In this special year-end wrap-up, we bring together a powerful collection of voices—from professional athletes and entrepreneurs to mental health advocates. This episode explores the common threads of resilience, the "GSD" (Get Stuff Done) mentality, and the transformative power of failure. Whether it’s navigating a career-ending injury, a business hurdle, or a personal crisis, our guests share how they stayed on the path to success by embracing the grind and keeping their eyes on the next mountain.

Key Takeaways

• The Gift of Failure: Why failing out of college can be the "best thing that ever happened" by providing the maturity and perspective needed for the real world.
• The "Next Mountain" Mentality: The importance of having your next goal scheduled before you finish your current one to avoid stagnation.
• Defining Your Role: Lessons from the ice and the mound—you don’t have to be the fastest or the strongest; you have to be the best at your specific role in the organization.
• Systems vs. People: Insights into the social injustices of impoverished communities and the resilience of families fighting against rigid systems.
• The Power of Sound: A moving look at how music (specifically Pearl Jam) became a lifeline during the recovery from the trauma of a mass shooting.
• Handling Mistakes in Business: Why empathy and relatability are your most important tools when things go wrong with a client.

Quotes

• "The top of one mountain is the bottom of the next. You have to have that next goal ready so that when you knock this one out, you're already looking at the next."
• "Mistakes happen. Everyone does that. It’s really how you handle those mistakes... as much as it might not be your fault, you still have to relate to them and understand what they are up against."

TIMCODE:

• [00:00] - Snowboarding and Loopholes: A story of qualifying for nationals, navigating an unexpected pregnancy, and using unemployment as a "pro-snowboarding" scholarship.
• [04:15] - Hard Truths in Education: Reflecting on a 900-square-foot home with six people and getting rejected from every PhD program applied to.
• [07:30] - The Locker Room Culture: The art of staying "cool, calm, and collected" under the pressure of the Stanley Cup finals.
• [11:15] - Leaving Home at 16: The grit required to move to a big city alone to pursue a junior hockey career.
• [14:40] - Creative Resilience: How a print company owner uses humor, airplanes, and "temperament pushups" to make traditional manufacturing engaging in a digital world.
• [18:20] - Healing Through Music: A vulnerable discussion on finding solace in familiar melodies during the sleepless nights following a tragedy.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review, and share with a friend who would benefit from the message.

Unlock your business's potential with TTSG! Join forces with us to elevate your brand, streamline your operations, and achieve unparalleled success. With our comprehensive range of services—from IT solutions and cybersecurity to cutting-edge marketing strategies—we empower you to focus on what you do best. Let's create a story worth telling and drive your business forward.

Take the first step today.

Explore what we have to offer:

Experience cutting-edge technology with TTSG: https://www.ttsg.com/
Unlock your potential with GSD Technologies: http://gsdnow.com
Transform your vision into reality with 20Twenty: https://20twentydesign.com/
Ready to take the next step?

Schedule a consultation and let’s start creating success together!

Partner with TTSG and experience the difference. Let's get shit done together!

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In this episode of The Get Shit Done Experience, host John Morris sits down in the studio with Rob Marshall, the founder and owner of Universal Marketing. Rob shares his incredible 30-year journey, from starting a business in his basement just after getting married to building a lasting legacy in the promotional products industry. He opens up about overcoming profound personal tragedy and how those experiences shaped his core values of family, faith, and resilience. This is a powerful conversation about leading with purpose over product, the superpower of authenticity, and how embracing uncomfortable situations is the key to personal and professional growth.

Key Takeaways

• Adversity is Fuel: The most challenging moments in life can become the bedrock of your strength. Facing adversity builds the resilience needed to grow a business, lead a family, and inspire others.
• Purpose Before Product: Lasting success is driven by purpose and principle, not just transactions. When you focus on building genuine relationships and serving others, the business becomes a vehicle for a greater mission.
• Authenticity Attracts Opportunity: Sharing your true story—the triumphs and the traumas—is a powerful magnet. It fosters genuine connections and brings people into your life who want to be part of your future story.
• Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: True growth happens just outside your comfort zone. Intentionally putting yourself in new and challenging situations, whether joining a prayer group or starting a podcast, is essential for development.
• Urgency is a Core Value: In a commoditized industry, the customer experience is everything. A relentless sense of urgency and attention to detail are what separate great brands from the rest and keep customers coming back.

Quotes

• "Product is very important, but they're more driven by purpose and principle."
• "The best thing that ever happened to me was her. She's the most kind, caring, loving, unbelievable mother that I could ever imagine."
• "Put yourself in an uncomfortable position to get comfortable. Again."
• "It's not how good you are when you're good. It's how good you are when you're bad."
• "Tomorrow is not promised. That's the reality of it all."
• "I have this saying that the more commoditized your brand or business is... the more humanized your content needs to be."

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review, and share with a friend who would benefit from the message.

Unlock your business's potential with TTSG! Join forces with us to elevate your brand, streamline your operations, and achieve unparalleled success. With our comprehensive range of services—from IT solutions and cybersecurity to cutting-edge marketing strategies—we empower you to focus on what you do best. Let's create a story worth telling and drive your business forward.

Take the first step today.

Explore what we have to offer:

Experience cutting-edge technology with TTSG: https://www.ttsg.com/
Unlock your potential with GSD Technologies: http://gsdnow.com
Transform your vision into reality with 20Twenty: https://20twentydesign.com/
Ready to take the next step?

Schedule a consultation and let’s start creating success together!

Partner with TTSG and experience the difference. Let's get shit done together!

TIMECODES

00:00 Introduction and Episode Highlights
01:20 Welcome and Introducing Rob Marshall
02:15 The Power of Authentic Connection on LinkedIn
05:20 Rob’s Journey: College Sports, Finding His Wife, and Early Career
11:30 Sponsor Spotlight: Total Technology Solutions Group (TTSG)
12:45 Overcoming Profound Adversity and Family Tragedy
22:15 Starting Universal Marketing from an Unfinished Basement
32:00 Sponsor Spotlight: GSD Technologies
33:10 Navigating Business Growth and Surviving a Building Fire
41:00 The Pivotal Decision to Move for Family and Finding True Success
51:45 Building a Culture of Urgency and Family
59:00 Sponsor Spotlight: 20Twenty Design
1:00:15 Final Thoughts: The Power of Getting Uncomfortable

The Get Shit Done Experience is live at Bella Napoli for a buzzing Level Up Social Club networking event. Host John Morris connects with the club's founder, David Ko, along with a dynamic lineup of entrepreneurs and business leaders making their mark in the Chicago suburbs. The evening is a testament to the power of genuine connection and compounding commitment. Guests share powerful stories about building a brand "one bite at a time," leveraging a competitive mindset learned from sports, and the incredible transformation that comes from living an authentic, passion-driven life. It's an energetic look at how top performers get shit done by fostering community and leading with gratitude.

Key Takeaways

• Community Over Transactions: The foundation of successful networking is putting the person first and the profession second. Focus on building genuine relationships and creating good vibes, and the business will naturally follow.
• Build Your Brand One Bite at a Time: Lasting success isn't built overnight. It's the result of compounding commitment—showing up consistently, creating content, and making one genuine connection at a time to build unstoppable momentum.
• Authenticity is a Superpower: Living your truth and finding work you're passionate about is not a weakness, but a source of immense energy and drive. It allows you to connect with others on a deeper level and build a life you're proud of.
• Embrace the Competitor's Mindset: Lessons from sports—like resilience, understanding that failure is part of the game, and maintaining a competitive drive—are directly transferable to the corporate world and essential for getting shit done.
• Your Space is Your Vibe: An office is more than just a place to work; it's an investment in your culture, brand, and employee well-being. Creating an environment where people can thrive boosts productivity and makes a powerful statement to clients.

Quotes

• "Level Up has always been about the person first and the profession second. It's all about the vibes, not about the highs."
• "You know how you build a brand? One event at a time. One meeting at a time. One content piece at a time. One call at a time."
• "The most powerful force in the world is compounding commitment."
• "I had a hard time understanding that in the sports world, being perfect from a baseball side is impossible. It's a failure sport."
• "...treat people how they want to be treated. Meet 'em where they're at."
• "Studies show that 4% of employees are actually thriving in a workplace. So we have just started what we call... Project Thrive."

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, review, and share with a friend who would benefit from the message.

Unlock your business's potential with TTSG! Join forces with us to elevate your brand, streamline your operations, and achieve unparalleled success. With our comprehensive range of services—from IT solutions and cybersecurity to cutting-edge marketing strategies—we empower you to focus on what you do best. Let's create a story worth telling and drive your business forward.

Take the first step today.

Explore what we have to offer:

Experience cutting-edge technology with TTSG: https://www.ttsg.com/
Unlock your potential with GSD Technologies: http://gsdnow.com
Transform your vision into reality with 20Twenty: https://20twentydesign.com/
Ready to take the next step?

Schedule a consultation and let’s start creating success together!

Partner with TTSG and experience the difference. Let's get shit done together!

TIMECODES

00:00 Introduction and Episode Highlights
01:05 Welcome to the Get Shit Done Experience
01:35 Live from the Level Up Social Club Networking Event
02:40 Interview with David Ko: The Power of Community and Gratitude
09:05 Sponsor Spotlight: Total Technology Solutions Group (TTSG)
10:30 Interview with Chris Welock: The Athlete's Mindset in Business
21:50 Sponsor Spotlight: GSD Technologies
23:05 Interview with Dave Savio: Living Beyond Default and Compounding Commitment
37:40 Interview with Marianne Bial: Security, Service, and Making an Impact
40:20 Interview with Colleen Doyle: The ROI of a Thriving Workspace
48:15 Sponsor Spotlight: 2020 Design
49:40 Final Thoughts and Thank You