In today’s episode, Lorie chats with Betty Sanders, a trailblazing force in trucking. Learn how she delicately balances career, family, and health.
Discover Betty’s practical approaches to thriving within a challenging industry and how foresight and reflection contribute to her business acumen. She’ll share insights on the nuances of financial management and the essentials of cultivating a strong company culture.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain from Betty’s experiences on Fearless Females.
Show Highlights:
- From an organic start in male-dominated trucking to a female business success. [00:04:01]
- Discover priority areas for holistic life balance. [00:06:28]
- How to build a business plan you can trust. [00:09:36]
- The power of taking calculated risks. [00:14:15]
- Learn to navigate a work partnership with your spouse. [00:15:33]
- Tips for hiring the right employees regret-free. [00:21:16]
- Why one size doesn’t fit all with business size. [00:22:35]
- Do this to prepare for a business rainy day. [00:24:53]
- Find out if your passion attracts business hotspots. [00:28:57]
For more information or to connect Betty Sanders, go to: https://www.rmtcompanies.com/
If you enjoyed this episode, please go to Apple Podcasts and leave a review!
For more information about Lorie Jones, go to http://fearless-females.com/.
00:01.00
Betty
Turns out, it's you're into you know hundreds of dollars and then it turns into thousands you know and then it you know tens that so the numbers don't seem as scary I guess is what I'm trying to tell you you know what? I'm saying.
00:12.25
loriejones7
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that it. Yeah, that's actually something I think that would be really interesting to go into is just you know that that it feels so scary at the beginning when you're looking at like pennies and train to you know make. Payroll work when when year to the next but it just it explodes so fast that.
00:37.71
Betty
Yeah, it does I mean and if you're on the right path if you're on the path of you know what? you really should be doing what you love to be doing. It doesn't really seem like work. Um, and god provides you know so I'm Christian and I'm you know I'm not afraid to tell people that and. And I really think that sometimes we would not have made it if I didn't have faith. You know? Ah yeah.
00:59.43
loriejones7
What yeah I but ah I've got 5 kids and basically made it on a wing and a prayer some some weeks that was not was not that easy. So I am yeah yeah, we um.
01:08.73
Betty
Yeah, now are you are You are you still married though. Oh yeah.
01:17.56
loriejones7
I spent the first oh 12 to 15 years raising kids full time. So I was at home with my kids and my husband was bringing in the salary and he worked as a mechanic um and then as a service advisor and so it wasn't. Ah, wasn't a great salary. So yeah, it was. It was just hard I feel like it took a village some some weeks some months some years I feel like without i.
01:37.73
Betty
Yeah I is.
01:49.11
loriejones7
You know there's kind of the same way. You just said with with your business sometimes I just bill without God We wouldn't have made it.
01:54.23
Betty
Yeah, and you know I think you know it's hard to tell people that people are so um, spiritually disconnected I mean there are still some that are but it's not like when our parents grew up where you know. It was just natural to thank everybody had a relationship with God you know? So um, yeah, it's just kind of difference but the big difference and I think you know when you get down. It's easier to go to him and say hey what the heck you know, help me with this right and give me some better.
02:28.93
loriejones7
Um, ah.
02:30.62
Betty
As and you know I don't always rely on self because that's not not the way I live. So yeah.
02:35.71
loriejones7
Yeah, well, um, if it's all right? We'll go ahead and get started and um I'm just going to I'll kind of go through these questions and then I'll introduce you betty is it Betty Sanders or Saunders or is am I pronouncing it right.
02:44.92
Betty
Okay.
02:51.67
Betty
Sanders Sanders yeah
02:53.58
loriejones7
Sanders. Okay, perfect and then RMTInc is um.
03:00.92
Betty
Well, it's a rocky mountain transload. So that's what the rmt stands for so RMt companies is kind of what we go by now. Ah as we vision. So um, we.
03:15.34
loriejones7
And um, what what's your title there. Okay or perfect. Um and it it sounds like we've got just a teeny tiny bit of lag between us So I'll try in.
03:18.13
Betty
Yeah, we have I'm vice president or to.
03:32.60
loriejones7
Give you just a few minutes to finish up your thoughts and then start talking because it it feels like there's just a little bit of lag. Yeah, but that works it's fine. So um, well thank you for joining us today. We've got Betty Saunders she's
03:38.78
Betty
Okay, yeah, because I'm doing this from my cell phone.
03:50.63
loriejones7
Vice president of rocky mountain translode and I'm so excited to get to chat with you today Betty. But thank you so much for making the time I appreciate it. So my first question is always the same I am a reader I love to read.
03:59.27
Betty
Thank you for having me.
04:08.44
loriejones7
Um, and I'm always looking for good suggestions. Do you have a favorite book.
04:12.32
Betty
Well I I've recently gotten into a lot of Jonathan Khan books and he has a lot of the one that I like with the paradigm I mean he's got a lot a lot of books talking about what's going on you know in the world and. Given me a ah broader perspective you know and I'm primarily a christian base look at it too.
04:37.65
loriejones7
Oh that's interesting I haven't even heard of that one so I'll have to'll have to take a look and see at at Jonathan Con you said C H.
04:48.61
Betty
P A H n So ah, he was a jew and then he's now converted. He's Christian so.
04:55.40
loriejones7
So interesting that must have been an interesting trek for him too.
05:01.28
Betty
Yeah up his books. He's got a bunch of he has ah the hobbinger one it. He's got a bunch of books and they're a really good read.
05:09.22
loriejones7
Well I'll check it out so um, trucking rocky mountain translode I understand you do like the last mile or the last couple miles between the well. I'll let you explain it. Betty. What's it. What do you do there.
05:25.13
Betty
Okay, okay, so our company what we do is We do do the last mile so we do have we have sites that train cars come in and for train car there.
05:40.14
loriejones7
Um.
05:43.58
Betty
It actually is 1 tractor trailer worth of stuff so most of the stuff that we deal is aggregate so it's bulk so we do ah we've done fracsam. We do de icer for the airport. We do malt barley for the brew companies that are around. We do plastic pellets. Um, so anyway when so we they bring a train in and then we have our own trucks and then we load them into trailers and then we take the product to the customer because most customers do not have rail. Facilities. They don't have rail to their places but they do have silos so that's what we do so that is that's the trucking and the trans load kind of combined in our little niche.
06:30.00
loriejones7
How did you get on that journey. That's ah, that's a pretty male dominated industry right? there. How do you? How do you make it to treking.
06:41.11
Betty
So my husband ah worked for an industrial minerals company. Um, as you know Colorado is pretty. They do a lot of fracking here or they did for you know while roll down a little bit. Ah but it will pick back up again and um. So he ended up. He used to go out and try to find people to set up sites so that they have a place to bring heat. They find the rail and then they go find people to to manage it and he did that when he was single. And then when we finally we got married and then we decided we were gonna have a family then he then I said well why don't we do one of those and he said well yeah, there's no reason why we can't so he was in the right place at the right time and then he asked if we could take over and do one. And they said yes and um, this was thirty years ago they actually gave us a loan of like $50000 to get started um by a truck and kind of get going so he was his own first employee and then um.
07:44.45
loriejones7
Um.
07:52.50
Betty
I ended up I was gonna be I was gonna be doing um some of the billing and stuff for so and then we ended up, you know it. It worked out really well because then we had children and I was able to stay at but at the house and then do the bookkeeping from there and then eventually we got you know we got more sites. And we started doing different products other than just frax and and yeah now we probably have about 45 employees that work for us Now. So um, yeah, So it's been a blessing get big. Yeah.
08:20.61
loriejones7
Um, it got big quick. How um did you ever drive a truck.
08:33.61
Betty
I've been in them. But no I haven't driven them. No but I could if I wanted to right now before when they first did trucks. They were all um you know 16 gears now most of the trucks that that we get. They're all Automatic. So if I want to drive around the Yard. You know I You know if you can't really go out on the road unless you have a Cdl but um, if I wanted to drive around our yard I could do that. But yeah, it's yeah the trucks have changed a lot.
08:56.54
loriejones7
Her Oh I'm so fascinated. Those things are so big I can barely drive my teeny little car but manage not to hit things So I'm always fascinated. So what do you think.
09:09.76
Betty
Yeah, yeah, so yeah.
09:15.40
loriejones7
And looking back on your journey is there an investment that you made in yourself that really kind of led to your success or that you were like oh I'm so glad I did that.
09:28.52
Betty
Well, you know with starting your own business.. There's always a lot of ups and downs and uncertainty. So Um, I've made it a point to one you know it's you know, not only just you know, mentally trying to figure out what to do. But you know spiritually too and also physically so you have to kind of realize that you've got all these pieces and you need to take care of everything. So um, you know when the uncertainty comes and I'm you know I'm in the spiritual stuff. But you know what I got to get my body keep going So I and really should have you know exercise or some sort of routine to keep my body going especially now that I'm older. Um you know it if you don't use it. You lose it and so you better move it right? So um. That that always has helped so I would just say just try to be Balanced. It's not all about the work. Um, and if you pray about it that'll provide.. That's one key.
10:34.41
loriejones7
But that was the word I was thinking of was balance when you were talking about that. That's really really hard to do especially in today's world it's really fast paceced and a lot of times. Um, they reward you for overwork and out of balance lives. So. How do you keep that balance.
10:54.18
Betty
Well when you're own. Bos you have a you have a little more control over it. Um, and then when you get kids you know as trying to be a mom. You always want to give give give but you know you can't give unless you're full yourself so you really have to try to. To figure out whether or not you have to get up earlier in the morning you know before the kids we used to do that a lot before the kids got up or got out the door just to try to fit that all in and you know what I think your family will respect that once they realize you've made it a priority for yourself.
11:26.17
loriejones7
That they kind of try and help out So what is the worst advice someone ever gave you on this journey and did you take it.
11:30.49
Betty
Yeah, yeah.
11:44.57
Betty
What is the worst advice. Yeah, just to wing it. You know you just? yeah it. It's it's kind of hard to um, yeah to just just let things roll I Mean. It's easier I Think if you have a plan um and some happen. But um I Just think for me, you know I Just like God guide you know I pray about everything so you know and not everybody believes that works for them. But it does for me. Um, and if I just trust that God's going to get put me in the right place at the right time and um things will things will work out and that's another thing if you're spiritually connected. You have hope and you don't fear and those are good qualities to have especially if you've got kids right? you trying to teach them. You know it is a scary world out there right now there is a lot of evil and bad things going on but you've just got to trust that you know you're protected and you're be guided and and he'll direct you and if you ask you have to ask? you can't just expect because it just doesn't happen Unless. You're willing to put the time in that too. Also.
13:00.59
loriejones7
So what? how would you say you came up with the plan though it like to you said you need to have a plan like did you? How did you get the plan in the first place.
13:14.70
Betty
Well see. We had all right? So when my husband got he was going to be doing a facility I mean we had a product right? that we were moving and they need for it. But then he was like ok well.
13:29.10
loriejones7
Um.
13:32.62
Betty
We can't just rely on um oil and gas right? It's oil and gas related fracking right? So he's like we need to diversify So Now What other products can we do So You just kind of expand off of what you've already got started. That will actually would be a easy bring alongside of what you're doing and realize that there is a chance for the ups and the downs and so what we ended Up. He said all right? Well then we need to find another facility that has rail because that's what we do.
14:00.72
loriejones7
Um.
14:09.80
Betty
And we can't transload if we don't have Ray a for right? a place where the trains come into and so then he's like all right? Well what other products well when he was looking at facilities. This other facility did mal barley and malt barley is used in making beer. Well there is a lot of. Places in Colorado that did all these brew places. So we're like all right? Well then you know maybe that would be worth doing and then um and this other customers. So we ended up. We bought an existing business to bring alongside of what we had started with the sand and that just kind of them from there. They also did plastic pellets and um, which I didn't know what plastic pellets were used for and so you actually you learn along the way and you know your the bags that you put your flowers in at the grocery store those plastic bags that wasn't made from plastic pellets. And then also you know your packing tape like it when you want to do ah the clear tape to close up a box that you're going to ship out that's to so there's yeah I mean there's just different you like what and I'm like yeah I didn't know that either right? and um.
15:16.63
loriejones7
Um, ah.
15:25.26
Betty
So that's kind of how you kind of try to build off of what you know? um and what will fit into your wheelhouse.
15:35.56
loriejones7
So Did you? um, did you come up with these ideas before they were needed or was it like a there was a problem and you were like hey we see this coming down the pike we got to make a change like um proactive planning is so. And usual.
15:53.61
Betty
Yeah, well what ended up happening is is when we first started we started in January January Nineteenth was our anniversary for 30 years um we ended up the first two months were really did really well and then as. It happens and it's kind of right now. The oil gas industry kind of went in the toilet sort of like oh now, what are we gonna do right? So then that's kind of when you're like it's you either. You're either gonna do it or you got to do something else and.
16:22.91
loriejones7
So.
16:26.81
Betty
Oh um, that's where we really realized we can't rely on one commodity because that's what we do. We do a lot of aggregate stuff. We move a lot of aggregate. Um, so we're like okay because there's cycles. That's even like we've done we do de icer for the airport.
16:36.48
loriejones7
Um.
16:44.79
Betty
Well right now is a good time because it's winner. But if we don't get any snow. It doesn't move right? So that's kind of where you kind of build knowing that something's not always forever.
16:57.98
loriejones7
Yeah, that's it's interesting that you guys are able to pivot. Um is that was that because you were a small business that you were able to pivot so well or um, just because you it sounds like you've got a lot of curiosity and think.
17:14.28
Betty
Hell there's um, when you're the boss. You know it's with my husband and I that own the business. Um, we you know you can easily it's you don't have all the red tape right? if you're in a big corporation. Um, so we can kind of say yeah we think that's worth worth it.
17:24.37
loriejones7
Are.
17:31.84
Betty
I mean we ended up. Um, when we first started we had to use our home equity loan on our house to keep going when the oil and gas industry went to the toilet and we're like what the heck are we doing but we trusted the plan right. So and then eventually it turned that cycle. It turned around and then we were able to you know hire somebody else to help my husband because he was actually doing the physical work too. You know and he was living we were living in Littleton at that time I just had a baby. And he was driving all the way up to like Brighton, you know every day to do work. You know so he'd leave at like six o'clock in the morning I wouldn't see him to you know 7 eight o'clock at night so you know at first when you start it's rough. But then you get a little smarter along the way and you just you try to be a little more proactive in it because you don't want to be working like that forever.
18:29.89
loriejones7
Yeah, that must have been scary taking out a home equity loan.
18:36.81
Betty
Yeah, but you know we've tried yeah but in what we were doing there. We saw that there was a need to do it and that um, there. Yeah, as long as you can see that you eventually there's an end user then you can you don't mind taking a little bit more of a risk because you know that ah it ah eventually it it. It will pay off and if you don't take the risk you don't get the Reward. You have to be willing.
19:00.76
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
19:09.50
Betty
To take a little bit of a risk now I'm not saying you have to you know, go into foreclosure or anything but you know if it had gotten to the point where it wasn't really gonna it what the the the industry wasn't going to turn around then we would have been like hay by the way. In fact, my it was so funny. When it did go in the toilet. My husband tried selling funeral plans alongside trying why it was all like nothing was going on. Oh my gosh and I was selling pamper chef at you know and I could go out at night if he'd come home I could go out at night. And that was you know thirty years ago pamper check was pretty popular or not you know? Um, so we did that I mean you just make you just do whatever you got to do at the time.
19:53.48
loriejones7
Yeah, yeah, that's interesting. Um, what about regrets. Do you have a situation as you look back on it where you wish you really wish you would have done it differently and and did you learn something.
20:09.35
Betty
Yeah I mean I would say the only regret to being in business with your spouse is that it never it but never, it's always about like work. It's kind of hard to turn it off and then if you end Up. Um. In a situation where you've brought somebody in to help with the business. But then um, they're not respectful of one of you. Um, it could cause turmoil. So um, yeah I would say. I mean it was great because I was raising the kids and stuff like that but working with your husband and being with them 100% of the time and trying to do both. Yeah kind of kills the romance a little bit. Ah so that makes it hard. You know so I think.
20:54.32
loriejones7
Um.
21:01.50
Betty
I Mean it worked out but it's still um I might ah I might have tried to do something a little bit. You know once it got going to to step out and let him just take it. You know.
21:13.10
loriejones7
Ah, so that's um I was just going to ask any tips tricks hint for working with the spouse because you know when you start these small businesses. It really is a family affair. You're all in all the time.
21:29.54
Betty
Well and the funny part too is sometimes you have to agree to disagree like you don't always see everything exactly the same and you know stronger females too. Um. You know we kind of get you know, put our blinders on and this is with the way we're doing it and I'm so that's the way it is and sometimes with the guys you just you can't run them over because if you run them over like that. Yeah, then they're not very Affectionate. Ah. You know and I you kind of have to be still nice about it to get right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, so takes a lot of prayer sometimes to be nice.
22:00.90
loriejones7
Um.
22:01.83
loriejones7
Yeah, yeah, absolutely I I am of the opinion you can be fearless and nice at the same time.
22:17.71
Betty
Because sometimes you don't want to be ah.
22:22.27
loriejones7
Um, so if you could go back to your younger self when you first started out and give her some advice. What would you say.
22:23.19
Betty
Ah, ah.
22:36.28
Betty
Oh what would I say I would say um yeah, just take one day at a time is all you can and that's all you possibly can do ah as far as what to expect that you can. Get accomplished. Um I know you you still really need to to plan. Um, but yeah, just pray about everything you know and it all itll you know Whatever's supposed to happen. You have to believe it'll come. If. It's if it was meant for you. It'll come um, but yeah, being in business for yourself sometimes is a really hard road. You know if that's why a lot of people work for other people because then they can they can go 9 to 5 and leave it. You know, um, but being in business for yourself it. It. Doesn't end right? It's you're it's always in the back your mind because that's you you have control over it. Um, so yeah.
23:39.23
loriejones7
Would you would you take that path again. Would you go into business for yourself. Where are the rewards worth it.
23:45.20
Betty
Yeah, you know we have been blessed. Um, we have we were able to um yeah I would because now on the other side I mean I've I've been through some rough roads you know with the relationship with my husband. Um. But now now that my kids are older and the business is older and we've got people I have been able to step back quite a bit. Um and let him you know, love on it. Um, yeah, because there's a lot of reward in being self-employed. Like we have a beautiful home. Um, we were able to send both of our girls through college you know and pay for it. You know so they were debt free. Um, you know the rewards are you know because we could do five twenty nine plans I mean I would suggest that for your kids if you got any? um. Yeah, because that all you know that was the way we that we we we did it I mean we both my husband and I we grew up in. You know, average regular families. You know my dad was a blue collar worker his his dad was a farmer so we didn't come nobody gave us anything everything that we. Do everything we we have accomplished was on our own you right? So we know what it's like to work for it. Our kids on the other hand boy they got a silver spoon in their mouth compared to you know what? I'm saying I mean so it's you want to do that for your kids.
25:18.81
Betty
But then you have to be careful to you know that you don't give them too much. But um, yeah, but now like I said my my older daughter she's thirty one now and she's gonna be taking over the the business so we can retire because my husband.
25:21.95
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
25:36.60
Betty
He is going to be set 68 right and I'm 63 but you know, but it's time it's time right? And so um, that in that in itself is a blessing and my daughter actually um has a medical. She's and you know she was a nurse and a nurse manager she had her had her master's and just decided that she didn't want to be on call Twenty four seven and didn't want to have to deal with you know. When people call off and they don't show up to work and try you know because she was on the phone even on the weekends where a blessing with us. Is you you you don't have to worry about filling schedules and you can you can have a weekend to yourself with not being. You know on call Twenty four seven so um yeah that that is up because that was really kind of fun was you know we thought for a while we wanted to sell business and it never really happened and we're like what's going on. You know how they're praying about this. How come. It's not selling. And my answer was no so and then you have to realize sometimes your answers are no and now now look at it. You know 8 years later. My daughter's going to do it and it's going to be a great lifestyle for them and I really think she can take it to the next level. You know, be bluned a lot.
27:03.69
loriejones7
Um.
27:06.66
Betty
About people having the right people in the right places you know I would say that's a big thing too. If you're going to get help make sure that you um, they're the right fit if they're not the right fit. They can cause a lot of damage.
27:18.50
loriejones7
How do you find the right fit.
27:24.88
Betty
Um, that is a good question trial and error. Um, yeah, it's all about your personalities too. I Think if the personality fits into the culture of what you're trying to um to. Promote I mean where we're a very honest company I mean there's a lot of businesses where you can if you pay somebody under the table or whatever you can get. We don't We never did it that way we that was not who we were and that was not anything I wanted to Compromise. So um.
27:53.12
loriejones7
Um.
28:02.38
Betty
You doubt? Yeah I mean you can use head hunters. We've used you know indeed and we've used um head hunters. But um I think after a while you make and you make a few mistakes. You realize you know they're not working and the other thing is is when you've made a mistake. And you realize it's not the right person to help then you better, get him out of there because they'll you know they can poison the other people that are are already working for you. Um, we you know we we try to treat our people right? Um, you know we we give bonuses. Even when we probably shouldn't they want them to realize that we appreciate what they do for us I mean especially like the guys that are actually unloading the trains and unloading the the trucks and they're in the day to day dirt. Um, and then you know what. They really appreciate it. I mean we're probably still considered a mom and pop business I mean we're not fortune 500 or whatever I mean because we only got like 45 people but you know what it's been enough and my my husband will go how come we didn't get any bigger I'm like you know what? it's okay. Because we're doing really we're we're we're okay, you know I don't have to be you know Microsoft I don't have to be that big. Do I'm saying so you have to do that. Maybe you're only going to be mid-size. Maybe you're only a meant to be small.
29:24.50
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
29:35.80
Betty
But if you can make a living and control your own life because you are in charge and you can make your own schedule and you don't have people screaming at you because you're not. You know you're not doing it right that that's worth a lot and it might not be the dollars. You know. But um, but you I mean you you have the realization you still need to make money in order to survive. Yeah.
29:56.86
loriejones7
Right? But that baby that gives you a little bit more life satisfaction and leads to that balance. You're talking about. Maybe you give up a little bit on the revenue side in order to have the quality of life that you want.
30:09.00
Betty
Yeah, and then you have to realize too and I I mentioned this to you before but you know my sister is also in self-employed and but she's in Florida and they're in construction and it was so it's so funny I'm like. So when you first start you know it's like every $10 makes a big difference and next thing you know it's every hundred dollars makes a big difference and then the next thing you know as you keep going. It's every thousand dollars so your numbers so when when you're in the thousand dollar range if you have to spend ten or a hundred it's not as crucial right? And the next thing you know you go to the 10000 and then next thing it's a 100000 so your as your numbers get bigger. The little ones don't seem as big of a deal to you know to pay or whatever you've got to do and um, it's so funny because you know I was in the $100000 range and my sister's in the hundred dollar range and I'm just like just wait. It will it will come and about five years later she goes you're right? It did. So if you're you know in a business where it's something that has growing potential you it will happen. You know as you learned and the other thing too is don't spend every dollar you make.
31:39.33
Betty
Because you have to make payroll right? So don't be over aggressive on the growth if you don't have the cash or you can't get the loan or you know you have to realize um you can't spend it all. You know you have to have a rainy day fund.
31:53.70
loriejones7
Um, yeah, cash flow issues you know and in what I do with financial planning when you're looking at business cash flow issues sometimes sink a ship faster than anything else.
32:05.76
Betty
Yeah, so I always know I at least have enough to make payroll. You know a couple times in you know or I at least can get my hands on it because that's the other thing too If you can't make payroll you people like us stay. So.
32:17.39
loriejones7
Yeah, and then and then you lose all that talent that you've spent that you know the time working and growing.
32:25.87
Betty
Yeah, and it's easier to it's better to keep somebody who's very good than to get somebody cheaper and try to train them up because it takes it takes a while for them to get to where the other person was you know and so you've lost all that time.
32:44.70
loriejones7
So um, betty in your career have you faced any unique challenges because of your gender because you were a woman.
32:57.30
Betty
Um, I never went out and did like the sales piece of it I was more in the you know in the back office handling the money just helping with policies and procedures. Um I mean.
33:12.16
Betty
Ah, just Starting. You know we we're in like the blue collar worker people and you know you would think that you wouldn't have to make policies and procedures on even dumb stuff. But I mean we even had to put in because people showed up um policy and Procedures. You know that the women had to wear bras to work I mean yeah, it's just kind of crazy. But um, it. Yeah, you just kind of learn to roll with it. Um, but yeah I Never really had to deal with the the men. Um, it. It. You're right? because most of our translators are men though truck Drivers. We'd love to have more women truck drivers and you know what they can make decent money most of our loads are local so it's not over the road like you never home kind of stuff. Um. So yeah, we've had women truck drivers but there's there's not a whole lot of them. Um, yeah, but most of the the office work is done by females and then of the um outside stuff is done by Males. We have me. We started a.
34:09.22
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
34:12.92
loriejones7
Is.
34:18.59
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
34:23.88
Betty
Ah, repair shop for our own trucks that's kind of where we're at now and ah repairing our own equipment and now we're also reaching out and um, telling other companies we can repair your trucks because we have qualified mechanics. Um, and then we just started a new um service truck that will go to other look like it's somebody's broke down somewhere that it has the stuff on it. So um, yeah, but that's okay I don't really want unload a truck when it's you know °
34:59.59
loriejones7
Yeah I do I like my spreadsheets and the worm inside my my dad actually said that he was a construction worker for a lot of for a long time in belt homes.
35:01.37
Betty
You know.
35:14.38
loriejones7
And he said that's how comemy got an engineering degree is because he was tired of the winter time out there pounding and nails.
35:20.13
Betty
Yeah, yeah in Colorado we get cold I mean it's nice, but it's probably better than Chicago right? where it stays cold for a really long time.
35:27.54
loriejones7
Um, yeah, yeah, so um, Betty what is the thing you're most proud of through this journey.
35:38.42
Betty
Um, I would say I'm most proud that. Um Yeah I was able to work from home I was able to stay home with my kids um because so it is worth being self-employed if you have that opportunity because with the flexibility. I didn't feel like um, you know I was missing Out. You know I was still able to do go to bible study and do stuff because I can I could still I had the time right? I could make my own schedule. Um I'm really proud that. Um. You know we have been successful right? Um, and we're as big as we're supposed to be and then just in accepting that. Um, but yeah, we don't want really want for anything. Um, yeah I would say that you. The payoff is is worth the risk.
36:34.29
loriejones7
Any advice for someone who's just starting down their path so that they can ah succeed and be successful like you.
36:43.28
Betty
I Um, you know, do something that you if you is something that you already have a talent in or something that you you know you really want to do um, just look at if if it's something. Where is it only just you or is it something that you can eventually have other people help you do that you could grow because um, if it's just you forever you're gonna get war out. Um you know and just. If if you pick something that you kind of like or you already know then it doesn't really seem like it's work all the time.
37:18.32
loriejones7
Yeah, and I like the idea of well I love my job So I like the idea of doing something that you're passionate about or that you are excited about doing.
37:32.21
Betty
Yeah, pretty much you have to enjoy the journey you have to realize you you start out small and if in it it can eventually it. It can eventually grow. Um, but don't expect to be you know a millionaire in two days it it. just doesn't.
37:43.59
loriejones7
Um.
37:49.92
Betty
You know and then like I said told you before be careful with the funds you're bringing other people on you know you can grow up. You can you can have great plans. You know we've done that where we done one year three year five year ten year goals um that's worth filling out. Because at least if you have some goals then you can make part when you get to year three you can look back at year one and say wow I got all that done that was you know and at the time when I put them down there. Yeah I thought that there was no way it was going to happen. You know what I mean and then you get to year 5 and you look back at 3 and you're like. Did make progress. So I think that's important to do too is just make make realistic goals and but then when you start to get out to you know 10 years go for it. You know you know put it out there because you never know. It it can happen.
38:46.76
loriejones7
Big crazy goals. Any advice for um, getting through those those scary lean times the ones where you're not sure you're going to make it.
38:59.18
Betty
Well, hopefully you did some pre-planning and you have a little bit of funding before you get started whether it's um, you know whether it's alone or we did a home equity. We had to live on that for a little while Um, but. Yeah I would say pray along the way I mean if it's really something that you're supposed to be doing God'll guide you to make the right choices. Um, yeah in I spend a lot of time pray you know so.
39:27.80
loriejones7
Um, sister. Yeah.
39:30.89
Betty
Has another book. There's Jesus calling books too for those that do have faith that's a daily devotional um that I really love and has helped me along the way. So for any of those that are interested in that that's a great place to start.
39:43.81
loriejones7
Well Beddy. It's just been wonderful chatting with you today. Thank you so much for your time if they want to know more about you or what you do where can they go where can they find out.
39:54.87
Betty
Um, where on we actually ah have a website. Um, so it's um RMT companies dot com um they can they can reach me so I'm just b sandersers at RAndTCompaniesDotCom so if they want to see what we actually do.
40:11.21
loriejones7
Um.
40:14.90
Betty
Um, they can just pop around on that.
40:15.60
loriejones7
Well thank you for spending some time with us today I really appreciate it.
40:19.58
Betty
All right? Well thank you and I hope that you know this is a blessing to some people and that they've learned something.
40:29.30
loriejones7
All right? So and Betty if you hold on just a second I'm going to push um stop.