Deanna Radulescu of the No Labels podcast

Welcome to Building Better Developers, the Developer podcast, where we work on getting better step by step professionally and personally. Let's get started. Well, hello and welcome back. We are continuing and in this episode, wrapping up our interview with Deanna Radulescu of the No Labels podcast. And you will find a plenty of other information around her, about her. We've got links in the show notes, but I want to get right into this because we're going to get into much more of the, I'll say the technical, motivational side of this discussion. Talk about some very specific things that she did, how she approached them, and she's going to give more than a few suggestions that should help you get successful as well as be very happy with where you end up once you get through some of the challenges that life is obviously going to throw at you. So let's get right back into our conversation with Deanna. So now you've got this personal brand, you've got this label-free brand. And I know that for personal experience, I know that I've experienced some of your people that you work with, that you've expanded out because it's not just you. It can't be, there's a lot of work. How do you go, what's sort of the process of you looking at that and saying, okay, I'm overwhelmed, I've got to expand. And how you, especially when you're talking about the marketing side of that, how do you look for people that can help with that, can maintain that vision and extend that brand? Because now it's not just you, it's your organization. Yeah. Well, I've been blessed that I've had some people that I've, so I've got my producer who edits all my stuff. He's been with me since the fashion days and we've worked very well together and I consider him a partner. He's done a lot of work for me and for very little money, very little return. So he's got his sweat equity into the podcast. Then I have my best friend who is my booking manager now slash co-host, because we are adding on a segment to the show called Behind the Labels, which is her one-on-one conversations with our guests for the intro call, which I think you've done one of those. And so now we're recording those because there's so much depth to them that people really enjoy those conversations. So we're adding that on and we're kind of all in this together. We believe in what we're doing and I've been lucky to, I've been blessed to have them on my team. But all the marketing stuff I do myself, I'm the one that's doing a lot of the leg work in terms of that. Julia will take the calls and then my producer, he edits, which he's got it down, doesn't take him very long because I try not to mess up when I'm recording, make it easy for him. Yeah, it's much, I've done a lot of, I do all my own editing and there's a lot of that, that it's just like you do that long enough and you say, oh, I need to stop that. I need to change this. I knew to do these things and you do those little tweaks. So that's coming into the editing side. It's hopefully just a little bit of like, just add a couple of things to it. Boom, you're off and running. Yeah. And I do, yeah, I have to say that that was one of the most enjoyable introductory calls I ever had with a podcast or anything else because it was a great conversation and I'm glad you guys are doing that because there was a lot just in that. Her personality is just one of those that's very, very social, very friendly, very open that just draws that out. And so it was immediately an excellent conversation. So that's a nice thing to add. But I digress a little bit. That's all right. I do want to, I want to roll it back a little bit. As you mentioned, and one of the things that you're obviously very proud of, because it's not a small feat is that is essentially negotiating a $20 million contract. And now having the additional context around that, that this is something you were doing for, for your business, for your husband. It wasn't necessarily like your, your heart. I mean, it was your life was in it, but it wasn't necessarily like your, your heart's desire. And so how does, I guess, maybe just start with a little bit of how that negotiation process worked with that. Well, I was very big into contracts and bids. And so I, many years leading up to that opportunity, I was, I had done, I don't know how many bids, you know, all over the country. And once you get the feel for what that looks like and what the process is, it gives you a little bit more knowledge and wisdom on how to handle a contract of that size. I had closed the Verizon contract, you know, so that was a big deal that I closed. I closed first group America, which was Greyhound for student, first vehicle, first transit. So like all the yellow school buses around the, well, most of them around the nation and in Canada, I got that contract as well. And that was with KPMG that I had negotiated that. And actually I told my late husband, we're not going to agree to these terms. They got to have to change this wording because it would put us out of business. And so I've just been very business savvy from, you know, something that I've just, God gave me, I guess. And so when it came to that $20 million contract, you know, our goal was to double the size of business. I'm like, I've got this. And so we got whiff of this bid and I became, you know, real tight within the bounds of what is acceptable. When you're talking to a purchasing manager or, you know, whoever's managing that bid, I wasn't overstepping my boundaries, right? I was just trying, I made sure I created a relationship with that woman. I made sure that I was asking all the right questions. I was asking what, what can I provide in the bid that would, that you were looking for. And so I made sure I covered all my bases, you know, when you're getting it, when you're fighting for a contract of that size, you need to make sure you're being extremely, you know, thorough and detailed and submitting the bid so that you outshine anybody else. You know, you should, you need to go above and beyond. So what would you do? And it's because you didn't have any formal training or anything. If you, in any business, I think any business, you're going to end up in that at some point, you're going to have some sort of contract negotiation. And that's, that's one of those areas that sometimes people, it's scary to people because it's like sales and marketing. There's some of these things that it's, they have their business and it does not, they don't have those skills that's not in their wheelhouse. So what would you recommend to somebody that was starting out as like, how can they maybe, you know, improve their skills in that area? Pay attention to detail, read the contract, make sure that you're reading every like requirement within the bid and that you go above and beyond with submitting, supporting documentation for whatever service or product that you're bidding on. So that was what I was, you know, great at because I was type A, very detail oriented. And so, you know, I made sure that I read the bid, read, reread the bid, you know, looked at past bids to see what, who won it because it's public, you know, any of those government contracts are public knowledge. So you can pull, pull the previous one to see how they submitted it, what that looked like. And so I would just arm myself with information. And that's, I mean, people, you know, what really bothers me is that we live in an age where everybody carries around a mini computer in their pocket. Anything is searchable. And so like, when I get asked a stupid question, it's just like, why are you asking me dumb question? Like, so if you're someone that's in this position, Google search, don't be lazy. Like, don't be lazy. Oh, my gosh. That's true. It really is. It's almost in a way, it's almost sad because there is no excuse to not be informed at this point. It's, it's become, I think people are starting to recognize that too. So even at some of the most basic, like, job interviews that are not even, you know, if it was C level or something, you always expect if somebody is going to be a CEO that they've done their homework. But even now, if it's an entry level jobs, there's a lot of situations where people come in and say, all right, we're going to expect that you've at least, you know, something about the company and you should, you can go to their website, you can check out their latest press releases, you can find a couple of things, you can spend, you know, five, 10 minutes, and you've got enough that now you've got at least a basis to have that conversation and not ask essentially stupid questions like, well, what is it that you guys do, you know, or something like that? Yeah. And it's, I love that you said that it's like, you can go get fine. You can find templates. It's, I think there's, there are very few things that you're going to run into in business that you have to do that somebody hasn't already done at Nausium. And you can find people that have done it as you did, like find the people that are successful and then go use that and use that sort of as your template to say, okay, I know how they did it. So now I need to essentially replicate that. Or be better. Yeah. And then, and then, and then kick it up a notch. Exactly. So you've done several times now, you have been parts of, of businesses and starting it and been, I think it sounds like almost, you've almost always been, it's been your own self-employed essentially. It's been your own business. So what would you recommend to somebody that is, you know, granted you can't, you don't have that, maybe that corporate background as much, but like somebody that's saying, Hey, I'm, I'm thinking about doing, starting a business, whatever it happens to be, what did baby be a couple of things you'd recommended them as far as they've got that thought, but what would be their, you know, maybe their next steps or something to get it going? Well, I think that entrepreneurship is an incredibly liberating, empowering thing. I think that this day and age was, there's so many resources out there that if you're, no matter what you're going to be getting into, do your research, you know, figure out what you're going to love, make sure you love it enough that you're going to put in the time and energy that you need to put into it, because it's not a nine to five, you know, maybe some days are shorter because, you know, your workload's lighter, but you're always on, you know, so you have to understand the commitment there. But once you become, once you do something that you absolutely love and that you're committed to, I think that your life changes significantly. Make sure you have, you know, a little cushion there. So as you get started, that you're not scrambling and living hand to mouth, but do your research, you know, like the fashion thing. I really wish I would have, I had been in a different mindset in that point in my life. I would have pulled things back a little bit. I would have been, I would have been my own fit model. I'm sure, I don't know if you know what that means, but I would have done some things that would have drastically changed the course of my fashion career. I invested a lot of money when I could have saved myself, probably half of what I paid to the consulting firm. So there was a lot of things that I would have done differently had I just slowed down a little bit, did more research and been in a different place. But I, you know, like I said, I was just in such a hurry to like, you know, my life was, you know, it was in a shambles and I was trying to rebuild, you know, all that I had lost, but you know, with my own dream, making my dream come true. So that would be my recommendation. Well, that one, I just a follow up question on that. So how much, because that's something here, you can look back in, I don't know if it's necessarily regrets as much as just, Hey, I would have done it a little differently, but also looking back, how much of that process of how you did things, what your decisions were, were, were in themselves, sort of, we'll say cathartic or something, because you said it's to get you past a very tough time. So how much of that was also in a way sort of served its own purpose. Maybe it wasn't the best business thing, but overall it was something that was very good for you. Yeah. I mean, I think that hindsight, I mean, it taught me just to kind of like do my research, like right as not like with the podcast, I'm not constantly researching. How can I become better? Like where else can I go? How do I get this to continue to get it out there more and more and more and more? So I think it taught me just to really leverage my resources and looking into how to become better. You know, that's, I think that's what really taught me and to slow down, slow down, not to be in such a hurry. Cause I was just like, go, go, go, go, go. Like I was just like, I was on such a mission just to go without really kind of looking at what was going on around me. And I spent a lot of money that I didn't need to, you know, I could have done a lot of things myself that would have saved me probably $50,000, you know, that's, you know, not a drop in the bucket, but you know, so now that's it. Yeah. Taught me a lot about that. If that answers your question. It does. And that actually leads to, which is the best kind of it leads to another question is how is, how going through these businesses has that adjusted maybe your, we'll say your patience for a business to get to something successful. Cause that's another one I use, you hurry, hurry, hurry. A lot of people are like that. They're like, Oh, I'm going to go do this. And two weeks later, it's not an overnight success. So obviously it's a failure. What would you, what, how do you address that in it, particularly with your own experience? Patience is a virtue. So you must teach yourself to be patient if you don't have that skill. So I'm still working on my patience to today. Okay. That's why we do yoga, meditate, you know, cause it's not something that, you know, if you are that type of person that go getter, that driven person, that's not something that comes easily. That's something you have to teach yourself and you have to, you know, apply that to every area of your life because, you know, patience is definitely a good skill to have. And just to exercise that daily to not only keep yourself calm, but to be present in the moment. Great answer. I like that. So what's one thing, one last question on this is what's, what's one thing that brings you happiness, joy, or peace that you wouldn't give up? I mean, you've got to, you've got a wide range of stuff that you do. You've got this big life that you've lived. Is it, what's something maybe that like, I protect this all the time. This, this always has to be a part of me. It doesn't, does it have to be business or? No, no. My, my fiance and my dogs are time together, just like being in our little love, love bubble. Like it's something I've never had before, even though I was married, it's a completely different type of relationship where it's more loving and affectionate and, you know, compassionate. So that's something that I protect, you know, our little family, which is a beautiful thing. And I really love it. Oh yeah. That's, and I, I would have been disappointed if it had been business oriented. Cause there's like a visit, I guess your business can bring you joy, but as you found, if that's where your joy is and it can, it can disappear and evaporate very quickly. I mean, I guess everything can, but it's just one of those that usually I would hope most people can find something that's a little more, a little less, I guess in a sense, shallow is that, you know, it's not just about that success. It's about, it's about that relationship. For sure. So I want, I really appreciate your time. I know that you're, you're very busy. You know, you're, you're national now you're famous, you know, that kind of good stuff. Hardly, you know, everybody there's like three different, hardly. Now my goal is just to get the message out there more and more and hopefully to inspire and uplift and encourage people to, to stand up and step into their purpose. Because I think people are leaving that are leading a more purposeful life allows us a more happier life around us. Right. You know, I mean, especially the last couple of years and you know, the direction our world went is just been, I think it's been hard for a lot of people to, to bounce back from. And so the more positive messages we can put out there in the world, people are open to it. Then I think that we're doing our job. So that is my mission. Oh, well, it's a good mission to have. I think I agree. The last couple of years, it seems like things have just gotten more and more actually very more, more label as opposed to label free. And it's very easy to just people say, you know, Oh, I like this because of this label. I don't like this because of that label. And so I applaud your mission and more than happy to get the word out wherever possible as well. Because I think that's, I think too many people held, they hold themselves back in one way or another, whether it's relationships, business, anything because of those labels. And once you get rid of that and you realize that people are people, everybody's different. There's plenty of reasons to dislike somebody and plenty of reasons to like people. So just go with the positive side and life gets a lot easier. That's right. Amen. Appreciate it. Well, thanks. Thanks a whole lot for your time. I really appreciate this has been enjoyable from start to finish. And it really was what I had hoped is it's just one of those, it's a, it's one of those stories that, yeah, there's a lot of challenge in there, but there's that, there's that light at the end of the tunnel. Like you say, it's like you go through these, but there is something on the other side of it. So whatever you're struggling with, whatever you're going through, if you can stick with it, there is, there's something on the other side. There is, it's, it will pass. You'll be onto something else and you'll be able to look back on it and say, Hey, that was a, a, hopefully, you know, as a growth period of some sort that, that didn't take me down. I learned some lessons and now I can move forward and be a better version of myself. That's right. I that's absolutely correct. Well, thank you. Thank you a lot for your time. And then hopefully we'll run into you again soon and, and be able to catch you out there on the, on the radio and on the podcast. Thank you, Rob. It's been an absolute pleasure. And that will wrap it up. That probably a little bit obvious as we wrapped up that conversation, but we are not done. We will come back next episode. We will have another interview and we're going to continue knocking these out. We've got a few more left. We're just working through these interviews. I have been entertained by all of them. I have been informed by all of them. Hopefully you have done the same, that you're enjoying this, that you're getting a nice little mix of information as well as motivation, such as in this particular episode. It's one of those that, as I said, is a little bit drifting away maybe from some of our more common topics and approaches, but I think sometimes it helps to have that little, I will say that kick in the butt that says, Hey, you know, I need to put some of these things into action. Let me go ahead and give some of these things a shot. Let me take some risks. Let me invest in myself and see where that comes out because somewhere down the line, you're going to thank yourself. You're going to go through these. And yes, there will be some, you know, some challenges. It's not all sunshine and roses, but those challenges will build you up, make you better, and eventually get you to the point where you're doing exactly what you were made to do. Hopefully that eventually is very short period of time and you'll find that you are very successful and very happy as well. Very important things to have if you want to win at the game of life. That being said, it's time to go out there and play some more of your game of life. So go out there and have yourself a great day, a great week, and we will talk to you next time. Thank you for listening to Building Better Developers, the Develop-a-Nor podcast. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon, anywhere that you can find podcasts. We are there. And remember, just a little bit of effort every day ends up adding into great momentum and great success. Please check out school.develop-a-nor.com. That is where we are starting to pour a lot of our content. We've taken the lessons, the things that we've learned, all of the things that make you a better developer and we're putting it there. We have a range of courses from free short courses up to full paid boot camps. All of these include a number of things to help you get better, including templates, quick references, and other things that make us all better developers.