#5Things: Justin Keller

WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:10.070 Are you trying to establish your brand as a thought leader? Start a PODCAST, 2 00:00:10.589 --> 00:00:15.669 invite industry experts to be guests on your show and watch your brand become 3 00:00:15.710 --> 00:00:21.620 the prime resource for decision makers in your industry. Learn more at sweetphish MEDIACOM. 4 00:00:26.539 --> 00:00:30.699 You're listening to be tob growth, a daily podcast for B TOB leaders. 5 00:00:31.300 --> 00:00:34.460 We've interviewed names you've probably heard before, like Gary Vanner, truck and 6 00:00:34.500 --> 00:00:38.250 Simon Senek, but you've probably never heard from the majority of our guests. 7 00:00:38.929 --> 00:00:43.689 That's because the bulk of our interviews aren't with professional speakers and authors. Most 8 00:00:43.729 --> 00:00:47.850 of our guests are in the trenches leading sales and marketing teams. They're implementing 9 00:00:47.890 --> 00:00:52.840 strategy, they're experimenting with tactics, they're building the fastest growing BTB companies in 10 00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:56.200 the world. My name is James Carberry. I'm the founder of sweet fish 11 00:00:56.240 --> 00:00:59.759 media, a podcast agency for BB brands, and I'm also one of the 12 00:00:59.880 --> 00:01:03.679 CO hosts of this show. When we're not interviewing sales and marketing leaders, 13 00:01:03.880 --> 00:01:07.469 you'll hear stories from behind the scenes of our own business. Will share the 14 00:01:07.549 --> 00:01:10.829 ups and downs of our journey as we attempt to take over the world. 15 00:01:11.430 --> 00:01:21.299 Just getting well, maybe let's get into the show. Welcome back to be 16 00:01:21.459 --> 00:01:25.500 tob growth. Today is another episode in our five thing series. I'm Logan 17 00:01:25.500 --> 00:01:29.340 Lyles with sweetfish media. Today I'm joined by Justin Keller. He's the VP 18 00:01:29.500 --> 00:01:33.689 of marketing over at Sixer, which was recently acquired by terminus. Justin. 19 00:01:33.769 --> 00:01:36.810 How's it going today? Man, it's going amazing. If there's any better, 20 00:01:37.049 --> 00:01:40.650 I would be twins. We good to be here if you looking awesome, 21 00:01:40.689 --> 00:01:42.010 man, while you have been a regular guest on the show, a 22 00:01:42.090 --> 00:01:47.400 good friend of ours, and man, it's just great to see great people 23 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:49.519 on the Sixer team, great people on the terminus team that we've known for 24 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:53.359 a long time joining forces now. Man, it's really good like it. 25 00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:56.359 We've been, you know, we got a lot of partners out there, 26 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:59.120 but it's terms. Is always been more than a partner, like we've been 27 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:01.469 really good friends. Just it's cool to see like, you know, the 28 00:02:01.829 --> 00:02:05.870 the band, finally get together like this and a very formal way. So 29 00:02:06.030 --> 00:02:08.469 we're in getting the teams right now and we're all really suck to be working 30 00:02:08.469 --> 00:02:12.550 with each other. Awesome and and I love that. Making friends and be 31 00:02:12.710 --> 00:02:15.300 tob that's what you know, James and myself and the team over here love 32 00:02:15.419 --> 00:02:19.939 to see and you know, we've been great friends with Sangram for a long 33 00:02:19.979 --> 00:02:23.060 time for that same reason. And you guys, because because you see things 34 00:02:23.099 --> 00:02:25.180 a lot the the same way. Well, as folks know, if you've 35 00:02:25.180 --> 00:02:30.449 heard any of the episodes in this series, they're quick, short five questions 36 00:02:30.530 --> 00:02:34.449 that we've got where we're sharing five things that your fellow be to be marketers 37 00:02:34.490 --> 00:02:37.770 can't live without that help them in life, help them get more done, 38 00:02:38.250 --> 00:02:40.169 help them at work in a lot of different areas or just fun. So 39 00:02:40.449 --> 00:02:44.759 Justin what's number one on your top five things you can't live without? Man, 40 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:49.319 Sure Number One is slack and another sounds like a basic answer. Everyone 41 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:52.479 used a slack but it's kind of the point where I wouldn't go work somewhere 42 00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:57.680 if they weren't using slack. And the reason is because it's become the hub 43 00:02:57.919 --> 00:03:01.030 for my daily productivity right. So, like I've got everything integrated to it. 44 00:03:01.150 --> 00:03:05.349 Like I noticed when I started kind of meetings, wh starts slipping as 45 00:03:05.389 --> 00:03:07.949 like Oh man, how do I how do I like alert myself that there's 46 00:03:07.949 --> 00:03:10.590 a meaning going on, and you like triple redundant reminders and so I hope 47 00:03:10.629 --> 00:03:15.300 that Google counted my slacks and now it's always buzzing at me. We Hook 48 00:03:15.340 --> 00:03:16.979 got hub spot to it, we've got drift hooked up to it, so 49 00:03:17.060 --> 00:03:21.419 it's kind of like my I don't know, it's almost like a stock ticker 50 00:03:21.539 --> 00:03:23.939 of everything that's going on in my business slide right now at this point, 51 00:03:23.979 --> 00:03:28.330 and so it's pretty I'm pretty dependent on it. Yeah, I like that. 52 00:03:28.449 --> 00:03:30.729 Man. I've heard, you know, people in sales. It's like 53 00:03:30.050 --> 00:03:34.569 how much can I just like consolidate stuff to my inbox? And it seems 54 00:03:34.569 --> 00:03:38.810 like every sales tool that connects into Gmail just, you know, gets adopted 55 00:03:38.889 --> 00:03:43.199 that much more and it kind of seems like in overall productivity, slack is 56 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:46.960 becoming that. I haven't gotten to that point yet, but you've given me 57 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:50.599 some new ideas on different integrations I could set up. I've just recently started 58 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:53.759 setting up the reminders in slack. That's been super useful for me to use 59 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:58.229 those two. I totally do. Like it is like I live in email. 60 00:03:58.229 --> 00:04:00.270 I gues spend most of my day in email and I'm still where I 61 00:04:00.270 --> 00:04:02.310 get business done, but like in terms of me keeping a pulse on what's 62 00:04:02.310 --> 00:04:05.789 going on, it is kind of constantly there and giving me insight like what 63 00:04:05.909 --> 00:04:09.789 the whole business is doing, especially on the marketing set side of things. 64 00:04:10.500 --> 00:04:14.419 Yeah, absolutely, Man, awesome. So number two is also related to 65 00:04:14.900 --> 00:04:16.699 productivity. Right. I think all of these are going to be related to 66 00:04:16.740 --> 00:04:23.420 productivity. Number two is coffee. I, and you know this is for 67 00:04:23.540 --> 00:04:28.370 better or worse, but I was a starbucks Barista like all through colledge and 68 00:04:28.529 --> 00:04:31.610 that's where my my crippling caffeine dependency really got started. So yeah, like 69 00:04:32.290 --> 00:04:38.329 coffee has just been like my caffeine dependency has been a loyal companion for the 70 00:04:38.449 --> 00:04:41.360 better part of my life right now and I don't want to take it back 71 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:46.160 to it anyten. So awesome and it is there a particular way that you 72 00:04:46.279 --> 00:04:50.160 go about it that you found fits into your daily rhythm? Yes, so 73 00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:54.470 I'm, like I said, I used to work as trawbacks and now it's 74 00:04:54.470 --> 00:04:58.430 kind of like I'm all about the third wave of coffee shops, but if 75 00:04:58.470 --> 00:05:00.230 I can get a thing of colder I fm, that's like the the quickest 76 00:05:00.269 --> 00:05:03.990 way to my mainline of the caffeine into me. Yeah, Cold Brew, 77 00:05:04.110 --> 00:05:08.180 I love it, man, awesome. So your third one headphones. We've 78 00:05:08.180 --> 00:05:11.819 talked about this a little bit. You know, I'm in are pods lover. 79 00:05:11.980 --> 00:05:15.379 I would never go back to courted, even though I'm an android guy. 80 00:05:15.420 --> 00:05:17.660 It's actually the one apple thing that I own. You mentioned you've got 81 00:05:17.779 --> 00:05:21.649 like a few different headphones for kind of different modes and different spots. Tell 82 00:05:21.649 --> 00:05:25.170 it's a little bit about some of the things that help you get more done 83 00:05:25.170 --> 00:05:28.449 their. Man, I do. I do like I'm a big audio file 84 00:05:28.649 --> 00:05:32.129 and I spend probably more money on music than any other hobby I've got. 85 00:05:32.290 --> 00:05:36.360 So I listen to music constantly and for that reason I was never an air 86 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:41.439 coods guy until recently. Right. So I've always got really expensive can headphones 87 00:05:41.600 --> 00:05:45.319 that like her you know. You know Italian made demode of headphones. That 88 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:48.639 sounds crystal clear. That would be with me everywhere. But they are courted. 89 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:51.910 They're clunky and for business like, you know, calls, like I'm 90 00:05:51.949 --> 00:05:55.550 on with you right now, are pods are amazing. Right, like it 91 00:05:55.709 --> 00:05:59.670 just is easy. They work and even though got reshape here, they haven't 92 00:05:59.670 --> 00:06:02.509 fallen out yet. So between you know, like a communication, I use 93 00:06:02.589 --> 00:06:04.860 my air pods. But then if I really need to kind of get in 94 00:06:04.939 --> 00:06:08.019 the zone and tune the rest of the world out. I've put on the 95 00:06:08.060 --> 00:06:11.699 big, you know cans that you're like you're wearing right now. They kind 96 00:06:11.699 --> 00:06:14.899 of block everything out and and just listen to music while I work. Yeah, 97 00:06:15.100 --> 00:06:17.970 have you been through a few different, you know iterations or brands of 98 00:06:18.050 --> 00:06:21.089 those that you found, like the noise canceling wasn't real good or anything it? 99 00:06:21.370 --> 00:06:26.129 Because I actually just got these is Christmas present for my wife and you 100 00:06:26.209 --> 00:06:29.170 know, she did some shopping and some comparing. Any thoughts there, since 101 00:06:29.209 --> 00:06:31.730 you are such an audio file, to save some people some shopping and comparing 102 00:06:31.810 --> 00:06:34.800 them? Yes, people, if you care about music a lot, don't 103 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:39.519 go with the noise canceling ones because they kind of attenuate a lot of the 104 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:43.360 frequencies at the higher end and don't go chordless. So, like I love 105 00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:46.360 being cordless when I'm talking in the office and walking around, and if I 106 00:06:46.439 --> 00:06:48.069 need to listen to music, I've got to have a chord because, hey, 107 00:06:48.310 --> 00:06:53.029 cothers me to take computer. I can get up and because the the 108 00:06:53.230 --> 00:06:56.550 audio qualities better coming through the court. So I'm on an airplane, I've 109 00:06:56.589 --> 00:06:59.430 got the can fun and it helps him and if you know, it's enough 110 00:06:59.470 --> 00:07:01.339 you can't hear anything anyway. Yeah, yeah, I love it, man. 111 00:07:01.620 --> 00:07:06.420 So your next one is about getting stuff done in an offline tactical way. 112 00:07:06.660 --> 00:07:10.699 You know, Alex Field and I were talking previously on this series about, 113 00:07:10.939 --> 00:07:14.540 you know, the benefit of getting stuff done by by just writing it 114 00:07:14.740 --> 00:07:18.410 down, and you know US millennials that work in and work places that are 115 00:07:18.449 --> 00:07:24.089 all about slack and Trello and every other collaboration tool, sometimes the pain and 116 00:07:24.129 --> 00:07:28.209 paper gets lost that you've got a method to your madness. They're with keeping 117 00:07:28.250 --> 00:07:30.959 things consistent. Tell us about this what you can't live without, man. 118 00:07:30.279 --> 00:07:34.160 Yeah, so I get these their watercolor postcards, and what that means they 119 00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:38.040 come in like a little like stack, like they're the size of a post 120 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:42.680 card, but their watercolor papers it's really really heavy stock and you can't really 121 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:46.430 like hold it up or crumpler anything. So it's like a little postcard size 122 00:07:46.550 --> 00:07:49.550 piece of paper that is kind of indestructible and I write my to do with 123 00:07:49.790 --> 00:07:53.310 on that. Like we use a sign it here and I get projects signed 124 00:07:53.310 --> 00:07:55.430 to me every now and now and then and I will, you know, 125 00:07:55.829 --> 00:07:57.910 check it off and kind of use the sign of the way it's meant to 126 00:07:57.949 --> 00:08:01.100 be doing done, but I will actually put it on the postcard just because 127 00:08:01.100 --> 00:08:03.939 it's like having something physical. Writing it down, crossing it off physically. 128 00:08:05.500 --> 00:08:09.779 Is just how I get stuff done and it's also great because, you know, 129 00:08:09.899 --> 00:08:13.889 like if I'm traveling, I just put the postcard like in my laptop, 130 00:08:13.970 --> 00:08:16.410 like on the keyboard, close it down and then it's always there. 131 00:08:16.490 --> 00:08:18.930 The first thing when I opened up my laptops I've kind of got like a 132 00:08:18.050 --> 00:08:22.170 Constroomminder, you know, Justin you got all this shit to get done and 133 00:08:22.930 --> 00:08:24.329 it's like I write it down, it gets done and if I don't, 134 00:08:24.410 --> 00:08:28.040 it's you know, you know. Yeah, yeah, I mean it's kind 135 00:08:28.040 --> 00:08:31.519 of like Michael Hyah. It's full focus planner. I tried to use that 136 00:08:31.560 --> 00:08:33.639 last year. I never really got into the full system, but the premise 137 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:37.080 is like your daily big three, right and, like you said, if 138 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:41.240 nothing else gets done, when you open up your laptop and you see, 139 00:08:41.590 --> 00:08:43.549 you know, this one or five things, you know where to start, 140 00:08:43.870 --> 00:08:46.029 you know, and I find that I struggle with that a bit. So 141 00:08:46.389 --> 00:08:50.909 do you just like keep a stack of them in your bag and just pull 142 00:08:50.990 --> 00:08:52.750 one out and it's kind of like one per day or one until you get 143 00:08:52.789 --> 00:08:56.179 through that list and might last day and a half or whatever. It's one 144 00:08:56.379 --> 00:08:58.820 like it's basically like, you know, I'll fill it up, I'll cross 145 00:08:58.860 --> 00:09:01.580 things off, I'll keep adding to it and basically when the card gets full 146 00:09:01.620 --> 00:09:03.899 of when I'm done. But to your point right, like I don't I 147 00:09:03.940 --> 00:09:07.700 know I'm not getting everything on that card done and day. So I'll start 148 00:09:07.740 --> 00:09:09.730 to day and I'll put stars by the really important things I want and not 149 00:09:09.850 --> 00:09:13.850 got it, and that's kind of my little score cards. That helps me 150 00:09:13.889 --> 00:09:16.929 feel like I'm may make sure I'm getting stuff done. Yeah, and you 151 00:09:16.049 --> 00:09:20.649 got these heavier ones as opposed to like a notebook or a journal that you 152 00:09:20.769 --> 00:09:24.440 keep with you just because of the way that you were able to keep it 153 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:26.960 with you and it didn't get lost in the shuffle or what. Yep, 154 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:30.720 Yep, because, like it's a notebook, I'm going to take other notes 155 00:09:30.759 --> 00:09:33.600 in there. I'm not to like go, like, you know, page 156 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:35.080 three to find where might to do with those. This is just a single 157 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:39.830 sheet. Is Super Rigid. It's always faced up so I can always see 158 00:09:39.830 --> 00:09:41.269 it and it's not bulky like it. It isn't even take a room in 159 00:09:41.309 --> 00:09:45.830 my backpack up to it's like stuck in my my laptop, so I just 160 00:09:45.870 --> 00:09:48.190 had to works really well for me to have that little it's on tiny piece 161 00:09:48.230 --> 00:09:52.830 of really rigid paper that has all stuff I get done on it. Yeah, 162 00:09:52.980 --> 00:09:54.179 I love it. Man, sorry for digging in on this. It 163 00:09:54.700 --> 00:09:58.539 seemed like such as simple thing, these watercolor post cards that you're talking about, 164 00:09:58.580 --> 00:10:01.899 but I'm just kind of fascinated about the things that got you there and 165 00:10:03.019 --> 00:10:05.580 that it's been a very repeatable and and helpful process for you too. So 166 00:10:05.620 --> 00:10:09.809 I think folks can take something from that. Man. Yeah, number five 167 00:10:09.090 --> 00:10:13.370 on your things that you can't live without holds a place near and deeered my 168 00:10:13.529 --> 00:10:16.970 heart because it kind of relates to my office mate, which a lot of 169 00:10:16.009 --> 00:10:20.289 people who jump on calls or on the interviews with me see all the time. 170 00:10:20.450 --> 00:10:22.919 What's number five on your list, man? Number five is my dog, 171 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:28.879 my Mey, who is a little rescue we got off the streets of 172 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:33.519 Oakland. We had is DNA done and it came back like fifty percent in 173 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:37.269 conclusive, so we don't even know like he is. He is just a 174 00:10:37.509 --> 00:10:41.269 sweet little dude that is always happy to see me, always takes a great 175 00:10:41.269 --> 00:10:43.669 too much my bed and is, you know, like. I mean I 176 00:10:43.870 --> 00:10:46.429 love my wife to death and everything, and you really set super sets everything 177 00:10:46.549 --> 00:10:50.899 on this list, but having that little guy like at the end of the 178 00:10:50.899 --> 00:10:54.419 day is really good, really solved for you know, coming back home from 179 00:10:54.220 --> 00:10:56.899 the cool world. Yeah, yeah, I think that's fair. I mean, 180 00:10:58.100 --> 00:11:00.779 you know, the top five. I think most of US would say 181 00:11:00.820 --> 00:11:05.169 our spouse or significant other or kids is gonna Supersede this, obviously, but 182 00:11:05.330 --> 00:11:09.169 I love that. Man, my my lab ORDOODLE MAC is my office mate 183 00:11:09.250 --> 00:11:11.889 on on most days and you know, it's a lot of times when I'm 184 00:11:11.889 --> 00:11:16.210 getting getting stuff done, having long conversations with James or other members of our 185 00:11:16.250 --> 00:11:20.679 team, it's it's walking my dog. So I love that last one that 186 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:22.759 we rounded out with with. Let me there, man, I think I've 187 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:26.320 seen him. Have I seen him in the Sixter instag you have a timer? 188 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:28.679 Two, you totally have. That's one thing and that's kind of another 189 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:31.279 thing. Is We bring dogs in the office here. Yeah, instantly, 190 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:35.990 and it is just such like a massively tremendous mood booster. People get really 191 00:11:35.990 --> 00:11:39.470 excited when the dog comes by and say high like just that little diversion, 192 00:11:39.549 --> 00:11:43.350 I think is really great for culture, for productivity, for like you know, 193 00:11:43.429 --> 00:11:46.779 keeping them quite happy. Yeah, man a, we brought it back 194 00:11:46.820 --> 00:11:50.500 to productivity with man's best friend right there. Man, awesome. Well, 195 00:11:50.580 --> 00:11:54.940 Justin with everything you've got going on lately, I appreciate you making some time 196 00:11:56.059 --> 00:11:58.580 for this. This was a ton of fun. I think we give people 197 00:11:58.580 --> 00:12:01.929 a few resources to to think about how they go about their day. I 198 00:12:01.009 --> 00:12:05.850 really like those watercolor postcards. Man, if people aren't connected with you on 199 00:12:05.009 --> 00:12:09.409 social or want to reach out, with all the changes going on at sixer 200 00:12:09.490 --> 00:12:11.730 and terminus, what's the best way for them to connect with you? Man, 201 00:12:11.250 --> 00:12:15.690 it is at Justin Keller. On every channel Susan done comes out, 202 00:12:15.720 --> 00:12:18.320 I make sure I grab my name. So you think's pretty universal. Justin. 203 00:12:18.440 --> 00:12:20.720 This was awesome. Appreciate it, man. Thank you very much for 204 00:12:20.759 --> 00:12:26.279 having man. Hey there, this is James Carberry, founder of street fish 205 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:30.350 media and one of the cohosts of this show. The last year and a 206 00:12:30.389 --> 00:12:33.230 half I've been working on my very first book. In the book I share 207 00:12:33.269 --> 00:12:37.309 the three part framework we used as the foundation for our growth here at sweet 208 00:12:37.309 --> 00:12:41.350 fish. Now there are lots of companies that ever, he's a bunch of 209 00:12:41.429 --> 00:12:43.779 money and have grown insanely fast, and we featured a lot of them here 210 00:12:43.779 --> 00:12:48.179 on the show. We've decided to bootstrap our business, which usually equates to 211 00:12:48.340 --> 00:12:52.580 pretty slow growth, but using the strategy outlined in the book, we are 212 00:12:52.700 --> 00:12:56.379 on pace to be one of inks fastest growing companies in two thousand and twenty. 213 00:12:56.860 --> 00:13:01.730 The book is called content based networking, how to instantly connect with anyone 214 00:13:01.769 --> 00:13:03.370 you want to know. If you're a fan of audiobooks, like me, 215 00:13:03.490 --> 00:13:07.370 you can find the book on audible or be like physical books. You can 216 00:13:07.409 --> 00:13:11.129 also find it on Amazon. Just search content based networking or James Carberry. 217 00:13:11.409 --> 00:13:16.120 Car be a ARY, in audible or Amazon and it should pop right up. 218 -->