Entrepreneur Intel

Wes: I am super excited today, uh, for today's guest. Today's guest is a skilled founder who has launched five of his own businesses. He's a published author, having written four books, including Unscattered to the Chatter and three in the Will Books series. He is the visionary, facilitator, author, and founder at iMatter.

Welcome Bob Schoeneveld.

Bob Shenefelt: Thank you, Wes. Glad to be here. Appreciate it.

Wes: Bob, I'm super excited to have you, uh, today, but I first have to ask you, you have a lot of experience as, as an entrepreneur. Um, you've been doing this for a long time, 32 years, not to date you, but what's one of the most important lessons you've learned, in your entrepreneurial journey?

Bob Shenefelt: Uh, I appreciate that, because I do spend a lot of time reflecting. I think, um, the biggest is, a couple, is to have the courage to go for it. To put in a system and a people to get, to get me to where I want to go. Because I'm really good at a few things, and most entrepreneurs are the visionary. We see a gap, we sell someone on the idea, we solve a problem, and then we have to go deliver.

And most of us are not good at that. And so to have a team and a process around that is huge. And, and often when we start a business, we do everything. And that's very stressful. And so it all comes down to knowing. Who I am and what I'm great at and why I'm here. And I often lost that in the past. So I think it's what's the business I'm starting and does it align with who I am? And, and what are the roles and responsibilities that I love to do and I'm great at and surround myself with great people to deliver on the rest of it. So it's really to know who I am and to be who I am and then ask for help from, for many others to help me to get there.

Wes: So I met you, you know, let's call it like a decade ago, you know, let's just say it was around 2014. And I had, I was introduced to a book called, uh, Traction. Uh, on the framework of EOS. And when I read that book, I'm like. I'm not crazy. I'm a visionary. Well, maybe I am crazy, but

Bob Shenefelt: we are, but be

Wes: least shove myself in this bucket of, I'm a visionary.

Like, I could just make that determination and say, okay, I am what I am. I have to figure out how to deal with this right. And when I look at you, every time I talk to you, like I put Bob up here as like all things visionary. And I want to dive in about that because going back to 2014, I think that's when EOS just started.

Like you're one of the earlier pioneers. We'll love to dive in about that, you know, time with you and how that all got started.

Bob Shenefelt: Yeah. So I, I can sell, I can inspire and I like to have fun. And so I was always successful when I was a salesperson. And then like a lot of businesses do, they promoted me to sales manager, moved me to Chicago. I'm not a good manager. And so that was very frustrating for me and for the company. And then I saw when I got higher up that they didn't have core values and I wasn't a fit. And so I saw a gap. And so I started my own business. 26 years ago and grew it out of control because I can sell, I can inspire, and I like to have fun. And then I hit the ceiling of complexity as Gino Wickman, the founder of EOS calls it, and was so stressed out. So I was selling a shitload, getting my people fired up, but we were working our asses off, uh, didn't have all the tools in, didn't know our numbers. And so when Gino Wickman was creating EOS, I was in EO, um, as you mentioned on his forum, and he was in the process of turning his dad's company around. And his dad is a crazy visionary. And so Gino came in and the way I remember it is he was kind of mad at his dad. He's like, dad, people love you. They love the service that we have, but we're, we're kind of a mess behind the scenes. So Gino came in and cleaned up those messes. And that is now is what become EOS. And he helped his dad to realize. That he is a visionary. Like you said, he is crazy. Uh, but that if he has a system and the people behind him, it could actually make money and he can be happy and not as stressed. So as he turned his dad's company around, he looked around our forum table and said, you're a visionary, I can help you.

You're a visionary. I can help you. So I actually sold EOS's first client at Strategic Coach 21 years ago.

It wasn't even called EOS at the time. And then I was his third client. And Gino has said, I've heard him say I sold half of his first 20. Just because I knew, I mean, it's like, dude, you need this. And Gino's brilliant at this. So as I became a client, he helped me to realize again, that I'm a visionary, that I'm a brilliant visionary. And he coined me a flaming visionary, which my wife and I agree is true, which I don't know why it's an issue because I think everything's a great idea. Not everyone I live with or work with thinks so, but. So Geno helped me to realize there's value in structure around what matters most and who matters most. I used to avoid structure like the plague. So once we put the structure in place and I was repeating things, or not repeating, saying things over and over, people weren't getting it, but I was saying it differently each time. And I talk fast and long, which I think, you know, and so with EOS, we just had a simple. Two page business plan called the VTO and then my team bought on and then we started to think about the seats We needed and then ultimately as Gino says to let go of the vine I had a guy on my team who's kind of fighting me for the lead of the business and finally he said You know people have to respect me and I'm like that's not how respect works.

But then he stepped into the The integrator role and, and we took off and it was a tough time actually, because we talk about letting go of the vine, which is, uh, you know, like, uh, micromanaging and control. And so as I started to let go of the vine, it was weird because I felt lonely and didn't know what my role was.

And that's when then I started to get into who is a visionary and how, what is my real role. But EOS, uh, you know, Geno created it to get, help entrepreneurs get everything they want out of their business. I'm now focused on helping visionaries to get everything they want out of their life because it is structure and that, that vision.

And so we talk about, you know, it's hard for me to let go of the vine if I don't know what life beyond the vine is. So that's really, again, kind of back to when you asked my biggest lesson is I kind of didn't know. What my purpose was and who I am and what mattered most to me.

Wes: Now I want to pick out a lot of that, but that last thing that you just said, like, is that, is that now like Bob, like you could put a stake in the ground and now, you know. Or is this an ever evolving thing as seasons change and you know, you're, you know, you've got kids and just all these things happen in life, right?

Is that a constant or ever evolving thing?

Bob Shenefelt: that's a great question. I mean, for who I am and why I'm here, uh, it took me years to figure it out. And that I figured out years ago, which was cool, but it also blatantly showed me where I didn't want to be. So in a business I didn't want to be in or with partners I didn't want to be in. And so it's a. A blessing and a curse.

Now, I think what matters most changes, so for the last 22 years, my main focus and my wife and my main focus have been on our kids and being there for them and setting up a foundation for them where they feel like they know they matter, they can come to us. So that's what mattered most for the last 22 years.

Now my daughter is 22 and almost done with college. My son goes off to college next year. So what matters most changes,

but as far as who I am and why I'm here, I don't feel that's really changed. It's just evolved in how I'm representing it and what I'm doing with my life.

Wes: that's great. I want to rewind back. So you, you were with Gino Wickman in a, in a forum table through an organization called EO. So you kind of saw this thing birth right in front of you and you were one of the original pioneers that sold the first adopter of, of spending money on this consulting program, if you will.

Um. And then fast forward to today, I don't even know how many implementers or how many businesses run on EOS, but can you reflect back on that time and think like, man, were you like, you're crazy or I see the crazy or like what was kind of happening at

Bob Shenefelt: Yeah, it's interesting. Cause one, one of our forum retreats in EO, Gino told us, you know, this is what I'm here to do. It's, and he was obsessed with it, which he's very intensely simple and brilliant and, and he went to go do this and yeah, he delivered great value. But then once he's decided it wasn't just about selling books, it was about helping, again, thousands of visionaries getting everything they want out of their business. And so there were four or five implementers with him at the time. And he realized They were getting just as good results as with him. And he's brilliant at it, but it was the process that he created that worked. So he put a stake in the sand with about 81 companies running on EOS. I could be making up the number or something like that back in 2006 and said, by the end of 2020, we're going to have 10, 000 companies running on EOS with the help of an implementer.

We're like. Dude, you know, what are you talking about? You know, you're stupid, you know? And he's like, no, no, no. I have a process for delivering to the client. And then he created a second process and a target market for us implementers. And so then he focused on that and brilliantly did it. And sure enough, he knew how to get to 10, 000.

And then to his credit, he also knew he didn't know what to do next and didn't really want to go to that next level. And that's when he years ago decided to sell the majority. Cause he didn't want to be a part of that next level. But he also brilliantly sold to people who kept his baby intact, you know, and kept us implementers happy and helped, uh, keep that same vibe alive rather than just selling to a huge conglomerate and having it die.

Wes: now, how much of that like flaming visionary, like how, how has that affected you? If I go back to 2014 myself, once I realized that I read traction or I forget what I think, I believe it was traction. I'm like, I'm a visionary. Like that made my life really simple. And I can like warn people, be like, Hey, just so you know, I'm a visionary, you know, and it kind of like created this really nice environment.

I mean, you guys were kind of pioneering that in the entrepreneurial world. And now I hear it as like, just normal language talk. Right. I mean, so for me. In layman terms, you know, visionaries, like a CEO, integrators, a COO, but a lot of what EOS teaches is that harmony between a visionary and integrator. You talked early on in introducing yourself about like finding the right people or, you know, letting go of the vine and giving up what you're not good at, can you talk a little bit about that and like the impact that that made around understanding what an integrator is or like how to set up a successful Now, knowing you're a visionary, because I think a lot of entrepreneurs, they have to do everything right.

Or I'm the best at it and I can quick books better than you, or I can make the sales call better. But at some point, if you want to sustain and grow, you have to let go of that vine.

Bob Shenefelt: Right. Well, and again, once I realized that was a visionary and there was a place for me in business, again, I thought, okay, I'm just a, I'm a terrible business owner. He's like, no, you're not, you're a visionary, but you need your Your, your opposite piece, you know, you're, you're missing component, you're missing puzzle piece in an integrator and have a plan that makes sense.

And so, and what I talk about, EOS talks about the visionary, the seat. So they kind of that role in the business. What I'm also teaching and working on is helping visionaries because I'm a visionary in life, not just in my business. So in my business, EOS kind of gave me lanes to go in and guardrails for myself and for the team.

And it's brilliant because yeah. We, you know, my job was to just go interview people and talk to clients and talk to employees. I literally felt guilty. I'm like, okay, this is easy. And it's like, yeah, but that's what's needed. And, and so it took me a while. I, when I let go of the vine actually was going through a divorce at the time. And I sat down with my leadership team and said, I need to take a couple of months off to go figure some stuff out. This is 26 years ago. And I thought they were going to run screaming and they're like, dude, we've been taking care of, I'm sorry, you've been taking care of us for 10 years. It's time for us to take care of you. One of the greatest moments of my life. So I left, came back and I'm like, all right, I'm back. What do I do? And this is how I let go of the vine. I don't recommend going through a divorce to let go of the vine. But when I came back, I'm like, what do I do now? And they're like, just be you. And I'm like, I don't know what that means.

And that's when iMatter was born, which is EOS is a business operating system. iMatter that my wife and I created is a life operating system. So that helped me to start to know what I'm great at in love. And. And why I'm here and whatnot. So, you know, with, with a business, uh, Dan Sullivan talks about four stages of business, the rugged individualist, which again, we see an opportunity, we go sell a job, now we got to deliver on it. So then we get stressed and hit the ceiling. Then you bring in something like EOS, which helps to stabilize the business, which us visionaries are like. Whew. It's not all up to me and I can breathe. Well, now we start to grow, but that's often when the visionary is like, what do I do now? And that's what I'm here to help people is and visionaries to say, okay, why are you here?

What do you love doing? And what are you great at? And be you, you know, and be free. And so. And then you go into exponential growth, which is where there is relevant peer groups and retreats and doing the work and getting to know who you are. And then we get into the enlightened visionary, which is kind of the process that we take people through as visionaries. But it's, I think it's key to know, you know, what are your strengths? What are you good at it? Not, and a lot of people say, you know, you need to improve on the things you're not good at. And what I've learned from Gino and Dan Sullivan and others, it's like, no, find out what I'm great at and surround myself with people that protect me and keep me there. And it's, it's different. You know, my parents are like, what do you do? And I'm just like, oh, I go golfing and I talk to my employees and I take them out for drinks and they're like, well, that sounds kind of cool. But yeah, but when I spend time with them, I'm great at asking questions and solving problems.

And then coming back to my team. Now, what happened early on is I told them to do everything and it wasn't everything that we were good at. And it wasn't always our target market. What EOS helped me to do is to say, okay, that's great. You solve the problem, but if they're not target market, let it go. If it is, let's sell them on it.

And then now the team is going to go and deliver, not me. I'm not good at actually the delivering part of it. So long winded, it's, you know, see an issue, uh, solve a problem. Does it fit our target market? Does it fit our process? And if so, It's a beautiful thing. And I think Wes, guilt is part of it. You know, I used to initially, I'm like, wait a minute, I'm going to go golfing with, with Wes.

I should be working. It's like, if I, you and I come up with one idea on the golf course, or you have a business idea, what is that worth to the business? And if if I'm doing work that, uh, you know, someone at 25 an hour or 30 an hour, and they're better at it. Are you kidding? And if I'm doing something I don't like, and I'm not good at, I kind of hate life.

Wes: In my first company, I started in 2009, ran it until 21 and sold the majority of it. And I think one of the cool things that happened, I think around the time I met you, I had this vision in my mind to like, not work on Fridays. And I used to feel guilty for golfing, but then I just said, you know what? I started this thing, like, I'm just not going to work on Fridays.

And I felt really guilty because I felt, everybody's going to be watching me, and if I'm not coming into work, they're not going to work. I just started doing it and I'll never forget one day, beautiful day. It was like 80 degrees and I came in the office on a Friday and people looked at me like they were horrified.

I think they thought I was shutting the company down. They're like, Oh my gosh, is everything okay? What's going on? I'm like, I'm, I'm here. Like, what's up? And they're like, you should be golfing. And I, at that point I'm like, man, I just, I drew this thing in my mind as a visionary that. People cared or, you know, they kind of got it, which was really cool.

But going back to that around, so how is that where talk a little bit about I matter then and how that, like the work you do and how that helps. And my assumption is if people are familiar with the EOS framework or identifying with a visionary, is that sort of the pre work to then have success with I matter, or talk a little bit about that.

Bob Shenefelt: Yeah, it's interesting because, um, my wife and I, our, our hobbies and our passion is personal growth, spiritual growth, relationship growth. So we love diving in and how can we evolve and learn from the past and let go of our baggage and whatnot. And so as Gina was creating EOS, a lot of the same tools and concepts that I learned with him, I'm like, we can apply this in our lives. So Cheryl and I started to go through that. So Cheryl and I created iMatter. She really created, she was the architect behind it, which is again, kind of a. Simple plan and disciplines and practices. To get me to the next level. So again, EOS for business, iMatter for life. And so a lot of it is really knowing that I matter and, and go to the next level.

And so my original title for this was iMatter, the time is now and the answers are inside and at an EO event with a great publisher, she talked about the do's and don'ts of a business and then. Looked at each of us in a workshop and said, do you have a book? And if so, what does it look like? And so I, I, I stood up and I'm like, yeah, I mean, I have a process that works and I coach and here's the title. And one of my good friends from Yale was sitting there and looked up and he said, that title fucking sucks, dude. And that was you. Uh, and, uh, and, and I thank you for that because it wasn't the perfect title because people didn't understand it. So we workshopped it a little bit, and most of the people knew what I do and what it is.

And someone said, what are you trying to solve? And we talked about people are scattered. And with all of this information, all these distractions, I mean, we're in this crazy age, which is cool, but it's easy to get distracted, and us visionaries are easily distracted. And, and so what we talked about is, okay, you're helping to unscatter people.

I'm like, okay, well, yeah, we are. But we're really helping to unscatter the chatter. And so again, I've got all this negative chatter coming from the outside, from media and marketing and news and government and parents and kids and whatnot. And so I can be all over the place. And then there's the chatter in here, which most of it is not positive.

And so what we created through different principles, practices, and tools, is a self study program, but also we coach and we have groups and whatnot to help to unscatter that chatter from the outside to say, yeah, you posted something on Facebook and you have a bigger house than I have. Okay. Who cares?

Congratulations. You know, what, what really matters to me. And then in here, it's like, Am I ever going to make it? Am I ever going to stop talking? You know, what, what's, and so to slow down and, and to be present, which is, it's not easy, and so as I, when, when I slow down and I elevate my mind and I'm working on and being on my business and on my life, It's very clear.

When I'm in the weeds, and I'm panicked, and I go into fear, and I drift, and I'm scattered. And so, iMatter, our simple principles, practices, and tools that we talk about in the book, a little bit about my story, and then we have training videos, and some free tools that people can use to My morning meditation is the 3 3 1 exercise.

So, it's 20 to 30 minutes each morning. I don't sit with my legs crossed, homing. And if that works, that's great. But I ask myself a couple of questions and I think about it and then I think about, okay, what really matters most? What are my top impactful action items? If I do these things or be these things, what's going to make it a great day?

And then if it were up to me, it's like, if it were up to me, what does today look like and putting out that positive attention intention, and then I have great days when I do that. So that's almost my spiritual. Meditation, which is really simple. And then we have a community of people that are doing it and sharing it with each other. And as, uh, is it Les Brown or I forget who said, or Earl Nightingale, one of the two said, any worthy goal written down and shared is bound to happen. And it's that simple. It's important goals, not urgent goals. You know, like today, three of my most important things were the Shout out to five of my family members.

Send out five notes of gratitude and to go to 6 a. m. yoga. It's like, really? Those were the most important things. And today they were, they weren't urgent and I have a lot that I could do. But at the end of the day, I'm like, look at all the things I didn't do. And now it's like, I already had a great day and it's 8 30 in the morning.

I can either go golf or make phone calls. So it's just, it's a lot of tools and practices. Again, EOS is so simple. That even I can understand it and I matter. And this is, is the same thing. It's, it's so simple. People can do it on their own. They can do it with their spouses. Uh, they can do it within their business. You know, we talk about, uh, smart side of business and the healthy side of business, this helps with the healthy side. So as I start to be vulnerable with you and share what matters most to me, and you do the same, we start to trust each other, collaborate, we start to trust ourselves more.

Wes: So one of the things I learned with EOS early on, and this is going to segue into iMatter, when I first heard about it, somebody had told me it's X amount to implement and it's going to take two years. And I'm like, this is crazy. Like you're asking me to spend a ton of money on something that's going to take two years and my visionary brain's like, I need this to take root next week.

Otherwise I'm not going to see value and I'm not going to stop paying for it. But when I actually went through the process and I could zoom out and as they say, right, Working on your business versus in your business and like really zooming out. And, you know, you, we've referenced this VTO and actually putting things in writing.

Uh, I can reflect back and say, I've kind of neglected my personal and family side of it. Like, I think I dialed it in really good on the business side and I'll talk to anybody about a VTO and kind of try to set them up for success, but what does iMatter do specifically on the, the, the life, the personal family side of that?

Cause that's, to me. As I sit here, I'm like, man, like, this is more important than the business stuff. Is that what you learn and teach in this Unscattered of the Chatter book?

Bob Shenefelt: Absolutely. And, and I want to answer the other question which I think I, if I neglected 'cause is it I matter first or EEO S And I always thought, okay, well how can I be a great leader if I don't know who I am, uh, who I am. But then I realized if an entrepreneur is stressed. They kind of don't know what their personal life is and that they're married and have kids and all of a sudden they grow up and we wait till the heart attack to make a change.

And so what EOS does for business, iMatter does for my life and for people's lives too. You know, what is my, what are my core values? What are my, what's my why? What's my purpose for being on this world? What is it that I do? Uh, you know, uh, how do I do it? You know, my unique ability, or we call it great gift.

And then we talk about, uh, what are the walls that we have, which are opportunities and, and relationships that we want to go look at, and then we have the life ladder, which are the things that matter most to us. And so again, similar to EOS, it kind of takes two years to master it. You get value right away. I matter, you get value right away, but it takes a year or two to really know, uh, what matters most, who I am and why I'm here. And so as I write it down and I share it, and I have people reflecting to me, that's when I'm like, geez, I'm not acting in integrity with who I am. Or, you know, my wife years ago when, you know, the, the recession hit and one of my business was failing and she, and Cheryl's like, you know, you're never home.

I'm like, but you don't understand, you know, and, and I love you. And she's like, I know you love me. But you vote with your feet. And I'm like, damn. Uh, and she's like, you know what? You can't go work harder when the thing isn't working. So why not spend more time here? And that was kind of when it clicked to say, okay, if she matters most and my kids matter most, what's my plan for that?

And I actually shared my personal plan with my work team. And they were like, great. We want to help you do that. So to your point about guilt, they're like, happy, visionary, happy life.

Bob, if you're happy, you get out of our way.

And you let us do any, you know, be available when we need you, but when I'm happy at home, and I've gone through, uh, you know, comparing myself to my friends, I don't have as much money, or, or big as house, and yet what mattered most to me was my marriage and my kids. and and knowing who I am and that I just turned 60 last two months ago. And at first I was depressed for about an hour. And then, but then I said, you know what, if I was what, if I was 20 and looked at my life right now, it'd be like, I am so successful and so happy. Now we're rolling into a different stage where now Cheryl and I can travel more and we can still make great money, but doing what I love and making a huge difference in the world.

So yeah, I Matter, it's similar where. There's, there's principles, practices, and tools that, you know, it's like, oh my gosh, I'm, you know, uh, EOS is so structured and so clunky. And iMatter is initially as well. But once you get it dialed in, it's just a rhythm and a routine to keep me around what matters most.

Wes: were talking about, like I don't know the best way to describe it, but like, how your mind works. Like, why does your mind, and maybe it's mine, or Why is it always negative? Like, why does the mind default into like, I call it head trash. There's a lot of terms out there for it, but

Bob Shenefelt: Empty Mind.

Wes: Why does it do that?

Like, why doesn't it do the opposite?

Bob Shenefelt: I'm not a psychologist, but what I've learned is the ego is here to protect us. And it thinks it does, but it doesn't know how to feel. So if I'm vulnerable with you, you might take advantage of me. Or if I try this I might fail. And so fight or flight is not bad when an oncoming car is coming or a lion's about to attack us to say, run. Yet that is all it's here to do is it, it thinks literally that it's protecting ourselves. So it's always, I don't, maybe don't know. It's usually looking at the negative things and what could fail. And it's okay to be aware of that. You know, so as Joseph Campbell says, jump, it's not that far. And jump is to let go of the vine, try something new.

Now to be aware and not bet everything I have on this crazy idea probably makes sense. But for us visionaries, we have to play, we have to go do things. So again, I mentioned earlier with some guardrails to say, okay, Bob, we can spend 25 grand on that in six months, but if it doesn't work, can we stop? And I'm like, okay, fine. But all work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy.

And so we have to go play. You and I talked about this during the, the, whatever happened a couple years ago that locked us all down. And I think I heard you say, dude, I have to connect.

You

know, I'm like, yes, we're good at connecting. We like connecting. We have to connect with people and try stuff. So that's the beauty of EOS and the Visionary is, okay, we're going to try stuff, but then EOS puts structure around and guardrails around. And that's where, again, when I slow down, and there's a, like with EOS, there's a hundred different business operating systems, choose one. There's probably a million life operating systems, choose one.

Ours is one of them. Uh, but it's basically, you know, again, it's my commitment to myself. Uh, it's, it's creating great relationships with others. So I'm practicing on how to have a great relationship and we've got tools and a mindset around that. So I'm creating the greatest relationship of all, which is with me. And that's where I'm friends with this. And we use, we, we, our process is Think Act B. The goal is to get to the heart and to, you know, the feeling of it. And the mind is kind of protecting to say, no, we can't go there because we don't know what this is going to do. So when we think and ask questions and then we answer out loud, then you get to the why and the emotions behind it.

That's where the gold is. So when I slow down and I ask myself questions and then share it with people, I may, I don't even need your response. Cause I can hear myself say, no, that's, that's not, you know, we're so screwed to say, okay, yeah, we might lose this client, but it's not the end of the world. So it would, one of our biggest things that we teach is shifting the conversation from, am I, So, am I a great father? I am. Am I a great husband? I am. And I didn't always think that. But when I shifted to say, I'm a great husband, if I did something that didn't represent that, it was very aware to me. Uh, am I a billionaire? I can't just flip that. But, am I successful? You know, do I have freedom? And to literally change that chatter to, I'm successful.

Then I look at things differently.

Wes: mentioned something about, I don't know if you said 20 20 20 in the morning. Or what terminology you use. 3 1? But I want to ask, like, when did you, like, before you started doing that, to doing that? Much of that change for you. I mean, you, you did talk a good bit about, you know, what it's doing for you, but I think there's a lot of entrepreneurs.

There's a lot of people out there that are looking for that thing, right. Or like what's worked for somebody. There's always a lot about mornings. I've heard a lot of different things. Some people work out, some people sit in solitude for 30 minutes. Some people just grab their phone and brush their teeth and go out.

Like what, like, what does that mean to you now from adopting that to, you know, what, what kind of an impact that's made on your day to day?

Bob Shenefelt: Yeah, it was probably 12 years ago that I started doing this, but I wasn't sharing it with everyone, including my wife. And then I started to share it with her and I would list what matters most is revenue, happy clients, and great employees. And then after a while, she's like, uh, where do I rate? Well, of course you matter.

Okay, well, why isn't it there? Why isn't it top of mind? And I'm like, well, I'll get to it as soon as this, but it's like, wait, at the end of the day, She matters most. And then my health matters most. My, my kids matter most. And so if that's part of my conversation, and again, that's my, I wake up and I'm like, Oh my gosh, I have so much to do.

And I used to run off to work and I'd love to go to work early, by the way. So it's not like I hate it, but it's, and I still do that two or three times a week. Cause I do love that. But I spend, like I said, 10 to 30 minutes, I get in my jacuzzi and I don't look at my phone and I just say, okay, and I just quiet my mind because the answers are there.

And whether it's God or my dad who passed away or my heart, it's amazing the clarity I get when I slow down and I elevate my emotion to more of a state of peace and love. Everything's okay. And then I get clarity around what matters most. What are my top three impactful action items in my IM statement or my, if it were up to me. And it's just amazing. And it doesn't make sense. You know, well, why would I, you know, and people, well I'm not going to start EOS till I figure some shit out. Well, EOS helps you to figure it out. I matter. It's like, well, I don't have time to. to, to slow down or meditate or do yoga or go for a walk in the morning.

Yeah, but when am I going to do it? Am I going to wait for the heart attack? And I mean, as you know, I had a stroke two and a half years ago. Talk about a wake up call. And that was even kind of a reinforcement to say, okay, I'm still here. And I'm truly going to act on the things that matter most. And that's when I went, we went and finished the book and got the videos done and, and now I'm officially leaving the EOS implementer community.

I love EOS, I love my clients, but I'm here to change the world by helping visionaries to know they matter. And for us to walk the talk and teach our kids and our employees, it's okay to have dreams and visions. It's okay to try something and fail, learn from it. And that's, to me, what's going on in the world.

I mean, I think we're in the greatest time ever to be alive. I call it the wisdom age, and it's our opportunity, Wes, as a visionary. And I think our obligation is to go for it, to connect. How can I help you? You know, and that doesn't, isn't the most important thing. How, what can I do to reach out to my kid today and tell them I love them and tell them I'm proud of them. That's the impact. And so to me, that's, that's been part of the thing where. You know what? What matters most to me is my health and me being, I'm, I'm, I'm living to 115. So I need to do some things to make sure I get there, which is my mind, body, and spirit. So I did 6am yoga this morning. I was out of it for a while and oh my gosh, it was just like. Everything's okay. Whereas if I rush to work, then

I'm rushing at work. I'm in survival mode and that's, that's burnout. Yeah.

Wes: I had somebody reach out to me, it was actually yesterday, and they were talking about, I want to build like this referral network thing. And they had this whole complicated idea on like how to generate referrals for their business. And they're like, can I ask you a question? And I'm like, sure, if I can help.

Right. And they're like, how would you do it? And I said, I I've thought of all that before. And I said, the reality is I'm like, why don't you just invest in relationships and figure out how you can help first, where then somebody is going to want to give you something in return. Right. And he looked at me like confused, but I'm like, I've kind of been down that path of building systems and doing this.

But the reality is, is I'm kind of at a season, like give, give, give, give. Without the idea that you're going to get anything in return and the universe God, like things come back in spades when you generally want to help. So I think that's really great advice, you know, from the perspective of where you're coming from.

So how do you help visionaries? And I want to ask, like, is it a, is it a one to one type environment? Is it, like, I'm a visionary, like, do I come into a class setting with other visionaries? Or like, what's the I Matter process? I'm, I'm really curious.

Bob Shenefelt: So iMatter is a life operating system, so you can do it online by yourself. I coach people. I have a couple other coaches as well. Uh, we're, we've done a couple of group classes, but the main thing right now is we have the visionary forum, which meets twice a month. It's 90 minutes. Uh, it's a Zoom, uh, and to me it's an and to EO, it's not an or, uh, but it's just these different visionaries coming together from throughout the country and, and we're all big time driven, purposeful visionaries who are ready for and committed to exponential growth.

And so that, I don't like the word networking, but we're not networking to each other. We're networking for each other. So we genuinely are getting to know each other, supporting each other. So that way, when someone does have either a. a business need or a personal need. I've got this network of people that I can refer. So there's a visionary forum. We do the visionary summit twice a year. That's a three day gig, uh, where it's all things visionaries. I have three amazing, uh, teachers, leaders, uh, healers come in and they're a part of our, it's like a giant retreat for 35 visionaries. And we do that twice a year. I do the Mountain Retreat, which is a four day spiritual retreat out in Colorado. And again, there's the coaching and whatnot. So it's a combination of things, but it's ultimately, I matters for anyone who wants to go to the next level. My target market, because that's who I am, is a visionary. So that's where it's the forum, the summit, coaching, etc.

Wes: So somebody that went on one of your retreats, he, like, out of the blue, he's like, did you, have you heard of Bob's Retreat? I think at the time, I've been trying to connect with you to go. But my objection has always been like, I have five kids. It's really hard. My wife gets on me for, you know, trying to go anywhere without her.

Um, but he was like, it was one of the most, uh, like biggest experiences of his life, you know, um, super impactful. And I guess that's, that's my big takeaway with you is what I'm reflecting on is like, as a visionary, like you have to take time. To reflect personally, like visionaries are hard charging business people, like make it rain, fail fast and hard, get back up, do it again.

Kind of a deal, but on the personal and family side, I can see where, you know, I matter fills a big, a big void. I mean, talking about support of other visionaries, people that are like you, right, like minded people within a tribe can be super helpful. So like, is it, how do people like, do they just reach out to you to connect to see if it's a good fit?

Is there like a questionnaire?

Bob Shenefelt: Yeah, we have a application. Almost all of our clients have come from referrals because it is tough to explain what we do. At least I found that way. And I've spent a lot of time and money on marketing and haven't cracked that code on how I can in two sentences, get you to understand what we're doing. So it's mainly word of mouth of someone saying, Hey, if you're looking to go to the next level, you gotta talk to Coach Bob.

I mean, and so, uh, you know, I'm known as the visionary's visionary and so it's, 'cause I, I, I'm very vulnerable and, and and open about what I'm going through. And so to be, I have a, a, a new client not too long ago. He is like, I'm kind of confused by you as a coaching client. And I'm like, what's that? He's like, I have you on a pedestal.

'cause it seems like you have it all figured out. But then when I hear your check in, I hear you also still have frustrations and stress and I'm like, yeah, and before I can answer, he's like, so you're human. I said, absolutely. I don't, I don't have a perfect life. I'm, you know, so my, my great gift is to listen for opportunities for growth, simplify, connect, and inspire action towards a greater future today. And how I do that is, uh, it will ultimately. Is to help people to act like they matter, be who they are. And originally when I did my first mountain retreat 20 years ago, Cheryl shipped me off after we had our second kid. And I was all stressed, stressed about business and money. And what I found out on this retreat is I'm here to help people act like they matter, be who they are and avoid the pain. And my, I had two amazing shamanic healers and they're like, that's amazing. That's so good. But one change. And I said, what's that? He said, you're here to help people to deal with the pain. I'm like, damn, I'm trying to avoid it. My family, we avoided any, any, you know, potential, uh, you know, interrupt things that are a hassle. So I call it overcoming adversity. I don't know if we're ever going to get rid of stress or things that we're frustrated about, but just to know it's all going to be okay. And don't let this take me away from acting like I matter and being who I am. So it's just being that vulnerable. So long winded, it's basically people we know, um, it's a lot of EOS implementers that are saying, I got a visionary who is ready to go to the next level, but they're kind of stuck. Uh, I have a visionary that came on recently. And she's in a turnaround in her business and they were like, you need a turnaround coach. And so it's interesting because I wouldn't have called myself that, but I'm helping to turn around the negative chatter. She actually has a good business. She's just got to figure out a couple of things, but it's basically to let go of the past, forgive ourselves, stop beating ourselves up.

And then, you know, we are here right now and we're brilliant. And so be, be you, man, be free.

Wes: Yeah, that does resonate with me when you, when you say you're the visionary's visionary, and I think, you know, EO really helped me, right? Entrepreneur organization, being a tribe of entrepreneurs, which was great. But I think that if you want to like zero in on that to say, hey, Like what's next or like, what, what else is there?

I mean, you know, the visionaries visionary or being around other visionaries could really help elevate a visionary cause it's lonely out there. Right. And it's kind of funny that guy's comment to you like, Oh, I thought you had it all

figured out. But the reality is it's just, I think you just learn how to, you can't control everything.

Like I've learned that in the last couple of years, like. You're really not in control of anything like zero. I used to think like, you know, I'm the boss, I control everything and boom, you know, but the reality is, personal, family, business, it, it's out of my hands a hundred percent. Um,

Bob Shenefelt: Well, it's interesting because again, the brilliance of EOS and what it's done for so many people, including us visionaries is amazing. And yet it's now time for us to celebrate the visionaries and not that it's all about us, but like the hero's journey. We are the ones who often took the risk and we go through all these learning opportunities in business and in life.

And then we figure some things out. We come back and we help others to do the same. And it's not about us being the hero. Or even the other people that it's, it's helping others to be the hero. And, and so there's been a lot of shaming of

visionaries. You know, it's like, Oh, there goes Bob. He's chasing squirrels.

And Oh, he's, he's going to do. And I, I've shut down many times in my life. I'm like, all right, fuck you. I'll sell my business. I'm not, you know, if I can't be the visionary, but that's where I'm learning to self discern. What really makes sense and to let go of the vine on things I don't care about and trust other people, but then to be me and try stuff, man.

Life is too short not to have fun. We visionaries, we got to have fun or it's, it's just not, not a great place.

Wes: yeah, yeah. No, it's funny, I, I I kind of look at it like a, like, I've never been to aa, but like any, I've introduced myself before, like, uh, I'm Wes, I'm, I've been a visionary for 20 years. Like just setting the stage, right. Because there is a stigma,

Bob Shenefelt: Hi Wes.

Wes: Ops people like we clash, but you know, they're evil necessaries.

You know, I look at it as like sales versus everybody, you know, sales versus delivery, but yeah, that visionary, it can be a lonely, again, I think this is what you got to get right as a visionary because I draw some pretty crazy things up in my mind. Um, but Bob, this has all been really good. You've given me a lot to think about as a visionary.

Uh, how can number one, there's a couple of things. One, you've got a really great looking book back there. I want you to tell people how they can find that and get that. But then also how can people just get in contact with you? It sounds like good conversations might come up or just in talking with you.

What, what's the easiest way for people to get in contact with you?

Bob Shenefelt: Yeah. So if you go to imatter. com and you can fill out a, either an application to apply for the, uh, the visionary forum or to have a conversation with our head of sales or ultimately with myself, but it's, uh, yeah, so go to imatter. com. You can get the book from there. You can get it from Amazon. We have a hardcover and audible as a. Person with a short attention span, the audible at one and a half speeds, only two hours long. So it's, I was happy with that. Uh, but yeah, so we're, you know, we're here to create conversations. We're going to be at the EOS conference. We're sponsoring that. Um, and I'm going to be talking about Unscatter the Chatter and the visionary journey, and it is a conversation and it's this amazing community of people that, you know, that we're, we're, we're busting through the ceiling of complexity as a society, and it's a great time to be around.

So go to imatter. com and check it out. And, uh, Let's have a conversation.

Wes: Awesome. Thank you, Bob.

Bob Shenefelt: Thank you, Wes. Appreciate it.

Wes: If you learned something today, which if you were a visionary, you absolutely did. Or if you. Are around visionaries. You might now understand them a little bit better. Uh, let somebody know about the podcast. Thanks again, Bob. Really appreciate it.