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

Key Takeaways

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

Quotes

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

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

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

Take the first step today.

Explore what we have to offer:

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

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

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

TIMECODES

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

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

Key Takeaways

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

Quotes

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

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

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

Take the first step today.

Explore what we have to offer:

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

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

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

TIMECODES

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

The Get Shit Done Experience welcomes Brian Franz, a dynamic leader from the family-owned and operated commercial print company, Envision3. Brian details his 12-year journey within the company, sharing how he helps a seemingly commoditized industry thrive through authentic human connection and a service-first mindset. He dives into the importance of building a brand on integrity, the power of a disciplined daily strategy, and how his faith drives his passion for helping others succeed. This episode is a masterclass in modern sales, leadership, and finding profound purpose in your work.

Key Takeaways

• Humanize Your Commodity: In a world of similar products and services, your greatest differentiator is you. The more commoditized your business, the more humanized your content and connections need to be.
• Mistakes Are Your Greatest Marketing: Your brand’s strength isn’t measured by perfection, but by how you respond to failure. Owning mistakes with empathy and accountability is the fastest way to build unbreakable customer loyalty.
• Purpose Fuels Passion: Aligning your daily work with your core values and a desire to serve others is the true secret to a fulfilling career. When you genuinely want to help people, business becomes a mission, not just a transaction.
• Win the Day with a Simple Strategy: Success is built on daily, repeatable actions. Implement a simple, non-negotiable framework (like the 10-5-3-1 strategy) to ensure you are always making progress on the things that matter most.
• There is No "Staying Still": In business, faith, and life, you are always moving in one direction or the other. You are either progressing and growing closer to your goals or drifting further away—there is no neutral.
• Sell What You Love: Your enthusiasm is contagious. The easiest way to transfer energy and win business is to pursue brands you are personally passionate about, turning you from a salesperson into a true brand advocate.

Quotes

• "The more commoditized your business is, the more humanized your content needs to be."
• "It's really how you handle those mistakes. So you have to be there, you have to empathize with them."
• "I wanna help people is what I really do. You know, I wanted to do something with my career that was impactful."
• "You are either going closer to Jesus or further from him. That hit so hard. Because it's true... there's no, 'oh, I just stay still.'"
• "The difference between trying and training is trying will fail. Trying is not good enough."
• "People do business with people they like. That hasn't changed... it won't change."

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

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

Take the first step today.

Explore what we have to offer:

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

Ready to take the next step?

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

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

TIMECODES

00:00 Introduction and Episode Highlights
01:05 Welcoming Brian Franz to the Show
02:40 Why You Must Humanize a Commodity Business
04:25 The Story of Envision3
08:15 The Highs and Lows of a Family Business
12:35 Navigating a Relationship-Driven, Commoditized Industry
17:15 How Handling Mistakes Defines Your Brand
25:40 Creating the "Light Bulb Moment" for Customers
33:20 The "Why" Behind Helping: Leading with Service and Faith
41:30 The Common Thread: Stewardship, Purpose, and Success
57:30 Why Sales is a Branding and Marketing Game
1:08:15 Building a Modern Sales Team: The 10-5-3-1 Strategy
1:23:45 Mind, Body, and Soul: The Importance of Fitness and Discipline
1:40:15 Brian's Three Pillars for Getting Shit Done
1:51:30 Final Words and How to Connect