34: Patrick Galvin
Chris Suarez: [00:00:00] [00:00:00]
Welcome back to the experience growth podcast. I'm Chris Suarez, your host. And today we have a special guest for you. In fact this is someone that I've known for some time. And as I had my conversation with him, I had to ask myself the question, why have I not introduced our community to him sooner than that?
Today, you're going to meet Patrick Galvin. And the reason why this is an important conversation for all of us is because one of the pillars of living in experiential life is living a life built on relationships, Patrick, and his organization, the galvanizing group. Built a company and a business and a mission around that very word relationships.
In fact, he has just come out with his second book on the very topic. His first book was the connector's way book that I've read. I've shared with our organization. We've had him in to speak multiple times. It's a book about building a business, one relationship at a time. His second book, which he actually calls a prequel to the first, I just came out and that's entitled the trusted way, a story about building a life and business of character.
But we don't just talk about stories today. Our conversation actually dives deep into the seven tactical steps to build a business built on relationship, right? What are the seven things? Things that each of us need to be doing today for our future. And then we talk about this conversation of trust and how to build a business on trust and a life based on trust.
And why do we live in a world that is deficient of trust? He shares with us the four way test that has been the basis of his building, his company and his strategies. What is the four way test of testing our thinking and in our words and our actions, one of my favorite parts of the conversation is as we dive into.
Why our relationship and trust-based business, oftentimes isn't the fastest way to build a business and how delayed gratification versus present bias plays into the foundation of any strong and growing business. So with that, let's jump in and introduce you to Patrick Galvin.
All right. Patrick, I appreciate you spending some time with me, you and I have gotten to know each other. We happen to live in the same city of Portland and through that, we were connected, interestingly enough, through a mutual friend and mutual connection and that you've done quite a bit of work with our organization.
Today. I wanted to have you on and introduce you to our community. I was telling you just a few minutes ago that of all the people that we've talked to and interviewed here at the community, we've actually never brought someone on who has built it. Mission business has built their life strictly on one of our pillars of an experiential life, which is relationship.
And I'm excited for everyone to get to know you and meet you. And we're going to talk about a couple of your books and what you're doing and building a business. But maybe we just maybe just start there. Why is it. Why is relationship, right? As a word, as a thought, and then as a practice, which we're going to get into, but why is that the premise of everything you're doing?
Like where did that begin? Why is that important?
Patrick Galvan: [00:03:27] Well, if I get to the root of it, yeah. I am an extrovert. I love connecting with people. I love getting to know people of different backgrounds, different cultures. So in my personal life, ever since I can remember, it's been a huge part of it, but in my schooling, especially when I went to business school, I focused on.
All this tactical stuff, finance and administration and accounting and all these different things. And those tools that I took with me out into the business world worked stri. I went to good schools, but I never studied relationship building. And when I fled. Early in my career, it was because I was focused on tactical things, but I wasn't really thinking relationally.
So now I've written books about relationships. People would call me an expert in relationship building. And my roots though, are not of somebody who was effectively building relationships. I was trying to. Create success for myself through marketing and advertising. And that just wasn't cutting it for me.
So I really started to look at what was happening in the wider world what I was doing, what my competitors were doing. And I realized that so many people don't focus on relationships. And if you do focus on relationships in the professional sense, you can really stand out from the crowd because so many people are thinking transactions.
It's
Chris Suarez: [00:04:45] interesting. Because what that means is. You went to school, you started businesses, you were growing those businesses and you realize that there was some foundation that was missing, which was relationship. And you said we didn't [00:05:00] learn it, or you didn't learn how to build it. Do you think that's possible?
Do you think that there's a way to learn a tactical approach to relationship? Building or is it because you're an extrovert it's easier for you as opposed to those of us that might be more introverted and feel like, Ooh, relationships are a challenge.
Patrick Galvan: [00:05:20] Yeah, absolutely. It can be learned. And I think that introverts have some real advantages versus the extroverts and that there's an intentionality that they have to have.
And there's a thoughtfulness that they have that is critical for relationship building, which. They're more apt to listen than to talk. And one of the cornerstones of being a great relationship builder is really focusing in on what is that other person thinking? How can I really, be of service to them either personally or professionally?
And I think introverts have a huge advantage. Over extroverts. I think there are some very strong tactical things that one can learn that I talked about in the connectors way. My first book on relationship building that are not taught in school. And I honestly do not understand why a great business school will not have a course on relationship building because there's good literature out there.
There is literature from the positive psychology movement. There's literature from behavioral economics, there's literature. Like my books that talk about very tactical things. Why is it. That this isn't a course or courses. I would argue courses that should be taught in any school, not just business school, but I think medical school and law school in any sort of professional formation at the undergraduate level as well, because the stuff is.
It's just not accepted by academia. Something that they need to do. It's assumed that you're either good at it or not. And that's bogus, some people through life experiences or through personality have a flare for it, but anybody regardless of their level can become a great relationship builder.
Chris Suarez: [00:06:50] Yeah. I think I think a really big takeaway of what you just said there is oftentimes we take personality and assume that a personality is good. Relationship building or developing or even attracting or starting when in reality, I think you just flip that on its head and said, actually the personality could make us less likely to be good at right.
The extrovert jumps in, has the conversation leads the conversation like is driving the conversation and the introvert you use the word. It has intentionality around. Well, if I'm here to build a relationship, I'm going to be intentional about it, and this is how I'm going to do it. So that gives a lot of hope for hope and work to two different personality types in relationship building.
Patrick Galvan: [00:07:37] Absolutely. And there are some great books that are written for introverts on relationship building. The introvert's edge is a book that came out last year. It's a great book, quiet by Susan Cain. She gave a Ted talk. Anyone who says, ah, you're an extrovert. That's why you write this stuff. That's why you're good at it.
Honestly, it's a cop out because there's so much there for introverts and you can't make yourself into an extrovert, but you can leverage the incredible. Human resources that you have within you to take advantage of that skillset. Yeah. You mentioned,
Chris Suarez: [00:08:10] That you believe that one, we should have courses and those should be written.
I know you, you actually coach and train and teach you, you do in-person as well as group. We'll maybe come back to that book. The first book, the connectors way. What I, one of the things, obviously a great story of a valuable parable, but. One of my tactical takeaways from the book.
Cause I'm that guy like, I want to say, okay like how do we unpackage this? Towards I, if I remember correctly, it was towards the end of that parable. You shared seven rules for building business relationships. And maybe I can just ask you about a couple of them. I know these because after we read them and actually gave that book to everybody in our organization and had you in to speak about them, we began training our, in our world, real estate agents. But our business owners, the seven rules, these seven skills, the first being nurture body and mind to create positive energy and enthusiasm that it tracks. So that the relationship can be built. How important is that? Why is that?
Patrick Galvan: [00:09:14] Oh man.
Yeah, that, that is huge. So basically another way of saying it is you've got to be in good relationship with yourself in order to build relationships with others. So if you're not have a positive mind, and that could be because you're feeding thoughts in your mind that are taking you down, or you're not getting out there and getting your blood pumping and being in a good sort of physical state.
I don't know anyone who has on those two levels, who's out there building quality relationships. So it's sort of like get your house in order, before you try to, build houses in a relationship, you could say it's like a house. So you'd better have a solid foundation for yourself for your own home.
So you could go out there and connect and be building relationships with others. So very, very important. It's the reason why it's number one, because it's really the starting. [00:10:00] Yeah. Rule number
Chris Suarez: [00:10:00] two is look for people or seek out individuals that expose you to new things. Why is the new part of that important in, in relationships building?
Patrick Galvan: [00:10:09] Well, you know, one of the things is people tend to hang with folks that they feel comfortable with and if you're. With people you're comfortable with. It's nice. From a social standpoint, it's very relaxing, but are you going to really grow as a human being? If you're talking to birds of a feather all the time, and there's so much knowledge out there in the world, we have a very limited amount of time on this earth.
And. If we don't expose ourselves to other people, cultures races professions, we tend to get tunnel vision, and there are so many good practices that might be going on. Let's say in another field, totally unrelated to real estate. And if a realtor is spending all their time with other folks in the profession, they're just looking at.
Like looking at the elephant, saying an elephant is all about the ear because that's what everyone in this industry thinks it is. But you go do another one. It's like, no, it's about the trunk. So sometimes it's just a change of perspective that opens your mind to sort of new possibilities and new ways to do business and best practices that you can incorporate.
Chris Suarez: [00:11:12] Yeah, I love that. I was just listening to Dr. Marissa king and her new book on, on just the social connection of human beings and how the pandemic has changed that or effected it. And she calls that when we stay in that comfort zone of our relationships, the ones we've always had. So clearly we're not bringing or finding new ones.
It, we tend to. Consensus that all the people around us are like us. We like the thing, things we believe the same things we say the same things. And it's that comfort zone or that safety net that you talked about some years back when you first wrote your book. Yeah. I love that. Number three is Ask people, how you can be of service to them.
And why is that important?
Patrick Galvan: [00:11:50] Well, you're going to notice if you go to number four that they sound somewhat similar, but number three is really critical in that, you know, we can think, we know. What people need. We can make assumptions. A lot of us are taught to live by the golden rule, do unto others, as you would have them do unto you, but we really need to think more like the platinum rule, which a guy named Tony Alessandra came up with, which is do unto others as they would like to have done unto them.
So it's really, you're not going to know that until you ask, you may think somebody needs something that's very specific maybe to a transaction, a real estate transaction, but what they might really need is some resources for homeschooling. Or some ideas for, you know, how they can improve a part of their home, but you're not going to know that unless you engage in dialogue and you ask, I, I, it sounds like you need this, but maybe I'm just off base.
Maybe there's something else that you need. And then stop pause is very important. Truly listen to what that person articulated as a need and follow through. And I think a lot of people are coached to ask and then they don't pay attention or they don't follow through. The worst thing to do is ask if there's no intention of really following through, but how many people have done that for you and when they do, I bet you remember them.
And I bet you want to go back to them. And I bet you're going to refer businesses. Yeah, I
Chris Suarez: [00:13:14] agree with that. You mentioned how core is so closely connected and that's basically, you've done three now. Now serve them, serve others without consideration of how you will personally benefit, which is difficult in business.
Especially if we come to the table and say, well, I'm going to have a business. Like I'm looking for business relationships. Oftentimes. Potentially the most difficult. Why is it so difficult to serve out there as you've asked what they need serve others without looking for or beginning to think about how it will benefit
Patrick Galvan: [00:13:47] us?
Because I, I think a lot of people are victims of short-term thinking, you set your sales goal for the quarter. Okay. I got to hit this number. I've got to have so many homes sold. I've got to sell this volume in this year and you get blinded by your own. So I think people get obsessed about their own needs and the reality is all the great realtors I know, and all the great professionals I know have referral fuel businesses.
And when I start talking with them more often than not, they're really great servant leaders and they are constantly engaged in ha figuring out ways to creatively, help the network that they're working with. So I say, ask some people, won't tell you. It's hard to ask everybody because there's time limitations.
But if I were to say, what is the most important of the seven rules from the connectors way? It's this one it's of being of service first, because if you're of service first, good things are gonna happen to you. Now, my friend, Bob Burg, who wrote the Go-Giver said people want to refer business to and do business with those who they know like and trust and the way people get to know like, and trust you.
Is for your servants. It's through nothing else. It's not true. Whether you hit your [00:15:00] quarterly numbers, they don't care. They don't care. If your business is growing 50%, it means nothing to them. How have you helped them? That's what really counts.
Chris Suarez: [00:15:08] Yeah, I think for our community, one of the things you said that is wildly important is oftentimes we mess up number four because we're too focused.
We're goal-driven people, right? We like entrepreneurs typically are they're entrepreneurs because they have goals and they're driven. And so if we don't attach for a moment and get unstuck on our present bias, when you talked about even pop psychology right now so much is about how our present bias drives our decision and behavior.
Actually have to think long-term get, get away from the immediate gratification or the immediate response, or what is this going to do today or tomorrow? And think long-term, that'll solve a lot of our problems with number four in removing the benefit from us and truly focusing on the service and the help that we just asked them if we could do for them.
Patrick Galvan: [00:15:58] So yeah, a hundred percent. Exceed
Chris Suarez: [00:16:01] expectations. I think that's pretty self-explanatory yeah,
Patrick Galvan: [00:16:05] it should be. And it should be that everyone is doing this, but what I find, I think this is why I say go out and expand your networks and get out of your profession. So I think realtors are guilty. Of signing up for the same training programs.
And I get some marketing materials probably from about five different realtors that are all identical. So they're non-differentiated to me. So think about what your competitors are doing. And say, oh, I could do that, but it will really stand out and then go back to the service mindset, the conversations you've had the asking of how you can help people out, the creative ways that you serve.
And then really, I would say double or triple down on that, on those things that there's a real need. And don't worry if someone isn't some of your competitors, aren't doing it. In fact, it's. How can you differentiate yourself? How can you exceed expectations in a way that would say, oh, you're just different.
Like, there's one realtor. I know who calls everybody on his birthday or her birthday. And he says, I'm Portland singing realtor. Like I know a lot of realtors. He's the only guy who calls me consistently on my birthday. I mean, you could say it's gimmicky, but that's as big as business. So he's exceeding my expectations because no one else in the industry does it.
I always get a phone call on my birthday. He sings me a song. He's got a terrible voice. So he never asked to finish it. I cut them off, but it's a great example of exceeding expertise. Yeah.
Chris Suarez: [00:17:26] I, I wrote down, as you said that Was this expected. So if I'm doing something and I realized that, well, that was expected, like they're going to expect that then that I'm not actually executing number five.
And as I say, well, that's self-explanatory and you're right. It probably isn't because so much of what we do is just
Patrick Galvan: [00:17:45] expected. Exactly. It's the industry norm, so to speak, love it.
Chris Suarez: [00:17:49] Number six is where sometimes we want to rush you because number six is let people know how they can help you succeed.
How do we do that in a congruent and in a healthy way, in a way that seems sincere. It is sincere.
Patrick Galvan: [00:18:03] I think a lot of people don't understand the power. Being of service first. So all of the first five rules of the connectors way really set you up to be of the service mindset. And what happens when you do that consistently you start developing social capital with people.
It's like a little bank account, all these good things you're doing, kind of are deposited in there and humans. Are wired and I'm not coming up with this out of whole cloth. There's a guy named Robert Cialdini who wrote a book called influence. And he said social psychologist in Arizona. And there's been a lot of research on this.
When you create social capital with people, they want to help you back. That's why we are human beings that makes us different from chimpanzees. I mean, we are social creatures, so you've created social Goodwill and you relieve people. When you're very specific about how they might help you out. So after a transaction, would you mind going on Zillow or going on Google and putting in a review for me?
Of course, they're going to want to do that. You've done a great job on that deal. They're going to want to do that. Right. And when I see realtors who have very few reviews, I'm wondering like, are they developing social capital and then just not leveraging it? Are they not developing social capitalists?
So they don't ask. Give people the opportunity to refer you. And I think so often people think that they're imposing, but look, if you're of a service first mindset and you ask somebody for a referral, you're doing them a favor. They can relieve the guilt they have for not having done anything for you.
And then also they know you're going to make them look really good. When their friend works with you on a transaction, because you're going to take care of them, just like you took care of this person who you build all that Goodwill with. And I think so many folks dropped the ball and thinking, oh, that just sounds kind of cool.
Well, if it's pushy, it means you haven't done a good job of being of service first. Cause it shouldn't be pushy. It should just be a natural flow, a natural part of it. Yeah.
Chris Suarez: [00:19:57] I love that. I think when I came [00:20:00] across number six what I needed to internalize was the fact that human beings love to help human beings.
Absolutely human beings. Good human beings. Love to help other good human beings. And we're allowing them to do that once we've served. If and like you just said, you're making it easier for them. You're making it easier for them to deliver that. If you share with them how they can help you succeed,
Patrick Galvan: [00:20:24] I've got hundreds of people I'm connected.
Who, if they sent me an email today and said, Hey, Patrick, would you mind making this introduction to this specific person? Could you put on a LinkedIn recommendation for me in a heartbeat? They don't ask. It's not that I don't want to do it. And I would be relieved. It's like, oh man, I should have done that myself.
I feel bad. I have never done that. And it actually takes a load off my shoulders when someone asks me for something. And honestly, Chris, I don't know about you. It doesn't happen nearly enough. I don't get enough ass. Yeah.
Chris Suarez: [00:20:53] I think you're right. Yeah. I think you're right. Number seven. Once you've gone through step one and two and three and four and five and six, number seven as important as any be grateful, be grateful.
Why does this cement this process, this tactical way to build relationship?
Patrick Galvan: [00:21:09] Oh, it's, it is absolutely critical. So just, I think everyone who's listening to this can think about a time that. Purchased an expensive product or service. And they felt immediately that person who served them kind of moved on to the next thing, and really feeling that heartfelt thank you.
That heartfelt gratitude, the same thing for a referral. You refer business to somebody and then you hear from the person. Who you made that referral to that? Oh yeah. That person talked to me. Well, shame on the person who got the referral. So I think every professional needs to come up with a methodology of gratitude.
And I have discovered during the pandemic, and this is a best practice. That's going to continue quite a bit for me is I'm using video messaging a lot more. Like I will send someone a short little video and all embedded in the text. People don't open their emails saying, Hey, thank you so much for just doing business with me.
I was thinking about just all the great things that have happened from working with you, the things I've learned from you we've gotten a new customer that you probably don't even know about that had heard about what you were doing and found me and just, you could send a one minute video that has a hundred percent watch rate to somebody who you're grateful for, and they really appreciate it.
So it's very time effective. And I was doing it because of social distancing. But you can bet I'm going to be continuing on that path. Because it works so well and it stands out how many personal videos, I think a video to one person carries a lot more weight sometimes than a video on YouTube.
It can carry a ton of weight in terms of solidifying relationships. So just gratitude, thankfulness. Yeah.
Chris Suarez: [00:22:37] I think a key word that you use. Was methodology that we need to build in the method by which we share or show our gratitude and adjusting. You mentioned that you're, you've really dove into that and built that into a methodology during pandemic, but pre pandemic the first time you and I ever met. You may or may not remember, or maybe you do because it was part of your method back then as well. But you sent me a video message immediately after it was like that afternoon. And again, I clicked on it and watched it, and it was just a method.
It was just a message of gratitude of the connection and that we spend time together. And interestingly enough, right years later, I still remember that if everybody did it, I probably wouldn't remember it perhaps, but not enough people do it is your method. So whatever our method is, we must have one for gratitude,
Patrick Galvan: [00:23:29] agreed, and be consistent with it.
Yeah. And the nice thing Chris, about the gratitude piece is you're going to feel a lot better at the end of the day. I mean, all of these things that we're talking about being of service others, you know, having a methodology of gratitude, it's not only going to be good for one's business, but it's just, you're going to just feel better as a person.
So that's like the huge upside for me. Yeah, I'll
Chris Suarez: [00:23:48] share. Just a, just a couple of days ago. It's a client that I've worked with many times. We've worked together a lot and we've become actually fairly close and they're they don't live in town anymore. And I had sold a house for them and sent a message afterwards, just, being thankful and grateful that I got to work with them.
And hadn't heard back from them. Perfectly fine. They are very busy. Couple days later, I got a voice message from him. He was outside. It was the morning and he just stopped and said, Hey, I've been so head down on this project I've been working on. I didn't take the time to just say thank you.
And how grateful I am that you got that job done. It. Wasn't an easier one. You got it done. And I'll tell you. I, my morning was awesome after receiving that. It wasn't even that I expected it. I actually didn't think to myself. Oh, he didn't say, thank you. Like I like my head was down too. So it was unexpected.
His gratitude made me feel so good. I truly felt more connected to him as a human being just because he sent that message. So again, although it's me, tactically. Executing these seven steps with other people. Do you see the effect on, on, on our ourselves emotionally or [00:25:00] even physically?
Patrick Galvan: [00:25:01] Yeah, exactly.
That's a great story. And I think when people. Wonder about these. I just say flip the tables and imagine that you're on the receiving end of each one of these, what would they do? And I think your story is a great example of that.
Chris Suarez: [00:25:14] One of the things you said just a few moments ago and actually it was a quote from the Go-Giver, as you said, gosh, people want to work with people that they know.
They like. And they trust where trust is. Is this massive word? In fact, like you, you wrote a second book,
Patrick Galvan: [00:25:31] right? It just came out this month, this past month.
Chris Suarez: [00:25:34] Yeah. Although it was the second book you shared with me that it actually is the first book. Walk us through that. Why is trust? If the first book written was about connection and the second book written was about trust.
Why do you believe that trust?
Patrick Galvan: [00:25:49] It is the prequel in terms of being successful with all the tactical stuff in the connectors way. So the connections we started out as a nonfiction handbook on building strong business relationships. So if you were to read the connectors way and just pull out points, there's a lot of very tactical things that you can do based on that book.
However, those things will be of limited effect. Unless you have that foundation of trust. So Bob Burg talks about people will do business with and refer business to those who they know like, and trust and trust is really the foundational piece of having all of those other things that you're doing to build relationship ring.
True. It makes it if you don't have trust everything else just seems like this is just some time. The cool thing that this guy or gal learned to Curry my favor. But if you really develop trust, All of those things are going to be taken. From that point of, wow, this is a real human being, trying to connect and build relationship with me.
And trust is not something that we talk about nearly enough. Once again, it was a deficiency. I had a business ethics course when we were talking about very tactical things in terms of business ethics, but foundational. Ethics like, is this, are we doing the right thing? That's not addressed in business school.
And I think it's why a lot of MBAs get into problems when they enter corporate American, they do some things that they shouldn't do because we don't really discuss this enough as a society. We live in a trust deficient world where people. Don't really believe that people have good intentions at heart when they are in relationship with them.
So things tend to fall flat. So I wanted to cherry pick something that has changed my life, which is the four way tasks which most Rotarians should know about. And it's a very simple 24 word prism that you can run things through. Before you say something or do something, you can check it off against these four little items and you will not make a mistake.
You will not make a mistake. You won't do anything to violate trust. In fact, you're going to be building trust. If you follow those principles and it's an ethical code. Unless you're in rotary. You've never seen it before and they certainly don't even have anything equivalent to that that they talk about in universities and colleges.
Chris Suarez: [00:28:00] I actually want to get to that four way test so that our community hears it, listens to it and actually can begin to apply it to, to build trust. But let me ask you a question. You talked about how. There's a deficiency in even business school of talking about trust and teaching trust.
And perhaps that's why there's such a lack of it. Once we get out of school, why do you think that deficiency exists? Is it a difficult concept? Is it not black and white? Like why do we, why don't we avoid that conversation?
Patrick Galvan: [00:28:31] I kind of will pin the blame on what I talked about in terms of why people.
Relationship based instead of transaction-based. I think so many people are so focused on their goals and we're in a very goal-driven society. And the United States is very much in it's great. I mean, you want to have business goals. I think it's what you were talking about earlier. Chris had short-term versus long-term and I think some people think that, you know, nice guys finish last.
The only way to really progress is, you go for the Jaguar is drive, drive, drive. It's all about the person trying to grow. His or her business, but I think the same way we don't value relationships enough. That mindset also causes us to think that yeah, you can take shortcuts. Everyone does. And you S you certainly can see examples of people who've built successful businesses in your industry, who you wouldn't trust, and you don't have a lot.
Feelings of trust towards that individual. And you see, oh, well, if they did it, then it must mean you can't really follow through on this trust thing, whole hog. So I just think that people sadly, sometimes glean bad examples from people in their industries, who they see who are actually making money, but I would say, okay, is that sustainable?
Are they always going to be making money? And also how do they sleep at night? Honestly, If you can cut corners and be successful, is it worth it? Yeah, I
Chris Suarez: [00:29:52] think this message is an important one. That's why I asked the question. It's actually why you're here. Because I think that there's a cultural shift as [00:30:00] well.
That needs to take place. The hustle culture is actually oftentimes incomplete friction with this idea of trust because you're right. It is, what's my goal. How do I get there? The fastest and the quickest and how do I attain that at a younger age? Like we, we actually idolize people that hit metrics at 20 and 21 and 23 and 24.
And the actually, whether we realize it or not, it's creating a culture. So one of my favorite lines in your book, that trusted way, as you tell the story of Brad Parsons was you said that Brad wanted to create the greatest amount of personal wealth in the shortest amount of time. Yeah.
Patrick Galvan: [00:30:40] Sounds familiar. Huh? A lot of people are like,
Chris Suarez: [00:30:42] And I thought, well, gosh, like that's the majority of podcasts. Like, how do I get that quickly? Like, how do I fast track? The word fast track shows up and again it lives. I think it's why trust is so hard to establish. Like, what is the, what is your how do you think about the relationship between trust and.
Patrick Galvan: [00:31:01] So trust is not a shortcut. I mean, people need to get to know you over time. So I'm in an organization, rotary that I joined for community service reasons. I did not join for business development reasons. I was the beneficiary in college of a scholarship that this organization created. So I've decided I wanted to provide community service.
I was going to join this group. Been in this group now for almost nine years and I'm on committees. We do various things in the community to improve life in the city of Portland and beyond we're a global organization. And as I've gotten to know people, and as they've gotten to know me we develop bonds of trust.
You work side-by-side you share values and what's that. An organization I did not join for business development is one of my best business development sources. I wouldn't be talking to you today, Chris, if it were not for a referral from a rotary person to speak before an audience of mortgage people and then mortgage went into real estate.
So if you always track back your business, which everyone should to the alpha point for me, a lot of it tracks back to this organization that I joined, not forbid. But to serve. And in that act of service, I've developed bonds of trust that has lifted me up. And my story is a diamond dozen. If you talk to people in rotary and you ask, well, has it been good for your business?
People are going to say it. Sure. Wasn't in the first few years, I didn't do it for that. And those who come into it, looking to build business. Fall out of the organization because everyone thinks they're a hustler. And I'm not saying it's just rotary to anything. If you go out there and you really build bonds of trust, it is more sustainable over the long haul.
And no, it's not a get rich quick scheme. And in the process, you're meeting a lot of people who are going to make you a, just a better human being outside of business. So I think it's a win-win for an individual to them. Yeah.
Chris Suarez: [00:32:47] What's interesting is If you go into any one of those organizations for that purpose, you're right.
Everybody around, you knows you're there for that. Absolutely. But interestingly enough, whether they kick you out or not, you will leave because you mean for the wrong purpose, you came for immediate results. You know what work to happen. You try to find a next group. Next group is there. And it's because you didn't realize that.
I liked that expression. Go find the alpha point and the alpha point of any way in of any success is I believe built initially on trust, and it led to connections. And the next connections led to some result in the future. Sometimes six months, one year, three years, seven years, 10 years, like it is and that has to be irrelevant.
The relevant part is the alpha.
Patrick Galvan: [00:33:32] Yes. Yes. And that's why I say conceptually, the trusted way is the prequel. So the connectors way, because think about how you were developing trust and how you might do it better. And then once you have that side, Then think about all the tactical things that might work to really establish those tighter bonds.
Chris Suarez: [00:33:51] Yeah. I love that. With our remaining time, Patrick and I'm incredibly grateful that you're spending so much time with us. Can you walk us through the four way test was boring for you in rotary or through rotary? What is that for? Wait testing. And why does rotary use it?
Patrick Galvan: [00:34:09] So it started in 1932, a guys inherited the company that was going bankrupt during the depression. And he was in an industry that was trust deficient, and he didn't have money for advertising or marketing. And he said, okay, well, the way I'm going to exceed expectations, going back to the connectors way is we are going to be a character based.
Utensils company. So they made knives and forks and spoons, and they were cutting a lot of corners. And in terms of trust, they were, undercutting their dealers by selling direct to some people who were low price competitors that were doing all this stuff that wasn't really good. And he said, this isn't going to work.
So he said, I want to build a very easy to think about easy tests that all of my employees can use before they think say, or do something. And one night he's in his office. Puts his head has his head in his hands and he's thinking, okay, what is it? And it came to him in this Eureka moment in [00:35:00] 1932.
And the first principle of the four-way test is it the truth? Is it the truth? So this is 24 words. Second principle is it fair to all concerned? The third principle is, will it build. Goodwill and better friendships. And the fourth principle is will it be beneficial to all concerned 24 words. Now, when you're going to do a deal, when you're going to say something to a customer or a prospect, if you run that thought, and many of my Rotarian friends, including myself, will just mentally would do that mental.
And I've stopped myself from doing certain things. When I couldn't check all those boxes, it's very helpful to go through and have something like this. It's not religious. He was very concerned. He was a Christian Guy, but he had people of all religious face working with him. So he wanted to come up with something that, you know, it's a value system, but it doesn't presuppose any sort of belief in any one system.
But some people will say, well, it's too simplistic. And then I'll ask them, well, what do you use? And they don't have anything. So if you don't have anything. Then how do you possibly make sure that you're consistently doing things to create trust with nothing? I couldn't do it. So I think this is a very, very useful tool to use when you're making those tough decisions.
Yeah.
Chris Suarez: [00:36:22] It's as you go back, there are three parts to that and you said it is evaluating the impact of our thoughts, our words. And our deep and what we do, three things that you can run through is this thought the truth is this thought fair to all concerned, is this thought building Goodwill and better friendships is this thought beneficial to all concerned, even before it becomes the word filter through your words and then filter through your deeds.
Is that how you
Patrick Galvan: [00:36:51] think about exactly? Exactly. It's, it's sort of like this great filter that you have. And if you want to be a person of trust, and if you disagree with one of the principles and you can come up with something better, that works for your kind of way of being in the world, then great. Then use that.
But I would say just like having a methodology of gratitude, you should have a methodology to make sure that you're a person of trust. Yeah,
Chris Suarez: [00:37:14] I love that. Maybe in conclusion, as you think about trust leading to the relationship I think you said there's even a third book in the works.
What's next? What do you do to build on those two?
Patrick Galvan: [00:37:25] I'm exploring a couple different concepts, so I'm thinking. The connector's way, the trusty way. Clearly there's a word in there. That's common. So it's now the way series. And it's gonna be about relationship building.
I've got two or three different things. I haven't quite decided. Right now it's all about getting the trusted way on.
Chris Suarez: [00:37:39] Love it. Love it. What can we do to help you, Patrick?
Patrick Galvan: [00:37:44] Thank you, Chris. That's just having a chance to talk about this and please talk about trust with your business connections.
And if you want to have something to talk about take a look at my book. It might be something of use as you have those conversations. And I'm always looking for people to check out rotary and look, it doesn't have to be rotary. It could be any service organization, find a way to serve your community and you will be in a better space, both personally.
And you're going to be setting yourself up for a lot of professionals.
Chris Suarez: [00:38:11] Awesome. Patrick, we appreciate your time. I always liken to just any amount of time as these , small segments of our life. And so, anyone that's willing to spend and able to spend time with me or with our community.
You really are that you're handing us a little bit of your life and there's no value to that. It's impossible to put a value on life. And so I just want you to know that we appreciate that greatly. I believe that your message was one of the most important ones. And as I thought about it as we were getting on, I thought.
How I missed the boat in bringing you and introducing you to our community even earlier, because all of the pillars of an experiential life start really with that relationship mindset and understanding that relationship. Isn't just a thing that happens. It is strategic. It is tactical.
You go through that and in both of your books now, and I think it's important for each of us to go down that journey and you're probably. Delivering that message better than anyone I've heard. So I appreciate that greatly.
