THE COMMUNITY

It took 2 to 3 years for Ray to feel at home, acclimated, and have a community after moving back – even though he was quite familiar with Rapid City. Ray says that when you move around a lot, you get good at going right up to people and getting to know them, asking them to grab dinner, and other pleasantries. He says that the separation of the moment where you start developing actual meaningful relationships and real community from something that’s very surface level, takes a few years.

This is where he makes one of my favorite comments: a lot of people think that defining who is an introvert and who is an extrovert is based on the idea that extroverts are good at speaking out and introverts aren’t. It’s really about who gains energy from social interactions (the extroverts), and who loses it (the introverts). Wondering where Ray falls? He falls mildly in between; he jumps on both sides. He further supports this insight by saying that you’re usually energized when talking about hobbies or things you love. Ray likes his church and weight training, so those places energize him. He lovingly jokes about how those places are his “friend farms”. He encourages people to go where you enjoy the things that you talk about –those things that embolden you and make you confident.

Ray has 5 attributes for high potentials in people that he hires: grit, humility, ambition, intellectual curiosity, and communication.

5

Areyousomeonethatrunstowardproblemsorrunsawayfromthem?

Humility

Thisisaprecursortobeingcoachable.Areyousomebodythat understandsthatyouhavealotmoretolearnandthatyou’rewilling toleaveyouregoatthedoor?Thisallowsmentorsandotherstohave anamazingimpactonyou.

Ambition

Ray’sfavorite.Whatgetsyoulaserlockedintosomethingthatyou wanttoaccomplishinlife?There’snothingthatstopssomebodyfrom achievingsomethingwhentheyreallywantit.

Intellectualcuriosity

You’rewillingtofigureoutsomethingthatnoonehasaskedyouto figureout.You’rewillingtotry,willingtotest.

Communication

Canyougetinformationtosomeoneelse?Canyougetthemtosee whatyousee?Canyougetthemtobuyin?Canyougetthemexcited?