Extraordinary Adventures: The Inspiring Journey of John Gullo

In this episode of Rise and Grind, host Thurl Bailey welcomes John Gullo, a true self-made man and entrepreneur with a remarkable journey that showcases the power of hard work and perseverance. Born in Buffalo, New York, John has taken the lessons learned from the school of “hard knocks” and turned them into a successful career that has impacted countless individuals. Starting out with long hours in a grocery store and then at Burger King, John went on to own more than 50 Burger King restaurants, achieving financial success that not only benefitted his family but also empowered the community. He has made significant contributions to organizations like Youth Impact and The Treehouse Museum and played an integral role in enhancing community events such as Ogden, Utah's 4th of July celebrations. 

John is also the author of the recently released bestselling book, Extraordinary Adventures of an Ordinary Man: Determination, Creativity, and Love for Country, where he shares inspiring stories and insights about his life philosophy. 

A passionate individual, John’s love for Pickleball led him to be inducted into the Pickleball Hall of Fame, further showcasing his commitment to both sports and community engagement. 

In this inspiring conversation, John shares insights from his journey, the importance of giving back, and the values that drive his life. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a sports fan, or someone looking for motivation, John Gullo’s story is bound to inspire you to rise and grind toward your own success. 

Tune in for this powerful episode, and don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and share your thoughts! 

Thank you for listening to this episode of Rise and Grind! If you enjoyed Thurl Bailey's inspiring basketball journey and insights, be sure to subscribe to the podcast for more powerful stories and motivational conversations. 

Help us spread the word by leaving a review and sharing this episode with friends and fellow basketball enthusiasts. Connect with us on social media to join the conversation and stay updated on future episodes. 

Remember, your journey might have its challenges, but with grit and determination, you can rise above and achieve your dreams. Keep grinding, and we'll see you next time!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

When I turned 18, he took me out and got me drunk. We interrupt sitting in another corner of the house. Well, people get our guts on us. He goes, This wasn't really fun, was it? Remember the next thing we want to do, but Pete taught me his golden rule. And that's what it's all about. You treat people the way you want to be treated. And I use that example time and time again. Don't care what color you are, what race you are, what religion you are. The only thing that's important is how you treat me and how I treat you. And that's that's the bottom line.

SPEAKER_03 0:47

I'm your host, Thurl Bailey. And you know, there's some people you meet in life who don't just build success, they build impact. And every once in a while you come across someone whose story reminds you that where you start doesn't have to define where you finish. Today's guest is one of those people for me. I first got to know him through a simple charity event. What was supposed to be a small basketball clinic turned into something much bigger. Because that's just how he operates. He doesn't think small, he doesn't do just enough. His new book is called Extraordinary Adventures of an Ordinary Man. And I'll tell you right now, there's nothing ordinary about the way this man has lived his life. Born in Buffalo, New York, and graduating, as he'll tell you, from the school of hard knocks, John Gullo is by definition a self-made man. He's intensely proud of his Sicilian heritage while at the same time, as gentle as they come. Well, began his long hours of work in a grocery store and then started Burger King. John ultimately owned more than 55 Burger King restaurants. His financial success benefited his family, but more so hundreds and thousands of others. From those at Youth Impact to the Treehouse Museum, those who enjoyed Ogden, Utah's Fourth of July celebrations, homes to benefit children, and a monument to first responders. John Gulow is all that and more. With a love for pickleball, which we'll dive into, which eventually landed him in the Pickleball Hall of Fame of all things. John, welcome to the show, my friend.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

Welcome, Therrill. Great, great to be with you. Uh a long-lasting uh relationship. And you know, in regards to this book, um, you you realize that first activity did had a lot to do with me mapping my career. That was the first shareable thing I did with the RFD Foundation was Youth Impact. And uh I learned so much from you while you came up there that day. Uh let me share with the people listening. I I bought a package of Thorough Bailey spending a night with 15 kids teaching how to play basketball. Well, we did it with Youth Impact in August, and there was 150 kids. But the the basketball piece wasn't that special. Afterwards, he gave the greatest talk to the kids. And what it zeroed in on is what I believe in, what he believes in. You know, we're a product of our environment, what we grow up in. And then the reason that's so important is because your environments are different, but what we both had was great parents. Parents that love us through all of the stuff. Uh I know I got in trouble, but uh we uh we'll we'll we'll talk about some of that trouble. Okay. But it was really interesting how it happened. I I formed my foundation and I wanted to do a uh a cherry event. So I came up with an idea of uh uh on the evening of Christmas giving, and I worked it with the Bank of Utah, and they said to me, Well, let's raise money for Christmas Box house. I didn't know what Christmas Box House was, I didn't know what Richard Paul Evans was. I said, Okay, and then the next thing I knew, Richard Paul Evans invited me to build fundraiser that he was having big in Salt Lake City. So I had to take the time to actually read his book to find out what it was all about. And we went down with the fundraiser, Little America, E. Pete sat me at his table, which was with Kenny Loggins and a bunch of other stars, uh, and uh I learned about his program and got actively involved with his. But there was a this silent auction, this silent offer thing with the robe. Of course, being a jazz fan, uh that meant something to me. But that that was how we met. That's how we got together through that whole one thing. But listening to you talk to the kids, uh telling them, sharing them your your life story. That's what really turned me on. And uh I ultimately produced a video for Youth Impact to uh raise money, and Daryl graciously became part of that video.

SPEAKER_03 5:21

Well, John, I appreciate that. It's you all you changed my life too. It was and and there's so many things that obviously we've done together. But let's let's uh let's talk about your book. I was graciously honored to be able to talk about to do the forward in your book. Uh and again for listeners, the name of the book is Extraordinary Adventures, Adventures of an Ordinary Man. In that forward, I talk about responsibility. But from your perspective, when when did you first realize that your life might matter to other people?

SPEAKER_00 6:02

You know, I've been asked a lot of questions, and you know, why don't why did I write the book? Um I I consider myself to be humble in many ways, but I was asked one time to give a talk to 800 IRS employees, and uh the topic was the power of one service. And you know, ever since I was poor, and I was really poor at one time, uh giving always meant a lot to me. You know, when you have nothing, giving is really important because you don't have anything to give. And I remember as a third, fourth grader saving my pennies to buy my Paris Christmas presents. So I gave this talk in the IRS, and uh it essentially was my life story. And then I was at a function with another artist, and you if you've met her, Katara Cameron, and there was a lady there was an author, publisher, and she asked me, you know, people have told me I should write my life story. So I sent her a copy of that 44-minute speech, and she sent it back to me and said, No, I not only want to publish this book, I want to write it with you. Unfortunately, COVID hit the middle of it, and uh things got a wadawhack and we fell behind. And I ended up with Bridget Cook being my co-author, and she's a Times bestseller. But but it it was just really interesting going back and trying to remember and all the things in your past. Uh I was successful, but I was never motivated by money. Um, you're a player, you're a contract, you know, contracts are big, but at the end of the game, playing the game, you know, participating, sharing. That's when I got out of your company talks when we first met. And that's that's really me. I was asked one time what I want my legacy to be. And I said, if I help one person and that person remembers, it's all been worthwhile. And that's always been my goal, just to share. And in writing this book, um, uh what I did after each chapter was put life lessons.

SPEAKER_03 8:09

I love it. Well, let's jump in the time machine, John. Let's go back. Because you paint such a vivid picture of growing up in Buffalo, New York. Wise guys on one side and and faith on the other. How did that environment shape the man that you would become?

SPEAKER_00 8:29

Well, as I say with my grandkids, you learn more more in life what not to do than you learn what to do. And of course, back in that environment, I had a lot of what not to do's. Um, didn't have some great role models at that kind. I grew up, my mother and father divorced early, and my real father, in my opinion, gave me my life at 15. And he taught me about honesty and respect. And if you might I want to share that story right now. Here's a guy, 44 years old, never had any kids, marries my mother. I'm a 50-year-old leather jacket, grease ball, you know, kind of kid. And he had the first MG coupe on the East Coast. And he got married, he buys an Austin Hilly 3,000 little junk seats in the backseat for me. And one day, three or four year months after they're married, they're gonna go out and party with my brother. My brother had a cabin cruiser, and back in those days they weren't on traders, they were on pond tunes. And he parked the car in front of it, and he went out party with my brother and sister-in-law. Well, you know what happens then? The phone rings, hey, come on over, party time, right? And then as that got then, well, now it's time to show off. So I go out and I get in the car, I put it in first second gear instead of reverse, I wrap it up and I drive it under the boat. Then you find out your friends leave really quickly. My father came home that night, three sheets to the wind, told him all he did, and he didn't say anything. And two weeks later, he sat me down. I says, You realize what you did? I said, Well, I took the car, I smashed it up. He says, No, let me explain something to you, son. When you're born, you got a name. It's a good name. It's what you do with that name that's important. Now, you've lost my trust. You have to know the impact of losing my trust on your name. And it clicked. Then he said, Punish yourself. And I paid to fix the car and I didn't drive until I was 18. But respect is what came out of it. You know, my name and through my life, everything I've done, that's that's the thing that's most important to me, is the word respect. And you know, that goes back to our relationship, man. I I respected you so much just listening to that day, telling you your story about how when you your high school days, how you weren't the great basketball players, a junior in high school, and how you developed. And yeah, I shared with you our our lives, 20 years of power, paralleled each other so much. Different avenues, but so much fair. My first marriage, your first marriage. Um I I joke for the benefit of the crowd here, he says, Thorough really had me because he grew up in the ghetto. When I was four years younger, I grew up in the slums.

SPEAKER_03 11:14

You described uh your role models in Buffalo as guys with flash, dash, and cash. Uh, did you ever feel pulled toward that kind of life? And you know, how close did you get to being pulled that way?

SPEAKER_00 11:32

You know, I my my brother, my brother was closer to it. Um, and you were involved in business for a while, and uh I was kind of duped by association and uh he he dealt with a lot of stolen stuff as we were building our restaurants and different things, and uh I just kind of blew it off. But uh the one thing that happened, and he was getting divorced, and his wife pulled him in and reported in using stolen product, and they raided our restaurants, and yep, there it was. And then three days later he said, Come on, let's go up to this restaurant. And we're not only 21 years old, and we're having lunch with this guy. And look goes under the table, and I don't know. Three days later, Buffalo business been falsely accused. That's how corrupt it was. It was that simple. His tie went on, but it's where he did the book. My brother never had a father, and he continued to be so grade. Is that a good word? Um, or is red coming in my life at 15? And that example he made there. Uh it changed my life. It really did. You know, when I turned 18, he took me out and got me drunk. We ended up sitting at a quarter of the house, both puke our guts on. He goes, This wasn't really fun, was it? Remember the next thing we want to do. You know, he never graduated from high school, uh grade school. He was a hobo for some time. What I really like sharing with it as an agnostic, he was the most religious man I ever knew. I knew the Bible in and out, but he was against brick and mortar. And there's this saying in the book that I won't repeat right now, but he taught me his golden rule. And um that that's what it's all about. You treat people the way you want to be treated. And and I use that example time and time again. Don't care what color you are, what race you are, what religion you are. The only thing that's important is how you treat me and how I treat you. And that's that's the bottom line.

SPEAKER_03 13:29

You know, John, you've got a powerful theme in uh in your story about not having a father around. How did that absence affect your identity growing up?

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Well, you know, you're you're searching. Uh I I had four older sisters who were uh really older than me, and they they kind of spoiled me, but then they were gone. And then I'm I'm the low. And all of a sudden I'm out there trying to free. What's the sound looking for love in all the wrong places? You know, trying to find my identity, moving from group to group, doing things that are in the book that uh I guess the lucky thing about me most is when I did stuff that was wrong, I was never caught. But uh, if you've ever seen the movie Goodfellows, that neighborhood, and that's what I grew up with. Uh um The Irishman is another movie. That's how my brother made all his money. I didn't when I saw that movie, and uh and my brother worked for a slaughterhouse and he they would bought market beef out of the truck. And I said, Here I'll watch this movie this year's later. I remember my brother doing that. But but it was paralyzed. You didn't view it as crime, it was just the way it was. You know, it was business. It was just really interesting to grow up. But if my father was the jury point, I'd I say, no, you show me that wise cocky ass kid, and I'll show you a leader. It's up to me to harness that leadership. And if this country has a problem at all today, is the leadership. Who do you churn to? And and the way multimedia works today, no matter who you are, you get destroyed.

SPEAKER_03 15:08

Well, you talked about not getting caught, but I mean, you were honest, you're honest in your book about getting into trouble, stealing, joyriding, hustling. Was there a moment where you realized if I keep going this way, things aren't going to end well?

SPEAKER_00 15:25

I I guess it was the when I was in sixth grade and we decided to ink the school, and we got caught. We got it cleaned up, and I'm just saying Oh, so you did you did get caught? Yeah, I got caught for that. That was that was it, but um it was really later on in life. Um the turning point was when I joined the JCs. Believe it or not, I was an interbert at 20 years ago. Yeah, I was a follower, I wasn't the gang leader, I was the guy in the background. You know, when I learned that JC creed, you know, we believe that faith in God gives me purpose to human life, that the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations, and economic justice could be asked very long by three free men through free other money, the government should be laws rather than men, and that earth's great treasure lies in human personality. That last one really meant a lot to me because now in business you have to deal with human relations. And you have to have people that work for you that motivate you, that you might not normally socialize. And that's what I learned in that organization. How do I get people to work on a civic project that have talent that I don't really like? And I have to motivate them to do the job. Uh the life experiences I've had through all of those types of situations is really what moldered me.

SPEAKER_03 16:48

Well, let's move to some of your your philosophies, some of the things that you really believe in. You say leadership means innovation. What does that actually look like day-to-day for a businessman, a guy like you running a business?

SPEAKER_00 17:05

Back in 1987, um I was at Burger King conference, a guy by Don Beverage was a speaker. And he got up there, he said, the minute you think you're in a Burger King business, you're gonna fail. The minute you think you're not a sales business, you're gonna fail. What he listened about for you gonna fail. I says, get this in your gut. You're there to meet and satisfy your customers' needs profitably. And that hit me. And we're talking, this is before cell phones. I went back and I put credit card only phones in my throughway locations. I put free shoe buffers inside of uh my downtown locations, creating that dining experience, even in the fast food business. Uh uh, people can hurt you more than they can help you. I always say the worst complaint is the one you never get. And the biggest problem most businessmen have when things get tough is they minimize their losses. And what I learned coming out of that is the time to spend money is when you're not making it. When you got to do the extra stuff, when you when you got to do those things that might not necessarily float down the bottom line. But I worked for top smart, you mentioned in the beginning, they were a phenomenal grocery chain uh startup company, and I really believe 30% of their business was loyalty, not because they had good food and good product, good service. And in my discussions with my managers, I said the one thing our competitors can't say is we're a better person. So that that that is when I started doing a lot of my community stuff within Burger King, you know, be being a good citizen because your competitor can't say I'm a better guy.

SPEAKER_03 18:41

Powerful. So let's talk about personality-wise. You know, you've been described as tough, direct, and not sugarcoating things. So, how do you balance that with building loyalty in people?

SPEAKER_00 18:58

You know, in the book, you're gonna I was researching my Burger King, uh, there I promoted a guy into restaurant management, and he ended up becoming, and when I became franchise district manager for Burger King, I would send franchisees to his restaurant because it was just starting then. And uh he ended up becoming vice president of operations at Burger King, and I ended up becoming a franchisee. Then there's a presidential change, and he was terminated, and after his non compete, he became a president of Wendy's. And when Bridges interviewed him, he says, let me explain something. John was older than us, and he really mentored us. And here I am years later, working for Dave Thomas, the guy that formed Wendy's, and I go to him with a problem, and he gives me the same answer John gave me when I worked for him. And she goes, What's that? Just do it right. It's that simple. Do it right. I mean, you know, uh, I pray a lot, but I use that uh as as a uh the essence of everything that I do. I prayed about this today. Okay. Uh I believe in God, and God has spirited me in in many, many ways. Uh and uh very thankful for my faith in him.

SPEAKER_03 20:11

Well, when we come back, we're gonna continue our conversation with John Gullo and talk about more about his purpose and giving back, but also some other things that he's been involved in. Pickleball, the least of these things, talk about his spirituality, and we'll talk about Mexico. So don't go away, we'll be right back. Hey guys, time out. You know, you give your best to your work, your family, and your responsibilities. But to keep showing up strong, you've got to stay dialed in. At Game Day Men's Health, the nation's leading men's clinic, they help you get back in the game with a custom game plan built around your labs, your goals, and your performance. Testosterone, peptides, real optimization. Come in today for a free testosterone test and consult. Tell them Big T sent you, and you get 50% off your first year membership. Game Daymenshealth.com. Victory starts within. Hello, everybody. Welcome back to Rise and Grind. Thurl Bailey here. We're talking to a good friend, philanthropist, businessman, John Gullo. His new book about to be released, Extraordinary Adventures of an Ordinary Man. John, I want to continue our discussion about some things that I uh when I that I really got out of the book, you talked about turning grit into generosity. That's pretty powerful. When when people look back on your life, and you probably in part answered this a little bit, people look back on your life, what do you hope they say mattered most my honesty?

SPEAKER_00 21:58

My my love of my fellow man? I say something about you that I hope I'll give you a plug. I says, you know, I've been around a lot of athletes and a lot of partners that have been great athletes. And they're as good as their last win. Thorough Bailey continues to win every game. And his name is there, and he's going to be there forever because he's touchable. And that's your, and you know, tough when you're in your position, it's hard to be touchable. Even in my case. So care. People know you. You know what I say with kids? Kids know that you're telling the truth. When I had my restaurants, I I always say you got to lose the suit. So when I would check my restaurants, I would jump on my Harley with my Harley leathers and I would pull up the restaurant. And the kids automatically would what? Talk to me, because that was cool, right? Yeah. I use that a lot. Lose the suit when you're dealing with kids. You know, that's important to me. I was asked just recently, how did I be using the word extraordinary? I don't think you can work at being extraordinary. I think it happens. I think God gives us challenges or what we do is challenges. In church, my favorite song is because I was given much, I too must give. And I live that every day. I mean, you're going on and it's tough to give because you got to find the right place to give, the right place to do. But I've been really so successful. The Treehouse Museum, uh, Great American Freedom Trail, every fifth grader in northern Utah as part of the American history, go there. We have the Oval Office where they sit at the president's desk and they'll give them like the Amber Alert bill to sign so they know what it's like to sign a bill that they don't understand. We duplicated a pretty impressed for uh, and they get a print a copy of the Declaration of Independence with John Hancock, and then they have a quilt pen, they get to sign that and take it home. We don't deal with socialism as much as we used to. I was on the school board, and that was a real problem for me because we learn from history. And there's a lot of great history out there. Yeah, we've had problems in the past, but like I said, you learn more what not to do than you do what to do. And you learn from the not to do's. You don't know so much from the what to do's.

SPEAKER_03 24:17

Well, one of the things that you didn't just do was build businesses. Um, you built impact through the American Dream Foundation. Um and it's it seemed to me that giving back was not an afterthought for you. It was a priority, and still seems that way today.

SPEAKER_00 24:39

Well, m money's never been important to me. I didn't get into the business to make money. I I had a great job. I was one of the original franchise district managers in the Burger King when they first started franchisee. My next promotion was to corporate headquarters. I knew I couldn't spend half the time covering my butt and do my job. And uh a guy asked me if I wanted to become a franchisee, and he and I said yes. So we only met for eight hours, but we clicked. He was my financial partner. Then that weekend I'm playing with my boys. I pop a wheelie on a 20-inch bike, turn my go 180 degrees, and on Monday morning I get a phone call. We got an opportunity for you in Logan, Utah. I had never been west of Chicago. I'm in a full A cast, and I can't go there. And I made a decision to move my family from Buffalo, New York to uh Utah's sight on sea. I put this up. I I really believe God's on my side. He's given me the talents he's given me, and he watches what I do with it, and he's gonna judge me based on what I've done with the talents he's given me.

SPEAKER_03 25:41

Well, you've reinvented yourself multiple times. Uh business, philanthropy, and and John, even pickleball. And I have to say that you introduced me to the sport. I had really never heard of it. You know, you're talking about a former professional basketball player going into this sport that he hadn't heard of, but you look where it is today, and uh I don't know if they call you the godfather of pickleball. I know you're in the pickleball hall of fame. How did that come about, John?

SPEAKER_00 26:16

Well, my partner that begged me financially formed the National Football League Players Association before it was a union. I get involved with pickleball and I turn to some people and says, Is the sport ready for professional pickleball? And we invited uh 35 of the best players in the country at that time. They were talking 2011, 12, and I put up an $18,000 prize for my own money as a test. You know, went over, and the tournament champions came about. So professional pickleball started in Ogden, Utah. I'm the father of professional pickleball.

SPEAKER_03 26:50

Didn't I beat you once in a game of pickleball? I don't remember losing. No, I trust me. I know I didn't. I just wanted to see what your answer was going to be. But no.

SPEAKER_00 27:02

I'll tell you the interesting thing, and I, of course, I just had to do it, but remember it started in Utah. There was this girl, Anna Lee Waters, 11 years old in my tournament, came in and won goal with her mother. Okay. She's now the top female player in the United States. Wow. She just got signed by Nike. You know what that means. Yes. This girl's got her own Provo Motorhome where she goes from tournament to tournament. She's playing with Agassiz who's crossed over from tennis. It all started with me. I mean, I I take a lot of pride in that. Uh all the original people were there, and then a year ago I ended up becoming uh the president of the Pickleball Hall of Fame. Uh and and and it's about brandy. In other words, a lot of people just don't know. So I took over the job in order to help put it on the on the map. It saved my life. I went to uh a Burger King sort of thing, I was 30 yards from shore. I'd had congested heart failure in the water, weighed over 300 pounds, and survived, got back to Utah in six bypasses, and I kept seeing this sign pickleball. And uh I went out to play. And it's not a treadmill, it's not all that boring shit. You're bending, you're stretching, you're doing this. And I lost six bowling balls playing pickleball. I weigh 217 pounds now compared to 23, 16 at that time. And I'm remembering my 83rd year, I still play three times a week because you can't let the old man in. You gotta stay active. I mean, you know, as an athlete, the hardest part you got is you've got this finely tuned body that's used to producing, and then you retire, and all of a sudden that heart's still pumping. And you gotta be aware of it. But uh I advocate the health of the sport more than you also. In fact, I stole uh in Harley Davidson, they got uh ride to live, live to ride, and I use play to live, uh live to play. And it's been a great sport. I've just seen it grow, it's international now. I've I went to Spain and got to go in Spain to try teaching Bitcoin, people can't speak English.

SPEAKER_03 29:10

Well, I've I've been fortunate enough to kind of follow you through that journey, and I was in the room where it happened in the beginning, so that's an honor. So, okay, what are you chasing now, John?

SPEAKER_00 29:21

No, I July 1st is my my date. I hope to have everything in my life completely solidified. I just got remarried and I've got a great wife, and it's time to put a 10-year plan. In fact, I joke with her, I've been married twice before for 22 years each time. I said, You got we got to be married for 23 years. That means you got to get me to 105. And uh, we have a great life, and and it's time the philanthropy will be there, but you know, I'm a tremendous believer in teaching people how to fish and not not so, in other words, down here there's this uh arts program for the Hispanic kids in Mexico and uh Crescent Moon. And I listened to the woman I was putting together, and I was so moved I gave her 15 grand to hire the teacher. But no, I give I still give them money, but I I don't sustain it. You you with me, I got them up, I got them all here, and that that's pretty indicative of everything I do with with the money that I spend. I like to get people going, get them started, and then just and just always be aware of something. And right now I'm in the process of we just put on a major fundraiser because there's a big facility, land was donated to create this big sports park for the local Mexican kids who had nothing. I mean, I I identify with this community so well, and I put together a fundraiser with them um uh last month. It's called a cow plop. We took the field and we put these 36-inch squares all over the place, and people bet that the square that they had for 50,000 pesos that the cow was gonna plop in their square. It was a fun thing, the kids were there, and we're we're we're gonna expand that next year. And uh I I I growing up with nothing, I I like helping people find out what life is all about. And not as a gift, but showing them how they can do it for themselves.

SPEAKER_03 31:18

I love it. So I'm gonna take you back to that kid in Buffalo. If you could go back and talk to that kid, hungry, searching, trying to belong. What would you tell him?

SPEAKER_00 31:34

Well, it it's interesting because one of the people that read my book, and he's he's his quotes on the cover, he called me up, he says, John, reading this book, you know, our generation, we learned so much because we had nothing. If young kids get to read this book the way I read the book and take it to life lessons, you you may have the chance of impacting kids and what life is all about. We're so materialistic today that uh that's not me. You know, I mean, I just got married. It's the first time I had long pants on in a year. I mean, I live in shorts and t-shirts, you know. I'm not a status person. So the the kid back then would just say, you know, it goes back to Red. Say what you have to say, be honest. Um when I was with Burger King, a vice president came to me and said, you know, my people have a problem with you. And I said, you know, I say what I have to say, I say it to the person I want to say it to. And if I make a mistake, I say, I'm sorry. You know, I kind of like me. Maybe your people got a problem. But then Don Belkamp, the president of the school board, when he was interviewed, I think he said enough best, and you're gonna laugh at this one. He said, the best way to describe John, he's got an anvil's mind with a sailor's mouth. And that was a great quote. And then the other one that I'd like to mention is Mayor Godfrey, who had a lot to get me going when we created the 4th of July. And when he was interviewed, they say, you know, they say in order to be successful, you got to think out of the box. He says, God, I don't even know what a box is. And you've been with me long, I don't know. That's probably really disguised me. I don't see walls. I see opportunities every place. And I bounce off walls and turn turn turn a negative into a positive all the time.

SPEAKER_03 33:25

So as we wind this down, John, for someone listening right now who feels ordinary, what would you tell them about building an extraordinary life? Starts at your home.

SPEAKER_00 33:40

Be the best parent. And that's one of my goals of this book. Learn from my lesson. Be the best parent first, then be the best neighbor, and just keep adding on to that as you go along. You're not gonna win everybody over, but respect. There's in a lot of the interviews you'll you'll see. People, um he he's kind of rough, but he's warm, he's got a great heart. You gotta understand that he comes across very strong. And that's probably for my New York Uppery. You know, you had to fight for what you wanted. I mean, there was no uh being smooth back then. You you you had to be tough. And I I still go back to set a good example, good example for your children, set a good example for the kids around you, your family around you, the people you go to church with, your people you work with. Respect means everything to me. Love is a four-letter word, respect is the word that makes me grow.

SPEAKER_03 34:32

Love it. You know, you mentioned before that you and I both came from environments where we had to make it matter. What do you think separates the people who uh actually do from the ones who don't?

SPEAKER_00 34:49

In my own opinion, I I really believe it's a strong faith in God. My mom taught me God takes care of everybody in the end. Uh she and we were an actively religious family from uh an organizational standpoint, but we we the the belief in God was always there, and it is to this day. Um I I love the one thing that you taught me too. Remember we did the hot country nights?

SPEAKER_03 35:17

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:17

And I turned to you and says, What's with all these country singers? They're all like five foot four. And what did you say? Yeah, they all wanted to sing. I wanted to play beer, they all want to play basketball. I wanted to sing. Look what happened to me. And you're a great singer. You know that uh, you know, taking life as it comes, appreciate everything. In my book, uh, for those people that remember Sid Caesar, he was at a dinner theater in Salt Lake City after he came out at rehab, and he was asked, how did he do it? And he said, I realize it took the same amount of energy to laugh as it does to cry. The choice is mine. If I share anything with your audience tonight, it's that simple. It's really that simple. Choose to laugh, take humor in your life. You you you know I use humor with you all the time. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:09

It's just me. Yeah, you've got some, and I try to write most of the jokes you tell me down so I can retell them in the appropriate places. But you're you're very equipped. That's some great, great humor.

SPEAKER_00 36:25

I have a fast mind. Uh at one time I asked my CPA, am I that smart or people that stupid? And he said, You have the unique ability of making something black and white quicker than anybody I've ever known. You somebody throws something at you, you can just cut through it all and you figure it out and you make your decisions. And that's probably why I'm at where I'm at today. I made me my mistakes, but I'm not afraid to make mistakes. When I was in my restaurant managers, I used to tell them there's positive mistakes and negative mistakes. A positive mistake is when you're trying to do something and it goes wrong. A negative mistake is when you don't do anything and it goes wrong. I can live with positive mistakes.

SPEAKER_03 37:06

Well, the book is called Extraordinary Adventures of an Ordinary Man. Uh, it's been fun going on on this journey with you. John, thank you for sharing with our audience. I know your book's gonna be a bestseller. I just want to say to our viewers and listeners out there that success isn't just about what you achieve. John is the epitome of that. It's about what you give back. And so this has been a great lesson for all of us to learn. John Gullo, thank you so much for sharing and being on the show with us.

SPEAKER_00 37:44

And I don't know when this is gonna air, but on Amazon on May 12th, $1.99 download. Uh those are the two big days for where this book's gonna, and we are promoted internationally. I'm very humbled by it. I really am. The comments of the people that have read it and the and they're there, they're in the book. Um I I I feel this is the best thing I've ever done.

SPEAKER_03 38:11

Well, it's your legacy piece, John. Really is. And I've been blessed and grateful to be a part of that journey with you and to watch you from afar and and watch all the things that you've impacted. You've taught me a lot in my life, you've helped me out of some very difficult situations. So I'm blessed to call you my friend, and you have impacted so many people and will continue to do so. So thank you again, my my friend.

SPEAKER_00 38:38

I like what you said on my 20th birthday. I'm your brother from another mother.

SPEAKER_03 38:43

That's true. I love it. Thank you, everybody, for joining us on Rise and Brandon, the Thor Bailey Podcast. We'll see you next time. Take care, everyone.