Business Talks and Results Speak – Navigating Challenging Times - with David Mitchell – [Ep. 207]

Linda J. Hansen:  Welcome. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Prosperity 101® Breakroom Economics Podcast. My name is Linda J. Hansen, your host and the author of Prosperity 101®- Job Security Through Business Prosperity: The Essential Guide to Understanding How Policy Affects Your Paycheck, and the creator of the Breakroom Economics Online course, the book, the course and the entire podcast library can be found on Prosperity101.Com. I seek to connect boardroom to break room and policy to paycheck by empowering and encouraging employers to educate employees about the public policy issues that affect their jobs. My goal is to help people understand the foundations of prosperity, the policies of prosperity, and how to protect their prosperity by becoming informed, involved, and impactful. I believe this will lead to greater employee loyalty, engagement and retention, and to an increased awareness of the blessings and responsibilities of living in a free society. Listen each week to hear from exciting guests and be sure to visit Prosperity 101.com

Thank you so much for joining with me today. I took last week off from podcasting, so it is good to get back at the microphone to interview a returning guest, one you may remember and appreciate. Before I get into the heart of the interview, I just want to invite you all to become Prosperity partners. Prosperity Partners provide financial support of any amount to help keep the podcast on the air, and your support would be most welcome. Just visit the Prosperity partner link on our website to sign up. And there is another way you can support our work while supporting our strategic partners. The US Christian Chamber of Commerce, Christian Employers alliance and Red Balloon links to our codes for each organization will be in the show notes please consider joining those fine organizations and supporting Prosperity 101® too. You know, so many business owners are frustrated with government involvement in their business. Not only government involvement, but government intrusion, government oversight and regulation. Without representation.

They are limited by egregious tax codes and inflation and they just want to grow their business without feeling like they are in economic straitjackets. So many business owners say they could grow their business, they could hire more people, they could provide more benefits, more jobs if government would only get out of the way. It's always great to hear from people who are in the trenches of owning and running businesses, and today I have a repeat guest, David Mitchell. David is the owner and president of Metal Masters of Wisconsin. Metal Masters of Wisconsin is a custom stainless steel manufacturing company specializing in equipment for the food and beverage industry. David has a long history in manufacturing and in running companies for private equity groups. His business background is quite remarkable and his heart for America and his heart for free enterprise limited government is very clear. Our first interview was captured in episode number 152 and was titled get out of our way so we can grow. I asked David to return to provide his insights on how policies over the last several years have affected his business and how he tries to help his employees understand so they can become informed citizens. Thank you for joining with me again today, David.

David Mitchell:

Linda, thank you for having me. It's always an honor to be on your program and spend some time with you and have our little discussions about what's going on.

Linda J. Hansen:

Yeah, it is true, and you are in the thick of it. As I said, you were in the trenches of running a business and navigating everything the government throws your way. So you've been in business a long time. Can you compare and contrast policies from previous years to what you are experiencing now?

David Mitchell:

Absolutely. So let's just look at the recent past. During the Trump years, I was running another company. I wasn't owning and running metal masters yet, but during the Trump years, I was running another company for a private equity group. And I can tell you without a doubt that under Trump, those were some of the best years I've experienced running a business in my career of running businesses, and probably in my lifetime that I've seen, and I grew up during the Carter years. I was a teenager during the Carter years, I lived through 2000, I lived through eight and nine. So I've been through some bad times. So I know what those look like. And I can tell you the Trump years were some of the best, actually the best of my entire career running companies. And it was because he really took the reins off. He allowed the free market to work. Obviously, we were energy independent under Trump.

We had the lowest unemployment rate for all classes of workers and ethnic groups. It was an unbelievable time. Supply chain wasn't broken. I mean, we had no issues getting product, we had no issues getting material. And the orders were just flowing in. They were just showing up in our inbox. I mean, it was almost too easy. But it was an amazing time. And I look fondly back on that. And sometimes I wonder if we'll ever get back to that. I mean, I pray about it, obviously. You know, I have a deep faith, as you do. I pray a lot about it, that we'll get back to those times. But I can tell you this, that the last few years running and owning metal masters under the Biden administration, it's done nothing but been a struggle every year to keep enough work going through the shop. Supply chain issues for purchase parts and material. Now there's, in fact, I was just talking with someone about this the other day. There's a new regulation that I had, a new government document that I had to do this year that a lot of people don't know about. But basically, it's a reporting structure where they're trying to catch shell companies that are not real companies. They're just used for funneling money through. And every year you have to report, this is another report that you have to do to the federal government. And I thought it was ironic that I had to do it in the year that Hunter Biden and the Biden crime family have set up dozens of LLCs that have no purpose other than running money through them so they can funnel money from foreign governments into the pockets of the Biden family.

I just found that incredibly ironic. So here I am, an honest, law abiding citizen, trying to do the best that I can by my employees and by my own family and by my customers. And yet you have the know, taking tens of millions of dollars over decades, know nothing's going to be done about. So under Trump, I believe for every regulation that he put in place, he was cutting two or three. And Biden has done nothing but add regulation after regulation after regulation to make my life more and more as, as you've said before, it's policy that makes a difference, right? Regardless of what party you support, it comes down to the policies that are put in place. And the policies the last almost four years now out of the Biden administration have just been devastating, not only to small business, but to the entire economy and all of us in America. I mean, we are all hurting. Each american family has lost $1,000 per month of purchasing power under the Biden administration since he took office. That's $12,000 a year. And I feel it. I know my friends feel it. And now imagine all those people that are living at barely getting by levels, and now they've got to come up with an extra thousand dollars a month. It's absolutely insane. Again, I think we're really at a tipping point. I'm prayerful and hopeful that we can get the right administration in charge and the right policies in place to get America back on the right track, because I truly believe if we don't, then the best days of America are going to be well behind us, and it's going to take a long time to get us back on track.

Linda J. Hansen:

It certainly will. And one of the things that is so refreshing about you is you're so clear spoken about how it affects you and how you feel about it, too. I mean, you were talking and I thought of saying, well, how do you really feel, David? But you're expressing the same things that so many business owners feel. They're frustrated. They see the two tiered justice system in a sense. They see rules for me, but not for thee. And you can see it. And it's frustrating. Not only that the economy is so disabling to people's lives, it is just horrible. And it's not just business owners or those who run and manage businesses, but of course, that trickles down to the employees. The employees can occupied as often or as regularly.

There's not the same benefits or perks. It's just so disheartening to see what it's doing to the average person across the country. But really it ends up being around the world because America is this beacon of freedom and prosperity, or so it has always been. But we are still a leader. And when we are faltering like this, it is making it very difficult for everyone around the world. You mentioned supply chain. You mentioned transportation. We're seeing all these issues with the transportation administration. We're seeing so many things in our regulatory environment, the taxes, the IRS. It just goes on and on and on. And it is big government strangling freedom away from businesses and individuals. And what would you say to business owners who really want to make a difference, to not only help their employees understand these issues, but to make a difference in the community?

David Mitchell:

Well, again, and we've talked about this, as you know, I'm a big culture guy. I believe that in any successful organization, culture is king. And you've got to create a culture for your employees where they feel valued, and you've got to put them at the top of your list as far as what you're striving to do with the organization, because the organization is only going to be as good as your employees. Right. So I do a lot with my employees to a, within the organization, show them that they are valued and that I trust them and that we're in this together. When we're here in the building, they don't view me as the owner. They view me as a coworker who's here to help them and help them get their jobs done more efficiently. Right. And that's the way it should be. But then on top of that, you mentioned going out in the community, making difference and being effective with their families and being good stewards in their community. There's several different things. A, I talk openly about my faith. They know I'm a faithful guy. I sit in my office, and I read scripture every morning. And when they ask me what I'm reading, I tell them what I'm reading and I tell them what I'm reading about and what lessons I'm learning from that particular day. And then you actually have a great program, obviously, prosperity 101®, which I signed up for. And that is a whole nother educational tool to really inform them on politics and finances and everything that's important for all of us Americans to be good stewards of if this country is going to get back to being great again. I mean, if every employer adopted that mindset and your program, Prosperity 101®, I think we'd have a much more well educated citizenry in the United States of America. And I think people would understand why their vote is so important and why it's so important to vote policy above all else, right? To vote for the people that are going to put the policies in place that are going to be best for America and best for America's future. And again, take party out of it. It's about policy.

So those are the tools that I employ. And then obviously we have a little fun along the way, too. Every Friday I buy the guys breakfast and take them out for lunch. We do lots of things as a team to make it fun so that we're not just grinding out the work every day. And you've got to take the time to do that as well. You've got to take the time to get to know your employees, not just as employees, but as human beings that have lives outside of work. And you've got to be genuinely interested in that and caring about that and caring about their families. The reason this is so important right now, especially, is because if you truly care about your employees, the policies that are being put into place now and have already been put in place by the current administration are literally killing and hurting small business. Right? And it's small business as a whole, as you know, is the largest employer in the United States of America. And I truly believe that's what the administration wants to do because they can't have their thumb on us like they can on big corporations, right? They can have much more control over big corporations than they can over millions and millions and millions of small businesses and small business owners. And so I think they literally hate us. I think they literally want us.

They don't want the small business owner anymore. They don't want us providing those jobs for the American people. They want it all to come from government and all to come from big corporations because that they can control but because I do care so much about my employees, I mean, let's face it, if it gets so bad that I can't stay in business, me and my family, we're going to be fine. But it's my guys that I'm worried about, right? So I would bend over backwards and do whatever I had to do to find them new jobs if it ever came to that. I mean, I honestly don't think it's going to come to that. But obviously, you think about those things when you're going through times like this. Me and all of my, I guess, friends and people that I know that own businesses like mine are similar to mine. We're all struggling right now. We're all living hand to mean we're not, there's not a lot of stuff going on out there right now. There's not a lot of optimism about the future of America. And when you have that situation, it's not a good climate for business.

Linda J. Hansen:

It's truly not a good climate for business. And while you contrasted the two administrations, the Trump administration and the Biden administration, you also mentioned the, and, you know, after Carter came Reagan, and things began to boom after Reagan. So again, it's not about the person or the party. It is about the policy, and it's not about the personality. I know here we're doing this in 2024, and so many people have issues with personality of one candidate or the other. And I try to tell people, one, don't pay attention to what the media wants you to believe about people. But look at various sources, many, many non-mainstream sources, look for truth so you can really know what's going on. But also, it's not about the person, it's about the policies. And yes, then we have to look at the policies. Then we have to look and say, who is it that supports those policies? And then we have to pick a party that supports the policies we believe in the best. So we do end up having to vote for a person and a party, but we should make those choices based on policy. And that's so important. And that's where I feel like employers like you are such an important part of preserving, like reclaiming, I should say, and preserving America, because you have just that inside edge, that inside information of what it means to day to day life for the average person. And employers like you have a unique opportunity with people who have come through public education, maybe universities that don't teach these things.

They don't teach the benefits of a limited government or free enterprise, capitalism. And we have an opportunity to provide that information so people can make an informed choice. When all you hear is one thing, you'll think that's the only thing. But if we start to give them truthful information about our founding documents or about how a business actually operates and what the bottom line entails, and we can really inform these people and help them to make an educated choice. We don't have to tell anybody who to vote for or what. We just want to give them the information because we care about them. We want them to be able to make choices for their family based on all the information, not just some 100%.

David Mitchell:

Absolutely. And when you talked about policy earlier, I kept thinking, and we have another advantage this election, because we don't only have the differences between policy, but we have the stark differences between the outcomes of those policies, the results of those policies. So we've got Trump, who, we know what the results were of his policies, because it was the best economic time period of my lifetime, and I'm 58 years old. And now we can see what's happened under the Biden administration. It's not yet, but it will be the worst economic time period of my entire life, in all probability. So you have the results, and results speak for themselves. So, yes, we have a very unique opportunity this time because we don't have a republican candidate promising that his policies are going to do x, Y, and Z. We already know what those policies did.

Linda J. Hansen:

We do.

David Mitchell:

To me, it's a no brainer. I mean, I don't know how anybody could look at the results from both candidates and honestly look at the results and say, oh, yeah, I think what's happening under the Biden administration is awesome, and I want to vote for more of that. I don't know on what planet that decision could be made.

Linda J. Hansen:

Well, that's true in so many ways, but that planet is a low information voter planet. Those that have limited information will be enticed to vote in a way that supports those policies. And so we just really want to help people understand more. And so when I talk about workplace education and this type of civic education and the voluntary education for employees that can really help them understand how to be their own advocate when it comes to their finances, their voting, their citizenship, their freedoms, they need to be their own advocate. Not depend on the government, not depend on their employer. If they're young kids and they're still living at home and it's their first job, they have to learn not to depend on their parents, too. They have to be able to make their own decisions. So with my course, and what I try to do with Prosperity 101®. And I know what you try to do with your employees through Prosperity 101® and through even the other conversations you have about your faith. You're just trying to give them information that you feel may be helpful and beneficial to them. You're not forcing it down their throat. You're not making them believe just like you do or do what you do, but you're like an open book, and you're saying, this is the facts, and these facts matter to you. And so I think if more employees would have employers like that, we'd have a changed country. I believe employers are really the last frontier in a way of protecting our nation from going into full demise, because so many people have come through, like I mentioned, the school systems, and they have no idea. So the employers have a unique opportunity to give that education to the 20 year old, the 30 year old, the 40 year old who's never really heard it. And it doesn't have to be a lot. I mean, they're grown up people. They can be given information that they can then seek out themselves. No one wants to be told what to believe or what to do. But providing that information really shows that you respect and care for that employee.

David Mitchell:

100% agree. And your program really helps employers who don't know how to do that, who haven't been around. I shouldn't say that. But for employers who haven't thought about it or looked at it in the terms that you and I do, your program gives them a roadmap in order to do that, and it makes it really simple and really easy to follow.

Linda J. Hansen:

Well, thank you for that. It does. That was my hope. It'd be a roadmap to encouraging conversations and opening up communication, because that communication really brings the respect, the back and forth respect, and that's what's so important in a workplace. And you talked about how much you care for your employees and that you would be more concerned about them if the business went down than about yourself. And I've seen you in action with your employees, and it is, your care and concern for them is genuine. And that is what is so true in so many small businesses around the nation that they truly care for these employees. You get to know them on this personal basis. You're with them day to day to day. You understand what's going on in their families, in their communities, and you see their struggles. And employers have just such a unique opportunity to really minister to those people. And if you are an employer with a strong faith, like David feel, free to share. There's nothing that tells you there's no law against sharing your faith with employees.

I know some people in the media would like you to believe that it's against the law, but as long as it's not forced, it's just an outgrowth of your own conversation with them and you're not forcing them. It's totally legal. And that is great. And same with sharing things like we're talking about with prosperity 101® or other conversations about policy. When you think about going into this election in 2024, and you said that the choices are very clear, and they are, they're very starkly contrasted. And you've mentioned that we've seen the results of these policies. We're in a unique position in our country right now that we have not only the stark difference in policies, but we can see the stark difference in results. And so what would you tell business owners as we go into the election season, but even then beyond, because so often I think when we maybe have an election where business owners can feel like, oh, great, there's somebody who understands business, or maybe there's a few more business friendly policies, and then they let their guard down and they just kind of relax and go back to just thinking about their business, which is, of course, their business. But as citizens, whether we're employers, employees, parents, students, as citizens, it's up to us to protect our freedom. So what would you say to people as we go into this election cycle and beyond?

David Mitchell:

Yeah, and such a great point, Linda. So here's where I'm at, and I'm on the same page as you. It is our responsibility as citizens of the United States of America to stay vigilant and keep a watchful eye on our government at all levels. So what I have said to my employees and what I say to my friends and my peers is that it's not enough just to go out and vote anymore. Right. We used to think that was us doing our job. And then, as you said, we go back to running our businesses or doing whatever we do. We have to get involved at our local levels. We have to get involved in our school boards. We have to get involved in our communities, in our churches, because we have to be part of that policy shaping that is going to take America back to the greatness that it was destined to be, used to be and can be again if we get back on the right path. But it's going to take people who have the right moral code, who have faith in our creator. I mean, the Democrats want to tell you that the government is above all. But you and I both know God is over everything, right? The government will never replace God. But the socialist democrats don't want that. They want us to think the government is above all. But the reality is the government works for us. We don't work for the government, right? So it's up to us now to get back to paying very close attention to what's going on and get involved at a local level. Run for school boards, run for local offices, run for the aldermanic districts so that we can actually have a voice again. Because those of us who work hard every day and own businesses or go to a job, we've been working hard and we thought that the rest of it was just going to take care of itself. Well, I'm sorry, but we've let the fox into the hen house and now we're paying for that. So we've got to stay involved. We've got to stay vigilant.

Linda J. Hansen:

We must stay involved. And I've heard people say, oh, that's politics. I'll let the politicians handle that. I'll do my business, but they'll complain about what's happening. And I want to say, letting politicians handle it is part of the problem. We need to let statesmen handle it. People who think of the next generation, not just the next election. And we need to make sure we're electing representatives who care about the future of the nation and the future of freedom for all our citizens and the world. And that's what we need to focus on. And if anyone's listening, David talked about running for elected office, maybe school board or an aldermanic or some local office. Even if you are interested in doing that, feel free to send me information in the contact form. Just go to prosperity. 101. Com, prosperity 10 one.com and just fill out the contact form and tell me where you live, what state, what district, whatever where you live, make sure your zip code is there and I can connect you with people who could help. You know how to do that? Some people don't do it because they don't even know the first step. Like, how would I even do it? And they don't know the first step. So if you're listening and you're interested in that, please get in touch with me. I'll make sure you get connected with people in your local area. So it's not so scary because it's really not so scary and it's really not so hard. And it's really becoming that citizen legislator that really is the voice of the people. And that's what we've lost in America and we need to get that.

David Mitchell:

Amen.

Linda J. Hansen:

Amen. Yes. Well, David, if people would like to reach out to you, how should they do?

David Mitchell:

So the best way is just to go to our website, metalmasterswi.com. Our phone number is there. You can send an email right through the website. You just click on it and it'll take you right to a page where you fill out your information. And I'll get an email sent to me right away. So that's metal, metal masterswi.com and everything is right there.

Linda J. Hansen:

Well, perfect. Did you have any other closing comments for the listeners?

David Mitchell:

No, just that one closing comment in that it really is a do or die situation right now. I truly believe that. I've prayed about it. If we want to have a chance of getting America back on the right track, this election needs to be a statement from the american people that we are not going to tolerate the socialist policies of the party currently in power any longer and that we want America to once again be a constitutional republic. So it's time to wake up and it's time to do your duty as an american citizen if we have any hope of changing the direction of this country. Because I fear if we don't turn the tide in this election, then we are going over the cliff and we're going to have to go through some very dark times to ever have a chance of getting our constitutional republic back.

Linda J. Hansen:

Well said. I agree wholeheartedly. So everyone listening, please consider what you can do. You don't have to do everything but pick one thing. Pick one thing and make sure you and your employees, if you're an employer, make sure you are an informed citizen and you can make choices based on facts and policy. So thank you, David, it's a pleasure to have you back.

David Mitchell:

Thank you, Linda. It's always an honor to be on your program.

Linda J. Hansen:

Thank you.

Outro:

Linda J. Hansen: Thank you again for listening to the Prosperity 101® Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, and leave a great review. Don't forget to visit Prosperity101.com to access the entire podcast library to order my newest book, Job Security Through Business Prosperity: The Essential Guide to Understanding How Policy Affects Your Paycheck or to enroll you or your employees in the Breakroom Economics online course. You can also receive the free e-book, 10 Tips for Helping Employees Understand How Public Policy Affects Their Paychecks. Freedom is never free. Understanding the foundations of prosperity and the policies of prosperity will help you to protect prosperity as you become informed, involved, and impactful. Please contact us today at Prosperity101.com to let us know how we can serve you. Thank you.