Ben Heinemann; From a Small Print Shop to 100+ Employees | How Ben Heineman Built BP Print Group

Welcome back to another episode of the takes podcast. My name is Ty Krauss. We're sitting today with Rabbi Biny Hamman. How are you? How are you? Amazing. >> Thank you for having me. >> My pleasure. CEO of BP Print Group. You service the entire country. >> Yep. >> What industries do you plus? Really? >> Yeah. >> Where? >> Canada a lot. Mexico. >> Really? >> Is you ship things also? Of course. >> Australia. >> Yeah. >> Wow. Okay. um CEO of a printing company. What do you do? Promotional signs. Um what else? >> Well, we're mainly printing, but we start from the marketing. I have a whole marketing team, writing, editing, and LinkedIn. >> Strategy, LinkedIn, >> strategy, and all the branding. And then we have a whole team of designers. We have 12 designers on board. >> Hashem and then we do the printing, we have promos, we have a weekly, we have wide format division, we have uh you name it. >> How many employees do you have? >> 100m. Everybody here or or Israel or remote? >> We're right there. >> And I know how to >> Wow, that's amazing. So, I met you at a trade show >> and I've been seeing your content on LinkedIn and very I saw there was Hashem was baked into those the content Toyota were celebrating a CM said I want to meet this person. Then I went to a conference. I met you there. BP had a booth. We met that was a while back and then I texted you like I don't know who this is but I'm very excited to be here with you today. Um it's an honor to be here. Honor. Thank you. I'm humbled. >> Humbled. >> I don't do this. This is my first podcast ever. So if I'm nervous, you'll know why. I'm usually a shy guy. I still am. >> Okay. >> And um I'm not looking to be in the lights and the >> okay >> big picture, but you got to do what you got to do. >> I think a lot of people are going to learn a lot from your background. >> I hope so. your experience. [music] >> So you're the CEO of BP Pin Group. Uh decent sized business over 100 employees. Can I know how to >> How do you get started? >> Started Hashem. >> Okay. If you need to write it in a book, what would you write? >> If you wrote a book, how would you write it down? Hashem, that's it. This in one word, the whole book. You know, if you think back, if I think back my whole life, it's Hashem's just been with me day in day out, and I try to live with him. >> You don't look like an entrepreneur. >> No, I'm not. >> So, you're a CEO of a business. >> I'm just the man who stands there. Hashem does everything, >> right? >> Actually, I started that way because it's a crazy story, but I I started as BP graphics. I learned graphics. My father taught me graphics. >> What was his background? He's electrical engineer, >> but he learn he taught you graphics. >> He's very artistic and he used to play around with a lot of uh different types of uh graphic toys and things like that and I learned them >> and I picked up my graphic design skills from him. >> Okay. >> And when I got married, he actually bought me a computer with a program and he says, "Okay, see if you can make a pronounc with it as well." >> Doing graphics. >> Yeah. I was still in Kyle but on the side do something. I started doing kubas, personalized kubas where you can actually have your name and everything all printed out nicely. >> Well, you needed to learn how to do sales, finding clients >> that Hashem does. >> Yes. I wasn't pay I was still so I hung up a sign in the coffee room. Anybody needs an invitation or a um an ad, I'll be here for you. And I started making ads and I started doing different things. And then people asked me, can you print it for me? I'm like, oo, I don't know. So, I found a print shop down the block. I mean, not too far here. You grew up here? >> I grew up in Muny. I >> Okay. Learned here in Lakewood and then I got married and moved here with my wife and I found this print shop, Joe Spano, a nice Italian, sounds a Jewish guy. >> I made a deal with him and we started working together. But he never printed anything on time or it was like impossible. There's this like cartoon, famous cartoon with three people laughing their heads off and saying you want it when that was like made for print shops. So for sure for him and it was like and those days print shops had a terrible reputation. Yeah. Everything was late and there was no such thing as having time and I didn't know anything. I'm a yucky and you know you say it's going to ready Tuesday, it's got to be ready Tuesday. >> Commitment is a commitment >> and this is it. And I used to literally sit on his head to make sure it got done. And when I saw how he made the plates and then I saw how he put it on the press and I saw how he ran it and I actually learned how to run a press over there. So it got to the point that I was making the plates for him just to make it faster so he can go and and you were working in his factory. >> I was working in his place >> and at one point he said to me, "Sorry, Ben, you do it. >> I actually got my hands dirty and I make the plates, put it on the press, and I was running it. I I >> did you charge the customers extra for doing that extraordinary? >> No, I couldn't charge extra but I couldn't I couldn't. No, I paid him a full price. I was using >> even though you were doing you were doing the work. >> It wasn't a good recipe for success. But uh this is where I was and and I remember I was running a job. It was actually for Shalom Tour Centers. I was doing a big job of envelopes for them. And envelopes are harder to run. They don't stack very nicely and they fall over and and so on and so forth. But I was running and I was got it down pat and I thought it would be much harder but it was going and and I was very proud of myself and I remember finishing the next box and putting it in and I said to myself, "Oh wow, you you did so well. You're going to you're doing really well." And then I counted, "Oh, I only did 2,000. I have to get to 20,000." And I'm like, and that was only one of the two envelopes. I'm like, "Oh my goodness, Hashem, help me." And literally just then someone walked into the door, Gabby Walner was his name, an Israeli, and he says, "I'm a pressman. I'm wondering if you have any uh work." >> He walked into his factory. >> His factory >> and he asked you if if >> he asked him, he he asked him. I wasn't the owner, right? >> Do you have any work? >> And Joe, of course, says, "No, I got it all under control. No problem. I got everything." And I looked at Joe and I said, "Joe, do you mind if I hire him to get this done?" He says, "No, I don't care. Go ahead." So I hired I said, "You want a job here? I got still another 40,000, 18,000, 18,000, another 20,000. I got a lot of you want to run them for me." >> Wow. >> He said, "Yeah, no problem." Rolls up his sleeves >> and um and he runs it. And once he's running it, I said to Joe, "Do you mind if I give him more work?" I told Gabby, "Come back tomorrow. I got some more work for you. And at a certain point, Joe realiz he was just working for me in this guy's shop. I was paying the guy was pay like the whole thing didn't make sense. And he says to me, "Do you want to buy my shop?" He realized he's not doing anything. >> How much later was this? >> No, it was all within I don't know. It happened over a few years. No, no, no. Few weeks. Yeah, a few weeks >> from the first order that you started working with. >> No, I've been working with with Joe for must have been okay couple months. It was uh >> under a year >> under you started sending him work doing it him and then you started doing the press. >> Yeah. >> And um >> he asked you to buy a shop. >> He want to buy a shop. So I said, you know, good idea. If I was I'm running the place and I'm paying the guys like I might as well just buy it. And I told my father that I'm going to buy the shop. And >> what did he want for it? >> We didn't even discuss any money at that point. >> I was so new. I was so I don't know. >> How old were you? I was 21, 22. >> I love it. Okay. >> And I told my father, I think I'm gonna buy the shop. And my father says, okay, what are you buying? I said, you mean the shop? He says to me, okay, what does that mean? What are you getting? >> Right. >> Are you getting presses? I said, "Yeah, I'm going to get his presses." I He says, "What are they worth?" I said, "Really? Nothing. They're really bad." Um, he said, "Okay, so what are you buying?" I said, "The shop." He says, "What did the shop mean? His clients?" I said, 'Yeah, I guess so. He says, ' Okay, who are his clients?' I said, 'Me. He, okay, so you're buying yourself. What are you doing? And you know, my father's always been there for me and he still is there for me and so much to learn from him. And I'm like, yeah, what am I buying? What am I doing over here? Right? >> I have the pressman. I have the thing. I asked the pressman, I asked this guy, Gabby, I said, listen, if I open my own shop, will you come and join me? >> He says, hey, I'm working for you. Of course, I'm going to come join you. Let's do this. I took him with me. I didn't know much about anything. We went to a guy in Pearl River near Muny and he sells um >> presses. >> He sells all kind of and we bought a press. We bought a cutter. We bought a folder. We bought whatever we needed. >> But that's a big >> They weren't so expensive that day. A small press. It's maybe dick. It's not so bad. The folder wasn't uh wasn't the high-tech thing that we have today. >> $20,000. >> Yeah. Something like that. Yeah. >> Overall. And I got a lease on a on a building downtown in Lakewood. I was petrified. Like here I am. >> You've only doing graphics and printing for how long? >> 6 months. I'm I'm hardly married. I'm like like this is a >> wow. >> This is like crazy. And I remember I went to the guy who he had empty empty stores, Mars Silver, an altered from the Holocaust. Nice guy. I said, "Marius, can I rent the store from you?" It was $700 and to me that was like a million dollars. Like what am I going to do? And he says, "Sure." I said, "But Mars, if this doesn't work after six months, can I just leave and we we will figure it out or whatever?" He says, "Sure, no problem. Whatever you need." And I went in there only Hashem was guiding me and and making this work. But he sent me my pressman. Started with this guy. This guy knew presses. We had the press. We started me and him. I've got a secretary who was by that time I already had someone working in my basement doing type setting with me. I trained somebody so she came along with me and we started the three of us and that was 36 years ago. Leonara >> LinkedIn says 37 >> 37 was 1990 >> 80 oh second >> here >> June of 1990 >> um January 1989 >> that's >> but that's it could be you put in the year without the month so it automatically defaults but it's not an important thing that's a long time and now there's no looking back >> what's it been like since you were in that small up and the one thing I've done straight through went with Hashem and the more I brought Hashem into my life and more kadoo I brought into the business that just what spiraled the business and that's what made it grow. Nothing with me. >> Give us an example of you brought Hashem into the business. >> How do you bring Hashem into the business? So we started Minion in BP and things just took off. It was like from one day to the next all of a sudden there's more things happening just because he had is the hardest for a person and actually he's brought down that you got the biggest scar for it. It's like >> getting ripped out of work >> right getting ripped out of work and literally the works so hard to make sure that you're not going to die from and when you see that you almost know hey there's got to be something good over here. If he's working that hard there's got to be something. My staff knew when I like was up to the top, they say, "Okay, Ben, time to dra like like you got to cut everything out and ma just calms the day down. It just does just changes everything." No, we have a RV now. We'll talk about that also. >> Wild stuff. >> But he he taught us something. We had we made to see him. You said you sort of see him on the thing we learned also during the day. So we had a but by see him he spoke and he said something very very interesting. Rabaka he learned he went away he he learned for 12 years he came home when he came came home he heard his wife saying >> now it's in the back >> for another 12 years he can he can go for another 12 years he turned around and went back to he was home he was right there why didn't just walk in say hello and then go out like why didn't he do it and we know the answer because in RNA 12 + 12 is not equals 24 years bifus is straight going straight that has a power like nothing else has he says If we come to work, we have to work. We have a the kala from other. You have to go to work, right? It's a kala and you have to do it. You work 8 to 8 hours a day. >> If you work for 4 hours and you dra and have a little share, then another four hours. Four plus four is not equals to the eight of the clal that we have to have. You break the day up. It's just it's it's a beautiful way of looking at it. >> Wow. >> So yeah. So that was one thing that was very good. We had a a story I said over many times where at one point the place where we dive in Mina was I was doing construction over there. >> When did you start the min the first place or the first >> 1996 in when I when I bought my building where I am right now I didn't have room in the other place but so we d we're having in the place and I'm doing construction over there. So I asked my tenant, "Do you mind if we move the mining for one month to you until I finish and then we'll come back?" So sure, no problem. He went to his conference room and we had the mining over there for a whole month. At the end of the month, I said, "Okay, coming Monday, we're moving back there." He says, "Can we not move back?" I'm like, "No, we're moving back." Why are you saying not? He says, "This month was the best month I ever had in business." And I said to him, "You want to know something? BP had a bad month this month. We're going back to BP. It's it's >> make tumyanum now. tuning on. >> Yeah, >> it's crazy. You I'm gonna I'm gonna add something to that. Somebody approached me a couple years ago and I'm very involved in my show. I do the kids domining programs. He said, "If I were to give you something to give to the kids >> um by miss if they all come around the beimma and they answer loud mine, I'll I'll buy you the snacks, you give it to them, you just run this thing." He said, "No problem." And every couple weeks he texts me, "Hey, did you run out of snacks?" Or during the summertime it's like these massive jumboises. So we've been doing that for a couple years. He needs an a yes. One week about a year ago, two years ago, he texted me, "Hey, do you need more?" So I said, "No, I'm good because I wasn't here one week. So I'll use the one that I was going to use as I'm going to use it the next week." He's like, "I had a very very big backfall in whatever I I need help with." Yeah. try to make sure someone does it. It was I was I was floored. One week someone didn't run the program and he had a tremendous like you know thing that held him back. I was that blew my mind. Um so you you moved where was that place? >> That was on Clifton Avenue >> and right away you bought your own place. >> No, I bought one I rented one place then I rented one next to it and next to it until I went and bought it. So I started in 1990 June and by 1996 I bought the building. >> You're not printing anymore today. You have you have a team of 100 people. Can I know how >> I don't go in the press room anymore? >> Yeah. >> No. >> I just want to give a quick shout out to our sponsor of this episode. Dabble. 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These courses are meant to take the kids from off the screen into real life. And you know what's exciting? We were able to snag for all our listeners a code for 20% off. Whether you want to sign up for a monthly subscription or an annual, the code is TK20. TK20. Check them out. Just dabble.com. That's jus s-abbl.com. There's no e. Just dabble.com. Go check them out. >> What's it like learning how to hire the right people? Learning how to delegate, create departments, um, learning how to structure and scale a business. What was that process like for you? >> Yes, it's very hard. >> Creating new positions, delegating, hiring the right people. You got to ding. You got to keep doing. And that's really really what it's all about. And it's not a joke. You really see the difference. To me, doing is so personal and I see so much of the effects of the way you ded and what happens to in in the rest of your day. You d good good, you have a good day. You don't d good good, you have a bad day. For a while I was following the that I guess you're not supposed to follow. But if a person comes late to sh and I did say h don't tell my grandparents but um if you come late to so you do a and with the and then you go back and so on and so I always did everything but it wasn't necessarily in order. And that went on for a bit. And one day I remember I came to the office. We were doing a journal for a local mid that was having a dinner. And in those days it was like major production doing a journal. Today we can do it in our sleep. And with digital and everything it just comes all codated. But in those days each page needed it own plate. Plate went onto the press. You printed it. You printed the second side with another plate and then you spread them out where you had a collater and most of the times it was done by hand collator can only do 10 or 15 sheets at a time anyway and then you had to take all those groups and put them together and then in those days they didn't have a glue binder so I couldn't even bind it into things. So I sent it out to the binder and they bound it for me and it comes back fresh ready to go right before the dinner. >> Wow. >> I pick up one of the journals and I start skimming through it and I'm like uhoh there's a problem over here. You know, journals have the front pages, full pages, half pages, >> quarters, >> thirds, quarters, >> eighs, greetings. Well, this one had the front pages or some of them. And then all of a sudden there was greetings, eight >> backwards. >> So when they put it together, they like one section was like that whole section was putting upside down. So when they bound it, it was actually the front of it that they bound it, but the inside was all messed up. >> It was two hours before the dinner. There was absolutely zero that I can do. I mean, I didn't have a binding myself, so I couldn't even bind it to start printing again. It's hours collating. I mean, you're talking this is a production that we spent days on. In those days, it was real production. [sighs] What do you do over here? >> You help me. I still looked at this journal. It was the same thing. I don't know what to do. >> What did you do? >> I I I'm embarrassed to say, but I put the journal back in. I closed the box and I used extra tape and I taped it down. And when the client came, I personally picked up that box and I put in his trunk and I closed the trunk and I wished him on his dinner and I just went back to Davening. It was like like I was sweating. I was like, "Help me, Hashem." >> Were you nervous they were going to call you? >> I was nervous everything. I was like >> petrified. >> I didn't know what to do. And >> what ended up happening? >> The next day he came back and he said, "You know, I noticed some of the journals, maybe some of the pages were were not not in order." I said, "Oh, yeah. can't imagine. I can't believe that that happened and I right away gave him back money and I did whatever I had to do and he was happy. Everybody was happy. Uh but I I wasn't happy and I said to myself, Hashem, how did this happen? What's going on? And I did a little over here and I said to myself, hello Mr. You give Hashem a backwards journal every day when you d you and then you go back to like this is what you do daily. And that was the last day. That was the last day I said not doing this. Come on and start from the beginning and go to the end. If I don't come on time to shul my jobs are late. They don't they're not ready on time. If I don't if I leave early, I don't anymore. I learned my lesson. I learned the hard way, right? >> But I learned my ding my day. Hashem, it's all one thing. And and he does everything. So there it I have to do this right and there's not whether I like it or not. There's nothing you you come if if I leave early the finishing department there'll be something going wrong over there. If I'm not D cavana the quality will not be the same. So you're talking about missing one day of your giving out your your one day. This is a daily basis. This is what goes on. You got have that connection. You need that kesha and he's the one at the end of the day that does it. You got to think of all day. You know Shaba says the first question Shaba says when you come upstairs after 120 is did you do business properly? But if you think about the the question first of all why is this like the most important question you come upstairs is should be first I can think of other things but business should we talk business I mean we don't talk about business on shabas we don't talk about in the mikvah we talk about business I don't know >> no idea not supposed to talk in the mikvah and people that do it bothers me >> but the first thing cost is let's talk business I mean >> right >> that sounds a little strange but I thought about it and and really it's not it's the question is Did you do business with amuna? What do you mean amuna? Did you were you honest? Did you steal? Did you treat your your employees properly? All the questions that you ask me. How did you grow? What did you do? That's really if you want to talk about business. What's amuna? No. I think the answer is did you run your business with ama? Did you believe everything from did you know? And I my employees know. You tell someone asks you when's the job going to be ready? You tell them 3:00. You don't say it's not going to be ready at 3:00. There's no questions asked. You trained your employees part of the script to say >> you have to say Hashem. Yes, you have to do that. >> How can you not? >> That's such a minute detail. >> But that's the only way. It only happens. That's it. >> I love it. >> Of course. >> You are very connected, Tasha. >> I try. Very connected. >> I try. >> You're You're very connected to Did you grow up like that? >> We have a muna in the bones, but not to this level that I experienced it and I live it and I can see it. It's like it's a it's there's no question. Hashem talks to you all day. You just got to pick up the conversation and and take it and and it means something to you. >> Wow. >> You know the same questions. I think the third question says third question is CP Yeshua and this others have said this already. What's CP Yeshua? Did you wait for Msiah? Of course, we dab on Mashiach and and we're waiting for the ghoul. Everybody is and I right we say it every single day did you but is this really a fundamental like one there's five questions when you come upstairs and the third one is third I believe it's the third third or fourth third one in the Gmorrah is see Yeshua did you wait for Mashiach is this really so some people say that Yeshua doesn't mean the Mashiach Yeshua is Hashem did you realize that every time you needed You waited for Hashem. >> You're driving down the road and you have going to Yeshiva or you're going to your work or you're going to a store and you dab and Hashem, please get me a parking space that's close enough and then say thank you. The famous joke that they all say, the guy who was running late to a meeting and he says, "Hashem, I'll give $5,000 stock. Just get me a parking spot quickly close up to the front." And as he's pulling up, he see someone pulling out. He's like, "Okay, forget about it. I found one. You're missing the boat. Hashem just gave you a spot. Thank you, Hashem. I got it. Don't forget to say thank you every time." And yeah, you you got to be connected. This is this is uh out of space. >> I have a question. Is that something you look for specifically in new employees? >> They have to be >> this of like being >> connected. >> You have to be connected because I don't think you'll have any. >> Is that the culture there? Is that what you're looking for in employees? Very much so. You don't see it in somebody. You're going to say no to them even though they can be a good good skill set for good bookkeeper. >> Yes. You walk into my store, there's sneeze in every single person that's there. And we've had good people who've come who were not properly >> not not so sneezing. >> Yeah. And and we said, "No, we we we can't have it because the kaduca has to be able to come in and can only come when there's good stuff there. If it's not, then it won't come in." I had a girl who came to me. She was having a lot of trouble. She wasn't married. She was looking shookim and stuff like that. And like within the last four weeks or three weeks, she was in two car accidents and she had medical episode and she had trouble a lot of troubles. And she she looked at me and she said to me, >> "What's going on? What does Hashem want?" I'm like, "I don't know. I'm not Nvy. I don't know these things. >> And as I always do, I dab to Hashem. It was cover my mouth. Hashem, please help me back words. Give me something. I What am I supposed to say? I don't know. And I said, listen, honestly, I don't know. And I don't know why this came out of my mouth. I know why put it there. I said, I don't know how to tell you. The only thing I know is Hashem hates immorality. just be good and everything will be good. And she said, "Thank you." And she left. She calls me back 20 minutes later and she says, "How do you know?" I said, "No, what?" She says, "Yeah, I've been on the internet. I've not been doing the right things. I'm going to stop." >> I said, "Honestly, I didn't know. I was just telling you general rules of what's going on. Um, but surely if you're involved with that, get off and then Hashan can come into your house." Right. make me a place where I can I can I can get into and then I'll come in. And she said, "I promise I'm going to stop." And she says, "Call me back two weeks later, four weeks later. I mean, we work together." And she says, "Everything's good. My car hasn't broken down. I got to finish my sick. It's not a kiddesh. You need to have kaducha. You need to be that person that has that that kay." So, you want to know before you ask me a question. I know the answers of what a person is supposed to do when they need more money. They had a baby. They had a thing. Truthfully, it's not my problem. You had a baby. I'm very happy for you. You got married and now you took on another expense and you bought a house and so on and so forth and they come from me. I don't know what to tell you. But I can say if we understand that everything comes from now the question is what did we bring in? What's going out the right first of all the was a beautiful thing. What did the man have? It was it was you got it every morning. It came down right in front of you. You had it. Whatever you wanted to taste like, it tasted like. It was It was a beautiful thing. The It didn't fall on Chabas. It was Somebody else tell me some other good things about the Mun. The Mun went into the body. It There was no waste. No one had to go to the bathroom. You >> in the morning when it melted over overnight when it melted, it went into the water. And they said that the animals in Africa >> that drank from that water tasted significantly better. the go was saying that >> but I'm going to I'm going to talk about that there was no waste anything that you left over became wormy and and you couldn't use >> and anybody who took more >> got less >> got less they got what you came home with you they came home with the right amount of money and you think about the end of day and the midbar they complained about it dor midbar they're they were holy people right >> you have the best of the best over here how could you complain about it and I was thinking about it and I said you know we also get the mun every day. Okay, it's not the mun that necessarily the way you think it's mun, but we get mun all the time. It's just in a techn in today's technology, a type of of of mun, but we get the mun. What is it? What's what's the technology letter or terminology that we use for technology today? >> It's it's the letter E. Email, eBay, e-commerce, e, right? So our money is man e. Our money is the mun. And as you get it every single day, you get it every week. Whenever you get it, you get it. The mun like the mun. Our money like the mun can get anything you want. In fact, more than the mun can get. You can buy houses. You can buy cars with it. Whatever you want it to be. The currency in the right. If you if what do we say about the mun? If you leave it over, it's wormy. It's worthless. It doesn't have to do anything. the if you use the money properly it can be totally absorbed into person you give it stucker you do with it and so on and so forth it becomes whatever you take too much you're going to have an expense and that's going to that's going to >> right >> that that's going to cost you um you don't collect the money on chabas like we don't collect the money on chabas you get extra on Friday shabas >> you can leave it overnight >> you can leave it you can do whatever you want it this is what we have is the man and we have to appreciate it every time You get a check, Hashem. Thank you. This is This is our This is our money that we have. I got into this because we were talking about who controls what how much money you have. It's not I have a bigger It's not that I have a more expenses because I have now a kid. I have this, I have that, and therefore I I need more money. I believe every doctor visit, every time you have to bring a car to a mechanic, it's because you have too much money or you didn't do something right with your money and therefore Hashem has to take it away. So, it's just a question of logistics. The same money can stretch. I mean, I make money and I don't want to I forg most of them in Kyle. Most of them are are living on less money than I have. Yet some of them have houses that are like, let's say, nicer than mine. Um, cars and eat out and all that kind of. I'm not comparing. And I don't forgive anybody. Everybody should do whatever you want. But how is it possible? But if you think about it, of course it's possible. If Hashem runs everybody, everything that they have. So I'll have a bigger expense, someone will have a lesser expense. It's about expenses. Everybody knows when you're running a business there's a certain amount of money that comes in and then a certain amount of money. So you have to worry that there's enough money coming in and the other way to save money is by the expenses. How can you cut your expenses and what can you do? >> Hashem runs this all. So it's a big factory of what happens and what doesn't happen. Ultimately Hashem can give you enough money. He can give you a huge salary. I had a neighbor who was a therapist psychologist. He made a lot of money. He says to me, "Benny, I'm short $10,000 every year. I make a lot of money, but I'm just short because everybody lives up to the amount of money they have. And then they do a little bit extra. So, you're always going to be short. No matter how much money you're making, you're going to be a little bit short. So, get a lot shorter. So, a little bit, but at the end of the day, the expenses are coming from Hashem. So, you can those expenses can cut down if you're living with Hashem. One of the big things that I'm one of my big things is is micer. I do get calls from people and they want to know what they're doing wrong in business, how can do business better and so on and so forth and we can go through the month. We can talk about all different things that you should say and and shouldn't say carbon it's like a biggie. I mean the says Hashem says how I'm going to how when there's no B of mig how we going to get forgiven I gave you the paran say it and you're going to get taken care of right yet the first thing we do when we come late to the first thing we sacrifice is the kabanas but yeah um it it's it so there's a lot to say and so and so on and so forth but one thing that I tell everybody is myer and this is I'm not giving and everybody has their own who has to pay my who doesn't pay my but the Torah says very clearly if you give me you're going to get rich and if you think about it if I can be to be Hashem's treasurer and I can treat the money properly and give it to the people to his people that need it and so on and so forth I want to do it the best way possible so you should trust me and I should be a good treasure and I should be able to go bigger and better and that to me is very important myser is not always easy in fact it's it's hard at times when you're scratching together I think Hashem does that purpose purposely to give you a better you can test me with it. >> You can the only thing right test me on this and and this is this is it. So some people give I'm not talking about that regular messer. >> It's not our money. >> It's not your money. >> It's not our money. >> Right. And if we understand that so of course that my kids I train them all. You make a micer account. As soon as you have anything right away meer account now I know it's hard because I've lived it and and sometimes it's hard. I had papers. I used to walk around papers. Everything every time I made any money put any money in my pocket I wrote down exactly what it was. I gave me I wrote it down and I kept a a tab. I would bring it into my computer and I put now I have online there's this thing called myer >> tracker or whatever >> one of those things >> I use OJC for that. >> Oh yeah. >> Do you use any of those pledger OJC? >> I have the bonus fund. >> Donus fund. Very good. >> Yeah. But I don't use it for tracking. >> I use it to by micer like soon as it comes to my checking account I put it into OJC. >> Yeah. So that goes automatically but because I have multiple pockets and I can get money from the cash register and things like that. So I have uh >> um >> my wife >> mymanager.com. So it's a beautiful it's a beautiful thing. It goes in goes out you write your meer and then you keep track of everything but even when I wrote it down sometimes I owed micer but it's all written down and I found >> but can you make payments from money micer manager? >> I just use this for my own my own in not for payments. You can't give somebody to ducka through meer manager. >> I honestly never tried I don't know all the details about it. >> No OJC they give you like a card. Somebody walks around sho you can pay with that card. Then it's coming out of out of your donut fun. So you don't get a card, right? >> I have a card. Yeah. So it comes out of what you already set aside for me because it's already in there as messer, right? So I take the micer and I put it into don and then from there it gets figured. >> It should be a sponsor on this episode. >> Um but my so I wrote it down and I found if I ever forgot to write something down, I found out right away. All of a sudden, car repair $500. And I knew I forgot to route down $15. It was exactly 10 times the amount always every single time. And it was like no games. This is it. You take care of my sir and and you're taken care of. But you don't. You get the expense. You're taking care of my money. Hashem says fine. And I didn't always have the money, but I had a and as long as I had the and I kept it and I paid and I did so on and so forth, for me it worked. I'm not telling you anything like that, but for me >> properly written down and I kept every single paper. I still have the papers even though I I'm I'm paid off. But it's just like it it was something that I did. My kids knew this. I remember once >> one of my daughters going out on a date and everything was going good and we were really excited. It was the fifth date and she came home and it was like didn't go. Uh >> oh. >> And I like oops. Okay, what are we going to do? Um it happens, right? What can you do? And we were waiting for like for sure a no. And it was like it was bad. Um so of course my daughter cried and it was okay. We're we're know that this is the right thing and that's it. Also I woke up and I said to myself said to my daughter I said can I ask you a question? Are you up to date in Micer? And she says >> what made you think of that? >> Cuz this is this is a message from Hashem. Hashem's talking to you. Right. He's not saying no for no reason. >> Everything's going good. >> What made you think micer? Maybe it's something to do with my you think about messer. You think about ding. You think about so many different things. For my daughter, hello messer. I thought about myself. Did I d properly? But for my daughter, did you are you up to date in meer? And she says, it happens to be my last check. I didn't do micer. I said, can you take care of it right now? And she went to her room and she took care of the mess and she wrote it down and did what she had to do. And uh next day we got a call. Everything's okay. And the light went on. They're married, got kids, everything's good. It's real stuff. And I I I get phone calls and I talk to people and I say, "I don't want to tell you. I don't know. I don't know you from a hole in the wall. You're having trouble." They're having a lot of trouble with their business and it really should go and it doesn't make sense that it didn't go. I mean, every business has potential, doesn't have potential. Hashem can do anything from anything. So, that's not the question. But when it's not going, so one of the things I tell them, I said, "My ser, I don't know about you. I'm not telling you what to do, what not to do, but take messer. Just make sure you're doing the right messer." And I can't tell you how many people call me back. Thank you for that piece of advice. My business turned around. >> It's like it's real. >> It's not just test me. It's real. >> It's not a joke. People don't realize that it's not even our money to begin with. >> It's not ours. Longem we're going to have carbon, right? Every 10th one. >> There you go. >> It's not our money. You want to give extra? Okay, give that's soda. Some people say is not even sudoka. It's money. You need to give it to people that need it, right? Seduka organizations or whatever. But when you give Saddook, it should come from somewhere else like real like it should hurt a little bit in the pocket. Meer is not even yours. >> It's not yours. >> Um >> then it doesn't hurt. >> I'm excited to talk to you today about United Fua Health Share. If you are spending thousands of dollars every single month on health insurance, this is an alternative for the firm community. You should go check them out. It's not health insurance. It's a health share program. Me and my wife and our family, we switched over about two years ago. We've saved thousands of dollars. our our premium or or the cost is $500 a month. They don't use the word premium because whatever those terminology is meant more for health insurance, but for the first 10 listeners who are watching this video and going to sign up using code blackbird, you're going to get your third month free. So that's something I'm very excited to share with you guys. Make sure to go check them out. United Rafua Health Share. See you next time. >> I I want to talk a little bit about business. It's fascinating like you've brought so much and condition to into your business and I'm assuming it's a culture that flows through every employee throughout the entire business but I want to bring this podcast a little bit about business. What makes a good employee in your eyes looking back the employees that have been promoted successful been around for a very long time. What were those qualities that you looked for or they had that in turn you know helped them be successful at BP? So that's I guess a very good question. Um yes it is a good question and it's it's a good question because you would think it's simple ABC that everybody knows how to be a good employee. You just make your boss happy. But it's not the case. It's unfortunately like everybody's busy looking at themselves in their own pockets. I understand everybody's pressured and everybody has a lot of uh and and and it's just very hard. But at the end of the day, if you give yourself over to the to the business and you're dedicated to the business and you care about the business as if it's your own, your value is immense. I've had the people who come to me and most of the people who come to me, I need more money. Not everybody, whoever is listening, not everybody, but most of the people I found over the years who come to me and they need more money and they're constantly needing more money. the same people by the way come every year that the raise is not enough for them and so on and so forth. >> What is your response when they ask for a raise and you feel like they asking for a little bit more than it might be worth? >> It's very very hard. It's like the hardest time of the year when you have to get raises and I just went through that. >> January. >> Yeah. We give every year every year January. We do every year January. >> You do employee performance reviews. Yeah. How was the structure? >> You know, you know, today things are different than it used to be. It used to be when I went to say PTA when you came to to the Rebi to PTA, you told exactly what the kids are doing wrong, right? Today it's different. Come to PTA, the Reb tells you he's great. He's the best kid in the world. Nothing better since sliced bread. And like you sure my kid got the same name. Like, what's going on? I know the truth. What's going on here? Today, it's just about being nice and saying nice. And really, the reviews are pretty much the same. you you have to just say nice things and pump them up and you get somewhere more that way during throughout the day. You can tell them what's going on, but to call them in and just, you know, these um in in education, they always say you got to have a lot of positive chips to be able to give negative chips. And if you're not putting in the positive chips into the bank, you can't take out any negative chips. >> So, you have to be give enough and enough and enough to be able to say negative. Everybody knows where they're holding, where they're not holding. I'm going to tell this person you didn't do enough work and they come with a whole paper. These are all the things I did. >> Yeah, that's what I hired you for. Like like uh what do you think? What do you think it's all about? Well, yet when it comes 3:00 and you you got to be out cuz the babysitter's waiting. And when it comes to even though I have an important thing that has to get taken care of and when I'm the last thing on the totem pole when because you have to take care of your shopping, the doctor's office, everything has to go during work time. Now that that becomes a problem. If >> how have you balanced um having employees realize that they need to prioritize work versus personal life? >> You can't train people. By the time they come to you, they're already adults and they are what they are. And uh I found that those that come from homes that Leilenu have sicknesses or down syndrome or some kind of special needs or they took care of a grandmother or something like that. They are so much more responsible than regular people and worth millions of dollars. Um you know I never answered your first question you asked me. We're already going on the 16th one. I don't remember what the question was but um how do you answer a person who wants more money? I said, "Most of the people who want more money are never going to be happy with whatever they have." What's your response? >> And they're not necessarily usually not the most valuable clients. >> Employees. Yes. >> I found that some of my greatest employees are ones that they were happy with what they had and I gave them extra money. They were like, "Thank you." They were like so appreciative. It's like a pleasure to deal with them and they're like the best people. It's not necessarily I think most employee employers employers will tell you this. When you're paying a person a high salary, they want a lot of money to come to work for you. You're not necessarily getting the best stuff. It's not the num the number that they're asking for that makes them better. >> You have to be very careful. You find many people who are asking for less and do much better work and much much more valuable. You know during COVID I gave out I felt bad. People came in. We were an essential business. Don't ask me why. Hashem made it that way. And we were able to be open and employees came in and it was hard and and COVID was hard and everything was just like crazy. So I said, you know what, I'm going to give an extra 10% uh to on the checks for everybody. So just give him a little bit extra. >> You're able to afford it? >> It was very hard. It was co. It was like Yeah. It was like $50,000. >> You still getting business, new business like >> No, no, no. Sales slowed down. And >> this is before the government went up and this is before the government was giving any money. So I was like, no. But I I these are my people. We're big family. We had to do it. >> Sales slow down. You decided to push payroll up. >> What am I supposed to do? I did it. But hold on. It didn't last so long. >> Why people gave you the money back? No, I I added 10% and one >> Did you tell them or was it a surprise? >> No, I didn't say anything. One employee came to me and said, "Wow, thank you. That was amazing what you did. I'm so appreciative." >> Did it bother you that nobody else said thank you? >> Yes. >> Is what'd you do? >> I'm like, nobody. I did it again. It was $50,000, which was a lot of money for me. and and it's co as he said and like and nobody said anything except for this one guy so you know what I gave the guy a raise and I went back to a regular took off the 10% no one cares no one knows nothing but what am I making myself crazy with your money [laughter] like what am I doing this for if and and I took that to myself Hashem also Hashem gives me so much and if I don't come back to Hashem and say thank you I appreciate what you just did for me and realize all the different things he does for me yeah he can just do away with it and he doesn't have to do anything and like Yeah, it it's not it's not about the money. It's not it's be there for your employer. Be dedicated, devoted, care for it. I had one of my best employees made a lot of mistakes. But every time she made a mistake, she literally came with me in tears and said, "I am so sorry what I just did. I can't believe that I made this mistake." And I saw the errands kite. I saw how serious she was. She took it to to heart. It was personal. She was like, she was so devastated and she was great and she she became my best my best employee. But that's how that's a good employee. Today they can cost you a million dollars. Oh, mistake. Yeah. Well, where's my check this week? What happened? Right. It's like, sure, no, no problem. >> What do you do to consistently hire such people? >> You d of course, right? >> Um, we >> But do you just wait for them to walk in the door? We >> We've worked through so many different things. Recruiting companies. You've used recruiting companies. >> Not used. We've used current companies unsuccessfully. >> Unsuccessfully. Okay. Why? >> They tell their people how much to ask for. >> Okay. >> And it's usually way above their value. >> And they usually base it on what you say you're willing to pay >> and um and it's not necessarily a quality person. >> I think you're going to be very if you ever decide to change your mind working with recruiting, you'd be very happy with Black Lid. This is not a pitch, but EMS. Yes. Two days ago, we had a job that was posted between 120 and 150. I told the person to ask for 105. >> That's honesty and that's good. >> No. So, what were you doing? You used recruiting agents. What else? >> Bless you. Putting ads. >> Thank you. We have ads. We have to be weekly. So, we have have a place where to make put ads. >> Did you ever put salaries in the ads? >> No. >> I'm a ve I really think many companies waste their money putting ads. agree. And if you don't put the salary, I don't know if it's showing that you have something to hide, but you're not you're not going to get people. >> It also weeds out phone calls that you shouldn't that shouldn't be coming to you if it's not in their ballpark. >> You can say, "I'd pay I'm open to paying $80 to $100,000 for this position, but you need six years of experience or four years of you write the qualifications >> not a whole job description, but even if it's cute graphic, an image with a little joke emoji, I don't know. But >> what are your thoughts on that? >> No, I agree thousand%. >> Are you doing it? >> I haven't put an ad in a while, but but when I advise people, when they come to me with their ads and they tell me it didn't work, I say, "Okay, >> there's nothing wrong with B weekly. It's something wrong with your ad. Let's look at it." And I look at the ad and I tell them, "Okay, change this. >> Put this, put that, put the other thing." And they'll call me back next week. This this job was taken. So, yeah, it really makes a big difference. All these all these things are important. and just to weed out why do you need extra phone calls if you shouldn't be getting them if it's not to get to this person just just move on and so yeah that that is important and we should do it so bam the phones are ringing and I get more people trying to get in >> bam I have a good workplace and people appreciate and the word got out and people want to work in VP it's a beautiful family together and so I don't have to put ads uh sometimes when I'm looking for like really on the higher spectrum that's when I went out to some of these agencies these um >> they're not cheap. So I understand why companies are a little hesitant to work with agency. >> I don't mind paying 15%. I'd be happy to pay it if I get quality, but I have to have the right quality just because it was funny. One agency sent me somebody and we asked the girl, "How did you um >> as the candidate or the recruiter?" >> I asked the candidate like, "How did you get to this recruiting company?" She said, "I actually put an ad in BP and they called me." She put in my BP weekly. She put an ad and they called her from the ad in BP weekly and that's sent her to me. >> That's funny. Okay. So, um, wow. >> It's not necessary that they had this person over there and so and so the 15% is is worth it 100% if it's done properly. And um I've had horrible stories, people that were actually in jail and we didn't even know about it. Came from a firm >> recruiting agency. >> Recruiting agency. I'm like, how could you do this? Oh, we don't really do that. We don't vet that way. But I'm thrilled with everything and everything was a was a learning curve. And you know, I got one lady who didn't work out, but you know why she came? because she recommended my CFO who I currently have and so I needed him. So it had to come through her and she could and she moved on. Everybody moves on and Hashem has so many different ways to make things happen. You just watch it all fall into place and it's a beautiful world. It's a beautiful way to see everything that Hashem does. It's amazing. >> Hashem planned all of this thousands of years ago. >> He had he did ex He knows what he's doing. Sometimes we don't see it. When we do, we should be grateful. But you should open your eyes because you open your eyes. I once wanted to write a book about open your eyes. You open your eyes, there's so much to see. And but if you don't look, you won't notice it. Not that you see everything, but but there's so much to see. Even what you don't see, there's so much to see. It's like it's amazing. It's all it's all from above. My bubby came to me for she bought me a book from called living amus about talks about regular worldly things that show you how there's no way in the world a person or a scientist could duplicate this and how it's so obvious that there's only one Hashem who has so much and into like I was telling Shimmy earlier Your neck can turn in every direction, right? Hand, your your fingers lock. You can only go up. You can't go down. Why? If you held something very heavy and your fingers could go down backwards, it would fall out of your hand. With your neck, you need to be able to look in every direction. The way with Hashem, he built the human body. They can't even duplicate properly joints, ligaments with different materials. >> I learned at night, >> boggling. I learned >> you should make a machine that can last 120 years. Let me see. >> It's crazy. >> I I learned at night in >> Okay. nights later doing this for the past 35 years something like that >> and in the beginning of the year is when I first got to know him and he's an from Vda Miller and I came to him then he says come with me to Rabd Miller and I became the driver and every couple of weeks Thursday night >> Thursday night >> I used to drive con and then he used to bring some other people with us this was a a thing we would do and that's how I got acquainted ra Miller and I learned went a lot. >> Did you remember? Maybe you know my share's father Shapiro. >> I didn't know the people over there. We went to Thursday night for 1 hour and a half till the tape turned over and then the other way and then we d Mar and we went home. >> I I want to go into You do now weekly publications. So you're in the printing business. You do signs etc. >> Why did you get into weekly publications the BP weekly as they call it here in Lakewood? >> So >> when did that happen? Why >> the weekly publication and the whole idea of advertising was actually one of the first things that came to my actually it started with that said the whole business started with >> really yes >> I thought it was printing imitations >> I advertised that I do that kind of stuff but then >> but what happened was >> when I came to Lakewood >> yeah 37 say 367 years ago you said yeah >> and so it wasn't a big crowd but the mailing list then was 1,200 families today it's over 18,000 >> and they had a few stores and the stores used to get together and they did a mailer they printed flyers and they' fold them all and put them into envelopes and send it out to the community. So one of the first jobs that I got was to make the flyer and then I had to print it and that's what we spoke about before printing those flyers >> and I fold them and so and then we got some of the neighbors and some of the neighbors even remember where I lived in court get the neighbors together pay them and they would come and stuff the envelopes and that was what they used to do and it got to a point I said okay there's a bunch of papers over here why don't we just make a little booklet out of this and then it's just one thing that goes into an envelope and we're done we don't have to worry about it and So, I changed it into a booklet and then it became a monthly thing that we just sent out every single month. Uh, especially when I opened the print shop then after I opened the print shop. And so now I was able to print it in my own shop and I was able to make it into booklets and put it all together. >> Wow. >> So, it was a no-brainer. First of all, I had extra press time. I had extra graphics time. So, this is perfect. Do a weekly thing. You're you're becoming your own client, right? like what could be better? Did I know about sales then and there was nothing to go sales for. There was only five stores in the whole town or whatever it was. But it wasn't like do loads and loads of sales. So here I was I became my own client and made this thing and just do it every month until it got to a point where there was so much going on that we were able to do it on a weekly basis. For Kufi was still doing a weekly and a monthly. Uh the monthly was cheaper, the weekly was more expensive, but I to peter it out and I mean everything used to be black and white. Now everything's beautiful color. So, you know, things changed from when we started to to what we are today. But behind her, it's it's a solid thing. And uh >> I'm assuming it's a whole separate department. Editing, the writing, the articles. >> So, I don't have any articles. >> No articles, just ads. >> I I don't I don't do any articles. >> Interesting. >> No politics, no nothing. It's just >> about things in the news. I don't know things going on in Lakewood. >> There's one article that I write now every week, one page. You should read it. It's good. >> I don't live here. I live in Muny. >> Get it online. bweekly.com >> online. Go to page six or eight, I think it is. And um >> and it's it's a good piece, but uh there's nothing that's it. It's straight ads from beginning to end. You live in my so my days of course announcements. Today there's the um there's no one who's doing just ads, but the announcements was just ads. >> They don't do it anymore. No. Um >> but yeah, it was just ads and that's what I copied and we we continue to do that over here still today. So, it's really it's not the paper that you're going to pick up if you want to read a serial story. It's not the paper >> a serial story, but there's some um in my we have >> got there's pictures and there's all that kind of >> No, there's ads, there's articles, things are going on in the local polit political news. >> Correct. This is strictly shopping. You want to know what who has sales this week? You want to know what's going on? Uh which stores are opening up, the new stores, what's >> Are you allowed to read a Shabas? >> No. >> Do you write that in there? So somebody came to me once and said you know you're not allowed to read this on chabas and people don't know that and you should write that is show me where it was you can't read this on chabas. So I put it in you can't read this on chabas and I wrote exactly that you can't do it on chabas >> and then they came to me and they said how could you do that now I can't bring it to the bathroom because inside it so I had to take it out >> you have to leave it in there you can't take it into the bathroom because it says the hal is >> inside. So now you can't do it. This is I have a the town over here. They keep me on my toes. Make sure every single ad is done right and it's and otherwise I get phone calls and >> but if you write the what in there so now it's a real >> can't put in the bathroom. >> That's what they told me. So I'm not going to argue with them. So fine. >> You have a r now it doesn't have it. But now I have my piece in there. So it's a little it says it says please treat this with respect. But it's um it's it's really ads and it's really we pride ourselves. This is the shopper. If somebody wants to shop, they want to know what's going on, they pick it up. They're not picking it up for any other reason. They're picking it up just for shopping. And this is the shopping avenue to to to find out where and what's happening. Uh unlike other papers and truly because we believe and we've done studies on this, you can read I don't know what you're reading the whatever it may >> you're learning. Uh but those who do read, right? Right? And then you ask them, "There was an ad right next to that uh article that you just read. Can you tell me about it?" >> It's like when you open up your your phone, then the thing pops up and then what was that? I have no idea. I just look for the X, right? >> So, it doesn't help that you have an article next to next to the ad because they're not reading that anyway. So, you want to read, there's plenty of papers to read. You want to know shopping strictly shopping. This is this is it. There used to be another paper called Strictly Business. Same thing. Just this is just business and and that's what it's about and that's what we got name for and Bam. That's why they have I believe Hashem sent us the success but the people are doing so well who are in there uh and and they call us they tell us I can't believe I wasn't in here before or where I was and so on and so forth everybody's good and so on and so forth but the success that they have is because people are opening it I'll do it for one reason they want to know what the shop for and what and that's what it is and we stayed by that and we we stuck to it I don't print it anymore in my own shop it's way too big to print it's done on a big web press >> that's nice you can see you can you're one of the few people that can literally tell how much liquid has grown by how thick the booklet becomes and how many stores are coming in. >> Yes. And it's growing by leaps and bounds and it's growing bigger and wider and uh the fact that you have five, six or seven big grocery stores competing with each other. You know who gains? We gain this consumer, not me as BP. the consumer gains because now everybody they're all competing and and that's really people should think about doing smart ads because it's not about just advertising anymore because now you have to really we're at that point whether it's the time 2026 or it's uh just because there's so much competition over here but you have to really stand out and that really makes a difference in that way. >> What should be the goal of the ad if there's no call to action? Let's say there's no sale and it's not a opening. >> Yeah. If it's a branding oriented ad, what should be the goal of the ad, >> but you want to show your differentiator, you want to show why you're different than the other people. >> I don't know if I should say this on the air or not, but when you have [clears throat] it out, >> when you have six grocery stores, I mentioned them before and they're all advertising. Okay, I have uh oil on sale this week and I have potato chips on sale and I have soda on sale this week and so on and so forth. >> What's the differentiator? You're selling price. You can't sell. You can sell price, but there's never going to be there's always going to be somebody cheaper than you. And if you're just selling price, you're not getting anywhere, >> right? >> Tell everybody that your chickens are the cleanest chickens. My daughter will buy buys her chickens only in one place. She says, "They have the grocery store. They have the cleanest chickens." And I told the guy, I said, "Advertise the cleanest chickens." Like you have quality. Put that forward. And and don't focus so much on this item, that item. In fact, if you ask me, put 10 basic items on sale every week. I remember Shopight used to be here. They were the one store everybody went to. They always had soda on sale. One week was Coke, one week was Pepsi, but there was always sod on sale. And I always need soda for my shoppers table. So, we always went there to shop because it was always on sale. In this store, these 10 things are always on sale. This is their price. This is the low price every day price. Now, we have the cleanest chickens. We have the best service. We have show your differentiator. You can outdo all the other people a million times, right? You're not selling price anymore. It's always going to be so much cheaper. You know the famous story, the barber who's does the haircuts by the airport, $10. It was a big shop, big sign. Yeah, haircuts $10. >> And one day he comes to work and he sees down further down there's a guy who has a sign on his shop. It says haircuts $8. >> What's going on over here? So quickly he changes his sign haircut $7. So he has haircuts $5. He goes $4. He comes the next day and is going to he doesn't know what's going on over here. The guy has a sign haircuts 50 cents. How can I compete with 50 cents? That's ridiculous. What is he going to do? Luxury haircuts $12. [snorts] We fix 50 cent haircuts. >> That's good. >> Okay, this the differentiator. You put your value. Don't sell price. Always going to be someone cheaper than you. And you're never going to compete with that. You're never going to be able to go to the bottom bottom bottom. It's just it doesn't make sense. It's a rat race. >> And many people don't even realize running a business what really is involved in the business and they're selling at prices that don't even make sense until >> what's Costco doing, right? The hot dog for $150 or the drink for 75 cents. >> You get foot traffic once a year. They're in the door. They're coming for the hot dog, but they're ending up leaving with a full cart. >> Costco is totally different. Costco has a whole a whole other thing. But there are certain things to bring people into the store. And I'm not saying not and how you strategically place your store and what you put in the front and so on and so forth. There's a to day and age. I said before more and more of that is needed the marketing to get people to have that good feel to have to to understand where you are and and that's what branding is. It sets the tone who you are and what to expect and so on and so forth. And that's very very important these days. And unfortunately people don't have the money or the understanding and it's just a question of price rat price and and and it's horrible and it hurts me that because people are hurting it's it's very hard everybody's competing with each other and and it then turns down to price and people come to me all the time what should I do and I lower my price no no >> no what's your differentiator what's your value put that up front and you can do very well one of the podcasts I I was watched last nice for two minutes. You had a lady maybe her name was Calfman >> interior designer >> interior designer and she said when I opened up I was the most expensive because I was confident in what I did and I people were coming to me and and you know >> that's good you're selling yourself and you have you know what you're giving you're giving a good product if I'm selling the same thing as a guy down the block then I can't be more expensive but if you can make that better and do something better this is what it's all about so not a question of what you're selling but how do I sell it better how to make it easier for the client to get it today it's about fast and ease Right. >> So, the easiest way to me to do it and the fastest way to do it, that's where I am. And we got to be with the times and we have to just help them and make it good. And >> as we're getting towards the end of the podcast, >> what [laughter] time? >> We're just having fun. >> Yeah. Um, what's next for you for the company? What are you guys working on? >> So, I went to a print show this year. >> What's a print show where they show machines? >> What's a print show? They show machines. So the truth is presses are very much out. >> What are they called? Print printers. >> Everything's digital. A lot of digital stuff. >> So it's called printers. Inkjet. Okay. >> Inkjet. Um what you call a copier, but they're not just small copers. I'm assuming it's as big as this room. >> Yeah. Some of them. Yes. M longer. Sure. >> You Where's your place? >> Right here. Fourth Street. >> How far from here? 10 minutes. >> 15 minutes. >> Maybe. >> It's a factory machines humming and thing. >> I have two places. One two places that do a lot of Yeah. a lot of work and yeah it's it's it's come by. >> Um >> so what's next for you for come? >> So I went to the print show and I'm like looking and I went to I go more for the speeches and to hear what's going on. There's always an educational part to every print show. >> Well, what are they talking about that's like new about the >> some people are going to be talking about retirement because a lot of people are after they get to retirement. But I don't want to use the word AI because lately it's become a >> What are your thoughts on that? >> AI >> as a creative. You're in the marketing space. >> I think it's a good tool. What are your thoughts? >> So I mean I'm you have to be careful. The Rabbon are talking against AI and I can understand some of the dangers and people are stupid enough to ask AI rabbitical questions and questions. You got to be stupid because it is happening and lately I heard kids are getting on and doing and it's not a good thing for sure not but as far as AI where it's taken the whole world is going to go AI and it's it's going to it's it's going to AI is predictive of what's going on and truth is you have it on your on your phone when you start typing it tells you what they think your word you're going to write that's >> AI has been around for 15 years >> been around we didn't call it AI now it's just open AI now it became more that people can use it but what AI has allowed you to do that. You can do things you couldn't do ever before and easily fast so on and so forth. Yeah. Um I'm creating apps now on with the AI tools and just it's it's one two three. It's just like it's it's changes everything. >> AI is not going to the way we say it is AI is not going to take over employees or people they're not going to lose a job over AI. But people who don't have the knowledge of AI are going to lose their jobs because just like I mean I remember before email was around before the websites were around right and if you didn't pick up and get a website you're out of business right and if you didn't don't have email now you're you're you're lost you're not there you're not going to be using these tools that can help you that much better and that much faster get to where you have to get to. It's um everything is going to be have AI infused into it. Every website that we're making now has to have AI in there somehow to know how to presume the next move they're going to make and what they want and how to help them track what's going on. Our new imitation website is now going to tell you what time is that day. So you want to know when to make the you shouldn't bump into and have a problem with what's going on. It's that's a simple thing but now with AI it can do to very very easily um help you with so many different things that AI can do. And the way I looked at it, honestly, I don't know if I should announce this to the world, but um we'll just keep it quiet. Printing, when I walked out of those speeches about where the world is going to, I was like, I'm not walking the floor anymore. I don't want to see any machines anymore. >> Printing, you think it's becoming obsolete? >> Printing is not going to be what it was. There's no question. Where's the industry going 10 years? So, I look at printing as communications, >> okay? That's the way I communicate to you. I send you an invitation, I communicate. I send you an ad. I communicate with you. Communication is going to be different. It's going to be digital. It's going to be something different. I'm going to figure out exactly what it's going to be, but printing is not going to be what it was. And I going to get ready for it. And I want to be ahead of the game. What do you want to say? >> I think the only place where printing is still going to be around is is Jewish communities because of Shabas. >> It will take a little bit longer, but I could >> What are we going to do Shabas? I don't want to promise you, but there will be a shabus safer app that will work. Like you can brush your teeth with it. >> We can open refrigerators now with shabas things in there will be something. I don't know. Okay, you're right. There there always will be a need for printing. But the question is how much and what how it's going to evolve. Something is going to change. And we all know the story with Kodak, >> Mr. Eastman. And he stuck to his guns and he had you don't even know what a empire had. It was like over 13 and a half miles of buildings of stuff that he had. He had 140,000 employees at one point. >> It was not normal. And one of his employees, shockingly enough, actually >> created uh like >> digital camera or something, >> some kind of a digital, it was the size of a toaster oven or something. But but he came up with this concept and he didn't want to buy it >> and they kicked him out and they said, "Are you kidding? You're going to ruin the whole film industry." Right? >> And they weren't here. And look where they are now. Everybody else advanced and they're still in the thing. By the way, you know what happened to Mr. Eastman? He never got married, never had any kids, and he's committed suicide at the end of his life. Okay. >> But if you're not looking forward, I'm I'm looking forward. In fact, my business plan this year, that is the mantra. That's the goal to see how we can advance so that our employees can get more help that they need faster. that the jobs go f better, that the clients can get a better job faster, what we can do to help the clients get in and they can help themselves. It's all about going to the future and seeing how how the technology can really help people. >> I think printing um signage I think will still be relevant. >> It's going to be digital and all those who are not doing digital better wake up. You need screens. every be behind every uh head table now there's a big >> No, but what about buildings >> or going digital? >> No, but um buildings um um like awnings of a storefront. >> It'll something will change >> something. I can't tell you where it's going, but when I was a kid to tell me that there's going to be a car that can drive driverless, I mean, >> yeah, >> you just drank something or something like like what? You're out of your mind now. You tell me that the car is going to fly. I believe it. I don't know how, when companies working on it. Of course, they're working on it. >> And I look at guys like Elon Musk. I I look at Robonaman as well also, but people like him who think so out of the box and so differently and I'm like, hey, you know, I watched Erus and the technology that they have and how they thought of all these things before it even came about and now they're able to they have that thing ready to go so that when this when they strike, they can kick back at it and get all these scuds down or whatever they can do. So advanced, you have to think futuristic. You can't think where you are today or you're going to get stuck where you are today. You got to have that vision. You got to look forward and see where is this going and how can I and things are changing today faster than it ever changed. If you think about it from the 1700s till the beginning of 1900s >> barely did it move from 19 to 2000. Okay. A little bit and most and mostly at the end it's spinning. It's spinning now. And you got to get on that train quickly or you're going to be you're going to be lost. >> I'm going to end with one story. >> No. >> Just >> a powerful story. I don't know why it has nothing to do with anything that we just said. >> Good. This one I love. So, this guy's going to the operating room and as they're about to take him in and put him under, the doctor's standing there with the paper. Still have a paper and a pen. Today, it's all digital. And I need a sign over here that if uh anything goes wrong, you can't sue me. I did my best and the powers from above, whatever it was, did it. And it's nothing to do with me. You can't sue me. So the guy looks up to the doctor and he smiles. Smart man. And he says, "I'm willing to sign on one condition. If you agree that if everything does go well, you don't take credit for either. And you know it's also from powers of above. Everything's from above. Davin. And don't worry where the world is going or coming or going, whatever it may be. Everything's from above. Davashem. Be the best employee to Hashem. Be the best ever to Hashem and everything will go good for you." >> I love that. Just on an earlier note um regarding where printing is going I I interviewed Selzer. >> Wow. >> And um I spent Shabas with him. >> Am I sitting in a seat >> and in my >> I um he's very involved with MDY Stfansky. So there was the Shabaton this week I went >> and I asked him how did the industry evolve? He's like >> the weekly publications that come out now people used to read Shabas afternoon books. Now there's so much reading material that come outs every week that that affected the >> wow >> the book industry um and it's only here I mean how do you think the New York Times still sells paper copies as much as they used to no everything's digital but in the front in the we have shabas you can't read nothing electronic >> everything >> I think it's the only place where >> it is slower in the in the Jewish world and we're proud of that that it is going slower but still you have to >> probably the only place where people are start still investing in paper advertising. >> That's why when I print my BP weekly, the guy is dying to hold on to me even though I wanted to leave him a few times cuz all the other papers are leaving. They have invested in big presses. You got to see these presses. They're huge. They're like three stories high. It's it's a big roll of paper that runs this >> wow >> tremendous speed and it costs a lot of money. A lot of these places, it's called a um web press. A lot of them have closed down because there's not enough demand anymore. >> Wow. And therefore, yeah, you go to the printing shows, you're not going to see so many presses anymore. I just got rid of my last press this year. We dig digital, fully digital. >> Um, there's all type of different ways of doing digital, but yeah, digital has taken over and coming so much better. I remember the first >> color copier that I had. It cost me a dollar a print. >> Whoa. >> Cost me a dollar a print. And you had to make money on that also. And you know how slow it was? Oh my gosh. >> It was terrible. Things have come a long way. >> Definitely. >> And um it's a beautiful world and it's a beautiful >> everything is >> everything. >> Love what you do. Never work another day. >> Exactly. >> All right. >> Yan, thank you so much for joining me in today's podcast. >> Hope I said something worthwhile. >> I think everybody listening is going definitely going to walk away with something special. >> Hope so. >> I hope you enjoyed today's episode. Make sure to subs to subscribe and I'll see you next time. >> [music]