Who Is Robert Darling? The Rejection That Made a Marine

Hugh Hornsby: [00:00:30] Hello, this is Hugh Hornsby, the founder of a new podcast called [00:00:35] Blue Collar Smart, a podcast that's underdog proven, trades tested, and [00:00:40] built different. A podcast that's about how people build [00:00:45] businesses and people build themselves. Recently, when I was at the grocery store, a friend [00:00:50] of mine said, "Hugh, what are you up to?" And I said, "Well, I've just decided to build a [00:00:55] podcast." And he said, "Well, what is it called?" And I said, "It's called Blue Collar Smart." And he said, "Why in the [00:01:00] heck would you call it Blue Collar Smart?" And I went on to say that, you know, when I was [00:01:05] 10, I fell on my head, was diagnosed with epilepsy, had a learning disability, and [00:01:10] at that time, I had to figure out how to navigate the world in a different set of [00:01:15] eyeglasses. And so when I started turning around and building up [00:01:20] medium, small to me- mid-size companies all based on people, I realized [00:01:25] that I was pretty much blue collar smart because I never really fit into anybody else's [00:01:30] box, but I had this ability to look at things from a different perspective. And [00:01:35] today, we have a special guest, Lieutenant Colonel Robert J. [00:01:40] Darling, who has just written the book 24 Hours in the President's [00:01:45] Bunker. And I'm gonna tell you, I just read this book and I could not put it down. Colonel [00:01:50] Darling, welcome to the show. Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: Hugh, what a pleasure it is to be with you today. [00:01:55] Thank you so much for the invitation. I, I can't wait to talk more [00:02:00] with you a- and, and reach out to your listeners and, and, uh, jeez, what an honor it is. [00:02:05] Thank you very much. Hugh Hornsby: Well, and I was going through your accolades, and you, you have [00:02:10] been a busy person. You've accomplished so much. But I was wondering if you didn't mind if [00:02:15] we just kind of backed it up a little bit and talked about Bob Darling [00:02:20] when he was a child, you know, and some of the things that you had to overcome. I know you were a [00:02:25] big hockey player, uh, but some of the things, Bob, that you had to [00:02:30] overcome to kind of figure out those early parts of your life to kind of move you to where you [00:02:35] are today. Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: You know, Hugh, it's, it's a great subject, great topic. You know, as [00:02:40] you know, you read my, a little bit of my history. I, I grew up in Newburgh, New York. Four boys [00:02:45] in our family. I was the third of four sons. My dad was a police officer and an [00:02:50] entrepreneur, a business owner. My mom was a nurse. And, uh, we, we [00:02:55] were a hockey family. That, that's what we did. And, and growing up, uh, that was everything. [00:03:00] Yeah, our family revolved around ice hockey. I eventually, you know, went to [00:03:05] Iona College, now Iona University, to play Division III hockey, [00:03:10] thinking I wanted to be a stockbroker. When you grow up with three [00:03:15] brothers, nothing in that house is your own. And my plan in life, my original plan was to be [00:03:20] so rich I never talked to the same two people twice. That was my, my motivation. I need [00:03:25] to go out and make a lot of money and, and, and buy my own things and, and do those, [00:03:30] um, business-type issues, make business decisions. And when I was in [00:03:35] college The, I was a freshman on campus at Iona, [00:03:40] and we had the Beirut bombing in 1983, October of [00:03:45] 1983. 241 Marines were killed in Beirut, [00:03:50] Lebanon, and some of the seniors that I got to know on the hockey team, the [00:03:55] leaders on the team, were running off to find the recruiters and [00:04:00] join either the Army, the Marine Corps, the Air Force, Navy. And I was [00:04:05] fascinated by their determination to do that, so I went down and met the [00:04:10] recruiter for the Marine Corps, and he pretty much shooed me away, Hugh. He said, "You're a freshman. We're [00:04:15] looking for leaders here. Come back when you determine you wanna be a leader [00:04:20] of Marines." And that reverse psychology, that rejection, [00:04:25] had such an impact on me. I couldn't wait to be a c- become [00:04:30] a Marine Corps officer. Hugh Hornsby: Maybe that was your first step into crisis management, Bob, because [00:04:35] we're gonna talk a little bit about that, and maybe a little bit of reverse psychology. Uh, when you tell [00:04:40] somebody, "You can't do it," and then you find out if they, if they end up showing up [00:04:45] again, it's maybe, you know, maybe that's the person. I, you know, a good, uh, one of the guys, [00:04:50] people that were on the podcast was a Navy intelligence off- officer, [00:04:55] Bob, and he always said that, uh, if you wanted to find somebody in [00:05:00] leadership, you di- you didn't have to necessarily look at the [00:05:05] resume, but if you talk to somebody and they leaned in, then it's probably a pretty [00:05:10] good chance that you could create a leader out of that. So... Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: No, that's great advice. And, and that's what he did. That [00:05:15] reverse psychology really did work on me, and then when he shooed me away. Up [00:05:20] to that point, I thought, you know, everybody's gonna like me. I'm squared away. You know, I'm a decent student. I'm a [00:05:25] good hockey player. And then I found out, hey, maybe I'm, I'm not quite good enough yet. I better [00:05:30] go get my act together. And that's what I did over the last three years of college. Hugh Hornsby: Did it [00:05:35] really kinda change your direction on, you know, when you say you got your [00:05:40] act together, did you, did you say I had to... Did you go back and say, just start [00:05:45] looking at things very differently? Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: You know, I certainly did because I realized that, uh, you [00:05:50] know, just being personable and just being an athlete and just being mediocre or average [00:05:55] wasn't going to cut it. If you're actually gonna make it in this world, you're gonna have [00:06:00] to, you know, buckle down and be better than the person next to you, or have something to [00:06:05] offer the organizations you're trying to support and [00:06:10] something that everybody else isn't offering." Right away, that, that r- [00:06:15] dismissive attitude of that recruiter told me, "You're just Joe Average. We got plenty of [00:06:20] Joe Average. What is it that's special about you that can make a difference in the Marine [00:06:25] Corps? When you figure that out, come let us know. We'd love to give you an opportunity." [00:06:30] Yeah, so that, that really did kinda change me. Your, your Joe Average isn't gonna cut it. [00:06:35] Hugh Hornsby: Well, and w- and when you figure that out, it, it really does change things. And you went on to, [00:06:40] I think, I, I think you went on to Quantico, and then you had a situation there with, with, [00:06:45] uh, one of, I guess, the chief or, or somebody over there that, that [00:06:50] kinda read you a new one. Do, can you talk about that one a little bit? Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: Sure. You [00:06:55] know, I, I was fortunate enough to get into the program. I went back as a junior, uh, [00:07:00] and that Marine Corps recruiter that we just talked about gave me an opportunity. He [00:07:05] said my grades were good, I passed the ASVAB, my scores were good enough. "We're gonna give you a [00:07:10] shot to see if you wanna be a leader of men, a leader of Marines." And when I went down to [00:07:15] Quantico, it's like a 10-week job interview for leaders of [00:07:20] Marines, and it was physically demanding and, and even mentally [00:07:25] challenging. And I reme- I remember being down there one day, and I just [00:07:30] barely passed- a, a rifle exam. You know, uh, [00:07:35] an exam, but because it was not the exam that was so hard, but they threw everything at you. [00:07:40] There's no sleep, you're physically deprived, you're physically exhausted. Now you're [00:07:45] in studies and you gotta somehow find a time and a place to study, and [00:07:50] all that being loaded on you is what they were trying to do, Hugh, is figure out if you got the [00:07:55] ability to compartmentalize. Can you prioritize and compartmentalize, and can you [00:08:00] get your study done when we don't give you enough time in the day to barely sleep [00:08:05] and eat type thing? And I just barely passed that test, [00:08:10] and I was contemplating how I almost failed, and I was [00:08:15] moving too slow when they said, "Get outside and form up again." And the drill [00:08:20] instructors pounded on me as being too slow, [00:08:25] contemplative. "You better figure it out. You better move when we talk to you. You better snap out of it. [00:08:30] That test is over. What you got next is now the most important thing to you." [00:08:35] And I remember being under so much pressure, but I sort of figured it out [00:08:40] as we were going along. I sort of figured out what they were trying to do. They were trying to get you to stop [00:08:45] feeling sorry for yourself, move forward, and get ready for your next event. It was all [00:08:50] about compartmentalization. And, and, you know, I know we're gonna get to it, but when we talk about [00:08:55] life in general and crisis management leadership, we're also gonna talk about [00:09:00] the skill set of compartmentalization. But the Marine Corps truly taught me [00:09:05] that. Hugh Hornsby: When I read through your book, and I think, I think it was, um, what was it? [00:09:10] Desert Shield that, uh, you, you talk about being prepared and, [00:09:15] and you also talk about practice. And can you talk a little bit about Desert Shield? [00:09:20] Because that one there just kind of made the back of my, the hair raise [00:09:25] up on what you went, how you went through that. Can, can you share with the, [00:09:30] with the group a little bit about, you know, what you did? Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: Sure. So we d- we, uh, [00:09:35] deployed as a, uh, I went on to be a Cobra attack helicopter pilot. Greatest [00:09:40] helicopter in the world. You know, the, of course there's competition. The Army will say the [00:09:45] Apache, but the Marine Corps says it's the Cobra. Same mission, different platform. [00:09:50] I was honored enough to be chosen to fly the Cobra attack helicopter, [00:09:55] and we deployed to Desert Shield in August of [00:10:00] 1991, just weeks after Saddam from Iraq invaded [00:10:05] Kuwait We got out there, we had barely enough helicopters, barely [00:10:10] enough supplies, barely enough p- We were just, you know, getting in country so [00:10:15] rapidly that it took a long time for us to build up our skillset. But when we practiced, [00:10:20] one of the things the United States does so well is preparedness. We [00:10:25] practiced day and night to go and face that adversary. [00:10:30] Everyone was given the opportunity to lead, to use their night vision [00:10:35] goggles to navigate through the desert, to deal with all the challenges that come [00:10:40] with, um, you know, flying in that environment. And [00:10:45] we were truly prepared to cross the, you know, we call it the embarkation line, uh, [00:10:50] cross over into hostile territory. And it was just an unbelievable [00:10:55] experience for a brand new pilot to be around all these other seasoned aviators [00:11:00] and learn from them w- what decisions are made in a combat-type [00:11:05] scenario. And I, the fire hose was on, but I, I just, I gotta tell you, [00:11:10] I, I, um, can't really say you loved it, but I cherished every [00:11:15] moment of that field education, if you will, to prepare [00:11:20] ourselves to go into combat. Hugh Hornsby: I think I read about y- you know, you bringing s- a [00:11:25] helicopter in with, with... There was a situation there that, that was a [00:11:30] tremendous crisis that you were involved in. Can you share with- a little bit about that? Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: Sure. We have to [00:11:35] fast-forward though. That happened in 1993. So we did Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and then we [00:11:40] went back as part of the Marine Expeditionary Unit. I was now a captain, a senior [00:11:45] aviator in the squadron, and we would go out on a flight of two. We called [00:11:50] it a section of aircraft, flight of two aircraft. And we were on, we were just gonna go out and [00:11:55] shoot ordinance, shoot rockets, bullets, you know, everything that we had to practice to get ready to, [00:12:00] if we had to get called into combat. And it was a, a mission on [00:12:05] low-light night vision goggles. Low light mean no moon, dark as can be. [00:12:10] We're looking on night vision goggles, which only gives you the field of vision of about 30 degrees.[00:12:15] If you consider your field of vision today about 210 degrees, our field of [00:12:20] vision was narrowed down to 30 degrees looking through these night vision goggles. [00:12:25] And my wingman, uh, actually drove his Cobra [00:12:30] helicopter into a sand dune while he was firing his weapons off. He didn't hear the [00:12:35] low altitude warning and literally crashed right into a sand dune, [00:12:40] blowing the skids off the aircraft, tumbling out of control, bouncing back [00:12:45] into the sky, twirling all the way from zero to 2,000 feet.[00:12:50] We, my co-pilot and I, actually had to catch up to him, calm him [00:12:55] down, both pilots were now struggling with the controls, and lead them back to [00:13:00] Kuwait International Airport. They had no landing gear, um, [00:13:05] deteriorating systems. Hydraulic systems were getting weaker. No night [00:13:10] vision goggles because they all fell off in the impact. And we talked them [00:13:15] down and were able, with minutes to s- to spare really before they ran out of fuel, [00:13:20] land the Cobra wing stubs, if you will, on these y- we call it [00:13:25] yellow gear, but generators, pallets, whatever we had available. And he [00:13:30] was able to land the helicopter with minutes to spare and, uh, shut it down [00:13:35] and, and ultimately, uh, nobody was hurt as a result of that. Hugh Hornsby: That I would say [00:13:40] prepared you For, for crisis management as you move forward. What, what were the [00:13:45] next steps after that? Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: Yeah, I would tell you, and now, Hugh, just for your listeners, I, I would say that [00:13:50] compartmentalization, even in your personal, professional military life, is [00:13:55] everything. You know, when you talk about, how did you do that? Well, you, you dismiss everything [00:14:00] that's not important, and you focus on what you need to do next. If it's flying the [00:14:05] aircraft, you aviate first. You're trying to figure out where you are, then you navigate, then you communicate [00:14:10] for help. Even in business, if it's, it's nothing to do with payroll, [00:14:15] it's nothing to do with anything else, get right down to what you have to accomplish first, [00:14:20] second, third. Start communicating with people around you. Formulate a plan, [00:14:25] and then move forward. Same thing we did in the Marine Corps, you-- same thing that hopefully your listeners can [00:14:30] do in, uh, even all walks of life, and, uh, we just call that [00:14:35] compartmentalization. But to answer your question, as I came home, they made me a Cobra flight instructor, [00:14:40] a recruiter up in Garden City, New York. I was a, a pilot up there, and [00:14:45] I would give college kids rides to get them interested in marine aviation. And then in [00:14:50] 1998, I was selected to fly President Bill Clinton around in Marine Helicopter [00:14:55] Squadron 1, designated HMX-1. That presidential [00:15:00] airlift squadron that supports the president, vice president, and any, uh, congressional [00:15:05] delegations that the White House deems appropriate. So that was, that was quite an honor [00:15:10] for me as well. Hugh Hornsby: Shortly after that, you wrote the book 24 Hours [00:15:15] Inside the President's Bunker. Did that come shortly after that, Colonel Darling? [00:15:20] Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: It sure did, 'cause in October of 2000, so I flew, uh, with HMX-1 [00:15:25] for two years. They had one position inside the White House Airlift [00:15:30] Operations Office. What the, the Airlift Operations Office would do is they had [00:15:35] an expert from Air Force One, Marine One. There's somebody else from the Navy [00:15:40] there, the Army. It was a joint office. And we would move presidential equipment [00:15:45] in advance of the president worldwide. So if the president was gonna go [00:15:50] Japan, Korea, and China, we would make sure in Japan there was helicopters, limousines, [00:15:55] snipers, doctors, food, phones, everything he needed. And then we would make sure, uh, [00:16:00] Korea had it, Japan had it, anywhere. So the minute he steps off Air Force One, all [00:16:05] that equipment is there. September 11th, 2001, the book that you're referring [00:16:10] to, I was the airlift operations officer in charge of that logistics [00:16:15] to Sarasota, Florida. So about September 7th, we had moved limousines, [00:16:20] snipers, doctors, helicopters, and phones in. I was now back in the Eisenhower [00:16:25] next to the, the West Wing, and we were monitoring the president's events in [00:16:30] Sarasota, Florida. He got there on the 10th. He was supposed to talk at the Emma E. [00:16:35] Booker Elementary School that morning and was scheduled to come back to Washington, DC. [00:16:40] When everything changed at 8:46 on September 11th with the [00:16:45] impact of Flight 11 on the North Tower of the World Trade Center complex. Hugh Hornsby: How did your [00:16:50] mind work at that time? You just talked about [00:16:55] compartmentalization. Is that what you had to do when you went into that bunker, is just kinda compartmentalize what [00:17:00] was most important? Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: That's exactly what we had to do, and we were [00:17:05] witnesses to history, right? We saw the first tower get hit, and nobody really moved. We were interested [00:17:10] in what the news was reporting. And then at 9:03 when United Airlines [00:17:15] 175 hit the South Tower, we knew we had a full-blown terrorist event [00:17:20] unfolding right before our eyes in the city of New York. My boss came in the room. [00:17:25] He focused everybody on compartmentalization. He told us to stop what we were doing, [00:17:30] everybody prepare for White House designated missions to support the [00:17:35] first responders and, and civilians in the city of New York. So it wasn't [00:17:40] just me, it was the White House Military Office in its entirety went [00:17:45] into operation mode, which dealt with, what is the problem on the ground that we need to [00:17:50] solve right now? How do we save lives? Who comes first, second, third, fourth? When [00:17:55] do we start briefing leaders on our response plan? No different than [00:18:00] anything we learned in Iraq, no different than in business. We just went to our operational [00:18:05] mode where nothing matters but the problem right in front of you. People [00:18:10] come first. We save lives first and foremost, and everybody went into that [00:18:15] mindset to get everything we had to New York City. Hugh Hornsby: Were there certain people that you felt [00:18:20] like really stepped up, and then there were certain people that maybe disappointed you a little bit? Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: Well, let me tell you who [00:18:25] stepped up, and I was so proud to be shoulder to shoulder [00:18:30] with Dr. Rice, Condoleezza Rice. She was the National Security [00:18:35] Advisor at the time. And I, I will tell you, and if your, your listeners are, are out there [00:18:40] wondering why I feel this way, well, the White House, the US government, is the most [00:18:45] vertical chain of command imaginable, everybody from a private in the [00:18:50] military to the commander in, in chief. On 9/11, that [00:18:55] vertical chain of command laid down completely horizontal. The president [00:19:00] of the United States could have talked to a lance corporal in the United States military if that [00:19:05] lance corporal had information the president needed. Dr. Rice, National Security [00:19:10] Advisor, recognized that, and she helped all of us recognize that. She [00:19:15] sat right next to me, Hugh, and was like, "What do you need? Water?" food? Or do [00:19:20] you need, do you need me to talk to a world leader on our behalf? You guys are the [00:19:25] experts. You're the subject matter experts here under a military operation. I'm [00:19:30] here to support you." And literally, Hugh, she would've gotten you water as a [00:19:35] national security advisor. She would've made sure somebody upstairs was providing food, [00:19:40] or jump in and talk to any military commander, world leader, [00:19:45] anybody you needed her to talk to with her credibility and seniority in the White [00:19:50] House. She was the greatest asset we had available, uh, to us right [00:19:55] there in the bunker during, during the, the events of 9/11. Hugh Hornsby: I've always thought a lot of her. [00:20:00] That's an incredible message. You know, Bob, as we, as we take a look at where we [00:20:05] are in the trades, and when we talk about the trades, we're really talking about, [00:20:10] um You know, anybody that deals with the trades. You have [00:20:15] conversations with, with small to medium-sized leaders. Is there a message that you can [00:20:20] send to the people that are, that are in the trades or just in any business [00:20:25] of, of how to be prepared when a crisis happens? Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: Listen, [00:20:30] there's a resurgence in the trades right now because what we're seeing in corporate [00:20:35] America, the people I'm helping facilitate tabletop exercises for, help write [00:20:40] business continuity programs, and one of the things I get to do is I get to help them [00:20:45] identify their areas of risk. And who fills these risks? [00:20:50] Experts. So if you have a risk in cyber, you bring a [00:20:55] cybersecurity professional into your organization to help mitigate and fill that risk. In [00:21:00] America, we're now, since 9/11, identifying all the gaps in our [00:21:05] national resilience, and we're turning to [00:21:10] plumbers, carpenters, electricians. We're going to [00:21:15] all the trades now to say, "Listen, you come out of college, you're smart, you're a manager, [00:21:20] you're a generalist." But when it comes to resilience, we need [00:21:25] resident experts, people with hands-on capability who [00:21:30] know how to wire a network, who know how to build [00:21:35] a building or a data center with their hands. I, I think that the, [00:21:40] the folks going through trades right now are going to the be, A, the most employable [00:21:45] because the rest of us are generalists. We're in the leadership and the management side of the house, [00:21:50] and people are turning to, uh, there's plenty of leaders and managers out there, but we need [00:21:55] doers. We need people with hands-on capability, and all of us are turning to those [00:22:00] tradesmen and women who can come in and, and fix our [00:22:05] automobiles, rewire our networks, you know, uh, you know, [00:22:10] plumbers and, and everything else that, you know, you're talking about. So, um, good on all [00:22:15] those people who are smart enough to say, "I don't wanna be a generalist. I wanna be a [00:22:20] specialist, and I'm going to the trades to get it." Hugh Hornsby: Where I look at the trades today, I, [00:22:25] I, I kinda look at how you kind of progressed through the military. You don't end up [00:22:30] owning a company typically from the very beginning, but you, you kinda have to go through that [00:22:35] learning process. When you went through the military, it took a lot of studying, a lot of [00:22:40] coaching, and a lot of preparedness And a lot of practice. I think you talk about [00:22:45] that a lot. Can you have a conversation with somebody that maybe wants to go into the [00:22:50] trades, but, you know, is trying to really kind of figure out, you know, [00:22:55] how they can kind of navigate through? How important is [00:23:00] self-education? Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: So important, but l- let me, let me back up to what you just said that's really very important.[00:23:05] You, you said, hey, you went into the military. Here's what I learned about the military. See, if I... I went to [00:23:10] college first, and college, uh, is so important. It is. Getting a degree [00:23:15] is, is vital in, in today's. To get a job, y- you know, you have to have a degree. But like I said, [00:23:20] they give you a liberal arts degree, or they give you a computer science degree, and it shows, [00:23:25] it shows your future employer that you got the capability to learn Whatever it is [00:23:30] they're doing. You got the capability to do that. But when you go to the trades, you're getting a [00:23:35] specialized skill. What the Marine Corps took-- what it did for me is they basically sent me to [00:23:40] the trades. You're going to flight school be- to become a resident expert in [00:23:45] flying aircraft and flying that attack helicopter. It's basically a trade school [00:23:50] where you-- all you do is immerse yourself into the systems and tactics and [00:23:55] procedures for how to employ that weapon system. And as you go and get more [00:24:00] senior, they move you to the leadership role. When you become a captain and a [00:24:05] major and a lieutenant colonel, you're not so much flying the aircraft and employing the [00:24:10] aircraft, you're now managing the people. So we get the best of both worlds in the military. [00:24:15] They give you the ability to get a trade and to be a resident expert, and then [00:24:20] as you get more senior, they move you to the leadership role, [00:24:25] policy-making, governance, compliance type role, uh, that, that we all, you know, [00:24:30] enjoyed as we got senior. And your question was the, about, [00:24:35] about the trades. Let's just go back to that. We need, uh, like I was saying, resident [00:24:40] experts to do that. And, and, and then tell me again, 'cause I was on this tangent. Tell me again what [00:24:45] your question was, Hugh. Hugh Hornsby: Well, I was trying to equate the trades. So a lot of [00:24:50] times you're learning, you know, the specific category, maybe turning a wrench, [00:24:55] but then also taking a look at where those next steps are to [00:25:00] kind of maybe navigate you through the leadership side. Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: Yeah, and that's pretty [00:25:05] much what I described coming to the Marine Corps, right? To give us all a specific skill. We call it a military [00:25:10] occupational specialty, essentially a trade. They make you an expert. And then as you [00:25:15] stick around, they make you a more of a manager-type leader. I would tell all [00:25:20] those that are going to the trades, and, and now the age is 28 to what you said. So that meant [00:25:25] they already either went to school or college, and now they're going back to learn specific [00:25:30] skill sets, because that's what our country is, is requiring them to do right now. [00:25:35] But eventually, as they get older and they've done the [00:25:40] trade for a while, hopefully they're gonna become entrepreneurs and start their business and hire others [00:25:45] in the trade, because now they have the experience, now they know that [00:25:50] marketplace, now they have the customer base. Naturally, you just become [00:25:55] the owner of that trades business and hire other tradesmen [00:26:00] or, or women to come on in and follow you in your footsteps. Eventually, our [00:26:05] country needs small and medium-sized business. So hopefully those tradesmen will do [00:26:10] the grassroots on the ground, become a resident expert, hire others, and become that [00:26:15] medium-sized business that helps grow America and we're so well known for. Hugh Hornsby: We realize that there's [00:26:20] a gap and that, uh- You know, the first time you need to get started. The, the nice [00:26:25] thing is that y- you can make $100,000 in the trades to [00:26:30] get started and, um But the PHCC and some of the others [00:26:35] actually will pay for your education, uh, while you're ... So it's, it's a, you [00:26:40] know, earn while you work, and it's a pretty amazing opportunity for [00:26:45] people. But one of the gaps, Bob, that we, that we've seen, and it's not just in the trades, it's [00:26:50] everywhere, it's the financial acumen that goes on. And a, a lot [00:26:55] of, lot of what happens in the trades now is that a person will come in and they'll start a [00:27:00] business. Maybe ha- they have two or three trucks, but they never really learn how to do, [00:27:05] h- how to lead because all the decisions are being made on themselves. So when [00:27:10] we talk about financial acumen, we really kinda talk about what, you [00:27:15] know, how can we help people to understand money and how it works, and then possibly become [00:27:20] that founder or an entrepreneur along the, the line. H- do you have any- [00:27:25] anything that you can share with that? Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: Yeah, a- absolutely. I, I want your listeners to know [00:27:30] that they don't have to be an expert in finance. You don't have to be an expert in, in the law [00:27:35] or everything else. You need to surround yourself with those people that know how to [00:27:40] do those things. You're a tradesman, now you're hiring other tradesmen. [00:27:45] All those extra duties that you need, whether it's pricing, uh, [00:27:50] point-of-sale, what type of network should I have, uh, do I need a lawyer or a, a [00:27:55] part-time, you know, chief financial officer, absolutely. Like a president of the United [00:28:00] States, you don't have to know everything. You surround yourself with a cabinet with those individual [00:28:05] skillsets. What we're looking for is your leadership ability, [00:28:10] and those people will provide you with the expertise. If you're trying to be a jack of all trades, and [00:28:15] I gotta be a, a welder who now has to go be a CPA who now tries to go [00:28:20] to, to the leadership academy, you're, you're ending up You're, you're burning both candles, [00:28:25] uh, you know, the candle at both ends. What you need to do is focus on your [00:28:30] expertise and surround yourself with people with certain skillsets [00:28:35] that you need to grow your company. Don't try to figure it all out yourself. Hugh Hornsby: Talking about crisis [00:28:40] management, is that something that you can share with us on what you're doing now and how you've used [00:28:45] what you've learned in the past and, and how it could help some of these companies or [00:28:50] individuals on how to deal with whatever the crisis is that they have going on in their life? Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: [00:28:55] Sure. You know, Hugh, 9/11 really changed me. I saw ... We told the president of the [00:29:00] United States at one point during the attack on America that we thought we had [00:29:05] 40,000 dead Americans in the city of New York with the collapse of those two [00:29:10] towers. We found out, unfortunately, it was still a horrific number, but less than 3,000.[00:29:15] Why? 'Cause ordinary people rose up to save the life of a complete [00:29:20] stranger. That revelation changed me. I wanna build [00:29:25] resilience in America. That was my calling It happened on 9/11. It changed my trajectory. [00:29:30] I went from there to Naval Post Grad School back to the Pentagon, retired in 2007. [00:29:35] I was a contractor for the intelligence commu- uh, community for a few years, seven years total.[00:29:40] Started a business, sold a business, and now I'm dedicated to building [00:29:45] resilience at every small business or organization in America. How do we do it? [00:29:50] I sit down with the CEOs or their leadership team. We look at those risks [00:29:55] that are unmitigated that could take them off of their ability to earn [00:30:00] money in their core capability, and we prepare them for disruption. [00:30:05] We prepare them to organize, decide best course of action, [00:30:10] communicate with each other, the steps to recovery to get back to normal operations as [00:30:15] fast as possible. I'm dedicated to that. I started Flash Emergency Management, [00:30:20] and that's what we do. I go out and I talk about the events of 9/11, and then [00:30:25] they bring me back in and say, "Here's who we are. This is what we do. These are the risks [00:30:30] we're facing." And I have them prioritize those risks, mitigate them, either [00:30:35] buying technology and then training your people, and then eventually, what are the [00:30:40] steps to recovery when crisis comes your way? And it's been, it's been a, [00:30:45] it's a proven recipe that's been pretty successful, and I think [00:30:50] communities are better off, then states are better off, and ultimately our national security is [00:30:55] better off the more people we have with confidence on how to lead their [00:31:00] organizations out of disruption. Hugh Hornsby: I love what you just said because when I take a [00:31:05] look at what's going on with the small businesses m- many times in the trades, [00:31:10] on the wholesale side as well, uh, the, the biggest challenge is, [00:31:15] you know, there is a crisis getting ready to happen, and a lot of it has to do with the aging out. [00:31:20] And with a lot of these companies, um, you know, maybe they have three, four, or five [00:31:25] trucks, and you only have one, one guy that really is making all the decisions, and then they make a [00:31:30] decision they wanna sell, and they don't have anything to sell because most companies, [00:31:35] you know, they're not looking for a job. You know, they're looking for something that they can wrap, wrap [00:31:40] up. Um, and so can you talk to that group a little [00:31:45] bit? Uh, because I, I think what you just said, and I think what you're doing in, with your [00:31:50] company is trying to make sure That, uh, you can [00:31:55] sit down with, uh, each, each organization and kinda figure out what those [00:32:00] crisis are. Uh, but the crisis of... Bob, I... [00:32:05] Somebody told me yesterday, I don't know if the number's 100% que- uh, correct, but it, [00:32:10] 12 out of thir- 12 businesses out of 13, 12 of them never [00:32:15] sell, they just shut it down. So just a, a little bit of your thought about that. [00:32:20] Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: Well, that's really too bad. That's a horrific stat right there, that they [00:32:25] just close their doors. And they're closing the doors because they don't, they don't understand their full business [00:32:30] cycle, right? They, they start this business, they get a couple of customers, they're going [00:32:35] gangbusters. They don't reinvest in either new systems technology [00:32:40] or the right people, and eventually their business dwindles and they don't know how [00:32:45] to pivot, or they don't have the capital to pivot. Well, we'll go in there, and one of the [00:32:50] things we're looking at is you're early enough in your business to say, "What is your [00:32:55] core competence?" Block everything out. What do you do to make money? [00:33:00] Now, what are all the potential risks to take you off of that mission to [00:33:05] sell that service to make money? Let's mitigate those risks. Let's find [00:33:10] experts to monitor those, and to train your people to identify those early on. [00:33:15] We're all sensors in this, you and I, both eyes, ears, nose. We can smell. [00:33:20] Everybody in that company needs to be a crisis management sensor, if you [00:33:25] will, to say, "Hey, that customer's unhappy. Hey, that piece of equipment's got bald [00:33:30] tires. Hey, there's a potential hazard here that if we don't fill, could [00:33:35] escalate and get us a lawsuit," type thing. And we help them identify, [00:33:40] prioritize, and mitigate those. Other people will come in and say, "What does [00:33:45] your competition look like? Your, what are your margins?" You know, to your, to your point. You [00:33:50] get these experts around and go, "Hey, we need a bigger margin," or, "You're barely getting by.[00:33:55] So now let's look to either create another product, pivot the company, [00:34:00] or potentially merge or sell the company before it becomes obsolete." [00:34:05] All those things. When it comes to crisis management, crisis leadership, risk management, [00:34:10] it's a competitive advantage. It's not a cost. Right now everybody says, "Oh, [00:34:15] I can't do that. I can't afford that. That's not helping with the bottom line." And I tell them it's [00:34:20] absolutely helping with the bottom line, because when you're more resilient, you're gonna stay in the game [00:34:25] longer, and people will see that you overcome adversity to the point where you, you [00:34:30] actually created a competitive advantage against your competition because you're the [00:34:35] one still standing So I, I hope they, they really invest in it Hugh Hornsby: Well, [00:34:40] and I tell you what, thanks for saying that because I always said epilepsy was my competitive [00:34:45] advantage or my, you know, because I used that as an advantage to look at the world differently, and I, [00:34:50] and I used it to turn around these 10 businesses that, that I was in. And it was [00:34:55] usually because, you know, s- you would sit down and figure out what you could do [00:35:00] differently. So one of my mentors used to always say, "Hugh, stop following the followers." [00:35:05] And I think that, uh, the, the difference between success [00:35:10] a lot of times is that if you're just trying to compete, then you're in trouble. But if [00:35:15] you're in a position to create whate- whatever it is that you need, [00:35:20] that really makes the difference. And to know that, that, uh, [00:35:25] you have a company that can come in and help these people to sit down and figure that [00:35:30] out and, and look at each side of that, um, I think that is extremely [00:35:35] powerful. So I wanna say congratulations on that. Um, I wanna make sure [00:35:40] that, uh You know, I've got a few more questions for you, uh, but I wanna [00:35:45] make sure that everybody out here has the opportunity to figure out how they can get a, a, [00:35:50] a hold of you, Bob, and your company, uh, so that if they can, um, [00:35:55] if they have questions for you, um, and maybe have you come in and work with [00:36:00] them, uh, that you can do that. Because that's something in our industry I think we really need. Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: Well, thank [00:36:05] you, Hugh. So if they want me to come on in and, and share the lessons learned of [00:36:10] 9/11, they would reach out to robert, the letter J, darling.com, [00:36:15] robertjdarling.com. You go to my website, you tell me who you are and what you need, [00:36:20] and I'm happy to come on out and, and really speak to your workforce [00:36:25] on my history, the events of 9/11, lessons type learned. When you're [00:36:30] ready to get serious, to make your company have a competitive advantage over all [00:36:35] your competition, because we're gonna get you to focus on what [00:36:40] keeps you in business, and we're gonna mitigate all those other things around you, then [00:36:45] that would be, you know, flashprepared.com, [00:36:50] flashprepared.com. And that's what we're gonna do. We're gonna analyze your business, determine your [00:36:55] core competency, get rid of all those risks, bring in some consultants if you need [00:37:00] them, get rid of other folks if you don't. You know, we're gonna streamline that business so [00:37:05] you're geared for the long haul, and you can survive no matter what comes your way. [00:37:10] Because in the end, people before profit always, and when we empower [00:37:15] your people to be the centers that you need, they're gonna tell you how happy your [00:37:20] customers are, they're gonna tell you the next potential accident you're gonna have, they're gonna let you know the [00:37:25] health and welfare of the people on your team, and you're gonna be able to take [00:37:30] proactive steps to keep your organization left of bang, [00:37:35] left of crisis, functioning fully all the way to the end. Hugh Hornsby: When I was a [00:37:40] kid, uh, I, I would come home and, and I'd, I'd complain with my [00:37:45] mom and whether they tried to send me to special needs or whatever it may be, and my mom would say, "You [00:37:50] know, Hugh, um, you, you, you get 15 minutes for a pity party." And then she [00:37:55] would, she would give me a yellow pad and she'd... And a, and a pencil or a pen [00:38:00] and say, "Now you need to go upstairs, and you need to write down on this yellow pad, you know, what the [00:38:05] situation is and, and then what you're gonna do about it, and then you need to come downstairs and tell me what [00:38:10] action you're gonna take." So if there, if you had a yellow pad moment, uh, [00:38:15] Colonel Darling, what would that yellow pad moment be to you? Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: If I had a yellow pad in [00:38:20] front of, uh, say the, one of these trades companies, and I would always ask, you know, by the way, [00:38:25] the, the CEO of this trades company, this small business, "Who's the most [00:38:30] important person to the company?" Right? Most of them would say, "My client, my customer is the [00:38:35] most important." I always get them to say, "That's a wrong answer. Your employees are most [00:38:40] important Tell me the capabilities of each one of your employees, because your employees are gonna [00:38:45] be the ones that deliver your product or service. Your employees are gonna be the one to tell you [00:38:50] when things are potentially going wrong. They have the greatest ideas for where you should pivot, [00:38:55] where you should grow, where the next demand signal is. We need to focus on [00:39:00] the employees first. That's what I would write on, on that yellow pad. If you're talking about what [00:39:05] I wanna do in, in life, my yellow pad, I wanna make every [00:39:10] small, uh, organization and business more resilient one step at a time, [00:39:15] and we're gonna do it simply. We're gonna just do it by getting leadership to focus on [00:39:20] all the right things, outsource all those things they don't need to worry about. [00:39:25] People before profits always. Assess, decide, act, like you're talking about, and it's a [00:39:30] mindset. Crisis leadership is a mindset. It's not a rank. We get them with the right [00:39:35] mindset. When they use their people in the right way, [00:39:40] then they're not only gonna survive, they're gonna continue to grow until either [00:39:45] they decide to sell or they decide to buy somebody else in the process, [00:39:50] because they're gonna be the last one standing. Hugh Hornsby: One of the things I talk about is h-how do, how do the small beat the [00:39:55] big? And I, I really think that a, a, a small to [00:40:00] medium-sized business has the ability to beat, to, to beat the big guy [00:40:05] by going in and doing exactly what you just talked about. Um, number [00:40:10] one, it's all about its people, and I always say the riches are in the niches, and t- [00:40:15] sometimes you gotta figure out what those niches are that, that need to happen. But to have a [00:40:20] company like yours that can come in and, and really do the [00:40:25] assessment and, you know, decide and, and take action, I, I think that [00:40:30] that's, that's really big. The other, the other thing that I, I [00:40:35] wanted to ask you, usually on these podcasts, you know, the people that are listening, and it's [00:40:40] everything from the guy that's turning the wrench to the founder that, that owns the [00:40:45] company to the, to the, you know, the wholesaler that, that, um, [00:40:50] is selling to that group. And a lot of times what happens, they'll say, as soon as they [00:40:55] turn it off, is, "I wish you would've asked a certain question." If there was a [00:41:00] question that I didn't ask, Colonel Darling, what, what would that question be? Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: The [00:41:05] question would be, are you... Can, can people afford your ser- uh, your service? Can, can [00:41:10] small businesses afford the type of assessment, uh, course of action [00:41:15] development, leadership tools that you give them to handle crisis? Can they afford it? And I would say [00:41:20] not from the bigs they can't, because the bigs are worried about other things, right? And, [00:41:25] but the small business that wants to be a partner of mine can absolutely afford it, because [00:41:30] I'm not bringing a big team of people in. I'm bringing myself in, maybe another expert, [00:41:35] and you can afford it because we'll work within your budget. What, what, what earns money for [00:41:40] me is when you call me back and say, "I need you to train my workforce. I need you [00:41:45] to implement some technology that you mentioned. I need you to do the next level [00:41:50] of um, implementation, if you will. It's not the [00:41:55] initial consultation. So the answer is stop doing it by yourself. Bring in [00:42:00] somebody that cares. Let's work on that budget together and get you to do one step at a [00:42:05] time. Let's just focus on that assessment. We'll get to decision-making and, [00:42:10] um, action later on, but let's do that. Let's survive the [00:42:15] onslaught that's coming your way as a business leader and, uh, tackle, tackle the [00:42:20] nearest threats to you right now. Hugh Hornsby: That's exciting. You know, one of the things that we're doing, [00:42:25] Colonel Darling, is putting a mastermind group together, and we'll have to, we'll have to [00:42:30] talk offline about that because we feel like that one of the ways that we can [00:42:35] really get to people is to put masterminds together for some of these businesses, and we'd love [00:42:40] for you to be, be a part of that if that's something that you have some interest in. Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: Hugh, count me in. I'm [00:42:45] sorry to cut you off. Count me in. I definitely have interest. Small business, one at a time, [00:42:50] it goes into, you know, the feather in my hat, and that's the mission I'm on, uh, [00:42:55] ever since 9/11 is to build resilience, and that's how we do it, one company at a time. Hugh Hornsby: We will [00:43:00] definitely have that conversation, uh, because we're We're in this thing together, [00:43:05] and I think that it-- we're in a great place, a great position to make this world a better place.[00:43:10] Um, last, I just wanna say thanks for your service, and [00:43:15] thank you not only for your service, but what you've been able to do with your service [00:43:20] afterwards in helping businesses and helping people grow. I, I know that [00:43:25] when people have you on, w- you know, the 24 hours in the, uh, bunker, and [00:43:30] I, I... That amazes me because it's taught you so much. But I just wanna [00:43:35] mention to our listeners that rarely do you have somebody that's gonna take that type of [00:43:40] situation and be able to turn it into your small and medium-sized business, [00:43:45] uh, to help you. And it's, um, you know, I, I spend a lot of time [00:43:50] with people, and I can just feel h-how, how it is so [00:43:55] important to you to help those other people. So I wanna say thanks for your service, [00:44:00] but even more, thanks for being a great person and taking what you've learned and [00:44:05] offering it to the world. Lt Colonel Robert J Darling: Hugh, thank you. For, uh, it was an honor to serve our [00:44:10] country in uniform, and it's an honor to serve our workforce as a small business owner [00:44:15] myself who cares about people first always. And it's an honor to even meet people [00:44:20] like you who have gone the extra level to say, "I'm not just gonna bring [00:44:25] in an expert. I'm gonna share my, my knowledge or my time with this expert with your [00:44:30] listeners." So thank you for what you do every single day to get the word out and to [00:44:35] keep these small businesses thriving. Thank you, Hugh. Hugh Hornsby: Thank you, Bob. [00:44:40] And for all of you out there, this is Blue Collar Smart. Blue Collar Smart is not about how [00:44:45] you dress. It's about how you think. And today, Blue Collar Smart is Lieutenant [00:44:50] Colonel Robert J. Darling, who brings so much to the table. Colonel [00:44:55] Darling, thank you, and thank you for the friendship ​[00:45:00] [00:45:05] [00:45:10] [00:45:15] [00:45:20] [00:45:25]