you're listening somewhat frank with me. Frank River. After working in the corporate world for decade, I decide to blaze my own path. Co founding Tech Cocktail, which helped catalyze local start up communities, eventually turned into Techo media site, which grew to millions of readers and was eventually acquired. Past decade I've interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs and thought leaders from some of the fastest growing, most successful companies in history. In a long way, amazing lessons from my experiences. So we're gonna talk about startups, tech innovation and an intersection with personal life and anything else on Frank Gruber's mind. So let's get started. Being somewhat frank, somewhere Frank is produced with the help of established my new company,

Everybody, It's Frank Gruber. Welcome back to somewhat, Frank. This is Episode number 13 Lucky 13. It's been a little bit of a break there. We hadn't recorded 2020 and this is our first recording, and I'm joined by my co host here today. We've got Johnny good times. Guy does. How are you doing, buddy?

Partner? Crime is what I prefer to be referred as Frank, but I'm good. Thanks.

That wasn't in the show. Does I should add that, um but yeah, it's good. Good to be back. It's 2020. I can't believe it feels like just yesterday it was 2000 and here we are 20 years later. Still

here. What were you What were you doing in 2003?

Oh, boy. Um, we're waiting for the millennial like the y two k bug to hit and just wipe us out. And somehow we survived. I believe I was. Annie bore city down in Tampa.

Where you really nervous about it? I remember I was in Chicago and I was a little nervous about it. I thought the lights were gonna turn out alright. In New Year's, all sorts of crazy people were

Yeah, people were definitely nervous. I took the other approach it like it's probably gonna be okay, and we'll see what happens and decided to go to Seaboard City. And I was actually out at the Outback Bowl with producers, right? So, yes, they made it down there. So I was I was celebrating a little bit. I was also very young, so it was a good time to be out there celebrating. So, uh,

really yet? So did we win that one. Just refresh my memory here. Problem. Assuming we did.

No, we didn't lose that window, Georgia. Oh, no. Yeah, you're right. It s so rough One. But it's all good. It all turned out specs next year. So, uh, the Rose Bowl And I think we lost that one, too. But either way, we got there. We're talking about per do here. If if people aren't following Purdue boilermaker football here and then back when Drew freezes was playing

quarterback way, we're a powerhouse. Back in the late nineties. Early,

too short, stint. Made a short stint there. Good run of about 3 to 4 years. Then it was good. We'll start with Mike Alstott, right? And then it kind of uses, like, 95 96 that it was like, 70. Think Peter now and then pick back up. So anyway, that's not what we're gonna talk about today. We'll talk about the new year, right? We're here in 2020 and,

uh, you know, we kick things off. January flew by. We had a lot of travel. What we did CS, The Consumer electronics show kicked off the year, as it always does, and it was bigger than ever. And you spread across the entire strip, and I was running all over the place and trying to meet with people and connect and way did some events there with NASA, uh, hi tech program. Kicking off things off a swell is with Air P,

right? What was the coolest thing that you saw? What you were there? What blew you away,

if anything. Okay, I honestly don't have an answer for that question, cause it was just so overwhelming. Like I mean, really, I mean, some of that. Yeah, there's just I mean, there's so many things, right? It's just, um you know, the focus on autonomous vehicles and, like, every single brand is launching a electric,

your electric or autonomous vehicle nowadays. I think that was kind of a trend I saw. But, you know, overall, it's like incremental updates on a lot of different things and a lot more focus on health and wellness. Um, you know so But the other day, I mean, I didn't get to see the entire thing. We're very focused on kind of things we're doing there. I tried to really focus on meeting with people, and rather than focused on seeing booze and seeing launches and things like that.

Sure. So any any celebs, sightings or any running into any

old friends or anything like that? No, not really. I mean, they're definitely around. I know. I saw that, like Paris Hilton was walk around with a black wig on, and I was hoping to bump into her so I could show my picture from the year 2000 when I hung out with her and didn't even know it and then find out later. Bye. From thanks to you do that, that was a yes. So that was I was hoping for that that that connection, because she's no kind of bunch of companies that stuff. But we did. We met. I mean,

Joe Montana was part of the Air P pitch competition that way help produce and with the c T A foundation. So that was pretty cool. And the winner of that was actually a really cool company. Calls Bravo was a preview preview creamy. Oh, can I have to check the show notes on how to spell that right? But either way it's Ah, it's a balance. It's a scale that, like as you get older, your balance goes like one of the first things, and then you end up falling, breaking hip or hurting, you know, some other party of body. And so at the end of day, like we are literally living to fight against gravity

like, Well, you know, there's so many weird metrics on certain things that I know that 11 indicator of life, longevity and health is your ability to walk upstairs, right? Said something you'd never think of. Everybody does it every day, right, but ability to walk upstairs, getting indicating just your overall health and how long your life expectancy So pretty interesting stuff in the kind of speaks to your point about balance,

balance and gravity literally are the two biggest things like her for keeping mobile, right? Right. Simple things we learned is, you know, as toddlers tow walk and all that. Now you gotta, you know, kind of goes the other way when you get older. So, uh, Anyway, this scale keeps track of your balance and realize if you lift one leg up, it's you know what your balance look like. What's the other one? Kind of figures out how how you're doing and kind of give you an indicator so you can continue to work on your balance and do things like yoga and and other things to kind of continue to be limber. So,

yeah, that was a cool, cool, kind of kind of thing we're up to. But, you know, way had a lot going on in a short period time and got back and caught up and, you know, got ready for the Super Bowl and watch that and got to see my hometown. Woodstock, Illinois, which I know you've been to was was was a roses shining, shining light in the Super Bowl ads this year with the Jeep, the Jeep commercial with Mr Bill Murray. Uh,

that's right. I thought was really cool.

Yeah, I was really great. I like the extended version. If you get a chance, check that out. It's got like, um, it's a little bit more continents. It's a remake of Ground Hog Day, which is when the Super Bowl actually happened and movie ground Hog Day was filmed in my hometown in Woodstock, Illinois. So nice to see Nice to see the old town as they went out there and filled out a couple weeks

ago. Do you remember when they were filming the original movie? Back in, what? These early nineties?

Uh, yeah. Nineties. Yes. So we so Bill Murray moved into Woodstock for like, a year and literally hung out in, like, the downtown in the square. It's tough for like, a year. Him and Harold Ramos and, you know, Andie MacDowell And the whole cast was living there. And so he spent a lot of time in some of the pubs, which I don't blame him, uh, his winner in Illinois.

And it was pretty, you know, great winner. And but, yes, it was pretty cool. We had a lot of, like neighbors and stuff in the actual filming on the of the of the film, and we had, you know, extras and things. And then we also had even my mom at one point was part of the polka scene where they literally did the every single day they come back and he'd be in the in the town square, introducing out. We're here again, you know, live in,

You know, so that that that polka scene they did, like, 1000 times different times and you know, Just continue to reuse. Reuse you use. So, um so she was out there freezing. I remember for a couple days as extras doing this polka dance with everyone.

I made a cameo. Did she? Did she actually made it

in the movie way? Don't. I'm sure she was there somewhere, but we don't know she was there for a few days. I couldn't put a face to a name. Yeah,

sure. Good. Well, what are you looking forward to in 2020? What? What's new? What are your New year's resolutions? What?

We Oh, yeah. Resolution wise. I didn't, like necessary, right? A ton of stuff down. Like I know people have a tone, but I think it's just get get into better shape. I think I let things slip a little bit this last year. I think, you know, life got in the way kind of thing. And I feel like if that happens in life could get in the way of a lot of things and I don't want to approach. So, um, sorry.

I joined a gym seven. We're going to the gym, and I'm winning regularly. And I've been running regularly, and, uh, I've been meditating, meditating. As much as I have been doing yoga regularly, I guess I do meditate, too, but not more more yoga, and then anything and you'll go with Adrian's of you don't know how to do yoga, and you don't want to go out and do it in like some studio or something, and you don't want to spend the money to do that. The way to do that,

the hack to do that is if you have the Internet, you could go on YouTube and look up yoga with Adrian and you can find she's got, like, different playlists. And like this last month it was home month. In this month, it's kiss months so you could do yoga at home with Adrian. And she has a theme, and she puts out on episode a day, and they're like, under usual around like 30 minutes or less, and you can sometimes a little bit longer. But either way, uh, you could put that time to breathing and whatnot and get get your practice. Yeah, it's actually good way to start the day I have Many will do it every single day because I'm doing other things like working out running and things like that. But it is really good way to if you don't have time to get to that gym or whatever. It's a good way to start the day.

Sure, back in the day when way we're running Turbo appeal. We actually provided a yoga instructor firm please every Friday morning that people wanted to come into work an hour early. They could start off there Fridays with your position with that lasted for a little while. And then people really enjoyed it.

Yeah, that's great. I mean, we definitely I used to do it in when I lived in Las Vegas in the Ogden, which was right downtown. The downtown project offered it everything every day from the top floors we got in this room and do it. But again, it can be somewhat intimidating. If if you have a yoga instructor who's really tough or whatever, so you don't know right, you don't know you're gonna get in which much level or what kind of yoga or whatever. So that's why I say if you don't know what you're getting into, maybe start with basic like online version and get it, get it going and then maybe you could bring if you like it and you feel confident, branch out and start doing your down where dogs in public.

I like it. I like it a lot. So, hey, let's shift gears a little bit because I know that one of the things you like to do on during these podcast episodes is celebrate people in your network and things that they have going on. So what, uh, what if anything did people have going on the past month or

so Lies all lies. No, I'm kidding. Yes, I do like toe to celebrate people. I think it's a good way to showcase, you know, different people are up to it. I don't think people are shooting their own horn enough. And so I want to make sure that I could share some of what they're doing and show appreciation for what they're doing is I really feel like some great people doing some great work. So first off, Katie Stanton, who used to work with the State Department on Twitter and others, is launching the Moxie Moxie Ventures, which $2025 million fund to invest a start up. So it's exciting first fund trade bowls down in Dallas, Texas launched you know,

Cities Partners, a boost boutique consultancy for focused on helping anyone who's looking to do smart city programs. So that's kind of been a theme in A lot of cities were trying to make city smarter, make him more user friendly and kind of for the 2020 and beyond, versus some of the cities that were built in 18 17 18 19 hundreds. And some of the same technology and things there that was built then are still being used. And so I think bringing the city's up to speed with some of the latest and greatest is kind of what that's all about. So train trade. His team now are doing that to help other come other cities. With that, his new company, Rommie Assad, uh, he's got just raised $2 million. He just sold his last cos he's got a new company, and in the cyber or network security space,

that was pretty cool. Laura Segall. She was a mainstay on CNN. I started seeing the money CNN Money and then went on to CNN and was a correspondent on TV and then now She's just She left there about a year ago, I think. And now she started her own company, which I talked about, I think your previous episode, and now she's just brought them brought onto be a correspondent for 2020 minutes are sorry. Yeah, 60 Minutes, which is obviously a TV show. But now they've got a version that's on the new, uh, quippy app, which is basically a new mobile first TV play,

right? So, like, entertainment place. So I can, um, you'll probably hear a lot more about that scene. But anyway, they're doing this new format works like Six Minutes program program because that's about your attention span on, like a mobile device when you're on the go. So she's gonna be doing 60 60 and six, which is like a shorter version of 60 minutes. Maybe after just call it six minutes. Because that big four cents, um, but so,

yes, lots of good things happening. 11 kind of family note. I did have a family member just recently passed away, So I was in Chicago, my step dad, who helped to raise us. So obviously that was a very sad thing that happened He lived a great life. Uh, I'm just very dearly and so obviously, um, I had a good memorial service last week, and, uh, obviously, I think he would be really happy with the outcome of that service and all the people together. So

it was a very, very, very good guy started here that, but thanks. You know, he's in a better place anyways, buddy. Well, I know that shift gears again, but I know that we have a big effort over establish and started for the year is we have south by southwest coming up in March, right? We're going back to Austin

Austin yet. Get your hand hats and boots ready. We're coming for you. Um, actually, my boots are my hats. My hat's packed away. I gotta find it if I can, but yeah, it's been we've been going down there for Oh, boy. 12 years now. And this is our 10th event, like, 1/10 year of doing an event for big, big kind of thing down there. And so,

the established house of startups innovation is gonna be Saturday marks 14th and we're gonna be, you know, showcasing startups. We'll have some different events during the day and then our big official event in the evenings, which is start of night, which you knew for quite some time. We'll showcase a couple dozen cos there'll be a couple dozen companies pitching for a chance at investment exposure. And, you know, Gloria's, they'll be fast tracked onto our start with the year finals in the fall. So lots going on down there, um, excited to head back. It's gonna be, I think, really good. Good showing down there and got our whole team and it down.

Oh, yeah, it's gonna be awesome. So specifically, it's on March 14th and we rent out the venue, which is a try in the middle of everything on Sixth Street down in Austin. And the startups that you've mentioned, they're gonna be pitching can actually have the potential to walk away with a $10,000 investment. Help brother start up. And if anybody wants to help, maybe be a partner, a sponsor for the event, find out more information or even just come to the event, they could go to start a startup of year dot com slash s x s w. So go ahead there, Check it out

and sign up. Check out, check it out. We'll have events throughout the day that our private. So if you sign up for the big event, you may get emailed about. Other events were happening. So, um, should be a lot of fun, and we'll be down there for about a week so that that'll be being a time. I'm curious. One of the topics we're talking about a little bit is the viruses floating around. Some curious South is going to have any kind of issue with what's going on. I know I just saw a humongous conference in Barcelona. Cancel Mobile World Congress, which I actually attended before is happening.

The 24th 28th and it's no longer happening. They cancelled it, then a lot of back out. A lot of expenses back out. Some hopefully South by doesn't get hit by that. Since it's in, the United States may be there, you know, there's a little a little bit more insulated from Corona virus and other things were floating around. So mainly the Corona virus. So that's the main reason for the cancellation, so I haven't heard anything yet, but fingers crossed. Everything goes plan is playing and the whole thing kind of dies down.

I think we'll be all right. But get a very good point is always so. You know, I know that you like to consume as much a cz anybody and continue learning. Lifelong learning is a big emphasis for both of us. But have you been reading or watching anything recently

that's caught your eye? Um, yeah, definitely. Uh, let's see, What have I been reading? I I read a lot, actually. But in the last say month or so, some of things that kind of popped up. There's kind of themes that have been popping up, one of which is this'll idea of mindfulness becoming so mainstream that getting a point where it's actually potentially even gonna be something where doctors could prescribe it. It's like as a way of like, instead of like, here's a pill, Take it,

Take that they're like, Here's a mindfulness. Take that like that, you know that I think the issue that they've been having is the ability to actually prescribe it as as a thing because it can take many forms, right? Like it could be, could be meditation. It could be exercise. It could be You could be deep breathing, which similar medics yoga could be. There's a lot of different things. They could be considered like mindfulness. Right. So, um, you haven't even talked about going the spirituals side of mindfulness right now that ex aspects.

So I think there's there's a little bit of, uh, issue, but like hesitation because the fact that you know, how do you prescribe this is a doctor, you know, like most folks were used to getting prescribed like a a pill. Or, you know, we're getting a shot or getting some other kind of thing that is, like, more in line and form that, you know, there used to when they go to a doctor,

right? It sounds it sounds Maur analogous with more similar to physical therapy, right? Going to the chiropractor, right, getting an adjustment, that sort of thing versus a pill or a shot. Because, quite frankly, do you give me a killer shot of mindfulness, I think. How fortunate for that. But it makes sense that it's always a good practice.

Maybe that's where that's the next startup idea, huh?

A shot of mine lives might be I have some ideas. We should talk after this, uh, this episode because actually, things on the docket so nice, uh, forever thinking

about that stuff. Yeah. I mean, similarly, there's another article I read put in our newsletter. If you're not subscribe to the newsletter, you can get it at Frank Gruber R A n k g r u b as in boy e r doc me forward slash newsletter. You get these updates ahead of the podcast and review them, uh, or just having in your inbox and check him out. So basically, there's another article that basically talks about work, the workout drug and how working out actually makes you healthier. And so there's kind of no one states conflicting, but it's similar rights. It's very similar to what we're talking about, like a meditation,

and I see that like I go swimming and swimming for me is like meditation because you can't talk. All you could do is think, and you're thinking and thinking thing as you do your flip turns and keep moving. It is quiet, right? It's mostly quiet. You're hearing kind of this weird. You know, it's weird, watery sound most of time, so it's can be refreshing, and I use it as a meditation because that's what it's able for able to do for me. So I could see that working out is very similar. But they're finding that it's also helping cells like at the cellular level. Working out can actually helps. It's not just your physical ability and like you're you know,

your gun show or whatever your beach muscles. It's also helping you to, you know, actually make yourselves feel good. And that actually they're finding is helping. People will be more healthy and live longer.

Lots of groundbreaking stuff. Yeah, Who would have thought that working out would be good for you? But it was progress.

Yeah. I mean, definitely, definitely cross your mind because you see the physical aspects. But there's actually other aspects, too, and I think that's important piece there. So that makes sense. So what? I've got more things that slow death. I don't know my lately. I think my theme is How can I could live forever, you know, like that's been the theme, And how do I get in better shape? And that's obviously with the January of 2020 New Year, you start thinking about these things,

and you start with the resolutions and everything else. So the other thing that I've been doing, I've been doing it for a while often on. But I've been on a bit of a streak lately is fasting. So there's there's more studies that show that eating in short, shorter windows of time and fasting for long amounts of time can help you live longer. So there's an article that was put out that says that a six hour window is eating in a six hour window and fasting for 18 hours might be that key. And so I've been actually doing a starter with a while back last year, doing like a 13 hour fast and then just eating when you know, during basically sunrise to sunset, right? So so in that part of your time, you can eat whatever you want. It's no big deal, right? That's easy.

I mean, most people can do that with no problem, because you mainly for the evening part, you unless you eat super late every day. You can do that. Just go to sleep in, You know, the sleep time takes up most of that, right? So you're if you get eight hours of sleep, you've already eaten away for most of the time that you're not eating. So it's not too hard to dio when you start pushing it like 16 hours of fasting and eight hours. That's when it gets harder. And I've been doing that one. I don't have a push to 18 although I've had a few hours. Been 18 hours,

mainly just because I got busy and I never ate. But by that time, I think one of the times I was really angry the other time it didn't affect me too much, Which is kind of funny. Must be just the way that I had been eating the day before or something. But yes, it's been interesting. So I've been doing that for I've been on 24 days now in a row, fasting 16 8 which is a bit of a streak, like I said and definitely feeling good. I mean, it just cuts out my main favorite thing in the world, which is breakfast, which I love breakfast. So you basically we're going, you're eating at night and you don't eat again toe like,

depending on what time you eat between between, you know, probably need to get until, like, 11 or our noon. So you do

that. Well, you're I don't know, man. You're given. You've given everybody a lot of credit for being able to do that. It sounds hard to make. I probably could probably figured out the ease and do it right. It's kind

of like I did 13 hour, right? And then that was they did it for a while. I got used to it. Took a break for a couple months. I forgot that I even have seven app. It's called zero that Kevin Rose, who was known for dig and a few other things Eyes Investor. Now with true ventures, he created an app called Zero and Zero helps you keep track of this. And it literally tells you, Hasn't you know, a reminder to tell you? Okay, fast over. Whatever. But key is making sure you start the fast and stop the past, and then it tells you these reminders. But it keeps kind of track of all this stuff in it. It's a good indicator and helps you kind of remember to do this stuff. Wow.

You know, I mean technology helps everybody keeps you on track. And yes, I may have to check that out for sure.

Yeah, it's fun. It's kind of fun to see where you can. D'oh! I bet you I bet you have trouble at first, But I bet you could get in the groove because like, it just took me a little while the beginning. And then you're like us.

I know for sure I'm pretty routine oriented, so I'm sure I could get into it, but we'll see. But anyway, so one thing I wanted to talk about as well and I know it's near and dear to your heart be I don't know, people know this but your one of your many nicknames of safety, Frank. So I know you've been sending me articles and, you know, following the Corona viruses we talked about a little bit earlier. Uh, you know, is it's kind of they're definitely newsworthy. But you sent me something earlier about there's an APB out there. It's kind of tracking the Corona virus or what's

going on. Yeah, there's a krone app. I think it's Corona. If you got a Corona virus dot AP is where you can get to it. But, yeah, there's an article I've shared and newsletter where it's helping kind of share all the numbers like that up to date numbers. Uh, yeah, it's Corona like you get a Corona Virus AB, and it's right, we're up to now 60,000 at the time. That's recording 60,399 infected. Um, you said about 1370 have passed away and, you know,

sadly and record, we had about 6000. Almost 13,098 have recovered. So tells you the majority of the stuff has been in in China and you can kind of just got a whole map and everything and kind of see where where things are at. But we've had most of the United States have been in California. Seattle. We had one. We got two in Chicago, one in Madison, Wisconsin, one in London on like Canada to in Toronto and one in Boston. So, you know, not a ton in the U. S. So mostly it's been isolated.

Her isolated station should say majority of its been in China and kind of around that area. So definitely pretty scary stuff. Scary scary. You know, I've been doing a lot of research. On what The what? The effects aren't all that is, especially when you get on an airplane. That's when you think about her richer when you're at at an airport and I've been to a bunch of airports in the last month and even our last couple weeks, I've been toe 45 airports and I've only seen like, two or three people with masks on, um whereas if you're in, like any other country like that, you know, if you see a lot more of that, So I think not that they even working we don't really know Theo Jury is still out of it if they actually work or not.

But you're seeing more like one of the most recent article. The Red was that It is then confirm that, like the Corona viruses air cells Marisol so it actually can cling to water particles and flew through the air. So it's not just, you know, personal person or whatever, so that is kind of troubling a CZ. You think about this, but it's a unique time in, like I don't think we've ever seen you like this is bigger than stars was. And, uh, you remember bird flu and some other things,

right? Yeah, I get a lot of fun to do. And I recently saw that there's a huge spike in sales of reusable masks like Ugo. You see the ones that are kind of throw away, right? But but so it's actually a pretty pretty good investment, I would imagine these days and also we're talking about sort of ideas earlier, right? Vending machines selling those things in airports nowadays, moving forward with,

Yeah, I mean surprised. They don't give it to you on a plane there. Anything. I'm surprised I don't give you his wipes, right? Like they we get on a plane. We talked about this before with another podcast episode where we was article talking about planes and not clean. They are. It's more less. There started to now do some things to be basically because this virus to push things ahead. Maybe maybe plans will have to have a little bit more regulate regulation around cleaning them. But either way bring waifs and wipe them down like that. That's what we do, and we wipe everything down hotel rooms or another one. You know, there's a great I think it's on Netflix,

uh, film. It's a short documentary about stars and some of those things. And if you watch it, it kind of shows how that spread and similarly spreading, thick scrotum spreading similarly, but more or less it's called Epidemic. So what? Look for ah, film was funded by narrators with Bill Gates and Bill Melinda Gates. So check that out. You get a chance, like Google it epidemic. And it kind of tells you about some of these early early things that happened, Um, like 1817 hundreds,

like some of the play kind of stuff that happened and goes all the way up to, um stars and obviously stops around there. But, um, it seems like we've had a bit of a continuation of this. So

sure, Yeah, amazing stuff. But so, Frank, I know that, surprisingly, you've been surprisingly, but I know that you've been listening to a lot of songs by the late, great Mac Miller, who was a big Steelers fan, which is, uh, I'm a Steelers fan as well, Like a lot. But what else? You've been listening to you?

Yes. So he's got a new album out that came out. They finished it after he passed away. Took about two years. So it's kind of similarly, you know, folks, we're working on it with him. Took liberty to continue it and put it out. It's called circles. Check it out. It's pretty good. Pretty mellow. Um, sometimes there's music you can listen to and work two. Sometimes that music is not the same as music you like, So this is actually pretty mellow,

and you can kind of work to it. So, uh, that's definitely check that out. We did a couple podcast for start to the year podcast where we, you know, interviewed some of the best interviews last year from a numbers perspective. Not maybe, I guess it from the numbers and content were Steve Case, Mark Cuban and Tim Draper on. So we put our wrap up of that. You can check that out good interviews with talking about how you what they look for when they're investing in startups. And then I did a great did have a great conversation with with Sarah Koons, whose venture capitalist from Cleo Capital and that was the most recent start with your podcast. So a couple good ones out there If you're interested in getting to know some investors a little better what they're looking for, you gotta start up that or an idea that you're trying to get out there. But those are some good ones to kind of learn from and, uh, definitely check him out

for sure. I mean other, some big dogs in the technology investing space. There's a lot of good pointers in there because I know a lot of listeners and people in your network are interested in those types of topics.

Yeah, definitely. And we? Yeah. WeII can learn so much from some of these folks that are out there doing this. And obviously, we're starting to more of a too. So, you know, it's always good to learn from other folks. And I think that's it goes back to that lifetime learning that we talked about

for sure. Well, always a pleasure, my friend. Um, I know that you also personally met on dhe. Also maybe read a book. What's the gentleman's name? Bob. Bob Tewksbury to To experience,

right? Yeah. So, um, yeah. Ironically, I ran into Bob Tewksbury recently at an event, and he was a pitcher for in the major leagues for quite some time. I want to see 13 seasons. I'm like that. But he pitched for the Cubs, Yankees, Cardinals, Redsox Padres and then went back. And after he's done, and he was like an All Star pitcher, you know he's great.

I think he holds the record for most best season with the least amount of walks. It was really good control wise. And, uh, you know, just I want to see is nearly had, like, 20 walks for a pitcher starting pitcher. That's insane. So anyway, long story short I met met him recently, and he's a really great guy and hey has a book coming out called 90% Mental. And so I read that book and definitely advise anyone who should sports, you know, sports or baseball to read it, because it's really interesting from that perspective.

But then there's there's things in there that you can pull away from pull out for regular life and work and some of which overlap with some of things you might learn from other other from meditation and whatnot. But the biggest one is, you know, we all forget sometimes to breathe right, like breathing actually controls a lot of what we d'oh. And, um, you know, it's It's one of those things that sounds really him simple. But it's like one of the most basic things we learned as a baby and first things we do. And yet, like at the end of the day, like like way basically need to continue to do that, to live as you know, the best life we can. So I think that's one of the really interesting things breaking down his book and and obviously being ableto to reinforce that with positive self talk,

because we all are our own worst enemies. So really great book, Really cool to meet him. He's now mental coach for the Cup, so that's a new kind of area that they're getting into in sports baseball. Specifically, there's I want to say, like 23 30 teams have mental coaches, which is not something that they had you know 10 years ago. And it's an area that I think is gonna continue to grow because so much of sports and baseball, even in general, has been is really it is mental, like they have these. By the time you get to that level, you are. You're physically like set.

Like you can throw 90 miles an hour or you can run really well or you can, you know, hit the ball. You know, 500 feet. But at the end of day, like it's the mental part. That is what gets a lot of players and get over the hump. Bad. I guess. In some ways, the Houston Astros had a whole system for figuring out with pictures were had a time. That's a whole nother hold. Other thing they've been now called out a scandal around cheating. But that's hold anything but again. Maybe that isn't because ultimately you know what's coming Mentally,

you're gonna be ready. I think so. So either way, uh, yeah, so I find really interesting. And I think you know, it's definitely worth listening to our reading if you get a chance.

Definitely. Well, I want to close the episode with two questions because no one knows the Cubs quite as well as you do. Right? So one is Where is Chris Bryant gonna play this next year? And two is how are the kids gonna end up this year

doesn't really tough ones. Um, I do follow them. Well, you know, let's just let's just start with saying by saying I'm a baseball fan and I have been for some time. My team was always has always been the Cubs, but my second team has always been as of me, moving into Washington D. C. In 2006 the Washington Nationals. They won the World Series last year. I think they're going to be very good this year. I think they're gonna be set from that. They did lose a little bit of their of their lineup with their third baseman going on, but I think they're still gonna be really good. So I think they're gonna be kind of setting the bar over there.

I think the Los Angeles Dodgers are gonna be really good on the other side. So I want to say, Chris, Brian's probably at this point going to stay put for a while. They may try toe trade him at the deadline if they're trading trade deadline in July, if he's not producing or if they're not producing, But they do have a new manager and maybe a new swagger a little bit because, like they kept most their team, there hasn't been a lot of turnover. Um, they haven't brought in a lot of folks. I think that, you know, actually is interesting topic. There's this, you know,

there's like a salary cap in football, right? And there's not one in baseball. But there's this luxury tax that they keep getting a lot of teams keep getting hit with, which basically makes some of these teams not wantto spend over a certain amount of money. So I think it's around $200 million. So if you get $20 million in salaries there, they don't want to get this extra tax on top of it for miss spending that much. So there have been trying to keep everything under that. So what they're trying to do is with Pete. Players like Kris Bryant is say that he's not worth as much as much and try to keep him kind of tight. And so there are teams that are that just don't care right. It'll spend it. But right now the Chicago Cubs were not one of those unfortunately, and so um anyway, long story short,

it's been capping people out. It's been making it really tough. There's amazing players that are free agents still, and they started spring training like two days ago. So, uh, it's been an interesting last couple years. Like started with Jake area like 2015 16 16 to 17 where players are literally sitting on the sidelines. So, like halfway through the season, that's what happened last year with the Cubs closer Craig Crumble Kimbrel. And you're seeing a lot more of that. It's kind of crazy. So these are amazing athletes not getting not getting contracts because they've been, you know, the basic human thes.

The ownership or whatnot is kind of don't want to spend more to do it. So long story short, uh, I think that the bridal price to ground. I think that after that I don't know. I guess anything's possible. Boston Red Sox traded Mookie Betts, which is summer reason, first of a reason. But as far as Cubs go, I think you know they'll probably win like 85 to 90 games. I don't know if they'll be in the hunt. I'm really not sure it's gonna be really interesting to have a new manager too. And they've got, you know, a similar team.

But some things are teams have gotten really good, so I could see them being, you know, being a contention the whole time. But I don't know. I don't They well see what? Once they get on the once the rubber hits the road, that's when we'll really know how it's gonna go. And so I don't know. I think I think though it really comes down to how that team gels together

absolutely well as always. Good stuff, my friend. And, uh, thanks for having me on again.

Yeah, definitely. It's always good to catch up and, you know, sharing some some interesting stories, keeping the positive vibes going on. Obviously, this one was a little bit dark cause we're talking about living forever, but maybe not dark. But, you know, that's been the with the resolutions out there. That's been the kind of focus, so hopefully we can keep it up. Uh, yeah. Great to catch up. And until next time. This is somewhat frank podcast. Be sure to subscribe if you haven't already as well as check out the newsletter of frank gruber dot me forward slash newsletter Thanks so

much. Live for listening. And until next time, that's a wrap. Thanks so much for listening. This is somewhat frank signing off Frank Ruber. Oh, and don't forget to subscribe online. ITunes, soundcloud, android. Wherever he can find it somewhat. Frank. Podcast back soon. Another upset. Thanks so much.