Anything But Typical

103: NASCAR Pit Crew Leader to Entrepreneur & Author with Mike Metcalf Jr

“I would love for people to one day, potentially, say that Mike put a piece of God in them… This is the goal of my life.” — Michael Metcalf Jr. 

Mike doesn’t mince words when it comes to his perspective on life. Maybe it’s because he witnessed the unthinkable as a young child or faced physical adversity on the football field at App State. Maybe his grandmother, “the smartest person I ever met”, provided much inspiration. We’ll never know.

What we do know is this: Mike is a transparent, vulnerable, reflective leader who seeks out the good in individuals as he builds effective teams, & his perspective is so refreshing & life-giving to organizations that companies big and small chomp at the bit for a sliver of his time.

Is now a good time to mention he’s a NASCAR pit crew leader by trade? (Bet you weren’t expecting that!)

If you love stories of unexpected journeys & finding purpose in all you do:

NOTE: Mike is providing the special pricing for his book, “12 Second Culture” and running it for 12 days. $8.88 down from $24.99. Use promo code “anythingbuttypical” upon checkout to get the discount! Link to the website for the book in comments.

102: Building Communities with Ty Harmon

Ty Harmon, Founder and President at Harmon Construction, overcame hardship and instability growing up. His mother was never able to own a home. Ty went onto the construction management industry. When he was ready to step out on his own, Ty made sure to never forget his childhood. Ty's company is focused on giving clients "the exceptional construction experience." In addition to commercial and retail construction, Harmon Construction also specializes in complex single & multi family development, construction of schools, and non profit construction.

In this episode, Ty shares how he navigated an industry with very few minority business owners. We talk about the importance of having an elite management team. Harmon goes into the focus of surrounding himself with high quality and talented people.

 

Check out Harmon Construction, and follow Ty on LinkedIn.

101: Stepping Out On Your Own from Corporate America with Chris Claflin

“It’s OK if I have a day where I work for 15 min.” – Chris Claflin.

That’s a mind-blowing statement coming from a successful entrepreneur in property management, where words like “hustle” & “growth” flow with ease, but that’s the heart of Chris Claflin.

It wasn’t always.

One of 7 children born to a blue-collar household, Chris was schooled in the virtues of hard work & company loyalty. He followed those teachings all the way to Boeing, working double overtime for 9 years & finding joy in corporate life.

But when ugly company culture reared its ugly head (sound familiar?), Chris knew the next step was entrepreneurship. It was up to him to design a life worth living.

With his wife, Chris has done just that, & he’s learned some incredible lessons about living in your thrive zone & fiercely protecting what matters – all while growing a company & preserving his ultimate goal: the freedom to do whatever he wants.

100: Publishing A Book Behind The Scenes with Gary Frey

This is a special episode of the Anything But Typical Show. Our own Gary Frey has published a book titled: Silence The Imposter Syndrome- 7 Weapons To Silence Imposter Syndrome. In this episode, Gary takes us behind the scenes of what it takes to get a book published.

We talk about the options to publish such as self publishing, an independent publisher, and a large publisher. We go into what Gary's book writing journey looked like. Gary shares his experience with different interactions. He tells us some of the best advice he was given along the way.

Be sure to grab Gary's book, and let him know how it impacted you or changed your mindset!

099: Founding & Growing Burn Boot Camp with Devan Kline

Devan overcame childhood struggles with the help of baseball being a driving and motivating force in his life. It helped him stay out of trouble, strive for freedom early in life, and get to college. When Devan made the pros, everything was on track. So when he got released, Kline needed to figure out what was next.

With no money and no ability to get a lease, Devan began holding boot camp workouts in parking lots and abandoned theaters. He and his wife, Morgan, saw the impact they were creating and the opportunity in front of them. Burn Boot Camp was born.

Devan shares with us how they've grown so successfully. He talks about why they didn't bring investors on or make other deals giving up control. He goes into how and why he is constantly working to get away from job titles. This is a must listen episode to learn, be inspired, and grow.

Follow Devan on Instagram @Devan.Kline

Subscribe to his YouTube Channel @Devan.Kline

098: Buying A Plane to Get Around Your Non Compete with Brian Anders

“Have the courage to suck.” – Brian K. Anders

That’s uncommon advice coming from an engineer, but not every engineer has a heart like Brian. Nor do they have his experience.

Brian gained his grit loading trucks at night to pay for school & his passion for client service watching his wife change lives as a private investigator. He rejected corporate life to relentlessly pursue his dream job in forensic engineering, despite having no previous experience in it.

I don’t use the word relentlessly lightly. Brian used a supply closet as an office & showed up to job sites without the promise of pay just for the chance to be helpful & prove himself.

His willingness to try & fail, combined with the question, “How do I add more value?”, propelled him both then and now.

Today, Brian’s forensic engineering companies serve clients in 49 states & 5 countries. He is a valuable, one-of-a-kind resource to all he serves. In this episode, Brian shares lessons learned along the way and plenty of entertaining stories!

097: Imposter Syndrome

In this episode, co-hosts Ben McDonald and Gary Frey discuss imposter syndrome in business and in life. Gary has written a book titled Silence The Imposter Syndrome, coming out October 2023. We talk about how imposter syndrome has been present in each of our lives. Ben shares what it was like being a 22 year old athletic director surrounded by 60 year old career academic leaders. Gary shares a freeing moment he experienced through a conversation with a boss at Bank of America. 

096: Launching His Childhood Dream Shoe Brand with Zach Frey

This is a special Anything But Typical episode! Entrepreneurship runs in the family, as we interview co-host Gary Frey's son, Zach Frey. As a child, Zach would constantly be drawing. He had a fascination with drawing and designing shoes.

This hobby turned into a career, with Frey working at brands such as Reebok, Puma, and Wolf & Shepherd. But the vision of creating a better shoe was too strong. In this episode, Zach shares his journey from the big corporations to the launching and growing of Flux Footwear. We go into what differentiates their shoes. We talk about hurdles faced. And we hear insights about branding and marketing a quickly growing company.

Check out the shoes at FluxFootwear.com and connect with Zach on LinkedIn.

095: Public Financing, Federal Prison, Presidential Pardon, and Restauranteur Jeff Conway

On the surface, Jeff Conway looks like a typical successful restauranteur: passionate about food, pursuing growth, dedicated to his family and community, but certainly living on “Easy Street”.

What lies beneath, though, in an unbelievable tale: wild success followed by a false accusation & 13 months federal prison time, reflection, redemption, & ultimately rebuilding with the unwavering support of family, friends, & faith.

You can’t afford to miss this one. Jeff shares his insights from his time in public companies. He discusses his experience in prison. Jeff goes into how he rebuilt afterwards. And we go full circle into the successful restaurant businesses Conway is running today.

After listening to this episode, go follow Jeff on LinkedIn.

094: The Impact of Free Enterprise with Emilio Guevara

“Just because you live in that environment doesn’t mean the environment has to live in you.” 

That perspective has served this week's guest, Emilio Guevara, well.

Born to immigrant parents & growing up in one of the toughest & most devastated neighborhoods of the Bronx, Emilio’s path to success wasn’t handed to him.

Seven children, the youngest four in a one-bedroom apartment, a blind and alcoholic father, little money, tough streets. The excuses for failure were there.

But the underlying spirit in the house was one of devotion, commitment, hard work, & a “find a way” attitude that lives in Emilio today.

Emilio now leads ENYADA INC. & Capitalist Conversations promoting free enterprise through conversations & partnerships with successful entrepreneurs. His humble beginnings are never far from his mind though, & he continues to seek new opportunities, true connection, and joy in all he does.