In this dynamic episode of Mic Drop, Josh Linkner sits down with Clint Pulver, a professional drummer turned keynote speaker and employee retention expert. Clint shares his incredible journey, starting from his dream of becoming a helicopter pilot, through his discontent in the medical field, to his ultimate passion for speaking and drumming. Listeners will be inspired by Clint's story of transformation, his innovative Undercover Millennial Program, and his commitment to living a life of purpose and impact. This episode is packed with actionable insights for speakers, leaders, and anyone looking to create a meaningful career while balancing personal and professional life.
Clint Pulver is a renowned keynote speaker, author, and professional drummer known for his expertise in employee retention and workplace culture. He is the creator of the Undercover Millennial Program, which has garnered insights from over 11,000 employees. Clint's engaging presentations blend his passion for music with powerful messages on leadership and mentorship. His book, "I Love It Here," offers invaluable lessons on creating workplaces where people thrive. Clint's innovative approach and commitment to impact have made him a sought-after speaker and thought leader.
From Helicopter Dreams to Keynote Success: Clint originally aspired to be a helicopter pilot but had to pivot due to an eye disease. After an unfulfilling stint in the medical field, he discovered his passion for speaking and drumming. This segment highlights the importance of finding and pursuing one's true calling, even when life throws unexpected challenges.
The Undercover Millennial Program: Clint's unique research initiative involved going undercover as a young employee to gather authentic insights from over 11,000 employees across 198 organizations. He shares how this program revealed the gaps between leadership perception and employee reality, leading to his book "I Love It Here." This section offers valuable lessons on understanding and improving workplace culture.
Integrating Drumming into Keynotes: Clint seamlessly blends his drumming talent with his speaking engagements, creating a memorable and interactive experience for audiences. He explains the logistics of incorporating live drumming and the impact it has on reinforcing his messages. This part provides inspiration for leveraging unique personal skills to enhance professional presentations.
Creating Value Beyond the Stage: Clint discusses his 52-week Master Class series, which offers micro learnings on employee retention and leadership. He explains the importance of providing ongoing value to clients and creating multiple revenue streams. This section encourages speakers and entrepreneurs to think creatively about extending their impact and offerings.
Learn more about Clint Pulver:
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ABOUT MIC DROP:
Hear from the world’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing tipping point moments, strategies, and approaches that led to their speaking career success. Throughout each episode, host Josh Linkner, #1 Innovation keynote speaker in the world, deconstructs guests’ Mic Drop moments and provides tactical tools and takeaways that can be applied to any speaking business, no matter its starting point. You'll enjoy hearing from some of the top keynote speakers in the industry including: Ryan Estis, Alison Levine, Peter Sheahan, Seth Mattison, Cassandra Worthy, and many more. Mic Drop is sponsored by ImpactEleven.
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Josh Linkner — a New York Times bestselling author — is a rare blend of business, art, and science.
On the business front, he’s been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which created over 10,000 jobs and sold for a combined value of over $200 million. He’s the co-founder and Managing Partner of Muditā (moo-DEE-tah) Venture Partners - an early-stage venture capital firm investing in groundbreaking technologies. Over the last 30 years, he’s helped over 100 startups launch and scale, creating over $1 billion in investor returns. He’s twice been named the EY Entrepreneur of The Year and is the recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award.
While proud of his business success, his roots are in the dangerous world of jazz music. Josh has been playing guitar in smoky jazz clubs for 40 years, studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, and has performed over 1000 concerts around the world. His experiences in both business and music led him to become one of the world’s foremost experts on innovation. Josh
is the co-founder and Chairman of Platypus Labs, a global research, training, and consulting firm. Today, he’s on a mission to help leaders Find A Way™ through creative problem-solving, inventive thinking, and ingenuity.
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Clint Pulver:
The day I quit my job to become a professional speaker was the day I started living.
Josh Linkner:
Hey friends, Josh Linkner here. Delighted to bring you season three of Mic Drop, the number one podcast for professional speakers and thought leaders on the show. We connect with experts at the top of the field unpacking their success to help each of us grow and thrive from elevating your artistry to booking more gigs. Mic Drop is designed to give you the tools and insights you need to reach the next level. Together we'll accelerate the path to growth, success, and most importantly, impact
Sponsor:
The best keynotes, start movements and incite change. And when you couple an electrifying speech with a project that fuels audience engagement, the result is lightning in a bottle. What I'm talking about here is a book that's where our friends at Amplify Publishing Group come in With 20 plus years of experience and hounded by some of the industry's most renowned veterans, including bestselling author and global superstar, Mel Robbins, the team at Amplify knows not only how to produce a fantastic book, but how to leverage that book and make it work for you, your brand and your business. And Amplify not only knows books, they know the world of keynote speaking and thought leadership. Having published CEOs and executives, they take positioning into consideration at every step of the way. Whether you have a one line concept or a comprehensive outline, amplify is ready to work with you. Visit amplify publishing.com/micDrop to schedule an exploratory call and receive an exclusive editorial one pager tailored to your concept. That's amplify publishing.com/micDrop
Josh Linkner:
Today on Mic Drop. I welcome Clint Pulver, a dynamic speaker and former professional drummer to share his incredible journey from the operating room to the main stage. Clint's story is one of transformation, driven by passion to find work that aligns with his three P's, passion, purpose, and the ability to provide from being an orthopedic specialist, feeling trapped in a rinse and repeat routine to becoming a sought after keynote speaker. Clint's leap of faith is nothing short of inspiring. One of the most captivating parts of our conversation is how Clint integrates his drumming skills into his keynotes, creating a unique and unforgettable experience for his audiences. Clint's Undercover millennial program where he went undercover to understand employee satisfaction offers profound insights into leadership and workplace culture. Not to mention selling drumsticks and undercover programs like this are brand new revenue opportunities for each of us to consider as speakers. We also dive into Clint's Masterclass series, 52 Weeks of Micro Learnings designed to keep the message alive long after the keynote. His approach to blending storytelling, music and interactive elements provides a blueprint for aspiring speakers looking to cast a lasting impact. Clint, welcome to Mic Drop.
Clint Pulver:
It's so good to be here, Josh. It's good to see you, man.
Josh Linkner:
You, you too. And, uh, ever since we first chatted years ago, I've just had such an, an affinity to you as a thought leader, as a musician, as a human being, as a dad. I love what you're doing out there in the world, and, and I think you're really making a big impact for those that don't know you as well. Let's start with how did you go from professional drummer to keynote speaker? Maybe tell us about that transition and how being a musician prepared you for this next chapter.
Clint Pulver:
Yeah, so actually the first original dream was to become, uh, a helicopter pilot. I had an eye disease that ruined that whole career for me. Ended up going to college. I was working in the medical field. I worked in the operating room as an orthopedic specialist, absolutely miserable, hated my job. Uh, there was a quote that was shared with me by a mentor in, in college, and the quote was by Oscar Wild. And it, it haunted me every day post-College. And the quote says, to live is the rarest thing in the world for most people merely exist. And for me, at that time in my life, I felt like I was literally just existing every day. It was rinse and repeat, nine to five, doing the same thing. Like, this is just not what I was put on this earth to do. And I sat down with three of my buddies.
We were having dinner one night, all college grads, homies, great friends. And I said, you guys, wouldn't it, wouldn't it be crazy if you could find a job that allowed you to do three things? And I called 'em the three Ps passion, purpose, and the ability to provide like a job that could allow you to do that. And my buddies were like, ah, dude, I don't know. Like, look at a school teacher, you know that it's full of passion and purpose, but every summer they're looking for another job so they can make ends meet or look at, you know, a doctor making all this money and the malpractice and the stress and time away from fa like, I don't know, like what you're asking for is so rare. And it triggered that quo, that quote by Oscar Wilde to live as the rarest thing in the world.
And two weeks after that, I quit my job. And that was seven years ago. And I declared to the world on October 26th that I was going to jump into the world of professional speaking. And I had a little taste of it. I, I gave a talk in church when I was a senior in high school, and there was a guy that owned a leadership consulting company, heard me speak. He came up to me after he said, Hey, I want you to come and speak down in St. George, Utah to a bunch of other high school students. And I kindly just said, no, I'm good. Like, I have no interest in that. And he was like, I'll pay you 500 bucks. And I was like, let's do this. I'm in, let's, let's, let's make this work. And I went down. And that was the spark of a, of a moment in my life besides drumming, besides aviation, where I felt like those three Ps aligned, passion, purpose, and the ability to provide, and that the rest is, is really starting to become history. Man, the day I quit my job to become a professional speaker was the day I started living.
Josh Linkner:
Wow. I, I mean, what a beautiful story. And, and also, I just wanna make sure I get the timing right. So today we're in 2024, so seven years ago is 2017. You quit your job, declared a new profession, had never given a paid keynote, is what I'm understanding you say, or getting a little bit of momentum and just went after it with the same sort of passion and and intensity that you did with drumming. Is that, am I getting that right? Yeah,
Clint Pulver:
100%. Yeah. I, I mean, music and I had a, you know, that was a part of my, my life, but I didn't want to be a touring musician on the road. I wanted to be a kind of a family man and be home and a little more present. And yeah, man, this just checked off all the boxes. It's been an amazing ride. Wow.
Josh Linkner:
So, so seven years again, that, that's a, you know, a snap that, that's a fast time, especially when you consider Covid in the middle of it. And today you have a rocking speaking practice, you're speaking all over the world, wild success with your book. Maybe give us a sense of what your speaking practice like today, however you wanna describe kind of where, where you're at, uh, currently.
Clint Pulver:
Yeah, so I'm an employee retention expert. I have, God, it's been six and a half years now. So right after I quit my job, I started a research project called the Undercover Millennial, uh, program. And I'm a millennial, that's a generation I was born in. And I was young enough to where I would go undercover into organizations as a young person looking for a job. And we've worked with Go 198 different organizations and I've interviewed over 11,000 employees undercover. And we wrote a pretty cool book that I'm proud of, called, I Love It Here. And it was all about how great leaders created organizations that their people never wanted to leave. And so we go in and we help organizations to, to create that, a place that people don't just survive at work, but they actually thrive. And then we involve music and the ideology of mentorship. And my life was changed by a great mentor who gave me a pair of drumsticks that changed my life. And we incorporate that whole experience. And literally in a matter of, of 20 seconds, the entire audience, it doesn't matter if it's 600 or 6,000 people, we transform into a live interactive drumline experience that's unlike anything that is out there in the world of speaking.
Josh Linkner:
A couple observations, just in that short response about the clarity that you have, you were very clear what you talk about, which is, uh, you know, retention. You talk about this notion, the, the value proposition you tease out, get people who want, who wanna work in a place they love. You talk about what the impact that you create and even the experience and like, and, and, and it wasn't rehearsed, it just sounded really natural. But in 45 seconds, you communicated a lot of value and clarity. And I think for those of us, whether we're experiencing in our practice or, or just launching, um, that's the type of clarity that cuts through the market noise. And that's the type of clarity that that sells. How's your speaking practice in 2024? How, how are things going?
Clint Pulver:
It's been amazing. We're having our best, our best year yet. Last year was a record breaking year, and this year we are going to surpass that, which I'm very grateful for. Um, I have an amazing team behind me. It's not all me. I don't, I don't know of any successful speaker that's done it on their own. And it is a, it is a, uh, a tribe of amazing people that have supported me and a great management team, and we're very blessed and very grateful.
Josh Linkner:
So approximately how many keynotes do you expect to do this year?
Clint Pulver:
Yeah, so for me, this, this year we'll do 55. That's it. Yeah, that's 50 like my number. But we'll end up doing about 55.
Josh Linkner:
So 50 is your number to do 55. So now question if you create more demand than 55. 'cause I think there's a lot of people that wanna hear you speak and you're wonderful on stage and such. I know you're also a deeply committed family man. Yeah. Um, what happens if you get off for 56 or offer 83? Like, do you start to say no? How do you, how do you, how are you managing it personally in the context of your beautiful family?
Clint Pulver:
Yep, yep. So we have a cutoff that this is, this is the, this is the number, this is the, you know, the, this current chapter that my family is in. And sorry, we're, we're booked out for the year and let's look at next year. Let's look at your, your, your next year's conference. And yeah, that's our hard line.
Josh Linkner:
When you and I have talked before, you talked about your family a lot. I've seen you post a lot online. But maybe just share with those listeners today, what is, what is that like, can tell us a little bit about the, the makeup of your family. 'cause I think a lot of people are struggling with the same thing. They wanna have a successful practice, they wanna make money, they wanna create impact, and they wanna every now and then make it home for a t-ball game. So what, what is the, what's your family like for, for those that don't know you as
Clint Pulver:
Well? Yeah, and my speaking business has transformed through that process as my family has grown. Uh, it, it's interesting because on October 26th, that was the day when I quit my job. It was actually the day when Kelly and I went on our first date
I did 112 events in the youth market. Uh, and that's where I started. And it was so fun because Kelly and I, at the time, we, we, we, we'd mark it in Hawaii,
Josh Linkner:
Yeah, I, I'm with you. I mean, as you know, I'm a family guy. I have four kiddos myself. And, uh, it, it's always a hard balance. I mean, there's no easy answer, but I really admire and respect that you're drawing some lines that are, that, that feel right to you and your family. And you, you're, you're got a lot of years ahead of you. You're gonna get to all those gigs, but, you know, you gotta make sure you're, you're there for your kids. And I really admire that about you. Um, back back to your drumming. So I play jazz guitars, you know, we've chatted about this before you, you're an incredible drummer. And there are many speakers that have sort of some unusual talent or skill, maybe that was their previous profession. Not all of them use it on stage. In my case, I played guitar maybe 5% of the time. I do a keynote, sort of an upcharge. I use jazz as a living, uh, metaphor for innovation, but I don't, I don't do it all the time. I wanna ask you about how you're using drums. So is it every keynote? Do you like mechanically? Do you ship all this gear? Like, what's that? Like, what's the experience like? So maybe just help us understand how you've integrated your other passion music and drumming into your keynote and, and what we can learn from that for other speakers that also have a special talent.
Clint Pulver:
So as a young kid, I had a hard time sitting still. I still have a hard time sitting still. And I just always moved. And every saw, everybody saw this problem, this issue. And I had an educator who was my teacher, Mr. Jensen, who said, listen, I kid, I don't, I don't, I don't think it's a problem. I I I just think you're a drummer. Changed my life, gave me my very first pair of drumsticks. And I tell that story, third person from from the stage, the drums are up behind me. They're covered with two big black sheets. There's no real connection to me in the keynote. They don't know that I'm a drummer. And then I reveal that I'm the kid in the story. And then we reveal the drums and I sit down and for man, six, six to seven minutes, we just rock the house.
And it's, and it's important too, at least for me to not be the hero of your own story. I'm showcasing a talent and something that over years I've developed, but it was because of one person who created a moment that allowed me to live a better story, which is the foundation of what I teach and what I talk about and what my research supports. And so it is a, a catalyst, a tool to creating this experience that influences people. And then it's one thing to show people, it's one thing to inspire people. It's another thing to actively get them involved in, in the experience. And that's where the drum line comes into play. We customize drumsticks. My, my, my business, uh, revolves around really four things. So keynotes, the book Drumstick Sells, and then my masterclass series. So four real, uh, key substantial product offerings, uh, that, you know, I, you hear the add old that, that the age old adage of, you know, how do you, how do you kill three birds with one stone,
And I guess the, the, the thought that we've had is how do we take down the whole flock
Josh Linkner:
I love it because you're, you're, you're combining passions. You're showing something that's unique and distinctive to you, so that's not something another speaker could replicate. And, and also that you're doing it in service of your audience and, and also in service of humility, like you said, you're not the hero of your own story. It's one thing to say, Hey, look at me. Look what I can do on guitar, you could say, look what I can do on drums. But if you're doing it not out of, uh, boost your ego, but out of service to those in front of you, out of generosity and kindness as an example for them not, not showcasing your what you can do, um, I, I love that, that that's, and I, I can see why people keep, keep bringing you back. That's fricking awesome, man.
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Josh Linkner:
So I, I also wanted to explore a little bit, you know, you mentioned this masterclass series I was preparing for today, and I just, I was already a super fan of yours, and then I like went down this rabbit, I'm an even bigger super fan. So you have this 52 weeks of micro learnings, um, and you created your own masterclass. Can you walk us through what that's all about, how you offer it? Maybe the price point? 'cause I think a lot of speakers, me included, are saying, how can I monetize expertise in more ways than stand and deliver on stage? And even more than monetizing, how, how can I create more value and impact in the world? Tell us about your masterclass series.
Clint Pulver:
Yeah, so the, the goal was how do we keep the message alive? And I would always ask after a, an event had booked me, we're on the call, we're talking about the event. I would just say, what's the goal to keep the momentum going forward? How to keep this happening and, and, and implementation, right? And most organizations will say, we have no idea
And the market after every keynote for the most part, would say, how do we get more? Do you have keynote number two? What's keynote number three? And so to create this value, we created a 52 video masterclass series. And the reason why it's 52 videos is because there's 52 weeks in a year. I love micro learning. I do not wanna sit down and watch a video course that is 27, 30 minutes, even 10 minutes long. It's too long at, for me, that's silver bullet in my speaking business. Still to this day, uh, I can trace over now $3.5 million to this one video, and it's called Be a Mr. Jensen on YouTube. It has over 9 million videos, uh, 9 million views across all the platforms. Uh, it costs me like 17, $1,700 to create that video. And I, I, I've video fired my story. Every keynote speaker has a story, a signature story, something they're known for, something that they talk about.
I just video fied it and I made it short. I made it quality and I made it moving. And that video still to this day, is, is the number one keynote generator in my business. And I took that idea and I made 52 more of them. And I took my book and I broke it down into five to six minute videos. And it's an idea, here's the one thing that you can do to create better employee retention. Here's one thing you can do to connect with your people. Here's one thing that you can do to move the needle forward. And, and then also along with that, another product offering, we created the workbook. So we created a, a full curriculum that goes hand in hand with the masterclass series. And it's a one-time licensing fee that we sell to the client before I get on stage and speak.
We send them four sample videos. They get to really experience it, we'll send them the, so they can see the curriculum, and we let them know that this is theirs. You get to make it your own. And again, it creates this momentum. And then we also talk about the idea that, could you imagine after, after the, the, the, the standing ovation, everybody's on fire. That was the best keynote experience we have ever had for the CEO or the president to get up on stage after that and go, guess what? We care about you. We care about this organization and we care about your growth as leaders. We have invested in every single one of you with Clint's Masterclass. It is in your email right now. We are beginning this as an institution, as a business to help you to succeed. The immediate buy-in that, that creates, and, and we talk about that experience.
And it's been so fulfilling to see amazing organizations continuing the message. 'cause that's a big pet peeve of mine as a speaker. We come in, we do our thing, and then a week goes by, two weeks goes by, and as the value really sustained. And so this has been something that has just been a major passion project and an incredible revenue, uh, another great revenue stream in our business that took me four years, took me four years to create all of this. I wanted to do it right. This is not a talking head. It's not some weird, it's not a, it's not even a course. It's, it's, I video fired the book. I video fired the, the, the, the stories. And I think we've created something that is very distinctive, uh, very different and disruptive in our industry. And the market has proven that to be a valuable thing for us. So
Josh Linkner:
It, it, it's so good. Just a couple reflections then. A tactical question. Um, your comment on listening to the market is something I think many speakers miss. They, they think that they are their own audience, which is a miss of any product development specialist. They listen to their own speaker buddies, which it could be, you know, have some biases and they don't listen to the market. And I, I think you're doing a brilliant job of it. The second thing I just love is that, um, by the way, if, if you haven't, if you're listening, you haven't seen the Mr. Jensen video, check it out. I saw it years ago, probably. I don't remember what, when you launched it, what did I do immediately? Of course, I'm moved in touch and I got a tear on my eye and I share it with Tia, my wife, and she shares with six people.
So, so again, the, the, it was, it was brilliantly executed, but it was such high quality that it did, it made you wanna share it. And of course, that's why there's, there's so many views and it's led to so much business of yours. So I think there's some really tangible takeaways for us on the, um, masterclass. Again, brilliant. You're helping them make the right decision. You're even helping them roll it out. The CEO follows you on stage. You get, you get the excitement of the moment and it translates into ongoing learning. A absolutely brilliantly. Well done. Can you share, for those of us speakers that are considering something similar, you mentioned it's driven a lot of revenue, whatever you're comfortable, like it, what, what is the price point that an organization pays after the keynote to, to participate in the masterclass?
Clint Pulver:
Yep. So it's 20 5K if they purchase it before I speak, and then it's 30 K if they purchase it after I speak.
Josh Linkner:
So Good. So you're giving them incentive to buy it early and and also giving that beautiful opportunity to share it right then in the moment with their audience.
Clint Pulver:
That's right. And it's a lifetime license. I don't charge per seat. I don't follow up. There is no like year renewal. It's just, here you go. This is the value, make it your own. And then we sell the workbooks for $17 a workbook.
Josh Linkner:
Hmm. So good. So good, man. Um, the other thing that you launched, and I think it's a standalone product, although I wanted to ask you about, this is your undercover millennial. So I know that you, uh, you you launched this, but is that, is that an add-on service the way that the, um, uh, match classes?
Clint Pulver:
Yep. Yep. We don't do it as much anymore. I, I don't actually even market it anymore 'cause I don't wanna do it anymore. It was so much work. It was so much time. There's so much that goes into that. I'm grateful that I did because it allowed me to write a, a, a perennial seller, a really great book, a management classic that I'm proud of, but it's also a lot of work. And I'm at a chapter in my life where, and even now, I would go, if a company booked me tomorrow to do that, I would probably find the same findings that I found in the other 198 organizations that we've worked with. And so do I get asked to do it? Yes. Is the fee extremely high? Yes,
Josh Linkner:
Totally fair. And I, I honor that. Take us back though. 'cause not everyone knows about it. I just learned about it, honestly. Yeah. So what, what, what is the undercover millennial? What, or what was it I should say? How, how'd you market it? What'd you charge? Like, just give us a sense of, and and what the value was. I saw the video that you created, which I thought was brilliant, but for those that haven't heard about it, just give, give us a sense of it.
Clint Pulver:
So I was a part of a mastermind group and we were with other CEOs and executives and we would go at different times in the year and travel to different parts of the country and learn about other CEOs and executives that were crushing it. We were in New York City and there was a guy that owned a large sporting good retail store talking about his business, talking about how you gotta adapt or die and all the innovation. And I just casually just asked a question. I said, I'm just curious, do you feel like the way you manage your employees today is the same way that you manage them 20 years ago? And he, he fired back and he goes, nah, he is, nah, there's no need to change. He's like, the way I did it 20 years ago, I do the same thing today. And I get results, like pretty like bold, uh, profound statement.
And myself being a younger millennial, uh, I, I just, I don't know, kinda was a little off-putting. I just, and I thought to myself, I said, Josh, wouldn't it be crazy? You know, as I looked around, you know, I wonder if they would say the same thing all of his employees, 'cause we're in his store. And so I thank the guy for his time. We had like 45 minutes to kill until our ride was gonna, he kind of ended early. We just had time to kill. I had nothing else better to do. So I just walked up to one of his employees. I literally looked how I look right now. I have a hoodie on a backwards hat. I'm just a customer. I walk up to the employee and I just said, Hey, I'm just, I'm just kinda curious what's it like to work here?
And the employee got quiet, kind of looked around, it felt like an illegal drug exchange.
And to go, Hey, listen, Doug, I think this could help you. You know, every time we win as a team, you take all the credit, or every time we lose, you blame everybody else. Like, employees aren't gonna say that, but they'll, they'll tell, they'll tell somebody like me. And it was, it was this cool unique opportunity that because of my age and because of how I dressed and how I looked and the approach I was taking, I was able to find information out and really capture the truth in a way that changed the attitudes and behaviors and mindsets of leaders in organizations. So we started with local community chapters and chapter organizations, um, here in the state of Utah. And I started with, with 12 of those, and I did it for free. And at the time we would take in hidden cameras and we'd blur out people and we'd make little highlight videos that I would then go and then train the management on what I found and what I talked about. And then over time we're just continued to spread that there was this kid in Utah doing this really unique thing, and it was just helping businesses to really open the eyes of some toxicity and some things that needed to change. And here we are today. So
Josh Linkner:
It's so good, man. And I know you said you for family reasons, you don't wanna do it that much anymore. But, um, when you were doing it as a, as an add-on service, can you give us a sense of, you know, how did that work economically?
Clint Pulver:
Yeah, so it would depend, it always depended on how long I needed to do it for. Uh, it depended on how many states I needed to to cover. Um, it also depended on how much of a team I needed to hire. Like I would, we, we did some in the beauty world, like I'm not walking into some of these beauty places as someone who's looking for a job, it just didn't fit. So I needed to hire female undercover millennials to go in and to do that. And so it totally, it totally ranged from doing it for free to I think our, our biggest contract, uh, for, for doing the undercover millennial program. God, that was three years ago, and it was like over, over a hundred, a hundred k to go do that. So it just depended. Yeah,
Josh Linkner:
I just, how you're pushing the boundaries, man. Like you're, you're adding real value, you're doing it out of service and you're creating additional non-traditional revenue streams as the thought leader. So it's like a double win. I mean, it's a win for you and your family, but, but I know that it's coming first from a place of, of service and your heart, which is to serve, uh, those clients and help make a difference in their businesses and lives. It's just, just really, really good.
Clint Pulver:
Thank you, Josh. I appreciate it. It's been a lot of hard work. It's been a, and again, a tribe of mentors. I cannot leave this conversation without shouting out other amazing speakers that have come before me that expedited my success. I think everybody should do whatever it takes to associate with the astonishing people in this industry. And it's, it's beautiful what you're doing with, with the organization that you've created with Impact 11. Like that stuff matters because it was so much of the other speakers that were moving and grooving and doing amazing things. It sparked all of the ideas and the possibilities of what I've been able to accomplish. And so, yeah, it's a, there's a, there's many people to be thanked in this journey.
Josh Linkner:
It's really funny you said that 'cause that's exactly where I wanted to go because I was thinking about you and as a drummer, I'm sure you studied the masters, you know, you know, that came before you and you learn, you know, to first you replicate and then you develop your own style and voice. And as you are, you know, now deep into a speaking career at an incredible pace, um, I was curious, who are some of those heroes in the speaking industry that you, uh, studied, that you learned from, and maybe what are some of the core, you know, those nuggets that you, you learned from one person or another that you've applied and helped you grow your own practice?
Clint Pulver:
Yeah, that's a great, that's a great question. Um, Jason Hewlett was one of the very first people that believed in me that literally as I, he was one of the people that I called, didn't really know him that well. I messaged him on Facebook. I said, Hey, I, I, I'm, I'm in my job. I'm thinking about quitting. Can I talk to you? And he was the person that reminded me of the importance of, of staying sensitive. Like, like stay, stay sensitive in this industry because my dad always taught me, you learn, you earn and you return in your life. You're gonna learn some things you're gonna earn, whether it's monetarily, emotionally spill, you're gonna earn something, but never forget to return. And, and I've had a policy throughout my whole career that I'm, I, I still try to uphold. And it's that everybody deserves a phone call.
Every, you know, if anybody reaches out to me, Instagram, LinkedIn, social, you know, Hey, I'm just thinking about becoming a speaker. I'm thinking about doing this like they deserve a phone call. I'm happy to get on a phone call. And, and yes, that is consumed a lot of my time
The kids taught me how to speak. I call it the raptors cage. If you can go and for 45 minutes in a gym with a crappy sound system surrounded by 3000 seniors in high school, dude, if you can do that, you can do anything. And they taught me how to be funny. They taught me how to engage. They taught me how to tell stories. And I love that Mark came from that pedigree. And then he transitioned from educ into speaking to educators like I still do. I love my heart. I have a special place in my heart for educators. And then he transitioned into corporate and rocks it to this day as a great corporate speaker. And, uh, same thing. I flew to, uh, the first NSA influence event of my life to literally just meet Mark Sharon Brock. And he gave me his time. We sat down and he just poured into me.
And one thing too that I think is important with this, Josh, that I want to add as I'm talking about great mentors is, is the ability of just a little bit of generosity, gratitude. You know, there's a lot of people that will ask in this business, there's a lot of takers in this business, and I, I've strived to man, if anybody gives me a little bit of their time, like I was the king at the time of the Jamba Juice gift card,
Josh Linkner:
It's funny, like just getting to know you more as, as you, the way you show up. People want help. Because if you're coming up, showing up as selfish, arrogant, boastful, condescending, know it all, everyone thinks you're a horrible perch. They don't even want talk to you. But when you show up like Clint Pulver, who is warm and generous and kind and, and serving others, you know, everyone wants to jump in and help you. And I think, like, you know, the gift card is, is just a manifestation of the way you're showing up. And I think when people show up in the world with that sense of true humility and grace and contribution, uh, the world has a way of taking care of them. And I, I'm, I'm certainly, uh, pleased that it, that it has for you as, as we kinda wrap up our conversation, I wanna ask you, you have a mantra, and I'll read it. It's, it's not about being the best in the world, it's about being the best for the world. Think it's along those same lines, but can you unpack this a little bit for us? What does that mean to you and how did you choose that as your kind of calling card mantra?
Clint Pulver:
Yeah. Out of all of the interviews that I conducted undercover, you know, no, nobody ever really, when I would say, what's it like to work here? And they would respond with, you know, I love it here. I love where I work. And I'd say Why? Nobody ever said, you know, our company, I just, I'll never leave 'cause we're so good at time management
And for me, it's never been about being the best speaker in the world. I've just, I've strived to be the best speaker for the world, to be the best speaker for my clients, to be the best speaker mentor for that other speaker that's gonna come. But you know, after me, uh, you know, the best person on this podcast, I, and I think striving for significance in your life versus success, that's what people remember. That's what people talk about. That's what makes people stay. That's what makes people at the end of a workday. Uh, they go home better moms, and they go home better dads. And we create better families. It's not about being the best in the world, it's about being the best for the world. And it's what I strive to live and breathe and become every day.
Josh Linkner:
What a beautiful place to end the conversation. Uh, Clint, thank you for your inspiration for us all. Uh, thank you for showing what can be done in the business, both on and off the stage in terms of both impact and, and practice growth. Uh, thank you for showing up with such kindness and generosity and contribution being the best for the world. I loved how your dad said you, you learn, you earn and you return. And you, my friend, are doing all three of those for us. Thank you, Clint, for joining us and wishing you continued success, uh, in your incredible career.
Clint Pulver:
Thank you, Josh. It's been a pleasure.
Josh Linkner:
As I wrap my conversation with Clint, I'm reminded of the profound impact that one person can have, especially when they're living in alignment with their passion, purpose, and profession. Clint's path from operating room to the stage underscores the importance of listening to your inner voice, taking bold steps to lead a more fulfilling life and make an impact on others. I just loved when Clint shared how his mentors, simple gesture of giving him a pair of drumsticks changed his entire life. Just think about the opportunity for each of us as a keynote speaker, to pass those proverbial drumsticks to our audiences, Clint's insights into employee retention and the importance of creating workplace where people love where they work. It's really invaluable. And I loved his undercover millennial program, not only because it was cool and helpful to his clients, but it really opens up all of our minds as keynote speakers about exploring new ways to reach the market, new ways to drive impact, and of course, new ways to create revenue. Thanks for tuning into Mic Drop, and I hope Clint continues to rock it out there. I know he will, and I hope that we're all gonna continue to beat to the sound of our own drums.
Thanks so much for joining me on another episode of Mic Drop. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows. If you love the show, please share it with your friends and don't forget to give us a five star review. For show transcripts and show notes, visit mike drop podcast.com. I'm your host, Josh Linkner. Thanks so much for listening, and here's to your next mic drop moment.