Thursday, September 15- Monique joins the guys, LIVE from the Louisiana Gas Association’s Pipeline Safety Conference. A Louisiana native, Monique talks about being a 3rd generation pipeliner and she also geeks out on data standards as she discusses her work with PODS.
Quick Links:
James Cross on Linkedin
Jim Schauer on Linkedin
Monique Roberts on Linkedin
Episode Transcript
[0:00] [music]
Jim Schauer: [0:24] You know, James, I’m going to start out this episode. I usually say, “Good morning,” but you know what? We are recording live at LGA, so I’m going to say a good afternoon to all the audience tuning in today.
James Cross: [0:36] I’ll tell you what, how fitting.
Jim: [0:39] Please.
James: [0:40] I’m going to jump in and tell us
Jim: [0:42] Do it.
James: [0:42] I’m going to rewind back and we were at AGA last year. We just got out in the wild. I mean that’s what it felt like.
Jim: [0:50] Orlando.
James: [0:51] In Orlando, and we had a blast. Remember our booth. We have a big, black, pink, and Miami Vice‑ish kind of booth.
Jim: [1:00] I was wearing espadrilles.
James: [1:01] Right across I was in a linen suit, and right across from us, was this young lady.
Jim: [1:11] The biggest fan. The biggest fan.
James: [1:15] She took pictures with us, I have them somewhere.
Monique Roberts: [1:18] No, what I did was I took a picture of everybody that was at y’all’s booth and made it look like they were all at my booth. [laughs]
James: [1:27] We broke the Internet that week.
Jim: [1:29] We did.
Monique: [1:29] It was great.
James: [1:30] Then we got to know Monique over and over and over it shows. Everybody we know, knows her and everybody she knows, knows us.
Jim: [1:40] It’s like the triangle.
James: [1:41] It was one of those things where we last. When did we set this up last?
Monique: [1:46] I saw y’all in St. Louis.
James: [1:48] St. Louis.
Monique: [1:48] At SGA.
Jim: [1:49] SGA, yes.
James: [1:49] We were at SGA. We were thinking about things and doing a full episode and we were on for just a bit. We were like, “Hey, we’re going to be at the LGA.”
Jim: [1:59] She said…
Monique: [2:00] We do.”
James: [2:02] Of course because she’s like the Queen of Louisiana.
Monique: [2:05] No, I’m not.
Jim: [2:06] Oh yes, she is.
James: [2:06] She don’t playing, but she is. We hustled, we got it set up and I can’t…I’m not saying this because you’re the one that’s here, but I haven’t been this excited about it episode [indecipherable]. You’re a blast when you were on last time, we hit up. We cracked up.
Monique: [2:28] We’re not going to talk about last night.
James: [2:29] We’re talking about…
Monique: [2:30] Just so you know guys, flattery will get you everywhere with me.
James: [2:38] That’s fair. At least we’re all on the same thing.
Jim: [2:40] We do a great job at it. I think somebody might even say we’re pros.
James: [2:46] Monique, some people don’t know you. There’s at least three out there. They are gone.
James: [2:50] Please introduce yourself quickly, and then we’re going to lean in to learn a lot more about you.
Monique: [2:56] Awesome. I really appreciate it guys to let me be here. Super excited to be on a full episode. I’m so nervous right now.
Jim: [3:04] No, you’re not.
Monique: [3:04] I’m probably going to stumble [indecipherable]. Monique Roberts, very nice to see you guys. We’re here in New Orleans, Louisiana. I’m originally from Lafayette, Louisiana so these are my people. This is my hometown. I love it.
James: [3:17] Her voice changes a little bit when you get her in this setting, and just started to get a little bit more of a draw.
Jim: [3:23] She’s just [indecipherable] on us.
Monique: [3:25] I’ll show him we were in St. Louis if you all wanted to do an episode on Français.
James: [3:29] Oh, I can’t do it.
Jim: [3:30] I said, [French].
James: [3:33] You do speak French or just enough to get in trouble.
Monique: [3:35] I do not speak French, just so we’re clear. I suffer through my very bad Cajun French. That’s to be clear.
James: [3:44] If we were going to do a Cajun intro to the show…
Jim: [3:48] What would it be?
James: [3:49] A cup of coffee with Jim and James?
James: [3:51] I don’t know.
Monique: [3:52] You said, “Oh la la la”.
James: [3:53] The world best days when you saw that scarf.
Jim: [3:56] I had a scarf on. I was…
Monique: [3:54] What?
Jim: [3:55] This is a great story.
Monique: [3:57] Tell me. Please, please.
Jim: [3:58] We were at the world gas. It was Russian DC, 2018, and all of a sudden it was during the soccer World Cup.
James: [4:22] World Cup. It was the big one, remember?
Monique: [4:26] Wow. How cool.
Jim: [4:27] We were there, we had a vest on, and we had a whole…
James: [4:32] It’s a world gas. The entire [indecipherbale]. Only time it’s been here, long time, or ever.
Monique: [4:27] That’s exciting.
Jim: [4:28] I took two things like…
James: [4:40] We have 400 square foot there. We were like.
Jim: [4:42] Oh, we were small, but we had T‑shirts to giveaway, we had Santa Claus, and then I found two EWN like Microfibers. I stapled them together, and I made a sash like a scarf, and people loved it because in soccer world, a lot of people wear scarfs when they go to the game…
Monique: [5:03] With your team.
Jim: [5:04] with your colors. People wanted this thing. I said, “James, we should have made…”
James: [5:08] with a scarf as [indecipherable] You can imagine…
Monique: [5:10] You as [indecipherable] was Marvel.
Jim: [5:11] I sashayed down the aisle.
Monique: [5:16] I bet. Are we just going to low past that you had Santa there. Is that what you said? [laughs]
James: [5:21] Let me say, I don’t know what your budget’s like where you work.
Monique: [5:28] I work at a non‑profit.
Jim: [5:30] We’re going to get to that in a second. We’re going to peel back the onion.
James: [5:30] How do you make an impact at a show that has world guests? We’re talking, who was there, Jimmy? Shamere had a booth behind us that was bigger than our office.
Jim: [5:40] Our headquarters. Our permanent headquarters.
[5:42] James It was a temporary booth. It had full‑time buffet going around the clock. It had a full bar and barista in it. You could walk up and order anything you wanted at any time. It was making heavy‑duty barista, bar service.
Monique: [5:57] Wow. This is legit.
Jim: [5:59] That was one.
James: [6:00] That was one.
Jim: [6:01] Then you go down to the next one. You go to the shell or you go to the next one.
Monique: [6:06] They’re all over the top.
James: [6:08] It’s everyone. I can’t even name some of the big operators.
Monique: [6:12] Everybody. Right.
James: [6:13] Everywhere. Everyone was there.
Monique: [6:15] You had to make an impact.
James: [6:16] How do you do that when you…
Monique: [6:17] Santa Claus.
Jim: [6:18] 400 square foot. Now 400 square foot is normally big but we were like…
James: [6:22] Best place was like two million square foot or something.
Monique: [6:27] It was huge.
Jim: [6:28] It was insane.
Monique: [6:29] It was the one that they did in conjunction with AGA. I was there.
James: [6:32] You were at AGA?
Monique: [6:32] Yeah.
James: [6:33] Did you…?
Jim: [6:33] Did you come over to world guests?
Monique: [6:34] I did, but I didn’t see you all.
Jim: [6:36] Did you see Santa Claus?
Monique: [6:35] No, I did not.
Monique: [6:37] Sorry.
Jim: [6:38] All right, next guest.
James: [6:40] Anyway, [laughs] it was a lot.
James: [6:41] We brought Santa, so we have a real beard Santa that worked with us. He was instructional.
Monique: [6:45] That’s cool.
Jim: [6:46] Was at Santa school.
Monique: [6:48] He’s a legit dude.
James: [6:48] He’s retired since. He was on the show, retro.
Monique: [6:50] Right on.
James: [6:52] We brought Santa, which was a huge hit.
Jim: [6:54] It was. It was funny. What did the people do?
James: [6:56] On the last day, we had jugglers because, again, we just had that little spot.
Monique: [7:00] Your makeshift scarf was more popular than Santa?
Jim: [7:03] It was close. It had a lot of longevity through the whole week. I would wear it everywhere…
James: [7:11] It was a close sucker.
Jim: [7:10] out on the streets. I would, and again…
James: [7:14] I don’t know what we’re doing, but anyway.
Jim: [7:17] Let’s get back on track.
James: [7:18] You needed to hear that story.
Monique: [7:18] That’s marvelous. That is absolutely marvelous.
Jim: [7:19] I want to get a scarf again.
James: [7:22] Enough about us. Monique, you’re the guest.
Jim: [7:24] You are the guest.
James: [7:26] Unless you have some questions.
Monique: [7:28] No. You’ve already covered so much.
Jim: [7:31] Do we find out where you work at? Did we cover that?
Monique: [7:33] No, we did. I asked you guys a second ago if these…I was like, “Is this your real job? You just get to do this?”
James: [7:40] Well, nobody’s stopped us yet, but…
Monique: [7:43] This is amazing, and he said, “No, that y’all had real jobs.”
Jim: [7:46] We had real jobs, yes.
James: [7:47] This might be the one though, Monique. Now, I’m going to…
Jim: [7:50] Do it.
James: [7:51] change what he said though because I’m a big origin story guy.
Monique: [7:54] Right on.
James: [7:55] You said it when I told you. Would you say?
Monique: [7:58] Everybody loves an origin story.
James: [8:00] It’s the truth.
Monique: [8:00] They do, they do. I’m a Marvel fan.
James: [8:02] I want to know that. I want to know the Monique Roberts origin story.
Monique: [8:06] OK. We’re going to start in like ’87, or…?
James: [8:10] No. 2002, I was born.
Monique: [8:12] No, I was born in the 1900s. Let’s start at last night, how about that?
James: [8:21] OK.
Monique: [8:21] Last night, we opened up the reception last night, the Louisiana Pipeliners Association sponsored the reception last night here at the OGA and…
Jim: [8:30] Which is wonderful.
James: [8:31] Really awesome reception.
Monique: [8:32] Yes. I’ve only spoke for a couple of minutes and they were like, “Oh, do you need a microphone?” I’m like, “You know me.”
Jim: [8:38] Oh, no, she did not.
James: [8:40] You’re new here.
Monique: [8:42] Right. It was great because we were able to really….What we are trying to do with the Louisiana Pipeliners is to partner with other organizations that have a focus in pipeline safety. Of course, LGA is an is a obvious choice. We’ve been doing a bunch of stuff together as different organizations, they participate in our gumbo cook‑off and we have…
Jim: [9:03] Offshore fishing?
Monique: [9:04] We did fishing. Last month, we did our 9th Annual fish out and it was the largest one that we’ve ever had.
James: [9:12] I’ve got to go. Will you invite me next year?
Monique: [9:13] Yes, I will. Shane Crochet runs all of that stuff and he does an exceptional job. This year, we grossed almost $100,000 at that one event, which is amazing. A big proponent of the Louisiana Pipeliners Association is that the coolest of all the things I do and all the things that I’ve ever done, and all…
James: [9:33] Which is saying a lot because we know Monique.
Monique: [9:34] of the side projects, and all of the everything.
Jim: [9:36] All we do.
Monique: [9:36] Hands down, the coolest thing that I do is write out these checks for these scholarships for these kids, these students. I mean, it’s the literally coolest thing.
Jim: [9:45] Just let me just say it one more time. You raise $100,000 in one event?
Monique: [9:48] In one event. Yeah, absolutely. We’ve really grown as an organization. My father actually started Louisiana Pipeliners Association, 25 years ago.
Jim: [9:58] Your dad did?
Monique: [9:59] He did.
Jim: [9:59] He started the association?
Monique: [10:01] He did. He was a member of the Houston Pipeliners Association as well as the Atlanta Pipeliners Club…
James: [10:07] Shout‑out.
Monique: [10:07] as well as The Tulsa Pipeliners Club…
James: [10:09] Shout‑out.
Monique: [10:09] Oklahoma and all of the pipeliners clubs. He was like, “We really need to have one in Louisiana.”
[10:15] Him and quite a few fellows here in New Orleans, actually, Chevron and a bunch of great organizations in groups, got together and they started this organization for the sole purpose really of bolstering the economy related to pipeline and Louisiana, as well as providing a civic service.
[10:33] We’re really big about giving back and so we want to give that all these scholarships. I was actually the one of the two, first recipients of the Louisiana Pipeliners Scholarship [clears throat] 25 years ago.
Jim: [10:45] You were a prodigy so you were four at the time.
James: [10:49] Schemed right through all of the basics.
Monique: [10:50] Right. It is actually myself and another fellow named Jeremy Smith who works for Energy Transfer and now he is now on our board, although he is in Pipeliners Association and I’m the officer.
Jim: [11:04] Oh, really?
Monique: [11:04] Yeah. The two of us were the first recipients of the scholars…
Jim: [11:04] recipients are still in the industry and still participating!
Monique: [11:08] We are, and we’re trying to give back because we have to go to [inaudible]
James: [11:12] What a testimony to what you just said. Specific part of it in that…
Monique: [11:14] You got to get back, man.
Jim: [11:16] You got to get back.
James: [11:16] Give it all away.
Jim: [11:17] Can I ask some questions, spirit to give it all away? How much in scholarships as your association given away throughout the years?
Monique: [11:25] We are almost at not counting the checks that are literally on my kitchen table right now that needs to go out in the mail. Not counting that we are almost at $1.7 million.
Jim: [11:35] Wow.
James: [11:36] That is incredible.
Jim: [11:37] That is incredible. That’s a huge donor.
Monique: [11:37] It is really cool.
James: [11:39] Everyone’s cheering.
Monique: [11:40] Yeah. It’s because of our members. Our members are so giving and so gracious of their time, energy, effort and dollars. It’s why we’re such a great organization. I think we’re almost at 400 followers on LinkedIn now and we have hundreds of members and member companies and everybody.
[12:00] If you do business at all in Louisiana, you don’t have to be a Louisiana company, you don’t have to live in the Louisiana, but if you do business at all related to Pipeline in Louisiana…
Jim: [12:09] In Louisiana, you should be a member.
Monique: [12:12] You got to, you got. Their hashtag. “Ain’t nothing finer than a Louisiana Pipeliner.”
Jim: [12:16] Ain’t nothing finer than Louisiana Pipeliner.
James: [12:22] Did you make that up?
Monique: [12:24] I did.
Jim: [12:22] Right now?
Monique: [12:22] No.
Monique: [12:22] I’ve been dropping a lot of hashtags. I’m starting to aggravate myself with it. I think I’m going to take a pause. [laughs] That’s the Louisiana Pipeliners has grown into this incredible organization. That’s why I’m here at the LGA was to do that reception.
James: [12:44] Let me ask you this because you are here. How has the relationship been with LGA? I mean it’s just [pop sound] type.
Monique: [12:54] It’s amazing. It’s absolutely amazing.
James: [12:56] Supported?
Monique: [12:58] Very much so. Historically, LGA has been much more encompassing of the entire asset life cycle. Their distribution, they have a lot of LDCs and everything. Whereas Louisiana Pipeliners has historically just been in the midstream area, the transmission pipe area.
[13:17] In coming together and working together, not only do we get more of the word out around pipeline safety, to our larger group of people, but we can also share and resources and learn from one another as well on the juice because we’re all in this together.
[13:30] When something happens to one of us, it happens to all of us.
Jim: [13:31] It happens to all of us.
Monique: [13:33] Exactly. It’s been really great. Both organizations are working well together. It’s cool.
Jim: [13:38] You work a lot with the tapping group, I would take it.
Monique: [13:41] Yeah. Jamie, Lauren, and all those guys. They’re awesome.
Jim: [13:44] Are they great?
Monique: [13:45] Yeah, they’re great.
James: [13:45] Friend of the show.
Monique: [13:45] Yeah, they’re awesome.
James: [13:46] We’ve had them on before.
Monique: [13:49] They’re wonderful.
James: [13:52] You are in a new role, a new position. We heard some things. We saw it on the LinkedIn.
Jim: [13:58] Allegedly.
James: [13:59] We want to hear it straight from you. I know we had you in St. Louis and you talked a little bit about it. We were like, “Hey, home bird.” I’ll be honest, a lot of it selfishly for me because I want to understand a gap that I have which is PODS. Not to steal your thunder. Go ahead and tell everybody who you are.
Monique: [14:19] I appreciate it.
Jim: [14:20] If we want to know, there’s other people that want to know. If we can understand, they can understand.
Monique: [14:26] No, it’s really cool.
James: [14:27] Someone’s out there going “I want.”
James: [14:28] She’s doing a podcast.
Monique: [14:30] It’s cool. Look, my dad used to always say like “Baby. If somebody wants to talk to you, you better talk to them because you might wake up one morning and nobody wants to talk to you. Then what you going to do?”
James: [14:40] That’s basically the tagline of our show. Holy cow.
Monique: [14:45] That’s the best.
James: [14:46] I couldn’t think of anything more accurate.
Jim: [14:47] That is very accurate.
Monique: [14:48] No, it’s true. You are right. About six months ago, I started a new venture and actually partnered up with some great people to start a company called IntegriTec. It’s a really cool company. We’re very small and very agile. Small and mighty.
[15:08] We do a lot of cool stuff around data. Data analytics, business intelligence, and all that stuff. Around the same time that I decided to do this, the PODS Association reached out to me and said, “Hey, we are looking for a new executive director. We’d love to see you in the role.” It’s a nonprofit organization. I was like, “I’ve been in sales for my whole career. I have grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle.”[laughs]
Jim: [15:33] OK, we can understand that.
James: [15:35] Back to my shoes.
Monique: [15:37] Exactly. These headbands are very expensive.
James: [15:39] That jacket’s nice.
Monique: [15:40] I know. It’s Amazon. [laughs] It’s not ironed either. Sorry. [laughs]
James: [15:47] That’s fine.
Jim: [15:48] It’s ironed.
James: [15:48] I’ve worn the same coat for three days.
Monique: [15:51] [laughs]
James: [15:54] We’re in New Orleans.
Jim: [15:55] We’re in New Orleans.
Monique: [15:56] Is that what that smell is?
James: [15:59] Lots of fabric.
Jim: [15:58] I have four of these and I only brought…
James: [16:01] That’s the sales life. Hashtag saleslife.
Jim: [16:03] You switch them out every week.
Monique: [16:04] It’s true, now I get it.
Jim: [16:07] Dry cleaner back.
James: [16:09] Sometimes you got to dry clean them, though.
Monique: [16:11] Hey, I keep..
Jim: [16:12] Especially in New Orleans.
Monique: [16:13] like a bag. I always have a bag packed. I have…you know those in a hotel?
Jim: [16:19] Like a go bag? You’re talking about if you need to run? I have one of those.
Monique: [16:21] No, I one of those too.
James: [16:23] [laughs] Like a money laundering one.
Monique: [16:23] I have my get‑out bag. That’s my get‑out bag.
James: [16:26] That’s what it’s called.
Monique: [16:28] At my home, I have…You know the hotel racks that open up and you can put your suitcase?
Jim: [16:31] Yeah.
Monique: [16:32] I have one in my room.
James: [16:34] That’s Fantastic. Of course, you do. Why wouldn’t you?
Monique: [16:35] Because there’s always I’m always going, going, going.
Jim: [16:37] Always have a suitcase ready to go.
Monique: [16:39] Always, got to go. Yeah, you got to go, go, go. It was cool when PODS reached out and said, “Hey, you know, we’d like to talk to you about the executive director role. We think you have great energy and we think that you could help, reinvigorate and build PODS and grow PODS and everything else.”
[16:54] I was like “Well, here’s the deal. I think it would be really cool for the first time in a long time I’m actually billable. Instead of just being a drain as a business development person.” [laughs]
James: [17:02] I’m a perfect.
Jim: [17:02] You don’t have to say drain.
James: [17:04] Don’t say that out loud. We’re all say…
Jim: [17:08] Nobody’s listening, don’t worry. It’s OK
Monique: [17:10] I was very grateful that at the beginning of February, PODS said “Yes, we’d like to have you on as our executive director.” My job literally is PODS. That’s all I do is PODS. It’s wonderful. The IntegriTech guys are…
Jim: [17:30] I was going to but…
James: [17:31] Oh, it’s all PODS. This is PODS. I imagine these little pods that’s floating around.
Monique: [17:38] That’s my goal. Is that when people Google “PODS,” that I’ll come up before the storage units. That’s my goal.
James: [17:43] Work with me. I’m a search engine guy. I got you.
Monique: [17:44] I’m going to work on the SEO. I am 100 percent PODS and PODS facing on the things that I do, but nobody has one job. Everybody’s got a ton of jobs.
James: [17:54] What? This is the first time I’m hearing of this.
Monique: [17:56] Just like you guys. The house is like, “Is this your real job?”
James: [17:58] I don’t think so.
Monique: [17:58] No, you have multiple jobs. IntegriTech fills me out to PODS.
James: [18:06] Genius.
Jim: [18:07] The question is going to be?
James: [18:09] Yeah, I want to understand PODS because that’s where I don’t understand.
Jim: [18:14] That’s the disconnect.
James: [18:17] You were talking like, “Is this intelligent? [inaudible].”
Monique: [18:19] It’s great stuff.
James: [18:20] Tell me all about everything or all of this.
Monique: [18:25] I have always said that the dream job is in Pipeliner integrity. I’m a third‑generation Pipeliner. My dad was Pipeliner, his dad was Pipeliner. Everybody’s Pipeliner. My brother is in Upstream, he think he’s goal is [indecipharable].
James: [18:40] Is he still in Louisiana?
Monique: [18:41] He’s in Baton Rouge. Everybody else is a Pipeliner. I was like, “How do I work in Pipeline and move the ball forward in innovation, safety, integrity, management, and everything.” I got some cool jobs along the way and I got to work with some great people and my best boss ever, Jeff, we’ve got to plug him. He’s amazing. Best boss ever.
Jim: [19:02] Oh yes, he is.
James: [19:04] He’s about to be on the show?
Monique: [19:03] Yes.
James: [19:03] Next week.
Monique: [19:04] I’m excited.
Jim: [19:04] Wednesday.
Monique: [19:05] He’s excited about it, too. He’s going to shave and everything.
James: [19:09] What?
Monique: [19:10] Yeah.
Jim: [19:11] We won’t recognize him.
James: [19:12] Him wears good polos.
Monique: [19:14] I’m working with Jeff, I’m realizing that a lot of the issues that are happening and the reason why almost all of the incidents that have happened that are very unfortunate in the industry and to our asset system, is due to missing data, incorrect data, misappropriated data, or what have you. A lot of it goes back to data.
[19:35] We need to be better data curators. We need to be better organizing data.
James: [19:42] Jesus would be like, “Go ahead.”
Jim: [19:43] Go ahead.
James: [19:45] Tell me something. When you say data, tell me what kind of data. Is it all the datas?
Monique: [19:50] PODS started 25 years ago, next year will be 25 years, by operators and by GIS professionals in the service industry that support those operators. Specifically, around building a data model that was specific to Pipeline.
[20:07] Long transmission, many miles of Pipeline with a ton of information on each wall.
James: [20:13] All the thing.
Monique: [20:14] So much information that you have, weld. There’s so many different variables that you have.
James: [20:18] Everything.
Jim: [20:18] Everything.
Monique: [20:19] There’s the list of things that you have that are mandatory minimum, according to the regs and the rules. The Federal register, but then there’s all this other information that’s good to have that can help you with your risk.
James: [20:30] It’s available. Anything available.
Monique: [20:30] Absolutely. Everything available. These guys all sat down, the big brain dudes sat down, and said, “We need a standardized model to where we can organize all of this information so that everybody’s playing in the same sandbox.”
“[20:44] So that we can focus on innovation, we can focus on finding the issues, we can focus on organisation, rather than, oh, well, you’re using a different model than I am. I can’t understand your data, because it’s a different thing.”
[21:00] They all got together and they said, “How can we make this as transparent as possible, so that all of these operators can operate safely and to all the service providers can innovate on that model? That we can all build on each other.” Because we’re a nonprofit, member‑driven organisation, everything is built by our members. It’s a safe place that everybody competitors can work together to build…
James: [21:24] To build the data.
Jim: [21:28] Where do we store this data? I’m going back in my mind, we’re going back 25 years where this began and adapt…
James: [21:34] To Monique’s desktop.
Jim: [21:35] We’re looking at…
James: [21:36] [laughs] I can’t imagine what your desktop looked like.
Jim: [21:38] Outside diameter, inside diameter, wall thickness, welds, what type of weld…
James: [21:43] Cloning.
Jim: [21:43] Fusion bonded epoxy knot, HDD knot. Where do we put all these items? Where is it?
Monique: [21:51] To be clear, this model, is a model that whenever you join pods, depending on which version, we’re on 7..1 right now.
[21:58] You join pods, you get the model. You put it on to your system. Your data is is hosted by you. Can be in the pod, can be in your service, can be wherever you want. It’s all your stuff, you get a copy of the model. Then that way, you can then apply the model into your system. Now, a lot of our members will put variations and everybody’s system is different, even…
James: [22:22] The baseline is more less than than the standard itself.
Monique: [22:26] The baseline is pods. FEMSA uses the PODS model. When you upload…
Jim: [22:29] That was the next question. Got it.
Monique: [22:31] When you upload your mpa into npm, all the operators every year, upload everything to npm. It’s a version of pods that they’re using to keep all of that data organised. It’s all on the same level playing.
James: [22:42] [inaudible]
Jim: [22:44] Take it.
James: [22:45] I might say you. You is in PODS. You PODS.
Monique: [22:50] Those smarter people than me, yes.
James: [22:51] I would say the whole whole company. PODS creates a standard. There’s an agreement by all the stakeholders. Standard is made. Start collecting data. That standard is delivered to stakeholders. They begin delivering data into said model. Obviously, there’s data already available now that you could begin to start pouring through imports.
[23:17] It’s the big thing. AI, machine vision like pointing smart algorithms to it and letting it go to work for predictive analysis and other things like that.
Monique: [23:32] Everybody’s at a different spot. Right?
James: [23:33] No doubt.
Monique: [23:34] You guys know the Pipeliners are not going to be bleeding edge on anything.
James: [23:38] No.
Monique: [23:39] We operate…
Jim: [23:39] Is that the vision down the road?
Monique: [23:42] Yes, it is.
Jim: [23:43] OK. I saw you road.
Monique: [23:43] The vision down the road is the digital twin. You have to have visibility to your assets in the field without being in the field. You have to. Not only do you need to know what’s in your asset, where your asset is, and all of the variables and attributes that are associated with your asset, you also need to know what’s around you asset.
[24:02] PODS, once you are a PODS member, you have access to our data resource center, our regulatory resource center, all of our training and education library as well. We have curated thousands of free data layers that you can go into the system, download the layer, put it in, and it automatically updates live because it’s not hosted by you.
James: [24:22] I’ve got the sports.
Monique: [24:23] It’s hosted by USGS or DOT or whoever.
James: [24:27] Sure.
Monique: [24:27] Whoever is putting the data out. You can get a much better picture. Your data is organized in a better way so you have much more visibility. You have many more data layers that you can look at and do your consequence analysis and do all your risk and everything else based on all that additional data as well.
[24:47] Eventually, it’s going to AI, machine learning, and all of that stuff.
Jim: [24:52] Are we talking like what I would call augmented reality?
James: [24:56] No.
Jim: [24:58] No?
James: [24:58] No. We’re talking more of pointing supercomputers in algorithm…
Jim: [25:03] Where they tell…
James: [25:04] at data.
Jim: [25:05] And they tell us…
James: [25:06] That all like it choose online lines.
Jim: [25:07] Look at point 134 because based on everything that we know that could be a situation that…
James: [25:12] I know that sounds crazy to think about a world where we could say, “Based on the crew out, the machines that are there and all the variables we have because if we have all the data…”
Jim: [25:26] It’s just chewing along.
James: [25:28] I don’t know, but check out.
Monique: [25:30] To be clear, PODS…
James: [25:31] Down the road.
Monique: [25:32] The PODS Model doesn’t do any of that. It’s a way to organize. Any data…
Jim: [25:37] That’s the future of it. You’ve talked to me about that…
Monique: [25:40] A quick nugget on that…
James: [25:42] Sorry, I don’t want to…
Monique: [25:46] No, it’s OK because this latest version that we just released at the end of last year, 7..1, was built specifically so that anything can be built on top of it. Any data that you have…If you’re flying drones, and you want to add that data in there. As long as there’s a planner map, there’s a way you can see that data on top.
[26:10] PODS is the way to organize and store data and information. It’s like the PODS, they store, whatever, but we’re better and better looking and funnier, and all those things.
Jim: [26:20] [laughs]
Monique: [26:21] It is a way to store your data. Now, we just started two new working groups. Each work group that comes together, all made of volunteers and members of the association, whatever you want to work on is cool. It’s clearly a playground.
[26:37] Right now, they’re working on expanding the support of PODS through the entire asset lifecycle. Remember, we talked about it. It started with integrity management and making sure that you had all of your data to go. You submit your NPMS supports. You got all that organized and that’s great.
[26:52] Now they’re working on a construction module with one of our member companies, Petro IT, who’s here. You met those guys.
Jim: [26:58] Yeah, right over here.
Monique: [27:00] They’re leading the charge on that. That’s going to be able to store all of your construction data, all your well data. All of the stuff further up into that asset life cycle at the beginning of it. Then G2, who is a union engineering company, which was literally just across the way from us right now.
[27:14] Marissa Majal is creating an integrity regulatory task module, which will now be able to tell you, “Hey, I did this pick run here, why? Which integrity management task told me that I needed to do this here?”
[27:29] Now not only do you have visibility to the data, but you have the why behind it as well. These guys…
James: [27:36] Then more data, why?
Monique: [27:37] Oh my God, these nerds.
James: [27:39] Super nerds.
Monique: [27:39] I love these nerds so much. They’re the best. They come up with all this great stuff. Also, by the way…
James: [27:46] Keep going.
Monique: [27:46] You can support gas gathering too. Gas gathering companies now…Everybody knew that the new gas gathering regulation came out. Now we have an additional 425‑ish thousand miles of pipeline.
Jim: [27:59] of pipe. Just under a half a million, right?
Monique: [28:03] Before you had about 650,000. You’ve almost doubled the amount of mileage of pipelines.
Jim: [28:11] I got you.
Monique: [28:13] Do you need to organize all that? Do you need to have visibility, line of sight? Do you maybe not even have a GIS system? Well, guess what, gas gathering company, you now have to identify your start and end points of your entire system.
[28:25] You can do that with PODS. You can do it with the PODS model or some point open one. It’s really cool stuff.
Jim: [28:31] A question for you. Somebody out here right now is listening to this, watching this, saying to themselves, “I need this.” Now understand we go to PODS to learn, become a members as you’re also professional services. Somebody out there says, “How do I navigate this order get started? There’s something I can do.”
James: [28:49] I don’t know where to start.”
Jim: [28:50] Yeah.
Monique: [28:51] How do you eat the elephant?
Monique: [28:53] It’s a lot of stuff.
Jim: [28:56] One bite at a time.
Monique: [28:57] Correct.
James: [28:57] Good job.
Jim: [28:57] Thank you, sir. I learned from the best.
Monique: [29:00] Predominantly and historically where PODS really shown was the data model. That was what everybody wanted, was the data model.
[29:09] When PODS hired me, they said they’d heard me because they liked my idea around…We’ll see about that. We’ll see how much they like it when they see how much work it’s going to take.
[29:19] There was an idea around….They used to have a lot more, even though we don’t need any more trade associations in Pipeline. There used to be a group called GITA. They had a conference and they disbanded, unfortunately.
[29:34] There’s a hole right now. There’s no more place where people can come together as a community around pipeline GIS, pipeline data. What we really want to do with PODS, is show that the value is not just in the data model, but it’s the value is in the community.
Monique: [29:51] We’re building a community of people.
James: [29:53] The story.
Monique: [29:54] Now you have all these extra resources, the data resource center, the GIS resource center, all of the training and education library, but now you have the community as well. We’re doing a detailed member listing that we’re working on right now.
[30:07] Say I’m P66 and I’m about to put out an RFP for customer survey work. You know what? I’m P66 and I’m a great member of PODS, and I want to support the service companies that are members of PODS as well. Now I can go on and I can type in CIS in the search. I can see four PODS member companies that do CIS.
[30:26] [inaudible] survey work doesn’t have anything to do with really GIS, other than after you’re done with it, you want to make sure that you have it in your system of record.
James: [30:33] Contractors can be…
Monique: [30:34] Absolutely. We actually have…
James: [30:36] I was really thinking about this.
Monique: [30:38] Way more operator members than we have contractor members and service companies, but we do have a lot of service company members. Now all of these companies, and then vice versa, the service member companies now have point of contact at all of these operating companies, so they can talk to them about potential work in business.
[30:54] We truly are trying to build that community back around data management, because again, we go back to the incidents, missing data, unorganized data, what have you. We don’t want that to happen again. We need to pull together this community and make sure that everybody’s working together.
Jim: [31:11] warm right there.
Jim: [31:12] Pull together the community.
James: [31:12] Just hug them.
Monique: [31:13] We do. We have the answers. We just need to get together and work on it. We even have the answers for the energy transition. Here’s the deal. A PODS model can be used for hydrogen, can be used for carbon, it can be used for water, it can be used for any renewables.
[31:33] Any long linear asset that you have to collect a lot of data on we can do it. We now have carbon sequestration companies that are members of PODS. Hydrogen, I mean, all of this stuff, it’s cool stuff.
Jim: [31:45] That hydrogen episode, that we viewed in St. Louis.
Monique: [31:50] That was cool.
Jim: [31:51] Standing room only. That such a hot topic right now.
Monique: [31:54] It is.
Jim: [31:55] OK, I just need to wrap my head around this. Let’s say I become a member of this, I know we have some scholarship events that are really great for networking and becoming ingrained in the group and learning about it.
Monique: [32:07] That’s the Louisiana Pipeliner’s scholarship. PODS doesn’t do scholarships.
Jim: [32:10] I’m sorry. Wait a minute. On the PODS side door…
Jim: [32:13] I know. It is today. It is the first one today.
James: [32:19] Today is the one.
Jim: [32:18] A PODS part. When I become a member and involved in that do we have…?
James: [32:26] What do I get?
Jim: [32:27] Meetings? Do we have events that we go to and such?
Monique: [32:30] We have all kinds of stuff. We have PODS parties.
James: [32:33] Hi, my name is James, and I’m a nerd.
Monique: [32:37] We have PODS casts.
Jim: [32:38] Oh, PODS casts.
James: [32:39] I’ve heard about those.
Jim: [32:41] I think there was one this morning.
Jim: [32:44] Wait a minute.
Monique: [32:45] We did.
Jim: [32:45] 9:00 AM this morning, there was one.
Monique: [32:49] We had one this morning at 9:00 AM. We had.
James: [32:49] So we are competitors?
Monique: [32:50] No, we are not.
Jim: [32:51] Yes, we are.
James: [32:52] That’s the problem.
James: [32:54] We won’t be competitors in this. it’s all like us out.
Jim: [33:01] Super done. One and done.
James: [33:01] She’ll be…
Monique: [33:03] You guys…
James: [33:03] Two generations from now…
James: [33:05] Great‑granddaughter. Some will say, “I’m a third‑generation podcaster.”
James: [33:13] I’m here at the Louisiana podcast association.
James: [33:15] That’s the end of it now.
Jim: [33:17] Done.
Monique: [33:18] She’ll be a Roberts. Not at all. We are not. This morning we actually had on Leah Gooding with NPMS and Blaine Keener with Pipeline Safety for PHMSA, and they work together. We talked about all of the new attributes that are going to need to be captured, and how to upload your information into NPMS and tips and tricks and all this stuff.
[33:43] A lot of what we talked about is very much technically based.
Monique: [33:48] Yes, very much…
James: [33:48] [inaudible].
Monique: [33:49] Not at all. You guys talk about all kinds of cool stuff.
James: [33:53] Can we come on your podcast at some point?
Monique: [33:53] You absolutely can.
James: [33:54] We don’t have to talk about PODS.
Monique: [33:55] No, we can talk about whatever you want. We can, absolutely. I can’t guarantee that a lot of people are going to show up for it.
James: [34:02] We’re used to that.
Jim: [34:02] Yeah, three listeners.
Monique: [34:05] We had 120 people on the PODS cast this morning.
James: [34:08] Then you’re going to do just fine.
Jim: [34:09] That’s really good.
Monique: [34:10] That’s cool. The way that you get involved. I don’t mean to cut you off.
James: [34:16] Look at the right mechanic.
Monique: [34:17] We’re doing so many cool things. In a couple of weeks we’re going to be doing our ILI release party. That tool, it lays on top of PODS is so you can store and manage all of your ILI data in a very easy‑to‑use way.
[34:33] It’s difficult sometimes because you have a lot of different ILI operators, and everybody has their own system. This is one place where everybody knows they can work together and organize this data. That’s going to be in a couple weeks.
Jim: [34:44] inline inspection.
Monique: [34:46] Inline inspection, yes. We’re across from ROSEN, which is another PODS member.
James: [34:52] Of her.
Jim: [34:54] They just gave you the wave as we walked by. Did you see that?
Monique: [34:56] Yeah.
James: [34:56] Are we in your section?
Monique: [34:57] Of the eight booths in this row, there’s only two that are not PODS members. You all are one of them.
James: [35:05] Shots fired. Until now.
Jim: [35:08] Scott Kayley, let’s get on that.
Monique: [35:11] In October in Houston, we’re having our fall forum. It’s going to be a hybrid meeting online but also in person. We’re going to release UNet, Utility Network for PODS. Jeff Allen with ESRI, who is one of our board members, is going to come out and release that. It’s going to be fun.
[35:29] We usually have a technical meeting. We release new things and do stuff. Then we go to Topgolf. We play golf.
James: [35:36] Have a blast.
Monique: [35:36] We have a couple of drinks, and have some fun and all that. It is a social interaction because…
Monique: [35:42] Community. Then you also get to learn a lot of information that’s very good and useful for you on your day‑to‑day job and in anything that you do related to pipeline.
James: [35:53] Where can they find more info? Tell them now.
Monique: [35:55] Pods.org
James: [35:57] Very simpie.
Monique: [35:58] P‑O‑D‑S dot org. Not “.com”, unless you’re looking to move our [indecipherable] storage unit.
Jim: [36:02] our storage unit. OK. “.org”
Monique: [36:04] pods.org” Right now, you can come, and you can see all kinds of stuff on our website. You don’t have to be a member to attend any of the events. If you want to just come check it out, and see what it’s all about, and see how much fun we’re having and all that stuff.
Jim: [36:20] Really?
Monique: [36:21] Absolutely.
James: [36:21] Can we be honorary members?
Monique: [36:23] You sure can. You can come to whatever…
James: [36:24] We won’t break anything. Don’t give us admin access.
Monique: [36:27] No, we will not. You…
Jim: [36:28] Especially me.
Monique: [36:30] Sign up as a prospect, and you can attend any of our events or any of our PODS caster. Any of those things.
Jim: [36:36] I’ll give ourselves a challenge right now, as well as everybody out there. It’s not do the challenge, right there.
Monique: [36:42] You just go onto the website.
Jim: [36:45] When you get engaged and you start to see something firsthand, you start to see the value, and then all of a sudden things start growing exponentially to this. I’m excited. This is really great.
Monique: [36:56] It’s really cool. Can I say one more thing to you?
James: [36:58] Go ahead.
Jim: [37:01] You got it.
James: [37:01] It’s your show.
Monique: [37:02] Our first event that we held that was our first in‑person event after Covid, was our Spring forum in May. We had a ton of people that came. We had a ton of…
Jim: [37:13] Where you hold it?
Monique: [37:14] We held it at The Rustic Downtown, Houston. Discovery green.
Jim: [37:18] Oh, yeah.
Monique: [37:18] Right outside of the Jojo Brown. We had so many airport moments. You see people that haven’t seen each other in a long time, and they’re like, “Oh my God. Hey.” So many airport moments, it was great.
[37:30] One of our service company members, Whiteley Oliver, Andy came up to me and he was like, “Moni, how do you know all my customers?” I was like, “What are you talking about? I don’t know who are your customers. Who’s your customers?”
[37:42] He was like, “All of my customers are here.” He said, “It would take me a year…”
Jim: [37:48] I see. I value propositions coming in.
Monique: [37:51] and thousands of dollars to fly around the country to see everyone that you literally have here, and have a beer with him.” He’s like, “This is incredible”. I was like, “OK, let’s sign you up for another sponsorship.”
Jim: [38:03] Cha‑ching, but is true though. That’s why we go to conferences, because how many people do we see in a day, not to mention just the entire event.
James: [38:12] I mean, how many discussions we had this week. I’m going to use this in particular that were fruitful and that will carry on so good. I want to do something because you’re just…I don’t know, I think this will be fun and you’ll enjoy. No one knows about this.
Monique: [38:29] Oh.
Jim: [38:29] I do.
James: [38:30] No, you don’t.
Jim: [38:29] Oh. Hold on.
Monique: [38:30] You’re nervous.
James: [38:31] I’m going to preface this. I’m going to disclaim first that I’ve contacted everyone in your entire life so you don’t have to fill up. Say everyone knows that they don’t get names.
Monique: [38:44] This is one of those episodes of, “This is your life.” [laughs]
James: [38:46] No, we going to bring him in. One at a time. No, and no one’s going to get upset anywhere along the line if you forget anyone.
Monique: [38:54] OK.
James: [38:54] You’re like the name dropping first, the next to this guy, but in a good way because you know everyone, right?
Monique: [39:01] No, not everybody.
James: [39:02] You’ve worked with amazing people.
Monique: [39:04] I really have.
James: [39:04] You know you have. I want you to just rattle people off. Say why they’re so amazing. Just random people. Anybody you want.
Monique: [39:11] Oh my God. Are you kidding me?
James: [39:12] Do it. Just grab one.
James: [39:14] Jeff Reece.
Monique: [39:15] Jeff Reece is amazing. Jeff is the best boss that I’ve ever had. He’s absolutely amazing. Jeff also hard Mike Amon who’s a good friend of yours and he was my absolute buddy.
Monique: [39:28] Mike’s awesome.
James: [39:29] Seven degrees of…
Jim: [39:30] Seven degrees have talked to Jim and Jane.
Monique: [39:32] Yes, and then Mike and I worked with Luke Marker. Luke is my partner in crime. He is amazing. He is the technical coordinator for PODS.
Monique: [39:42] He know what he is. He’s the technical coordinator for PODS and he’s just amazing. He’s absolutely made such a huge brain. It’s ridiculous. He and I used to work with a guy named Jason Craded. Jason Craded is running the carbon sequestration company that I was talking about earlier
James: [40:01] That just joined the regular side.
Monique: [40:03] Yeah. They are building an incredible pipe. I think it’s like 2,200 miles of pipeline. It’s absolutely incredible. Jason is married to Fay Craded. Fay is amazing. She is such an incredible integrity engineer. She and I have a guilty pleasure that we play Pokemon together and it’s the best.
James: [40:20] Pokemon go or Pokemon lego.
Monique: [40:22] No, Pokemon go. it’s a part of my fitness regime, actually. It makes me get out and walk and I love it. It makes me seem cool for my seven‑year‑old…
James: [40:31] My wife plays Pikmin Bloom. Just the same Nintendo’s version.
Monique: [40:37] These are all people that I’ve worked with in the past. There’s all. Everybody’s connected…You want me to keep going?
James: [40:42] You can go on as long as you want. I think this is a fantastic game of winning and start playing with people.
Jim: [40:50] It was like ding ding, ding ding, ding ding.
Monique: [40:54] Everybody is connected. When you grow up in South Louisiana, everybody knows everybody. That’s why I can’t move back here ever because everybody knows too much.
Jim: [40:59] Oh, do we need to go through the history?
Monique: [41:04] [laughs] No, no, no. Not at all. It is. Pipeline is also very, very integrated. Everybody knows everybody in Pipeline. Then, everybody knows everybody in Louisiana. It’s the same in Texas, you six degrees of everything.
[41:21] I remember when I first started out, I’d walk around in the halls of Kinder Morgan. You remember back in the day whenever you used to be able to go to your clients’ offices. Remember that? You remember vaguely?
James: [41:32] I was never in that world.
Monique: [41:34] I’d walk around and somebody be like, “Is that a Roberts? I hear a Roberts in the hallway.”
James: [41:38] Loud?
Monique: [41:39] Yeah.
James: [41:38] You can tell.
James: [41:39] It was not a question.
Monique: [41:45] Exactly. That’s why we all have each others backs. That’s why PODS is so great. We can all work together to innovate and bring all that forward. You knew I was going to bring it back to PODS. I love PODS. PODS is the coolest thing, man.
James: [42:01] The coolest. So cool.
Monique: [42:01] It really is.
James: [42:02] I can’t remember…
Jim: [42:03] Pods.org
Monique: [42:04] Pods.org
James: [42:05] Hey, what did we ask you last time as the final question? Did we ask you anything?
Monique: [42:11] I don’t remember.
James: [42:12] Do you remember? Did we ask her the big, big question?
Jim: [42:16] No, I don’t think we did.
James: [42:18] Or the campaign question? Or anything?
Jim: [42:21] I don’t think we did. It was a short segment.
James: [42:23] You want me do the big question. The big normal question.
Jim: [42:25] Do it.
Monique: [42:26] Should I be nervous?
James: [42:27] You should be so nervous.
Monique: [42:28] I’m already into this.
James: [42:29] I want you to lean in, just give us your heart. OK?
Monique: [42:32] OK.
Jim: [42:32] Pull this from the soul.
James: [42:34] Wherever it lies. You scared now?
Monique: [42:37] Yeah.
James: [42:37] Do you love what you do?
Monique: [42:40] Oh my God, I do. I love what I do. I tried The Dickens. I’m trying not to curse.
James: [42:48] That’s a Roberts.
Monique: [42:48] Try not to curse. Tried so hard to not get into Pipeline. I tried so hard. I took all these stupid jobs [laughs] to try to not be in Pipeline, but you can’t. It’s like the mafia, you can’t get away from it.
[43:04] Not only do I get to work with these pipeliners, I love pipeliners so much. They’re the coolest people. I get to work with these people, and I get to work for a non‑profit that is focused on safety and data transparency. On top of that, I get to hang out with you guys. I get to do all this stuff.
James: [43:23] We’re getting paid right now.
Monique: [43:24] Yeah, I know it’s crazy.
James: [43:25] We’re sponsored.
Monique: [43:26] Yeah.
James: [43:27] I get my meals.
Monique: [43:29] Exactly. The number one thing that I love what I do, Michael is so much happier now that I am happy. [laughs] Michael and lucky. Michael says I work too much. That’s the other person that I need to say is such an incredible force in my life.
[43:47] Michael and I have been together for almost eight years now. I was not looking for that at all. We have a lovely home and we have a lovely family. Our family includes the dog, don’t judge.
Jim: [44:01] So does ours.
James: [44:02] I don’t include my dog in my family.
Monique: [44:05] Last year, he said that it was too much. He was like, you’re too stressed out, you’re not happy, you’re not having fun, all these things. Go do what you need to do to have fun. I’m so grateful for that. Yes, I am doing what I love to do. This is best. I literally have the best job ever.
James: [44:20] You can hardly tell.
Jim: [44:22] Every time you call her name, we’re here and we say, “Hey Monique.” All of a sudden, she’s like, “Yep. What are you doing?” It could be anything. Who am I going to talk to next?
Monique: [44:31] What’s happening? If I’m not talking, I don’t think I could breathe. I think I have to talk to be able to breathe.
James: [44:38] She’s the weirdest thing, but I understand. I think you’re correct.
Monique: [44:45] Guys, I really appreciate you spending some time with me.
James: [44:48] She fucked it up.
Monique: [44:48] You guys make me feel so special. Like seriously, so special.
James: [44:53] We were doing the pre‑show and she said….
Monique: [44:55] I’ve been seeing y’all from afar forever and I was like, “I wonder if they’ll ever picked me?”
James: [44:58] We were doing the pre‑show and she said, “What are we going to talk about?”
Jim: [45:02] We’re like, “We’re just going to let you talk.”
James: [45:05] You, silly.
Monique: [45:05] Then they said, “Your favorite subject, Monique. Yourself.”
James: [45:07] Yourself.” She said, “Where will I start?” Then here we are 75 minutes later. This is a long form of that.
Monique: [45:17] Did I cover everything?
James: [45:18] You’re a rock star.
Jim: [45:17] You did fantastic.
James: [45:20] Thank you so much for all you do.
Jim: [45:22] Thank you.
Monique: [45:23] Thank you guys. Absolutely. You guys…
Jim: [45:27] You are an asset to our industries.
Monique: [45:29] You know what? I know you are, but what am I?
James: [45:32] Do you watch Stranger Things?
Monique: [45:34] No, I can’t. It’s too scary. I can’t even watch Beetlejuice. I’m a wuss. Oh, yeah. I’ve said, wuss.
James: [45:44] We’ve said Beetlejuice three times
Monique: [45:44] Stop it.
James: [45:47] We got to go.
Jim: [45:49] Until next time. “My Coffee with Jim & James.” This has been fantastic.
Monique: [45:53] Thanks guys, appreciate it.
Jim: [45:55] Thank you.
Monique: [45:55] Thank you. Bye.
[45:56] [music]
Transcription by WatchingWords