Shivani Gupta

Welcome to the Shivani Podcast. I'm really excited to introduce to you Brandon Gibson who I've got on the podcast today when I first moved to Queensland State in Australia, I went to a particular event, the EO, Entrepreneurs Organization, and Brendan was the first person I met. He welcomed me, can I just say with a very loud shirt, I know you're not gonna see it today, and was very welcoming into this particular event that I was arriving at.

Let me tell you a little bit about him. Before we dive into some questions with him, for over 20 years, Brendan has been working in the technology space, his work with IT business owners on gaining efficiencies in their business. And he really is a people person, he loves helping people. He's got two businesses, one being inspired, and the other one called focus, productivity. And they've got a couple of products in them as well. And a profit transformer which is a profit consulting business, see 365 license, which is a software for IT companies. And in 2019. And this is a part of Brendan that really inspired me further, when he started to speak to me about this where he was starting to do some extraordinary work in charity, and hopefully he'll tell us more about that. And also in 2019, he went through, you know, he was faced with a net loss and his business, and he certainly asked that question Is this worth that? He read the book Profit First, and he committed to implementing absolutely everything that he could in, and within a year or so his business was up by 200%. So, passionate about this process, he decided to help other companies and implement Profit First, so the business owners could have a different experience. He is married to Louise, and which he absolutely adores knowing and following him on socials. And he's got some beautiful kids, would you please welcome Brendon? How are you, buddy?

Brendan Gibson

Good friend, how are you?

Shivani Gupta

I know, there's quite a bit actually, that's a summary of you. There are so many different things that you've done and continue to do. And so, you've been through so many different things. Brendan, when I look at your business journey and your personal journey, I know you've just completed a marathon. So, we'll talk about that as well. You know, there's been so many different things. So, one of the questions I'm always interested in is, you know, what are your highlights and your lowlights? What have you learned your major turns in your life that have got you to where you have today? So, tell us a little bit about them?

Brendan Gibson

Oh, right. Well, just Yes. Okay, thank you. Um, I guess, some of the high points for me. And I'm going to mix the high and the low in. So, I think first and foremost, I think becoming a Christian when I was 10. My mother, I remember my mother and I mum praying with me. And that was right before she passed away. So that was obviously a huge low point of mine, losing to my losing my mom. And so that was definitely high and low.

Marry my wife in 2004. I'd say that's a high point, of course. And we've known each other since we were 12 years old. So, we were friends all through high school. And I just kept persisting, I was that annoying boy. And I kept persisting and eventually got the girl and I honestly think she's the best thing since sliced bread. And yeah, as I said, having our 3 beautiful children, which you mentioned before Shivani. I think, and you sort of touched on that in about 2019. So, 20 years, I guess some of the low points have been some of the health challenges as well just to be transparent. So, in 2017, there was a stressful situation. And we had a big whale of a client, and they changed their direction, and we lost half our team. And I had some health, I had an epileptic seizure. So that meant for me not driving for six months. Regaining just mindset and found my memory was a bit difficult to retain things sometimes. And I'm pretty sharp usually. So, it was frustrating for me. And that was in 2017. And I recently just had five weeks or six weeks ago, I've just had two more seizures. So, I'm telling everyone, not I'm telling everyone for awareness. Really. It's um, and so yeah, had to epileptic seizures in the one day. And that's been that's been challenging. So now I can't drive again for six months and relying on lots of other people to help me, which is not something comes naturally.

So, but then 2019, as you sort of touched on that, I think a high point was a, I remember the accountant saying, like, oh, it hasn't been a good year, you've, you've got negative 150k and net equity. I don't think Shivani I could even read a balance sheet properly back then. And net loss of 30k. And someone said, you should read this book. And, he was another in EO actually. And I found out later, he actually hadn't even read the book himself. So hilarious, but I won’t mention his name on this, but he knows who he is. And Sydney chapter. And he, yeah, so he recommended that book. I read it. I was like, yes, this is me. This is like, ah, it's written by Mike McCalla works. And it was like he was in it. And it was just, it was yeah. So, I'm like, okay, cool. first of July, I'm going to do this. And yeah, I started implementing it. And, it started within 60 days, I was cashflow positive. Within six months, I've repaid the negative 152,000 net equity on the balance sheet. And the business transformed. And then leads me to another point. I implemented it in well, we implemented it in another business, a buddy of mine, Leon, he has an IT company on the Central Coast and implemented in his business.

And we kept each other accountable for 18 months. And we found that my wins were his challenges and my challenges with his wins. And some are like he's like we shouldn't do this together. And I'm like, no, I don't want a business partner. And eventually I gave in. And that's my other point is because the business merger would be our high point. So, we merged in February last year. And it's just been great. We've got a great team and really clear strategy on where we're headed. And it's awesome. We've got a great team of about 22 staff now, I think. And probably the last load low point, I'd say is losing my uncle to suicide last year, in February. So that was a shock to our whole family, to anyone he knew, and we had no idea. So, I'm happy to touch on that later. And that's sort of around the charity stuff you were talking about.

Shivani Gupta

Yeah, that's amazing. Brendan, thank you for being so open and vulnerable about the fact that you've, you know, had some health challenges recently, sort of five or six weeks ago, but you just did a half marathon right, a couple of weeks ago. So how does, how did that work? Knowing that that was a long-term goal. And then you had the decision? Like, how did you navigate that?

Brendan Gibson

Yeah, with the great support of my beautiful wife and friends. But lately, he's just been incredible. And I would say that I'd been training for eight months for this half marathon. I'd registered and I did a fundraiser. I did a fundraiser when I went to register for the half marathon. I like it said you want to associate yourself with a charity. And I said, oh, I wonder if and not every Friday, my brother and I we were a trade a trade much shirt. And, and it says on the back. This is a conversation starter. And the whole idea of that organization is for suicide awareness and prevention. And so, I'm like, I wonder if trade marks on there. So, I'm looking for trademarked and they weren't there. But then I found another one called live in, and I like oh, what's this about and see their suicide prevention, they get into schools, and they educate and some of the stats is scary Shivani it's one every 40 seconds someone in the world takes their life, one person every 40 seconds. So that just scares the living daylights out of like, yeah, I want to say step itself with that. And especially like with the men, like I do some stuff with men shed at our church and stuff. And the amount of I can't share the stories, but the amount of times that comes up of people struggling with this. It’s scary. So, I'm very passionate about that. And yeah, we ended up being the top. Well, I don't know if it is still but we were as of late last week we are the top fundraiser in Australia, and we raised $4,100 For living. And so, to answer your question in a long way, it was, I’ve done that I had, I had to do this, I had to finish it. And, yeah, I had to. So I just persisted, and it took longer than it normally would have I, I was hoping to finish in two hours, 30 I finished in two hours, 50 it hurt, it was painful. But I just feel so overjoyed, like that I did finish. And we raise that money.

Shivani Gupta

Hats off to you, man, that's, that's incredible. When I think when I listen to you speak, and obviously, knowing you outside of this podcast, too, you know, this whole notion of, you know, we can talk about integrity till the cows come home. But the fact that you've got when you say you're going to do that, and do that, despite the health challenges, knowing that then you wouldn't be able to drive for six months and still doing that, that is amazing. And also, for charity, you know, it's not like you're trying to do something business or something that's going to give you the direct benefit. But just to do that is really, really amazing. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for doing it. I knew you did that. I know you did that for charity, but I didn't know the background of the health stuff as well.

And so, if we just focus on a moment on challenges, then Brendan that, you know, like challenges are everywhere, right there in our business, or in our family, they're in our personal lives. But some people have this ability to be they have a different process, or they have a different methodology, or they have a different philosophy around how they deal with challenges. So, when you deal with challenges, you've just spoken about the profit and the loss in your own business. You know, that impacts obviously, all of your family, you've talked about suicide with your uncle. You've talked about your own health. So, when those challenges come your way? How do you navigate them? Like, do you have a process? Do you have a like, what do you do when they come your way? How do you break it down?

Brendan Gibson

That's a really good question. I think, I think for me, I think having my faith has been an incredible, like, I think that is encouraging in the hard times as well. I think having so I think that that's number one for me. And number two would be having good support groups and good support networks as well. I'm talking about it and not just, it's really easy to keep things inside and not and then build resentment or upset or whatever it is for you.

And so, I think the entrepreneurs group has been really good the EO, organization and part of that it's been a really, really good to find, the we call it the 5% you know, the stuff that you don't necessarily talk about each day. And I find that really hard for me, the challenge for me is finding that 5% because I'm pretty open with a lot of people. So, try to find it. You really have to dig really dig deep in that. But yeah, I've got good support people around me. Good friends. Yeah, as I said Louise and I has been we're a good team. So. And I think the other thing is we don't, I'm really struggling. I mean, you asked how I how I cope with it. Thing is take each day as it comes at the moment, like I found my capacity was very limited. So, I'm still navigating that. And, and but what I do know is that, you know, I do want to start my day and you know, whether it's reading, doing a reading and having some prayer or going for a run and changing perspective and getting a different glimpse, because it's really easy that when you're in when you're in a box, you only see what's in that box, you don't see the amazing stuff outside the box. And, and a lot of times in that box can be negativity. And yes, you don't see the good stuff out there. So, I think the running like keeping active has been helpful. It just helps clear the mind as well. And, yeah, I think there's some of the main things. I think a big lesson that I'm trying to learn. I say that, because I don't think I've got it yet, is we think we're invincible. I think you said that word before Shivani on the call, is that we think we're invincible. We think we're unstoppable.

And even if we do have health challenges, like I still had those seizures, right and my body's obviously saying hang on something's not right. Yeah, you got to slow down or do something different. I still nicked off overseas and then did this and then ran half a marathon and then like, what does it take for us to listen like and I think that is something I'm on track, trying to say no to things and trying to slow down. But that's a process.

Shivani Gupta

Absolutely, absolutely. And when you look at the number of things that you've done, like I look at what you've just shared, Brendan, like through COVID, merging businesses, helping others fairly big family event. And then also doing work on their, you know, getting your own health. And then you know, you've got your own kids as well. So, when you look at that future, and sometimes people are only looking at the future, like a year round, and other times people are looking at that legacy piece of 30 or 40 years, so whatever timeframe that you have, what are some of the future aspirations that you have? And again, it doesn't have to be business, it might be family might, be you? What are some of the things that you go? Yeah, my future, these are some of the things I want to do. That I haven't done yet, or I want to do more of so to tell me about that.

Brendan Gibson

Yeah. I'm also couple of ways. So, I remember when I first joined EO, and I was in my accelerator group, which is like, entry group type thing that are giant. And based on the size of where I was at the business, I remember the coach, Ken Fowler, he did a roles and goals exercise with us, which is from The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, the book, and I encourage anyone to do that is basically you grab a blank sheet of paper, and you write all the roles that you are in your life. So, what hats do you wear? Okay, so, you know, it's all my father, I'm a friend, I'm a son, I'm a musician, I'm a full driver, I'm a business owner, like blah, blah, blah, right? You get the point? Yeah, your royalties rolls down, and then you run it. For the next one, even just one, one year, two years, you write some of the goals that you want to do as part of each of those roles. And like I remember, one is a father was going to have a monthly date with my daughters and my son, not going to date with the son, or hang out, whatever, right. And so, I remember writing that down, and I haven't always got it perfect, but you cross it off when you when you do it. And so, there's a few goals that we've set on there. One of the goals that Lou I know was really important, is that she wants to go to New York one day and say we want to do that, and then ended up happening, that we're actually going to New York in a few weeks’ time. I'm at a conference over there. So yes, thick, you know, and so it's fulfilling as well.

But one of the things I think with the health issues as well, is we had a we had our annual planning as the leadership team. And I think it's really easy to fall into a trap of going right, let's set these awesome goals, these big goals, and then nothing happens or, or something's left off the table. And one of the things I said to my leadership team is I was I just thought this was one of our best leadership team meetings. I felt that was really great. And we just remember, we've only been a leadership team since February last year. So, there was a lot of transparency. But one of the goals that are in there, which my business partner is heading up is what roles can we remove from Brendan and Leon? What hats can we take off them? And so, we can be more like on the business, not in the business. And so, we've made that a priority. So that then frees other people to step up other positions to be created.

Whatever that looks like, we're investigating that this quarter, that's a quarterly rock, but it's also a yearly initiative. So, from a business sense, it's a one-page plan. And we know that this year, these are our top priorities. And one of those priorities is take hats off Brendan and Leon. So that I don't know if that answers some of your question. But we love like, personally, I just, we really treasure our family holidays and times and going to bakeries and getting lots of doughnuts and so that's yeah, I guess future plans eventually end up somewhere in the beach. We just love the beach a lot. Yeah, yeah. So now just giving you a whole lot of info.

Shivani Gupta

No, that's great. And we'll talk afterwards about New York and do that outside of the podcast. And so, leadership philosophies that you had, like you might love certain quotes or certain leaders or certain philosophies. You talked about your faith that might be part of the philosophies as well. So, do you have a couple of those that you try and abide by and live by?

Yeah, well, couple, so treat others how you want to be treated. And I think That's a really important one. And yeah, so that's, that's definitely one. There's a second one and I'd encourage everyone to go and listen to a nine-minute clip on YouTube. Type in “Turn the Ship Around” by David, oh sorry it’s “Greatness”, turn the ship around will bring it up but “Greatness” by David Marquet. It's a nine-minute cartoon sketch and he's sketching out. And what it talks about is, he was part of the HMIs Santa Fe, right. So, submarine in the US and he was awarded, the highest award, ever, ever. And what happened to him was a change in leadership. And, and this is certainly what we want an inspired, we want to raise up. You know, great, great leaders in their own right and thinkers. And so, what it talks about is a lot of submarines and a lot of military is you do this, you do this, you do it now, blah, blah, blah. Yes, sir. Yes, Captain yes, yes sir. Anyway, I don't want to ruin it for you. But I'd encourage everyone who is listening to watch that. And I think you'll look at it personally, and you'll look at professionally and there'll be definitely takeaway value. And it basically means you shut up as the captain. And you keep maybe one, maybe firing the nuke, respectively, whatever that looks like in your life, firing the nuke where you're going to threaten other people's lives, that that's on your shoulders, that definitely, you're the captain, you need to make that call. But you shut up captain and let other people that are competent, that have clear communication in what is the outcome and what needs to happen. Following a process. You let them think and let them communicate their intent to you. I want to do is acknowledge them and say, look, what's your intent here. And, and so they did this change in the submarine. And within 24 hours, the entire submarine changed the way it worked. We had a team of thinkers he had it and it was just incredible. So, I hope that makes sense. That's the kind of like leadership thing I look for. Aligned to.

Shivani Gupta

Awesome. That's great. And we'll actually check that out. And we might put that in some of our notes at the end of the podcast as well. Brendan, you talked a bit about couple of health challenges that have come back. But you do a lot for other people's wellness, your family, you're helping really raise awareness and starting conversations around suicide on Fridays and other opportunities. I know you've spoken at Men's Sheds. What about for your own wellness? 

So, you know, is running part of that and of the bakery part of that? What are the things that are that you do either daily, or you do maybe once a year? Like what are some of the rituals and practices that you have to manage your own wellbeing?

Brendan Gibson

Yeah. Yeah, so I probably exercise about three times a week. And I enjoy that that's definitely good to wake up to a new day and go well, what can I be grateful for today? And, and, yeah, I think I mentioned before having a quiet time having some prayer. That's been great. I tried to float therapy session, I think. And I think I've done a few in the last in the last year. And I found it really cool. it was weird at first. But yeah, it's really cool. So, I'm laying basically laying in a shallow pool with lots of salt in it and, and you float, and you fall asleep, if you can if you truly can relax. But yeah, I found that really good. I do like getting away and disconnecting from just work and all the commitments. So, we as a family go down and we go camping at the beach. And so that's nice. And yeah, I probably need to do more Shivani but yeah, like go away and men's things. And when I can I get the opportunity.

Shivani Gupta

Awesome. That's great. There are quite a few things on there that you do really around your wellness and also the families as well. And Brendan, if people want to find out a bit more about the charity work that you're doing, the work that you're doing in terms of making businesses more profitable, and you know, applying the elements of Profit First, tell us a bit about your business. Where do people find you from a business point of view, whether that be find you around some of the charity stuff that you're doing, what are the best platforms that we can connect with you and listen more about what you are doing.

Brendan Gibson

Yes, I'm on Facebook, I'm on Instagram, I'm on LinkedIn. The actual in terms of the Profit First stuff (https://anspired.com.au/). So, like as transformers, you know, that profit transformer. And it's not because I'm the profit transformer, it's because your business will transform. If you apply it, people can get the first two chapters free of Profit First, as well and read it and see what they think. And so that's that. But yeah, you can reach me. Yeah, reach out on LinkedIn is probably the best way and professional networks. The charity stuff that I just did recently for living that's on. You can find me on I think it's on living.org. And you look for the Gold Coast marathon. I think it's still live. And yeah, I think the last time I looked, it was $4,100 that we've raised, which is awesome. And, yeah, that's probably the main ways to connect.

Shivani Gupta

That's awesome. Thank you, Brendan. It's been such a pleasure having you and listening to your openness and just some of the work that you're doing both in business with your family, but also some of the giving that you're doing. Thank you for being on.

Brendan Gibson

Thank you for having me. Shivani you, you're awesome. You really are.

Shivani Gupta

Thank you.