Transcript
Speaker: Everyone dreams of living an uncommon life and the best asset you have to achieve your dreams is you. Welcome to the Uncommon Wealth Podcast.
Speaker: We're going to introduce you to people who are living uncommonly. We're also going to give you some tools and strategies for building wealth and for pursuing an uncommon path that is uniquely right for you.
Speaker: Hello and welcome everybody to another episode of the Uncommon Wealth Podcast where I'm your host Philip Ramsey and today we have an in-studio guest, Marco Fratarelli. Good be here. Let me tell you why I haven't had too many guests lately. Because I'm a man of my word, Marco.
Speaker: Thank you. And I told him that the first person that I would have in my new office in the world headquarters of Uncommon Wealth Partners would be Marco. And so now you're going to be seeing a lot more of the old guests on the show, but not before Marco Fraderelli, everyone. I'm honored that you held out for me. I really am. ah It's a beautiful space. the yeah it It really is top-notch all the way around, so I'm pretty happy to be here. gotta be honest, no doubt about it. So, and thank you for holding out for me. I appreciate it Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: I cannot wait to get into this. One of the most uncommon people I know, in fact, Dos Equis, the most interesting man in the world, was named after Marco Fratarelli. Potentially so. but You can mark my words on that.
Speaker: ah Well, I'm honored ah that I can inspire the most interesting world. This is your second podcast. It is. do you know why? it is. Because you're the most interesting man in the world. And of course you'd have a podcast before me. Well, apparently I'm that interesting. I could have more than one podcast. I don't know, but we'll go find out. All right. Let's talk about how we met first. Indeed.
Speaker: Do I have to talk about how we... Yes, it's your the show. This is your... I'm trying to highlight you. Okay. In your uncommonness. Well, my my wife and your wife are childhood best friends, and they lived to they lived in the same city for quite a while, then moved and also lived in the same city. And so I had to meet to the Ramsey's stamp of approval before I could ask her to marry me. So that's how I met her first time. We came up to... ah here in beautiful Iowa to do that. So Marco's from Dallas, Texas.
Speaker: I've been in Dallas now. It'll be 20 years in January. But you're from Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. That's correct. That's correct. um Still pulled for the Detroit sports teams. It's still a bit of a perennial difficulty for him me. There's a lull there for a second, but there's some, there's a life there. There's a heart Oh, there's, listen, there's no stopping Motown, okay? But just just give us a chance. We'll be all right. yeah We're hoping for some we're hopeless with things this year. so That's good. Okay. ah I want to just say the first story that I think is fun to talk about was ah at your rehearsal dinner.
Speaker: Yes. ah My wife was in the wedding, so we we went, and there was a vivid line between the Fratarellis and the Pitesmans. Yes. Yes. Yes. The Pice Mrs. grew up non-denominational Christian, evangelical Christian, I should say. i grew up a Roman Catholic.
Speaker: um And, you know, ah the I don't think, you know, like to I tease people because I feel like Jenna probably wanted a ah guy that looked like Kennedy and spoke like Reagan. And all she got was Lyndon Johnson. Yeah.
Speaker: um So it's a bit of a challenge, but I don't think she she set out for ah a divorced ah divorced man with a child, to an Italian one at that. Jenna's Swedish and German, Midwest roots.
Speaker: um Probably was not what she was looking for. So it it was a little bit, a little bit i think it got along well, but certainly certainly there was a different two different... Two different families coming together as one. like For sure. really And it's always awkward in those things. Yeah. So you've had the Fratarellis on one side and then the Pitespins on the other.
Speaker: and I remember walking in this room and seeing this divide and instantly... I was a fratarelli. Today a day we are this that. I feel like even today if I go to Detroit, I'm going be all right. You are certainly going to be okay. Because those are my people. we are certainly going to be all right there. No doubt about And I miss those people. It's like the first time and last time I've ever seen those guys. so yeah well i mean you we it was either They should probably visit Iowa. they I mean, I flew up. now to we're goodnna No, that's okay. We're good. Stop you right there. We're good. We'll go to Detroit. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. All right. So I want you to how do you define the word uncommon?
Speaker: Besides Philip Ramsey. No, I think when you're probably in touch with yourself. OK. Would probably make you uncommon because I feel like a lot of times ah maybe you probably think like, well, you know, like.
Speaker: i you kind of it's a natural tendency to want to fit in. that's true. Maybe. So I feel like... i and i But if you start to think listening to yourself and listening to... That's good. Things that that you've enjoyed, even if they're kind of different or...
Speaker: I think that's important. And ah you will, it'll, it'll be, the authenticity will make you uncommon. Okay. um Right. So it's the authenticity. I would think so. I would think so. I think that's good.
Speaker: I think a lot of people do go through life and they are, i call them zombies a little bit. and Like they're just on just autopilot. They don't really think for themselves. I think that's definitely common. Yep. The authenticity though, I do think is a huge component of it. It's good one.
Speaker: I'm kind of i'm a deep thinker sometimes to a fault as well. So I feel like the deeper you think, you you kind of break yourself out of that out of that mold as well. And it kind of We've become kind of like a spring, I guess. I think you're a deep thinker, but there's some deep thinkers that I know that are so deep that they can't even see reality.
Speaker: And I don't think that's you. think you have a pretty good perception of what's happening. Yeah, unfortunately, that's probably true. I wish I could have kind of go with ignorance is bliss or deep think my way all the way out of it. No, unfortunately. You don't that. No, no, I don't. That's good.
Speaker: Okay, so how would you, would you say your life, let's just talk about your upbringing Detroit. Let's go back to Detroit. Because like, Come on. It's just a fun place to think. hey can't Have you always been uncommon? Your parents uncommon? Like what made you uncommon? Like, first off, one of the best dressed guys. I feel like I dress okay. When I look at when i look at Marco, I feel like I'm a bum. Well, i ah I am getting more and more uncommon with my attire. when Now, people will say, well, what do you mean by that? But I'm actually starting to be more uncommon at work. I know we'll get into that too. But yeah um you know I would have probably gone with a little bit more...
Speaker: conservative kind of more austere um but i'm starting to really embrace the patterns and uh yeah it looks colors and everything else so um no i grew up my my um my father's uh parents came in the mid 50s from from italy okay and then my mother's grandparents came from Italy that had been in the early, early part of the 20th century, but they came to Detroit because at the time, Detroit was the richest city in the world. Sure. So they came for jobs and everything else. So, um, but, um,
Speaker: you we grew up, it is kind of interesting, I guess, but you know, my mother ah divorced when I was eight, married my stepdad at, the I was 10, about my son's age now, actually. um um And, um ah but I think, you know, some of that, um some of that helps, maybe you we had to kind of, we had to move and then, sure, a couple of times, and then,
Speaker: you kind of got settled in. So it kind of forces you out of, um, kind of the same, uh, the same school, You had to leave your friends, had to do all the different things. Right. So I think that, that, that's probably part of it. Um, I, I probably we grew up a little bit different anyways. So yeah I don't think you can totally call that, you know, there's nature and nurture. That's true. Um, we tease now because I've, I go over to see my, uh, stepfather and you see what an impact that,
Speaker: nurture will have on you. Sure. So so that's part of it too. he's He can be pretty eclectic himself with different different forms of art, music, all the different stuff that he does now. so Yeah, that's good.
Speaker: Yeah. who said yeah so So why did I want Marco on the show other than he's awesome? It's like, I feel like every time you have a choice of uncommon or common, you choose uncommon, but not in the way that makes you off-putting to people, but to be like, oh, it's attractive. This is something that, oh, I want to be i want a little bit more Marco in my life.
Speaker: I might be seeing my perspective perspective, but I think it's pretty cool. And so I think just talking through that, how did you become that? How do you continue to choose that? And one thing I wanted you to talk about is just your career. How did you get to where you're at? What is your career now?
Speaker: And we're going to talk about how do you stay uncommon in that? Because you are a nine to fiver, as they say. Yes, I am. Yes, I am. ah I suppose. It's it's rarely 9 to 5, but it certainly is. Yeah. You know, um I started, my my ah my mother said we had we had to be working in and high school. So I was a golf caddy at 12 and a half. Oh, yeah. Started that, but she had you had to work.
Speaker: So I've been working. I did that for, you know, three to four years. So we worked at department store. Then we started selling houses at 18. And then- You and your brother?
Speaker: No, no, no, just it was just you. It was your real estate license. Yeah, I got my license at 18 and then went to DuPont, the onward paint business. And that was for about eight years, eight and a half years. That's took me to Texas.
Speaker: um And then through series of series of events, had to start all over again. So um then kind of the biotech sales at 30, it would have been 32 at that time. Okay. um kind of worked my way through that uh through that ever since so yeah um you know i think when you when you when you're selling houses or or or when you you have to change industries right or you change yeah one of the things i did when i when i ah started in in in biotech sales was calling on a um calling a southwestern medical center
Speaker: And I remember nobody, the the competition had that pretty well. I mean, this was this was ah this was a snowball's chance in hell that I was gonna do anything there, first of all. So like it wasn't even it wasn't even like, you know i mean, i have no science background. yeah yeah um The competition has this locked up. It was you know um it was interesting. So I said, but what I did was a I printed flyers with my photo on it.
Speaker: um But I always wore a shirt and tie. um So i um I, again, I like wearing shirt and tie. could tie a tie if could ride a bike. But um I put flyers out with my face on there telling you've got another option to buy from and everything else but my number and my email on there. yeah And I papered all over campus with this thing, right? okay And I got more calls from all of the vendors, because was a distributor, okay laughing at me.
Speaker: Oh, really? how ridiculous that that looked. Fascinating. I said, well, I don't know how else I'm supposed to do it. I said, I'm one person. My competition has like an army of people. And it was like, how, whether it was a tacky or a faux pas or something, I don't know. But it took about four months.
Speaker: And one of the new PIs came in and he handed me my flyer. Yeah, he did. that Yeah, he did. i I mean, and I totally see, see, you're right there, right there. It worked. Did it? It worked. Okay. And so I said, I don't want to hear any crap from anybody else. Okay. Right there. And so it'd be like, well, you know, that seemed to work. And ice i don't know. it Sometimes it's just some of the stuff that's that,
Speaker: I don't know. mean, it made that seems kind of obvious now, I guess. But it certainly wasn't common because nobody was going to be doing that. Right. So they made fun you. mean, it was it was bad. It was bad. I mean, it worked. Yeah, I had it going to me. I mean, you know, they probably went back to their individual sales meetings with the ah the audacity of this guy to put his face on a flyer around Southwestern Medical Center. So um but I think that's that's kind of.
Speaker: uh part of it i mean you gotta you gotta kind of be a little bit bold not not afraid little so right and not be afraid of made fun of yeah that happened yeah right yeah and i was so that's so weird but uh here i am today i guess biotech sales that's where you so what's your company's name now kaijin kaijin KIAGEN, yes. KIAGEN has been around a little over 40 years. they kind um their their Their original claim to fame would have been ah spin columns for nucleic acid extraction. Okay. Kits primarily. And so but we've we expanded quite a bit into that. so Okay. Yeah.
Speaker: So how do you stake Uncommon in ah in a space where now you've gotten the sale, And how do you continue this to re reinvent yourself, think about different uncommon ways that you can serve your clients, and also know that it's you have a boss. so Yeah. How does that work? Yeah, I'm balancing that. that I'm i' am now managing a team of of people now, which is the first time I've ever managed a team.
Speaker: ah done this. So this this has been quite a transformative year for me. Wow. Yeah. Okay. twenty It's been about 26 years selling. that I have my own team of people. um they they i First things first, I thank them for being patient with me as I learn...
Speaker: some of this. I so find myself talking too much in a meeting. you by my daughter My daughter talks too much. Yeah, my um daughter talks too much too. it That's where she gets it from. She comes by naturally. Some of her friends, I'm sure. Yeah, exactly. But, you think it's it's something... um
Speaker: COVID probably was the biggest thing that I feel like really changed me. used to tell people a lot, I i ah love my cape. I used to love my cape. You know, when you come in previous to COVID, when you're an individual contributor, you know, you can, I'm gonna come in and close a deal, because i'm Oh yeah, because you're Marco Fraterale. Exactly. let me come on in here and Let me come on in here and get this done. right The problem, of course, is it only you only get to like 85%. You're like Superman. can't reverse time. Literally, one of them is going to go you're like superman i mean yeah i can't even i can't reverse time yeah so i literally one of them is one of them' is going to go off so
Speaker: um so But COVID got incredibly busy incredibly quickly and that in that um in that industry.
Speaker: um and And there's no possible way. like It just got to the point where it was overwhelmingly not possible for you to do everything. Exactly. Plus, everything's locked down. So where are you going? Yeah, right. you know, you're at the screen now. You've got to think about things way differently. Exactly. And there's only so many, there's only, um ah the, the, uh, Kaijin was the, uh, original, um, nucleic acid at extraction chemistry for COVID. Okay. So we, we got the front end of, of the pain quickly. Yeah.
Speaker: Uh, so that required a lot of, of, of, They're just totally new experiences of kind of like how pressure like that. Just pressure from, you know, you got to make your number. Right. You got to, you know, pay your bills. It's pressure of like people on the other end here. And I have to figure out how to move a limited number of pieces. Right.
Speaker: on a patient care setting and then all also internally, like, how do we have somebody, you know, there's how many, I don't know how many of these people can be, can't be. Because you were in the COVID test. COVID test for you guys is, we had, yeah, it was the original in lab. Yeah, they they followed ah an emergency user authorization. I mean, because think about that. and And if you're young enough that you're listening to this and you can't remember this, hey, thanks for joining. Okay. but That's right. Here was the point. to Talk about an uncommon way to start well. You're listening to the Uncommon Wealth podcast before you even know about COVID, but there you go. So I remember trying to get a COVID test and it was like, yeah I mean, you could sell those babies.
Speaker: I mean, pretty good in the market. You could. And you were dealing with it because you had to try to distribute all those to the people that wanted them. Man, they probably blew up pretty quick. Yeah, it was before the home at home test. You had to, you know, we had to drive up. Right. Oh, yeah. and So that was the thing. Yeah. Right. So that touch your brain with that. Exactly. Go as far as you can. And so ah until you if you're not crying, you didn't it didn' you go far enough. if You didn't want to punch the guy doing it. Right. And go for it.
Speaker: So, no, it's um that was something that was it but it really required you to say, OK, well, I have to start trusting. other people within the organization. I have l i have to think about how You try to take, and that's part of it too, is you try to take positives of it, you know, because COVID messed up a lot, frankly. So, and I think, don't even want to, I mean, we have to talk about unculturally what negative that that could be. But I think from a positive perspective, for me, it taught me to trust others more. It taught me to be bit more,
Speaker: okay with being more vulnerable than I probably would have been. um And so because of that, you look at kind of things now where we are,
Speaker: It's easy to just kind of... It's easy kind of bag on it on a on a younger generation, but it's a significantly different world. Oh, yeah. And so and so when you look at... Man, first of all, they've they've had to adapt to it ah completely... even Even in a 15-year difference of time, they they've adapted to a completely different world.
Speaker: And what is that... How how do you take... You're always, my brother put it pretty of well, you know yeah yeah the the the the the current generation is most able to to confront the current time, right?
Speaker: So as you get older, the current that gap gets gets harder and harder to to to adapt to, right? And the... and it they the goal or the, don't say goal, but the the challenge is to say, okay, well, am I looking at this the current, you let's say at 30? Yeah. We're looking at that generation as, as and what am I learning from them?
Speaker: And that's probably the biggest thing is there there are things to, I don't i don't know at all by any stretch, what what am I learning from from those younger than me? It's easy to say,
Speaker: you know, what are you learning older? Yeah. Right? It's like, well, that's easy. That's a challenge and of itself. But we never really look younger. It's kind these they know what they're talking about. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. But if you're looking at what they're what they're saying and what they're doing and in their thought process, he sure, there may be things that they that that they haven't experienced yet.
Speaker: but But there's a whole bunch stuff down here that that if I don't listen to what they're saying, I'll be obsolete. ah Yeah, absolutely. you know there's They're little learning things that if you're not actively tuning in, you'll you you miss it and you you you will become obsolete. So that's probably the biggest thing, you know, that's probably a big thing, I would say. Yeah, to keep you uncommon is try to listen to the younger generation and how they've adapted. Yeah, I think it's interesting when you think about just the generation. If this is something my wife just asked me yesterday, and she's like, do you still leave your phone number and voicemails and voice messages? I was like, yeah. She's like, that is such an old thing to do, a millennial thing to do. Yeah, and you know what else is there? Leaving the voicemail to begin with. but but Because they want to listen to the voice mail. They'd rather you. And that's why we text them. Yeah. If you get the voice mail, just hang up and text them. Hey, call me back. Okay, maybe. But then my youngest or my middle son, he has so many unread text messages. I'm like, wow how do we get in here? Yeah. I'm so easy. Like with the emails.
Speaker: I've had people. So I share screen at work. I have nothing in my email box. Nothing. great Because I have them flagged. yeah I'm filed and flagged. So if I'm in the morning, I say, okay, okay if I'm due for this, right?
Speaker: You can bring it back. But if the inbox will say nothing in your inbox. Right? And they'll like, what's wrong with your computer? What do you mean what's wrong with it? There's nothing. is you Did you get a new computer? No, there's nothing in my inbox. How can you have nothing in your inbox? I go, well, they're all over here. Marco Fraterale, everyone. Uncommon. And they're like, oh, okay. And those things overdo, and um they just like anything else, right? But that's really good. Influence is clear. That's good. Okay, so back to your point. I do think it's a very uncommon thing to look at the generation...
Speaker: underneath or what we under Under you? Yeah. Yeah. And see that you can glean wisdom from them. Right. Because it always seems like, okay, people look at them bitterly. Oh, yeah. You know, they don't know what they're talking about. yeah.
Speaker: Now, I do think that if you can do that well, you have one up on them. Because you have the generations above you that's told you to shake hands, look them straight in the eye, learn how to have a conversation. right you know But I do think if we can glean from the younger, we kind of have the best of both worlds. Right. and feeling they're looking They're looking for somebody who's actually going to listen to them. Totally.
Speaker: So it's like, okay, well, you know what? and They're going to ask you for your perspective as well, right? Okay, well, wait a minute. this as Someone actually has enough and enough of that. so Yeah, that's good. Okay, so in there, you met Jenna, your wife. Yes. How long have you been married?
Speaker: Seven and a half years. Seven and a half years. Okay, you have two children. Yes. Corey, Lucy. Yes, that's right. Okay, boy, girl. Yeah. Amazing. How do you feel like you've been uncommon as you've been parenting?
Speaker: oh Well, um I, ah out well, ah yeah Or he's with my ex-wife. Yep. Right? And so that that's obviously a different dynamic. um ah yeah I just meant, her and I have, um she went to a theater, she's got her degree in theater. Okay. And I did that all through high school. So he's he's ah he's, now the thing is too, he still plays flag football. I just learned to walk and chew gum last week. So I have none of that. ah So i'm I'm just assuming it's over there. But he's kind of setting himself up on a bit of an uncommon path here in terms of of that.
Speaker: ah Now, Lucy...
Speaker: Jen and I had Lucy. She should be five. Okay. We're incredibly bright. That's right. We're her godparents. That's correct. That's correct. So we were going to set her up to uncommon things anyways, of course. But, i you know, I think she's... she's ah I try to be as ah as his stuff, be as patient as possible with her. She's she's already quite the ah ah saleswoman, but of course of course, that's also genetic. We both sell. My wife and I both sell. That's right. so um
Speaker: So try to do um the the best we can to, I guess, just got her in in you all the all the dolls and all the all the all the fun stuff. But um yeah I try to show her different things. Maybe I'll make little more of a daddy's girl, stuff with the car and stuff. Wow, you're a big car guy. Yeah, so, um you know, the stuff that that she's you know she likes to be out in the yard. I find it interesting. she She still prefers the, she likes the Italian pastime of sitting in front of the garage and watching the cars go by or or whatever, which I'm like,
Speaker: I don't know how that came up, but she does. She's like, let's sit here and relax. I don't know why she wants to do that, but she to watch the planes overhead. Okay. You know, sitting in front of the garage. I used to do that with my grandfather. Uh-huh. In Detroit. Yeah. I'm sure. Yeah. Seems like a Detroit thing to do. It is. It is. Well, yeah, we had a beautiful grapevine, which was always nice, too, in the summer, so it was always shady under there. But, ah yeah, I would say so. That's good. Okay. um So, Married to Jenna. Yep. Let me ask you this. So, what, since you were a play guy, thespian. Yes, correct. what was your best favorite play that you've ever been in? I have an idea.
Speaker: ah Well, I did Guys Adults. Guys Adults. It has to be. I did Guys Adults, yes. And I was Nathan Detroit. Yeah, you were. Yes. And we did actually split that role with wow i did Nathan Detroit and Nicely Nicely Johnson on Off. Nice. And then we split the Knights. Yeah. Standing ovation that. I'm sure. yeah I'm sure. I know. So, yeah. It was my my my voice hadn't changed quite yet. So i was still a little bit higher in a range, quite nasally and quite higher in range.
Speaker: but It was amazing. But yes, that's correct. Okay, and also, i'm goingnna you're not going to say this, but how do you stay uncommon in your marriage? I feel like you do a really good job dating Jenna. Take her out. I try. She's more of a homebody than I am. But, you know, I not i don't take her to the opera. But I'm trying to take a page. Well, trying to take a page. You take her on fun more fun trips than I take Aaron on. Well, we try we try. We try to do that. That's good. That's good. Yeah.
Speaker: up Okay, Marco, what do you do to relax and unwind? What does an uncommon guy like you do to relax and unwind? Well, um I've got a couple cars that I work on. Yeah. um And so that not just any cars, Marco, what kind of cars do you work on? I have an 88 Cadillac Brougham. She's pretty in her now. She's dialed in. I've done a lot of work. I've been going to 11 years of an car. I'm an Ori. Yeah.
Speaker: Did you ever get that car fix with Ori? The Corvette? corvette yeah yeah yeah i The I have a third one. is That's a good point. I see. I forgot about that. Because ah the Corvette we bought, the 84 Corvette we bought, is now in Michigan. Okay. In Detroit.
Speaker: Okay. Running. Oh. Oh. Okay. who's running at Absolutely. We sent it up to my stepdad. Okay. ah The transmission died. It was a beautiful day. 75 miles an hour. and had a cigar going. was great.
Speaker: Everything was down. I was alone. And then I just i lost the gear, and then we had a problem. Now, apparently, what you know about Detroit, one of the last bastions of skilled labor in this country. Okay? And when I say that is, in order to change this and in Dallas, it would have cost me probably $2,900. Oh, easy. I told my stepdad, and I said, hey, do you want this car or not?
Speaker: you i said, because I don't want to scrap it. said, well, what are going scrap it? He goes, why? I said, well, transmission's dead. He goes, so? Stop that. Yeah, so? I said, well, I said, so it cost me $2,500. Stop.
Speaker: It's not. I said, yes, it is. I just called two guys here to rebuild it. Same one. I said, he goes, well, you can find one. I said, I've just, Craig's listed these transmissions. I can't find them. And then once I do find them have been rebuilt already for $29,000. I go, so i he goes, off I'll give it down. So anyways, how'd you get up there?
Speaker: Had it towed up. Had it towed up. Wow. And my stepdad found a guide. We do it. ah Got it in there for I think $1,500, $1,500, whatever. Now, tell you I'll tell you about skilled labor. I'm having an uncounted story. you don't run out of tape. Okay?
Speaker: You put the thing all back together, and there was a small leak in the ah near the dipstick. Okay. And so he called the guy, the guy goes, oh, here's that still problem. I can change the i could change the gasket.
Speaker: Now, to do this from the shop manual is to drop the transmission again. Sure. Yes, it has. And then change it and then put it back together. And that's what every manual tells you to do. Correct. Not this guy. So my Santa has a lift in in the garage. And so the guy comes over me. This will take me about an hour.
Speaker: Oh, wow. He's going to do this different. They'll be jacked his car up, okay? And so I happened to be there, which was awesome. so i Because it wasn't like he timed it for me to be there. He's like, oh, the guy's coming by this afternoon. So you pull up in a was a 67 Chevelle Supersport that he had built.
Speaker: yeah You walk back, at the yard and I said that has it on the left, okay? And he's under the car, and he takes out about four socket extensions. Okay, okay.
Speaker: He's under the back of the car doing surgery. he's got he He goes, hold, stand behind me with that light. So I'm still behind him with this flashlight. He's got got that thing all the way through through through to front of the car.
Speaker: He's got, oh, and he put a piece of paper in there so that when he finally got the bowl and loosened it, it wouldn't fall down. He pulled the bolt, shoved the bolt out.
Speaker: lord He lowered the car. I think he was able to fish it from the top. I don't think he was able to... Yeah, he was able to put, I think, the gasket up the top. No. He had to fish the gasket back there, then fish the two bolts back there. cow. It was done. It was done in a hundred an hour. I said that, was like, well, let give you an extra hundred bucks. He goes, he wouldn't take his money. He goes, I miss him. That's amazing. You would not be, there is no way.
Speaker: That is. No way. That's a surgeon. That's like the rest of your brain there. That's not worth. So, can tell you, he's running, and he will...
Speaker: or he knows about it, so he'll be driving a car in 16. There it is. It's coming back. It's car, yeah. So there's that. That's what I did. I forgot all about cars. That's yeah. And the airplane. Yeah, you like to fly an airplane. You like to fly, yes. I've been flying for quite some time now. moved to Texas, got my license,
Speaker: ah Well, moving Texas started to get my license. I used to ride motorcycles. Have you always wanted get your license? Yes, I did. i wanted to be a pilot. I wanted to be whole up a full-blown pilot. I can see it. Yeah. um i I had no money for for school to do that. i tried to enlist um in the Air Force. The guy stood me up. Oh, wow.
Speaker: And then I went across the hall in the RV, said my feet were too quiet. So that was the end of those days. And so ah based on based off based on lack of funds, I became a salesman. ah But then I said, when I moved to Texas, I said, I'm either going to buy a motorcycle or learn to fly.
Speaker: So I started to learn to fly. Well, then I ran out of money. And so I had to i had to wait. um And then when i when I got divorced, I said, I want to finish this license. So I did. I finished the license at 16, bought an airplane shortly thereafter.
Speaker: ah my ah My bride told me that had to go. So I went. Propose is to Jenna on there on the airport. Yeah, that's right. That's right. That's right. Shaken in the wind and in a cold December day, 800 foot ceilings, 49-hour frost winds.
Speaker: Suburba does like to fly commercially. yeah and so when she got in the airplane, i think she knew what was coming. And then she's like we're not going to leave. I said, Are you kidding me? I'm going anywhere. This thing. The whole pair plays rocking. um But got rid of it. And then we got another one. um You know, I mean, I wasn't gonna let me where was I really gonna stop flying? Yeah, no, no, no. So I got a one. um And yeah, been to been flying. Yeah. So we were my wife and I were down in Dallas.
Speaker: visiting you too. Yeah. And we were talking, some riveting deep conversation I'm sure. and And you had a VR set. Remember this? Yes. And I was like, okay, what's the probability that you'd get me up on this VR thing and you'd get me down and land on the air flight or air flight, the landing strip?
Speaker: Safe. 100%. Marco said, 100%. Yeah, he's like, I'll be right there. He'll be able to see my screen on the screen. like I was like, all right, conditions are perfect. So we go upstairs.
Speaker: I get all ready. Hits a button, I'm flying it. Right? And like, it's real. I've hit VR, and I have never done VR, so that was cool. But then I'm the landing. Okay. Marco's doing a great job coaching me.
Speaker: ah Long story short, Well, bit it's a good thing three times well to get me down. And we were ended up in in like some field, but but I was down, safe. The first two ended in red. Exactly. Red red is not a good, so you never want to see red. No. In the old playing, but yeah.
Speaker: and Anyway, yeah that was kind of fun. Yeah. Oh, yeah. So, I think it's cool and I wanted to kind of bring it up because I think when people are running at such a high level and I think that you do a great job of trying to balance everything, sometimes it's nice to be able to unwind and not many people, but some people like to unwind with something that has to be so focused that you can't have any noise from the outside coming in. And for you, that's fine. Yeah.
Speaker: I was important to you. we had ah We had an experience down in Kansas City. You and I went, had a blast, um and he got to fly an airplane. I got to watch it. It was a sight to behold. Marco's that good.
Speaker: And even the instructor was pretty instruct... He was impressed. And even Marco can talk to the air traffic controller. That's amazing. um it's a cool It's a cool skill that I want, I wish I could learn. i've I learned motorcycling. I went to the motorcycle route and did that for for or three or four months and then quit because everyone's like, it's not when you fall it's or it's not how you fall, it's when you fall. It's like the Red Ryder BB gun a little bit, you know? And like... It's part the fun! Kind of! It is! It is! But then after three months, I'm like, okay, you know, like, maybe I can use this money somewhere else. And I didn't die, so I felt like I went to Las Vegas, got some money, and left it as a winner. Exactly. So I ended up... But I do, and I can relate, is like, when you're on that motorcycle... You got to be so dialed in to everybody else because no one sees you. No. So you just got to be thinking about a lot and it was very relaxing to me as well. So maybe someday and I'll get my airline or my air pilot license as well. Heck yeah. So okay, let's talk about um your faith. I think that's a big thing that I wanted to just kind of unpack a little bit because your faith has been really cool to watch. You grew up in a Catholic church background, Detroit.
Speaker: Yeah. very Catholic, and then you married kind of a Southern Baptist type kind of thing. And so, melding those and trying to understand each one of those, i just wanted you to have some time to talk about your faith, how it's been uncommon, how it's shaped you to who you are today, where you're now.
Speaker: Yeah. ah Thanks. We're touching on it. I think um it's been ah it's been a journey that really, I would say as as increased over the past few years.
Speaker: um I describe it ah as coming out of cola by people, um you know, I've been the When somebody says they're born again, ah you know, they re, they, they, I would have thought that would have felt like, you know, Jesus rising from the water, right? And everything happens all along. It's the clouds part as the dove lands on there. would Right.
Speaker: of And what happens is um you you um it feels like it just feels like a coming out of a coma where I would assume I've never been ah in a coma. So I will know. But, you know, that you that you can't see and you feel the bed and you start to smell things maybe you or or you know,
Speaker: And just feel, right? that that you You can't see anything. You can't. You you start fumbling around. Everything's yeah things and And I told a friend of mine, ah kind of with the same process, he says, well, you got remember when you, you know, a woman's pregnant for 40 weeks. You know? And it takes time. That takes time to try to do all that, right?
Speaker: And that's been something that that's been really, really interesting. a really cool to feel you know that that the to know that it by by grace alone um you're saved is that something that you earned yeah or something that you you know you kind of if you check enough of the right boxes you kind of you know you've got more positives and negatives there and what that does is is this was done for me is twofold one um it it it makes me submit more to to the to the holy spirit now i i i could feel myself doing ever asking for sure was don't yeah i'm asking where i don't have that but and and um what that does for others
Speaker: um it makes it makes me far less i think judgmental um far more compassionate not that i can necessarily understand only the all the stuff that somebody always been through but but uh things are things are are cut and dry there are there are there are so circuit you have to you have to apply um have to apply principles are as as I ah as as I say, you know, we we got thrown out of Eden a long time ago.
Speaker: Everything has a negative or consequence of some sort. No, it's a good pan you and and you have to you have to kind of um ah understand that people would try to do that. the best they can do our negative consequences that I will fail some point again today's that probably did at some point throughout today i will fail tomorrow I will fail next week the idea that that that uh that Jesus died to save me and give me a new life despite all those things is something that that puts me in a far more um grateful and and
Speaker: um modest position. So um yeah, it's something it's it's it's rapidly, I think it's rapidly changed me. at ah it into into into, i think the modesty has probably been the the biggest thing, not of my own ah in my own psyche, but also how I how I look at things. Sure.
Speaker: wow but And others. think that's good. so And you talk about sinning and even, would say like from your perspective, seeing like a Catholic background and upbringing that, like there's really amazing traditions and things that the Catholic religion does that's pretty neat. There's also pitfalls there.
Speaker: Sure. And then you see Southern Baptist. There's a lot of cool things that that is produced. And yet there's some pitfalls there. sure So I think the more, well, this might not be true, but the more religion that you can consume, the more you can see maybe the positives and negatives of each one.
Speaker: And then it all goes back to like, yeah, we just need more Jesus. Right. That's really what it is. lets just helped me understand what he did across for us and and help that be an outflow of how I interact with people and serve other people. And so I think that's that's really good. And it's a unique perspective that you have yeah from different perspectives.
Speaker: Yeah. That's, um as a you when you come at this uh the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago absolutely so just best that today yes i think and i think you know when look at people that are that are that have lived with the lord for a longer period of time it's cool to share yeah totally it's it's Yeah, it's just it's different. and It's something that's that's like I said, it it's, you know, the the biggest thing I'm grateful for. ah Well, I said, be saying, right, for what I'm grateful to have the light.
Speaker: Yeah. And that, I mean, is the biggest thing as you pray and and and embrace the Holy Spirit, that the light that is given to you to my delight to see.
Speaker: That doesn't mean what you're going see is great. You know, Jesus is not a fairy godmother. Right. The Holy Spirit's not a fairy godmother, but you get light to see good, bad, and ugly. Right? And when I say good, bad, and ugly,
Speaker: about yourself. Yeah, right. Right. Like, man, if you're using it for a flash site to other people, but that's, I'm using it wrong. Right. You're using it wrong. Right. Exactly. Exactly. So. good Yeah. That's a good thing. all right. So let's talk quick about your biggest mentors in your life that helps you be uncommon. The Marco you are today. Yeah.
Speaker: I would say, um, you know my, I have, um, I haven't spoken to my father in about 20 years, but, um, I was blessed to have ah um stepfather, um blessed to have three grandfathers. um You know, um um my uncle, i would say. um i spread father figure across, um you know, a smaller group of men.
Speaker: And so one of the things I think I would say, um my grandfather, my my mother's father passed away away in July. um And um one of the things I think, he was somebody, I mentioned it at the funeral, but he was somebody that that and they seemed to get younger.
Speaker: h ah Now you look at somebody that retires, you know and you say, okay, well, I mean, you know they havent they're they're living their best life now, you know what i mean? And they're out there, you know, whatever. but but What I mean by that is i my grandfather became a grandfather at 45, I'm 46, passed away 91.
Speaker: um and passed away at ninety ninety one um But ah it's not just he retired and then, know, retired and and was happy. Right. You could see that he had to a spiritual and and an emotional, a rapid increase in in spiritual and emotional depth, which is something that he did not, his upbringing,
Speaker: a a a firm-handed Italian Catholic upbringing, that would have given him zero tools to do. Wow.
Speaker: And so when you look at somebody that's done that, seeming seemingly his own. On his own. Yeah. Right? The man I would have known, away with but my mother my my mother and father got divorced, I was eight.
Speaker: We lived with him for a good amount of time and he was a pretty strong figure there, both my grandparents. Really, my family became pretty strong influences on me at that time because we all lived within probably five blocks.
Speaker: Wow. even my Even my dad's, side of the family all lived within a five block area right so it was they were all there right but um the man that i wouldve known at let's say he would have been 50 52 versus the man i would have 72. vastly different i i they're not even I love my grandfather. um i don't mean in any disrespectful way at 52, but sure he was not nearly the same man as he was at 72. And look at him.
Speaker: i mean, he didn't he he looked to get younger. you know he ha he he told you how he told you He told you how much he loved you. He told you how much he was proud of you. He told his wife how much he loved her. wow ah he He did all these things. made sure to make sure to to try to be as involved as possible with his with his grandkids,
Speaker: i i don't i don't no um I don't know of ah of ah of a better example of of what's possible right um than that difference. That's good. Because I feel like a lot of people, when they retire, they're hanging it in. you know yes like Yeah, well whatever. that's it good That's a good testimony of like finishing the race strong, right? Yeah. like And continuing to yeah improve yourself and continue to soften your heart. Yeah. and Yeah, what what I think is most powerful about that is he didn't have any example of that. know Like he just had, to there's obviously something there. Yeah.
Speaker: Which is awesome. My stepdad's father, um i remember when I moved from dallas ah from Detroit to Dallas, and they had a job and they said, you know, we're move you down there. And I remember going to my father's house.
Speaker: father's father, i met my paternal grandfather, and he was, you know, think you should go. i think it's, you know, it's a good opportunity. You should probably go. And I remember my maternal grandfather was like I don't really know, you know, your family's here. And, you know, this was whatever at that time. but And I remember going to my stepdad's ah father. Yeah.
Speaker: And he told me, you're leaving. And if you don't pack your bags, I'm driving downtown to pack the bags. Wow. um And so that, that, that,
Speaker: There's another thing too. You look at something that's uncommon. These were all three men. They all retired in Ford. i Ford, UAW. Yeah. Man, but this was a guy that knew how to kind of seize it. Yeah, right. And apply it. Right. and So that was, to me, I got a tie-breaking vote. So I guess that's how that went. But, you know, that that's uncommon, really, to think about. yeah You yeah seize that. Yeah, right. only Get out there and do it. it.
Speaker: um you start to say maybe You have to maybe that's part of it, too, is I think there's there's is uncommon in all of us. Right. And you have to start to see what what that is. And when you have to kind of split the that that that type of kind of father figure mentality across different people, you have to search for it more, maybe. Right.
Speaker: And you have to see those things. Right. Yeah, I do think it does come down to a little bit of risk. Like that is really what an uncommon thing is, being authentic or being genuine or being doing and seizing an opportunity. There is something about ah a risk that is uncommon. Yeah. And it's just not our normal thing. Like we don't just seek out like, hey, I'm going to right would seek myself out of a little trial here. Like I'm going to push myself to limits here see where how it goes. But yeah. I do think that's where I've learned the most in my life is just understanding. I just took a risk and it might not have gone according to plan. And yet that's probably when I learned the most. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: Oh, yeah, that's good. Okay. What would you tell your younger self? What would be the advice you'd give your younger self? I would really get it ah the The faith, the faith. the the faith um The journey in faith that I've had over the past few years, would be really awesome to have that 20 years ago.
Speaker: um you know i um the grace ah the the The grace factor and the great grace ah grace alone, because you know i arrogantly thought I could earn it.
Speaker: yeah So I think that that to me would have changed a lot of different things that know, I wish it could have done differently, but, but I think that would have been, yeah that, that'd be it probably. Yeah. You know, the funny thing is I've been reflecting about this. If I could have changed something in my past that I did wrong, would I do it? And I don't think I would have.
Speaker: Right. Because I think I've learned so much through those hard times that I feel like it's kind of shaped me who I am today. So even if you would have heard that advice from yourself, right. I don't know if you would have heard, Taken it. Well, I probably wouldn't have arrogantly, ah arrogantly I probably wouldn't have taken it. No, hey no I was still unearning it, right? Yeah, that's right. Yeah, so yeah so that's that's interesting. Okay, last thing, $2 bills.
Speaker: yeah That's the reason why I carry $2 bills, is Marco Fraderelli. I want to be a little bit like Marco Fraderelli. I just think it's cool. Yeah, well, and Thomas Jefferson, my favorite um ah my favorite historical president. that's good point. So I'd like to have that. I feel like it's an inflation fighter.
Speaker: there's nothing between a one and a five. There isn't, but there's a two. There's a two. Okay, but there's a meaning behind the two. It's uncommon. It's very uncommon. And everybody collects these things. yeah They're like, oh, look I got my $2 bill. You can go to the bank and get $2 bills. Right. So if I ever say, if I have something, i' be like, hey, I got something big if you do this. Yeah.
Speaker: it's And it's going to be uncommon. Like, I really amp it up. It's a $2 bill. right And they see it, they're like, okay, like, that's pretty That's right. That's right. So that's the reason. Marco Fraterale. There you go. All right, so to wind up this podcast, I feel like, one, it's just been fun to get to know you a little bit more. I'm glad the listeners get to see who I get to hang out with. There you go.
Speaker: Also too, I just think being on purpose and being genuine, i think we talked about that, I know we talked about that at beginning of like what makes you uncommon and it's like to be authentic and genuine and being on purpose and like I'd say intentional about what you do, but I also think just being mindful about even the younger generation and what they can produce and what they can apply to us is is is super wise.
Speaker: And like, i just think about the older generations of like in your life and and me, like I'm proud of you, man. Like it's been really cool just to see your trajectory and your faith and your marriage and your family and it's growing. And I know that, you know, your grandfather, he passed away, but he'd be super proud of you if he could listen this podcast and seen it. So thank you for enlightening your your wisdom us. Thank you. Keep up the good fight. yeah I guess as you know, you get a ah first Corinthians 13 going, you know, ah prophecy without love is just a clanging cymbal. And as the same thing with financial health, I think. So I think it's true. there's It's a bigger purpose and you you want that purpose to to enrich your life. I do. I do. Thanks, man. You're welcome. So thank you for listening to Uncommon Wealth Podcast. Okay, if they wanted to reach out to you in any way, capacity, email would be best? Email would be fine. It's a long one. i He's going to have to spell it out over there. He can do it He can do it. He can do it. it's just my it's It's marco at marcofraterale.com.
Speaker: I will spell it. He cut it out. M-A-R-C-O at
Speaker: And if they want to reach me, they'll see you that way. That would be great. Until next time, be uncommon and be authentic and maybe take something from the younger generation because they got some wisdom. Thanks for listening. Thank you.
Speaker: That's all for this episode brought to you by Uncommon Wealth Partners. Be sure to visit Uncommon Wealth.com to learn more about our services. Don't miss an episode as we introduce you to inspiring people who are actively pursuing an uncommon life.
