Hello, my name is Gary Shotton and I’m here as a part of Inspiring Better Business And today I’ve titled this just a few words and what I mean by that is that in life I look back at a number of times and I had someone speak to me just a few words and those words have stuck with me and help guided me in a positive way in an Amazing chain of events and I want to share a number of those with you Now as I have time now I’ll mention that there’s also times I’ve heard and know of that someone has spoken a very Negative word to somebody and that caused that person to go extremely off off Course and and be very even destructive to themselves. So just a few words that are positive Well, I’ll start out with my being about 11 or 12 years old And I was a typical young kid and I had two brothers and we’re good at fighting with each other and we had Discipline ill discipline and mad at each other and I was kind of already Had to thought I had to fend for myself, and I thought I needed more attention from my mom I guess because I happened to be in a family when my mother’s sister was an extreme special needs Sister now This is back in the 40s and 50s and so special needs meant that at age 45 when Claire passed away She had the mind of a six-year-old Well that meant my mother was very sensitive to those people in that same situation and Briefly our was in a small town and there was a hotel that wasn’t being used and someone in a very positive way had made This a shelter that probably the government paid for housing for a group of these people to live in a similar situation but they were functional and Mom made a point to befriend them and that I honor my mom for that and as ladies would be she would wash their hair Well, what’s the point here Gary? Well, they would come over to our house and just to be honest being a punk kid I was rather disappointed that my mother would have these weird people come into our house these ladies and she would take the time To wash their hair and you know, I was thinking I need my socks washed and we need a better meal I mean, you know, I was kind of a brat but one thing happened that just a few words are such just a situation and Almost here of when I say it every time so if I do apologize so as a normal afternoon I wasn’t thinking of anything and I go to the back door of our house and there’s these three ladies and it actually Disgusted me. I’m thinking why are these ladies coming over here? Don’t you know that I need my mom to take care of me? It was kind of my thought and they had wanted to ask to see mom and they had a small box of chocolate-covered cherries now this is when it gets touched to me and they looked at me and said Could we see Betty? It’s her birthday. I Had forgotten mom’s birthday and These ladies came over and shaved me like no end Not intentionally Just a few words, and I think those few words have made it possible for My entire life to respect those that don’t have the advantage I have Well on a more positive note, I was about 14 and my dad Was not a talkative person. My mother was more social my dad was just a very solid business person but very quiet and it was very unusual for him to encourage or bring me to Tuesday sale day in our the sale barn where we bought cattle and and it was a 45-minute drive to this town and and Unusual that morning. He said go get some better change jeans on Gary you’re going with me He just told me what we they told my dad told me what we’re gonna do. He didn’t ask to have a choice so I went got the jeans and better jeans and I get in the pickup truck and at the time I was Becoming aware of girls and so I was thinking about girls that I already was a sports-minded So I’m in daydream lala land as I’m riding in the passenger seat with dad driving a pickup truck Ten minutes out. Dad says go into the bank and get enough money to borrow borrow enough money for 300 head of cattle We’re forming the chaton. That’s my last name shot and brothers partnership, really? Well, I didn’t think a whole lot because they had ten minutes and then I’m thinking dad’s going in but I’ll never forget that day that I Opened the door shut the door Thinking dad’s coming with me and he drives away and I go into the banker and I remember the bankers name I remember the situation and that banker Asked me to basically job cost he said well what son what’s the cost of the cattle? I kind of know well, what’s the cost to gain per pound? Mmm? Not sure about that one And now what are you going to sell them for? Mmm? I kind of have an idea from that day forward I’ve had been a job Koster that experience those few words that that go borrow enough money was a giant game changer for me that I’ve always been conscious of The cost of things and kind of how we can make a profit that’s really important in business So now I’m in college and I’m Home on Christmas break and I knew things were not going to good but you know when you’re in college, that’s dad’s problem I’m just kind of having fun, but I’m studying and I did, you know kind of like send more money kind of thing But I was coming home and I saw the stress on my dad’s face and and he had me in the pickup and we drove out to the land and and One of two times that I saw a tear Come down the side of his cheek. Just about to their right up halfway down the cheek That’s his as emotional as I ever saw dad in my entire life that I can remember and The reality was he was not sure if he would have to file bankruptcy and He made just a few words He knew that I probably I think looking back he knew that I was designed to be an entrepreneur and own my own business And he just simply said you better go on to your job But in the same way, he said you might not sell your soul to the corporation In essence, that’s what he said Wow That stuck with me because later on I’m climbing the ladder. I’m a little sports guy And so I’m a competitive and I can see I can climb the ladder and I could be up there I don’t know how high I wanted to go, but I Realized that that was not for me and those few words were very helpful to me to know that I should not take it too seriously, and I’m so glad I did So my second business Was this business right here at the machine shop and I don’t a previous business for 17 years I’d set out not owning anything for six years just worked on rental properties and and had the ministry edge that I’m still working in and I became to conclusion that God was leading me to own and operate a business and I had first thought that this business was just kind of a couple employees Kind of respectable But God led me to a company that already had 41 employees and it was a big Commitment and I was 45 I was 55 years of age at that time and it involved borrowing a lot of money at a time when most 55 year old are not borrowing money for a big operation and I Kind of double thought myself and said, you know I can’t do this and I’m I met John he’s a very wealthy man. He is very skilled in business and I approached him I didn’t really know him and we’re still friends that knows these words and I approached him and described my Situation and he had the full ability to write a two and a half two and three-quarter million dollar check it was in his account and that’s what the cost of this business was going to be at the time and I Asked him if maybe he would fund it and I could be a minor partner with him or a partner in some way So at least only part of a big business and he gave me a few choice words and very positive He looked at me. He’s very quiet, man, and he said Gary You can do this He had more faith in me, I hadn’t just met him and I was Backing out on this and those few words. I didn’t do it because he said that but I’m telling you a few words Redirected my life in a way that I went ahead and did it. I took the risk. I’m fourteen years later I nearly paid off debt free after working hard and saving Everything and being conservative on my own pay and I am so happy that I had those few words So if you’re a young entrepreneur you ought to go out of your way to find a mentor I’m trying to provide mentoring materials here So you can hear me and others that are entrepreneurs, but you’re the belt try to develop a personal relationship with somebody Little tip here. They’re not going to be able to spend hours and hours and hours with you 15 minutes here a Short phone call a few a bit of information here do your homework Make sure you’re not asking stupid questions But make time to find somebody that will speak into your life