In episode 56 of Everything is Up, Tammera Hollerich interviews Bruce Waller, VP of Corporate Relocation for Armstrong Company, to discuss his journey in the relocation business and his new book. Bruce also shares insights on the importance of defining success, moving from success to significance, and the GAPS framework for personal growth.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation about success and building relationships!
TIMESTAMPS
[00:03:38] The Story of Two Men.
[00:07:29] Personal Branding in HR.
[00:10:39] The Lane of Significance.
[00:13:53] Purpose and Meaning in Work.
[00:17:11] Impact and Significance in Life.
[00:27:05] Bowling Memories and Military Life.
[00:28:50] Learning from Competitors.
QUOTES
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Tammera Hollerich
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TammeraHollerich
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammerahollerich/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thollerich/
Bruce Waller
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brucewwaller/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucewaller/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bruceww300/
WEBSITES
Everything Is Up: https://everything-is-up.simplecast.com/
Tammera Hollerich: https://tammerahollerich.com/
Bruce Waller: https://www.brucewaller.com/
Welcome to everything is up a podcast about the real life stories of people who have created extraordinary levels of success These are conversations with people who are constantly striving to take things to the next level And now here's your host
All right, welcome to Everything is Up with Tamara. And joining me today is Mr. Bruce Waller, who is the VP Corporate Relocation for Armstrong Company out of Memphis, Tennessee. Is that correct, Bruce?
Tammera Hollerich
That's correct. Yeah, we're based out of Memphis. I actually office in Dallas, Texas.
Bruce Waller
So that's exciting. So all of you know that I'm in Fort Worth. We claim Dallas occasionally. Okay. But you know, there's that divide right there in Arlington where Fort Worth is Fort Worth and Dallas is Dallas. But no, I'm so excited. I can't believe in the circles that we both run that we have not met prior to this.
Tammera Hollerich
Right? Can you believe that? Yeah. And I believe Kat is the one that actually connected us not too long ago. And I'm like, how do I not know Tamara? So it's good to be on your podcast. Whenever you sent me your note, everything is up. I'm like, I'm all about that. That's fantastic.
Well, that's exciting. So yes, so Kat Schleter, who is the HR director for the city of Azle, which is a suburb here of Fort Worth. Kat and I worked together for years. We were having lunch and your name came up and she's like, I'm just going to text Bruce right now. And I was just like, OK, this is, you know, I love how that connection works. You are very much and self-proclaimed very much a people connector. So how did you one get into the relocation business with Armstrong? And then how did you end up with this wonderful self-proclaimed title of people connector?
Yeah, what a journey. What a journey it has been. So years ago, I wrote a book, my very first book called Find Your Lane. And when I wrote that book, I just really wanted to write a book about my journey. And in that book, I shared how my parents are entrepreneurs. They own bowling centers. Today, it's a bowling center. And so I grew up in the bowling business. I used to bowl and all things bowling. And then about 1995, my brother was in the relocation business, and I was ready to go from working nights and weekends to working daytime. And so I moved, my wife and I moved to Dallas, Texas, and I started in the relocation business back in 1995 on the operations side. And fast forward 10 years, I moved to the sales and marketing side with the Armstrong Company here in Dallas, Texas. And I've been here ever since. and it's been an incredible journey along the way.
So let's explain to everyone what relocation means. When I saw it, I was like, OK. And I know that you're very connected in the HR community here in really Texas. And so how do those two things go together? And then let's explain to everybody what, I mean, I think relocation and I think moving. But you really talk about moving people.
Yeah, and the Armstrong Company is an agent for United Van Lines, so we all see the trucks going down the roads. It says United Van Lines, and on the back of it is, say, the Armstrong Company. Armstrong was started in Memphis more than 60 years ago by two gentlemen. It's the story of two men and a truck, right? Nice. Today we have a third-generation owner. It's the CEO, Todd Watson. Our company was built on moving families, moving the furniture and all of the personal effects from one location to the other. And it's very interesting. When I joined Armstrong, I had an incredible boss who said, hey, I want you to get out there and I want you to network. I want you to find your find your community. And so I networked with a lot of different groups. And Dallas H.R. was one of those groups. And the reason why is because when it comes to relocation, many times H.R. and talent acquisition is very involved in hiring that employee. And then when they hire that person, they need to relocate them. And so that's where we come in. And so I started networking with Dallas H.R. back in 2005. So almost 20 years ago, believe it or not. Some funny stories along the way. My second time I went to a Dallas H.R. meeting is very funny. I walked in the door and it's so daunting. You go to a networking event, there's all these people that know everybody, and you're just like, do I even belong here? And I tell a story in my book about how I walked in the door and I walked out and I sat in my car and I'm like, oh my gosh, this is very challenging to get to know people. I didn't know anyone, but I wanted to get to know people, especially people in HR that were using our services. And I really wanted to learn more about that world. They're not just thinking about moving people. Typically, that's a very small percentage of their job. And so I started networking within Dallas HR. That's actually where I met Kat. She served as a volunteer leader in that organization for the HR Southwest Conference. And so I just kept going. It's the story of you got to show up and you just got to keep going. And when it really turned for me was whenever I stopped thinking about what I do and started thinking about what others do and learning and trying to really get into the mindset of trying to learn from others. And then eight years later, I became the president of the organization, who is the third largest chapter in the country, Dallas HR is. And then today I serve on the board of directors for the Texas Sheridan State Council as assistant state director for their core leadership areas. And so when you say, how does relocation and HR intertwine? It is that way. It's through that hiring process. It's helping on board that employ a lot of times you think about onboarding you think about when they come to work and they they're given their computer and their login information but really if they're relocation relocating that's really where the onboarding starts and so I have yeah and yeah isn't that funny how you you know I always talk about branding a lot your personal brand And it's interesting, a lot of people think I'm an HR practitioner. And I say this all the time, we're all in sales and we're all in HR, right? We're all working with people. And so it all in our lines.
You know, it's interesting because as I was, you know, doing research and kind of digging into you a little bit more. It brought back a lot of memories from me as a kid. So I grew up a military brat, so we moved a lot. And so from a kid's perspective, and now as an adult, in prepping for us talking today, I was like, It was hard. It was, it was hard for my dad and then my mom to pick up everything, box it up. I mean, I can remember we had, you know, the week before the movers came, right. We had to separate the stuff that we were taking with us versus the stuff that was going on the moving truck. Right. So it affects the whole family. Right. So if you're bringing on an employee that is relocating, It's not it's not really just that employee. It's the family and the kids and all of that. And so that's why I asked the question, because I'm like, OK, it isn't it isn't a simple answer. It's not just, hey, the movers show up. Right. Yeah, they do. I mean, they packed up the house, they put everything in boxes. Right. And then they loaded the trucks and everybody cried because half their stuff was on the truck. I mean, so all of that is very. it intertwines into the whole primary family that is being affected. Well, you can't think for a moment that that is not affecting your new employee and making sure the family is set before they can go to do this new job that you need them to be, you know, the ace player that you hired to bring in. So there's so much more to it. I love that you are that people person and that I mean, it really does set Armstrong apart because it's not just about the boxes that go from point A to point B. Yeah, I tell people all the time, it's more than a move for sure.
It's funny, when I first got to Armstrong, I didn't realize, I knew it was important. I knew moving was important, but I just didn't realize the significance until I got a call from a friend of mine. I just started with the company and a friend of mine called and said, hey, my banker's looking for someone to help his mom move. And I told him, you were the guy, so you're going to get a call from John. I was like, great, that's fantastic. First of all, to get a referral, a trusted referral, that's big. And so, so John calls me and says, hey, I need to move my mom. And kind of long story short, his mom lived, she was in assisted living and she was moving from Dallas to Houston. She had a few boxes, maybe a little nightstand and a bed. That was it. So, so, so little, But such a big, big, big moment for her son. And knowing I was in a position to relieve that stress for him and help his mom, that day was an epiphany. And since then, I have really been an advocate of trying to help really business leaders, but HR is typically the one responsible, helping them understand the coordination effort. And when someone needs to relocate, it's really all hands on deck. They just, they want a smooth transition and being able to work for a company that coordinates those services for that company and helps them move from point A to point B. And so they can get on with their work. It's, yeah, I like to call it In my new book, Drive with Purpose, I like to call it the Lane of Significance. When you talk about success, you're talking about achievement. But when you talk about significance, it's really impact. And so, yeah, I have enjoyed it. I just celebrated my 20th year here at Armstrong in February. Well, congratulations. Yeah, love it.
That's very exciting. Okay, so you just touched on the new book, so we're going to pivot here just a sec. You have got a top 100 career change book of all time with Find Your Lane. and so that's congratulations and now drive with purpose and I love that you have taken this whole drive lane metaphor in the titles of your book I think that that's very um it's unique right I love that you have done that um so give us a few of the highlights with a drive with purpose and what what kind of drove you pun on words, what drove you to write this next book that is also probably, knowing you, it's going to be another one, number one bestseller. So give us what drove you to write this next one.
Yeah, it's interesting when you think about your journey. When I started Armstrong, I remember thinking, I want to be different. I don't want to be that sales guy. I wanted to be that person that helped others. And I thought, how can I do that? So I decided I'm going to start with a newsletter. 2005. I started with a newsletter and then 2011 I morphed that into a blog and I just continued to write and then in 2017 I decided I was going to turn those blogs, I was going to turn it into a book and you're right, it's called Find Your Lane, my first book. change your GPS and change your career. And that's really all I thought about was writing that book and sharing my story and maybe helping people, you know, encouraging people along the way. And then in 2020, we all know the pandemic arrived. And so I started a podcast, Life in Leadership Lane. And so I decided to take some of the nuggets that I was getting from all that wisdom from Life and Leadership Lane. I put that out into a book called Life and Leadership Lane, and I hadn't really thought about the next book. And then over the last few years, I've heard more in the last few years than ever, and that is this word purpose, this word that we can't quite grab. It's just like fleeting. Everybody talks about purpose. I want purpose. I want meaning. I want more. I want more in my work. And so I just kept thinking about that, thinking, you know, I need to help people maybe see that from a different lens because I'm pretty sure that a lot of times when, let's say you travel to a conference and it's early and you get your coffee, the person that's serving that coffee may not look at their job as significance, but coffee is significant, isn't it? Like when we get that cup of coffee. or when we need to get to the airport and we take the Uber, how important that job is that that Uber driver has at that time, how impacting that can be. And so I started thinking about that and I thought, you know what, I'm going to write a book and I want to talk about, we've all had the subtitle, Drive with Purpose, the subtitle is Move Your Career from Success to Significance. And I set it up that way because we've all had success. Everybody listening to the show right now has had something, that they've had success. But how do we go from achievement to really impact? How do we really move into that career of, I love what I do. I can see how I'm helping people. And so that's really where that came from. And so I thought, well, I'm going to share the story. But really where I started it was that success, right? And I think the first and foremost thing we need to do in any role is we've got to define what success is. Like it's something different for everyone. Like Tamara, I'm sure when you asked you what success is, you would say it's this. And then you ask Sarah, what's success? And she would say, well, to me, success is that. And so it's something different from everybody. I think once you define that, then you can really move. And I think the problem is that most people, what do they say? Comparison is the thief of joy. They're comparing themselves to others, and they look at others, and they're letting other people define success. And so if they can figure out how to define success, then they can really accelerate. And that's really what the book's about.
I love that. I do, because you're right. everyone on this planet has some significance. They don't know what it is.
Yeah.
They just don't. They haven't figured out. And I don't know if it's because, well, I can almost tell you, we're not teaching it in school, right? Our public school system is not saying, look, this is, I mean, it's just, You know, right now, everything's about the dollars and the testing and, you know, all of that. And if we could just get past all of that and help, you know, at an earlier age, I think a lot of people find it 30s and 40s. when they really step back from the rat race a little bit is when I think that they start thinking, oh, it's not as much when they're younger. I just wish we could get there faster. So I'm so excited about this book because I have heard the word impact more in the last six months. from, you know, podcast guests, from employees and from, um, you know, acquaintances is like, I'm, I'm trying to figure out how to make a bigger impact. Um, or how do I make an impact here at work? Right. So I've heard this word a lot more lately. Um, and so, you know, having you go from let's define success and then figure out how to get to significance because that's where the impact is at. I just am so excited about somebody putting it on paper and putting it in a book. So good job.
I love it. I love it. You know, I think a lot of people, one of the things I'm really excited about in this book, and I've been looking for a place to share this for a long time, and I didn't realize the book was where I would share it, but I had an executive. You know, you talk about young people. There's these three different stages, right? There's the learners, the earners, and the returners. And I call it this continuous loop, right? We start out learning. We're just trying to figure it out. We're not even thinking about impact. And then we start earning. And then now it's time to return. We have all these different stages. And it's this loop that you're constantly learning and then moving to earn and returning. But during the process, I think a lot of times we get stuck. We just like, we all do, right? We just lose momentum. Sometimes it's through job transition. Sometimes it's, we didn't get that promotion we wanted. Sometimes it's just, we're just in a job and we just aren't seeing it as a really like this career. And so I was meeting with this executive and she was sharing how she was stuck. And I said, well, you know, I've been thinking about this wall. And so let's let's go through this. So let's look at the gaps. So there's a gaps is an acronym GAPS. And so I said, let's start with here. OK, G stands for grow. Are you in growth mode? Are you listening to podcasts? Are you reading the books? Are you reading books? Are you meeting with people? What are you doing to grow? Are you taking a certification? What are you doing to grow? I heard Tony Robbins once share that everything changes and everyone Like everything dies in time, right? Everything, it just does. But when you're in growth mode, you're always ready for the next. But when you're not, when something changes or something happens, you're just like, oh, now what? But when you're in growth mode, you're like, let's go. Okay, let's go. I'm ready. And so G is growth mode. A stands for alignment. You know, when we get out of alignment, we get stuck, right? When I worked in Oklahoma for my parents, I was working nights and weekends. My wife worked in the daytime. We were not in alignment. We had to get in alignment. When I worked for different companies, the values of the company versus my values didn't quite match up. And so I had to get in alignment. And so You've got to know what your values are. Talk a little bit about values and the importance of that. So, G, growth, A, alignment, and then P stands for purpose. Are you being like... purposeful and everything. Are you being intentional? Are you planning? Are you spending time leading your life, not managing your days, but leading your life? Are you being intentional about your connections? And when you get on LinkedIn and you connect with someone, are you taking it to the next step and following up or are you just like moving on? And then S, S is for service. There's so many organizations waiting for you right now to come and volunteer. And when you are serving and you're really helping people, it just feels different. And so I say this, if you check the gaps, and you are in growth mode, you're in alignment, you're being purposeful and you're serving, then you just maybe need to accelerate, push it down a little bit more and just move. But if you are out of alignment on any of those, you need probably just dive into that area.
Yeah, that's such valuable information. So everybody listening gaps, gaps. That is, that's huge. I mean, that is such value for our listeners, you know, because we can all, and there is any given point where one of those areas could use your attention. Right. Um, we're all guilty of, you know, maybe letting something slide or, you know, and maybe not being as intentional as you could. You may think you're being intentional, but you know, you can be more intentional or you can serve, um, you know, instead of going home and sitting on the couch, watching TV, right. You can go, you can find something to serve.
It's fun. It's funny. And you probably had this Tamara, uh, you know, you, you, you signed up for a networking event. And it was five o'clock, you know, like it's time to go to the event. You're like, I really just want to go home. But you go to that event. And then when you leave the event, you're like, oh, my gosh, so many great people. I'm so glad I went to that event. Right. Sometimes it's just, you know, taking that extra step and just going for it. And it's amazing what happens whenever you do that.
It's called Just Do It. Okay, so this is so, I mean, this is fantastic, but I heard from a little mouse that you have bold 10 or more perfect games. And now, now I know why, because I grew up in a bowling alley. But so that feeling has got to be, I mean, I have my brother in law has bold one. We were all like kind of bowling as a family and he he bowled a perfect game. But I think he's only ever done it once. I mean, he's good. But to do that multiple times, please tell me that somewhere along the line, did you do amateur bowling, professional bowling ever at any point?
Yeah, no, I tried it. Believe me, I tried it. I had a couple of kids along the way, and I was bowling all over. I traveled to Ohio and Las Vegas, and yeah, I bowled everywhere. Unfortunately, it just wasn't paying the bills for me. No, I loved the game of bowling. I loved it since I was a kid growing up. My mom loved the game. My mom and dad are now in the Hall of Fame in the Oklahoma City Bowling Hall of Fame in the category of service. I loved it. I'll tell you, I shared a story though. In my book, I talked about back in 1989, I got a chance to bowl a US Open qualifier. I always wanted to bowl in the US Open. I bowled that qualifier. I qualified for the U.S. Open. I bowled a perfect game in that qualifier. It was really exciting times. But during the U.S. Open, the U.S. Open is a very difficult tournament, and I did not do that well. I remember thinking, man, my career is over. This is just the worst. I talk about in the book, I talk about perspective. And how sometimes when something seems bad, it's not bad. It could be good. You just got to go through the process. And I didn't have a good tournament, and I continued to bowl, and it was fine. But I heard a guy, we all know Dwayne Rock Johnson. And he had a video one time and he was in Vancouver and he was on this video. He said, you know, he's at that big laugh. Oh, you know, this is where I played, you know, football. I had this dream of playing the NFL and I got cut right here at this field. And he was talking about in the, in the storyline was the best thing that never happened to him. And he was telling the story. And so I later started talking about the best thing that never happened to me. And that was that tournament. I was just thinking about, well, what if I would have won the tournament or done well? And you just keep going, right? But for me, the journey I've been on has been incredible. And because it never happened in the game of bowling, the breaks I was looking for along the way never happened, it led me to the world of relocation, the world of serving people in the business community, particularly in HR. And so, yes, I love the game. I still go bowl during the holidays. My parents still own the bowling center. And so all the nephews and nieces and grandkids, they all want to bowl Bruce. Oh, that's fun. Some of them are already beating me, but it is, it's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. And by the way, it was at your brother-in-law won 300 game. I mean, come on, that's fantastic.
It's fantastic. Yeah, I know. I mean, and it was during a league, so it wasn't like, so he, he go, he gets the pins, he gets the, you know, all of that. So it was very exciting for, you know, the family. And it's funny because, um, as a military brat. And while I can remember why dad was stationed in Alaska, there's not much to do in the winter in Alaska. So we ended up on bowling leagues, right? So every Saturday morning, all the kids go to the bowling alley. You thought you were cool because you had your own bowling ball and your own bowling shoes. And I mean, it is such fond memories for me as a kid. You know, growing up, you know, my parents bowled. That was kind of the social thing that you did on a military basis. They bowled and had, you know, really good friends. And so Thursday nights we ran around the lockers where the boy, I mean, so very fond memories. And I was like, Oh, that is so cool. Cause I don't know that I've ever, I mean, I didn't know that today we were going to be talking about bowling and how cool bowling was actually going to be. Yeah. Because it was, it's such fond memories.
Yeah. For me as a kid. Yeah. It's one of the most popular indoor sports. Yeah. I love the game of bowling.
Yes, so much fun. Well, I really, I mean, I've gotten you 10 minutes longer than I thought I was going to get you. So I'm so grateful for your time and your wisdom and sharing gaps with us, because I do think that's going to be very valuable for our listeners. And I appreciate you. on all of the time that you've given us here on Everything is Up. So everyone, please make sure you guys like and share. Bruce, what's a good way for everybody to get a hold of you? Best way.
Yeah, no, I think LinkedIn is the best way and I would love to hear from you. Tell me you heard this podcast. Everything is up. I'd love to learn more about you and maybe a takeaway. And one of the things that I'll end with here is that I've loved sharing this ever since I wrote the book and I was watching a story about Tom Brady and he was talking about how he learned from Peyton Manning. right a competitor someone that does what he does he's a quarterback and uh he you know and basically the storyline is quarterbacks learn from quarterbacks and so we can all learn from each other and so i would love to learn from you and and hear what you uh hear what's going on with you and and i appreciate you tamara and being a part of this and learning from you along the way so thank you for having me
So such a pleasure, such a pleasure. All right, everybody, this is Everything is Up with Tamara and Mr. Bruce Waller. And thank you again so much for joining me, Bruce. You have been a blessing. All right, everybody, have a great day. Make sure everything's up.
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