Making your Business and Employees Thrive With David Long

“You invest in your people and you expect all of them to raise their game the next year. As far as values go, it doesn't really matter how much money you make. I've seen people that had low values that made a lot of money and I've had people that had a lot of money that had low values as well. A lot of money, low money, it doesn't matter. A lot has to do with the character of the individual.”

David Long is the founder and CEO of a company called MyEmployees, the top 1% of employee engagement and recognition companies in America as well in Canada. They have approximately 10,000 active clients across the country, companies like Walmart, FedEx, Outback Steakhouse, Charterhouse Restaurants, Capital Grills, and a bunch of different things.

Watch the episode here:

Brett:

Today's guest is a wealth of knowledge. In fact, many, many companies, struggle with having employer recognition programs where they really can help their employees thrive and get the recognition they deserve. Our next guest is the founder of myemployees.com, and also a real estate investor himself, and brings a wealth of information to share with us. I want you to welcome David Long. 

David:

Thank you, Brett. Appreciate it.

Brett:

David, will you tell our listeners a little bit about your story, and your current focus right now?

David:

Okay. Well, my name is David Long, as you said, I am the founder and CEO of a company called MyEmployees, which you mentioned, and in myemployees.com. We are in the top 1% of employee engagement and recognition companies in America. We also are in Canada as well. And we have approximately 10,000 active clients across the country, companies like Walmart, FedEx, Outback Steakhouse, Charterhouse Restaurants, Capital Grills, a bunch of different things. Bunch of, I should say, retail chains, restaurant chains, retirement communities, like I said, and that is basically what the thrust of our business is, and I started it 30 years ago in my mom and dad's garage.

Brett:

And tell me about it. What was the inspiration behind it? What said, "You know what? I want to focus on this particular niche," because I imagined 30 years ago, there probably weren't a lot of people doing what you were doing?

David:

I tell people I started my business out of desperation, not inspiration. And a lot of people, I guess could probably say that, but I lost my job, and I went through seven jobs in three and a half years, not trying to set a world record or anything, it just worked out that way. And I ended up starting my own company, which was the smart thing to do. And I knew how to engrave and things like that when I was in high school and college and kind of worked my way through school doing that. So I had that information in the back of my mind. And when I lost my job, I just, you can go back to what you know, and I had the opportunity to start the company, like I said, in mom and dad's garage. I had nothing else to lose. I actually went out to a real estate company, went in and signed them up, delivered the product, and then I started snowballing one after another. So I focused on the three Rs: restaurants, retail, and real estate. And those were the things that are foundational to my business. And as you said, I also invest in property. Single-family homes mostly, I have some commercial property, I have some farmland, and some more commercial property hasn't developed yet. So the various things, I'm all into capital gains, so I think it's smartest, strategic, any business owner that keeps all of their business in the business, all of the money, the gains, as far as the income that they produce, and the profits is not very intelligent. You need to diversify today, so it's smart to be able to do that.

Brett:

Absolutely. That's a great way to make sure you're preserving your wealth, and also creating it along the way. So David, before your success of this amazing company that serves some of the biggest companies in the world, who was David growing up? I think we're all given a gift or different gifts, or even maybe a superpower you could say, I believe God gives each of us unique gifts that we can help more people. But I want to know who was David when he was growing up? What was that superpower maybe when you were young, and how has that helped shape how you help others today?

David:

That's a good question. My father was a Baptist pastor for 55 years, and he passed away about six years ago. And when I was younger, being the oldest of five sons and I looked up to my Dad obviously, and that is what I thought I was going to go into. And then after three years of Bible college, I kind of dreaded it, going home and talking to my Dad and said, "Dad, I need to talk to you," and he said, "What is this son?" I said, "Dad, I don't really think I'm meant to be a preacher." He said, "Well, do you have a burning desire to preach the gospel?" And I said, "No." And he said, "Well, don't be a preacher." And I was expecting this long dissertation about how I destroyed my life, but I said, "That's it, that's all you're going to say? I'd built this thing six months up in my mind, and this is all you got?" And he goes, "Yes." And he said, "I want you to be happy. I don't want you to do what I want you to do." And that told me a lot about my Dad. And I just said, "Well, I appreciate that Dad," but I didn't know what I wanted to do after that. So, I went into retail and various things I worked at AT&T. They used to say back in the day, and I'm older than you are, but they used to say, "AT&T, the right choice." And I used to say "...Except for David Long. I hated that place." I couldn't stand it. "Oh, corporate world. You can have it." But yeah, that's basically it. And really I was in a bit of a tailspin there for a couple of years after not knowing I wasn't going into ministry, I didn't know what I was going to have to do because that's what I planned to do since I was nine years old. Does that answer your question?

Brett:

They just answer my question. So, following your father's footsteps, yeah, thinking you might be a Baptist pastor, going to Bible college, having it all planned out, knowing that, "Hey, I don't think this is for me," going your dad expecting a different answer. He pleasantly said, "Hey son, I want you to be happy, follow where you think God's leading you. And if it's not being a pastor, that's okay." Do you know? I can relate; I went to Bible college too, and I actually have a double degree in a minor. And one of the degrees in Business and Theology. When I tell people that they said, "Oh, you're going to be a pastor?" I'm like, "Well, I wasn't planning on it, but I'm in business, and I'm a Christian and I love studying it." But there's always this assumption just because you went to, let's say Bible college, or you studied something in the ministry, that it automatically means that your ministry must be just this segment of being a church pastor or church leader. But in reality, you look at the disciples and they were fishermen, they were contractors, they were tax collectors, they were people doing the trades in the world, and this is, I guess, another topic for a different podcast, but essentially that is the ministry; it's not just the one segment of what may be the traditional folks would think.

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