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Mick Unplugged" is a thought-provoking and inspiring podcast that invites listeners to embark on a transformative journey beyond the conventional concept of 'Why' and into the empowering realm of 'Because.' Hosted by the engaging and insightful Mick Hunt, this podcast is perfect for those who are not just dreamers but doers, leaders, and anyone aspiring to make a significant impact in their personal and professional lives.
Each episode of "Mick Unplugged" delves deep into how understanding and embracing your 'Because' – your core driving force – can turn aspirations into actions and dreams into realities. Listeners can expect to gain practical advice on how to identify their own 'Because,' learn to make it a daily focus, and understand how it can fuel their journey towards success and fulfillment.
Whether you're looking to find deeper motivation, set meaningful goals, or simply seeking inspiration to overcome challenges, "Mick Unplugged" offers valuable insights and tools to help you on your path.
Are you ready to change your habits, sculpt your destiny, and light up your path to greatness? Welcome to the epicenter of transformation. This is Mick Unplugged. We'll help you identify your because so you can create a routine that's not just productive, but powerful. You'll embrace the art of evolution, adapt strategies to stay ahead of the game, and take a step toward the extraordinary.
Intro:So let's unleash your potential. Now, here's Mick.
Mick Hunt:Welcome back to another episode of Mick Plugged. And today's episode is nothing short of a milestone for me personally and professionally. There's a saying that goes, we stand on the shoulders of giants. Well, in my journey as a small town high school fullback to the man that I am today, there's been many giants. But few have cast along of a shadow as the man that's joining us today.
Mick Hunt:His resiliency on the field, his courage off of it, and his unwavering spirit in the face of life's hardest tackles inspired me not to just dream, but to pursue those dreams with every ounce of my being. Today, I have the distinct honor of sharing the space with the man who, without knowing it, was one of my heroes. Ladies and gentlemen, I have the profound honor and privilege to welcome one of my personal heroes and true legend, mister Merrill Hodge. Merrill, how are you doing today, brother?
Merril Hoge:Well, Mick, that Nick, that was one of the kindest introductions I've ever had, brother. Flattered and honored, and, you kinda make things full circle, quite honestly. Walter Payton was that for me as a kid. And, you know, to see that you can impact people and the importance of it. That's why I said I'm a product of a lot of people.
Merril Hoge:You know, people challenge me. People inspire me. I find hope in people. So almost pieces, brother, but very kind to you and thank you and genuinely appreciate it.
Mick Hunt:It is all the truth. You know, I was messaging you before you came on the show of just how, you know, you meant something to me, and it it's ironic. Right? Like, we have the same initials, MDH.
Merril Hoge:Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.
Mick Hunt:You were a fullback. I I I didn't play professionally, but definitely was a fullback. I had a uncle who played professionally, so I got to see you in person one time. And that one time, you literally became someone that I followed when it was time for me to go to high school. I patterned my game after you.
Mick Hunt:My first Jersey in junior high was 33 because that's what Meryl had to wear. And and and it was one of those things where me explaining to people why I pattern myself after Meryl Hodge. I'm like, just watch him play. The tenacity he plays with. And and back in the day, man, like, you had to be multifaceted to get on the field as a back.
Mick Hunt:You had to you couldn't just run. You had to block you. I mean, you were an amazing receiver out of the back field too. What was that like for you? Like building yourself and and modeling yourself to to do those things?
Mick Hunt:Because it's not easy. A 10th round draft pick. Right? Like, you were not supposed to be there.
Merril Hoge:Well, you know, Mick, you know, you you go back and and listen. Everybody has a responsibility to do your very best, get the most out of your god given abilities. And and then it comes down to really, you know, faith, hope, luck, you know, breaks that go your way. So ironically, in college, I played the big sky. Now the big sky wouldn't be considered any power ranking for the NFL, but here's what that conference was doing way before any other conference in any other part of the country in college football anyway.
Merril Hoge:Nobody was doing pro style stuff. Nobody was doing the football, running pass routes, understanding coverages, fronts, protections. And I grew up in that. I played 4 years. In fact, I believe at one time, I I I had almost 200 receptions as a running back coming out of college.
Merril Hoge:Wow. And 1 year, I almost had a 1,000 receiving and rushing, which that would never that was never even heard of. Now the reason you didn't hear a lot because it's 1 double a, but that that equipped me more than anything I could have possibly experienced for the NFL because that's what I found. You know, you guys guys come out of Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and just to try to learn pass protection, coverages, fronts, and then run routes against them. It just becomes so overwhelming, and they give you about 2 weeks to figure it all out.
Merril Hoge:And if you don't, then you're out of there. So I I had an advantage because I was doing that in college, so it wasn't in those scenarios. And that's what really was one of the key components of helping me make the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Mick Hunt:So let's let's dive into that, man. Like, 10th round pick, you're playing for a legendary franchise, legendary coach. What was day 1 of, I I wanna say spring practice, but but mini camp. What was camp like for Merrill Hodge? Right?
Mick Hunt:Because you don't start at the top of the depth chart. Right? You don't go in knowing that you're gonna be the 3rd down back. You had to work your butt off to get you had to prove yourself. What was that like
Merril Hoge:for you? And and you and you did have you don't have a lot of opportunities too. You know? Because you back in those days, you could have as many people, in camp as you wanted. If you remember the Dallas Cowboys, they have well over a 100.
Merril Hoge:You know?
Mick Hunt:If you remember that.
Merril Hoge:Right? Cowboys are bringing everybody in. So in our room, you know, we'd start out at I think we had almost 10 guys, and they're gonna key 4, maybe 5. You know, it's kinda depending on special teams and stuff. You know, well over half are gonna are gonna be gone.
Merril Hoge:What I realized really, really early is that not making mental errors was maybe the most critical aspect of having a chance to win it, be a part of the team. Because coaches, they don't like people they can't trust. You you can make them mental errors, and you're not blocking the right person. You're not right running the right route. You're just not executing the right thing at that level.
Merril Hoge:People get hurt and people lose jobs. And so they made that very, very clear in the 1st 3 days of mini camp. You know, you're okay to make mistakes there and learn and ask questions. And then after when you got to training camp, man, you better be buttoned up, and that was about a month from mini camp to training camp. So Mhmm.
Merril Hoge:I've always been a a believer in visuals and moments of self reflection. It's helped me helped me live a dream. It's helped me fight to live. I've always had a a bull in my bedroom, I had an entire wall of cork. What I did after mini camp is I went home, and I wrote down and and card's probably about, like, this big.
Merril Hoge:I wrote down let's I've I've put one play on a card this big. Okay? So I probably had a 120 cards all over, and I had them categorized from runs, draws, 70 passing game, 80 passing game, 90 passing game. All that stuff probably doesn't mean much to fans, but these are all categories of players.
Mick Hunt:Correct.
Merril Hoge:And then I put everybody's assignment on there, plus mine, and some checks and notes that I had taken in May. So before I went to bed every night, I I walked through every one of my called them out and went through my assignment, everybody's assignment. So that that took me several hours to get through that. Now I get up early in the morning, and I do it again. And what I did that for was the mind is is our greatest tool.
Merril Hoge:It's our greatest weapon. We so I ask people, do you control your mind, or does your mind control you? Mhmm. One of the great things we can do is feed our mind before we go to bed to the advantage that we could have to really help you with goals, dreams, challenges, things you're trying to change. Because before I went to bed, I was I got trained my mind.
Merril Hoge:And when I when you sleep, actually, your mind will work even though you're resting and you're gonna work. And then when you get up and you refresh it with what you just saw and you repeatedly do that, those visuals become powerful in a person's mission, whatever they are. So I went to training camp, and I remember, I was gonna put it to the test, led back up to mini camp. When a quarterback could start calling the play, he'd go red dog 978 Okay.
Mick Hunt:Right.
Merril Hoge:And people that had been around, those veterans, like, you know, within 3 words, they knew what they were doing. Right? And I was like, gosh. Dang it. That's how I gotta be when I go to training camp.
Merril Hoge:So I stepped in the huddle like the moment of truth. And our quarterback, Mark Malone, at the time, there was either Mark Malone or Bobby Brister. They start calling the play. The second he gets about 2 words out of his mouth, I don't know what I'm doing. It's like I've been standing in that huddle for years.
Mick Hunt:Right.
Merril Hoge:So that exercise worked. You know? I've done I've never done something that quick, a turnaround, but it just shows you the power of the the power of repeating things. Remember a teacher a long time ago, around 8, 9 years old, I heard her say, you need to have goals, and you need to write them down and pin them up in your room because it's where you start and end your day. And look at them every day when you wake up and look at them every night before you go to bed.
Merril Hoge:And I love that idea. And, actually, that's what stimulated me getting a wall of cork in my bedroom, and I've used it ever since. And, for those purposes in life, it has been instrumental and powerful. But it was a significant key in helping me make the team because I I didn't make a mistake. I, I well, I mean, I had one air.
Merril Hoge:And it was about week 4, and I I ran a flare versus a flat. But I I basically end up at the same spot. It's not that big a deal. It's a minor issue, and Chuck Noll comes walking over. Now this is Chuck Noll.
Merril Hoge:This is what Chuck Noll does. K? He didn't say anything to me. My running back coach is standing there, and he took over the deck. And he's like, hey.
Merril Hoge:I thought you said that kid was smart. And I'm like, I'm like, oh, man. It's like, I'm like, in my head, I'm like, you gotta be kidding me. Like, because this because people would make a mistake like that, and then be escorted off the field and disappear in a white van. I never saw him again.
Merril Hoge:So, like, I'm like, that's the most mine in my head. Thinking. And, like, position goes because I'm thinking this is I just I I had one error, and it's gonna cost me. I'm not gonna make the team. That's where I'm going with it.
Merril Hoge:And then coach has put his, arm around me, like, position coach. He goes, that's his way of saying he's been watching.
Mick Hunt:Yep.
Merril Hoge:And I was like, okay. It's funny. I'm still uneasy about it. I was like, I don't know about that, you know, because obviously you get rid of a lot of players, but, that was a critical part of starting in that 3rd down back. I I people may not know, but that that's probably the hardest position to play from a running back perspective because you have to do everything but throw the football.
Merril Hoge:Ball.
Mick Hunt:Right.
Merril Hoge:You gotta be well equipped to a know your assignment, but everybody else's assignment. Another thing my running back coach told me when I was back there, he said, hey. Listen. You got 5 yards of depth. These guys are at the line of scrimmage.
Merril Hoge:They're gonna make mistakes, so you gotta make up for their mistakes sometime.
Mick Hunt:Mhmm. You
Merril Hoge:know, you can't just go, well, that's my guy. You know, and somebody's running by you. You just have to have a wherewithal and instincts to handle mistakes and things you can't prepare for that are gonna happen. I had really good instincts as a player too, and so those paid off and I do a lot of things that would be irrelevant to a fan. I'm not on a highlight reel, but when you sat in tape on Monday, it was the difference between a first down or a touchdown.
Merril Hoge:That really helped me.
Mick Hunt:Yeah, man. And and you, you said so much there that, that I wanna unpack about the professional world, the personal world and everything. Like the one thing that stands out is you were prepared for the moment you were prepared for the stage and a lot of folks, even if you're not an athlete, you have to be prepared for that moment. You have to be prepared for the stage because when your name is called, if if you're not ready, that could be the only opportunity at whatever it is in life that you have. And, and that's one of the things I appreciated about you because you could see that me as a 12, 13, 14 year old kid watching you play, you saw that, right?
Mick Hunt:Like nothing was ever too big for you. You always seem to make the right play. Right? And again, the casual fan may not see that, but, you know, when that guard gets beat or that guard steps too far inside, you're there to pick up that block because you are the last line of defense, and you're gonna get the blame. Right?
Merril Hoge:You're gonna
Mick Hunt:get the blame.
Merril Hoge:We well, you, I mean, you really said it. I I, when people ask me, like, what is some of the most critical things to be successful? It doesn't matter what field you're in.
Mick Hunt:Mhmm.
Merril Hoge:But I'm like, being prepared is the most because that's your responsibility. You gotta be prepared. You know? Being prepared is is usually the combination of an opportunity too. You aren't prepared.
Merril Hoge:You know? You don't put it off. You know? Don't know how. I'll do it tomorrow.
Merril Hoge:You know? I'll get ready tomorrow. You know? I'm okay. I just I'll wing it.
Merril Hoge:Mhmm. There are no such thing as winging it. So being prepared has always been, you know, a critical component. Doesn't mean that's
Mick Hunt:So one of the things that I love and I mean love in that way about Merrill Hodge is fighting adversity without excuse. So my adversity wasn't health at all. My adversity was a home situation, right. Where I had to choose to no longer be a child and I had to be a man. And a lot of people talk about being the man.
Mick Hunt:It wasn't because I wanted to, it was because of necessity. I remember it was 96 and I remember hearing about some things with Merrill Hodge at that time and how you just said, and I know we're going to talk about it. Sometimes in life, you gotta find a way. You you have to really dig deep. You have to accept situations, but find a way to not let that situation be final.
Mick Hunt:And I heard you say that. And and again, I know you don't know that or remember that, but that stuck with me and I'm trying not to get emotional, but that is what literally made me say, all right, I'm changing the path of my family and the situation that my mom and sister are in. And it's gonna happen, and, and I'm gonna do it. And I'm no longer gonna be a teenager. Like, I'm a man now, and and this is what I'm doing.
Mick Hunt:So I wanted to personally just thank you for that message and all the messages that you continue to to save, not knowing that there's that one kid that was actually listening. And, again, you don't have to be going through a health scare or health moment. Like, sometimes you just have to find a way to get out of whatever is that hurdle or challenge in front of you.
Merril Hoge:I first wanna just acknowledge and applaud you because, at some point, people can sit in a toxic blender, and there's 3 things that exist there. You point fingers, you cast blame, and you make excuses. And listen. Everybody could come up with all those 3 categories. No care no matter what kind of life they've had, you can and a lot of people do.
Merril Hoge:I have done that. That's how I know the blender so well. You took some ownership. And see ownership once I what I realized about ownership, ownership doesn't mean that you were wrong. Now you might have done some things that were wrong that got you to where you were.
Merril Hoge:But oftentimes, it's what other people have done to you, and then you harbor that ill will. And that's toxic too. That is poisonous, and that is not gonna garner any success in your life. And what you do is take ownership of that's over. That's done in my life.
Merril Hoge:Okay? I'm gonna break that chain, and I'm gonna end that cycle. Where I really probably grew up more in that in that moment with that more than anything was being a parent is that, Ray, you know, my mom died when I was young. She passed away. And, you know, when you lose a home to a mom or parent, you know, it can it can wreck a home and change lives, and it did ours.
Merril Hoge:And, you know, talking about, you know, growing up and having to be a man at a at a young age or around 12 year, I understand that. And what I learned a long time ago that if you want to sit in that toxic blender, you're going to stay there and you will never be successful. I can promise you that. There is no hope for for people that are gonna stay there, and that's where you gotta take ownership. And you're just like, okay.
Merril Hoge:I'm done with that. Yeah. I'm done with all that. This is where I'm going, and this is how I'm moving forward. And it really helped me from that experience to learn.
Merril Hoge:Don't waste your time on dead energy, things you can't change, things you can't fix. Okay? So when I was diagnosed with cancer I just got asked this the other day. They asked, could did you ever, like, wonder, like, how it happened? And I said, I I I went to the door when it initially happened, but I asked the doctor.
Merril Hoge:I go, if we if I if we find out how it happened or why it happened, is that gonna change this course? Is that gonna fix everything? He's like, well, no. I said, then it's irrelevant.
Mick Hunt:Right.
Merril Hoge:That is irrelevant. I I'm not wasting my time on something that is so irrelevant on this journey, and I never went back there. I never thought about it. I never let one time. Now I went to the door.
Merril Hoge:I'm not saying I didn't go to the door because I know the difference of going through the door and going to the door about, why me? I go, is that gonna change? Is that gonna help me? Is that gonna get me out of the mess I'm in? Is that going to help me withstand chemotherapy for a couple of years?
Merril Hoge:I gotta do, is that, is that going to do no? Okay. Then it's irrelevant.
Mick Hunt:Right.
Merril Hoge:We're not talking about
Mick Hunt:it.
Merril Hoge:We're not it's not a part of my thought process or my makeup. And, you know, I I don't ever hope for I mean, I I would never want anybody to have to live through that, even though a lot of people have to live through that. But those experiences that are real life and death experiences really taught me how to control my mind versus my mind controlling me. And just through those lessons that that I learned how to do that in a much better way. I mean, I started it actually, I started that exercise at age 12, to be honest with you.
Merril Hoge:I didn't realize it. But from visuals and control in my mind and self reflection, it started there. I didn't know what I was doing. I was just doing it because I heard a teacher say something, and I heard Walter Payton say something. I was like, well, I'm gonna do that.
Merril Hoge:And and then it it evolved into helping me live a dream and fight to live and a lot of in between.
Mick Hunt:I love it. I love it. And I know you're a mentor to a lot of people. And again, people like me that you didn't even know you were mentors to, but we're some of Merrill Hodges mentors growing up in the professional world and and today?
Merril Hoge:Well, like, you know, there's a couple. I, you know, I I got a lot. You know, that's why I sell a product of a lot of people. When you're when you're when you're talking like this, I just there's there's real raw emotions in me, of gratitude for what you're saying, and then grateful for people that were genuine and kind to me indirectly, indirectly. So a guy that was that I really idolized, I'd mentioned Walter Payton.
Merril Hoge:Okay? So Walter Payton was like I tried to do this is back in, you know, 70 7. I mean, you weren't even around in 77. So, you know, people around into the seventies and early eighties. I mean, it's not like today.
Merril Hoge:I talked to, like, I talked to people in 1977. Not everybody had television. You know, 70 between that that era. And if you did, it was a box, you know, about yay big and 10 and 2 knobs, 3 channels. No remote.
Merril Hoge:Right. And, also, you had to select the right channel before you got comfortable on the couch. So that's how primal it was in a way. You know? Mhmm.
Merril Hoge:You're not like it is today. We're there everywhere, and you only got to see a football game on occasion. And we couldn't have our TV on on Sunday, so I never saw anything on Sunday. I'm not 99% of the time unless I went to my grandparents' house. I had seen Walter Payton and heard about him.
Merril Hoge:And and the thing that first intrigued me is I would hear, oh, he's not the biggest. He's not the strongest. He's not the fastest. He's just the best. And I'm like, gosh, dang it.
Merril Hoge:How's he do that? Because everybody I play is bigger, stronger, and faster than me. He's better than me. I'm like, what what's he do that makes him so great? I'd harbored in that for years.
Merril Hoge:I go, buddy, how does he do it? You know, what is it? You know? And I heard about how he trained things he did unique and different. He just did it better than everybody and harder than everybody and more consistent than everybody.
Merril Hoge:And then I heard this tape he's putting together called winning in life. And he's talking about 3 things, charity, charity work, family life, and and how he trains. I'm like, oh, man. I gotta get that tape. I wanna watch that tape.
Merril Hoge:And I get the tape, and and that was even a VHS, so that tells you how far it goes back. You probably know what a VHS is. So I plug it in, and I I'm scrolling through it trying to find what interests me. And I I I didn't realize there's an interview process with
Mick Hunt:me.
Merril Hoge:And who I stop and push play at is the the interviewer goes, what makes you better than everybody else? I'm like, oh, that's what I wanna know. Like, that's what I'd ask. And he said something as profound as I've ever heard a human being say it. He paused for a second, and he said, I want it more than they do every single day of the week.
Merril Hoge:He said in the off season, when I go run that dirt hill 7 o'clock in the morning, I want it more than they do Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. During the season, when there's not 65,000 fans in the stands, cameras aren't rolling, I want it more than they do Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. And then at 1 o'clock on Sunday when you get to see me, man, you better believe I want it more than they do. And, man, I hit pause. I hit pause, and I'm like, I can do that.
Merril Hoge:That is a mindset. That is a choice, and that is a habit that can be developed by any human being towards anything and everything. And from that day on, that is how I lived. Practice, training, and playing. And that and then just saying in sports, it translated to every other aspect of life.
Merril Hoge:And again, it was a very young age that I started to develop that. And it was it was tough. I could give you a story upon story where that mindset and that commitment and that relentless commitment made the difference. Got me over the top, helped me achieve it, helped me live a dream. I mean, I can go on and on and on.
Merril Hoge:Mhmm. And so when I got when I was a rookie and I that second year or my second preseason game, I saw her playing Chicago Bears. I'm like, I I just wanna share with him, you know, like, when you share with me. I just I wanted to be able to share that. Now I never thought in a 1000000 years, if you run up to somebody and you share some of these first stuff like, some people aren't very nice.
Merril Hoge:You know? Some people Right. You could be very disappointed at the end of it. I didn't even really think about that, but it didn't happen to me. In fact, I went running up to him.
Merril Hoge:The game was over. I run running out there, and the first thing that I was that captured me was how small he was. I had Walter Payton be I mean, Walter Payton played like he's £300. Walter Payton is I mean, he played like a I mean, like a I already see Walter Payton. He was just the best for a reason.
Merril Hoge:Okay? Right. And I I towered over him. You know, Walter Payton's 510, £205. And I was, like, 61225.
Merril Hoge:And so that that caught me off guard a second. And then I you know, it was like a Tyson standing a cap. I grabbed my faculties, and then I went off. I was just I was telling about the Chicago Bear Lamp that I have over there still. Chicago Bear Stool.
Merril Hoge:I tried to train like him. I did everything. I I find about him. I told about that tape, and I'm going on and on about all this stuff. And I get done, and I'm like, I didn't really find a way to wrap it up in a bow and, you know, thank you.
Merril Hoge:I I panicked, and so I asked for an autograph. I I don't I don't even know the autographs. I care less about autograph. And he, he paused for a second, and he then said my name. He said, hey, Merrill.
Merril Hoge:I wanna thank you for taking the time to come over here and tell me that. That's the nicest thing anybody has ever told me. He goes, I don't have a pen with me. He goes, but why why don't you take these? And he takes his wristband off, his elbow pads, his headband, and he handed it to me.
Merril Hoge:Said, why don't you take these? And I was like, okay. Now here's what he did for me on that day. I I think about Walter Payton probably once a week ever since this moment because he did one thing for me that I have never forgotten that we can do for people, how it made me feel. Was it the greatest thing Walter Payton had ever heard?
Merril Hoge:Probably not. It's probably the dumbest thing he ever heard. He's in his head. He's like, this poor kid don't want it, but that's not what, how he made me feel. That's not how he handled it.
Merril Hoge:And I've never forgot that. I've never forgot that and the value in it. You know, then almost 10 years later that I'm playing for the Chicago Bears, and then when he he came he had he was, he was retired at the time, and I got to know him better than because he'd come down to the the board meetings and come out to practice. And
Mick Hunt:Mhmm.
Merril Hoge:I got back okay. This helmet right here? This helmet right here, I don't know if you can see it, but that's Walter Payton signature. I finally get the signature. So this is a Radell helmet.
Mick Hunt:This is
Merril Hoge:when the Dell was pushing their helmets and I was wearing a bike and the Radell rep would come in every day and he's like, hey, can you wear a helmet? Can you wear a helmet? I'm like, ah, I'd like the bike. And so when Walter was sitting there one day and I said, hey, could you do me a favor? You remember that autograph I asked for?
Merril Hoge:I go, could you sign this? He goes, yeah, sure. So it looks like Walter Payton sweetness. And so the rep comes in the next day. I point this.
Merril Hoge:I said, he goes, oh, man. He never asked me a word again.
Mick Hunt:I love it, man. A word again, I love it. And it's crazy. It's what you just said about Walter is what I tell people in all aspects of life, especially in business and you have customers and prospects. People always remember how you made them feel.
Mick Hunt:That's the relationship point, right? Like you want to talk about keeping your customers or winning prospects over. How'd you make them feel? That's gonna define every moment of that person for you. So I can totally relate to that story.
Merril Hoge:Totally. You're right, Nick. Exactly right.
Mick Hunt:Well, you have been so gracious of your time, and I I don't wanna leave this without, you know, what is Merrill doing now? What can the people that are listening or watching, what can we be doing to support the initiatives that Merrill's behind? And and, you know, whatever you need from me, I got you. But where can people find you? What are you doing?
Mick Hunt:All of that jazz.
Merril Hoge:My passion now, the you know, you sometimes you never know in life when something bad's happening, that something good might come from it. Sitting in a chemotherapy chair, I got challenged to read a book, I mean, write, write a book. And I'm writing my first book, which is Find A Way, and I republished that. In fact, I'm coming out with a 3rd edition, here in a a few weeks, and that led me to a speaking platform. I I've just loved to be able to share a message of find a way because I was asked, like, what my goal was when I speak.
Merril Hoge:I'm always it's always usually about the client, which it always is about the client. But I go, you know, actually, I do have a goal though within the client's goal. And the goal is this, if I get done speaking and they're talking about me, I did a bad job. But if they're thinking about themselves internally and self reflecting on tools they possess, greatness they have, and they wanna go get that, and they're willing to do it and take ownership of it, then I've done a good job. And so that's what I do now.
Merril Hoge:I do a lot of inspirational speaking. Everything really is at my website, merrillhodge.com. And, you know, if you need a a pair of corporate people or people that are looking for a speaker or need a message that not not a little help inspiration stuff, but can be transcend and, appliable to, you know, not just their business, but their personal life too because, you know, you can't just be happy in business. You know? It really has to be a global feel for a person that can't just be happy at work and miserable.
Merril Hoge:Personally, you gotta that combination makes for a better employee. And so trying to do that and giving them some skills and tools to help with that process is is the goal when I speak. So thank you for allowing me to share that.
Mick Hunt:Absolutely. So Merrill Hodge dotcom. Everyone, go explore the website. Go to his store. You're gonna see some pictures of me.
Mick Hunt:I ordered some, some items a couple of weeks ago. So you're gonna see some pictures of me soon and, and some gear, but just go support. And if you are looking for a speaker, if you are looking for a person that is gonna do things the right way, that's gonna speak from his heart and that truly cares about you. You heard it. Cares about the client and the client experience.
Mick Hunt:Merrill Hodge is a person that you need to be booking right now. Merrill, brother, I appreciate you more than you do. Oh
Merril Hoge:my gosh. Appreciate it. Let our paths cross, my friend.
Mick Hunt:Absolutely. If there's anything I can do for you, you definitely let me know. And for those listening on the podcast, remember, your because is your superpower. Go unleash it.
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