Cultivating Deep Connections in the Construction Industry with Lance Furuyama

Could you imagine you pay me for a half hour interview and you go back and play it and half of it or more is me talking Like? That doesn't benefit them at all. That doesn't serve them you know there's sales courses.

There's all kinds of courses available out there to develop these types of skills. Was it that? Was it books? What are the dirty details about how you built that body of knowledge? I think it's really just Ooh. What do you think of that little overlay of music? I'm trying to be fancy over here with my editing skills. That is my buddy, lance, the LinkedIn Construction Curator. That boy has got it going on. Met him not too long ago and he's already impacted my life in big, big ways, and he gave me some time to talk with them and kind of pick his brains around his thinking, serving others and celebrating other people and doing all the magical things that he does, primarily on LinkedIn. In our conversation he explains why or where his interest in celebrating other people comes from, which is a skill that I definitely need to build. I just think if everybody celebrated others with 5% of the intensity that Lance does, the world would be a better place. We'd have much better relationships, for sure. And we also talk about building his knowledge base and using that knowledge in service to other people and even how that sparks some entrepreneurial ideas that he's building a business around right now. So I'm going to shut my mouth here in a bit, but first I want to celebrate the LNM family member that left this touching and inspirational comment and this shout out goes to Ms Lynn. How you doing, ms Lynn? Ms Lynn says appreciate what you do for the industry and for me. Not the right venue for a love letter to Jesse, but it all started with lean in love and I thank you for your transparency, honesty and vulnerability in support of our industry and individuals like me. Lynn, thank you. That's super, super meaningful and it's absolutely me just doing my best to repay all the folks that have poured love and appreciation into me. So, thank you. Shout out to the LNM family. Want to remind y'all. Leave us a comment, leave us a review and I will do my best to get you in line so I can announce you in the shout out. Anyhow, here we go on to Mr Lance Furriamo what is going on? Lnm family, I am here with my new BFF, mr Lance Furriamo. How you doing, lance? What's happening, brother?

Good man, Happy to get some Jesse time.

Oh, dude, do you remember like how long ago it was that we connected?

Probably six months ago. I would say, Maybe a little more.

Yeah, it feels like at least a couple years ago. I was talking to the group of amazing leaders the other day and it was interesting because they were talking about like making friends on social media and half of the group was like, oh my God, yeah, it's great for networking and I meet amazing people. And half of the other group was like but those aren't real friends, they're like internet. That's not real. What do you think?

about that. I guess it just depends on the depth of how far you go. Right, if we're just playing video games or something weird like that online at this age, then yeah, I wouldn't really consider those friends. But we go deep, man, we dive in and really get to the root of a lot of the things that we're working on.

I agree, man, I agree 100%, and one of the things. And so LNM family. If you're not connected with and following Mr Lance, you need to find them, and I know that you're hyperactive on LinkedIn. Are you on any of the other socials yet?

No, nothing, nothing really. I try to stay away from the anonymous Good. It all worked up and people start trolling man, it doesn't even make sense.

Oh, I love them. The more trolling they do, the more impressions I get. It's fine, bring it, so follow them on LinkedIn. You and I connected there and I think actually there was a post commemorating your awesomeness today by Jonathan.

And Jonathan Kaur. I thought I died. I thought nobody told me I died when they came to work. That's a big thing and I can appreciate that, because usually people don't show love or respect to others until they're fucking gone, true, and you give it to them while they're still here on earth. Give them their flowers while they're still alive and they can receive them.

Yes.

So I can appreciate that big time.

Well, and so that's one of the things I think when you and I connected, one of the earliest memories I have about you and observing you and watching your content and engaging is that even from the very beginning it may not have been like the frequency that it is now, but it was absolutely focused on celebrating other people. Where does that come from, Lance?

I think it comes from working in the background for so long. You know, usually all you're getting are the complaints. But it's nice for people to recognize you, even if it's not a specific thing that you did, but just for what you're bringing to the tables. That's what like the cornerstones for me.

So when you say working in the background, what does that mean for you, like for real?

Just twirling away in the shadows. It's a role that I'm good at. I don't need to be talking all the time, but people don't see what's making that engine go right, you see the body of the car, but you're not really thinking about the engine. That applies across many things in my life.

Ah, all right, so you're like all the magic that's happening under the hood and everybody's gag at over the body, and the paint color and the wind beneath the wings. That's just the wind beneath our wings. I love it. So you're in the construction space. I know you've got trade partner HQ and that you're a major player with Factor X. Yes, sir, what else do you have brewing right now?

Right now, it's just really focusing on both of those. The curated interviews that I'm doing on a trade partner HQ are really what's like filling my cup. It's a revenue stream for me, but it's also helping people grow their business through not boring ads, right? We're just having a conversation like now. We hit on a couple of key points and now your clients are getting to know you right, not your logo, but you. And the thing that people are worried about is what if it scares people away? And I said, if they're getting to know you and it scares them away, they were never a good fit for you to begin with, so you're actually repelling away people that would not have been good clients for you.

Long term. Long term, that's a phenomenal point. Okay, so, trade partner HQ, one of the things that you do correct me if I'm wrong is you interview business owners, entrepreneurs, to help them like, brag and highlight about their business. Is that correct?

Correct Some of their client outcomes that they're proud of. I'm always trying to say don't focus on you and your inputs, but focus on the outcomes for your clients, because I noticed that they light up when they're talking about that and it feels less strategic, a little less rehearsed when you're talking about you save somebody's home from this. It's a different level of impact that you're having.

Definitely Okay. So if I'm going to sign up with you, do I need to fly into California? Do I have a makeup person in wardrobe? What are the nuts and bolts of this thing?

Well, you're my boy, I'll take care of your makeup. No, no, no, it's all done virtually online. So as long as you have a webcam and a microphone, which most computers do, we're good to go. You don't need a studio and all of that stuff. Okay, we get it set up. We work through the points that you want to get across and then I work backwards. So you tell me what you want to talk about, I'll write the questions in multiple ways for myself to pull up and just as we're talking I'll make sure I'm getting those points.

God, I like it. And then after that, what happens?

From there I go into editing. You can review it first, but if it's somebody like you, they'll just say go for it, oh yeah. And then I go into editing, give you shorts, whether you want to use it for YouTube, instagram, whatever it is then the full interview for LinkedIn and the more professional platforms.

Wow, got it. So then, after that, the contents there's, so they don't need to have editing skills, none of that. They just answer your questions and then, boom magic. They get the magic later.

Just have a conversation, and the best part about this all is this whole business was by accident, right. I was on LinkedIn playing around with the panel interviews and this just came up as something that people wanted. Turns out there's a need. Oh, really, by accident. It was a straight up accident. I was just doing that for my own entertainment and yeah. I don't know, just blessed, I guess.

Yeah, I think, yes, maybe blessed. It's one of those blessings and curse, right, because there's work associated with it and figuring it out and delivering quality, all that stuff. But I also know, because you shared with me, that this entrepreneurial thing has like this isn't a new thing, correct?

Yeah, you know, when I was younger, I used to like surfing a lot so and I used to like photography, even though I stunk at it. But I bought this big printer where you have the rolls. It was like 24 inches by however long the roll was, which is like 10 feet.

Yep.

And I figured out through these photography forums that in the Midwest they didn't have a lot of large format printing. So I knew I wasn't going to sell my pictures because those things I wouldn't buy them, I couldn't even give them away. Did figure out that wedding photographers could sell that to their clients because there's an emotional attachment. So I figured out a way this is pre-drop blocks free, all of that. I'm older than I look, but so I would have them uploaded to my server, I'd print it for them, they would prepay on PayPal that was a lot of Ps and then I'd put it in a UPS flat rate tube and ship it to them and they'd mark it up 300%, 400%.

Damn.

Yeah, and then Walmart started doing it in other super centers and that business went goodbye. But that was my. I noticed opportunities and I noticed need. I think, being somebody that's a little empathetic, you start to notice needs in business. So where does that? come from man, I think it just comes from asking a lot of questions. I joke, so I'm going to stop joking, because that's been my thing. But I used to joke that I don't know anything. So you're always asking questions and just digging deeper so that the other person can basically explain to me what we're doing. But I do know more than I let on, so I'm going to stop with all that.

Oh yeah, no, there's no doubt in my mind, I think. Again, another thing that you and I shared You've met Stephanie Brown. Yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah, she's awesome. She always tells you like Jesse, don't all that clown game you got going on. I could see right through it. Don't tell anybody. And so at Factor X what is that and how did you get this?

I don't know. Yeah, so we started off doing electronics recycling servers, things like that. Then we ended up in the data center space taking things from the racks and all of that. Then, next thing you know, people are asking us do you take mechanical equipment, Do you take electrical equipment? The first answer was no. Right, that's so far removed from servers. But the more people ask, the more we realize maybe we need to start looking into this. That was my foray into working with general contractors. So, we went, got our electrical license in California and have been operating as a sub ever since.

How did you get into that? So like I understand who you got into the generator recovery but into the recycling part with like factory. Was that your first job and you've been doing that forever?

Oh no. So we had a couple of companies in Hawaii that did electronics recycling that's where I'm from, got it and merger, acquisition and ended up over here with the same leadership team.

Oh, I see. Okay, now, one thing I've been able to see because we get to do other live streams with other awesome people. There's no doubt in my mind. Obviously you're super intelligent. You're connecting dots to serve others. That's the whole point. That's why we're here is to serve others. That being said, there are times that it seems to me like you've got a bunch to say, but you quickly give up the floor and let everybody else say what they got to say. How accurate is that? That's a new development. That's a good move?

Tell me, I think it is. It's the result of working with the emotional bungee jumpers. No, you weren't in the room that day, but it was a doozy. But our big thing is like asking questions that aren't closed ended and I was playing. You want to give a quick background on how this works so that just the roles, just real quick.

Oh for the emotional bungee jumpers.

Yeah, yeah, people have a perspective.

Yeah, so thank you. So there's three roles. It's a simul, not a simulation. It's an exercise to help us build skills. One role is the problem owner and you share a problem personal, professional personal is better, but coach the coach's job is to ask interested questions of the problem owner and there's some rules. And the observer is the third role and the observer's job is to take notes on the violations that the coach makes. And so if the coach asks a leading question, gives advice, asks a closed ended question, that's a violation. And so we're trying to help the coach or we're trying to help all of us become better listeners and not be solutionizers. How did I do?

Yeah, yeah, that's good. So one of the rules of playing the coach is no closed ended questions and you try to ask open and engaging questions and I'm good at that. That part I got down. But I have a tendency, as Miss Jennifer Lacey pointed out and Adam who's double down on lovingly, lovingly and emphatically was that I ask the right questions and then I throw my seasonings on it and then I don't shut the fuck up, Like I just keep talking and you know it's like somebody might hate ketchup, they might hate mustard and relish, and I'm just throwing my mustard and relish all over the question. So right now all you have left to eat is like the ends of the hotdog right, Because I basically took over the stage and I couldn't let it go.

Really.

It came from a good place. It was trying to explain where I'm coming from with that line of questioning. But as I was talking and talking and talking, the funnel of what they could answer with was shrinking.

Mmm, yeah, so that was your normal motive operation.

The thing is, I don't know, I wasn't aware of it, but I catch myself still doing it, even during my live streams. I'm starting down that path and then I catch myself and I just like ugh.

Oh, that is so interesting Because for me, like I see, like you know, when we're doing our prep calls and stuff with John, luca and Matt, and I'm wondering, like, come on, like I think Lance has something to say, but he's not gonna say it, so maybe this is a testimony. Like awesome, you're kicking butt, because I just assumed that you're like, you're not outspoken and you don't interject very much, but you're telling me that that's not true.

Yeah, it's the opposite. I always got something to say, but it's just um, yeah, once you see it, it's tough to ignore and it's a good thing. Like when it happened, I was sitting there all moping oh, cool boys, thanks. But so feedback, you say thank you, but I was like, oh, thank you, like it makes it a more enjoyable experience for, first of all, for my paying clients when I'm interviewing them. Could you imagine you paying me for a half hour interview and you go back and play it and half of it or more is me talking? Like that doesn't benefit them at all, that doesn't serve them. And the same thing with with like the um live streams that I do on LinkedIn. You know it's a good time because everybody else is engaging and talking, but if you tuned in every week or for every episode and it was just me going on monologues, it sucks.

I hear you in that. It sucks, but I feel like there's a lot of people out there that have their own shows, where they clearly have their shows, so that they could push their thing. How do you feel about?

that Everybody has their own agenda and their own format. It's just like I'm already getting tired of hearing myself seeing myself all over the damn place, because as I'm editing these things, I'm hearing it over and over and I just feel like it depends on what. Your thing is right. If you're trying to push something and you have your platform to do it, I guess that's your prerogative. I just don't. I don't believe in selling that way.

So selling. I feel like this whole conversation is going to be mostly around social media and customer relations, which is fine, because I think it'll be valuable. But this idea of selling, I think that you're a phenomenon. You're phenomenal at sales or conversion. Would people call me a liar if they heard me say that?

I think I'm good at filtering. Like I don't, I convert well, because by the time we're talking about business, they've already seen me in multiple venues, so I'm not having to sell them per se on my capability or my integrity or anything like that, because they've already seen it.

Okay, so they, you've introduced them, you've warmed them up, and then it's just a matter of decision time.

Yeah, if it's something for them, cool. But usually I just I do most of my business just in one on one meetings, like we talk, I never say, I never put that pressure on somebody to say, hey, you have a business, what do you think about this? Right, because the thing is, if it's a value to you, to you, you'd figure that out on your own, yep, and it's pretty, pretty easy work. I don't have a Calendly link or anything on my profiles or websites because I don't want to waste my time, I don't want people wasting theirs either. If we're going to have a conversation, it's because we've already engaged in some other way. Right, because if you're just, if somebody sends you a link or even a referral, believe it or not, referral business is actually really tough for me. Because if say because, say there, you know me, you know what I'm about, but say you told some plumbing company in San Antonio about me and they haven't taken the time to go look at anything that I do, any of the outcomes, any of the products or services, and then there's, like Jesse said, to call you, so we called you, so here.

I am.

That's what I'm aiming to educate, and, and it might not even be a great fit it was well intentioned, sure, but I tell them like the best thing somebody can do for me is Just have them add me on LinkedIn or go to my website to start. Connect first connect first because gauge, and then okay. Yeah, because I'm not for everybody. That's the hmm, that's the thing that I accept.

The stuff you're saying sounds pretty like pragmatic and simple, but I know it isn't and it. There's wisdom in that and tons of experience. So, like, how did you build that knowledge base? And what I mean by that is you know, there's sales courses, there's all kinds of courses available out there to develop these types of skills. Was it that? Was it books? Was it live? What are the dirty details about how you built that body of knowledge?

I think it's really just bits and pieces of experience and who you associate yourself with. I feel like the people that I rock with are people that are serving others as well. Hmm so it's just kind of a mindset that you operate with. It's like how can I be of service? And for 90% of the people? So you can't. You have nothing to offer me that I need or want and that's cool, right. Like I talked to somebody yesterday that Wanted to use my services to create videos for their social media and all of that, but they don't have a profile picture, they don't have any connections on LinkedIn, they don't have a Facebook. Yeah so I told him. I said might not be for you because, like, you're gonna create some great stuff but nobody's gonna see it and that doesn't help you at all. Right, so you need to talk to somebody to help you with your socials. And I gave them a couple of names that we both know, nice, and said go to them, establish it. If you can commit to that, and then you come back in six months and say I want to do some video, then that's, I'm here for you. But right now it would just be me taking your money, making some cool stuff and that's it. Nothing would happen for you from there. Yeah, it's tough to turn an easy sale away, but I'm not serving you if I do that.

Now you said something that I think is super important, and I think that a lot of these skills are transcendent, right, like they work in business, but they also work really well and just being a human being. And so, in terms of filtering out People you do business with, that you will or won't do business with, what are your criteria or filters for the people that you take Advice from or invest time into? Hoo, hoo, the cliffhanger. I gotta get you on the cliffhanger. Did his warmth come through? Like, do you get what I was trying to tell you about him being focused on serving others and celebrating other people? Another example of that is his daily newsletter that he has on LinkedIn, which it's 100% focused on highlighting other people's content, because he knows, oh wait, I might spill the beans. That's in part two, so come back to get the whole story there. And speaking of newsletters, lance kind of coached me up into starting my own weekly newsletter and I know I've been threatening y'all with that for a while. Now it is finally. Now it is out, it is active, and this episode is sponsored by the newsletter. It's called your Monday Morning Hugs. It's available only on LinkedIn, so I'll put the link down there in the thing, along with Lance's links and his trade partner HQ and all that good stuff. And if you're on LinkedIn, you can find it real easy. It is your Monday Morning Hugs gives you three pieces of content one video, one audio, one text. This way we got a full menu. You can take bits of it, you can take all of it. So I applaud you if you choose to sign up for the Monday Morning Hug Weekly Newsletter on LinkedIn. And, as always, be kind to yourself, be cool and we'll talk at you next time. Peace.