TPS189: Behind The Produce Stand With Victor
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Transcript
Tonight the tables are turned on The Produce Stand as Kacey puts Victor in the hot seat with a one-on-one interview.
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Live stream of tonight's podcast, is made possible by our buddy, Ian service over at podcast accelerator.com. Hey everybody! Trace from the Takeover team here tonight, we conclude our series highlighting the host of the produce stand with who else. But Victor now whether he drives you crazy cuz you love them or you just drives you crazy it, don't affect Victor much because he knows he's living rent-free in that head of yours with the hot takes of an Unapologetic, contrarian armed only with a vicious rapier-like wit and a blue spatula, Victor sees any Thursday he hasn't pissed somebody off as a missed opportunity but at the risk of being spatula, myself turns out, he's a good guy. He's a really good guy, a loving and supportive husband and father, Global business man, shredding guitarist, already sent a file and hippopotamus Aficionado Casey, of course is back in. Let us just say this is the one she's been waiting for so everybody grabbed her Bingo cards and hop on the extreme hippo train because this is behind the produce stand with Victor Sherman. That's fresh produce stand there. That's a beauty. What do you listen to my favorite murder podcast? Jagger endurance. Podcasts, the produce stand. And f****** sexy means, you're hanging out with us at the priest and a podcast celebrating everything in the universe. Now, I know what you're thinking. There are plenty of other Letterkenny podcasts out there, but this is the only one that turns the tables on itself on our host returning. Okay, I am Casey and joining me in the room as always is my psychotic, but gorgeous cat. You will see her off on the corner a little bit later and online tonight, the man who managed to turn a Jared key. So headlock into a hug, please join me in welcoming. Coming the one and the only Victor. Oh my gourd. Welcome to your podcast, Victor. Hello, nice to meet you sir. I should hope. So it's been a while as well. I guess it's this has been what I want to say. Has been in the making for a while. I have been waiting to come on this for a while and just kept getting postponed and switched out for other episodes and I kind of almost forgot about it and then I pulled out earlier today. I am kind of Ming and cold into this because I am not mentally prepared. I have no idea what to expect. I have been working all day today, so I haven't had a chance to kind of clear my mind, so yeah, this will be a fun ride. Well, how about we buy you some time? Because this entire episode is going to be a big fat. How are you now? How are, you know, there you go. We're gonna do a little bit of housekeeping first, and then we will Jump Right In. Okay, so settle down and breathe in the mist from your cup of coffee. And hopefully, it's diabolical. Oh yeah. Alexander you work here. Now, it's a man who go to sleep with itchy, but wake up and smell the finger. Okay. Welcome to diabolic coffee. My name is Alexander, how might I help you, right? I was needing a coffee. Thanks. Well, now at diabolical coffee, we say we have a roast for every taste. How would you describe your taste? I mean, I like coffee grind is very important to. We have a standard grind, of course, of course. The end of Course, we also have a coarse grind right now, some folks don't trust their grind into strangers, so we offer whole being as well. For instance, these Peruvian beans are, of course, from Peru via. Which, if memory serves me is where your family hails from no Portugal. But so that's like a Taste of Home. What did you know? We also have expresso or as it is known in Italy. Expresso you know that hand gestures don't make that right? We also have K cops which keeps the coffee from getting on the outside of the pot which I must admit. I have never been a fan of the outside, huh? Now I am not sure if you're familiar with the produce, stand rings, a bell. Now, for some reason, if you put that in the promo code, this guy Eric gives you 20% off your purchase but I would keep that under my hat. Yeah, secret's safe with me. I am gonna go. Look at the diabolically awesome swag. I will give you 20% off of that to. You just can't beat that deal. I don't care who you are, right? Thank you, Alexander. Don't thank me. Thank diabolical, coffee. You're right. Thank you diabolical coffee, and Eric for your support. That guy Eric must be a good guy, but not very Savvy. Ask me giving away 20% left and right, all willy-nilly Matt. Casey, you're muted. Thanks, Al. I was muted because I was trying not to laugh through that commercial. That was ridiculously hilarious. Thank you, Eric, for always supporting the Pod, despite the fact that we take it over every now and then go off the rails, there's a train joke for you. Victor, thanks to everybody who recently followed us on Twitter. Is that still a thing? I don't know if we're even getting followers, but thanks for following and hopefully for listening previously on Letterkenny. Last week Jeff shared his own. Magical Mystery Canadian tour with Tales from his series of Sudbury Saturday nights and Cassie was there. And there's a Canadian Jason Statham or was he an American Jason Statham do you remember Victor? I can't remember, I don't know. I think he's from Full House now. Okay, cool. Michelle obviously gone amazing, Host this week. We're getting into it with Victor. So, Victor, how are you now? Well, don't bore us get to the chorus. Oh my, what's this week? What's this week been like for you this week, has been very relaxing? Today was my first day back at work and it was Hit me hard because first, you know, I think it was like, 7:30 this morning right up until two. I was just in meetings without non-stop. So I had my was able to have lunch at to and stuff like that, but I was but that's okay because I was off this hill. All week, you know, and we had a holiday on Monday. And then we had a, what we are calling Summer, Splash days on Tuesday, where we are, giving our all of our employees, and extra day on all the long weekends. Very nice. And then we also gave everyone a floater day to use any way they want this summer, as well. So, I decided to slap that sucker on there as well. And so, I just had myself a nice, five day long weekends. Like I said, yeah. ETO sandwich, man. You got it, you got it. So yeah it sounds good. It was just a lot of arnar, some guitar playing. Some 10K runs and ill-advised running whether some 10k. Run. How many 10 K runs did you do? I did to 10K runs why? Well, are you typically in for three per week? That's what you do. 10K, you do 30 KO Weeks I try too yes. Indoor/outdoor/indoor would be that would be nothing. Yeah that would be miserable you. I used to do that. Right because the one I used to go to the gym before covid. That's what I would do. I would go, I would go on a treadmill and run a 10K. And get, you know, listen to a lot of podcasts that way. Yeah, not Chop button. You know a lot of stuff and yeah, and that was all right. And, you know, those with those treadmills there's like a little TV that you can watch and stuff like that but then covid head and so that kind of shot that, you know, close to Jim. So I ended up running in the summer or trying to run into summer and then hibernate in the winter and that wasn't working out too. Well, I will tell you, I will tell you. So their behaviors not working out, right? And then last summer, I had this knee injury which was like came out of nowhere. And then I went to see a specialist who was the same Specialists that they had working for the Toronto Maple Leafs which was you know, only the best for me. All right. And he suggested that I wasn't doing enough cross training which is basically cycling. And, so I got myself a stationary bike is that good bacon. And that's what I now do. That's i instead I cancel my gym membership and you know before the because if there's if you can't wear shorts and t-shirt, I am not running like it's just not happening. So wait, wait, go back to that. What I only run outside when the weather is warm enough to wear shorts and a t-shirt, Okay, thank you once. I exit once again. It's too cold. Then my running season is over. He stopped, you hibernate. Okay, I hibernate, but now I got the bike. So up until kind of I guess I can remember. I got it like in January or some of that. So from genuine pellet owns, it comes with a program like that, like the Peloton, but okay, and you get it like a for free for a year but it's I tried to use it. It's stupid. I don't really use it. I just use the thing that comes on. Bike, you know, tells you how many kilometers you're writing and write whatever. Anyway it's better than the gym, right? Because it's just right there. You don't have travel and so when I do the bike I do that and sometimes for 30 minutes sometimes for 60 minutes. Okay. And yeah it gives me a really good workout and you know good bacon Victor says goodbye can good alternative. So this is you know all exciting talk. What not? But yeah that's you know a little that's how I stay. I am able to maintain my kind of eat anything. I want. Kind of diet is that got it? Yeah, got it. So how did you gosh? I don't even know where to go after that. You have such a talent for just taking us down a train. Now I hear my son coming down the stairs because he's probably going to complain, and I am talking too loud. That's okay. You can stay up and watch with this. That's all right. Now, becomes you enjoying the party. Yes. Join the party. So there are a lot of, a lot of listener questions tonight but I sort of want to start out with like, hello. Is there anybody out there? Yeah, yeah. There is I want to start with. I want to start with like Victor Coming to America. Oh my Wow. That would have taken us back to 1983 that. I think it just turned 1984 like ik, and I think it's, I am tired too for me to remember. I think it was February of Nineteen Eighty-Four is, is what I think you were. You were 19. You said I was 80. You were 8. I was told you. What was that, like eight or nine? It was like, you remember, it was, it was like a complete culture shock, right? Because you have to remember, I am coming here, not from a country that was in any way similar to this one. I am coming here from the Soviet Union before it broke up, and so I did have a little Prelude, right? So wouldn't when we left the Soviet Union, we went to Austria And then we stayed there for a couple of months, then we went to Italy and then stayed there for about a year. And then I came here, So what bit of a, you know, bit of a journey together. So it was we lived in Vienna in Austria, and then we lived in a city called Le D spooky in which was just 40 minutes outside of Rome. And so on weekends, we would always go into Rome. So that was kind of like my second City, and then we end it was a kind of bit of a lottery in terms of where we would end up it would have been either New York, Toronto Edmonton or Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv or Tel Aviv? Yeah. So those are the options and I feel like we kind of want a lottery in that one, to be honest. Especially at that time. New York, New York was a cesspool Edmonton. Is what it was, it was what it is today and it was like, you know, minus 40 degrees in the winter. So no, thank you. Tel Aviv. If you enjoy the threat of, you know, Paris attacks and that, you know, during the Is that was a very horrible. That was not a great time to be there. So yeah, I mean, you know, Toronto ended up being kind of easily the winner there, and so we were very lucky to end up here. It was very, very, very smart, very smart. Yeah. Well, it wasn't that I wasn't our choice to just, you know, luck of the draw. I guess there was some other things at play. We had some family members that came here. They we hadn't family that was in Tel Aviv. But we also had family that was here and just because we did have sponsors. We you know, it could have been 5050. We could have easily ended up being sent to Tel Aviv, but we ended up here and thank goodness for that. Now, did you like learn English and preparation for that? Or did you sort of like, how did you pick up language? Did you learn French first? Like what did you that was learning? The language is really difficult because when I Come here. My parents, my parents. My dad. That's a whole other story. We left the Soviet Union with my mom. But we came here only and my mom and my dad and my sister, but we came to Toronto just with my sister and my dad. So that's a whole other story that I may or may not have shared before with the community. I can't anyway, which is a whole interesting story. I kind of wrote a movie script about it when I was in college but anyway, so we ended up. We will get to that go on. Yeah, so where was it? Where was I going with that? So we came here. Got here with your dad. Yes, we're learning. Language. Thank you. Thank you. So we came here and my dad thought he was doing the right thing by putting me and my sister into Hebrew school, because Hebrew school. It's different from half of school. Its Catholic schools. Like the regular Public School. Here and like encounter know what it is like in the states, right? But in Canada, and especially in Ontario, Catholic schools like a regular public school. It's just a Catholic School. Where's the Hebrew? School is a private school. It's one that you have to pay money for to a to attend, okay? So because we were refugees, and we were, you know, there're all kinds of Jewish programs that are willing to pay throw all kinds of money at you as long as you are trying to be Jewish. Right? So, you know, so my obviously we don't have any money, so, but my somehow, my dad was able to get my sister and me into the Hebrew school. It was fully subsidized by again, these organizations I don't know which one it was and so great. So my dad thought he's giving us a great education by sending us to Hebrew school and my sister was two years older than me. So it was a lot easier for her. She was already studying, studying English When we were in Italy, I was, you know, I was seven, I had no desire or interest in that learning anything new so, so, so when. So, for me, they put me into great. I think it was great three, but I like it. We came here in February and I want to grade 3 and this Hebrew school. Yeah, and it was horrible. It was, it was horrible because so as a religious school you spend half of your time in religious classes studying too Other in other way. Yeah, in other way it's a Hebrew school is different from the Catholic school is. They don't teach those classes in English. They teach them in Hebrew what she was completely just a big waste of time for me because I didn't understand what they were doing. It really helped me with my drawing skills because I did a lot of drawing in that class. So yes and I still have some of those. Believe it or not. Early drawings, yeah. Sister themes are their themes. Yeah I was big into Transformers, I disgust? You know Transformers 1984 Transformers, and so I would there was one page that showed the Transformers in their vehicle airplane. States second page would be in there, transformed, transformed State, the third stage and some of these were like, they would connect together to make like one big Transformer That's called Tron. They would well, it's like Voltron but eat but not Voltron. Yeah, so anyway, so they would. So you'd have to transform them into this kind of third state that they are like an arm. It's, they're not a car or all right? Or a robot there, an arm, right? So I would have to be transformed into that state, so that I would draw that and then I would draw them. Yeah. So that's so it was a lot of kind of interesting intricate drawings and there's lots of Smurfs. I drew Smurfs, I am sorry. Yeah, but that was the thing. Anyway, favorite Smurf. What's that? Favorite Smurf? Um, geez, I don't think I had a favorite Smurf. Come on. I wasn't like, I wasn't like a Smurf Aficionado or anything. Like I think my James likes to drink was as real, not a Smurf. Not I know, but I like that Israel. The best the cat. Yes. Yeah. But anyway, the Smurf. Peter though, I don't think Azrael ever actually ate any Smurfs. Yes, Gargamel who wanted to do all the eating. Yeah, but he is missing misusing as real to have to help him. But anyway, it's been a while since I watched the cartoon. But I, you know, I remember something like that. So back to the language. So, wasting a lot of time in Hebrew class, trying to try and draw on the time, which was, I guess. It in one way because my head wasn't, you know, barraged with all the nonsense from yeah, from a, from a religious perspective. But on the other hand, it was just wasting time when I could have been learning, right? Yes, yeah. So then the other thing with a private school that happens is they start teaching your French a lot earlier and because it's a private school, it's a little more intense and whatnot. So more waste of time for me because I can't even speak English. And I am I am sitting in kind of clock French class, trying to learn French by an English teacher who is mostly speaking French so. So that was a big waste of time and then you have your regular classes, you know, your mouths and everything else. And so what you know I wasn't getting anything out of that because I can understand the language. So I spent so the only class that was had any usefulness to me was ESL, right? Right. So which was it again? So that was So most of my day in school was complete waste of time. Let us just how frustrating was that? Um, I think when you're a kid, you don't like, spend time feeling, sorry for yourself games that but kids are very adaptable, right? Like you just found out to your environment, your adapt to your situation. The other thing to think that, I think was more challenging for me, and I am not like, you know, crying a sob story, anything like that. This was the same case, for any immigrant, but it was the Cold War, right? And Russians were the enemy, and they were the butt-end of the joke and all that kind of stuff. And I think Rocky for was coming out or gonna come out or came out. I can't remember exactly they. And so there was, you know, and Dolph Lundgren was playing the Yashin guy who obviously it wasn't Russian but doesn't matter. And so he was the bad guy. So, I was the bad guy because I was and I wasn't even Russian right, right? Oak Russian And I came from the Soviet Union, so and in Canada and the United States back, then Russia and the Soviet Union was the same thing. There was no difference, even though there is a very big difference. There was no difference because people didn't understand that here and not because they were ignorant. It just wasn't taught that way. I am right. Like, that's right. No people were taught that, you know, the Soviet Union is Russia and tonight and you know there's some truth to that to an extent because Russian Rule was all that the republics of the Soviet Union um, you know have to put Russian first and then everything else I can write. So yeah. Much different from the Commonwealth a little bit different, a little bit. So anyway, so I was a bit of a villa and I have to always kind of defend myself. People are kids were picking on me and then there's one day and in school yard, I just had enough. And then I kicked this guy in an in the face and then Got sent to the principal's office and I kind of, and then I don't know, I didn't really understand most of the stuff that the principal was telling me. So I kind of dismissed most of it and I just, you know, it was clear that I was defending myself. So I didn't get into too much trouble. I don't think much came of it, but I just remember that fight very that incident. There wasn't really a fight. I remember that incident. Very vividly in my head just because it was very You know, one of those memories that you have as kid, right? And it grabs that first year, were you a 10? Yeah, I would have been eight or nine. I camera. Exactly. Right. But yeah, but have been young and, and, and sometimes you have to look after that. People kind of just left me alone, right? And anyway, I can tell it continued to struggle with the language of through. Great for r85, great 6, started to speak better each time. I am mostly learning from All and watching TV shows, nobody care p in Cincinnati, Three's Company shows like that and start to, you know, made like a friend which was nice. And but really was not doing well in school at all because the language it was a real problem for me. And finally, finally, finally my Dad decided to transfer me to public school. And when that happened, Midway through 87, then everything changed. Aged because I stopped wasting so much time and being in Hebrew school was also just terrible. Just because the kids because it's a private school. And private school. Yeah, private school sucks, private school, the kids, all the kids are from Rich families, it's the ones that if back then, like everybody had like a roots and beaver canoe shirts, and Converse, and these are the kids that had like a different color shirt and different colored shoes for every f****** day of the week. All right, you know what? And their personalities matched their attire. And so, there weren't there, weren't the kids, you know, kids kind of suck anyway, right? And then, you know those kinds of kids suck on the next level, right? So confirm. Yeah. So it was really nice to kind of go to public school and I started to make friends I got into sports, I got into, you know, just more start got into like more of the Aguilar pop culture, stuff, and whatnot. And everything was lots of great, you know, lots of difficult memories and once I was in high school, then grow out my hair, got into rock and roll. It was say, you know, by then English was already, you know, like my, my old hat, my exactly, it was my number one language, my accent was starting to disappear and everything might. So you know, for a lot of kids high school is a lot. Bad memories for me high school was really the might you know, some of my best times because you peaked in high schools. We have like well, yeah, I didn't really Peak but I say it was because my middle school grade school was terrible Middle School was slightly better but still not great. Right so could have only gone up so high school for me was I arrived and I didn't Peak Iraq an arrived. Okay, and that's where I started. To kind of find myself, right? So, you know, I discovered that I love music and I discovered that I love to play with in bands and perform on stage. And I you know, I started to kind of do things realize that I like to do things differently, right? So I joined the school band, they didn't have a guitar. So I you know, they made me play the socks. What was it the alto sax and then I said, you know, why don't I play the guitar? Why don't I play the guitar, and they said, yeah, that's not part of the band. I said, well, okay, well why don't we make it part of the band and then Mr. Peppa said, okay. But now I am gonna have to write music for the guitar. I said, you're welcome pitter patter. So, you're welcome. So how did you actually say you're welcome? I probably. I probably, I could have them. I was a bit of a smartass but in a you know like and in a playful way in a play for you. Oh yeah, yeah. So you know I try to kind of always kind of Beat March to the Beat of My Own Drum kind of thing and I like this is early on. This was, were you always this way or did it was this part of the transformation? Yeah. I think I was I just said was a bit more of a loose cannon back then right? Just, you know, a little less mature and a little my filters weren't as you know, it was the 90s all the night. Yeah. Well the 80s and then yeah I mean yeah. So the 90s by the time I was a teenager for sure right after high school. Yeah. So anyway so what were your favorite bands? I am excited from Extreme. God don't say extreme we know about extreme. I mean, it's really. So first of all, my first concert I ever went to, I was my sister took had to take me and it was Tiffany, so I don't know if you know, No. What year was it? It was probably 86 87 or something like that, was it? I Think We're Alone Now. Was it like right about? Was that was, that was right? Yeah. So that would have been what 87? Right. 86 87. Yeah. And it was at the, so we have a place here called Wonderland and is wondering, Andrew is Wonderland. And, and if you had a season's pass, they used to do concerts there every Saturday night. And if you add a Seasons past, the concerts were ten bucks and you can see it was crazy and it's like the 90s were amazing where they can stock. Like, every you name the band be there, they were there. You'd you name them? They were there. Like maybe not Pink Floyd. But, but like almost every other band that was Def. Leppard you got them. Oh, for sure, for sure it's not white snake that I saw so many bands there, it's humble, easin poison. I saw poison. I saw. What's that? Steve warrant. Did you see warrant? I didn't see, I never saw a warrant but what's that? Stupid band. You think this song is about you? They didn't write that song, but they did a reading passage Cinderella. It was yeah, Cinderella did it. So many bands, so many, so many bands anyway. But the first one was Tiffany it. So that was my Section 22, rock and roll is Tiffany, but then I, you know, I found like I said, I found myself after that, I discovered the Wall by Pink Floyd and I listen to that, I still have that cassette. It was, I discovered in my sister's collection but I that I fell in love with that album like I just fell in love with it. I every why it's a masterpiece like but I think with kids are missing out on today, to be honest, like Not to sound like a boomer but it all her missing out that album experience. And that's why I love extreme. Someone will come back to that. But you know, like I will say what we come back to Victor settle down, just settle down, it's like I get it. I know Taylor Swift and others they release albums, but it's, but you can listen to the songs and those albums and any order you want, there isn't a story, you know what I mean? Like it's there. It's like people cherry pick what they listened to on Spotify. They create. Our own playlist, which is just like our mix tapes back then. But when you went and got an album from your favorite band that just released an album, you know whether you know, obviously we why wasn't buying albums in the 70s. But if you listen to those albums from the 70s, and into the 80s from the bands that were a little more serious than poison and were, you could, you could put the album in and just experience from beginning to end. And there was, there was an, it was an experience, whether you're listening to a zeppelin album or Supertramp album, or I am talking bands like, you know, band Aerosmith. Yeah. But, you know what I mean? Like, yeah. And it was just an experience. And for me, like I said, I, I was got into all of the 70s, obviously Zeppelin Floyd, I was just super tramp with so huge for me. I love everything by The Eagles even though they're the biggest assholes in the world, especially Donnie's at, right? The music, just the mute. They couldn't write a bad song. If they were, if their life was in danger, like it was just the music was incredible. It really, really was. And so then I got into guitar, I got into like I said you take lessons or did you teach yourself? I took lessons, but I didn't get much out of them to be honest. Because of course she didn't. Well, first of all you didn't I wasn't even the homework that I was supposed to and then I started doing Conservatory. So I got up to Great to of conservatory and I just wasn't passionate about it. If anything kind of drove me away from classical and into rock and roll. And that's, I started discovering all of these instrumental guitarists, like, Steve, I and Joe Satriani and I really got into them. And that's when I, it was, that's when I discovered extreme. I didn't discover them. I you know I was hanging with people and said oh you good let me make you a mix tape and then you know my buddy break. He made me a mix tape of extremes the best songs. The only had two albums out at that point, so he gave me a mix of the best songs from the two albums is that I was before More Than Words The More Than Words. So they had to help. So the first time they released was I believe in 89 and that was just it was a self-titled extreme. And that's the album that had played with me on it. So that song that was they, you know, it was on Bill and Ted's, Excellent Adventure. Whatever the name of that would be wise. Yes. And so yeah. So that was that. So, I don't know about them, then though, okay, that song they kind of people started to know about them because that song, but then they came out with pornography T, which was the second album that came out. I think in 1999 team won the 1991. I can't remember. And that's the album had more than words on it, and they were going to quit on the album because it wasn't happening. They released decadent stance, which is to this day. One of the best songs forward guitar ever written on this planet like it's a masterpiece. Yeah. And then they released get the funk out which made Brian May Cry. So Brian Mays the guitars for Queen. What he if he dares there's this famous video on YouTube of Brian. Talking about the guitar solo on get the funk out and how he was just like he's talking about in such a passionate authentic way and it's just it's a masterpiece inside a song and it's the silly song called get the funk out. And the thing is, it's that whole album that pornography the album for any /, anyone that is a guitar player and understands what it means to play the guitar. If you listen to that album. Yeah, I don't lose also concept album. You can listen to for the messaging and all that kind of stuff. But I am talking strictly from a musical perspective. Yeah, there is no album titled comes close and guitar players agree. Like, maybe Van Halen one, the one that the cop? Yeah, the song called eruption on it and Running With the Devil, but there's no other album cut comes closed. That has such Mastery and Guitar playing in songs, we're not talking about instrument. Yeah, we're Cho now. Here you are. So yeah, can just listen to and one of those songs is more than words and the neat thing. Yeah. It's not just the guitar person, strumming guitar. If you're trying to learn a guitar, that will be a very difficult song for you to learn because there's so much Artistry anchoring in there. And I would probably attest to, I don't know if he's ever tried to learn that song, but it would be a difficult song to learn if You're just a Stromer, right? Okay. Take a breath. Take a breath. I know you're talking about extreme. Take some water. Yeah. Just inhale, and exhale. Take a breath. We're going to switch topics. Just momentarily. We will get back to Xtreme if you need to, there you go. Take a big deep breath in there. You can go on tangents about things for two hours by the way. So you have to sign out after 9:00 I was I like to see you get excited though see this? It's reminiscent of shore Z Victor and that's my favorite Victor aside from in-person Victor I like in person. Better than all but assures, the victors C plus s so let us talk about Shores, you really quickly. Now that I have brought it up, tell me, tell me what you thought, what, what did you think before you saw Shore Z? And then while you are watching Shore Z, how did you at what point? Did you understand that? This was the most amazing thing you'd ever seen. And, and then We will get in to start with those two things. So preassure Z and then perish or Z. So I think P Shores. The I probably thought what everybody else thought. Right. Right. Everybody was very cautiously optimistic about that show. All right, and simply because how are you going to make a show out of a caricature? How are you going to make? Usually, you know, when you have a spinoff it's from a very prominent character from the previous show and I don't think any Letterkenny fan would consider As you to be a prominent, he was a prop character and it's not like he had a development Arc or anything like that. Maybe not last season, maybe get started on arcs. He had one go sure. Sure. Whatever it just, it wasn't all, whatever mean layers there would. There weren't that many layers after layers to sure as you are one letter, Kenny not everywhere. Yes, there were okay. Well anyway, we can get into a philosophical debate At about that. Well, Circle back to that. Yeah. But anyway, I mean and it's like, I am not a Letterkenny Aficionado, anyway, right. So it's like, you know, I am a, I am a fan of the community. I am a fan of the show, the podcast for three years on the show, but I am not in a position, but I know, but I am not a super fan, right? I have said it from day one, I will say it the key. So like I love you know, you can admire an artist. You don't have to love, you don't have to, like, just blindly love everything. An artist does right? It's like, you can admire their talent and don't craft and all that kind of stuff and except for me or extreme. Yes. Well, extreme can do anything wrong. Right. Okay good. But anyway, so I, you know, to this day Letterkenny is not like one of my top 10 shows its just not like anything that's, and I am not I don't feel like I need to I apologize for that, you know, I love what Letterkenny has done. I love what it, I love, what kind of the community it created. And so if not for letter carrier it like it's a force this Force, right? But so we, if we talk about, you know, short Shores, he has a character in that show unless you knew the history and you knew the what work he so is. Coming from, you wouldn't have thought that a show could be centered around that character. That's right, not from what we from what was exposed to us in segments or the vignettes that. Yes. Right. So anyway, so I was cautiously optimistic. I on one hand, I kind of thought is this really going to work? He's kind of goofball. There's I didn't see that many layers to him again. Let us not get into the philosophy. And but at the same time, it was the promise of something that I was hoping Letterkenny would be that. It wasn't when I first learned about Letterkenny, before I ever joined the community. And before a liberal gave me the call and said, do you want to add cast? I found Letterkenny because I saw that first episode, and those two goofballs coming up in the Tonka trunk and then, right? And, and I thought it was going to be a hockey show and it was very it was, I think it was right around. Time I was watching a hockey show. I don't know if the people in the community know, but there was a 30-minute sitcom hockey show around the time that Letterkenny started. It was called Benders and it's not a great show. But it was a hockey show and what's my nobody knows about it. You can IMDb it and see if you can. I don't think there're any networks carry it. So you will have to use kind of some nefarious. Ways to view it, but it's, but it's just a 30-minute like a sitcom about a beer league hockey players. And but it was just okay, like I think if you go and look at the I am DB review I am gonna guess I have no idea. I am going to guess it's like a five, or a six, write something like that. And but I watched it and there was only one season and got canceled and then I saw Letterkenny and I thought oh, This is going to be the replacement for that and was not awesome. And then I realize, oh, it's not really, it's more of a kind of hick town. I kind of just, I didn't really, I thought it's a hick. Town shows looks like it might be good, but it wasn't easy to watch. So I kind of forgot about it. I watched that first step was forgot about it and then now gave me a call, and then we started the whole podcast thing. Right? Right, right. Start watching it. So, so back to your question. I was cautiously operates that but more optimistic than cautious because I didn't really care how good or bad it would be. It was going to be about hockey. What the heck? It's like, yeah, you know my I don't set the bar High. I just said right. Then be a side sitcom about hockey, like what, you know what could go wrong. Like it's let us do it. And then we and then, you know, we saw that first episode and I said, yeah, great, that's Bring It On. That's exactly what I expected and, and it seemed so much more than what I expected. Actually. Right. It's easily. You know, cleared my bar that I set for it. Yeah. Is it now the standard against which all other hockey shows will be measured at least? Yeah, exactly. I mean, to be honest, like I don't need any other hockey shows. Let us just let this one continue for as long as Letterkenny. Did you know let us say it's 12:30 seasons of shortly. Like why not? You know I don't need another Hakusho. This one's you know that this was good enough that I need ya. Exactly. All right, let us um let us pick up a listener. Question, do you want a serious question? First to do on a funny question first? I think all questions are funny boy. Why is that? Okay. Tasi wants to know, Cassie actually the one that was with our caffeine. Yes sir. Yeah, I just kind of wrote her a Stasi and my script is a joke to myself but I think I called you Cassie actually when we were at when we were in the locker room and you were sitting there trying to collect yourself after the, the key. So, You know, meeting the meeting event. Yeah. Toots sweet. Yeah. I was, I was walking toward you and I said, oh, I see is Cassie doing, okay. I don't know why I called you Cassie. And then I think people who is a kind of overheard me, and they saw this a******, doesn't you know who's who he's with? But anyway, I probably it probably didn't even affect me at that moment. No, no, you probably didn't even hear. It's like everybody else that heard that when I was coming towards you. But anyway, so anybody heard me? I did. Yes. I did say Cassie, but Didn't I, I knew who Casey was, so, leave me alone, talking behind my back. So, how did hippos become your favorite animal? And why? Um, because of this guy right here. So, for those listening, I am showing you the red hippo. So, this hippo is from the Soviet Union. He is he's very special on the bottom. You can't see it, but on the bottom, the price is imprinted. David because that's its a communist hippo, and communism. You're not allowed to have different prices for things, because that's right-thinking. So, they to make sure that stores weren't selling these for different prices. They put the price imprinted into the plot. It's molded into the plastic is it says, 12 the pick. Quebec is basically a penny. So, so it's 12. This hippo was 12 cents, and he was given Me by my uncle is a judge. Amelia and he was my dad's brother, and he was my just a wonderful uncle. And when we were leaving, leaving the Soviet leaving beliefs e. We first had to go to Moscow as we were going to fly from Moscow to Austria. And there were some problems. There were some problems with the papers. I can't remember. I don't know exactly what. Happened. And my parents had to send my sister and me back to EE see while they sorted it out. And so we, we didn't nobody, we didn't have our apartment anymore, so they sent us to stay with my uncle JJ, Amelia. And while I was there, I managed to destroy their bday and their bath. Damn. Okay. I don't know what a bidet was but I found out later. Did you try to flush it with your foot? I did. I did, I operated the bidet, but I wasn't sitting on it and the ceiling needed to be replastered. There's a bit of a flood but that's a whole other story. So anyway, so we went to stay with my uncle for a couple of weeks, which I am sure he was really pleased with afterwards, but he after that incident, instead of getting in scolded for What happened? He gave me this hippo. Mmm, he gave me this hippo. This is this wonderful with a very smart sweater and it's like a checkered sweater. You can't really tell the pattern, but yeah, it's oh, I see it. Yeah, anyway, she's such a wonderful little guy. He meant so much to me at the time. I slept with him, under my pillow for years, and years. And I, he still by my bedside every day. So, does he have a name? His name is become one, which made him a hippo in Russian and that's why sometimes you see my moniker as read begin. What? Because he's the red hippo. So anyway, so that's you know, that's where it all started and then what I you know started to learn that I had a brain and I could learn a things. I started to connect the dots and when I learned about hippo, the real animal, I thought they were A just incredible Majestic and graceful and interesting. And learned you know how, you know, they watched like every documentary, you can imagine that exists about them and then read all like all the kids books about hippos and all that kind of stuff. So, and there was this, I even have this video cassette in. We had on Saturday morning, cartoons between cartoons. They would show these little funny segments. It was good. Sports hippo and I have a video cassette that's collection of all of these. So it was a hippo and a cat and the cat always tried to foil the hippo, but then the cat would always lose in the end. And the hippo was just kind of mining his own business. He did wasn't even trying to do anything cruel to the cat. It was just a crack at that was trying to always, you know, foil, whether they were like, you know, competing the hippo, never knew he was competing against the cat. The cat was always competing with it. But anyway, so I just love hippos. Yeah, they're wonderful animals to get a bad rap there, you know, just propaganda, get killed more people than the other animal every year. But they never talk about how more people kill more hippos than hippos, kill people, and all that kind of stuff, but not to get into that. But hippos are incredible. I love them. And I love what's happening with the, you know, Fiona and, and, and hippo Beach, and the San Diego Zoo, and I was going to say feeling and Frets, but it's just that Notable II love with advocate for hippos. If you want, this is your interview. You go off about hippos Victor and I hip anyway. So that's the hippo layer of my onion and that's what that's where it started. Mike wants to know. He wants to say that your immigration story is fascinating to him, he's got two questions. How much do you think your immigration story shapes your personality and your outlook on life? Now that Process. And then how do you manage to stay connected to your Georgie and Roots? Do you and is it difficult to maintain that connection, culturally for yourself? Oh my, there's lots of stuff in there. Yeah, so yes, but not for the reasons, not for the immigration story. So it's what happened during immigration. So before I get into that, I have a very because, you know, when you're a kid and you're seven years old, it's very hard to Kind of look back. And I am saying that from my own experience. Like, I can't tell you the difference between 6 & 5, right? And I can't tell you the difference between 10 and 11 to me. Those are very similar years, but I, there's a, very Vivid difference between seven and eight. Because when I was seven, I was living in the Soviet Union. When I was eight, I was living in Austria, Italy, and Canada. So, I went through that, you know, whole journey, and because when something like that happens to you as a kid, it Creates a milestone in your memory bank. And so what it does, is it my memory of being in Tbilisi is incredibly Vivid because it's Abyss break that happens. And so it's so vivid that I can close my eyes and I can visualize everywhere I have ever been in beliefs. Wow. And it was, it was an interesting. And like the you know the pros of the Soviet of the of Communism in Soviet Georgia is that it was super safe, it was Zero crime right because if you commit a crime you disappear. So you know like you know we had over back then except you don't pay, you just go and you just it's you flag a car down but driving by, and they will give you a lift. You don't even consider that they might Don't do anything harmful to you. They just it's just, it was just that kind of thing. And when I was in grade 2, I would walk to school on my own right, right? Like it's Unthinkable here, like it's just, you wouldn't even fathom a never happen, right? I walk to school on my own and I remember leaving my apartment walking onto the main street called rustaveli Avenue. It's still the Main Street and beliefs you today walk a few blocks to Street. And then you walk down this path and it's beautiful. And you have these houses with these interesting. Like if you go and look at any pictures of Tbilisi there, in the most beautiful sceneries, you will see it's one of the most beautiful cities in the world and I had it, I was there, I was in it. I was in, I would walk down to the school and because of that, those memories of those streets that kind of, that the life and the Tile are so. So bifid to the point where if we were to travel there back there, you know, tomorrow I could probably give you a tour. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like it's. Yeah, I do. And I do, you know, I was seven. So very, very connected. Not to the point that I don't know anybody there, everyone left. There's right. I don't have a single friend or family member that still lives there, but I want to go. It's definitely on my list. Things to do. It's just it's it hasn't been in a stable state where I would feel safe to take anybody with me. I would go, I don't care, but I want to make sure if I am going to go there that it's 100% safe for anybody else can go. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. My kids are old now so whatever. But we when they were younger, and we would always travel and take them, it was never even a consideration because it was never safe enough. Kind of want to take. A family trip there. So that's the answer in part of that question in terms of my roots to release it in terms of the immigration and how it shaped me. So, one thing I love travel, I that's very, very important to me that every, you know, and that's why covid-19. Having immigrated through three countries to get here. I think probably helped me see how different the world is and how important it is to kind of get out of your comfort Lane. And to remember that there's a whole world out there because when I was in Belize, see, I had never seen a black person, never wow. And it's not because I am not saying that they weren't any black people. There may be there probably were, I just, you know, but the percentage of black people that may have existed at that time in beliefs e. Georgia was probably so low that I just never encountered a yeah, black person. I was, you know, so when I, when I came to, I don't think, I don't even think we. I remember seeing anybody in Austria in Vienna, and it wasn't until we got to let these Polly where it's like, oh, there's this whole other type of people that I was never exposed to, which was Able to me, right? And it's like, when you when your seven-year-old kid, right? It's these are things that are like, what? Like oh there's people that look different can't even conceive that because I grew up in a real integrated area in Paterson. In New Jersey in the 80s. I was the only white kid on my block. There were syrians. There were people from the Middle East there. I mean, it was, it was such a cultural mixing pot and Yeah. So, I can't even, I can't even conceive what that must be. Like, just to see something like, we had a cultural Melting Pot are people from the Middle East, right? As we were because George has as you know, base right nearby, half Europe, have Middle East like it's right on the border with turkey were, and so we had a lot of people like I had there been Ivan so my neighbors were from Azerbaijan from I even had some neighbors from Iraq, right? But stiffer Africa, not never end and then. So that was you know, again, that's just giving a small example of kind of the things you experience as a seven-year-old, the kind of open your eyes. And so when we, when we came to Italy, my eyes were open to all kinds of things that I just thought were unimaginable. It was 19. Jeez. It was 1982 and I think Italy had won the World Cup that year. I can't remember exactly the year but it was Bedlam there. Everybody was going crazy for Polar Rosie who he was like the hero of the country. And, so I started collecting a sticker album of the World Cup and I still have that album today. I completed I think about maybe 85% of it, and then we have to leave the country. But I was you know, just things like that. Like a warrant and believe say, you couldn't go to the store and buy toys. Like it wasn't like it was just my eyes were like I remember walking. So I love the train station. I had always loved trying. You know, I love the channel. Yeah. Do you have being at the train station because we took it every single weekend to go between ladee's Polly and Rome. And I, here's the train. Origin story yet know I might. Yeah, so, so I guess it's hard to say that you or like, it's just something that was always in me. Like, I just always loved the smell that smell like, what is that smell? That you smell from the tracks at train stations. It's just, it's intoxicating. I love being around it. I also there was a story of my dad that I may have and may or may not have shared, you know, he was on the last train. Out of Tashkent, when, when the Nazis attacked and in my and it was, and he was a kid, he was like, I forget how old he was. He was really little he and his sister and his mom got on the last train, and then they were out ambushed, and then they have to run through the cornfields. And here it was like, it was 50/50 whether they were gonna make it and somehow they made it. And you're so this kind of infamous Strange story that even though the train got ambushed, it's also a train that bottom out of the city when they were going around collecting the Jews. And so, so there's a kind of that's maybe a bit of an origin story as well. Very, you know, and but being in Italy and every weekend, as a seven-year-old kid, taking the train to go and come into Rome and back again, that probably is word kind of dates back to and I remember coming out The train station in Rome, there was the store and the stores was critic, the prices were crazily. Every like everything was like a million lire at the time, this would be for the Euro and it was if I knew it's something that you I wouldn't even the fathom to ask my dad to buy because it's not something that was ever attainable. But I would just stare in the windows and looking at these motorcycles and cars, and trains these model, all these model vehicles that I just salivated over and I would want nothing more than to have and play with. Yes. And you know, I remember we would go to the flea market like something like a flea market where you could go and sell stuff. Mmm, we brought we had nothing when we left. Like we have to leave all our money stuff behind and everything like that. But one before and what went before We left my dad shipped out a giant crate. Like this crate was incredibly large of goods. It was everything you can imagine was in this crate for the purpose of selling. When we got to let these bully, wow, it was waiting for us and let these Polly and that's how we live. That's how we survived. He was selling, like, kind of these things. And so at the supermarket, I was allowed to go and buy one little dinky car. And then every week I would come back. And sell that car and then buy new one. So, so that's, you know, so I learned a little bit of, you know how to entrepreneurial a little bit entrepreneurship there. Yeah, like that. But yeah, that was so yes, that hope process that shape me and Anna who I am today, but probably not as much as what happened with my mom. So you know what, we everything was okay, and I have nothing but good memories about my mom. She You might have been crazy. She might have been this that the other, but I don't have for the seven years that she was. My mom. She was great. I have no complaints. She was a piano teacher. She was just wonderful. Wonderful mom to me. Yeah, she was a wonderful person, whatever to others. Has Noah, can't speak to that, but as soon as, as a mom, she was great. And then we got to everything was okay in, in Vienna and my mom and my dad were fighting a lot, I know. That was happening. I have no idea what it was, any of it was about, but they did have a lot of fights screaming and this and that we got two ladies Polly, and we moved into this apartment where it's kind of shared complex or have your own rooms, but you have like a shared kitchen and so this the shared space. Yeah. And so we got our room and then a little while afterwards. This guy moved in his kind of young kind of younger rugged, you know. And kind of cool and got all these cool gadgets like a switchblade and other things like that we kiss kids thought were super an awesome super pale. Yeah. And anyway so weeks go by and obviously he and my mom start having an affair, and we end up creating like where my dad gets a Stetson separate, apartment with my sister and me and my mom stays with the sky and so that's happening. And then one night, there's this big fight that's happening in the living room of our new apartment and I come out to living room, my sister who was two years older than me. My dad, my mom and the sky are standing around her dining room table. And all my, that is saying, Put The Knife Down, Put The Knife Down you had this. It was actually our kitchen knife. He had it in his hand and my mom is standing behind him and I don't know what the hell's going on, but I am shaking like my knees are shaking because, you know, this thing yet, but gets crazy. And my sister who was again, she was like, would have been 10 at the time? I can't, she said. Ed let us everybody you know cool your heads. Let us we lived on we left in a really nice place. It was right on the beach like it was like a crappy looking apartment. Like a one of those kind of square apartment complexes. That was maybe three or four stories high or something like that. And it was, but it was right on the beach like you know you had the apartment, then you had a street for cars to go by and then you had to beach. That's all it was. And it was like, I think 10 PM at night, there're no cars. There's nobody outside All went out somehow they listened to my sister, and we all went out, and then they continue to fight and argue and then my mom is still standing by this guy behind him. My dad and my sister, and I are standing on the opposite to them. He takes out a canister, have no idea what it was? It was probably torn gas and sprays it up, my dad, but of course, it gets into my eyes and my sister's eyes and it I never felt a sensation like It was like the most pain I ever felt at to this day and I ever felt and when he saw how much pain he was causing us, he stopped his intention was to spray my dad, and so he stopped and started swearing at my dad and saying it was all his fault, and he's writing me, and he's gonna end and his and my mom was with him like standing behind like didn't even like come to help us like she just watched it all. And then they laughed. She and Him. They both left and left us there. And so the next items. No idea. Like, what the hell? Just happened. And the next morning, my dad took my sister and me to see the kind of law. Local doctor. That kind of helped. Yeah, geez. Yeah. And she said, I have no idea what they sprayed, but you guys look like you're okay. And it doesn't seem to be any permanent damage. That's why I am thinking is probably torn gas, right? Because I am right, yes, causes permanent damage. And but I wasn't vomiting either so that's why I am thinking maybe it was something else because I think that tear gas. Also, I am supposed to make you vomit but anyway, it was wasn't good. Whatever it was. It wasn't good. Yeah. So he tried to First kill my dad with a knife then he tried to do, whatever he thought he was doing with that gas. And so after that, we didn't see them again for like a long time. And then, right, can you be a month or it's hard to remember the timeline, but, Let us say a month goes by and my dad my mom contacts my dad and said, hey there was kind of like a community center with a rabbi that where you would go and you could go and kind of learn English and do other things. And she said, why don't you come and meet us at this community center? So we can talk things out and see if we can, you know, work something out. Mmm. And so I thought. Okay, well maybe Mom is going to be there, and we're going to, you know, something good will come of it. And this to get there took about an hour to walk to this place. Hmm, so when we got there she didn't show up we waited for like three four hours, and then we decided to go back home and it's not like you can call people in cell phone. Yeah. Yeah. Right. But we walk, when we came back home to our apartment was broken into, and they had come in and stolen anything of value back later. Yeah. God. So and at that point, like my sister and I kind of realized that are we are mama's phone forever, right? Yeah, and though she was like she was there, but she's not there, right? She's not there yet. This is not Mom doesn't, then we sew, and then we didn't have any contact at all, until we finally got acceptance to leave Italy, and come to Toronto. And then the immigration people wanted to see us before that happens, because they went to understand why. Are we leaving without our mom? Because it sounds right, very unusual, usually, that's right. Stay with the mom, not that. So, they want to make sure that it's all legit. That's right, so we're sitting in a room. It's my sister me. My, my mom and my dad, and she's spewing old kinds of lies about my dad and saying that the we should be with her, and all this kind of stuff. My sister got up, went over to her and just slapped her across the face, like, you wouldn't believe. And when the immigration Officer saw that he said, okay, you guys can go, okay, time to leave you guys to go, and they didn't have any more questions after that because they, you know, when the ten-year-old kid goes up laughs their mom in the face. Yeah. Because of the things that she's saying about her, dad, they stood who's telling the truth. So, so yeah. So that, I mean so that whole experience, which didn't happen overnight. You have to understand it, right? Right after work so long. Of course, Mario that I think that did more to shape me. And that's why it's always hard to put yourself in other people's shoes, writes very, very hard. Like I am you know, that an area that I went through as a very young kid. You know, I could grow up and kind of do all kinds of bad things and be, you know what I mean? And say, oh, I had this terrible child hat. This traumatic thing that happened to me and it's not like, oh, I am somehow special or I, you know what I mean? I just I look back and I Look at that. I do. I think it made me stronger. I think it made me who I am today in terms of, in a good way, not a bad way if that makes any sense. It is so very, very intimately. I know what you mean. On that note, I want to, I want to say Aaron wants to ask, you are such a great father. First of all, what experience do you believe every child should have before they become an adult? Um, You know what? It's such a that's a hard question because I don't know that there's one thing. You know what I mean? I think the most important thing to have as a child is childhood is an opportunity to be a kid. Like I think it's unfair to put kids in the scenario where they have to grow up sooner than they should. It's also unfair to put undue pressures on kids that they have you know, like there's a very, very fine balance between making sure that your kids have every opportunity in the world to overwhelming them without. And I am not sure what the scientific formula for that is my wife and I try to do the best that we could but you know, you know what I mean. Like there're some kids that their schedule like their schedule is on the calendar. Like all on this day you're going to have kennel and then Kung Fu and karate and swimming and then tomorrow and Parents think that they're doing a good thing for their kids and because you know maybe one of those things are going to click, and they're going to. Yeah. But one of the things that are they missing out on like what is the like I yeah. You know what I mean? Like yeah. I think when I say I am living it right now. Yeah I think one of the things that kids are Robbed off to pay today that we didn't that we, I think, I certainly had that I wish my kids had more of is that just natural outside playtime. The natural not forced where you're just. You're after school, you're going into play Hot street hockey after school. You're hanging out at the mall. You're, you're walking home from school and you're deciding to go to the arcade or this. It's like, I don't want to sound like that guy writes, like, just everyone's on your hair, you can be that guy, you know what I mean? Like, I just think it'd be that guy. And then that and all of that and then what happens cobit, you know what I mean? Like, ya know that we're already in a place that was so different socially than it was when we were young and then it doubled down like and by the way, now we're making it okay for, you know, do more of that I just okay its crits, how we're going to fund. Shannon. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And yeah, now you have these countries like in Finland and Netherlands that are saying we're going to not allow phones in school. So it's like finally, thank goodness. Like it. Yes. I get it. There's like one percent of our society needs phones because of illnesses or emergencies or whatever but come on like you. How, how, how is it, okay for kids to be on their phones during class functions? Ridiculous, it's ridiculous because Was and again it's I am going on a tangent again but to Aaron's question. It's not one thing I think. I think let kids be kids. Let think that's a good answer. That's a good answer. Joey asks what's your most practical advice from a manager to a challenged employee? Like somebody's just not getting the thread or rather how do you motivate employees that are unmotivated? Yeah, it's a good question. And I think, what's important what's I can't motivate anybody? People need to know how to motivate themselves. And I think often when you asked, when you ask, it's about taking off the mentor hat and putting on a coach at those two things are very different, right? And to put on a coach at it's very difficult because you have to be patient and you have to be very careful not to get seduced. Where it's what do you mean by that? Say more about that? So the this the key to coaching is to uncovering, what's below the surface, right? So when you say G, KC, what motivates you and you might say, you know what, more motivates me the reason I go to work is that I know I am going to earn some a paycheck, and I am going to be able to pay the bills. I am going to be able to send the kids to Disneyland or whatever, right? But the reality is, is that even though you said it, it's a complete lie, not because you're lying it. You don't realize that you just no one has challenged you on it, right? Because you know ones motivated by money. Money is just, you know, let us say you get your year-end performance review and your boss says, you know, you did really well this year. So you know, I am instead of getting giving you a 2% raise, that the government recommends, we're going to give you a two and a half percent raise because you're so awesome. And you know what we did really well this year. So we're also going to give you on top of that a 5% one. I am 5% bonus because you're all. So we, you know, you're great. We really love having you and so what happens, you look at your paycheck, you see that you got a bump from your two and a half percent and that equates to like whatever in extra $15 or something ridiculous that you don't even see how it makes a difference to your life. And then you get that one time 5,000 payment, which actually is not 5,000. So, after taxes, maybe, you know, 3,000 or something like that. And, and then you go and use it for that one thing that you want. Is wanted and then it's gone. And then you have another year of having to go to work. Where you're not going to get anywhere raises. You're not going to be getting anywhere bonuses, maybe you will get the same stuff next year, but the money is not going to it's not going to get you out of bed in the morning because that's gone. You got it. That's its over. What the things that motivate you have to be a things that can have a Continuum to them, right? They have to be things that you have control over. You have zero control over getting raises. Has and, you know, you might think you have control but you have nothing to do with that. It's and, and again, once they happen, that's it. There under your rear-view mirror. What are the things that you motivate? You, you need to discover that and I think a good coach helps an employee discovered the things that maybe they haven't thought and spent any time thinking about. So I will give an example. Some people might get motivated by being included in decision-making You know what instead of me telling you what projects you're going to be working on how about I give you an I will give you five projects and you tell me which of those you might want to be working on. Yes some people are motivated by giving given tasks, they don't want it they don't want to make decisions. They just they're doers. They just want to be told exactly what to do when to do it. How to do it. They don't want that extra responsive and maybe they will be motivated by that and a good manager. Stands that about their employees and if he doesn't then they explore that, and they get below the surface to kind of find out. If someone's having a, if someone is not engaged not motivated, it might have nothing to do with work at all. Maybe they're going through a difficult time at home. Maybe they're, you know what I mean? Maybe they lost a family member, some of that. And again, I will coach asks, questions, a coach doesn't give advice a coach doesn't Give the answers if you will do't. Yeah. Solve a coach helps team helps the employee or the coachee find the answers for themselves and when they say oh it's almost like, you know, how does that make you feel? Alright it's like and then what happened time then about that might tell me more of that, like yeah, what have you tried? And then once you uncover all its that thing you're having trouble with that thing, okay? Have you? What? Have you tried to combat that or whatever? What else have you tried? Okay what else could do you think you could try? So at no point, are you actually telling them what to do? You're helping them discover and then so when they finally get to that Eureka moment, they feel they have actually accomplished something, and then they feel engaged, and they feel motivated in the action planning. Okay, great. So we have uncovered all this great stuff. Now let us get to the action planning. What are you going to, what is the one thing that? If you could just pick one thing to do differently, what is that one thing that you think you could do? Okay. And let us make a commitment. So let us time you know like how long Wendys when are ya, all right, and Wendy, would you like us to come back and talk about it again? Right? You're giving them with the control, you're giving its yes, they're the ones who are making all these decisions. So, that's, terrific coach does is help him an employee come to these realizations. For themselves and you're guiding them, you're guiding them along to making those decisions. And the seduction part, is that, when they're giving you answer, that are interesting. Mmm, don't we are off. Don't ask about the interesting stuff, because it's not about that. It's not about you, and it's not about the thing, it's about the employee, it's always about the Kochi and you always, it's always about helping them. Uncover, what is the root cause of their angst? And action plan to get beyond that and not to get seduced by the answers. So I am going to say that went ahead and answered, Adrian's question about being a good manager is a skill that takes a lot of attention and talent. And where did that come from for you? So the second half of his question was things that you do constantly, consistent, consciously to challenge, and bring out the best in your staff that you answered. Where do you think this? This came from, who modeled this for you? Where did you pick this up? Is this something intrinsic like trains? No, I think it's really just experience like, yeah, been given, so you create your own opportunities, right? So for me, I think, you know, sometimes you look at a kid and say, you know, that kid has a leadership mindset, right? It's going to be ready to Monday, right? So I think it's something and not everyone is kind of molded to be a leader. That's right. And that's okay. Right? That's right. Everyone's built different. That's right. I think for me I think it was it's always been in me too. Be in a leadership role and I you know when I got my first opportunity, you know, even going back to you know high school and college. I have always been the guide to shoot to say. Yes, I always said, you know, when people ask for volunteers, I always just, I don't know, I just always wanted to be in the Limelight and not from an eagle point of view. I just wanted to be the guy I just wanted and I think the music and being in a band and playing on stage. There's a little ego there and it's not a Bad thing. It's okay to, it's okay. It's doesn't ego. Isn't always — yeah. But it's just there's there're two sides to it, right? So I think it was on a more playful side of things and so that was that did me. Well yes, but so when I finally got into the Working World and I kind of got into the Working World and then I worked at this company called VTR video for six years. And that's where I met Linda and it was the best time in my life. I swear to God like working at. It was Under Mifflin, it was dunder-mifflin before, Dr. McKay was, that's right. When the office came out. I loved it so much because it was like that's this is your life. It's comfort food. Yeah, like Michael Scott was Tim got all that was my box like him if you're listening there you go. Damn, I love you man. But when, you know, we had these, we bought this SK. So here we go. So we bought this quickly Victor. So we bought these roles of video that we wound into video cassettes and two shells, and these clean rooms and stuff like that. Anyway, and then one of my job was to inspect the quality of that tape. And it was, it was wound. It was reverse like it was spooled the wrong way around, so when you try to record on it, you just get snow. Okay. So anyway, so we had to call them and say you just ship this 200,000 of these spools, and they're useless to us. Couldn't believe it. So they actually they sent their Engineers from South Korea. That's where this was from to our little itsy-bitsy, Dunder, Mifflin plant in Don, Mills Toronto, Ontario, and, and they come through the doors. Tim comes to greet them. He boughs almost hits the guy in the head, and then he gives his business card, but it, His business card. It was Joe McNulty's business card. Who was, who was my supervisor? And, and so, the guy looks and business cards were very important at that time. Yeah. And they looked at business card, and they reached out the hand and said, a very nice to meet you. Joe, and then Tim, that's still, the first impression is, oh, I am sorry. I gave you the wrong business card and this is like, the comedy of it all, like it was. Yeah, I was there. Yes, it was. That this was happening in front of me. It was The Comedy of it. All that whole venue were tripping out. It was a 30 minute. It was a 30-minute sitcom episode that whole visit from South Korea, anyway, speaking of funny. Yes, let us do some rapid fire, quick answer. Funny questions. Okay, you can't think you just need to, you need to go for it. Okay, let us do it. Which of the this is from UK, Dennis, which of the regular TPS co-hosts would win a Royal Rumble. Oh, Al nice. What was the first album you ever bought? Ask Cassie. That's such a hard. I can't, I don't, I can't remember what I bought and what I, what was kind of mixed for me? Do you know what I mean? Like, so what was the first album that you laid hands on? You said, this is the album. I just can't remember what I bought. I can't remember what I bought. Don't get hung up on bought, okay? The album that was my first album, my musical Journey started with the wall. Okay. My musical Journey started with and to this day it's still one of the greatest albums and any kid out there that has never used to the was rapid answer. We know please go and listen from beginning to end with headphones on and you can even smoke your hashish if you want. But as we came, listen to the album. All right. Okay, here we go. Which Universe character diverse character would be your friend in? In childhood college and now Oh, that's a hard one. It's got to be from Shore Z. And I think, I think it would be sanguinetti. I think it would be sanguine. All three for all three. You would be friends with him from childhood through. Yes, yes. I feel it's, I think he and I could be friends in real life. I feel like we because we did have that connection, and we spent that time talking to get about Nuno and extreme and music and all that kind of stuff. And he's just such a cool. Dude, I think he and I would buy brilli well together, and we could Jam together, and we could go and hang out. I think he, he and I could be friends for life when you inevitably discover a new element that will be placed on the periodic table. What will you call it? And how will you celebrate both of those last questions are from Aaron? That would be Tony. Mm, nice. What kind of train is best? Oh, you know what? I love. I love the DB class 37. And also the answer is monorail, and I love the, it's funny that I love the 37 and I also love the F7. So those that these are trains that don't run anymore, they don't be there, except in Heritage railroads but I love those two trains. One is a British train and one is a North American train, the F7 and the 30s. Last 37, that question was from Matt, who wanted me to keep going until after you ranted for, or against monorails LOL? Ignore, ignore the monorail. Yeah, that's, I know. So, there you go. Matt, he ignored you through me. I am hope that worked out for you. If money didn't matter. Would you rather be a train conductor or the hippo? Keeper at a zoo Oh well, that's not a fair question. From Joey. Pick one train conductor a hippo. Keep, I love animals so much. I have to go with the hippos. He put his foot down. Yeah, yeah. I will I just use the hippos of Retreats. I, you know what? I, it's the I love animals. I love all animals. I love hippos. I love cats. I love all animals. There's an animal that I don't love. So if I have an opportunity to, to work with animals, I will choose that over anything else. So, one of our final questions from Tobias, he wants to know is it a bit? Which part he didn't specify? He just said the answer. Didn't know. I am authentic and genuine. So you get what? You see. Follow-up was the blue Splat or blue spatula? Planned. Or was it handy when you need it? I know. No, there's nothing planted. That was totally spontaneous. It was, it was. I think it came about if they came about from the red card episode and if I remember correctly and then I just it must have just been there and I decided I don't have a red card, so I am just going to use a spatula because it was there. And yes, it was just, it was very, very spontaneous. There's nothing premeditated about it. What is your favorite produce stand pod moment? So, I guess you're saying, like, it would have liked during a live episode. I don't, I don't know it's from Cassie. The question is, what is your favorite produce? Stand moment, has there been a moment or an episode that had you change your mind about something or it's so hard to say, right? Because we have had like so many epic interviews. You know what? Like, for me, the episodes were our community members, join our episodes for me. Those are even more special than the having celebrities on because it's like, I don't know. When exactly it happened. When we started having a members from the community on our episodes. I wish I remembered the first one because I then I would say oh it's that one. I just it's we have been doing it for so long. It's hard for me to remember when it started. So it's not, it's not like anyone, like I love errands. I just love the energy that she brings like she's that. I love everyone in the community but like for me like she's Special just because just the she walks into a room, and she doesn't, she just brightens up the room. I just love that obscure. Like it's just a, you know everyone has something special, right? And that's her superpower. She just as she's able to bring that love and energy into a room and I just appreciate that so much about her. So it's very hard to pick a moment. Like I love the up, you know, just because it's recency bias but you know, the episode we just had with Cassie. Eon where, you know, she was so genuine and such an addiction. Took us on a journey with her, her kind of self-discovery, Journey and stuff. That was so special for her to kind of share that with, with the, with us and with the community. So, I mean, for me, it's those moments, those human moments. I put like a million miles above anything that we talk about. Shores your Letterkenny, the episodes, the you know what I mean? Like I yes, I do. Yeah, so it's hard to for me to pinpoint any one moment, I thought it. Going to be one. We had squirrely. Dan score lead. HF K Trevon because that was like crazy. Like what the hell? Like we just started this thing, and he's on Art. He's are like he's he was our kind of first main cast member and it's like, like I think plywood was like, I think he was second after plywood if I am not wrong. So, that was kind of crazy. And, so I kind of thought that was going to be. But I am telling you like, having you guys, On our episodes for me so much more special. I could it's just, I think it's so cool. Like, Matt cries about it. I don't cry about it but I think it's just so special and so cool. Alright, last question. All right this is from sweet. Sassy mold a see, what do you wish people understood or knew about you? That we don't? Um, I don't know. I like I am pretty. I am a pretty open book. So it's not like I don't kind of loose leap over the fact that oh jeez people have it wrong about me or what, you know what I mean. Like I think for the most part it's all I think the bit is the part where I am the villain and the antagonist and stuff like that. But I come across that way. Just because I am honest about my opinions, and I am not too concerned about what people think. Are or how they react to it and stuff like that? It's, I am not scary. I am kind of, you know, I care about people like and stuff like that. I am not, I do enjoy a good debate, and so I don't come to, I don't try and look for the fault and things just for the sake of argument, do you know what I mean? I think there're some episodes like about Jersey, I will come and I will have nothing not a single Nothing to say about it, right and you more getting get more angry at my co-host, that don't get it. So I don't know. I don't know that. There's like I said, I am an open book. I don't, I don't think there's anything that I wish. People knew that. I don't think there's really anything like that. To be honest. It's, I guess if anything is that to understand is that I Love Trains but I love guitars. I love planes, I love hippos, I love superheroes. I have an immense collection of superheroes at home. Believe It or Not, mostly these the DC. I also love Transformers. I love cats, I there. So, you know what I mean? Like I love music. I love sports, I love hot. I have a crazy collection of hockey cards, that if anybody's, that into it would be, would be super excited to kind of look through and whatnot. I love technology, that's my living, right? I used to design websites and build e-learning and all that kind of stuff. So and so there's these different layers, you know? So like I am not just this kind of fanatical guy about trains. Trains are probably like, maybe The number 10 or probably in a double digit of things that I love, you know what I mean? Like there's yes, I guess that's the thing. It's I am not just a guy who loves trains eiders many, there's I guess many layers of interest that I have. You love — and one of my biggest interest and that I love is travel like I, like I said, you know, just coming back from Paris and Amsterdam. That was super fun. I can't. And with Lyndon, I just booked our next vacation. That I think I shared in the previous episode. We're going to the zoo. So why not, right? So we're going to spend five days in Sioux, and then we're going to take that Ogawa and Ayahuasca, what Ogawa at SOG Wyatts are agua or gawa its champion and it's okay. And yes. And yes, it's a train. And yes, it's a train, right? But we're doing it. Not because this is train ride. It's because it's a An experience, right? Know what I mean? It's the experience of doing it. Yes, it's doing a drunk fall colors and all that kind of stuff, so I we can't wait to do that. So that's one of my sounds magical. It's to just travel and enjoy life. Yeah. And like one of the things that I, this is, you know, very common thing, but what I tell my kids, I say, you know there're three things, three things that I want for you is find something. In that you love, right? And you have heard this one a million times, find something that you love and it's like, you know, I think he's so has a saying about it, you know, about work and whatever the saying is, come on, Victor, you know, it is say it and the second one is I am not going to say the second one is. Second one is sorry. Jared the set ride. The second one is learn something new every day. It could be this, go watch a YouTube video on how to fix a leak, you know what I mean? Yes, learn a new word in the new language. Learn a new word in your own language. Whatever it doesn't have to be like a bit. I am not saying, go learn how to python, right? That's a programming language. It's like, it could be something small, just not for you for others. Yes. Not just the snake and the third thing, and the third thing is done something kind for somebody. Buddy every day. It doesn't have to be a big thing. It just it's say something nice to your mom. Like you know what I mean? Like, yes. Like just do something kind and you do such a small thing that's kind every day after a week. It turns into something bigger than that subconsciously and it just, it helps wash away. All of that you know build up that you get ya to balance out kind of all that other crap. App that you build builds up inside of you. Those are the three things that I tell my kids, you know, and, you know, I tried to Hammer in and you know whether it stays or a dozen, I have no idea. But for me, that's the secret sauce to, you know, being able to exist. I think, I think that is an amazing way to end. Let us do some final thoughts. I am gonna go first and then you can have the last word Thank you so much for being unapologetically you in a time in a world where that is dangerous, right? Or well said in a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act and I think you embody that, and I am so glad we got to do this together and thank you for sharing. It's like such intimate parts of your life to give us. A window into know, you just a little bit better. I think you still kept some Mystique so that's good too. There's a lot we left on the table. I would love to do a part 2 if you would be interested in it? But yeah, I just, I really appreciate you sitting down and doing this with me tonight. That's awesome. That's awesome. That's very kind of each say it's the truth. I am I don't say it either. If I don't believe it. So you know, I think my parting words, It may be Tides back to that last question. You know what hmm what people want to know? I think the one thing I think those few of our community members that got a chance to meet my wife Linda when we went up to Sudbury the first time, got a little bit of a sneak behind the curtains and I did, you know, probably don't spend a lot of time talking about my Wife. But that's the one if I am going to leave with anything it's just I will share a little bit about her, and She is probably the number one reason for me being who I am. Because I spent a, we're going to on August first. We're going to have our 25-year anniversary, and she's been a rock. You know, it's her and me like before our kids, she was my best friend. And yeah, today, she's my best friend and I love her more today than I did back then. Like, you know, I think, We have a stronger relationship today than we did during our honeymoon period. Like, it's and, and it's, she's just incredible, and I am grateful every day for her, and she helped me make some very difficult choices in life. When, you know, after I get I shared with you that we met at this, Dunder, Mifflin VTR video of my sidewalk. For six years, and we, and they closed down because guess what video was Obsolete. And, so I had to have to, you know, people were scrambling, and they were saying oh I better go get another job and get, and she said just go and take time and figure out what you want to do, and she was super supportive, we don't have any money, but she was super supportive and said go back to school if that's what you want to do. And I went back to school and I studied HTML and website design all that stuff, you know? God. Got me into the technology, the next technology 2.0. And, and then that kind of launched me to, on a path that got me to where I am today. And, you know, she was there for me during that time, and she continued to be there for me, and we have been there for each other throughout, but so, I don't spend a lot of time talking about her and just because that's not, you know, that's not what we talked about in the show, but that's the little snake. Behind curtain, in terms of how who I am and how I am shape today, as well as my life partner, who I have been with, for 25 years Enough. It's tough. Well, we're going to play us out tonight with this beautiful song that Al has queued up and pardon me Francais base a day. A, the song tonight is UMAS. Islami Tom, don't play by harmonium. Such a good song and that's all we have for this episode tonight. Next week, the Takeover team will step in while and Tania head out on vacay. So we will be reviewing episode 02 celebrate, three years of the produce stand pod, June 13th marks three years so don't forget to join us. Next week, we're going to be having fun take over team. This is your Women, do your homework, listen to episode 0, make notes all that good stuff. Don't forget to purchase and visit our sponsors. Diabolical coffee. You can use the promo code produce stand for 20% percent off. Any purchase on diable diabolical coffee.com go support the podcast. You can write us on iTunes, Spotify and then become a patron. You can follow us if you want to, on most social media platforms at produce stand pod, Thank you for joining us now. We're going to make our way to the after-party. Maybe Victor will stay for like an extra minute. Maybe not on behalf of Victor. Al, thank you for producing behind the mask. I forgot to thank you tonight. Buddy on behalf of all three of us. Thank you for listening and have a great week.
