A Young Man's Journey to Success-Rebroadcast

Safety Consultant with Sheldon Primus

Keywords: Safety Consultant Podcast, Business of Being a Safety Consultant, Safety Consulting Business, Entrepreneurship in Safety, Perseverance and Career Change, Safety and Health Authority, Safety Consultant TV, Online Safety Training, Career Development in Safety, Safety and Health Management, Safety Awards and Recognition, Balancing Work and Education, Professional Growth in Safety, Networking for Safety Professionals, Safety FM Network, Jay Allen Show, Personal Development in Safety Career, Safety Consulting Success Stories, Overcoming Challenges in Safety Career, Safety Industry Insights
[00:00:00] : this'll episode is powered by Safety FM. Welcome to the safety consultant Podcast. I'm your host, Colin. Promise. Listen, to show where I teach you the business of being a safety consultant. And this'll week, we actually got a special special story for you. It's a story about perseverance and switching things up when you need Thio and, uh, got ahold of this story, and I was like, Oh, man, for I'm hearing problem like podcast things is a podcast. Episode E. Says someone did safety Just getting a good earful for me and questions and all right, podcast. That's what came into my mind. So if you're ever thinking about giving up and you can't do this and, uh, I've come from this and I've had this happen, And how can I go ahead and be an authority figure? And I've come from here, Uh, forget all that. You got this, You could do it. So if this guy could do it, anybody can. So truly. And I don't say that in any district. Disrespect of any all leave anyway. But this'll person could do it. Anyone can. And you're just gonna love the story. So what, we're gonna do right now is we're gonna go ahead and listen to a quick word from our sponsor. And then after that, we're going to come back and we're going Thio. Well, I'm just gonna tell you a story. That's all it boils down to. All right, let's have a wonderful break as I get the word of the sponsoring. Enjoy. And we'll listen to this story when I get back. All right? Have you heard of safety consultant TV? Well, I'm going to tell you about it. The safety consultant TV is a subscription based video on demand service that will help you learn the business of being a safety consultant at the convenience of your own home. This is where you have video lessons in the playlist format, and you also be able to download material that is going to help you with your safety consulting business today. You could sign up for that safety consultant TV and watch it on your iPhone, your iPad, Apple TV, android, android TV, Roku and fire TV. So go right now to safety consultant dot TV and sign up today. All right, well, welcome back to the episode. So this episode I got for you. It's a story I heard. So I'm just gonna get right in it. Because truly as I let it up is their lead up to the story is if you feel like you have issues, that it's precluding you from getting it to safety and health And, uh, being your own boss and doing what you want to do is the authority figure as it is as a safety consultant s O. This is the story of a young man that I got a hold of from I mean, humble beginnings, like like truly, truly humble beginnings. So this I'm just gonna not going to, you know, the family life and everything else at first. But, uh, left college or should say after high school did not go to college. Hey, he was getting right into the workforce, living at home with his parents. But it was pretty much bagging like, literally grocery store bagging. So that's what the young man was doing his time just working at Publix and bagging groceries, but had, like, kind of entrepreneur burn or just restlessness, maybe not even entrepreneur yet, but at the time was just restless. So I decided to go off toe Bible school. So not even college went to Bible school and started going to Bible school thinking that the path that he was going down would actually be the path of being a minister, like actually going overseas and, uh, doing mission trips and everything. And being a missionary was was the term that was stated so, like, how is just getting around to safety? But, uh, it's still not not feeling like this is what to do. So went back and he's from the Florida area. So he came back to the Florida area and decided that he was just going to go ahead and pick up odd in jobs here and there. I ended up getting married, and, uh, that wasn't everything. It was a very short two year marriage. But during that time, period, uh, still was restless, wanted to do the right thing by his wife of the time, no Children in the first marriage. So I got a job, started working for a city, and the job was truly working on a garbage truck like hopping on hopping off of the garbage truck in the back, eso you know, young legs John back. That's what you do, right? You gotta keep on working. So from there, so recycling and said, All right, well, let's go from garbage to recycling And was a temporary worker, I believe was, ah, temporary worker for the state or city entity and as a temporary worker wasn't working full time. But every day that there was assignment or a job showed up was there trying to find a full time position with this city. So that was pretty dedicated. Their you know, even if you're not a full time worker, to just showing up every day and hoping and keeping your eyes and ears open that there would be a full time position. So that in itself shows some initiative. So eventually there is, Ah, position open and the position was in the waste order field. So the wastewater field is something I know. So I parked right up. So the wastewater field is truly dirty water in clean water out Alright, wastewater. Now we're talking. So I got into wastewater field and just started doing some some volunteer work, like right off the bat, volunteering for for whatever they had volunteering to be on the Safety Committee volunteering Thio help when he got trained. Thio train others and got quickly promoted throughout the organization. So went from there's licenses in operations and waste toward operators. Start with a C license, but they need a year experience after three years experience. And they could apply for a B license, of course, their schooling and some testing. And then after that, you get a license license. So while he was getting his wastewater license, decided to go back to college working nights, marriage didn't work. After that, it looks like So hey was a single guy in the workforce and decided that he was just going to focus in on work and got promoted and promoted and promoted. I'm like, Goodness, it's like all kinds of promotion. So what I'm hearing on the back end is Dr I'm hearing Hustle. I'm hearing never give up, no matter what was your education at the time, which was high school. Hey decided that he's going to just go ahead and get into the workforce and get something solid, which was usually you know, you get a city or county job or anything that's in the government. It's the solid gig. So, you know, commend them. Not bad. But then the story goes on and I'm like, Oh, the divorce was once there's a divorce. Usually there's, you know, turmoil and the stuff that happens. But the divorce actually was was freeing the young man up Thio find his true love. So then you got to see the twinkle in his eyes as he's saying, You know his true love. Oh, it sounds like a princess bride to me thinking, Wesley, As you wish. Uh, that's old. Go out. Look up, Princess Bride. If you haven't seen that one before you, then thin that joke's gonna be funnier than you thought. But truly when that happens finds his wife gets to kids. And while the kids were young, he was on the night shift like like midnight shift working, going in at 11 at night until seven in the morning. Uh, the wife was a teacher and she was working during the day. So the kids being young there was like overlap. I think where the grand parents or someone took care of the kids on the overlap and then truly, uh, they would he would, after you sleep a little maybe, like a couple hours. Grab the kids, take care of the kids. When the wife came home, they would have, like, dinner together, and then he would go back to sleep and then go get ready for work After you woke up from that nap. So it wasn't even a full block of sleep. It was, you know, a little mini nap. Take care of kids, uh, be with the life a little, Then go to sleep another mini nap, then wake up to go to work at 11. 8. 11 pm who work until 7 a.m. So doing that and doing that and getting promoted and getting everything. But, uh, here's where the drive started to kick in More than just wanting to do the right thing for his family, he started to think, Well, I'm going to go back to school and get a degree. So not only can I prove to my kids when they get older and they were truly like diaper age and and toddler age So he was thinking ahead of, you know, if I start now, uh, then I should have a good job by time that they're getting ready to get into high school and junior high and elementary. So I'll be ableto prepare for for that time in my life and be able to feed my family. So that's another part of person fearing. So I was thinking. But I was like, Why is that time? Because in my mind, I'm thinking all right, you just told me that you're working. Midnight Shift your sleeping. Uh, just in too little catnaps, basically. And now you're saying you're going to go back and try to get a bachelor's degree? But But he decided to do it. So the evening was pretty much the flexible time. The flexible time was evening shift. Excuse me. Evening was where the schooling waas. So evening was the schooling. So during the school in the evening, which was ah, physical location. Uh, S O. That was one of those things that hey had to physically go into class. And I believe he said something like online came a little later, but I bet by then goodness must spend, like maybe one of the first online classes if that was happening. Um, University of Phoenix. So yeah, they had both online and physical classes by then so. But truly, I'm just thinking in my mind that dedications gotta pay off some somewhere, right? So generally usually does. And it did. That's why I got the story. And I'm hooked up in it so much so that I'm gonna put it on the podcast. And also, not only did he end up getting his bachelor's, but got promoted all the way to, uh was plant shift lead or something. Shift lead, I believe first. So that gave, like, a rotating shifts. So it wasn't just Midnight's. It was, I think, three months at midnight. Two months of evenings. Two months of days. Uh, excuse me. 33 and three, I believe. So. It was three months of midnight's going into three months of evenings and then three months of day shift, and then one got hold full shift. Which, uh, I didn't understand much, but I think it was two midnights. And then when he got off the midnight's, he would go and stay Midnight's Today shift and then have two day shifts, then got off the day shift and worked one evening, I believed, and then after the evening had everything off until the midnight again. So basically, it was like two midnights one evening and no two midnights, two evenings and one day shift all in a week. So this is one person doing all that while going to school. And I'm just thinking, you know, never give up perseverance. You got to stay at this thing and, uh, new wife, young kids and doing all that. So all this juggling still getting promoted and then decided to move. So apparently he moved thio to another part of Florida, and there was able to get a position that made him the head of the plant, Which in wastewater terms, chief operator. Eso. Actually, that's not the chief. The chief operators, like, second in charge of the plant. And then you have the plant manager who is the one above them. So he got in as a chief operator, uh, started a master's program. Eso not only thio move, kids were probably what middle school. By then I would imagine maybe elementary school, maybe one of each. I would imagine middle school, elementary school somewhere around there and then, uh, taking a masters course, learning a new job, getting a new position. Uh, then in a year going from the second in charge to the top in charge. Hey, wasn't in safety back then, though, until a little bit later. He seems like, uh, like they started throwing on some hats on him after they saw that they could rely on this dude. So started relying on throwing more hats on them. Had after hat after Hap and still juggling, still going to school. Still taking care of kids. Started coaching for his kids basketball, and I was like, Hey, I used to coach That's my thing, man Basketball coaching used to coach for for the Y M C A. And I coached also for a county league, too. So that's maybe a little known fact. I was a coach e love kitchen. I'm from Queens, New York So when I when I used to coach, there's this one little girl Katie. She would always make. Just make fun of you because of my way. I say water. You guys would never tell that I'm from Queens, New York but it comes out when I say quarter and when I say water e se now with some pronunciation, but usually comes out quarter and water eso. She was always say, when I tell the kids to go have a water break, she's like, say, water coach, they water. So anyway, so we bonded over basketball and coaching and plays and all that stuff. But in the back of my head, I'm thinking, When did he rest? When was their time to rest? So after that, the safety came on eso it turned out that he did so well. They gave him safety and health and a manager. So some of you that are listening here, you're probably thinking the same thing. I am operations manager that is in charge of safety and health. Those two shall never meet. Those were the two things that you're saying. Operations and production usually trump safety and therefore, safety is probably going to go by the wayside. But turned out that he got Hiss Plant three safety awards, uh, that were state recognized. And then the plant itself for operations got a national award. So the plant got a national award and a state award for operations during the same time that the safety activity of the organization got three awards. So that blew my mind. I'm thinking hold on it can happen where operations and safety could coexist. It's like the Crips and the Bloods, man. It's like everyone in the Kumbaya moment. Uh, sidebar. Netflix has a show by a rapper Gold killer Mike and I can't remember what it is the name of it. But if you were to just type and killer Mike and Net in Netflix and, uh, in his show, he actually had something about working to see if he could be a peacemaker against the gangs. And he had the Crips and the Bloods together, and they created a Crip and blood cola. And there truly started thinking of how to market this thing and how to sell it and how to go out there and make some money off of this. So he literally got to What we all see is rival gangs, but I think they have more complex of a relationship than that. But the show I wish I remember what it was. But just look up killer Mike Netflix Show. And, uh, and that episode was was pretty cool. So that's my sideboard from saying operations and maintenance. Excuse me. Operations and safety can't coexist. It's like if it's possible with the Crips and the Bloods. Then operation of safety should do it so that that was good. So eventually, uh, Sky left where he was working and decided to go full time into safety and health and with full time to safety and health, like, literally cashed out off his retirement fund. So, yeah, I mean, like like the thing you should have to bank on if everything goes bad, Uh, he banked on himself like, cashed out his retirement fund to say I believe in me. And therefore I am going to use this money that should be my future into me, and I will make it my future. Eso like, wow, So backing up in my mind, I'm thinking, Okay, so high school graduate. But after that, I started working odd jobs and then after that, got married, got divorced, like within two years. No kids, and but still a marriage and a divorce will take its toll on anybody, then went back and started, uh, started working for a new organization. A county, Oregon City organization worked his way up into that position while working midnight shifts with a baby around two babies that he was taking care of during the day, switching out with his wife when she had to take care of the Children on. He was at work over midnight. So imagine that family dynamic, you know, two ships passing in the win with passing it to see where they don't really get to see each other. But maybe, uh, I would imagine days off or something and then moving, getting a new position on higher position, working day shifts, which is, Ah, chief operators and plant managers. If you guys don't know, that's a management position that I mentioned earlier in waste order their day shift people. So finally, when he was off with midnight, So I was like, Cool, you're on day shifts. After eight years of working midnight shift, I could do some numbers on the body, right? We're seeing data now that tells you that you you know, your your midnight shifts really need thio to have some love. Because of that, that phenomenon that you were supposed to be sleeping at midnight until 7 a.m. But we're not, and we're forcing the body and the circadian rhythms and all that. There's truly like some serious data related to this. So all of that, sticking it out, getting a master's degree, starting safety and health, cashing out his retirement money to take a chance on himself and then becoming a safety consultant. You guys think you know where this one's going? Well, you're right, young man's me, That's my story. And not only did I do that had a lot of things happening in my career, on and off and truly this'll has been quite a journey. I left that position in 2000 12. I started the business in 2008. China tested the waters a little. 2012 went full time. It's now 2021 2022. I would have the full time, as in 10 years next year. So right now it's nine years now. I'm a consultant to the consultant, consult people and that wannabe safety consultant. And it turns out that, uh, the same principles behind running a safety consulting business is the same principles behind running a consulting firm, merrier consulting business. So from there, that is perseverance, pivoting, changing things, being there, present in the moment, looking for opportunities, not being content where you are and seeking to be different, taking a chance on yourself. And I took that chance of myself and literally. Now I am booked for all of 2021 with the exceptions of a few different weeks throughout the year. And some of that's my own planning so I can be able to plan things for my wife and I My kids are all grown. 23 21. Son and daughter are just wonderful beings. The love of my life is still there. Been married now, 23 years going on 24. Uh, it has been hold on is 24. I think it is. OK, let's say 24 it is 24. Don't tell my wife 24 years. Yeah, we're just still the love of my life. So our next plan is we're going to travel internationally. I didn't go through the part of the story where we sold our house and started traveling domestically an RV because I knew that would have given it away earlier. But that's my story. The way I delivered this was thanks to Jay Allen. Uh, J has become a good friend of mine, got me on the Safety FM podcast network. But he's just spent a bud, and, uh, he was thinking of my story and maybe summertime or something like that. He said, You know what you should do? You should tell your story without giving away until the very last minute. And I you know, I listen to that stuff. I don't always implement things that he mentions right away because of my schedule on everything. But it sticks in my brain, and I listen to that man. Eso listen to his shows the J. Allen Show, which is on Safety FM, the rated R safety show, which is coming up to his 3/100 episode. So by the time you're listening, listening to this, if you listen to it the day it's released on Monday and I can't even remember the date. So it's Monday in February. I'm going to kinda look it up real quick, but the day you're released, you're hearing this show being released. Which would be February 20. 2nd is where this show is set to be released in 2021. Got to give the year since this podcast to disturb forever, right? Someone in 2021 is listening to it new. But someone in 2022 will be listening to it in a year later and thinking, Oh, man, February 22nd. No, But if you didn't get a chance to listen to the rated R safety show which comes on every morning, it does Come on at seven. To 8 a.m. I actually was on this morning, so I was there celebrating its 3/100 episode. And if you guys didn't know I love that show, it's my guilty habit. I like listen to it whenever I get the opportunity. And I hosted it several occasions. Um, when we first got started, Well, not we j this is a J thing. But when he first got started, I was able to do, I think, six or seven episodes, uh, somewhere around there you have to look up the archives for that one. But truly I'm saying all this just to say you don't give up. You guys could do this wherever you are. Now, wherever you're you're you wanna be in the future, plan it out, take a chance on yourself. You could do this thing. It's honestly worth it to try. I would try. You have nothing to lose. You really do. You have nothing to lose. You just have everything to gain. There's gonna be parts where you're gonna wanna quit. Don't You may be right now wanting to quit. Don't find a different way, Thio to make things work instead of asking yourself, you know, or at least saying I can't do this. Find a way, Thio, Ask yourself, how can I do this? So any time you say, or you, your kids, your spouse, anyone around you, if they ever say I can't do this, stop them saying none of my watching. We're not saying I can't were saying, How can I do this? How can I, uh, make this effect? How can I get to this level? And that's the key. So don't say you can't just say How can I? So hopefully this story has encouraged you. If you wanna comment, you can catch me on Lincoln Lincoln dot com backslash in back slash sheldon primers. You can always reach me at Sheldon at sheldon primers dot com or any of the Facebook. I got so much Facebook things that it's so hard to say. So just look up safety consultant, US or safety consultant. Chances are it's a Facebook that I manage. Eso that is it for this week. Thank you guys so much for listening to my story, even though you didn't know it at first. Gotcha. So you guys got this? Go get him. Hmm. This episode has been Howard by Safety FM.

Want to book Sheldon for as a consultant, keynote speaker, or trainer? Book him today: https://bookme.name/sheldonprimus