S2-E27: 38 Special Productions with Mike Garvey

Summary

The Deep End with Eric Triplett

S2-E27: "38 Special Productions with Mike Garvey"

Date: March 18, 2026
Guests: Mike Garvey, Jason (guest presence in-studio)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Eric Triplett ("The Pond Digger") and guest Mike Garvey dive into the unlikely partnership behind their new media venture, 38 Special Productions. The conversation centers around their contrasting but complementary personality types—Eric as an Enneagram Type 8 "Challenger" and Mike as a Type 3 "Achiever"—and how their differences fused into creative synergy. They explore lessons of partnership, personal growth, leadership, and the nuts and bolts of launching a content company within the contracting and trades community. Expect candid stories, actionable insights, and plenty of humor as they lay bare the mindset and mechanics driving their collaboration.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. From Contractors to Content Creators: An Accidental Partnership

• How It Began:

  • The pair met at industry events (LCR Summit, Equip) and connected over shared interests in business, personal mastery, and podcasting.

  • Garvey pushed to formalize their venture, muscling through Eric’s natural caution as a “Challenger.”

  • The idea for "38 Special Productions" came about as an homage to their personality types (3 and 8), blending their drives for achievement and challenge.

  • Their partnership is built on mutual respect, a willingness to push boundaries, and learning from each other's strengths.

    Quote:

    • “When you combine an Achiever and a Challenger, you get a dangerous amount of forward movement. It can be scary to some personality types.” — Eric (13:23)
    • "I think we can really create something special together. We're on opposite sides of the country, which is wild. ... I think there's just a lot of synergy and I think we can really make something special." — Mike (34:50)

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2. The Enneagram Dynamic: Three Meets Eight

• The Enneagram as Catalyst:

  • Eric introduced the Enneagram at LCR Summit, which sparked deeper self-discovery for Garvey.

  • Eric (Type 8 Challenger): Driven, independent, not easily controlled, thrives on building and leading.

  • Mike (Type 3 Achiever): Strategic, polished, results-oriented, strong desire for public success, yet without the "one-up" attitude Eric sometimes finds challenging in other 3s.

  • Their past professional frustrations (Eric with Type 3 “crew chiefs”) are contrasted against the positive, high-performance synergy of their new alliance.

    Quote:

    • “The crew chiefs in my career that were the most problematic were threes… But, you know, I love Ed Mylett, I love Tony Robbins—and they're threes.” — Eric (07:03, 07:57)
    • "I didn't get any weird, you know, like, trigger vibes. Like, threes have a tendency to over exaggerate. To me, as an eight, I'm like, oh, you're lying to me... but from you, I didn't get that." — Eric (07:57)

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3. Building 38 Special Productions: Synergy, Branding & Mission

• Why "38 Special"?

  • Name reflects both their Enneagram types and Law Enforcement/Firefighter (LEO) energy, connecting to Mike’s state trooper past and Eric’s pond business branding.

  • Symbolism: Tactical precision, controlled power, boldness.

    Quote:

    • "When you said 38 Special, it, like, gave me a chubby." — Eric (30:41)
    • “It’s law enforcement, tactical, precision, high standards, controlled power… Controlled content chaos. All wrapped up in one.” — Eric (39:43)

• Branding and Visual Identity:

  • Aura of authority and professionalism, as reflected in vehicle branding and public perception (inspired by real moments with law enforcement).
  • Discussion of avoiding "stolen valor" while leveraging the strong LEO vibe ethically.

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4. The Pod House Model: More Than a Podcast

• Pothouse Studios:

  • Studios/creative spaces established in different cities to host relaxed, in-depth conversations with industry leaders and brands.

  • Modeled on the need for richer, more authentic content untethered from the hustle and bustle of convention "Pod Row."

  • Vision: A space for honest debriefs, deeper brand partnerships, content that goes beyond digital noise.

    Quote:

    • "Pod House gives us that space to do that, says, hey, you come back to our facility, we're going to interview you... It's the Unravel content dump." — Eric (44:35)

• Early Experiences & Lessons:

  • Recap of their first Pod House event: chaotic, fun, but also instructive about what brings value to both creators and brand partners.

  • Emphasis on strategic planning (not just chance), with acknowledgment of the need for both grit and moments of silliness.

    Quote:

    • “It didn’t somehow happen. We strategically planned what we should be doing the next day... And we executed it.” — Mike (40:49)

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5. The Mission: Why 38 Special?

• Purpose:

  • To support and document the journey of contractors, leaders, and creatives within the trades through dynamic content: podcasts, videos, live streams, and more.

  • Creating a platform for personal development, leadership, and industry innovation.

  • Focused on building a media company that serves as a legacy and growth engine for the trades sector.

    Quote:

    • “It’s a media company… We’re building media around contractors and creators and industry leaders. That’s what I think it’s about.” — Eric (48:02)
    • “If you’re listening to this podcast right now, you are witnessing something in its infancy… build something bigger than either of us alone.” — Eric (50:54)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [13:23] Eric: “When you combine an Achiever and a Challenger, you get a dangerous amount of forward movement. It can be scary to some personality types.”
• [30:41] Eric: “When you said 38 Special, it, like, gave me a chubby.”
• [34:50] Mike: "I think we can really create something special together. ... I think there's just a lot of synergy."
• [39:43] Eric: “It’s law enforcement, tactical, precision, high standards, controlled power… Controlled content chaos.”
• [44:35] Eric: "Pod House gives us that space… It's the Unravel content dump."
• [48:02] Eric: “It’s a media company… We’re building media around contractors and creators and industry leaders.”

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:48] Introduction to the show and shift in episode focus
• [03:14] The Enneagram conversation at LCR Summit; personality types revealed
• [06:06–09:14] Exploring challenges and triggers working with Type 3 personalities
• [12:15] The unlikely partnership forms—origins of their collaboration
• [13:11] Enneagram breakdown: 8 (Challenger) vs. 3 (Achiever)
• [17:04–19:06] Developing the 38 Special name; branding inspiration
• [23:32–26:54] "Jump the shark” moment—branding, authenticity, and criticism from peers
• [32:44–34:50] Mike on why the partnership “just made sense”
• [39:43–41:05] "Dangerous synergy" and how their personalities fuel the venture
• [43:18–45:03] Defining the Pod House and 38 Special Productions mission
• [48:02–49:42] The evolving vision for the media company and branding impact
• [50:04–51:00] Final thoughts and encouragement to listeners

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Episode Takeaways

• Partnerships in business succeed when different personality types are self-aware, open, and respectful of each other’s strengths.
• Exploring frameworks like the Enneagram can unlock new pathways for collaboration, self-mastery, and leadership—even (and perhaps especially) among tradespeople.
• Authentic branding and personal stories have the power to connect, even when they're misunderstood or challenged by outsiders.
• “Controlled chaos” is a feature, not a bug, in innovative ventures—so long as it’s driven with strategy and integrity.

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This episode offers a blueprint for entrepreneurs and contractors eager to build something lasting—not by going it alone, but by boldly combining perspectives, challenging limits, and forging new ground together.

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.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

What's happening, rockstars?

[Eric Triplett]

It's Triplet here. Welcome back to the Deep End podcast. Today's episode's going to hit just a little bit different. Today's not necessarily about pawns. And listen, I know you want all you pawn freaks, I know you want more pawn stuff, but listen, currently in the season of my life, I am diving deep into correcting business and developing business and growing it and pushing and all that stuff. So you're going to get a little bit extra of that from me currently. But I will do some serious deep dives on ponds and aquatics real soon. Trust and believe. Do not get impatient with me. Just hang on for the ride. So today's not even necessarily about business. Today's not even really about podcasting. Today is more of an episode about how two completely different personality types, a type 8 challenger, me and my dear friend Mike Garvey, a type 3 achiever, accidentally started building a media company together. Total accident media company. Like, listen to this. Listen, listen, listen, listen. Mike Garvey, a New York Jersey state trooper, security detail for the fucking governor. You know what I mean? Like, this is serious shit security detail. And here I am on the other side of the country digging Ponds. Entrepreneur training guys how to be the best version of themselves. Building Ponds, California, two completely different worlds. But when we started breaking down the Enneagram and what we want to do together and how our two visions align, we realized something really weird. I didn't even realize this. This actually came from Garvey. And you're going to get a chance to hear from this more specifically. But I was speaking at LCR Summit and I. I went really deep on any Enneagram personality types and the whole room was mesmerized by was. It was actually a really special conference for me. And in a nutshell, if I just tell you I had a slide presentation and it somehow failed and they didn't have it for me, so I had to like, roll without a slide presentation and talk to, you know, 50, 60 contractors with no cues, no prompts. I just went hard on was really powerful.

[Mike Garvey]

And.

[Eric Triplett]

And because of that, I didn't have the cues correctly. I was, like, in a silence mode a little bit more, and I was, like, a little bit more thoughtful, Little slower cadence, and it hit a little whole, whole lot different. But when I went into the personality types, you know, a lot of people in the room came up to me at the end of the conference, said, I want that test. I want to figure out who I am. I want to know more about myself so I can be a better version of myself. And Garvey was one of those guys. And we determined he was type three, which I'll just be fucking straight up. Like, threes are almost the worst for me. They're, like, almost the hardest person for me to. To jive with. But he ended up as type three. I'm a type eight. And, you know, Garvey and his big, juicy butt. Like, somehow him and I, like, hit it off, and we're, like, really cool, everything together. But he's a three, and I am an eight. And together, somehow he came up with it. Scissors. No, not scissors, but there's my brother. Old conversation. Somehow, somehow together. 38 special. Okay, so today we're going to unpack what that actually means. And, yeah, let's kick it off. Let's kick it off with Garvey, and let's. Let's. Because I think it was a real eye opener for him to figure out what. What his three personality even meant, because I knew what the eight meant to me and that that unfolded. So let's. Let's take it off, Garvey.

[Mike Garvey]

So you made me take this test, and I knew about this test.

[Eric Triplett]

It was LCR Summit, by the way.

[Mike Garvey]

At the LCR Summit. I took this test years ago together in the trades. I found out my wife was a 9, and I guess I was a 3. But I didn't really pay much attention to what it was. So I knew what the enneagram was a little bit. Didn't learned about it. Someone presented on it, but never it came back up when we were at equip and LCR Summit. LCR Summit. Sorry.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, there's. They're synonymous between us. Like, it's like they go together, right?

[Mike Garvey]

I mean, we were together for a week. A week. So, you know, all meals, everything. And it was like, take this test. Take this test. And I didn't take it until. Oh, man. I think, like, the Thursday night or something like that. And you're like, all right, what are you. Whatever. And I'm like, I'm a Three. And you're like, oh, the worst. The worst. But you're like, wait, hold on. And then you're like, I think you're. You're a different type of three. I'm like, yeah, that's good, right?

[Eric Triplett]

Well, you know, I mean, like, I'm an eight. I'm driven. I want to achieve. I pressure leadership. Like, I'm, I'm a grinder. But let's face it, there's guys on skid row that are eight. You know, they're in the gutter.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

And they're, you know, they have their vices and addictions and whatever. Like, there's eights that are suicidal. I'm not. You know, like, that was a real eye opener for me, like, you being a three. Because I didn't. I, I, I recognize threes because I. Because I'm so. I, I can be so triggered and I can see through a three really easy. But I didn't, I didn't get that vibe from you. So it was like, oh, okay, cool. Well, maybe he's a three. That I don't realize yet. So that, that was a real eye opener for me.

[Mike Garvey]

Are there a lot of threes that you don't realize?

[Eric Triplett]

Oh, probably.

[Mike Garvey]

But

[Eric Triplett]

the crew chiefs in my past, in my career that I hired as crew chiefs that were the most problematic for me over my career were threes. Were threes. And in hindsight, I can see that now, but in the beginning, I didn't. And so I was just like, oh, three bane for me, you know, and. But, you know, it's interesting because I love Ed Mylett, I love Tony Robbins. And they're threes. They have a three personality type. I'm like, these are high, high level three personality types that, you know, want to want the most out of life. High level achievers. And when you tested as a three, I was like, wow, I didn't see that coming because I didn't get that one up kind of personality. And I didn't get. I didn't get any weird, you know, like, trigger vibes. Like, threes have a tendency to over exaggerate. To me, as an eight, I'm like, oh, you're lying to me. You know what I mean? But like, two or three is like, oh, I just stretched it through the little bit.

[Mike Garvey]

No big deal. Right.

[Eric Triplett]

You know, I caught it. I got a 24 inch fish. Was actually only 18 inches. I just stretched a little bit, you know, like. So that, that's kind of like, for me, I didn't get any vibes from you like that? So I was like, okay, cool. He could be just like a high level three. Like a Robbins or a Mylet. I. Then I don't know that. That well yet. So yeah, that was cool.

[Mike Garvey]

No, and like I remember we were at dinner, like at the end of the week, I'm shot out. It's like the whole thing of like, you know, pod row, speaking engagements, sitting in class at LCR summit. Like it's a long, It's a long, grueling week.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

And then we're sitting at dinner. Like, I'm gonna tell you, like I'm a. Hey, I'll take this. Let me take this. Let me concentrate. Took it. I have a three. You're like, oh God. Then I'm like, wait, what? What's wrong with me?

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

You know,

[Eric Triplett]

so there's threes. So that's me trying to figure you out. So like I, I do judge book by cover. I'm not gonna. I don't care. You can be mad at me if you want. Don't judge a book by the COVID Like, I kind of do. Like I evaluate the group, I evaluate a room. I make some assumptions, I make some predictions, I make some speculations and I move on them and move around it. Right. And so, and, and I, I don't, I'm not, I'm not totally upset by that. Like, you know, I would push back on. Don't put judge a book by cover.

[Mike Garvey]

Oh, absolutely.

[Eric Triplett]

You know, I mean, because if it's 100 degrees outside and you're in the store shopping and some guy walks in with a hoodie, like, you should judge the book by the COVID Like this is. This doesn't matter. You know, like, like we're. We're being protective. And like that's a challenger is very protective. So you know. Jesus Christ.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

Put this on mute.

[Eric Triplett]

Take your headphones off.

[Mike Garvey]

That's what he's adding to the jt. It's okay, you're a fo. No, you can keep it on. You keep it. Put it back on. We want to hear from you.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, mute this.

[Mike Garvey]

No, he's okay. He's ok.

[Eric Triplett]

I'm sorry.

[Mike Garvey]

She's had a little tickle.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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 insights of 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

[Eric Triplett]

and A session at the end.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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.

[Eric Triplett]

Tango Whiskey Tango.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

That's TWT Contractor circle on Facebook.

[Eric Triplett]

I'll see you on the inside. Now back to the show. Are you done? I haven't said drink. Yeah, you've been Paris three times in the podcast. You haven't said.

[Mike Garvey]

I keep watching Eric, look over at Jesus.

[Eric Triplett]

Muted.

[Mike Garvey]

I don't.

[Jason]

Oh, so he doesn't have me muted.

[Mike Garvey]

Okay.

[Jason]

Hey, this is your fault, bro.

[Mike Garvey]

This is excellence in broadcasting.

[Jason]

I literally said, I'll go do this. You know, I can't help it, dude. I'm sorry. We were on a plane filled with nasty fucking sick people, dude.

[Mike Garvey]

Okay, little capsule.

[Eric Triplett]

Are you done? Thanks. Jeez.

[Mike Garvey]

I love you with the triplet brothers.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay, here we are. So. Okay, so here's the origin. I mean, if you don't know a challenger, like, the eight is a challenger, three is an achiever. So here's the weird origin story. So two guys, opposite sides of the world, opposites of the country, building something. You know, you got a pond guy, you got a New Jersey state trooper, both podcasters, side hustle guys, content junkies. And somehow we started building this media company together.

[Mike Garvey]

And it's funny because we only met a year ago. Yeah, well, year and a half.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, but you hit me up less than. You know, like, probably we'd only know each other for less than a year. Like, probably. Right? At a year. And you're like, let's start pot house. Let's do an llc. Let's get a website. I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a second, Mr. Achiever, I'm going to challenge you.

[Mike Garvey]

You know, I want two LLCs. One in one in LA.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

So one in New York.

[Eric Triplett]

So let's describe this. An enneagram. Type 8 is a challenger. So aggressive, protective. A builder does not like being controlled. Don't tell me what to do. Off. I'll lose my. I like to create movements like. That's kind of like the pr. That's my aura. Right, Then you got the three, the Achievers. Strategic, polished, highly performance driven. Wants results, knows how to win publicly. Like, really thoughtful about this. Right? That's. That's the high level three personality type. And that's. That's Garvey to the T. Right? That's me. I think to the T. Call it a flex or whatever you want. That's. That's how I think. And Whether I'm winning at all corners of my life. Yes, no, maybe, whatever. But that's. That's the way I think. So when you combine an achiever and a challenger, you get a dangerous amount of forward movement. Like, it's. It's can be scary to some personality types. Like your partner, for example. Example. He's like, wait, what the are you guys doing? You're the bankrupt us. Right, right.

[Mike Garvey]

I'm like, shut up.

[Eric Triplett]

What are you doing? Like, this is not working.

[Mike Garvey]

He's the one.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. Yeah, right? Yeah. So he's. He's extremely analytical, professional, cautious. Yeah. Like, he's like, what the perfectionist needs

[Mike Garvey]

to tell you when he thinks that you're doing wrong.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. Anger. Anger.

[Mike Garvey]

Triad perfectionist. And he goes like, bro, what are we doing with all of this pod house? And you started roped also. You started robotic outdoor power equipment. So we're a dealer now for cress. He's like, all within a year, you crazy motherfucker. What do you. You're going to bankroll. You're going to bankrupt our main business, which is a long landscape business.

[Eric Triplett]

We're not getting any younger. Let's go.

[Mike Garvey]

You're right. Let's go.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay, so let's. Let's talk.

[Mike Garvey]

He goes, I love how your fucking brain works. Yeah, but he has to tell me his.

[Eric Triplett]

I love how he cleans the kitchen and makes food.

[Mike Garvey]

Oh, it's amazing. Yeah, right?

[Eric Triplett]

He's a chef. Like the chef and the pothouse one. He was unbelievable. Oh, but did I say we're shooting from Pothouse Studios? Number two. Number two, San Antonio, Texas, in the house. What's up?

[Mike Garvey]

What's going on with. With Jason?

[Eric Triplett]

Triplet copper triplet Jason.

[Jason]

I'm minding my own business. That's what I'm doing.

[Eric Triplett]

So when we talked about the three and the eight, like, it was like. It's funny because it really hit you. I learned about personality types and disc profiling and all that stuff. I learned about it, you know, 20 years ago. And like, it's kind of moved on me over the years and kind of escalated. You already knew about Enneagram and things of that nature. You took the test with me again, but somehow it hit you differently. And you're like, well, what are you and what is he and what. What is my what? You know, like. And I'm like, you're a three, I'm an eight, he's one, he's a nine, he's a six. And you're like, fuck, okay, let's do a media business. Together, you're a three. Like, you're an eight. I'm a three. Let's. Let's get this. And then tell us about how 38 Special came about.

[Mike Garvey]

I don't really know. I mean, I was, like, racking my brain about, like, all right, you know, well, you should really fun pot. You know, fun pot house with a production company and have a parent company. You don't want Pothouse Productions. Right. Because what if. What if something else breaks off? Right. And what. Who knows? We might have.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

Who knows, right? We might have, you know, 20 different series. I don't freaking know where this is gonna go. So let's start a production company, 38 Special Productions, which produces Pod House, which then, you know, who knows where. Where it goes? And I thought it would be cool to have to pay homage to the R enneagram and our. How we discovered our 3 and 8 and combined it into, you know, 38 special.

[Eric Triplett]

But it's also Leo, like, right?

[Mike Garvey]

Of course.

[Eric Triplett]

So, yeah. That 38 special came after. It was like. Well, I don't know. It was like Pod House was coming together. And then you mentioned 38 special, and then I was adding my. My. My Malin Wall to my construction team. Like, had an LEO vibe to it.

[Mike Garvey]

Do it. Yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

And I had just rebranded my company with my red stripe that kind of had this firefighting kind of thing. Yeah. And so it was like.

[Mike Garvey]

Which I saw in Vegas. The. The. The Las Vegas cop was next to us. Like, I think you had to move over, and he, like, let you over or. Or whatever it was. He was, like, looking at you.

[Eric Triplett]

Talk about that.

[Mike Garvey]

Oh, look at this guy. Like, I was sitting in the back seat, and I was watching this Las Vegas police officer, and he kind of just checking out the truck, and he's like, oh, like. Like, it's got that. It's got that authority, authoritative, like, vibe to it, and it's professional.

[Eric Triplett]

You pay attention to us, right?

[Mike Garvey]

Yes. I saw it without question for a while.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

At a. At, like, an intersection. Yeah. And it's like canine unit. Right. Like, it's all, like. It's perfect. It's like, man, that's. The branding's, like, on point, and I'm not just blowing smoke up your ass. It's like, wow. It's like, that's professional. That's responsive. That's, like, got a really clean look to it.

[Eric Triplett]

So I want to talk about this Leo vibe, because when you said. Because 38 special came up, and I thought it was funny, and I thought it was Cool. Because I have. I've had Pond Digger productions for years, right? You know, I was like, do they make this a ponding of productions? No. Well, it's like something new. It's like Garvey and me. It's not like me, right? So when you say when you like the achiever, mind the way you thought, you're like, it's called 38 special. And I was like, that's got a great Leo vibe to it. Right. But what I wanted to tell you is, you know, I just came off my 4 by 4 by 48 challenge, so I'm a little bit sleep deprived. You know, for every. Every four hours, I've either walked or rode a bike for an hour.

[Mike Garvey]

That's insane.

[Eric Triplett]

For 48 hours straight. So, you know, we started at Sun's Sunset, which was like 6pm we started, finished at 7. So that's 1212 loops. 121 hour, 12 exercise, 1 hour legs in 48 hours.

[Mike Garvey]

Wow.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

Contractors. If you're sick and tired of not making enough money, you might suck at

[Eric Triplett]

sales and you don't even know it.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

Or worse, you suck at sales and you actually think you're good.

[Eric Triplett]

Before you get upset with me, I

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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

[Eric Triplett]

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,

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

role playing, and I took guidance from mentors and coaches while spending thousands of 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

[Eric Triplett]

you with no, no expense.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

Just to get you moving in the right direction. It's my way of contributing and giving back to my community. Community and the construction industry that I

[Eric Triplett]

know and I love.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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 contractorsalesecrets.com

[Mike Garvey]

you

[Eric Triplett]

know, if you think about it like a lot of people, like, oh, whatever, you know, it's not that big a deal. Like, I wouldn't do it. I want to sleep. Right. But it's interesting because especially if you drive somewhere, like. So we drove to the beach. So, like, we've. We've timed it so it's like sunset. You know, sunset and sunrise, and then two middle of the days and two in the middle of the nights. Right. You know, like. And consecutively. So we went to the beach and watched the sunset, but it took me two and a half hours, two hours to get to the beach. And then we hit the beach and, like, gear up, get my dog out. Boom, we take my. My dog down to the beach, and then we put in work for an hour, and then you got to get back to the truck and then drive two hours to get home. And then it's like, okay, go into the next loop because, like, we've already.

[Mike Garvey]

Right. You're wasting that time.

[Eric Triplett]

We've already wasted the time. You know, and then you do in, like, you do. You do the. The work, and then you're hungry, and then you, like, you're tired and, like, should you wash your balls?

[Mike Garvey]

It's time to do it again.

[Eric Triplett]

And then it's time to do it again. And, like, it's. It's just a constant.

[Mike Garvey]

Oh, yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

For 48 hours straight. So I'm coming off of that. I'm a little bit loopy, but I wanted to share with you in confidence and, you know, the rest of the, you know, three people listen to the podcast or whatever, but, like, one of my dear friends, I mentioned to him about my canine unit and the dog, and he's like, oh, whatever, Eric. You're like little. You know, you're a little charade or whatever you're doing, you know? You know what I mean? You're like, he jumped the shark thing, and did you hear the jump the shark? Do you hear about that whole scenario?

[Mike Garvey]

No. Tell me.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay. The jump the shark. You know, the jump truck.

[Jason]

You're talking about when Fonzie did it.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Jason]

Happy Days.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. Do you know what I'm talking about?

[Jason]

No, but I know Fonzie did it, and so it must be true. I'm just saying.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay, so here. Here's the nutshell.

[Mike Garvey]

Explain it to the listeners.

[Eric Triplett]

I will.

[Mike Garvey]

And me that. Oh, well, I don't really know. I'm a little. Slightly. Happy Days. That's.

[Eric Triplett]

This is. This is important.

[Mike Garvey]

Right?

[Eric Triplett]

So I'm millennial. I grew up on Happy Days. It was a great show.

[Mike Garvey]

You're an ex.

[Jason]

You are not.

[Mike Garvey]

I'm a millennial.

[Jason]

Slap you for that one.

[Eric Triplett]

No. Yeah. I'm a Gen X, and I grew up on Happy Days and millennials. Don't really know.

[Mike Garvey]

Right.

[Eric Triplett]

Happy Days.

[Mike Garvey]

That much I know of it. I don't know what it is.

[Eric Triplett]

But there was, like, the Fonzie, he was cool, you know, and he would smoke. They would smoke cigarettes or whatever, you know, and, like, he would get all the girls. And so there was a. There was a moment where I think it was in, like, I don't remember the late 70s that they had been on, like, 10 seasons, you know, like. Like, there hadn't been a lot of seasons of, like, the sitcoms.

[Mike Garvey]

Right. And they were in season 10.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, they're like season 10, I think. I don't know. Don't quote me exactly, but, like, they were kind of running out of ideas, you know, like, there's the car crash and the race and then, like, the girl at the dance and the diss and, like, how many things you go through. Right? So it's like season 10. They don't know what to do. And they're in. Like, one of the writers is like, let's get Fonzie, like, to water ski in the ocean wearing his leather jacket, you know, because he was, like, the cool guy. Like, if the jukebox wouldn't work, he'd

[Mike Garvey]

hit the jukebox and it would work.

[Eric Triplett]

And it would work, you know, and the song would come on and, like, you know, so anyways, he jumps the shark in the ocean. And, like, apparently at that moment, like, jumps, like, he. He went. Like. There was a ramp. It was like, there's, like, a literal ramp, and there's the ocean. Yeah. And there's, like, this giant circle of, like, weighted netting, and this shark's doing circles in the netting, and he jumps the whole circle in the netting. Like, right. So there was a moment where, like, it was around 1985, if I remember this pretty quick, clearly in 1985. Talked about in 1978 or whatever, when Fonzie jumped the shark, that. That's when he. They ran out of ideas and. And Happy Days went downhill from there. Now they still had lots of reruns and all that stuff, because it was like, back then, there wasn't a lot to do. But jumping the shark meant, like, it's over for that company. Like, it's over for the show. And I had come in and someone. One of my customers had told my wife that had been with me for, like, 15 years and loved everything that I did. He saw me add valor to my Fleet and put canine unit on the truck in special operations. And, like, my dogs in my truck. He's like, babe, Ponder jumped the shark. He jumped the shark. Like, it's over for him. He doesn't know what to do, right? And I had walked in the kitchen and I was like, what the fuck does that mean? Jump the shark. And my wife's like, I'll tell you later. I'll tell you later. And I went out and, like, went to work. And then I. Then I later learned, and it was just interesting to me because he thought when I added the canine unit to my company, like, I was just trying to, like, strive for attention or something, right? And so I did a whole podcast on it. I loved that podcast, actually. It was really good. But

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

what I want to circle back

[Eric Triplett]

to is, and if you want to know more about that, you just have to go listen to that show. It's not too long back. Jump the shark. But when we did the 4x4x48 challenge, we went back to this. You know, it's a fundraiser for our wildlife foundation. And we're like, back at the thing, and my buddy that I love and adore, even though we have incredibly different political positions, you know, we're like, we're still really good friends. And I was telling him about Las Vegas, and I was like, hey, there was this really cool moment, you know, it was on my truck. I didn't even have my dog, Unfortunately, I wanted him there, but I didn't. And the Las Vegas PD had saw my truck, and they're like, hey. And they fucking stopped traffic for me. They're like, boom. Stepped into traffic. They're like, hey, boom, Boom. They, like, stopped traffic for me and they let me in. And then my friend, he's like, well, that's what happens when you're deceptive about marketing. And. And, like, if it fucking pissed me off, I was so upset. And I'm like, what's deceptive about it? You know? He's like, well, you know, what. What is your dog going to do as a military dog? I'm like, he can be a military dog, but he's not doing military stuff. He's like, how's. How. What kind of police stuff does he does? I'm like, he doesn't do anything police related. I'm like, I'm not an Leo, but this brings it back to 38 special. I'm like, I'm not an Leo, but it does have that. It does have an aura about it. Yes, it does have an aura that it's Leo, canine unit operations or whatever. But, you know, I can have a dog on my team for a wildlife abatement from a golf course pond or, you know, a home pond. You know, we could. We could flush wild geese and get them to get back in the air so they can migrate correctly. Like, there's a lot of really cool, cool fashions for that. I just ran them through rattlesnake aversion training, and, you know, like, that was incredibly cool. And then literally the next day. I didn't tell you this, but the next day, I was trying to work in my. In my trash bay at my ranch, and I. He came into that trash bay and did a little circle and came out, and then he sat out there, and I was trying to get him to come back in. He would not go back in. It was, like, identical to his rattlesnake version training that day. Prior to that, he's like, I'm not going in there. Something's not right in there. And I literally was like, I think there's. I think there's rattlesnake in here, which is, like, the Prius begging for it.

[Mike Garvey]

Really?

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. And. And then the weather was perfect, and he was just like, we should not be in there. He kept pulling me back. I'm like, all right, well, I'll go out. We'll. We'll come back here later, you know, and we left. So, like, it was a real cool moment for me. So, you know, my friend, he was like, I think he wants to razz me a little bit, but at the same time, it's like, that truth. And, like, I'm on whiskey right now. He wasn't on whiskey. Mm. But he was just like, oh, it's deceptive. And I'm like, there's nothing deceptive about it. I'm not being deceptive. And so. Yeah. But that. That takes us back to the whole 38 special variety of it. Like, I. I don't want. I don't want stolen valor. I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna act like I was. Went to the war and, like, did something I didn't. But I'm like, I have a canine unit on my team, and I believe in the police. I believe in the. You know, the firefighters. The firefighters saved my ranch in the. In the fires, you know? Like, I. I am so grateful to Leos, so to have that as a. As a kind of a lever in our. In our marketing effect. As long as it's not stolen valor, I'm, like, really good with it. I Love it when you. When you said 38 special, I, like, gave me a chubby.

[Mike Garvey]

We're getting tattoos of it, right?

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. So where did it come from?

[Mike Garvey]

Why?

[Eric Triplett]

What made you think of it?

[Mike Garvey]

I don't know. I wanted to. Again, I go back to the creation of Pod House and that. The whole experience of that week, and by Thursday night we're shot, or Friday night, we're shot out. We're like, oh, my God. And I brought you back. You came back to the pot out to our Airbnb to stay. And we just came up. We were podcasts and came with the idea, like, let's develop Pot House. Let's have a creation space that's not at the show, that's like this. And that's not me inviting someone back, hey, come to my hotel room to podcast. And then to find out more about myself being a three. And then find out that you're an eight. I'm like, what? How? And then kind of, how do we tie into the. All of that? And that's what I came up with. I don't know. I mean, It's just, you know, something to tie into us coming together.

[Eric Triplett]

Let me ask you, can I go hard on you?

[Mike Garvey]

Sure.

[Eric Triplett]

None of what I asked that guy today on the other side of the table. Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

And you're like, dude, yes, that was bad.

[Eric Triplett]

Okay, but why me? I mean, you already have a business partner. Like, Naylor was like, you already work with Naylor. I just asked to sleep on your couch. Like, I. I was. I was. I was speaker at the. At the show that day. And we kind of hit it off and had a good time. We laughed and everything. We're on Pod Row together. I'm like, hey, I'm either gonna drop 400 on the. On a room for three hours to sleep and then go to the airport or, like, you know, I'll pitch in or whatever, and can I just sleep on your couch? And then you went to bed, and then you came out and you're like, guess what? You're my new partner. We're doing 38 special. We're doing Pod House. Like, we're like, why me? What happened?

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

Hey, it's Triplett here.

[Eric Triplett]

Let's be real.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[Eric Triplett]

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[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[Eric Triplett]

Now back to the show.

[Mike Garvey]

I think I have a. Somehow, I don't know. I think I have a way of recognizing people I want to work with, people I admire, people I want to aspire to be like. And you're one of them. I like listening to you. I like watching you. I like watching you interact with people. I like listening to you. I watch you teach us. You're one of my favorite people to watch teach in, in sales, in all of the stuff you know, you have that favorite person that you like to be around to that you want to. Is an aspire to, maybe even aspire to be. There's part of that. I think you're 17 years older than me, never had an older brother. I like people to surround myself with people, even at work in the state police. I have, like, a lot of people that are older than me. Older brothers. Like, they're my brothers. I see you as one of them also. And I think. I think we can really create something special together. We're on opposite sides of the country, which is wild. But again, you're in a area like my. That is close to me. My wife is from the area that you live in. I think there's just a lot of synergy and I think we can really make something special. I don't know. Like, I'm so excited to see where it goes as from pothouse one to pothouse two to. We're looking at Airbnbs in Phoenix and Nashville and all this stuff. Like, I'm like, it's so excited I talked to you more than some of my closest friends that I've known since the first grade. And that's okay. Some of your closest friends again, too. Just because you picked them early on in life doesn't mean that they're always, you know, you're. You have people coming to your Life

[Eric Triplett]

that

[Mike Garvey]

at different points and I don't know, there's some connection there. I don't know exactly what it is, but we're gonna see where this goes.

[Eric Triplett]

Were you surprised at how fast I agreed or did you just know what was gonna happen?

[Mike Garvey]

I just knew it was gonna happen.

[Eric Triplett]

You already knew it was gonna happen. You're like, hey, this is what we're gonna do. And I was like, okay. You're like, okay, let's go like that. Was it that simple?

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah, I don't think there was. I knew there was going to be no resistance, no friction. No,

[Eric Triplett]

that's a. That's a. The achiever right there, bro. The number three. That's why it's 38 special, bro.

[Mike Garvey]

Remember the idea saying let's. Let's create this. And then like holy. Like, I think we just.

[Eric Triplett]

But you need you. You knew you needed my. My position. My. My.

[Mike Garvey]

Like, I need like. Yes. I need your drive. I need say tonight. Right. I'm not going up to Mario from shore right away like that. Like dabble around a little like who

[Eric Triplett]

the triplet talking to already?

[Mike Garvey]

You already met somebody talking to people. And what I found out because I've done a lot of more enneagrams since October that I'm. I surround myself with a lot of eights. I don't know what that is. I mean it. I surround myself with eights at work. One of my head bosses and eight. Some of my really like closest confidants and advisors and mentors are eights. Something like jives with me with that.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah.

[Mike Garvey]

So like come, you know, finding that out too. I'm like, oh my God. Like that's. But then my business partner is totally different and he's great in his own way. You know what I mean? But for this specific endeavor. Doesn't always need to. You don't have to force something that's not a great fit. I think like new friendships can blossom and new ideas can come. And this year alone it's between Pod House. Starting a new dealership for robotic power equipment with crests. Starting a new branch for my fertilization business. I don't think I'm stretching myself too thin. I just want to be very methodical on how I do this stuff.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. Cool. Cool. So let's just get back to the symbolism. Why 38 special? The symbolism. He's a 3M and 8. It's Leo Vibe 38 special. So that's a gun. Clearly for those you don't know that its law enforcement tactical precision high Standards, controlled power, you know, the pod house hq, you know, and then. Then, you know, to be real specific, like, this isn't just pod house podcasting. It's more of controlled content chaos. Create, like, chaos content creation, like, all wrapped up in one. And one of the things that we did is con. The Con Expo was a great place to kick the whole thing off, but, like, it was still, like, in its infancy. We weren't really sure how it was going to come about. And it was. It was kind of funny because it was so overwhelming. And we had some great, like, booth takeovers that came out. Like, that was somehow happened, which was cool.

[Mike Garvey]

It didn't somehow happen. We came. We strategically. You strategically planned on what we should be doing the next day, and let's hit A, B, C and D. But it happened. We executed it. It didn't just somehow happen. Okay, you're being very.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah, okay. We did make it happen. But, like, you know, it's funny because when we came back to do content at the. At the. The. The debut maiden voyage pot house, like, we kind of just degassed and we did, like, four or five podcasts and just recorded stuff and. But then we did that. Fun. Like, I don't even want to think, but it's like you have a person in someone else's hands, and then we're mixing mixed drinks. And so, you know, it's funny because when I. When I looked at that Garvey, I was like, as a brand looks at this, they're going to just be like, how is this helping my brand? How is this helping my bank or my SaaS company or my. How is this helping sell booths? Were you guys just being silly doing making mixed drinks and old fashions with someone else's hand? Yeah, like, someone standing there and someone else. Their hands are there. But you almost got my hat. Yeah, it was just. It was just funny and, like, it was like this. It was almost like a weight off our chest. Like, hey, we kind of figured it out. Let's just Degas and be silly and have fun. A little bit of chaos. So I think there was more chaos than serious content the first year, the first, you know, pot house that. But I still think it. It worked itself out. I think it was really good.

[Mike Garvey]

I think we found out a lot of things with Pothouse one and how to talk with brands, how to market to them and say, hey, you know, we're gonna. We're gonna bring the crew and we're gonna take over your booth.

[Eric Triplett]

Like, this is our booth.

[Mike Garvey]

Wow. Yeah. This is gonna be our booth for a half hour.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. You're not talking to anyone anyway.

[Mike Garvey]

So when we're done, you're not talking. You're gonna. Your mind's gonna be blown.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. And when we're done, you'll have, like, an hour and a half for the people to talk to you because they're going to want to be here.

[Mike Garvey]

And that's what we saw. We saw that happen in real time. People started get. Seeing the. The sweatshirts, seeing what's going on, the interviews, and people start gathering around. You know, this person's over there talking with the other person, and they're coming in and want to know what's going on. It's building a buzz.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. Yeah. So let's talk about the mission. What is 38. What is 38 special productions actually doing? What. What are we about? What are you thinking?

[Mike Garvey]

I mean, number one is Pothouse, and, you know, Pothouse three, Pothouse four, Let. I mean, it's going to continue. We have up to 16 events this year on the. On the calendar.

[Eric Triplett]

Don't tell Larry. He'll freak out.

[Mike Garvey]

Right.

[Eric Triplett]

But,

[Mike Garvey]

you know, I don't know what else this goes to. I mean, do people want to see this more on video, too? You know, do they want to see a live stream? Do they want to see this in real time? Okay. After the booth, you know, after the show's shot, shut down. This is almost a totally different podcasting space than. Than Pod Row. It's totally different. There's. There's a lot going on there. There's a lot of people around. You want to get content quickly. This is, like, way more. It's very relaxed. I don't know what, like.

[Eric Triplett]

Well, you don't have distractions like, at Pod Row. It's. It's very, like, people are coming in and people are kissing babies.

[Mike Garvey]

Yes.

[Eric Triplett]

Sometimes signing autographs and handing out stickers and, like.

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

Taking selfies. Like, it's. It's a really, like a community kind of connection. But this is like the. The Unravel connection. It's the Unravel content dump. It's Unravel, you know, that you don't get at the other places.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[Mike Garvey]

No, you don't get the big debrief of just like, okay, this is what happened, this is what went well. This is what didn't go so well. This is what I wish I would do differently. But for the production company, I mean, I don't know what's next, I don't, who knows what's going on in here.

[Eric Triplett]

You knew there's something bigger. So. 38 Special Productions supports POD House. I see it as content creation heavy, that debriefing, creating a space for the debrief, that has never happened because you go, you, you pod, pod roll all day long and you see people undo content. You come back to your hotel room and take a deep breath and eat dinner and like no, Pod House gives us that space to do that, says, hey, you come back to our facility, we're going to interview you. Hey, we want to do that, like those kind of things, right? So deeper connection with brands, deeper connection with content creators, deeper connection with content all together. Documentary the journey and building our media. Like I feel, I almost feel like it's like 38 special media productions, you know, it's like, yeah, like absolutely. It's a media company.

[Mike Garvey]

It's a media company.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. So it's like we're building media around the contract contractors and creators and the, and the industry leaders. Like that's what I think it's about, right? So it's interesting today because we didn't have like we, we all traveled in and went Straight to like the, the event evening party. Like, hey, you showed up early. It's connect. Right. And it's 97 degrees outside in Texas. Right.

[Mike Garvey]

And then it turned into a tornado.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. And we had our cool pod house gear that we, we made for our last event. We're going into the summer. Thankfully, it's going to be in the 60s tomorrow, so we can rock it. I'll wear it. I don't care. If it gets to 70, I'll be sweating. I don't care.

[Mike Garvey]

Right.

[Eric Triplett]

You know?

[Mike Garvey]

Yeah.

[Eric Triplett]

So I think, I think our gear tomorrow that we wear is going to draw more attention, guys. And we're hanging out together. People are going to be. Because, like, you saw the people today. There was nothing that stood out.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

Nothing.

[Eric Triplett]

Nothing.

[Jason]

Well, there were two things.

[Mike Garvey]

Okay, go ahead.

[Eric Triplett]

Did you talk about Bianca's toes?

[Jason]

Rosie o' DONNELL look alike.

[Eric Triplett]

And then the. And the only.

[Mike Garvey]

Rosie o'. Donnell. And the purple hair.

[Jason]

Those two things just.

[Eric Triplett]

And, and, but I digress.

[Mike Garvey]

And our teammates shirt.

[Jason]

Yes.

[Eric Triplett]

But he's solo. He's so it doesn't matter. You have. There was one guy on the purple team that had that kind of a flamboyant shirt. Yeah, the kind of like paycheck shirt.

[Mike Garvey]

Right?

[Jason]

Yeah. But we're going to be the only team there tomorrow.

[Eric Triplett]

Well, look like focus. Look like a crew. Yeah. So we're going to turn heads tomorrow for sure. There ain't no bad about it.

[Jason]

So not only that, but we make those sweaters look good.

[Mike Garvey]

And we're all bald.

[Eric Triplett]

The Golden Globes.

[Mike Garvey]

The Golden Globes.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

All right, cool.

[Eric Triplett]

So we have just a general idea of what 38 special means and like, from where we're going, like, foundationally. So. Cool. You have any final thoughts about it? Anything that I'm missing? Anything you want to add to it?

[Mike Garvey]

No, I hope you're okay with it because I like, you know, I was like, hey, we need to work on like, trademarking all this stuff and we need a production company that. Hope you're good with it. You're like, all right.

[Eric Triplett]

Oh, God. It just means more money. Like, there's another trademark. There's another llc.

[Mike Garvey]

There's another LLC that's gonna have to get paid and the disbursements to. Yeah. Or all that.

[Eric Triplett]

That's what happens.

[Mike Garvey]

Or to pay taxes.

[Eric Triplett]

Yeah. That's what happens when you connect with the achiever and overachiever. Number three. Right.

[Mike Garvey]

So not just the regular. Right. Yeah, I'm not just a regular.

[Eric Triplett]

Right. So. All right, let's bring this thing. Let's bring land this plane. Like okay, so cool. Thanks so much for years and attention to the podcast. It means the world to me. And like that's the story behind 38 special productions, media company, two guys, two personality types, one mission. Create great content, work with badass amazing brands, build something bigger than either of us have planned together. Or I shouldn't say plan together. Like build something bigger than either of us had planned. Like solo. Like putting it together is the real really cool part of the puzzle and the craziest part. We're just getting started. So if you're listening to this podcast right now, you are witnessing something in its infancy. So that's it. I hope it's inspired you. Hope you're going to go out there and do something great. Till next download. I hope you're getting after it, getting better. Best version of yourself. Catch you on the next one.