Bryan Berry on Finding Purpose, Partnership, and My Purpose Plan

RJ Caswell: Well, welcome to Cereal for Dinner. Thanks for being here. I have an amazing guest today with Bryan Berry, who is a friend but also a business leader. And so, Bryan, share a little bit about yourself and tell people who you are. Bryan Berry: Well, sure. Well, the first thing I'm going to give praise for is that you called me a friend. So that's a good mark on my side. Hey yeah so I'm Bryan Berry I'm a partner with My Purpose Plan which we'll talk about in a little bit. Prior to that. I had a 28-year run. As an investment advisor running my own practice. Had a little incident happen in 2018 that led to me selling the practice. Nothing illegal, by the way is What's next? But a medical. RJ Caswell: I can vouch for that. It's not illegal. No illegal activity. Bryan Berry: A little medical issue that we might talk about. Got to spend some time in leadership development and nonprofit consulting. Moved to Charlotte 18 months ago and had coffee with you and we've just become Really good friends. So happy to be here. RJ Caswell: Well, I'm thrilled. And I will say this for everybody listening about Bryan. Bryan is what... I don't know the right word for it, but I'm using it. Intentional connector, intentional relationship developer. I'm not sure the right way, but he is so skilled at connecting people and not just indiscriminately, very intentionally being able to connect people, which I've just found inspiring and encouraging. So thank you, Bryan, for leading in that way. So to lead it off, tell me you've had... a long career, done different things, but now you are, as you mentioned, with... My Purpose Plan as a partner. Tell me how that happened because it's fairly recent. Tell me how that connection happened and what led you to My Purpose Plan. Bryan Berry: Yeah, interestingly enough, I just celebrated my one-year anniversary as part of My Purpose Plan. So it has been pretty recent. See you. Good. Quick history if I can make it quick So I mentioned before, I ran the investment advisory practice for years. Either as a solo shop or... as a partner and other firms. And then in 2018, life dealt me a different hand. I went through a pretty serious illness and ended up having to get two new organs from someone else. So I had a liver and a kidney transplant on Thanksgiving Day 2018. That story is longer. We can talk more about that if you want to but you know it But at the end of that During recovery, I felt like I had lost passion for the investment advisory role. Doing it myself And. The realization I had was that was a dangerous place for someone like me to be if I were going to be. Controlling or handling someone else's retirement assets. And I was. I didn't stop managing money at the time but I thought I've lost the passion for this and these folks deserve someone. That is passionate about doing this. I Couldn't put my finger on what it was. I think it was having a chance at... at life again, post transplant. And so I spent. A good deal of time, actually trying to discover I don't know what your listenership will be, but... But. God, why did you keep me here? what is why Why do you have me here? Because there were several opportunities for me to no longer be here and So. I sold the practice which at the time was what's the right thing to do. There were some other activities that you talked about, the intentional connecting. I was asked to come on and lead a nonprofit of business networking organization built around nonprofits which is one of the One of the ways I initially got back into Charlotte my transplants took place here in Charlotte So. As you know, I was I got a very expensive plane ride from Richmond, Virginia to Charlotte one night. And there's some funny stories behind that. RJ Caswell: That's right. Bryan Berry: If Your listeners will understand that I deal I use humor a lot to deal with this. Get me through situations but So there is a joke behind the very expensive plane ride. But... So I did that and it brought me to. The networking organization brought me to Charlotte. As I was trying to expand it across the country as part of my call at that And that got me involved in the nonprofit world in Charlotte as well. So I started making a lot of connections. And I think if we go back, RJ, and track, like, where do we connect? We connected on LinkedIn during that period. RJ Caswell: I'm sure of it. Yeah, definitely LinkedIn. Bryan Berry: Yeah, at the same point. RJ Caswell: And I know you were you were doing networking. I don't think at the time, I knew it was with... I know you're working with nonprofits, but I didn't really know the capacity, but LinkedIn was definitely the place. Bryan Berry: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and we had some mutual connections, which which helped a little bit too. I eventually got into doing some non-profit consulting work as a Sort of an add-on to what I was doing with the networking organization and really sort of just headed off into that direction, left that networking organization. Started doing leadership development. In the church world and with some nonprofits outside and for profits as well And then we moved to Charlotte. 18 months ago. We have two adult sons that have been down here for four years now. We started to miss them. So we literally ask God if this is what we were supposed to do, and then we ask our kids for permission to move down here. We knew they had come down to start their own lives post-college. And they were thriving and we didn't want to. Do anything to change that. So. We're very close with both of them, so of course you know we're down here now so they said yes it RJ Caswell: Yes. So Charlotte did have... Charlotte did have an interesting through line for you from hospital stay to both your your boys being here. Bryan Berry: From hospital stay to the networking organization and starting to expand that down here to the boys being down here. Our youngest son was pretty excited. He had dog sitters coming down when we moved down so and which we love as dogs, so it's great. But I've been on several podcasts talking about organ donation along the way and being an advocate for the United Network for Organ Sharing. And I was doing a podcast After I moved down here, I was a podcast host. Back up in Richmond. And at the end of the podcast he asked me if I knew this guy who was who had founded this thing called My Purpose Plan as I listen to him tell me a little bit about it. I was like, well, I would love to be connected to him And so. We hopped on the call the very next day. And. I was just blown away by what he was doing with it. A similar background he had run an investment advisory practice for years a much bigger practice and than mine but his path to wanting to help people discover and pursue God-given purpose in life. Was It just felt like a huge. Like neon signs flashing from God going. This is what I brought you here for And it just. Checked all the boxes for me, but I didn't. I thought it was gonna be a tool that I would use in my coaching so I had to be up there the next day, so I drove to Richmond. Had a meeting at a coffee shop about 45 minutes away from where he lived. As I finish the coaching conversation. I got up to leave and he was sitting at a table outside. And we just looked at each other and went. This can't be a coincidence. Like there's no reason that we should have shown up at the same coffee shop. In Richmond, So that he was. 45 minutes away from your house and you and you had no idea I was going to be here and I had no idea You were going to be here. So He offered me an opportunity to come aboard and be a part of it. And my initial... role was to just to continue doing what I do now. RJ Caswell: Well, and I want to pause real quick because I think you just jumped over something pretty critical, right? You just had a call with them and then you had coffee. But all of a sudden, he's extending this invitation which is pretty significant for a startup, inviting somebody in after... Really? two conversations. Can you Can you peel that back a little bit to share? Bryan Berry: You should. RJ Caswell: What do you know about that where he would say? Bryan, I just met you. But I need you on the team. Bryan Berry: Yeah, so it was it was interesting for both of us because neither of us... went into that coffee conversation. With that being the intention. I went to the coffee to learn more about it. Have him show me more detail about how folks can use it. And then I just started talking to him about. How many folks? could benefit from using this. And in my mind at the time, I was like. You know I'm certified by an organization called GiANT Worldwide for my coaching. And all I could think of was how powerful a tool it would be for all of us GiANT guides, as they're called to incorporate into their practice to gain more information to really help their clients. Almost as a first past the introductory, more of the data gathering. Hey let's actually define what your purpose in life is. And that'll guide the coaching process that we're going to do. I mean, that could be like the first big thing and you know If you're asking me to coach you on something and it doesn't fit with your purpose, then that's another conversation we should have. And I was just sharing those with him and then mentioned a couple of other organizations. I thought it would be a. Very powerful use in the nonprofit world to better engage executive directors with their boards and with their staffs. And make sure everyone's own purpose statements aligned with those of the nonprofits so we My thought was... especially in the nonprofit world, if these folks... Can show up Aligned with the mission of this nonprofit. Every day. Then it makes it a little easier to do hard things. It makes it a little easier to show up on those days when. Maybe you're not excited about going. But if you're aligned with this mission of the nonprofit. And it fits your purpose plan. So it almost said Like the mission of the nonprofit meets you right where you are. And so when you show up every day, you get to do what you really feel like you're led to be doing. Then it could just it could get you through a lot of tough days and make you show up as your better self all those all those things As we came through that, A lot of people saw that. A lot of people. And so Back it up a little bit if you're If you think about project management as a way My Purpose Plan This is my opinion only. I think some of the partners might disagree a little bit at the beginning but And it's not where we are now but I looked at it as like project management for purpose. Okay I've discovered my purpose I've got a purpose statement Now the back end of what we did. Just... sort of helped you be more intentional about pursuing it. What type, what things do I need to do? What areas of life do I need to focus on? How do I need to show up there? And just just reminders to keep doing them in a way to track it so And the big thing about this is... Being intentional is a big part of me and you brought it up and I appreciate that. It's like the connections world all I could think about when he was telling me was just connecting all the people that could really benefit from using this Yeah. We had a number of folks, a number of big organizations that would look at it and go, this is awesome. But we couldn't really find that person that wanted to say and here's who can write the check for this. So. So because it. The way we had it originally. It definitely required a... Not a significant amount, but a good deal of intentionality to come back and actually do the work to pursue your purpose and So over the year. We've gone through a lot of iterations, changes listening to people. And if it's okay to talk about where we are now with it. RJ Caswell: Go for it Go for it. Bryan Berry: We had in our mind like perfect companies that this would be great for. And we were in pretty detailed discussions with a handful but never just could get it past that last part we'd literally be HR would say, well, you need to work with our culture to Bring it through culture. A culturist that will bring it through HR. HR would say, well, bring it through the COO. And they would all say the same though this is great this is awesome it fits great with what we're doing And then just never over the final hump. We learned a lot which is awesome And we were all in a position where we had time to learn and make this more easier to use. Not something that was going to chew up a ton of time to do but also something that like produced some tangible results. Like if I do this, this is going to happen and I'll see this you know in a week or a month or So. We had A couple of Chick-fil-A operators back in Virginia who looked at it. And. As they're sitting around and they're talking about it and how useful they could see it being in there. Locations you know the light bulb goes off for all of us yeah Michael Thaler, who's the founder of My Purpose Plan. He operated the... first Chick-fil-A franchise in Richmond. Virginia. It was and I may get this number wrong by one or two, but it was like... the 47th Chick-fil-A to open when they started to go the owner operator route. So he had a background there and his. Yeah. Michael's faith walk is so strong and he's such a he's such a giver hes he wants people to He just wants people to accomplish everything they can. And so. We were like. Hey, maybe we should talk to Chick-fil-A a little more or talk to this particular operator so We did. We started getting feedback. We've learned a lot more about how how they can use it without it being so interruptive. To the process but also What data can it feed back? What things could it signal for an operator? And the areas we've landed on are things that we've heard from numerous. Chick-fil-A operators, which is you know engagement, retention good helping them identify leaders. And absenteeism like four big things that influence their bottom line So. Using AI and the process that we go through. We literally have a check in and check out process that their team members It takes... 30 to 45 seconds. When they check into their shift and a similar amount of time when they check out or clock out, clock in, clock out, if you will. But the information we're able to feed them as they've identified their purpose statement in life and we can start to feed them motivational Quick statements in the morning just to get them engaged. It gives them an avenue to report back. Like what are the best parts of my day? Where are the parts that I struggled? you know Do I feel like I wasn't getting support from someone? Just any Any of that. And then there's... there's an owner dashboard so they can look at this real live data and celebrate great things. But maybe identify early some things that might be budding that might lead to folks leaving or you know, losing engagement or yeah you know, Or waking up and thinking, maybe maybe I don't feel like going to work today, so I don't. But if they if they feel more engaged to work, they're less likely to call in unless they're really ill they're more likely to show up and That's a bit tickly. It does a great job with retention. I mean, it's one of them. Best retention rates in all the fast food restaurants. But it's still a high number it's And it's you know that has to do a lot with the fast food industry. But we've learned so much just through talking to different owners and operators around the country. And so. At the end of May, we made a shift. So right now we are solely focusing on working with Chick-fil-A operators and their teams to bring this to board and really just help them. Invest in their team members even more than they already do. So. RJ Caswell: What I think is fascinating, I know some of this, right, because we know each other, but I think what's fascinating about some of the pivots y'all have made over this year is even within the Chick-fil-A ecosystem, you're still helping that individual. Clarify and connect their purpose. But also helping the organizational purpose which I think is just a fascinating dual purpose, if you will, for My Purpose Plan. And so that's just super. Super exciting. I have two questions I have I'm staring at. I'm trying to decide which way to go. Do we still go a little bit deeper into My Purpose Plan, or do we take a little bit of a veer, even though I still think it's connected? And I'm making a game time decision. We're going to veer a little bit. Because I actually think it... in some ways connects to what you just talked about, that individuality. Individual Chick-fil-A employee and their purpose. And they're in that organization and they're getting this feedback and this accountability. So the question I have for you that I do think is related is, When you think of over all of your years. And I mean, this could be somebody last year. This could have been somebody 45 years ago. Who's somebody that believed in Bryan Berry? Before you truly believed in yourself at that moment. And how did that shape you and that connects to your purpose? Bryan Berry: Well What a great question. I don't think I've ever really thought about this that much and I mean, for folks who don't. I mean, a lot of folks aren't going to know me. But just in and thinking about that real time. A little bit out of left field. We were members of our church back home for like 31 or 32 years before we moved down. RJ Caswell: Years Bryan Berry: The pastor that was there when we joined. Ended up being the pastor of that church for 27 or 28 years. And we were there for maybe 22 or 23 of those years. Yeah but He... He latched on to... to Anne and I both like shortly after we joined the church and involved us in a lot of lay leadership positions, which we... didn't We didn't think or know that we were prepared to do. Didn't see ourselves in those. But I will say, just thinking about it off the cuff, that Larry Frakes is that guy. RJ Caswell: I love the shout out. I appreciate that. Yeah, putting a name to it. That is That is great. Bryan Berry: Good Yeah, just. Just a great guy. Funny story about that is... He loved Jeep Grand Cherokees. And and we had one, and a lot of folks at our church did because... There was a Jeep dealer there but and everybody but he also loved it he also loved to keep them sparkly clean Like all the time, not a speck of dust. And my wife was the same way. So we had neighbors who also went to church with us. And they saw my wife washing a Jeep one day. And in their minds, they saw us hanging out with Larry and his wife a lot around church and do some other things. They came up to us one day and said, well, you're Larry's daughter, right? to my wife. And we were like, how'd you guys put that together? Well, he has Jeeps and keeps them clean. And here you are with, you know, always watching your Jeep. And you're always with them. So it was kind of funny. So just. You know, we were just. Interesting how people sometimes see you and think they know who you are. But yeah, I would say I would say Larry because... even when Even when he retired, we stayed in touch with him a lot. So. Yeah. RJ Caswell: Well, I love that. And my only encouragement to you now is when we get off this podcast to shoot him a text and thank him for that. And my guess is because I know you, you've probably done that over the years. Anyway, but I always think it's really cool to hear somebody shout out a name. So Thank you. So my next question then is probably coming back a little bit to what you're doing now. Although I think... You've done this. In a career, which is around partnerships and connecting. So. When you think of those partnerships, either currently or in the past or connections that really. Help move either your business forward or My Purpose Plan forward or the organization forward? What are those? elements that make that work and what are the what are the What's the recipe for those to be really good partnerships? Bryan Berry: Yeah, I think first is a feeling that you trust someone when you meet him and for me it's a feeling that I trust you right after I met you Yes. It's not that we can't develop trust. Down the road. But initially I mean, that's sort of the first thing is we get together. Do we seem to like each other? like which I think I'm pretty open. I try to get along with just about everyone. But then it's just seeing what they do. I think it's always been natural for me to there's this old adage of be interesting. Before trying to be interested. No, no tell way I got the wrong. I got it wrong be interested before it being interesting Totally got that wrong. RJ Caswell: I like it yeah Yes. Bryan Berry: I was so excited to say it, you got it wrong. So be interested before being interesting. And if I think if you do that, I've always wanted to lead with. How can I help you? And if there's... If there's a way and I show up and do that, then there's a good chance. Good. You'll want to do the same. But it's also... I'm a rising tide lifts all boats person. So it doesn't always have to be about How do we benefit from this? It's more. Yes There's a way for us, if we look at this bigger picture that we can help each other. Let me help you first and I'll show you. But it's also always been. When I make introductions to folks for reciprocity I'm not I'm just looking to help other people. Right. And there have been times when Amen. I've been on I've I've been burned by those before. And my wife if she listens to this or she was sitting here with me she's shaking her head yes yeah But I've never... I've just I've decided to not let that change me. Like I'm still I still continue to look how can you know How can we work together on something? And it's always got to be too. To benefit others right? it's Thanks. Do I want to make money doing stuff? Yes. I mean we have put But as long as it's benefiting other people and they're getting something from it So. RJ Caswell: Well and my And my guess is, and maybe if Michael Thaler was with us as a third member. My guess is... That was a part of him engaging you. After just... two meetings to actually join into the work of My Purpose Plan and not just... Hey, this was a really cool meeting and maybe we'll connect to again in the future but Bryan engaged, he listened. Obviously, there must have been trust really quickly for something like this to happen to join in to a venture like that. Bryan Berry: Yeah, I think that the funny thing we've probably both laugh about it, just the way the business has gone over the past 12 months is... the way So he started this probably... Three, three and a half years ago. So he'd been through so many iterations and so many reworks. And so by the time I'm hearing it for the first time and the pricing model and everything else I've heard all the other iterations of how they tried to price it and make it fit. And he's telling me, hey, you know, at this price this is how many We would call them subscribers at the time. This is how many subscribers we need in order for this to work And my brain immediately goes to. How do I get into that number? And stuff. So literally, when I was naming, I was like, well... they're you know There's this association. I think this would be a great fit for them. There's about 41,000 worldwide members there. You know this coaching thing there's 2,500 guys and they all you know, even if they only have ten clients apiece. That's another So I just started like. Pardon the use of the word. I started vomiting ideas on how you get to that number. Right. And. And I think that might have been a part of it but it was just a different way of thinking because You know, the one thing he did say was I hadn't thought about the coaching anymore. And. And. I thought it was a great idea and some of the coaching I mean, even the CEO of GiANT, was it's a great tool. It's a great idea. You know, we get presented with 20 great ideas a day of things of people So. And that conversation continues to go on. And even with. There's a huge... non-profit organization surgeon organization you know about. And They have one of their locations here in Charlotte and at their headquarters out in Omaha. I'm really good friends with their CEO. And we've talked about it. And, you know, we were bouncing it around for six to nine months And we got to this point where I think they were ready to move forward on on like a partnership deal. And I was too, and then all but all of a sudden we had this change in focus. I'm like, wait. This is... other option and we're going to go explore that. So all of those are still there. And I think we're just. Able to perfect what this tool is and what it does. And that's happening now through the Chick-fil-A locations. And the secondary part about that is people hear you're working with Chick-fil-A and they're like, oh, you know, can we... We'll hear more about that. And we're still perfecting it. But folks so we have. I think. I think sometimes when you're so close to something, it's harder to see the bigger opportunities out there and I And I think, and this is a guess. But I think. As Michael and I were talking. I was just presented bigger opportunity. You know, here's some other things. Have you thought about these? But I think also I was coming at it from. From a really good place for him. I wasn't asking about being a part of it. I was I was just, I wanted I wanted it to succeed. And I was like, you know. All right honestly, for my part. I thought... If I have this tool you know I might even be able to justify an hourly coaching rate even more than I do now. So it was more just about helping helping him grow it because I just thought it was a great idea. And as someone who had been searching. For purpose for a handful of years at that point. After selling my practice. I did say I was like man Michael I wish I'd had this two or three years ago. Yeah. And. So I you know For my life, you know this. It God has a time and place for everything. And I think there are times he just. I said it this morning in a men's group meeting. We were just talking about praying and yeah how you pray and when you pray and I said, listen, I think sometimes when I pray, God goes, it's about time because I've been wanting to do this for you for so long. And But you'd have it asked for it. So maybe that was a timing thing too. I know that in you know in our Fair life, you know some of the stories. Yeah, I've been praying for things in this conversation. Like I'm on this podcast with a guy I kind of knew, didn't really know. But at the end of the, he's heard my story. And so he's the one that made the suggestion. He's like, hey, you and Michael need to talk. So. Again an intentional connector. RJ Caswell: An intentional connection. Yeah. Bryan Berry: You did. RJ Caswell: Well, and that's why, as we kind of... turn Turn the corner to I just have two questions left as we kind of round down the time. In two shorter questions, I think won't want maybe maybe Maybe one's harder than the other. We'll see. But the first question is, For somebody that is listening, hopefully somebody might listen to this podcast. If they do, who is somebody? you could give a shout out to go. This is somebody that maybe should be on the podcast next, or maybe it's somebody. I should know or somebody listening should know because of just who they are, what their purpose is what their character says about them. Who is somebody you would say, man, This is somebody we should all know. Bryan Berry: Well outside of You know how I feel about that. I'll say just a great a great guy with a great mission for what he's doing and just in my walk of the woods trying to bring Trying to bring people to a great place. Jason Wynn. So Jason Wynn is the area director for CBMC and has has his own financial practice as well. I think Jason would give the shirt off his back to people and if somebody else needs a shirt and run to the store get another one come back with this I mean Great just I mean Great guy to talk to and I think you've RJ Caswell: So Jason Wynn. I know Jason, which is fantastic. So I love hearing that name. And he's the area director of CBMC in Charlotte, the Charlotte area. So that's great. We'll make sure Jason knows you gave him a shout out as well. We'll try to get him on the podcast too. So before the last question comes. Bryan, before the last questions, went which might be the most difficult. If somebody wants to know more about My Purpose Plan or... have the opportunity to connect with Bryan Berry. How do they do that? Bryan Berry: So probably the best way is just to go to the website. It's just www.mypurposeplan.com. All of our contact information is on there. You can email me. Bryan. B-r-y-a-n at mypurposeplan.com. RJ Caswell: It's a Y. We've got to make sure it's a Bryan with a Y. Bryan Berry: It's What? RJ Caswell: Everybody. Bryan Berry: That's a lot. Or look for me on LinkedIn it's just on there's Bryan Berry, look up Charlotte, you'll find me. I'd love to talk to you. I'd love to. Share more about it. And Happy to talk to anyone. RJ Caswell: Bryan at MyPurposePlan.com. Again, look at My Purpose Plan as well. Such such a great organization doing some really innovative things and in a place that's really close to my heart heart around purpose and relationships. So the final question, and you know what this final... Question is. Bryan Berry: Thank you thank you RJ Caswell: You've been prepped for it. So we we'll see where it goes and it's attached to the name of this podcast. So it's not a surprise. Bryan, if... If you got dinner on your own because your your beautiful bride Anne's out of town or with one of the grand dogs and you didn't want to cook anything yourself, and you're at the grocery store, and you know what? I'm going to have... Cereal for dinner. I can have cereal for dinner. What cereal? Are you picking up? Bryan Berry: Yeah well Bryan today, it's a different answer than Bryan like 30 years or 40 years ago. So I was thinking about this and here's the Here's the story. It'd be Honey Nut Cheerios. But just because... the little honey flavor to it. I mean growing up All we got was Cheerios we grew up in the mountains plain old Cheerios. Not a fan. RJ Caswell: So you're good. So you're going Honey Nut. Bryan Berry: Got RJ Caswell: You're keeping the theme of Cheerios, but you're going Honey Nut. Bryan Berry: Yeah, just for the just for the flavor is just enough. And there. But I'm one of those people, you know, you let those things soak in the milk a little bit and it's just delicious. RJ Caswell: Yes. And, you know, it's heart healthy, which connects to your story as well. Bryan Berry: Yeah, we didn't get into that part, but definitely the heart healthy stuff is key as well. RJ Caswell: You know... That's all. So beautiful choice. I endorse that. It would be on my top, top 10 list of cereals for sure. So great job. I know you're prepared for it, but. Honey Nut Cheerios it is. So Bryan, to close, thank you for being here. Just thankful you carved out the time and I hope people will be able to connect with you as well. So thanks everybody for joining. Cereal for Dinner, and I hope to see you on the next episode. Bryan Berry: Great. Thanks, RJ.