S2E13: Building Dreams and Giving Back: Insights from Robert Mesmer

Jack Smith: Hi, everybody. Welcome to Purposeful Prosperity. I'm your host, Jack Smith. I'm here with my friend, fellow Hot Tub Shaman, Inc. 5000 Master, and the Carnegie of the pre-engineering building world, my friend, Bobby Mesmer. Welcome.

Bobby Mesmer: How you doing, Jack?

Jack Smith: I'm doing good, brother. So you're CEO of RMG Erectors and Constructors. Tell us a little bit about what that is, and what does it mean to be the Carnegie of the structured building world? Pre-engineered building world.

Bobby Mesmer: Yeah, so RMG Erectors and Constructors, we're the world's largest pre-engineered building erector currently. What that means to a lot of people, we build airplane hangars and warehouses, the dollar generals of the world, that's what we do. We've created this company that's really just accelerated over the last few years. It's been a ride and we have a story. You know, I spoke about this. I was on stage with the ink 5000 or yesterday.

Jack Smith: You crushed it by the way.

Bobby Mesmer: Thank you.

Jack Smith: You really did.

Bobby Mesmer: Yeah, really? just, you always want to know how you did. Right. So I appreciate that. Um, but we, uh, you know, it's, I started the business 20 years ago, um, 23 years ago now. And you know, uh, basically I thought I was moving in the right direction. Um, some divine intervention stepped in and said, no, that's not the direction you're supposed to be going. Basically, um, knocked me to the ground, created some losses in my life. And, um, and then move me into the direction that we're currently in as focusing under as a pre-engineer building erector. And I have to say, you know, with the message with that is we have, I thought I was going in the right direction for those 16 years, you know, when I took that hit and I realized I was actually forcing it. And then now what I'm doing is very easy. So now I know that I'm in the right place. I know that I'm where I'm supposed to be.

Jack Smith: I love it. So you are the top of top in the erectors and contractors world. You are using that to now make changes in the world. You say your passion and obsession is in finding the gaps in markets that have always been that way. So how are you taking all of that know-how and changing the communities and the worlds that you're a part of?

Bobby Mesmer: Yeah, it's, you know, you, when you become a business leader, you can either maintain being a business leader, or you can be a person that can start to give back and really start to make difference. One of the ways that we're doing this that I personally like to do is I like to give back my knowledge and the things that I've learned through business and things I've learned over the years and the things that I know that I can make change. So for other entrepreneurs, I really want them to come to me and ask me questions and tell me about their struggle and what they're dealing with. And I can say, look, you know, hey, if I can coach you in such a way to give you insight and information, then that's what I want to do. And it's a great way for me to give back because I feel like everybody has struggles and I know in a lot of cases, I wish I had a mentor in some cases or people that I could go to and ask questions and I didn't really have that. So to have that gap and to see it and to understand it and to bring that to people, that's really what I want to do.

Jack Smith: You're very good at it. I've been a personal recipient of some of that mentorship. Thank you. I appreciate that. So you're, talk about the, I think you're going to start a nonprofit and start to use that to kind of really more tactfully give back, right? Can you tell a little bit about what you're inspired to support as you grow?

Bobby Mesmer: Yeah. So, um, my wife and I spoke a lot about this and, and it's something it's kind of, uh, it's, it's, I guess it's turning into a passion project a little bit. Um, you know, we, we, we're fortunate and, um, we believe that, that we should spread that fortune. And and our goodwill, you know out there and help and so we look at other resources and other ways that we can do this, right? so what it becomes is is we have talked about and we're looking to start next year a non-for-profit organization and we're still targeting where that non-profit is going to go and what it's going to do But you know, we are leaning I always like to help kids you know kids and Kids are incapable of helping themselves. That's what they have parents for. And so kids that are struggling, you know, need help. So I always go that way. And I have for years, I've always given to different foundations that help kids and all that over the years. My wife's passion project is helping battered women and abused women. It's a passion project for her. So I think we're looking at the not-for-profit to develop into areas where people who otherwise can't help themselves can help themselves. My wife is becoming a lawyer so she can do pro bono work and help be a lawyer for these battered women and support the family side of this. So it all kind of ties together and we have, again, we have the resources to be able to contribute into a not-for-profit that could really go a long way and really help really help a lot of people in a lot of different areas and a lot of different markets.

Jack Smith: I love it. Well, have you inspired any of our listeners to support you? How can they find you or things that you're working on?

Bobby Mesmer: Um, it's real simple. Hit me up on LinkedIn. Um, you know, that's the, that's the network of everything, you know? So, uh, that's the most important place to go to. Robert Mesmer on, uh, on LinkedIn. Um, you can hit me up on Facebook, uh, under, under, uh, Bobby Michaels, which is my, Michaels is my middle name. It's my alter ego, I guess you want to say, but now it's, but mainly LinkedIn, yeah, if you want to get a hold of us and see what we're doing and what we're about, that's really a good place to start. We have a lot of social media push that we're doing out there. You know, we're contributing a lot with article writing, so a lot of my passion is there, you know, to really give back with stuff like that. So it gives people a sense of humanizing myself, so people can understand and relate to me a little bit more, so then I can relate to them, and they can see what I'm about, that, you know, it's not just about, it's not about what I'm doing, it's about what we can do globally, and for everybody, and for the people.

Jack Smith: I love it. Now, I also understand that you give back in another way, behind the steering wheel of a vehicle. Can you tell our people a little bit about you and your race car driving?

Bobby Mesmer: Yeah, so I recently retired this year from racing after having a pretty successful career in it for many years. I think I raced professionally for 15 years or more now, and had a great career. from the early start all the way through I had a small stint in NASCAR in the truck series and I ran IMSA and I had an opportunity to run the Rolex 24 and over the last few years we ended up owning our own prototype race team that of which we won the East Coast Championship two years in a row so we had a lot of great success and you know it's a good segue into the giving back because one of the reasons that I started it My wife liked to call me, in that sense, the Doc Hudson of the world. And it's funny, because I never really watched cars, and she made me sit down and watch cars to realize who that was.

Jack Smith: You know what I mean? Right.

Bobby Mesmer: And so, you know, but I really like training up the young drivers. You know, I really like, you know, and that's time. Like, these are kids with hopes and aspirations that really want to go somewhere. And I have this wealth of knowledge that I could give to them. And so I really, really enjoyed it. I enjoy training up these young kids. I mean, last year, we had a kid, he was what, 15 years old, 16 years old, you know, driving, you know, these prototype race cars and doing their thing and so yeah, so we it was awesome. So yeah, it's again It's just it's another reason for me to I have all this knowledge. I have all this passion I have all this stuff and I can't just hold it into myself. That's not God didn't create me for that, I mean God created me to give it back out there and really, you know And really put it out there and hopefully people take it somewhere.

Jack Smith: I know, and we appreciate it, so thank you for sharing it with me and our listeners today. Thank you.

Bobby Mesmer: Yeah, it's been great Jack. Thank you.