Brick and Block Podcast Coach Gary Micheloni

COACH GARY HERE. THIS EPISODE OF THE ‘BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST’ is a very short but super special marketing podcast – just a few minutes long – because I’ve been testing a phone app that I knew existed, but mostly ignored…until recently. This is Episode 20: Google Keep—Make Sure You Take Note of it!
THIS IS ALL PART OF AN ONGOING SERIES WE HAVE ON MARKETING FOR REAL CONTRACTORS, LIKE MASONS, PLUMBERS, ROOFERS, ELECTRICIANS, GARAGE DOOR GUYS. ALL OF YOU WHO ARE OUT THERE HELPING PEOPLE, MAKING THE REAL WORLD WORK…THE BRICK AND BLOCK GUYS 
Seems like for most of my adult life I’ve been using sticky notes and odd pieces of paper to write messages to myself. You know…important stuff that you need to remember. So I write it down. Question: where do I find it when I need it?
Look, maybe most of you don’t have this problem, or maybe you do, I’m not judging! So give me two minutes and hear me out…then TRY this out. Let me know what you think.
Go to Google’s Play Store on your smart phone, or your tablet, Android or IOS, even on a Windows desktop. Anyway, type in Google Keep (KEEP),  and the play store will give you an app to download. 
Here’s the neat thing: you can put this on your phone, but it syncs to your other devices. It’s free, so the price is right.  And for every note you put up, you can put a title on it, even a date, and it is searchable. So…let’s say that you went to a meeting at the Smith residence a month ago, and you made a few notes, in Google Keep, right there in your phone. 
Instead of looking around for the piece of paper or notebook I used at the meeting, I just go to my phone,   search   “smith residence meeting …date”  Whatever—you’ll find it. And, not only will the app search for the title, but will also search content inside each note. How handy would it be to look there and find some quantities and types of materials, the name of the architect or engineer at the meeting, and so on. 
That’s it. I find it very useful and suggest you check it out. There are other, similar apps, like Evernote, One Note, and so on. If you’ve already got those on your phone, then use them. Just do it! 
For the Brick and Block Podcast, this is Coach Gary, thanks for stopping by!
www.BrickAndblockPodcast.com
BrickAndBlockPodcast@gmail.com
www.AirConditioningHVACCalifornia.com

Team:
COACH GARY HERE. THIS IS EPISODE 19 OF THE ‘BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST’ AND FEATURES THE AUDIO VERSION OF MY JANUARY 2020 COLUMN written for MASONRY MAGAZINE. YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE COLUMN AS ‘FULL CONTACT PROJECT MANAGER’. THE TITLE OF THE COLUMN YOU ARE ABOUT TO HEAR IS:
 Looking Forward by
Knowing the Past                                                                  …Remembering the Rest of the Story
 
Team—
 
WARNING: THIS PODCAST RUNS COUNTER TO WHAT MANY COLLEGE PROFESSORS BELIEVE.
PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!
NOTE: This article was originally written, a couple of years ago, to provide some history of December 7, 1941. It is even more important this year, as you should hear much talk about that date, now 80 years ago, this December. It’s critical you get the whole story, as opponents of Western Civilization may be doing their best to tarnish, trample…and torpedo the reality of the 2nd World War.
Look, as you can tell, I’m about fed up with the “Egghead” class, changing language, changing history, changing values, changing beliefs…heck, changing genders, making this stuff up as they go along.
It’s time for some sanity and perspective, which is what “Coach Gary” is about to deliver. Stand by!
All things considered, in some respects, this might be one of the most important podcasts I’ve ever done. But, then again…all of my podcasts are important! So…dig in!
We begin immediately,     and by immediately,   I mean once I remind everyone that you can find our podcast website at BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST DOT COM (repeat).
As I’ve said before, I’m a big proponent of having websites that support your business, and I’ve got an excellent example of one: Masonry Contractor Special Website. You’ll see it there. That’s what you’re looking for. It’s mobile friendly, modern, fast, bullet proof, BEAUTIFUL, cutting edge, DONE FOR YOU, and practically free! You’ll love this one. Check it out.
Of course, if you’re not a masonry contractor, we have very similar websites, but in your specialty. So…check it out.
OKAY, TEAM.    HANG ON, BUCKLE UP… LISTEN UP,  AND PREPARE TO MOVE UP.
And now, Episode 19
Looking Forward by Knowing the Past                                               …Remembering The Rest of the Story
By Coach Gary Micheloni
 
“Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” (Winston Churchill, 1948 and George Santayana, 1905)
For absolute certainty, there will be no shortage of articles and messages this time of year about “20-20 vision” and that sort of thing! But I ask you to invest a few moments right now and look at my little offering, because it just might be super-significant for you in this uncertain world and industry we find ourselves. Stuff always happens but you need to hang in there because ‘the rest of the story’ might just be right around the corner… to the part where the cavalry arrives and the good guys win. 
That’s the theme for the New Year because that’s my hope and expectation. Check it out.
For the past 20+ years now I have been meeting for breakfast with the same group of guys the first Saturday of each month. It is amazing to me the amount of wisdom coming from them, on all sorts of subjects and ideas, and I hope you have the same kind of people in your life. They are among my most important mentors— my coaches.
So, when “Coach Mark” approached me and said that our group of guys would be meeting on December 7th next and wondered if I might want to share something about the significance of that day. I agreed, provided we could go into the lessons learned and the leadership attached to that significant day. What does it all mean--for that time, and for ours, going forward?
President Franklin D. Roosevelt summed up things this way: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a

COACH GARY HERE. THIS EPISODE OF THE ‘BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST’ FEATURES THE AUDIO VERSION OF MY September 2021 COLUMN written for MASONRY MAGAZINE. YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE COLUMN AS ‘FULL CONTACT PROJECT MANAGER’. THE TITLE OF THE COLUMN YOU ARE ABOUT TO HEAR IS:
 The Original 9/11 -- The War that Started the ‘War’ about the “Star Spangled Banner”
 Team—  WOKE folks, easily triggered by things patriotic, you better not listen to this podcast!
 Now…a clarification: all you are going to hear is pure history. However, American history can trouble some people. In fact, in their words, they are “triggered” by things with which they disagree, and much prefer revisionist history. You won’t get that here. What you will get is some sobering truth, particularly in this month of September as we recall the horrible events of 9/11/2001. But my contention is that the original 9/11 occurred some 200+ years ago…a huge wakeup call back then which we should remember to this day.
 All considered, in some respects, this might be one of the most important podcasts I’ve ever done. But, then again…all of my podcasts are important! So…dig in!
 We begin immediately,     and by immediately,   I mean once I remind everyone that you can find our website at BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST DOT COM (repeat). I’m a big proponent of having  websites that support your business, and I’ve got an excellent example of one: Masonry Contractor Special Website. You’ll see it there. That’s what you’re looking for. It’s bullet proof, BEAUTIFUL, cutting edge, DONE FOR YOU, and practically free! You’ll love this one. Check it out.
Of course, if you’re not a masonry contractor, we have very similar websites, but in your specialty. So…check it out.
 
And now, Episode 18, “The Original 9/11
The War that Started the ‘War’ about the “Star Spangled Banner”
 By Coach Gary Micheloni   
OKAY, TEAM.    HANG ON, BUCKLE UP… LISTEN UP,  AND PREPARE TO MOVE UP.

TRANSCRIPT 
Title: “The Original 9/11”
…the War that Started the ‘War’ about “The Star Spangled Banner”
by “Coach Gary” Micheloni
 Note from ‘Coach Gary’: I’m writing this column about halfway between the 4th of July and September 11th. Patriotic juices are flowing through my veins. But…I am just about boiling mad. Guess I’d better explain.
 Some people today claim that the national anthem of the USA, “The Star Spangled Banner” is outdated, unacceptable—or worse! They maintain that it has some racist lyrics (verse #3), so the whole thing should be thrown out. Haven’t we heard that in the news lately? Yet, how many of us (actually) know what the troubling words are which seem to be the focus of the malicious, the malcontents, the people espousing those asinine attitudes of today? More importantly, how many of us truly know the story behind the anthem’s creation? Stay tuned, because there’s a huge ‘gotcha’ in the story—one that most certainly will never be mentioned by these troublemakers.
This lousy attitude is recent, unreasonable, unacceptable, and threatens our country—not to mention our jobsites--where we have skilled employees of every color, speaking varied languages, from diverse people groups, all with different cultures. Yet, we are still held together by the glue that is the very mortar of the American Dream. The true story behind the story should educate those who may once have been ignorant of it--but can now embrace our great country and its history. On the other hand, the troublemakers will likely remain ignorant, if only because it conflicts with their narrative.
This is a safety issue, a morale issue, an educational dilemma, and a grammatical nightmare. In my mind, it’s an unleashed, out-of-control freight train heading for a sleepy town. I see it, but can’t stop it, and all I can do is yell out a warning.
 Thus begins my 9/11 column, because I fully intend to yell!

Team:
COACH GARY HERE. THIS EPISODE OF THE ‘BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST’ FEATURES THE AUDIO VERSION OF MY July 2020 COLUMN IN MASONRY MAGAZINE. YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE COLUMN AS ‘FULL CONTACT PROJECT MANAGER’. THE TITLE OF THE COLUMN YOU ARE ABOUT TO HEAR IS:
 
History Keeps Repeating Itself…But Will We Listen?
 
There’s a reason I wrote this column: some would look at our country and conclude that things are really messed up, right now. It’s hard to argue. However…let’s temper that judgment, realizing that, just about 8 decades ago the world was on the brink of war—a world war—and we came through it. In fact, the infamous “Battle of Britain” began 81 years ago this July, and that was quite a bit bigger mess than we have today, believe it or not! So, it’s important to have some perspective.
 
All considered, in some respects, this might be one of the most important podcasts I’ve ever done. But, then again…all of my podcasts are important! So…dig in!
 
We begin immediately,     and by immediately,   I mean once I remind you that you can find our website at BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST DOT COM (repeat). I’m making a point this episode about websites that support your business, and I’ve got an excellent example of one: Masonry Contractor Special Website. You’ll see it there. That’s what you’re looking for. It’s bullet proof, BEAUTIFUL, cutting edge, DONE FOR YOU, and practically free! You’ll love this one. Check it out.
 
Of course, if you’re not a masonry contractor, we have very similar websites, but in your specialty. So…check it out.
 
And now, Episode 17, “History Keeps Repeating Itself…But Will We Listen?”
By Coach Gary Micheloni
 
 
OKAY, TEAM.    HANG ON, BUCKLE UP… LISTEN UP,  AND PREPARE TO MOVE UP.
 
History Keeps Repeating Itself
“But…Will We Listen?”
by “Coach Gary” Micheloni
Have we lost sight of what’s important…the goal? Have we kept our eyes on the ball? Nope. I’m writing this in June. Do things look bad and messed up right now. Yup. Do people screw up and do horrific acts. Sometimes. Makes me want to cry. I need some balance—how about you? Is the world right now the most horrible it’s ever been, or is there some progress, some promise? Let’s look around.
Way back when, before most of us were even born, a career politician met with a head of state, with a mission of achieving, for the first time in human history, world peace. A noble goal, right? The two countries, along with the vast majority of journalists around the planet, celebrated wildly that Sept 30, 1938. And, with Germany having consumed Austria just six months prior, people really wanted this. So, a treaty was signed. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain promised “Peace for our time.” Great—it sounds so good! Could anything possibly go wrong?
Well, it did: less than two years later, July 10, 1940, the Battle of Britain began and Germany attacked Britain by air. 
And just a few months prior to that, 400,000 British troops were almost lost at Dunkirk, France, and would have were it not for the determined citizens of the UK, who sailed across the English Channel and helped the Navy rescue fully 350,000 of them—many saved by British fishermen in their tiny boats, a few at a time. That’s a lot of trips over rough water, but they got it done. There’s a lesson here, isn’t there?
So, things were not going well. The British certainly had not achieved ‘peace for their time’. Something had to be done. King George realized he needed, as the Godfather’s ‘Don’ Vito Corleone might have said, a ‘wartime consigliere’. The king knew he needed leadership, and he needed it right now.
Have you ever found yourself in that position? You’re working on a project, trying to get it done on time and budget, trying to be a nice guy or gal, and somebody just won’t get out of your way. Harms your company, kills your budget and destroys your time

Team:
Coach Gary here. This is Episode 16 of the Brick and Block Podcast, “A Pandemic of Words” This is an audio version of my July 2021 Full Contact Project Manager column in Masonry Magazine.
There’s a harshness to life and living these days, isn’t there? Part of it might be due to the corona virus, but much of it seems to come from every day living. With that in mind, I offer a perspective that might help explain things, because it is tough out there.
There’s some meat here, so dig in!
 
We begin immediately,     and by immediately,   I mean once I remind you that you can find our website at BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST DOT COM (repeat). I’m making a point this episode about websites that support your business, and I’ve got an excellent example of one: Masonry Contractor Special Website. You’ll see it there. That’s what you’re looking for. It’s bullet proof, BEAUTIFUL, cutting edge, DONE FOR YOU, and practically free! You’ll love this one. Check it out.
OKAY, TEAM.    HANG ON, BUCKLE UP… LISTEN UP,  AND PREPARE TO MOVE UP.
And now…Episode 16,  “A Pandemic of Words"
By Coach Gary Micheloni

Title: “A Pandemic of Words”
…Why Benjamin Franklin was Right"
by “Coach Gary” Micheloni
 
Note from ‘Coach Gary’: As we celebrate Independence Day of 2021, we rejoice over many things, yet are saddened by others. Let me begin with the ‘sad’ so that we can end with the joyful, which is where most people of our country choose to live. God bless the USA!
There’s a throw-away phrase that many commentators often use when discussing an article written by a reporter: “Talk about burying the lead!” Generally what’s meant is that instead of a writer including as a headline the main idea of a story, he begins with info of secondary importance, bringing it up later so that it just kind of ‘pops up’ unexpectedly and smacks the reader. It would be like a sportswriter fully describing yesterday’s game and then, about the next to last paragraph, finally saying who won and the score. You get the idea.
So, I will begin at the beginning and disclose that my title was not created by me. Instead, it inserted itself into a simple conversation I was having. As my wife, Karen, and I were discussing the sordid events, the coarseness of dialogue, the verbal assassinations and over-the-top insults and accusations which seem to predominate public discourse these days, she came to a startling conclusion. She said something like, there is such “a pandemic of words” these days!
Her comment staggered me. I asked her to repeat it, to make sure I heard it correctly, so she laid it out again. Perfectly joining the main search term of the past year, ‘pandemic’, with the current effort to hurt and discredit people and ideas—not by discussing them—but by shouting them down with vile words which now seem to have lost or changed their original meaning. ‘A pandemic of words’. Simultaneously both perfect, yet tragic.
My mission today is simple: helping all of us regain and retain our sanity as I attempt to explain what is going on. Hang in there!
In the media these days we are often reminded of the quote from Benjamin Franklin at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. A woman asked him what kind of a government we were getting. He uttered his famous reply, “A republic, Madam, if you can keep it.” Franklin was prophetic. He foresaw the difficulty of maintaining a republic, that it could break down over time. We have been witnessing just that. People clamoring for democracy, yet secretly working for mob rule. Their mob!
If you’ve never read George Orwell’s ‘1984’, this is the time to do so. Written in 1949, a fear of ‘Big Brother’ seemed almost over-the-top. Hard to imagine. In 1945 we were given by him in ‘Animal Farm’ the fictitious political viewpoint that, while all animals are equal, ‘…some animals are more equal than other animals.’ Couldn’t happen, r

Team:
Coach Gary here. This is Episode 15 of the Brick and Block Podcast, “You Don’t Own It!” It is a special, Masonry Marketing Minute Podcast—a special edition—some info that will help to protect your business—and you’ll get the concept by just listening for about 5 minutes.
All considered, In some respects, this might be one of the most important podcasts I’ve ever done. But, then again…all of my podcasts are important! So…dig in!
We begin immediately,      and by immediately,   I mean once I remind you that you can find our website at BRICK AND BLOCK PODCAST DOT COM (repeat). I’m making a point this episode about websites that support your business, and I’ve got an excellent example of one: Masonry Contractor Special Website. You’ll see it there. That’s what you’re looking for. It’s bullet proof, BEAUTIFUL, cutting edge, DONE FOR YOU, and practically free! You’ll love this one. Check it out. 
OKAY, TEAM.    HANG ON, BUCKLE UP… LISTEN UP,  AND PREPARE TO MOVE UP.
And now…Episode 15,  “You Don’t Own It”.
By Coach Gary Micheloni

PODCAST EPISODE 15
"You Don’t Own It!"
Coach Gary’s Marketing Minutes
 
Okay Team…
After asking many contractors about their websites and how all of that is going, some tell me that they have a website, but it’s on Facebook or Blog.com, and so forth. WRONG!
I need to help your thinking, so tune in for the next couple of minutes, because you just have to hear what it is I’m about to say. And then…you check it against what you have currently, and decide if   it  is what you need. Here we go.
MY Key Points
1.   When we mention the word, ‘website’, we’re talking about something that you OWN. For instance, if your business is Fred Smith Masonry, then you should own a domain name similar to that, such as SmithMasonry dot com, FredsMasonry dot com, Main Street Construction dot com, etc. You buy a domain name from GoDaddy, or wherever, for about $10 per year, and you are responsible for whatever goes onto it. You control it. You OWN it.
2.   If you are relying upon a Facebook business page, for instance, please realize that you don’t control what you post, and you don’t own the ‘website’—Facebook does. Nothing against Facebook, etc, so why is this important? You are relying upon the social media host, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, and so forth, to always be there to host your web page and allow it to be seen. And that includes the so-called-- FREE websites on sites like Google My Business, Home Advisor, Groupon, Yelp, etc.
3.   What could go wrong? Let’s think about that. The social media host could go out of business, cease distribution, (remember MySpace, Google Plus, Vine, Meerkat, Friendster…and so on?) 
4.   Worse yet, the social media platform might not ALLOW your post if it conflicts with their personal viewpoint. Impossible, you say? How many news sites, broadcast news, and social media sites within the past year decided that the President of the U.S. was not allowed to post or speak on their platforms? And he certainly had way more followers and sway than any of us.
5.   Years ago there was a famous singer who went by the name of “Prince”. Do you recall that there came a time where he could no longer perform under his name, and had to perform as “the artist formerly known as Prince”. He didn’t own his name!
6.   Or…simply…what happens if your website comes from the webmaster and he decides to leave the country, or leave the planet…and leave…YOU…without the stuff you thought you had?  
I say all of that just to say this: Make sure you actually own your stuff. If it’s appropriate, get it patented, copyrighted, trademarked, registered, incorporated, licensed…you name it.
For example, I’ve been writing for Masonry Magazine 16 years now and I’ve copyrighted every one of the issues. It’s just good business.  
PLEASE MAKE SURE: