like, let's go. And then. Okay, what are we doing for quarter

[Jason Triplett]

two now, Mike, if I may ask, is this, Is this like, has to do with landscaping or something like this, this personal brand that's coming to an end or expiring of what you're saying?

[Mike Garvey]

No, no, it's a banking platform.

[Jason Triplett]

Okay.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah. So it's a. It's Relay bank that I've been working with. I met them at. A year ago at a lawn and landscape conference. But they're a banking platform based off of Mike McCallowitz, profit first, saying that you can put your money in different banking platforms or different bank accounts. So you. So what it is is that you can open up 20 different bank accounts and have your money in different buckets to be able to manage your money better in your business.

[Eric Triplett]

For taxes, 401k machines, it's more business oriented.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah.

[Jason Triplett]

Like, wouldn't be like, for someone like me. Right.

[Mike Garvey]

It's just for, for, for, like my business, Coastal Fertilization. I have, have, you know, an operating account, a insurance account, a payroll account, winter fund, emergency account. All the stuff that, like, my financial advisor says I should have.

[Eric Triplett]

So you get a thousand dollars in. You put $10 here. 10. Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

And it does it automatically at the end of. The end of the week. So like say I bring in, you know, whatever 10 grand in income that week, it's going to take the sales tax and move it out of my operating account automatically. So it's an automatic platform.

[Jason Triplett]

I guess what I'm trying to figure out is when a sponsor is lined up to approach you or you approach them to lock in some kind of mutual deal, what is, what is the expectation of them? Do they.

[Mike Garvey]

Well, that's, that's why we're here, to learn that.

[Eric Triplett]

You haven't figured that out yet, but that's why we're here. This is all going to be figured out.

[Jason Triplett]

Okay, that's what I'm saying.

[Mike Garvey]

Like, so.

[Jason Triplett]

But I mean, he's already got the deal.

[Mike Garvey]

No, but different brands, different expectations it could be.

[Jason Triplett]

When you went with that deal though, what was the expectation? Did they tell you this is what we want?

[Mike Garvey]

They want some, some of them want conversions. You know, some of them want exposure, right? Some of them want, want brand awareness. It depends on where that company is at that point. Like, you know, different. We work with different companies that they want just straight up conversions. They want you. Me to go to you and say, hey, come on with this system or this whatever or this brand that, that I want you to.

[Jason Triplett]

Who's keeping track of that?

[Eric Triplett]

They have, they, they track the metrics.

[Mike Garvey]

They track the metrics through affiliate links. So like, you get my link, they. I signed you up.

[Eric Triplett]

So it's like some of them just want brand exposure, right? You know, I had a backpack, I had Milwaukee, they got a million views. I had Easy Pro. The aeration systems.

[Jason Triplett]

The Milwaukee stuff was great, dude.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. So like when you get a million views, like, there's, there's, like, there's, there's conversion happening inside that, that it's unmeasurable.

[Mike Garvey]

And that's the thing. We're talking to brands. We're like, what are your goals? Like, what do you want out of this? Yeah, do you want conversions? Do you want people, us to sign people up for that? And like, some things don't work like that. Like, we've talked with tech companies or whatever and like they want brand. They want us to help, you know, convert through a podcast for you to make a big giant decision. Sometimes it doesn't, doesn't work that way, right? So, so, you know, some people are heavy on conversion. Some people are just want brand exposure. It's all, okay, what are your goals? Right? And that's like, we've been going to brands, like, what, what do you want? What are your expectations? So we're on the same page.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Jason Triplett]

Okay.

[Eric Triplett]

And so that's. That's what you learn more.

[Jason Triplett]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

You're. You're too early in the game.

[Jason Triplett]

Hey, I know. I'm new.

[Eric Triplett]

That's why you're here. Okay. Any last words?

[Jason Triplett]

No, I'm good, bro.

[Eric Triplett]

How about cheers?

[Jason Triplett]

Cheers. Thanks for having me, guys.

[Mike Garvey]

Appreciate you, Pothouse too. I appreciate you, San Antonio.

[Jason Triplett]

And I love my sweater, bro. I was just telling my brother I need a new sweater and boom, he hooks me up today.

[Eric Triplett]

All right, that's it. So that's the close out. That's the plan. It's triple here. I just wanted to say thank you so much for yours and attention to the podcast. It means so much to us. But the attention behind the trip to sponsor Games Texas is. It's not just showing up. It's not just shaking hands, kissing babies. It's not just hoping something cool happens while you're sipping whiskey and hanging out with your buddies. We need more than that. We need to define what success looks like before the event even gets started. And then while we're executing the event, Excel itself, like trying to make it happen, and then following up after the event, already over, like pushing through it with at the end. Because here's the reality. Events are expensive. Flights are expensive. Airbnbs, haunted or not, they're expensive. Your time is expensive. Time away from your family and your business, expensive. And if you don't show up with a clear plan, you're basically gambling that the event is going to magically deliver some kind of value and change your life. It just doesn't work that way. Right? But when you show up with intention, when you define your goals and expectations, when you know exactly what you're trying to get out of the room and the people that you're connecting with, and, you know, even if it seems selfish, if as long as you're pushing value to the people that you're connecting with, it will resonate, it will come through. Right? So that's the. That's where conferences become rocket fuel for your business when you. You do that kind of networking. And so here's the deal. At the end of this trip, we're going to go back and sit down and ask real questions to ourselves. Did we execute the plan? Did we do what we say we would do? Did we do enough? And if we didn't, well, I'll tell you that too. But that's. That's the premise behind this plan, particular podcast, and documenting our journey on this. So that's. That until next time. We're in San Antonio, Texas, pod house studios number two. Until then, I hope you're getting after it. And that's it. Man, I hope you're out there doing something remarkable to catch you on the next one, Sam.