The sheep farmer teaching carmakers how to use AI

Welcome back to the big idea presented by Block Advisors built by H&R Block. Howdy, I'm Elizabeth Gore, co-founder and president of Helalis. And Gus is here, too. We're so glad y'all are with us. So, what's between the spreadsheets this week in small business? Washington is reconsidering a surprisingly important question. Does size matter? Mhm. Yep, I said it. The SBA proposed a new size standards across hundreds of industries. If adopted, the changes could allow hundreds of thousands of additional companies to qualify as small businesses. So, you need to pay attention because this might open the door to SBA backed loans, federal programs, grants, government contracts. Your eligibility depends on your industry's NICS code, and may be based on either your annual revenue or number of employees. You're going to have to look that up. Visit sba.gov gov and check the company's classification. If the proposed rule could help or hurt your business, you can use your voice still before September 21st. You can contact your congressman. You can contact the SBA and let them know how you feel. Now, let's cowboy up with a sheep farmer that can also teach us about the future of AI. Adrien Belffor is the founder and chairman of Envorso and Empower AI. On top of all that and be an incredible farmer, he is also the owner of a professional rugby team, the Seawolves in Seattle. Howdy, Adrian. Welcome to the Big Idea. We're so glad to have you on. >> Thank you for having me, Liz. It's great to be here. >> I have to start with two things. Even though it's 100° outside, I wore a wool top today in your honor. And then I have two things for you. So my son biggest accomplishment won his 4H sheep show last year. >> No, >> I am not kidding you. So >> congratulations, Jacob. >> Thank you. Not a morano sheep like you have. And then the second thing I wanted you to know is one of my favorite books is Legacy about the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team. >> Oh my goodness. That's >> I think it's one of the best business books. >> Um >> yeah, >> and at Warriors and Quiet Waters, we have a lot of our veterans uh read it as well about leadership. So sheep and rugby and I mean we we can talk about AI and your your brilliant mind, but can we start with sheep, please? I'm dying. >> I love sheep. The sheep. >> Tell me why. >> So I grew up on a farm on uh the west of Ireland. Um, uh, we had cattle and we had sheep. >> Okay. >> And as I grew up there, I kind of liked the sheep a lot. So I got to work with them. Perhaps it was because I was a kid and the cattle were very big and the sheep were smaller or whatever, but I just really got to like the personality of sheep. And so I left the farm, did my college, did my working thing, made a career, and then the very first opportunity I had, I bought a farm and started a sheep farm. >> Amazing. So that's it's basically a lifelong dream. It took me a long time to get there, but once I got there, I'm stuck into it 100%. >> And then wait, is it true that you're using wool from sheep to for some of your products for your rugby team? >> Oh, of course. Vertically integrated. So we bought a farm in Pennsylvania. Um, then we added another farm. Then we added another farm. Um, and we bought some marino wool from Marino sheep, which is the, you know, the fine wool stuff. >> Oh, yeah. >> We bought bought that through Arizona from Australia, >> and got the genetics here, set up the farm, got the farm moving. >> Um, and then we started to figure out how to make products from the wool. And that that, I can tell you, Liz, is a real hell of a journey. >> Really? >> Oh god. Yeah. Well, there used to be a ton of marino sheep in the US, especially in Vermont, you know, decades ago, maybe 100 years ago or so. Um, but then as you go through the whole polyester revolution of the 60s and 70s, um, bright colors, you know, all trendy stuff, um, wool went out of the out of the window. So, all of the factories, all of the processing plants pretty much all died. So now we're kind of trying part of a movement to kind of build up processing of natural fibers whether it's alpaca or whether it's wool at the moment. Um and really trying to get those into larger volume production. So there's a lot of small you know shops that have 20 or 30 sheep. We >> go after a couple of thousand um and we want to try and get production of many thousands of pounds of wool per year and then turn that into undergarments. You know, that's our our goal is undergarments because >> wool, as you know, is naturally antibacterial. It wicks moisture. It keeps your skin healthy. >> Um, so we're going after undergarment mater, you know, products. So, love it. And that's why we have fine wool because, you know, it's like silk. >> It's just incredible the the career with the companies you've built and then the passions you have. And I I do I do want to I I'm going backwards here. I want to go from there to rugby. It was a a passion you had as as a kid and then you played again. I don't know how you played as you got older because I think my body would just go but and then you decided to to launch a team. I I would love to hear about that journey. >> So that story is kind of interesting. So, um, I played for 16 years, um, as a kid up until my mid20s. Um, and then, you know, things start to hurt more when you're getting slightly older, although I wouldn't say mid20s is old, but you you'll feel it in the mid20s. So, um, I got a career going and then whenever I sold my my first company, >> was that PCubed? >> That was PCubed. Yeah. >> Okay. >> So, I sold PCubed in 2014. Um, and decided, okay, well, I've done my thing. I've made my money. I can retire comfortably and live a really nice normal life, but I need something to do, right? And I need, you know, and I decided I was in my 40s, early 40s, so I decided I'll do a keep fit thing, right? Well, I need a goal to keep fit against. Well, I'll play rugby again. Um, you know, there's over there's a over 38 league. You know, I'm not too far over 38. I'm early 40, so I can do it. I was talking to the guys in the local rugby clubs and etc., etc. I'm go like, "Well, why haven't you guys set up a professional league in America? I mean, the soccer guys did it. I mean, for God, God forbid, you know, the soccer guys can beat you. Like, come on. Where's your pride?" Um, and so they turned it around to me and said, "Well, why the hell don't you do something?" >> And so, I was like, "Oh, okay. >> Challenge. >> Challenge. I'll accept that." You know, maybe a beer was exchanged or something like that, but um, you know, >> nothing. >> Absolutely. So, I said, "What the hell? let's go for it. So, um went for it, talked to a bunch of different people in different cities and long story short, within sort of about 18 months, we had stood up major league rugby and I had six other partners in different cities across the US, San Diego, Houston, Denver, etc. So, we stood up the league, got it moving, um and then, you know, you had to form a team to play in the league. So, I formed the Seattle Seawolves. Um, and we got that going and then we played our first championship in 2018 and you know like a good entrepreneur you want to win. So we did. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. >> Absolutely. >> We won the title the first two years out of the gate which is kind of cool. >> You had to choose one of these company rugby farming. >> One is a lifestyle and the other is a passion. Yeah. >> So farming is a lifestyle. You know it's like you get up in the morning you get that sunlight. You get outside, you love your animals, you love the work. You know, you work at a farm and you clean a field up or you cut a tree down or you do this, that, and the other. You can see the results of your work every single day. >> So, that level of lifestyle is really important. So, I'd always I'd always have to pick the lifestyle. I'd always have to pick, >> but the passion is rugby. Passion is rugby. Like, you know, it's I've been I started playing when I was six years old. So, >> love of your life. I love it. Exactly. >> I grew up on a cattle ranch and I got to tell you that uh have to get up and do it every day no matter what mentality to me anyone who was in any type of agriculture particularly with livestock. >> Yeah. >> I think make incredible entrepreneurs. >> The work ethic is there. That's that's programmed into you. Like hard work also disappointment. You worked you grew up in a livestock farm. So disease >> different types of challenges that come at you every single day. Um you work through them. you solve it. You become a problem solver. So, work ethic, problem solving, and dealing with disappointment. >> Yeah, that's a good that's a good foundation for life. >> It is. It is. Well, I want to go back, speaking of entrepreneurship, um I I've talked to the the farming version of you, but I do want to go back to PCubed and um tell tell me the origin story there and and you you bootstrapped that. No venture capital, right? >> Nothing. Yeah. So I left the farm, went to college in England, um got an electronics degree, um got my second degree in Belfast, um and then got a job in France on cyber security. And then I got picked up after that working for Ford Motor Company in Europe, automating production lines, writing software to automate production lines. That's kind of what we were doing. Um, and we launched that software and then I got involved in what was called concept customer which was a program for how you shorten the life cycle for how you develop a vehicle and I was the technology guy on the cross functional team doing that. So I decided to set a company up on the back of that idea and that was Pcubed. >> Yeah. Mhm. >> Um but you know, I said, "Okay, well, I'm working in London. You know, I've been away from home um since I was about 18 years old. Um I finished playing rugby. Um why don't I just go to America and wing it and see what happens?" So, I set the company up in Detroit. Um basically had enough money for a couple of, you know, couple of weeks or months sort of worth of keeping myself afloat. um went to Ford Motor Company in Detroit and said, "I have this brilliant idea. What do you think?" Um and I talked to a guy called Vince Fazio who is the program director for a brand new Lincoln product. It was a product that was going to be joint venture Lincoln Land Rover >> or Jaguar Land Rover. Jaguar, well, Jaguar and Lincoln. And I basically came to him and talked to him about this idea and he said, "Yes." And then he said, "Can you have six guys working here come Monday morning?" >> Whoa. >> Yeah. And I said, "Yes." And then I was like, "Oh I don't know anyone." So, you know, I had to go out and figure out where I could get appropriately qualified people within like a week or two to kind of get things going. And within two to three weeks, we had a full team of six and we were >> And so, jump forward. I mean, this becomes a huge company. You go from zero to six to >> we would we I think the company's now 3,000 people. Wow. >> Um so it goes from zero to about 3,00 3,500. >> Um and 17 offices across the world. We did everything cash flow from operations. >> Wow. >> So you you work a month, you bill a month, you know, you collect the check, you pay people, that whole cycle. Um and we grew 100% a year. Um, we were in the Inc. sort of 5000. We were number 43 fastest growing company in the US. >> Wow. >> During those early years, um, and you know, just move it from there. Um, it branched out internationally across Europe, um, Asia, um, South America, Australia. Yeah, it's kind of fun. >> It's kind of fun. You're so amazing. So, world's shortest retirement, right? So, you know, we've we've got we've got the sheep farm, we've got a rugby team, and now you're create you've created a whole another company. >> Yes. So, I started in Vorso um in around sort of 2017. Um so, I'd done the I got the rugby thing moving and that basically get wetted my appetite to get back in the game again. >> Um >> pun intended. >> Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. [laughter] So, you know, I figured, okay, I'm going to go back into it and I'd done some work with some of the VC firms and I figured, okay, let's bring and my buddies in Microsoft and Meta and Google and stuff. I said, let's bring that expertise to back to the automotive world like to the big industries like heavy duty industries. Um, and at the time that was when people were thinking about robotics. >> Okay, so who would have thought that the first robots in the planet would be cars? Right. But that's what happened. >> So true. >> And so 2017, I figured that that's where it was going. And I thought if I brought my tech guys to Detroit and I brought my Detroit guys to the valley, >> we'll be able to develop a common lexicon and then we could take that to clients. And so we basically expanded out from providing advice to companies on how they should adopt software to helping build it for them and then having the techniques associated with how they scale. Um and then we got into um machine learning um because essentially data large databases and we need to learn from those data data sources to create applications that would be beneficial to the customer. We've been now involved in AI for you know basically from 2019 onwards where we've been working with different firms on that. Um and that gets to my next company which is a company called Empower um EMPWR and that's an AI firm which basically is an AI project manager. So this goes back to my PQ dez of you know people were hiring project managers to manage projects but with the advent of AI you can now have a digital project manager that can help you manage things much more efficiently much more cheaply and in real time which [clears throat] is absolutely critical. So empower is a company I set up about two years ago. >> Could it ever sheep? I would love it to be able to hard sheep, but I need to stick it on something with legs first. >> Okay. Okay. Well, is that I mean, is that next? Is is human robotics next? >> Human robotics would for me is the next big is the next big thing. Um because essentially with cars, the technology associated with a suspension system and a steering system is essentially the same fundamental base principles as moving an arm or a leg in a robot. So I I'm very passionate about elder care. I have an elder care company called Jen Sando. And you know, I'm very curious about when compassion and robotics can come together and solve very human problems. Do you think we're close or do you think we still have a minute? >> I think you still have a minute. I I think you know AI will help unlock some of the neurological um you know and medical situations. So I think that is imminent and I I believe a number of those things are under medical trials getting robotics to help with elder care and help with um you know disabilities and so forth. I think it started to happen uh especially with Elon's Neurolink um those types of texts. Um but I think the the robotics inter interacting like robots interacting one-on-one with humans is a couple of years away, you know, >> right? That's very true and very important. And your parents are in their late 80s. >> They are. >> What do they think about all these businesses? Um, they think I'm just crazy and I I should just come home and just farm the little cattle farm next to them and be done with it >> and be done with it. The hardest conversation I've ever had in my entire life was when I told my mother I uh wasn't going to come back and manage the ranch. >> Yeah. I mean, my mom didn't want me coming to America. So, I told her I was going to go for three years and then I was going to sell up and I'll come back home and I'll I'll I'll uh I'll farm the ranch. >> I've never had a I've never had a harder conversation than that. >> Yeah. You know, we've talked about a lot of success, and I I think it's really important for our our small business owners that watch to uh understand failures, too, because that's just such a huge part of entrepreneurship. And we call them dirty unicorns, and I'm wondering if there's a dirty unicorn we could learn from from you that you've had. >> Well, I mean, it's it's it's small. Do do small steps and feel small. Don't bet the farm on a big step because you know 50 51 50% of your ideas might fail. Yeah. Um you know typically with hard work and the work ethic that we talked about you can you can push through those uh and get to the other side breathe a sigh of relief and move on. Um but it's a scientific fact that failure actually releases neurons in your brain that gets you excited and learning. Yeah. So, it's important to fail, but it's important to fail small. >> Yeah. Fail. >> Yeah. Don't take small steps. Fail small until you build your confidence and you build momentum and then you can kind of go for it. But as you're experimenting early on, just just take some small steps. Don't don't bet the farm in any one bet. >> And uh in your case, not betting the farm is is like betting your own lifestyle. I mean, that's that's dangerous. Um, is there anyone through your amazing journey, is there anyone artifact or or physical thing you think of that that is is is kind of a symbol of your life? >> I have never thought of it like that. Anyone artifact? >> I kind of want you to pick up a sheep and just >> Yeah, I mean sheep would be the thing like I mean the the you know do you know what we got? We we have the marinos which I love. Okay. But >> Mhm. >> about two years ago, we got some valley blacknose sheep. I don't know if you're familiar with those. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Oh, yeah. That that if if you had to give me a >> to you, >> it would be one of those. Yeah. >> Why? >> Yeah. Because they are dualpurpose. They're both wool and meat. So, they can do multiple purposes. They are the friendliest, happiest things on the planet. You can train them. They can be your companion. And they are such the happiest thing to see you in the morning. That's just fantastic. It makes you want to get outside and give them a hug. They're really cool. I'll send you I'll send you some pictures after. >> I thought you were about to say I'll send you one. I was like, we have too many sheep and with too many things on this farm already. >> You You come to Ruby Gam, I'll bring you a sheep. >> Oh my god, that is now happening. Be careful. I show up for things. Be careful. Hey, listen. Um, one of the things we'd love to do on the show is shout out a small business that is important to you in your life. And I'd love to hear what one of those are. >> There's a a company called Weatherwool. >> Weatherwool. >> And Weatherwool is located in Orange, New Jersey. Um, and it's run by Ralph and his wife. They have literally pioneered American wool production and trying to bring it back. >> Wow. >> So, how special. from everything from washing wool to spinning wool to the types of spinning to how that then gets produced into yarn to how that yarn can be made into sheets of fabric. >> So that then how you get the fashion institute of New York involved to help build that. So that whole supply chain when you think about it it's quite complicated you know so those guys have done some amazing pioneering work to help bring back the American wool industry. Um, and we're, you know, with our farm, we're standing on the shoulders of giants uh by by working with those guys. >> Wow. Amazing. Well, love to them. And, uh, thank you for coming on the Big Idea. I have a I have a thank you note for you, which is a quote uh from Albert Einstein. And for some reason, this this just hit me when I was seeing all the things you have done and keep doing. So, he says, "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." I'll I'll adopt that coach. That's a >> It really made me think of you and Adrian, thanks for all you're doing and for sharing all this wisdom today. And I can't wait to come to a rugby game and receive a sheep. >> That will be perfectly done. I'll be able to bring one a little suitcase, be small one. [laughter] >> That's perfect. And the the one thing maybe I will just as a closing statement is one of the things we did in rugby that I will be that I am actually quite proud of is that we brought the World Cup to the USA in 2031. >> So exciting. >> Men's World Cup 2031, Women's World Cup 2033. The first time in history it's been in the US. >> Amazing. We will be there cheering you on in our wool caps. [laughter] >> Vertically integrated wool caps. >> Yes, sir. Okay, thanks Liz. >> Thanks, Adrian. Have a safe drive. >> We'll do. Appreciate your time. Thank you. >> Howdy. Welcome back to The Big Idea presented by Block Advisors built by H&R Block. Let's take a quick tax break, y'all. Now that we're entering the final stretch of extension filing season, a lot of small business owners are turning their attention to back taxes. So today I want to talk about why waiting until the last minute can cause you big problems and why working with a tax professional now can save you time, money, and a lot of stress. Many business owners file extensions because they're busy or actually just running their business. But for a lot of businesses, extension season is actually when some of the most important tax decisions get made. decisions like financing applications, business planning, estimated tax payments, retirement contributions, and even your decisions about hiring or investing in the business all can be affected by your return. Another reason extension season is so important that business owners are dealing with increasingly complex tax solutions. Whether they've got online sales, multiple payment platforms, digital marketing costs, subscription software, contractors, remote workers, there is so much. Business owners can easily miss deductions, overlook reporting requirements, or just frankly misunderstand one particular transaction. That's where a tax professional like the ones at Block Advisors by H&R Block comes in. You'll have to ensure you have the right people on your team. A good tax pro can help you identify issues before they become a problem. Make sure your return is accurate, help you understand all the necessary documentation, and finally, they can often spot opportunities for money that you may not even know existed. So, they bring judgment, experience, and strategy to the conversation and consider all your business goals and circumstances. So during tax season, y'all, the guidance can be extra extra valuable. All right, y'all. Let's talk about timing. Waiting until the last minute to contact your tax preparer often means rushing through a process. But when you start earlier, you have time to gather information, resolve questions, review, and address any surprises. I actually had someone tell me once that don't treat them like someone you're seeing at the end of the year. meet with them at the beginning in the middle of the year. Treat them like your teen and be proactive, not reactive. I love that advice. So, as you go into the final stretch of this extension season, remember, don't treat your tax extension as extra time to put your taxes on the back burner because that will burn, baby. Treat it as an opportunity to get organized, to understand your numbers, and to work with a tax professional who can help you make the best decisions in your business. The extension deadline is coming, y'all. So, gather your records, schedule the conversation, talk to your future self, and say thank you for having done that. Thanks again to Adrienne Belffor joining this week and being our shepherd. And thanks to all of you for tuning in. I'll see you next time with more stories and insights to help your small business succeed. Till then, come say howdy to me at any of my social channels at Elizabeth Gore USA. As her grandma always said, hold your head up high and give them hell.