Happy in Our Tech World (CFFL 0100)
Happy in Our Tech World
Jack Butala: Happy in Our Tech World. Every Single month we give away a property for free. It’s super simple to qualify. Two simple steps. Leave us your feedback for this podcast on iTunes and number two, get the free ebook at landacademy.com, you don’t even have to read it. Thanks for listening.
Jill DeWit: This is Jill DeWit for Land Academy. Welcome to our “Cash-flow From Land Show”. In this episode, Steven and I talk about our recent tech changes and struggles and how it all came to a happy ending. Can you tell? I like the subject …
Jack Butala: When does it never come to a happy ending for you? Do you ever have a bad ending? …
Jill DeWit: That’s a good point. We can talk about that but first I would love to take a question from a caller, please.
Jack Butala: John from Canada asks, “Why is your app going to be available in iTunes but not for Android?” Should I answer that because that was my project …
Jill DeWit: That kind of was your project. You started it and I’m finishing it.
Jack Butala: IOS which is the Apple operating system is the standard for apps. I’m sure that we’re going to get mail about that [crosstalk 00:00:58], not true. When you look at who using apps and who doesn’t, iTunes is by leaps and bounds … There’s a much higher usage.
For Android, it’s extremely simple for a user, we will provide this information when it’s all released, to setup an icon on their phone that’s just a shortcut to the website or a shortcut to the podcast which is much harder to do in iTunes. It’s harder to do for iTunes users I know that.
Jill DeWit: We’re used to just one button, press here and it starts.
Jack Butala: All kidding aside. This is the right way to do it and Android users will be able to use the app just as effectively as Apple users.
Jill DeWit: Android users and Apple users are different kinds of people.
Jack Butala: You could do weeks of shows on that, people have conferences on that. IT designers.
Jill DeWit: I know. I have tried and tried and tried to do your way and I just keep coming back to my iPhone. I don’t struggle with it, so all right.
Jack Butala: Let’s get back to this happy ending thing for you.
Jill DeWit: Okay.
Jack Butala: You embody positive thinking, do you know that?
Jill DeWit: I do know that.
Jack Butala: I really believe this and I thought it was a pile of malarkey before I met you. There’s this thing, positive thinking out there, there are whole seminars on it. You can spend 100s thousands dollars on educational material. All you have to do really is just talk to Jill.
You think positively and positive stuff happens. I’m not exaggerating. You have me to mop up the mess if it doesn’t go that way.
Jill DeWit: I have you to throw things in there just to throw me off.
Jack Butala: So I’m not help at all?
Jill DeWit: Yeah, that’s right.
Jack Butala: I’m standing in your way.
Jill DeWit: Let’s see how happy she is after this one. Things are going so smoothly I’m going to update to Microsoft Exchange today.
Jack Butala: What a great segue. Great segue into this.
Jill DeWit: That’s a topic of mine. It’s going to take a month. It’s going to take all of February and Jill has nothing she can say about it. That’s been a hard one I’ve got to say.
Jack Butala: Here’s what’s been happening in our little tech world and it does have a happy ending but it wasn’t pretty. We out grew our stuff. We’re operating on a relational database that’s almost 10 years old, well it is 10 years old. We’ve got spreadsheets everywhere. We’re using Salesforce.
Finally, I decided that enough’s enough and I got us all involved into Microsoft Exchange and it’s not the first time in my career I’ve used it and installed it and all that. It’s tough, it’s a tough transitional period …
Jill DeWit: Yes, it is a month project.
Jack Butala: Nobody. I’ve never met a person who likes to change software; Never. Even after a week of using it, it’s way more functional. I don’t recall ever talking to anyone that said “Oh, that was a blast so thanks for changing my browser.”
Jill DeWit: I have to say I am pleased because everything works now. We had got to the point where our current system was failing us left and right because it couldn’t keep up with what we wanted to do with different employees and our files … It was just a mess.
Jack Butala: This is our whole overview. Microsoft Exchange is the industry standard for any company of any size and the only alternative to Exchange is, if you have a company with a lot of employees or virtual systems or whatever, is to write your own system and large companies do that. For companies like ours and even large, 2, 3, 5, 800 unit companies, it doesn’t make a lot of sense in my opinion.
Every time you add a user, this is how it works, you spend about 12 or 13 dollars more a month. The value that you get out of that with customer service and the whole thing is extraordinary. Looking down the road, what’s going to end up happening here is that our members are going to be a part of our Microsoft Exchange group just like they work here. Except, they get access to the database and the whole thing. For a monthly fee, they’re going to get the same exact tools that we use everyday to buy and sale real estate.
Is that going to happen next week? No not at all but it’s coming. We needed a way to do that …
Jill DeWit: Be able to grow.
Jack Butala: The deal with Exchange is it’s a tough install process but because of what it’s capable of, it’s amazing. I had to exercise my authority at times which I’m not real happy about and neither is anyone else who works here and say, “Look this is how it’s going to be and I’m sorry there’s going to be a transitional period.”
Now everybody is really happy …
Jill DeWit: We’re done crying.
Jack Butala: When I say everybody, I mean Jill.
Jill DeWit: I stopped crying. I found everything …
Jack Butala: Were you in tears at any point in this?
Jill DeWit: No I wasn’t but I was about to pull my hair out sometimes because I couldn’t do what I needed to do. I was sitting around going I need to do something and I can’t because something else is being updated or whatever.
Jack Butala: There was a period when we didn’t get email.
Jill DeWit: Mm-hmm (affirmative). You know what’s funny. That was hard. Our email was screwed up. Then my favorite was Steven getting a little frustrated one day and politely telling me, “You know, there’s not always an app for that.”
Jack Butala: It turns out that these Apple users. When I say Apple users I mean Jill.
Jill DeWit: Really … Our office is divided.
Jack Butala: So is the world.
Jill DeWit: Well, yeah. My whole staff by the way is all Apple. If you’ve noticed, your staff, you guys are all the other. [inaudible 00:06:44]
Jack Butala: I choose to work with people who think differently. I think, all crazy aside, that is so healthy …
Jill DeWit: It is.
Jack Butala: That whole personality is creative and they’re not all wrapped up in the hottest [crosstalk 00:06:59] and we’re the technical people and that’s fine. There needs to be a yin and a yang in everything or else it’s just not going to work.
Jill DeWit: What’s really interesting is that I’ve been holding back too. I have my Apple phone and I have a little tablet but I don’t have a mac. So here’s where I’m struggling. I’m a little nervous to even keep talking … Talk me into getting a mac just for my laptop, carry that around instead. I know I’m going to love it, I’m nervous right now.
Jack Butala: All the Microsoft Exchange products work on mac, so I’m told, extremely well or as well as they do on IBMs. [crosstalk 00:07:47] They work on a Windows/Android platform so it’s fine. If you ever, I’m sure you have Jill, I’ve done it with you, ask people, “Hey, why do you like that so much? Why do you like this so much? Why do you like your Apple phone over the Android you use to have?” Wait, you’ll sit there for a hour and they’ll tell you why.
Jill DeWit: Yeah, because stuffs easy. …
Jack Butala: ‘Cause stuffs easy.
Jill DeWit: It’s easy. You want to know how easy this is? You know what I downloaded today? The magic 8 ball app.
Jack Butala: Oh, from like when we were kids?
Jill DeWit: I’m going to test it right now.
Jack Butala: All right, so what you’re going to shake the 8 ball and you’re going to get an answer?
Jill DeWit: Yeah, I’m going to do it right now on the air. You’re going to love this. Give me a question Steven and I’m going to put it in here. How about, “Is anyone listening to this show?” You like that?
Jack Butala: That’s pretty close to the question I was going to ask.
Jill DeWit: Okay, let’s see here. Hold on a second.
Jack Butala: While Jill’s trying to figure out the technology that she can’t clearly work …
Jill DeWit: No, it’s asking for my date of birth. I don’t know why.
Jack Butala: Oh, see.
Jill DeWit: He’s getting some information out of me. Making sure I’m old enough to use an 8 ball. You’ve got to be kidding me.
Jack Butala: I’m not even going to bring up the obvious joke that … There are things that are called 8 balls [crosstalk 00:09:03] …
Jill DeWit: I know what you’re talking about, that’s not what I’m talking about.
Jack Butala: This is a rated G show.
Jill DeWit: Here’s my question, right. Is anyone listening to our show today? Watch this, done. Now what it tells me is to shake it, ready, all right, shake. I’m not sure if you guys can hear it. I’m shaking my little 8 ball, I love it, and it says “As I see it, Yes.” Nice. See how great this is?
Jack Butala: If they were listening before we pulled this little stunt, then they’re not anymore.
Jill DeWit: Oh, stop it. I think the 8 ball app is pretty darn fun. All right, so here’s another question along the lines of this tech world. Why is it that the younger you are, the more flexible? What is it? I’m really curious … There’s gotta be some psychology behind it. Why are kids, you can hand any kid any phone whether or not their Apple. They may have had only an Apple phone their whole life, you can hand them an Android and they can still figure it out. Why is that?
Jack Butala: I don’t know that. That’s a great question and it’s an universal thing.
Jill DeWit: It is.
Jack Butala: First of all, I think they can see all of that stuff.
Jill DeWit: Maybe.
Jack Butala: Second of all, I really think that these devices are made to be very intuitive and I think that kids are generally intuitive. Have you ever seen a child that can’t even speak yet play with a tablet because touching it and doing all that stuff is so intuitive?
I think people who are a little bit older who have been staring at a TV that you can’t touch your whole life. All of a sudden … They over think stuff and they can’t see it. I honestly think that’s part of it.
Jill DeWit: They’re losing their eye sight can’t see it?
Jack Butala: Yes, can’t see the damn thing.
Jill DeWit: Oh, I’m sorry.
Jack Butala: What did you think I meant?
Jill DeWit: I don’t know. I wasn’t sure where you were going with that? That’s funny. That is really funny.
Jack Butala: I think the older you get. You’re so used to being disappointed and stuffs just not the way it is.
Jill DeWit: What?
Jack Butala: You’re just like I’m not going to even try to figure this out because it’s disappointing.
Jill DeWit: Aw, that’s sad. I don’t walk around like that.
Jack Butala: I know you do. I mean I know you don’t.
Jill DeWit: Thank you.
Jack Butala: I do.
Jill DeWit: That’s sad. I know you do. That is so funny. I tell ya. Well, I will say this about our tech world. We kind of solved it. It’s coming. There’s light at the end of the tunnel and I Just have one thing to ask Steven, please on the air.
Jack Butala: Oh, no.
Jill DeWit: Can we keep with one thing for more than 6 months?
Jack Butala: Oh, come on.
Jill DeWit: I’m just kidding. Sometimes it feels like that though.
Jack Butala: We’ve had the same system that we’ve had in place for 10 years.
Jill DeWit: I know.
Jack Butala: We’ve just out grown it, period.
Jill DeWit: I know.
Jack Butala: We can’t have any hope of adding new members on the system that we have in place the way it is now.
Jill DeWit: Mm-hmm (affirmative). What a good problem to have.
Jack Butala: Exactly and the answer is yes to answer your question. I don’t see any other better product out there, and I’m not horsing around, than Exchange.
Jill DeWit: I’m still not ready to get a mac yet but it’s coming.
Jack Butala: We’ll test it first because we have people who work here who have personal macs.
Jill DeWit: I’m going to borrow one and I’ll check it out.
Jack Butala: We’ll bring it in and see if it all works. I know it works.
Jill DeWit: Okay.
Jack Butala: I have to say this about Microsoft. Everybody has said so much crazy stuff. The tech support there has been unbelievable. World class tech support immediately right in Exchange as an administrator. You can type in a question or right under it. It says, this is right from the software from your phone and everything, “You want a technician to call you? Yes or no” and you say yes and there’s somebody on the phone who’s extremely knowledgeable in 3 minutes.
Jill DeWit: Love it. I cannot wait to roll Land Stay into all this. I know that’s coming. I know you have plans for it. You’ve talked about Land Academy but more importantly I can, not more importantly but as a side thing. I want to roll our Land Stay …
Jack Butala: More importantly for you.
Jill DeWit: Yeah because I still am buying and selling a lot of property over here.
Jack Butala: Landstay is under total renovation right now.
Jill DeWit: I can’t wait to roll my day to day Landstay operation into Microsoft Exchange because I know it’s going to be great. You think we’re getting paid for this and we’re not. [inaudible 00:13:24] we’re not.
Jack Butala: Just because the platform is on Exchange, it doesn’t mean that every single mac user whether it’s a phone, notebook or whatever product you’re using, it works all there too. People network macs and then exchange platforms all the time. Like advertising studios and people that are art driven, they use Exchange too. There’s no Apple alternative to Microsoft, there’s no such thing as let’s network these Apple computers. I’m not going to get into it.
Jill DeWit: Join us in another episode.
Jack Butala: It probably is time for that. If you use this podcast to put your self to sleep, you’re not alone.
Jill DeWit: That’s great. Oh my gosh. Someone is driving home from work right now trying to keep their eyes open, this is awful. They’re gonna walk in and pass out on their couch. The wife’s going to say were you listening to Steve and Jill again?
Jack Butala: Who’s this Steve and Jill?
Jill DeWit: I know, [inaudible 00:14:32].
Jack Butala: Hey, join us on another episode where Jill and I discuss your all important success in real-estate investment and in life.
Jill DeWit: I am serious about that kid thing. There’s something, I guess just because you write, you know, I now have a desktop, not a desktop, laptop where I can use a mouse, use the mouse on there or I can touch it and I forget sometimes. I go “Oh, yeah I can just touch it and it’s so nice when I get back into the mode [inaudible 00:15:05].”
Jack Butala: That computer, we spared no expense when we bought that.
Jill DeWit: I love that computer.
Jack Butala: I’ll tell you, that’s what the Microsoft Surface was supposed to be.[crosstalk 00:15:14] very good experience with that at all. I mean they probably worked it all out now because of Windows 10 because Windows 10 rocks. That was all windows 8, it just didn’t work right.
Jill DeWit: It didn’t work out. That was the only time I’ve ever owned anything like that, that I took it back and they refunded my money. I was struggling.
Jack Butala: I was with you when that happened and the guy said, “You know, you’re not the first person who’s done this.” Then Windows 10 came and it’s just spectacular.
Jill DeWit: I’m so happy with my current laptop, I love it.
Jack Butala: Told you there’s a happy ending.
Jill DeWit: There is a happy ending.
Jack Butala: Not going to touch that either.
Jill DeWit: Thank you.
Jack Butala: Let’s go buy us some property.
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