Thursday, September 2- This week, the guys play a little catch-up in our September Freestyle episode —covering everything from #vacations and Southern Gas Association awards to #travel and everything in between.
Quick Links:
Jim Schauer on Linkedin
James Cross on Linkedin
Episode Transcript
[0:00] [music]
Jim: [0:24] Good morning, audience and James. James and audience, you probably noticed something a little bit different about me today. And it may be that I’m not wearing my glasses and I always wear my glasses. But audience may not realize this, but you know, we really don’t run by the seat of our pants.
[0:41] We have flow sheets that are normally up on the screen, that I have to wear my glasses to see. But today’s episode is a freestyle, which is more of a conversation, free‑flowing, and I’m not going to break dance.
[0:57] And so that’s kind of…I just wanted to set the stage for that. And then another thing I got to tell you, James, in an industry event recently, somebody was inquiring about us. And they referred to us as, are you ready for this, the coffee guys.
James: [1:14] Oh, man. I like that.
Jim: [1:16] We watched the coffee guys,” and I’m like, “I like that.”
James: [1:20] So I’m going to have to look into that rebrand. That’s a good idea, the coffee guys.
Jim: [1:24] Yeah, how are you today, sir?
James: [1:27] Who else has been one of our threes or twos or tens of fans out there?
Jim: [1:31] I think it was number seven.
James: [1:32] Seven?
Jim: [1:34] Yeah. Hi, Becky. No…Hey, everybody. Welcome to the show today. Yeah, it’s a freestyle episode. We started these couple of months back in the summer.
[1:45] As we started to kind of roll into travel season as we kind of call it, we thought, you know, it’d be nice to have somebody to touch base with each month, and kind of look ahead at what’s coming up. And then cover all the things in between because now, as we’ve moved to this new recording schedule, you know, it gives us a little more flexibility to be able to drop those in when we want.
[2:08] So yeah, it’s pretty. I like the freestyle episodes. They’re one of my super favorites, you know. No offense to our guests, but when Jim and I get to just hang out with ourselves, we like that, too.
James: [2:18] [laughs] We would like that.
Jim: [2:23] James, you know, at the end of the last freestyle we were talking about summer vacations and getting away, and that kind of also builds on. We did the “7 Habits Series” over the time, and one of them was “Sharpening the saw.”
[2:35] And I know what the, the last freestyle were talking about, the need to sharpen the saw getaway. And I am proud to say that we both went on some summer vacations, and I’m going to ask you. I assume yours was calm smooth, no issues whatsoever.
James: [2:51] It was at first. It was…First of all, they’re not called vacations when you have kids. They’re called trips.
Jim: [2:56] OK.
James: [2:57] [laughs] Just for clarification. Vacations have a totally different feeling, vibe, when you don’t have to worry about kids. So this was a trip that we went on family trip. We did, we headed over to Florida, your home state. As you know, not too far. Kind of in that Tampa Bay area…What was it? Is it Anna Marie? I always get it wrong.
[3:22] Anna Maria Island, they’re outside of Tampa. So we had a great time. We road‑tripped it. We didn’t fly, which we…We’re big. We like road trips as a family. We make them a little bit longer than they need to be, and enjoy that time on the road, and stopping, and you know, letting the kids experience kind of America. And…
[3:42] So we took the long way down, which was really cool. We ended up going like just kind of straight across up high to, from all the way through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, you know, all the way across. And we ended up staying in Montgomery.
[3:59] So we got to do some of the Montgomery. We get to see, you know, all the history in Montgomery, which is amazing to experience that. And, you know, I haven’t traveled a lot in a car, cross‑country it since the pandemic.
Jim: [4:15] Right.
James: [4:16] And it’s funny how it changes the way you look at [laughs] everything now. You know, those are restrooms that you used before, just weren’t as attractive, right? So…
Jim: [4:25] They weren’t attractive in the past?
James: [4:27] I know you they weren’t, but it’s wild what we were accustomed to. But, you know, it took a little bit to kind of get in the swing of things, but we drop down from there straight down the Anna Maria. And really we were excited. We got on the beach the first day.
[4:43] You know, just right as we got into town late that night and ran down. And we were so pumped to get there. The next morning, we went out to the beach. Got everything unloaded. To go drag it all down there. I mean, this is at 9:00/10:00 in the morning.
[4:55] [crosstalk]
Jim: [4:56] You were going. You were ready.
James: [4:58] [inaudible] man. We were pompous. We spend the whole day, you know, set up camp. You know how it is.
Jim: [5:01] Yeah.
James: [5:01] We were going to have that big beach day, and got everything out of the car, and turned around and tweaked my back. Minute one, we were there. And I mean to the point where I laid down in the back of the explorer, and contemplated my life choices for a while, you know, while I sweated.
[5:21] But it was it definitely put a twist on things pretty quick, as you can imagine. Luckily, we were somewhere within the ocean that I could float in. So once I kind of got somewhere and got still, you know, I could live. [laughs]
Jim: [5:37] Yeah.
James: [5:38] It was it was pretty bad. I won’t lie, but wild stories to go with that for another day. But…
Jim: [5:45] Wait, wait, wait, wait. I’m just going to listen here. You went to a [inaudible] they sprayed you down with this disinfect‑able before you walked in. Will follow up on that story…
[5:55] [crosstalk]
Jim: [5:55] [inaudible]. [laughs]
James: [5:56] That seem like a story. Yeah, seems like a story Jim would tell at the beginning of one of these episodes. But wild stories on that we’ll have to go into it. Catch me out, catch me out in studio this year and we’ll talk about it.
[6:09] But so we get, you know, we muscle through it, but it was bad, man. I mean, you know how it is when you’re done and you back your the same issue so powered through it. The best we could, we had a snow, chuckling and kind of dolphin tour in the Bay and we did that. I think it was maybe a midweek.
[6:30] And, you know, I was actually kind of concerned for myself with a bad back. You know, how it is on a boat, just hitting the waves and stuff. But it actually I, I, you know, I enjoyed it but we got to our last kind of place. Snorkeling wasn’t very good, that it was really rough that day and stuff.
[6:49] So they were like, “You know,” but looking for shells and stuff. Sand dollars. That that was something the kids did, which was cool. So we got to the place where we’re going to get out and kind of wait around, you know, snorkel if you will, and got out of the boat.
[7:03] Kids got out of the boat. They started looking around. My wife went to get out of the boat. First step off the boat, impelled her foot with a shell. And I mean, to the point where she picked it up, pulled it out. That ended that moment, so she ended up back on the boat, getting some food. I stayed while.
[7:23] You know, we tried to salvage what we could with the kids. And anyway, luckily it was at the end of that, but that ended up at it, urgent care and the middle of the pandemic in Florida. My wife having to do that alone, and get a tetanus shot, and get you know, those shots in the bottom of your foot that they do because…
[7:42] You know, you can imagine how they have to clean that. So she left that on crutches, and we had one Bay until we had to head home. I remember I told you we love road trips, so we make them longer. It was going to be quite the whole coming back.
[7:59] And she was on crutches, and I had a bad back, and we made the best of it. We did what we could to…and the kids were just champions the whole time. I’d love to say that it was one of those vacations where we really recharge, but it really wasn’t.
[8:16] [crosstalk]
James: [8:17] I will say I’m in for sure. I mean, there were so many moments of, I’ve told everybody, my son and daughter had never eat at Waffle before. We took [laughs] them to a waffle house that night. That was the greatest moments of their life.
Jim: [8:32] In Montgomery? I’ve been to the one in Montgomery.
James: [8:35] I really can’t remember where we were when…It might have been. There’s 74 of them in Montgomery.
Jim: [8:39] Yeah.
James: [8:40] But, and then we, you know, we traveled through Alabama. I forget where exactly where, but it’s like one of the peanut capitals. You know, there’s a lot of peanuts grown and we’re half Alabama. And there’s this, we’re just driving down the road down the highway, and there’s just giant, It’s probably 40‑foot peanut and my son is a peanut fan, man.
[9:01] I mean, he’d rather have that than anything. So, we, you know, kind of skidded in there and took a picture with it and it kind of set a tone. And a lot of just little things that happen that were amazing. And we stole there as much time as we could.
Jim: [9:15] That’s awesome, man.
James: [9:17] How about you, man? How was your time?
Jim: [9:19] Well, thank the Lord it wasn’t as invigorating as yours. We went up to the Chattahoochee National Forests in Northern Georgia. So its way up there, near the Tennessee, South and North Carolina borders, rented, a beautiful little secluded cabin on the side of a mountain with a creek running.
[9:41] There’s a deck off the back, and a creek ran by it. So, Tammy and I took the grandkids. So combined, we have a tribe, right? So two of her grandkids, the little ones, Wyatt and Riley. We took up there for them to get that experience, they hadn’t done it.
[9:57] And we did ATV riding in the mountains, horseback riding in the mountains. We pan for gold. So we tube down that little creek behind us got tubes, or there’s tubes here for the kids, and ate some great food.
[10:11] And you know, just literally what I’ll be honest, you know, Tammy and I would go out on the deck in the morning first thing. And we had a Keurig machine there and we’d have coffee, and it was so good. We got back, we have coffee machine here and Nespresso and all that.
[10:27] We actually bought a Keurig last week because we like that experience, and it just kind of was so good. Now, we have our coffee rock star, and arsenal is building. But anyways, we had a great time. Everything was fine.
[10:40] You know, we got rest. We enjoy God’s beauty. We listen to the trees. We were in an area that had a lot of black bears there though, and so 600, and some are registered black bears in that area. So they’re like, you know, “Don’t leave food out at nighttime,” but we’re thinking, “Not a big deal.” But we didn’t see any, but we were on vigilance with that. But we had a great time. It was really good. You know, it’s one of those where I actually felt like I got away, you know. It wasn’t a…
[11:09] And oh, the other part, or the best part was, no, a very limited cell / Wi‑Fi service, very intermittent. So when I said I’m going off the grid, I felt that while doing that, because it wasn’t like I could just put the phone down and look at it. I could put the phone down and knowing there’s no service, so I could do…
James: [11:31] Nothing you can do.
Jim: [11:31] Yeah. Yes. It was good, man. It was great.
James: [11:33] And I want to clarify. I don’t want to put a damper on, on my vacation. It just wasn’t one of those recharge ones because I told a bunch of people while you’re gone. The experience we experienced as a family, I mean, it, it showed the character of our family. Just, you know, my son helping out because he knew one of us was down or…
Jim: [11:54] Yeah.
James: [11:54] or have those conversations. I’m telling you that you can read in books and you can, you know, watch videos and do all the things. But being able to drive like Selma to Montgomery and tell the type of story…
Jim: [12:08] Yeah.
James: [12:08] and be in Montgomery and stand on the corner where Rosa Parks did, and you know…
Jim: [12:13] Yeah.
James: [12:14] and walk the same streets as Hank Williams did, you know, like those types of things, you can’t steal that. And so I’ll take that. You know, we’re over our pains and our almond for the most part other than just being old, so we powered through it.
[12:30] But Jimmy, I’m, I’ll tell you, I’m happy we did that because the, the reality of it, and I think it became even more reality this past couple of weeks, is that we’re smack dab still in the middle, you know, somewhere in the middle of this pandemic.
[12:50] And it’s I think we had, I don’t want to say false hope because there is death. Definitely events happening, but it’s nothing like we thought perhaps this fall was going to be or hoped it would be, whatever.
[13:05] I will say that I traveled this past week to put on my other hat, my HR hat. They’re getting mad at me for a comment. Either hat, but they know what I mean. Put on my HR hat and went to a conference actually in Las Vegas.
Jim: [13:20] Yeah.
[13:21] [crosstalk]
James: [13:21] And you know [inaudible].
Jim: [13:23] How was it. How did it feel?
James: [13:24] You know, it was neat to be out there.
Jim: [13:28] Yep.
James: [13:28] You know, there’s an element that you just don’t even know how much you’ve missed it. For some of us, some definitely do, but that you can’t really explain to someone. But then also, it was odd. You know, they’re 100 percent mask mandate there too.
[13:47] So like, you know, following that and, and they were very diligent. I will say that I felt safe in, at the conference. There was tons of social‑distancing. They definitely booked a bigger venue than they needed on purpose. You know, there were a lot of elements to it, that I felt really good about that. But Vegas is Vegas, man.
Jim: [14:04] Yeah.
James: [14:05] You know, I think would have been in, you know, Kentucky or in Florida or, you know, just your run‑of‑the‑mill conference.
[14:14] I know Las Vegas is the conference King, but it was a weird place to be. And so, one of the things that happen while we were there is we made the Asian to go back to restrictions for our own company, which is a funny thing that kind of make while you’re at an HR convention in Vegas, right?
Jim: [14:32] Yeah.
James: [14:33] But we acted pretty quick on that. We’ve seen an uptick, you know, in cases and in so many areas that are people reside, a shortage in beds and things like that. And the last thing we want to do is, is put you know, our people in harm’s way.
[14:51] Our vision is, make the world a safer place to work. And we can’t do that if our people aren’t safe, and so it starts with our people. And, and so we made that tough choice this week. And, and you know, there was some other news that came out, Jimmy.
[15:02] Like AGA’s, you know, kind of showing their cards a little bit on what their events going to look like and, and offering some flexibility to pretty much everyone to say, “Look, here’s, here’s what we’re going to have to do to be safe. And honestly, if you’re not OK with it, or if it’s not the right time, then we’ll work with you to make it right.”
Jim: [15:22] Yeah.
James: [15:23] And I think we’ll see that a lot moving forward.
Jim: [15:26] Yeah, and I think a lot of us were…What’s the word? You know, hope, hopefully optimistic?
James: [15:33] Cautiously optimistic?
Jim: [15:35] Cautiously optimistic, yeah, there we go. And it’s all of a sudden, late August/September, and all the sudden things are raging again. And then we start getting words of operators, you know, we’re having travel restrictions.
[15:47] And they’re not trying to be mean. I mean, everybody’s, it’s like they want their people to be saved. So some operators have said, “Our stances we would prefer everybody to be safe. If you feel like going, OK, take precaution.” Others have…
James: [16:01] Absolutely.
Jim: [16:01] You know, others have said, “No, we’re just going to say, no travel. No meetings, do nothing.” So it’s been all over the board. So people like the AGA, SGA’s coming up in Charlotte, a big LGA event in New Orleans, the first week in November. That’s the 190 to 195 event, which I’ve gone to for 11/12 years now, which is huge and they just got hit with Ida.
[16:24] So I mean, it’s like a double whammy for our New Orleans friends and our South Louisiana friends. So, I mean, thoughts and prayers to everyone.
James: [16:32] I think a lot going on out there.
Jim: [16:35] There is.
James: [16:35] A lot to consider and, and I think that’s where we took our approach as a company was we said, “Let’s start with each person because, look, you guys know we can’t please. In this situation, it’s almost, what, 50/50 for most people.”
[16:49] You know, some people feel some kind of way, and some people feel the other. And, and whatever decision we make, you know, we’re going to probably piss off another group and vice versa. Right? And I mean, that’s reality and we understand it.
[17:02] So instead of throwing a blanket on it, we’re taking on more kind of human approach to it and, you know, like you said, gauging that comfort level because some of us that travel more and, you know, understand the restrictions that are in place and, you know, are comfortable with that.
[17:17] Then, we want to, we, in order for us to make the world a safer place to work, we have to be out there working with you, everyone. Right? The industry, the association’s, the clients prospects, everyone. And that, that takes, you know, the right people. And so that’s really been our approach.
[17:34] And Jimmy, I hate to kind of it for it to feel like speaking out of both sides of my mouth a little bit. But, you know, you and I are both ones that are, are having to go, not having to but are going out and traveling. We aren’t comfortable. We will be at these big events.
Jim: [17:50] Yeah.
James: [17:50] We’re being safe about it, obviously. But this past month, really, we kicked off some of that. You know, I talked about Vegas. You…I know you were in KC for an event.
Jim: [18:01] Yeah, for a nice event, wonderful event. 300‑some people there. I would say, I mean, very robust. It was great seeing folks. And, you know, me being there, in my pass, before COVID, I would travel what James?
James: [18:15] 20 [inaudible]. I mean, wait. Well, yeah, I’m saying event‑specific, but timeline, I mean, you’re spending, yeah, you spent a lot of time on the road.
Jim: [18:23] And I’m, you know, traveling now for me being, I would call myself a veteran experienced traveler. I’m like, you know, I have hand sanitizers everywhere. I got mask. I’ve got, you know.
James: [18:35] [laughs] I wouldn’t know what to expect when I got to the airport this time. I’ve been so long, it seemed like. You know, I traveled up to Oklahoma City. I think we talked about it at some point. But on 811 day, we did some things with [inaudible].
[18:49] On one, they brewed up their own beer that went out in Oklahoma, I think in Oklahoma City, that you can buy. And actually we sponsored the price for that. There’s a QR code on there. We can, you can scan it. It’ll take you to enter UNI. You just answer one question, who do you call? It’s really easy. Call me, and I’ll give you the answer, or Jim can give it to you now. [inaudible]
Jim: [19:12] 811, would that be it? All right.
James: [19:15] Always. I’ll before you do, but if you scan that, it’ll take you right to an entry forming in there for an $811 prize that I think is at the end of this month, or maybe the beginning they’re going to give away?
Jim: [19:26] Yeah.
James: [19:26] A really cool event, but I got to go out. There was just for the night, but that was really my first walking out into the industry since February of 2020. And it was so great to see people saw Jason Crow our good friend there…
Jim: [19:41] Yep.
James: [19:41] into the show. MG Gouveia…I always forget that. I feel like I got that wrong.
Jim: [19:47] MG.
James: [19:47] MG, E‑E‑R…
[19:49] [crosstalk]
James: [19:49] [inaudible] several of them, Jeff Hoffman, and tons of people.
Jim: [19:57] Ethen or Nathan [inaudible].
James: [19:58] Absolutely. Absolutely. So I got to experience that, and like I said, go to Vegas this past week. So we’re getting out there. We’re slowly kind of dipping our toes in the water. I know you got a trip coming up, I think next week as well. So we’re getting there a little bit into the groove.
Jim: [20:17] Yeah, I’m going up to see some industry talk. I guess you call them friends, colleagues. Some other industry next up in New York, which again, I’m talking not the Manhattan, New York.
[20:31] I’m talking the upstate New York, which I’m really interested to go see that and experience that, and I’m looking forward to it. So yeah, a little bit of travel will be good.
James: [20:42] Yeah. Well, I think if there’s a battle cry, Jimmy, it’s for us it’s kind of the show must go on, right?
Jim: [20:49] It has to. It’s got to. Right?
James: [20:52] And I thank the Lord that we are comfortable and prepared to do kind of a virtual experience. Almost, I won’t say as comfortably as in‑person, because I think we would all prefer in‑person if we could.
Jim: [21:07] Sure.
James: [21:08] But we are comfortable enough as me and you, as a company, as an industry now. Somebody said this morning, we had a new hire come in and he said, “Emma, onboarding was really good, as onboarding was 100% virtual,” OK?
Jim: [21:25] OK.
James: [21:26] And he walked in, he signed up for the job and knew we were going to be, you know, split and then it changed to 100% virtual.
Jim: [21:34] Yeah.
James: [21:35] And I said, “How’d it go?” And he was like, “Really good, man.” I was really surprised, you know, kind of…And I said, “Man, we had to get really good at this really fast last year.” And I think that’s a statement as a whole for our industry. We had to get really good really fast that at the remote version of ourselves.
Jim: [21:51] Yeah.
James: [21:51] And I’m proud of our industry for doing it, and I’m proud of us, honestly. And you Jimmy, I’m proud of you, Jimmy.
Jim: [21:58] I’m proud of you, James. I’m proud of you for coming up with the idea. It was 17 months ago. I was sitting out in the Tiki Lounge, and I did a video on my phone and I posted it. It was kind of like that pre‑traumatic stressed‑up disorder, may be that.
[22:14] You know, couldn’t be COVID on day four that. I didn’t have it. But the world is shutting down and I’m like, “I normally get on a plane. I normally go to a hotel. I normally run cars and normally get on up.” And I did that, and I didn’t know what to do when you gave me that call and said, “I got this idea. We’re going to do a, what you call it a podcast, a blog or whatever you call them.”
[22:36] [crosstalk]
James: [22:36] [inaudible] or maybe a video series or something.
Jim: [22:38] Yeah, and I’m like, “Emboss your mind. That’s it. You’re crazy.” I said I cannot do that. He goes, “Yeah, you’re going to be great at it.” And with the first ones, if you go back and look at it, we were so, I was so uncomfortable. I mean, I…
James: [22:49] Like little robots, right?
Jim: [22:51] Welcome to the…”
James: [22:52] I am Jim Shower.”
Jim: [22:54] Yeah. So but long story short, James, I think there’s some information that you and I are both very… Well, I don’t want to say proud in a prideful or you know, in a prideful way, but just that we’re making some good connections in the industry, and people are recognizing that.
[23:11] And as a result, at the SGA, give a little clue about the SGA in Charlotte, and what’s happening with that.
James: [23:18] Yeah, so we found out, I don’t know, when this is going to air by then, the next week. It don’t matter. So we found out, first part of September, that we actually made the finalists for the Corporate Communication Award at that for SGA, the SGA puts on.
[23:37] And so we had we put that out before that we were nominated. Thank you for those that nominated us. And we apparently got some votes from the threes of listeners that we have. We appreciate that too. Will send you a check on your swag box.
[23:55] But there was actually really awesome out turnout for the SGA Awards. I there’s some great stats on it that I don’t have in front of me, but they are going to announce the winners. So it was us. Who has it? One buyer…
Jim: [24:08] Inspire [inaudible]. I mean, world class organizations that, to have “Coffee with Jim and James.” be in the same breath as those entities was like, whoa.
James: [24:22] Yeah, because I really respect both of them. What they do. You know, and both of them have multiple communications that they were, I think a nominated for. And, you know, really, we put this show out from energy worldnet as our…You know, our…That’s what got nominated.
[24:39] It’s so kind of neat to see that, and Jim, like you said, it’s not pride in the sense of, you know, showboating. It’s more of just knowing that what you’re doing is making an impact and being seen and, and respected, honestly.
[24:52] We love SGA and our friends over there. And we appreciate everything they do and, and, and who’s going to win it? I mean, Jimmy’s going to, he might show up my tux that night. It’s at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Did you not see that?
Jim: [25:06] You know, we’re seeing the movie “Dumb and Dumber” and the tuxedos that they wore.
James: [25:12] Oh, man.
Jim: [25:12] All right.
James: [25:16] Say an SGA pulled a couple of strings, we might show up in those blue and orange suits.
Jim: [25:22] That we might. We might even do a live event there for them. And you know, all that stuff there will be fun. I mean, we really give so much, I don’t know, respect to them for respecting us, and asking us and trusting us to go ahead and do that live event with the Connections for Life team.
James: [25:39] Yes, thank you…
Jim: [25:39] Maybe that’s why…
James: [25:40] to everyone that trusts us.
Jim: [25:41] Yeah.
James: [25:42] I’m really thirsty. I don’t know what you were thinking.
Jim: [25:44] And just to know that we’re making an impact. And that’s really, you know, when people ask why we do this to connect with you to share one thing or a couple things that maybe makes your day better, makes your day safer, makes you put a smile on your face, something. As long as we positively touch people. I’ll do this until ready for this, the cows come home.
James: [26:04] So, the caterer term Decatur.
Jim: [26:07] That is the K term. And James, let me switch on this toot speaking about all that we’re doing in the, and the friends that we have in the network, we got another event coming up really soon here. W
James: [26:19] Yap. We just, actually just recorded a teaser for it. What is, what is our life anymore, Jim? I contacted Jim yesterday and I said, “Hey, man, we got to record some promo spots, for some different events, [laughs] and then record an episode.” Me and him, are both alike, “What is our life?”
[26:37] What Jim was referring to those, we’re doing at LinkedIn live with Jim, our friend Jim Kunkel on his show build‑out. And if you have a, you know, check that out, obviously, check it out a bit, Ashley, the link that up for us here on LinkedIn. And, and if you’re on the podcast go find Jim Kunkel. Really easy to find Kunkel with a K.
[26:57] So September 15th at noon Eastern Time, we’re calling it “Super Friends.” It’s going to be…Jimmy, you want to run it down? You’d do such a great job of it.
Jim: [27:09] OK. On this event, it’s going to be Heidi Brooks, Mike Lamont, the Connections for Life crew, Three Stooges, Jose Torrid, Ted Peach, and Kubo James, and myself, and Master of Ceremonies. Jim Kunkel.
James: [27:27] Yeah, so there’s 67 people on it. [laughs] We’re all going to be this big and, and talking over each other. It’d be a blast. Come check us out. No, it will be cool. We’ve had some great synergy with those folks, and we had kind of started as a joke, and then we said, you know what? It’d be a great show.
[27:47] Just get on talk about why we do what we do, you know what our intentions are, how we want to move forward, and what we can do to, you know, stand our industry up and others. And it should be fun. Those are fun. We don’t get to do a lot.
[28:02] I mean, I know these are live, but, you know, yeah, the part about live that is the best is when people get on chat, start harassing you, and heckling you and, and asking questions, and doing all the fun stuff that honestly, we don’t, we don’t get to do all the time. It’s cool to be on the other side a little bit too…
[28:17] [crosstalk]
Jim: [28:17] It is. It is.
James: [28:17] sometimes. You don’t get to do that a lot.
Jim: [28:20] It’ll be fun and it I’ll probably have my mute button on the whole time, so I don’t slip up and say something…
James: [28:27] Love.
Jim: [28:28] It’ll be a blast, James, I think our time is coming to an end. My friend, I could go on for hours as we normally could. Any last words before I wind us down?
James: [28:41] No. And stay the course. Let’s, let’s get past all this and get it. I’m right…Man, I hope ’22 is, is our year for sure, you know, but we’re going to be out there. Keep an eye out AGA, SGA. Really, will be everywhere, man.
[28:59] We’ll do the best we can to support all of our associations during this time. And when we can’t be there, we’ll do the best to do what we can.
Jim: [29:08] Absolutely. You spoke every word in my head about that. So thank you audience. Thanks for tuning in. We hope you had at least an enjoyable time today spending it with us.
[29:20] We hope your day is good. We hope, the most important thing is that you all stay safe. So until next time on Coffee with Jim and James, it’s our pleasure. We’ll see you next time.
[29:30] [background music]
Jim: [29:30] Take care. Everybody. Have a good day. Thanks James.
James: [29:32] Yeah.
Jim: [29:33] Bye, brother.