Connect with Joseph Stepke on LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/in/joseph-stepke-56359a23

For other information visit his websites:

joethefinanceguy.com/joe-the-finance-guy26489495 (Personal Website)

acima.us/js1597 (Retail store sign up)

 Russ Johns 0:03
Welcome to the #piratebroadcast, where we interview interesting people doing interesting things where you can expand your connections, your community. #Kindnessiscool and #smilesarefree. Let's get this party started. Another wonderful week to entertain educate, and allow people to understand what's going on in the pirate community. Today we have Joe. Joe, what is happening in your world today?

Joseph Stepke 0:35
How you doing Russ? What's happening in my world? Yeah, I know every day is a holiday.

Russ Johns 0:40
Every day is a holiday!

Joseph Stepke 0:40
Everyday is a holiday. I got that from an old mentor and I think it's a marine saying but I got that from an old mentor. Long time ago and when I worked at rent way, one of the big three in the rent to own at the time and he used to say every day is a holiday And I loved it. It's like a mantra. I looked it up and it's actually a big thing every day is a holiday every meal is a feast every paychecks a lottery. Every walk is a parade. If you live by that mantra, man, just even saying it actually energizes me a little bit.

Russ Johns 1:19
Yeah. For those that don't know you that haven't met you haven't connected on LinkedIn yet. Talk a little bit about your history and why you're here on the #piratebroadcast because not everybody's connected on LinkedIn yet. I don't know why that is. I don't know how that happens. People should connect with you and connect with Joe.Let him know that Russ sent you so

Joseph Stepke 1:47
Yeah, let them know. Hey, I seen you on the #piratebroadcast. Now I'm a pirate!

Russ Johns 1:51
Yeah, exactly.

Joseph Stepke 1:52
That's that's a good thing. Well, my story well starts off long ago, and a galaxy far far away. No. I was in the military. I'm a disabled vet. When I got out one leg shorter than the other and pins in my head. I got out love the military. I learned a lot from it. When I got out, there was a few years like trying to find myself but I settled in rent to own. I worked in loss prevention for TJ Maxx and Lowe's. I love doing that. I went into work for rent way at the time. I just found my niche and there in the rent to own world and selling to people and helping them do things and it was just I found my niche work and rent to own went from rent way rental center went to Aaron's, Rosie rental. Where I met a fabulous mentor there, Michael Bennett. He's the CEO of buddy's home furnishings now but terrific mentor, great friend. We just built something together within that franchise of errands and I had a great team at that time as well. Once I got out of Aaron's, I worked at acceptance now for a little bit and then I found a SEMA. Actually a Sema found me which was simple finance at the time, but that was almost five years ago. I just started thinking how could I really start to network and get more things out of the business because my job at SEMA is to sign up different furniture mattress appliance we'll entire retailers,

Russ Johns 3:57
Right.

Joseph Stepke 3:59
How could I met maximize that and I knew so many people. Even over the years that Aarons and rent way people branched off and did so many other things.

Russ Johns 4:10
It's amazing what happens when you stay in contact and stay in touch with people.

Joseph Stepke 4:13
Right and we were in contact on LinkedIn but I never used LinkedIn like I use it now.

Russ Johns 4:19
Yeah,

Joseph Stepke 4:20
I had a bunch of connections.

Russ Johns 4:21
Yeah,

Joseph Stepke 4:22
I just never used it. Then I started like

Russ Johns 4:26
You weren't aware of the value or you just hadn't.

Joseph Stepke 4:30
I wasn't aware of the value.

Russ Johns 4:32
Yeah, okay.

Joseph Stepke 4:33
I was not aware of the value. That's the best way to put it. I wasn't aware of the value and then

Russ Johns 4:38
somebody needed to educate you.

Joseph Stepke 4:41
Yeah, I had to be educated on it not sold on it. I took it upon myself though, and I think I partnered with IRA. IRA Bowman.

Russ Johns 4:50
Uh huh.

Joseph Stepke 4:51
We talked about kind of known IRA for probably about three years and we talked at one time and he gave me some some tips. About what to do. I think it was this year after I was doing stuff on LinkedIn, but this year after I had that, or last year after I had that mini stroke in November, I started losing weight. I started feeling really good. I go, what I'm 100% in on LinkedIn, I'm going to do my best to post every day.

Russ Johns 5:24
Yeah.

Joseph Stepke 5:25
That's not a realistic goal, everybody. I mean, I guess you could do it. You got to stay on top of posts all the time.

Russ Johns 5:31
Yeah.

Joseph Stepke 5:32
When you're working, it's not there, but I do probably about three to four posts a week. Anyways, I get on LinkedIn. I just started connecting with people sending them messages, connecting with others and creating value. One of the things that I saw in there, and I read it in a book from Daniel Disney the million pound LinkedIn messenger, I might be crushing his title and I'm sorry Daniel. If you see this. I was reading in there one of the books and he's right, connecting with other people and starting a rapport with them. LinkedIn can't be about you all the time. It's 80% about creating value to everybody else and 20% about you. That's when I started going like this. Alright, motivational Monday. That's great. started doing different things out there to help them help others, like connect with each other. Then I met a great group of people. I was already connected with them, but we started conversing more. You Russ, Erica, IRA, Virginia, Rob. Rob Deptford, Damon, Tina Oliver, Christopher Nesbitt. I started connecting with, Nick Dorsey and Nick Reynolds. I started connecting with so many people. Kelly Robinson Kelly, great, great person to I don't want to forget you, Kelly, because you texted me this morning. Good luck. I want

Russ Johns 7:09
the rest of the show go down the list of people.

Joseph Stepke 7:12
It was great stuff tha they all talked and cared about everybody in there. We get started forming a network and start talking to people. That's how I've done signups before. I've learned a lot from from everybody. I just started using LinkedIn more and more and more. Even one of the tools that I'm keeping close to my chest right now that Erica Warfield taught me was huge.

Russ Johns 7:43
Yeah,

Joseph Stepke 7:43
Huge! It was great and If you're not connected with me, please connect with me. I really believe in helping people grow their business, but it's also about helping others and meeting other people because they know some people don't understand what I do, Russ, I mean, Hey, it's Joe, the finance guy. That's a whole nother story in itself how I am branding myself

Russ Johns 8:15
That is a funny story. Then also I love your tagline your #beeducatednotsold

Joseph Stepke 8:21
Yep!

Russ Johns 8:24
Relationships are built and based on our ability to add value to the equation and you know, this and I don't have to speak to you about this, but it's so many people. We laugh and we kid about the pitch the request to connect in the pitch it's like, boom 112 pitching and connected pitch and it's like, yeah, that's not really the way we live. It's not the way that we operate and you love the opportunity to educate people about what's going on. Offer them some value. Not everybody's a client. Not everybody is necessarily somebody that you want. However, you don't know where people are going to go just like we talked about, you don't know where they're going to go next.

Joseph Stepke 9:13
You don't know who they know

Russ Johns 9:15
You don't know who they know,

Joseph Stepke 9:16
Right because there are people out there that you just, I mean, I know this person to this person to this person and I believe that's great. I will tell you how #beeducatednotsold came about. I'll throw this out because he should be watching Sean Stephen at one of the managing partners of the SEMA credit. Him and I were on the phone talking and when I came on board, Aaron alread is the CEO great guy. I remember talking to him when I first started, and I don't think he expected Indiana or how many like this type of ASM would do that much in just Indiana. I've done very well in there but Shawn and I were I remember being on the back porch and most of my ideas come from just talking.

Russ Johns 10:17
Yeah

Joseph Stepke 10:17
You mean I Spitfire is Sean Steven, great guy. Him and I, he's just such a creative mind and when him and I start talking, we're just bouncing ideas off each other. What if we do this? What if we do that? What have we done? I remember one time we were talking I go we're talking about like other companies just signing up and not giving them the value or talking about the whole truth about tertiary financing.

Russ Johns 10:44
Yeah,

Joseph Stepke 10:45
No credit needed financing.

Russ Johns 10:47
Yeah,

Joseph Stepke 10:47
Then we're not saying everything about that or not doing that but I know a CMO we are very open, we call people and email them text them and before their 90 days or even up to let them know, Hey, listen, we don't charge the merchant on our regular plan. We don't charge it we have an e commerce platforms but anyways him and I are spitballing. I wish there was something about we need to educate them, the merchants need to be educated not sold.

Russ Johns 11:22
Yeah.

Joseph Stepke 11:23
He goes like this #beeducatednotsold and we just started doing it and it just came out. I go, my gosh, I'm taking that tag! #beeducatednotsold. That's how it came came about. There are so many things that came about and when him and I have talked in the past. When I first came on board, I believed in three things to get a merchant to start selling and I still believe that the first one is a catchy slogan. You got to Have some sort of slogan. Thanks for calling Joe's tires home of the right way layaway and just something like that. He's like right away layaway. Okay, yeah, because the 90 days is basically a layaway it's just they're just paying an extra $50 isn't that basically what it is if they pay it off in 90 days and they get to drive away with it. Brilliant! I could just remember where that came from. It was just little things like that, that started it and just a great person and another person you know, Greg Adams, who is great friend of mine. I was an ASM prior to him. He'll tell everybody Joe mentored me and I took the VP spot when he finally took over VP here, it was just awesome. So he's actually my boss now. Great friend, great friend. Great guy. Yep,

Russ Johns 13:00
Awesome. We have a few people in the room that you might know. Gabriel, Do you know? You're connected with Gabriel?

Joseph Stepke 13:07
I think I am and I see Gabriel when I'm watching the #piratebroadcast too. How are you doing Gabriel?

Russ Johns 13:12
Yeah. Mel's here happy day everyone. She's my right hand. Randy up in Canada up in the Great North is here.

Joseph Stepke 13:26
Good. Hey Randy,

Russ Johns 13:27
We have Rafi he's always here. He's always as just as awesome as ever. I want to just give a few shout outs to a few people here in the in the room and the thing that really amazes me about the pirate community is that there are people that show up on a regular basis and support each other. That's the whole theme as it's like, okay, when we're working together and we can offer a little bit of kindness and consideration and empathy and patience. It is about educating. It is about sharing what we know and offering some value to everyone that is surrounding us. It's really challenging to be able to be you're kind of trying to figure it out. You were in the start. It's like, Okay, thanks for serving in the military, by the way, and I'm sure that period afterward. You're going through this process of like, Okay, what do I do now?

Joseph Stepke 14:31
I know, a little bit.

Russ Johns 14:34
It takes time, right?

Joseph Stepke 14:36
It does. It did. When I got out. I was in. I was I still married at the time. Yeah, I was married at the time. I've been married twice the second time to my best friend in the whole wide world. We've been married for 20 years and four beautiful children and two grandchildren together.

Russ Johns 14:57
Awesome.

Joseph Stepke 14:59
I got out. I think in a matter of maybe two months or whatever, got divorced from my first wife, or an old whatever it is, I can't even remember back then. I was trying to find myself. I was in Florida at the time living in Boca Raton, Florida. My grandparents lived down there. I love the house.

Russ Johns 15:25
Yeah.

Joseph Stepke 15:26
It was just great. I love that area. Oh my gosh, it was beautiful. I would get up in the morning and just sit out on the patio out is just beautiful. They had a pool. I I felt like Magnum p i at the time. For all the millennials out there mangum pi was a hero of mine back in the 80s. Just wanted to throw it out there along with Don Johnson, but whatever. It was awesome. It was great. So I love that time being out there with that.

Russ Johns 15:57
Yeah. You found your way you're embedded in the business you're in now you're still educating people and you're still providing value and offering assistance to people that need the help and assistance along the way.

Joseph Stepke 16:13
yeah, I'm part of mattress, the mattress salespeople Group, a lot of great people on there. I'm not even going to begin to pronounce Jeff. Jim. Jim. Sorry, Jeff, if you're watching this, I'm not going to even put your name Jeff G. Yeah, gardeners, mattresses and more and Robert Wilson Barnes darvey owner there's so many people part of that community that I got to know Ryan, Bishop, Travis and they're all in this group and we talk and we, we help each other.For myself, there's other finance companies in there and you'll never, ever hear me or say anything bad about the other finance companies I actually encourage some of their posts that they do. Just such a great community of people that come together and we talk and that's on the Facebook side. I have my own Facebook page Joethefinanceguy.com am I even my own website yet? As I started branding myself not to change a little bit but that was one of the things I thought made me better ASM for Sema better sales team because I started branding myself. I remember talking to Lauren Acosta, who's on LinkedIn. She was really big about talking about branding herself. Same thing I think Shea raw bottom did it, but I really heard it more from Miss Acosta. I started thinking, well, how could I brand myself and this was maybe two years ago.

Russ Johns 17:57
Mm hmm.

Joseph Stepke 17:58
Normally Besides COVID-19 I'm usually dressed in suit tie, and I have my Fedora. I'm trying to think well, man what could I brand myself? Because my wife was talking about, well, we need a logo with it, too.

Russ Johns 18:15
Yeah.

Joseph Stepke 18:16
I was going, what do I call it financing by Joe? What do we do? My merchants were trying to like refer me because most I have. I've signed up.

Russ Johns 18:25
Joe the finance guy,

Joseph Stepke 18:26
Right! Well, that's what they were trying to get me a website to go like this. You should get financing by Joe. You just go here to GoDaddy and I'm going and I'm thinking myself, the person that told me at that time, I'm thinking it's probably going on and buying that right then and there. I'm gonna have to pay a bunch of money.

Russ Johns 18:41
Yeah.

Joseph Stepke 18:42
He was in one area of Indiana than another area of Indiana. Somebody said, you need something that really rolls off the tongue that I can refer people to you. I go, is it so hard to give her my phone number is it and but they were talking about something catchy, so I went home that weekend and we were talking about the logo and what how should I brand myself and Joe the finance guy came out. I got online and I almost said Big Daddy! Go daddy. I bought Joethefinanceguy.com.

Russ Johns 19:21
I think that's really Brilliant. I think that's brilliant Joe. I think it's really brilliant actually.

Joseph Stepke 19:25
That's what I thought I go. Alright, great. Then I had a signup thing there. I did it all myself because I didn't want to brand, I was branding me not a Sema in there, because the secret has its own website about me and what I could do when I could offer to people. Then my final thing for merchants is right on there. Once I did that, my wife goes like this. I'm going to put your make your logo and I'm going to put the hat on there. Everybody talks about the hat.

Russ Johns 19:55
Yeah,

Joseph Stepke 19:55
We're fedoras and stuff, like when you're bald, you gotta

Russ Johns 19:59
Well I historically always have I have a hat as well.

Joseph Stepke 20:06
I seen that in the picture. Russ even does it that's awesome!

Russ Johns 20:10
yeah. I've always networking events and everything else.

Joseph Stepke 20:16
I like it. I love fedoras. I love the way it looks. It reminds me of my grandfather. He used to dress up like that. How many people do that anymore? I just like it, so I wear wear it. So she put it on there. She did the logo for me and everything. I was like, oh, man, that is awesome. Then we trademarked the logo. So yeah, that was I'm my wife is the brand. She's the CEO of the Stepke household.

Russ Johns 20:44
Yeah,

Joseph Stepke 20:45
I have no say in anything.

Russ Johns 20:49
Keshia keeps you in line?

Joseph Stepke 20:51
Yeah, she does. I just write the checks. It's okay.

Russ Johns 20:54
Good Deal.Good Deal. Well, I know that life is an adventure and we're going through this whole COVID thing and we're not really sure where it's going to end or how it's going to end. I just know that connecting with people like yourself and people that are upbeat and offering value and assistance. It's like, you got some feedback, you need something to bounce off of it's nice to have a network and a community around you that you can actually,the pirate community is is really good about that. I can reach out and, and talk to anyone. Sherry lolly and Vicki O'Neill, and Laurie Knutson, and Angie and Jill and all of these individuals that are really supportive and I have over 150 people that have been on the show really starting to grow and having a Facebook page and the challenge I have now is that I've been working from home for over 10 years. My life inherently hasn't really changed a lot, except that I don't get to go out to the movies and go out to dinner. It's been busy I mean, I have been busy fortunately knock on wood and I know that there are a lot of people out there that are struggling so anytime we can actually offer a little bit of kindness, a little bit of consideration a little bit of empathy, I think is a good thing.

Joseph Stepke 22:21
I love that about you, I would say if I had I don't want to say that there's a bright spot in COVID-19 but for myself working from home, I have over the years, with the SEMA I've signed up, I think it's over 1000 locations I've signed up and I come from the train of thought and my another one of my tag lines that I tell all my merchants is, think of me as you're Jake from State Farm, except my name is Joe Stepke I wear dress pants not khakis. I don't think I'm that hideous either but whatever.

I really believe in answering the phone when somebody calls, helping them out and whenever they need to. I remember this came out and one of the one of the retailers, who actually doesn't he signed up with the SEMA but doesn't do business with me. We're just friends on the metro salespeople group. He called me up he goes, Joe, what's your take on this? What would you do? I go, I start talking about e commerce. I go we have an e commerce platform. That's where some of this is going to go where people are going to do their selling at.I believe, like, just like, what you're saying is that people come together and help out and that's where I think for myself, how can I give value back to help people in the community that need it, if somebody calls me up, I'm going to help them if they whether they do business with me or not. I rather be there And help them but since I've been home and working from my office here, I have been more productive because I've been able to touch more people.

Russ Johns 24:09
Yeah!

Joseph Stepke 24:10
I've got to talk to great, great people that. I got five signups coming this week just from me just talking to people.

Russ Johns 24:20
That's Amazing!

Joseph Stepke 24:21
Yeah, and showing them, you know, giving them a different point of view, but actually being me. One of the last things I would I would tell you is. Not meaning the last, but just throw it out. I know you try to keep it half hour I go a half hours all I get Russ? That's terrible. Now I'm okay and I believe that if you're there for people, and you're talking to them, and you're giving them value, they'll help you, they'll want to sign up with you, they'll want to be there just being real with them, giving them something. I give them ways on how to grow their business.

Russ Johns 25:04
Yeah.

Joseph Stepke 25:05
For me, I'm not just a. I would say like I'm a, I don't want to. It's not fake. I'm a chameleon. When I talk to a person, I could find something that I have in common with them.

Russ Johns 25:19
If you talk with someone long enough, you'll always find a common thread.

Joseph Stepke 25:22
right? I'm a comic book nerd. As you could tell from the background. You could tell. I didn't wear it today, but this is the pirate Batman costume that I have actually made. I'm not DC trademark, but whatever. I'm not selling it. That's mine. Anyways, I'm a comic book nerd. I'm a disabled vet. I'm a grandfather. I'm married for 20 years. I'm married to a New York, Italian. Somebody usually says everything and my wife. She's my it is she is my best friend.

Russ Johns 25:58
Yeah.

Joseph Stepke 25:59
She really She's somebody that I know that I could talk to no matter what. Behind every great person, there's a greater one. Oh, she's mine because if I was even down about something or whatever. She's the one that kicks me in the butt and goes, get going. You gotta do this.

Russ Johns 26:19
Yeah. She motivates you. She keeps you on your toes.

Joseph Stepke 26:24
Right. But I think the chameleon part in all sales is important because you got to be able to talk to anybody.

Russ Johns 26:31
Well, it's related. It's the ability to relate.

Joseph Stepke 26:34
Correct! Yep.

Russ Johns 26:36
I think it's more about how can I make it? How can I connect with an individual at a personal level,

Joseph Stepke 26:43
Right! Oh, absolutely.

Russ Johns 26:46
That's what we all crave. It's like, I just want somebody gets me for a second. I want to know, I just want to have a conversation. I think that's the biggest thing the benefit of going through this as humanity is that we're learning what we don't necessarily need to hold on to and hang on to it or we can release a few things that we thought we needed, and maybe change the way we're looking at things and now's a perfect opportunity to actually learn and educate ourselves on some of the things that are important. Some of the things that we really need to maybe expand our value and rather than just show up and you know, punch the clock. There's some other things that are important in our lives.

Joseph Stepke 27:36
I agree,

Russ Johns 27:37
People in relationships are top of the list in my book.

Joseph Stepke 27:41
I agree with you and I've just forged such a great network of people through LinkedIn, through Facebook, through a bunch of places that it is. It's amazing. I really appreciate everybody out there. It's I think couldn't even say anything else. I like helping people because when I see other finance other, excuse me, retailers. Whether it be automotive furniture mattress, when I see that they're struggling with something, I want to help them grow their business.

Russ Johns 28:14
Yeah!

Joseph Stepke 28:14
If I could give them value, they're gonna tell other people about me and there were different things I did at the rental owns when we grew to, that I could incorporate to some of the businesses and it's great. It's just so relatable to what I'm doing and then talking to an actual business owner, that I'm going what have you ever thought about going out there and, like, doing a breakfast Blitz on a Thursday?

Russ Johns 28:43
Yeah.

Joseph Stepke 28:43
You go like this. Well, what's the breakfast Blitz? go to McDonald's, buy a bunch of breakfast. This was pre COVID-19.

Russ Johns 28:50
Yes, yeah.

Joseph Stepke 28:52
You go out to McDonald's, buy a bunch of breakfast burritos and have your flyers and put them on people's, Go walk up a neighborhood block and put them on the doors or something like that. I go, you do it in the morning,, on a Thursday because you're getting team building in, as well as putting the fliers up in there. They start going, why would I? Why would I do that? When do most people get paid? Russ, When do most people get paid on Friday? Right?

Russ Johns 29:20
Friday!

Joseph Stepke 29:22
If you're doing it on Thursday morning, they're probably at work, but when they come home, they see the flyer, guess what you just did, you planted the seed, planted that seed for that customer. Then when they see the flyer and they get paid Friday go, Hey, you know what? Yeah, we need four new tires. Hey, we need another mattress. We need some new furniture. We have another way of trying to help and

Russ Johns 29:45
planting seeds concept.

Joseph Stepke 29:47
Yep. I love doing that. I really love helping thinking how can I help people grow their business? That's me in a nutshell. It's not about the #beeducatednotsold. It's about when somebody signs up with me, they get me, they get me they get my personality they get me helping them grow their business versus just Hey, I signed them up See you later bye. No, I'm in it for life with them

Russ Johns 30:20
Well and I appreciate the fact I appreciate you as an individual and we don't do business together other than the fact that we do, we call some shenanigans here and there on occasion and so it's one of those things that I may know I may meet somebody and maybe you can help them so it's that's the long game. It's like just add value and it always seems come back to us.

Joseph Stepke 30:50
Russ should we since we're on Should we do we should do a plug about social media concierge, shall we?

Russ Johns 30:57
Yeah. Yeah.

Joseph Stepke 30:58
The nonprofit that you and I are doing And together,

Russ Johns 31:01
Yeah,

Joseph Stepke 31:01
we're part of that group and stuff so

Russ Johns 31:04
Yeah, it's a group of individuals that are really producing some good work for nonprofits. We've been out there doing some nonprofits, you want to find out more about it. Go to social media concierge, and the hashtag. You can go find us on LinkedIn and IRA Bowman, Erica, Rob Deptford, you know, you, I and yeah, Virginia is out there.

Joseph Stepke 31:30
Yep.

Russ Johns 31:32
It's just some people doing some, we're adding some value and helping some people along the way.

Joseph Stepke 31:39
Yep, I agree. I agree. We've done I love what we done so far together. It's such an awesome feeling.

Russ Johns 31:48
It's fun to just kind of hang out and do something different for along the way.

Joseph Stepke 31:53
Zoom calls that we do. I love this. I know we're taking a break this week on Doing something but I'm glad we're still having the zoom call on Friday because that's awesome to me I treat it like, Oh wow, I'm having a, I'm with the Brady Bunch of friends on my zoom thing or whatever. That's, I love being able to talk with you guys. That's Awesome!

Russ Johns 32:19
Yeah! It is amazing to think that people that have never met before face to face can come together and become friends and hang out together and jump on a zoom call and you know 10 years ago this was a really a thing and social media has changed the way we do it and it's a catch 22. Sometimes it's like, Okay, I need to get off for a minute and just take a break. Then the other thing is is like I wonder what's happening, it's like I want to check in So, and I just want to give a shout out, Joe to a couple of people Darren, Shalest, Gabriel is In here. Kon, Arcot. Wendy, Kelly Robertson.

Joseph Stepke 33:06
Whooo Kelly!

Russ Johns 33:07
She said Don Johnson lol

Joseph Stepke 33:13
You should see the pictures I got Oh my.

Russ Johns 33:15
Laurie Kinnison says she loves Magnium PI as well. Good Monday morning gentlemen from Rob deadford

Joseph Stepke 33:20
Morning Rob

Russ Johns 33:24
Kenyatta said yeah Russ Johns, Joseph's, Becky she's had something else #piratebroadcast Yeah. She goes that's a nice fancy mug you got there Russ. My #Piratebroadcast

That is good. Kenyatta thank you so much always loved comic books to Joseph.

Joseph Stepke 33:47
See it? I think it's a way I'm gonna be 50 this year, the comic books is always a way it was a way for me to escape. I could go on there my fate. Ira and I, we go back and forth on. Ira loves Superman I love Batman. Erica said Batman's an emotional deviant and I know it's all fun and games. I think it's hilarious that they do but it's just something else to talk about and there's just I've been collecting statues figures, comic book memorabilia for I didn't even do this in high school. Believe it or not, it was after the military during the military when I started.

Russ Johns 34:30
Really?!

Joseph Stepke 34:31
Yeah, I didn't even do it. I liked Batman in high school, but not to the extent of what I got them in the Batcave right now. This is a whole basement of I'm like the dad from silver spoons. It's like I've got arcade machines in the basement. This is awesome.

Russ Johns 34:53
That is fantastic. Well, Joe, I really appreciate you and the work that you do and the creativity You bring to the table and if you're not connected, connect with Joe. LinkedIn, find him track him down. #beeducatednotsold.

Joseph Stepke 35:09
Yep.

Russ Johns 35:09
Joe the finance guy.com.

Joseph Stepke 35:12
Yes. Thank you, everybody. I appreciate it.

Russ Johns 35:15
Thank you so much. Until tomorrow, #kindnessesiscool, #smilesarefree, and you #enjoytheday.

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