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Kathi Burns  0:04  
Hi there, I'm board certified professional organizer Kathi Burns. I'm really glad you're here. This podcast is designed for busy entrepreneurs just like you who want to take better control of your business and move forward with less stress and more success. If this is your first time listening, then thanks for coming. The Organized Energized podcast is produced for your enjoyment and show notes are found at ThePodcast@OrganizedandEnergized.com Come back often and feel free to add this podcast to your favorite RSS feed or iTunes. You can also follow me on Twitter at organizing energy and Facebook. All links are in the show notes. Now let's get into the show. Hi, I'm back I am with Michael Whitehouse who is the guy who knows a guy who this guy knows a guy. In 2014, he came to Groton, Connecticut knowing no one at all. A year later he was a major connector in the local community, and now he leverages his connections to make things happen. So welcome, Michael. I'm so glad that you're on the show.

Micheal Whitehouse  1:07  
Thank you. It's great to be here.

Kathi Burns  1:09  
Yeah, I just keep seeing the guy who is a guy named grilling is a girl are all people who knew everybody, right?

Micheal Whitehouse  1:16  
Yes, yeah. And I do specify in my in my book, which the guy is a guy which you can get on Amazon, I encourage you to that is in the introduction, I clarify that it's a gender neutral guy. But the the person who knows a man or woman just didn't have the same ring as the guy who knows a guy, not meant to be gender just meant to be catchy.

Kathi Burns  1:36  
Yeah,  and it is and it is. So okay, so you went to Connecticut you didn't know a soul, how did you start out doing this? What was your impetus?

Micheal Whitehouse  1:46  
Well, so I started out to actually we're moving because my wife's job changed our apartments attached to a job. And at the time I was trying to launch a business wasn't actually a fully baked scheme. But I knew I needed to have a network of I was going to be doing it. So I had some idea about networking. I wrote a few books about I've done a bit of networking in the past. And I said, All right, well, let's jump into this with both feet now went out to every business after hours business before hours, business during hours, every ribbon cutting hair cutting line cutting, if there are people getting together, I was there meeting people. And I found within a year, I was connecting people of note to other people of note and I'm like how do you not know each other, you live seven miles apart, and you're both like big wheels here. But they had made those connections because especially here in New England, people get very hyperlocal. So you know, they're, they're in their town, they don't cross the river, the other town. And so I was able to be a connector, just bridging those gaps. Then when the pandemic came, I went from being connector here in Little New London County, Connecticut population 250,000 to a connector in the English speaking world population 2.5 billion, because when everything went on Zoom, I think on virtual, I could connect to the higher level the people who are doing bigger and, and more impressive things and can make more bigger connections. And ultimately, I got to the point where I realized there was a niche for a professional connector, do I call him networking concierge. So there's people out there, they know how to network, they want to network, they see the value in networking, they don't time or inclination, either. They're too busy, like I love networking, but he's got all these all these other things going on, or there's commitments, or I know how to network, but I'd really rather not do it. Or I'd rather only network with people that are the right ones, you know, I don't want to go to the events, they don't want to kiss all the frogs, they just want to meet the princess. So I kiss all the frogs, introduce them to the princess and make the connections for them. And I found there's a great value and especially people who are in the joint venture space, who you know, one introduction can be worth $50,000 to them. So they're happy to pay me to go find those introductions I make. I make one or two good introductions a year. And they're happy and I make far more than that every month. So it's it's worked out pretty well.

Kathi Burns  3:56  
What did you start out doing when you were what was your half baked idea?

Micheal Whitehouse  4:00  
My half baked idea was, it's funny. At the time, it seemed very clear now like it was some kind of like consulting sales training kind of thing or something. Yeah, it was very, it wasn't half baked. It was just better. It was getting all the ingredients in the batter. I think it was it was foreshadowing what I'm doing now that I was like, Yeah, I'm gonna consult or something. Let me go meet some people. I'm a little extroverted, a little outgoing. So I think I'm so distracted with the networking, I forgot that I actually had a business. There's a chapter in my book called monetization makes the world go round, which is written for an audience of one this guy right here. That to remind me, you can't just network if you don't have a monetization path. Now, if you're an attorney and you're networking, well, you're going to find some attorney clients. If you're an insurance agent, and you do on networking, you're going to find some insurance clients. If you don't have that thing to plug in, to make the money. Then you're the best connected guy living in a cardboard box under the bridge in town. So you need to have some way that ties in and ultimately, I figured out for me, it's monetizing the connections directly find people who can very effectively monetize introductions and make introductions for them. But you've got to have some some path to do. I did ultimately, yeah, once that that half baked idea fizzled out, and I ran out of unemployment. I end up selling cars I sold printing, I published a community magazine, in which 75% of my sales were coming from in person networking, which worked great, right up until March 2020. Which case that 75% went poof. And it became clear that was time for me to follow my own path. Because there weren't any other paths, there's just mine.

Kathi Burns  5:42  
Right? What did you do before that, whenever you were, whenever you were switching from one career to another?

Micheal Whitehouse  5:47  
 Well as I mean, when I moved here, I've just sold cars sold, printing sold, ads for the magazine, that's what a publisher does. That's productive. 2014 to 20 was different sales. And the great thing was every time what I needed a job, usually, they got fed up with one because I'm a dyed in the wool entrepreneur. And that's not good at working for people. Every time I needed a job, I could simply activate my network and just go get another one. I'm actually talking in my book about the fact that it baffles me when I meet someone who's been unemployed for two years. And I'm like, How could How would you look for a job for two years and not find it, I don't look for jobs, I just get them. Because I have have a network. Actually, no, that sounds like bragging except that I explained how I do it. Which is really, the short form of it is, is you meet with a lot of people, and someone's hiring. So if there's a particular job you want, then the way you get it is you think about who can give you that job. And then who can get you the person give you that job. And then who can get you those people and kind of work in concentric circles. Get as close as you can reach out to them, get a cup of coffee, or a zoom call or a phone call with them, get their advice, you know, be be pleasant offer to make introductions for them as are and I can connect you to and repeat. And of course, ask them for who you know, who do you think I should talk to? Or do you know, particular people and work your way in until you finally talk to someone who says I like your enthusiasm and your energy? Because you've already talked to 20 people trying to find this job and they imagine your hiring manager, and somebody reaches you through an introduction from an introduction from an introduction. And they asked like so. So so and so how do you know them? Oh, well, I'm using a networking strategy to find this job. I've I've done 19 meetings so far. Their thought is going to be you're the hardest working person this company. We haven't hired you yet. But obviously we're going to because you're the hardest working person in this building. You made 19 meetings to get a job. I wish I wish our sales team was that motivated.

Kathi Burns  7:55  
Right, right. Yeah, motivation is the key there. I'll tell you that. Yeah. Yeah, that's smart. And I often think the same thing how can you be unemployed for that long, because there's lots of jobs out there if you just take the initiative. So for people who are switching careers, I know you've already kind of hinted at this, okay, a lot of people are leaving. And maybe they don't know what they want to go, what they knew they went out, but they don't know where they want to go or who they want to be when they grow up. What would be the advice that you would give them?

Micheal Whitehouse  8:28  
So I would, I would say do what I did last year. So on my podcast, the guy knows a guy podcast I bring on each season is basically focused on who I need to meet at that time. So my Season Three people were people who had been successful, telling me how they done it, and telling the audience to but really telling me so you don't need a podcast, do this, you can just do coffee meetings and do this, but just start talking to people. Like you can go on the internet and you read websites, and you can read books and articles and whatever. And that's not my style, I can't pay attention that long. So and use that information is slightly out of date and filtered. And you know, people talk about this, but don't give me the whole story. But just start talking to people. So if you're thinking you know, I you know what, I think being an architect might be interesting. I've never been an architect. I know many architectural training, but maybe I want to move my career that way. Well, don't guess and like listen to architect podcasts. Call an architect. You probably know someone who is or know someone who knows someone who is or know someone you don't know an architect, but maybe you know a general contractor or you know a painter, you know someone who lives in a house. I don't know, you know, the closer you can get, just start getting on calls with people and ask them. What do you like about being an architect? What do you hate about being you know, tell them up front. I'm thinking about being an architect, thinking about it. What do you like about it? What do you hate about it? Would you recommend someone get the industry? What did you What do you wish you knew when you started? For someone of my age? What would be the right path and should I go back to school for four, six years or Is there some other path I can take? So I don't have to, you know, take 6 to 10 years to get there. I just start asking advice. And yes, success people are, are remarkably generous with their advice.

Kathi Burns  10:12  
They really, really are. And also, I think shadowing a person for a day and seeing what they do actually, all day long. Yes, is a great thing. Because it might have been a real bore, or am I be super exciting? What's the one lesson that you have learned? That life has taught you, I wouldn't think you would be your big life lesson so far to date, Michael, that you've learned?

Micheal Whitehouse  10:36  
That everyone is accessible. Not any individual person. So like, you pick, you know, Tony Robbins, I want to be Tony Robbins, well, he's human, somebody knows how to reach him. But more importantly, the person you need to reach may not be the famous person you're thinking of. I learned everything I needed to get to where I am, through meeting a whole lot of people, you've never heard of amazing people, successful people, wealthy people, you've probably never heard of any of them, unless it's on my podcast, which you should, because then you'll meet all, but I got to meet all these great people. And you know, I have not met any of the big names. And that's fine. Because plenty of the medium size and small names also have what you need. So that's really the biggest thing, just how accessible the world is. And the other thing I'd point out, is that there's no formal social strata in our society. There's no caste system, there's no aristocracy. Nobody knows how big or small you are, you know, the old joke in the 90s was on the internet, no one knows you're a dog. But you know, nobody knows if you're, if you're a millionaire, if you're just starting until you tell them. And if you come in with the energy of, of, you know, I'm a prospective millionaire, as opposed to I'm just starting and trying something, and you come in with the energy of I'm gonna be doing something. And it's worth your time to talk to me, because I'm a pretty cool guy, then people are like, Alright, sure. I'll give some advice up. Yeah, let's see, we can do.

Kathi Burns  12:05  
Yeah, absolutely. I totally agree with that. And what's the biggest organizing obstacle if you had to get organized in your business? So what do you think would be your biggest thing you've had to overcome in order to keep yourself going moving forward.

Micheal Whitehouse  12:20  
So my, the, if I, if I had one organizing robot, and it could do one organizing thing, I would create a database of my network. So for those out there who are not organized, say, I can't network because I can't remember names. And I can't keep all these people straight. Fear not. Neither can I. And a lot of the connections I make, it's a matter of like, for my clients, they're always in mind. And so everyone I meet, as I make that meeting, I'm thinking, okay to see does he does he is he to see, and then make the connections. And I'll regularly get emails from people saying, Thank you so much that introduction you made I, I got the job with the guy who introduced me to and it's working out great. And I really appreciate it. And I don't remember the movie mastermind, where, where someone's like, we love you. And he's like, I love you to random citizen. That's how I feel those emails, like, I've gotten emails, literally, where I don't remember the person I helped, or who I introduced them to write because I meet so many people, which is certainly better than getting, you know, angry messages people you don't remember, I only had happy message people I don't remember. But you know, but it would it would be ideal, organizationally, if every person I met went into a system and was remembered forever. And I could say, Okay, I've got 37 People in the database who make you meet this, which is also for the people who are more organized and less outgoing, who say I'm not outgoing enough to be a networker. You can leverage that organization side, you don't have to go to the events and be shaking the hands and be like, Hey, how you doing? You don't have to be that person. You could also be much more subdued. But be kind of the the Librarian of networking, where people know that you have the the answer they need if they come to you, and make those connections that way. So and so if I could combine the organization and the outgoingness, then I would be an unstoppable superhero. So that was my next step is actually to hire a team to do that.

Kathi Burns  14:21  
Okay, I have to ask you that. So what database do you use? Do you use a contact management database?

Micheal Whitehouse  14:26  
I don't because I have not found any CRM that's not built for sales. They're all sales funnel databases. And the database I would need is something that keeps track of introductions, you know, how do I meet this person? What do they do? What industry in there? Are they in how large is their email list who have already introduced them to that kind of thing and I know networking. You hear about it a lot. But as it turns of people actually seriously doing it. It's a very, very small niche, and thus there are not a lot of products to actually assist I'm serious networkers.

Kathi Burns  15:02  
Okay, I have some ideas for you possibly we can talk after the show.

Micheal Whitehouse  15:06  
I look forward to that.

Kathi Burns  15:08  
So what's the best advice that you could give for entrepreneurs who want to be more free within their business? You know, oftentimes we just get muck down in our business and burn out. And I, you know, and overwhelmed. Do you have any advice for those people? Because you're very energetic guy.

Micheal Whitehouse  15:24  
I am. So I, there's two things. One is, to quote Stephen Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People begin with the end in mind. So having that goal, but you're where you're trying to go. I think a lot of people forget the ultimate goal. And they get distracted by whatever's in front of them. So the goal was, I'm starting a business so that I can work from the beach. Well, if you start a business, you can work from the beach. And then you take on clients who are who require intensive attention in their offices, you can't do that from the beach, you're working against your interests. So keeping that goal constantly in mind, how does this get there? For me personally, it was one of my key goals was spend more time with my daughter. And once I really thought about that, like, wait a minute, there's some stuff I could just stop doing right now. Because it was like, when I do this, I can make more money with more money on more time, more time I spend my daughter, or I could just stop doing this thing. And spend time with spend that time with him. And the second thing I'll say is gratitude. It is always, always being grateful for what you have, whatever it is, you know, you're an entrepreneur, you have a business, you should be grateful for that. If you're not, if it's that bad, quit, sell it, shut it down, go get a job, or do something else. But if it's something you can be grateful for, be grateful for it and be grateful for all the blessings you have, starting from the basics, you've got a roof over your head, you've got food, you live in a time, when you have access to the internet, you connect to all these people, you know, 30 years ago, you couldn't do that. There's so many things to be grateful for. And when you focus on that gratitude, you're less likely get burned out, because you're like, you know, things are pretty good. And I'm going there, I'm going that's the place I'm going out there. And I can see it in the distance. So things are pretty good here, I can see it out there. And when you put those two things together, the burnout kind of stays at bay. Oh, and take days off occasionally. Because no matter how grateful and focused you are, you'll still burn out if you work seven days a week, I noticed her experimental knowledge.

Kathi Burns  17:36  
Absolutely. And if you feel like you want to spend time with your loved ones, spend time with your loved ones, I think oftentimes, as entrepreneurs, we we buckle ourselves in and batten ourselves down, I gotta do it. Gotta do it, got to do it, because I got this deadline that we've self imposed upon ourselves. And I totally agree. If you get out and recharge yourself, you have more energy to do what you came here to do, and keeping your eye on the prize, so to speak. That's really good advice. To know your end goal and keep your end goal in mind. And gratitude. You know, I think every night before I go to sleep, I try to think of at least five things that I'm grateful for. It's so easy. I mean, even if it's like your pillow, I Love My Pillow. Because when you go to sleep with you wake up with. Yeah. So those are really, it's really, really good advice from you. Appreciate it. So do you have anything that you would like to offer the audience here that they can download from you?

Micheal Whitehouse  18:29  
I do as a matter of fact, they go to guy who knows a guy.com, they will find a place where they can get they can put in their email address, and I will send them my Power Five networking tips. Well, I have this whole book 100 pages long. That is the still down to one page. Now it takes out all the funny jokes and stories. So you should definitely get the book because that's the much more fun version. But the power five networking tips is the key five tips to stay out of that. That if you follow them and you're like I don't know, network, maybe network I don't know network, you can get this, take those five tips and use that go to events, go to virtual events and start to to get your get your networking action going.

Kathi Burns  19:12  
Perfect. Now you are energetic, but whenever you feel burnout, what do you do personally?

Micheal Whitehouse  19:18  
Whenever I feel burned out, I very intentionally take time off, which is has taken a lot of training because of the difference between doing nothing and resting. Yes, it's very possible to do nothing and be just as tired because you spent that time working in your head. So I very intentionally take time off. Whether it's you know, see a movie, go for a walk, you know, block out the time to like, you don't have to do anything right now, but but I need to know No, nothing. Yeah, I think you can stare at the wall. You can watch a movie. You can roll around the grass doesn't matter. So I've worked on training myself too. So I've actually I hit the point of burnout where I would literally wake up sick in the morning, like not actually sick. Just my body was like, Not today. Not happening now. So that made this seven day a week thing. I was working seven days a week for about six months. So I started hit that point where I was like, You know what, I think I need to bring this in. Because, as my mother, you say, lay down before you fall down,

Kathi Burns  20:27  
No, that's good advice. Mom, thanks, mom for that. I like that. And you know, give yourself permission, we all need to give ourselves permission to lighten up. Because this is a game that we're playing here with business, it really is. And it should be fun. And it should be dynamic, and we should be able to call our own shots. That's why we are entrepreneurs to begin with. Yeah, if your boss is mean, you know, sometimes I say my boss is really mean, you know, hey, I'm talking about myself. Right? Yeah.

Micheal Whitehouse  20:55  
But I think some of the challenge too, is like, you know, what's my job? It's, it's talking to people. It's fun. Like, it's this, I'm working right now. This is working. But even though it's all almost all of its fun. It's still work. And, you know, although I feel like I get to talk to people all the time. It I mean, some of it is also just the, frankly, it's the organizational issues, you know, always like I have more emails, and I got to deal with this and the structure and the add in. But, but you know, basically the work I'm like, I'm not working, I'm not digging ditches, I'm not, you know, dodging bullets, I'm sitting in front of a computer and talking to people in writing, I don't need a break is easy. But you still do need a break. No matter how much fun the job is, no matter how easy it is for you. You still have to stop doing it now. And then because you're still just running the same pathways and working the same system over and over again.

Kathi Burns  21:49  
Work life balance, baby, we all need to work life balance, because just to balance it out. Okay, from my final question, what should I ask you that I did not, Michael.

Micheal Whitehouse  21:59  
Let's see. What should you have asked me? Um, yeah, so I think it pretty well covered it. But I'm gonna give the closing piece of advice I usually share, if I may, which is that a lot of people ask, you know, how do I become a connector? You become a connector when you decide to be a connector. When you start asking the question, Who can I introduce you to who be valuable? You become a connector, because once people start asking that you got a mission. Someone says, oh, I need to meet this person. Well, now you got a mission. Go ask your friends are looking around, ask them who they need to meet. Now you're connector your valuable resource, you get all the benefits of being connector, you're the people you need to meet. And that's all it takes is having that right attitude.

Kathi Burns  22:39  
Create the mission. I love that that gives you an endpoint in mind back to that the line and why we're doing what we're doing. And it gives you puts you on that path. That's really good. That's a good thing. Hey, I really appreciate it. Everybody makes sure to download his very succinct, what one page, one page, one pager, synopsis of the book and then if you love it, go ahead and buy his book. Of course, I've been talking to the guy who knows a guy and it's been really fun. Even now I'm a girl who knows a guy. Thank you Micheal for your time.

Micheal Whitehouse  23:13  
Thank you for having me on.

Kathi Burns  23:14  
Have a good one.

Hey, thanks for listening to this podcast. I hope you enjoyed this episode and if you want to hear more, feel free to subscribe on the platform of your choice. Also, if you feel so inclined, I would truly appreciate a good rating from you, to me. Have a stellar day.