[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:09] Speaker B: Welcome to the Clear Impact Podcast, brought to you by Mitre Brands University. Thanks for joining us today. My name is Sheri Conner and I am your host.
[00:00:24] Speaker C: So, hey there. We're on the Clear Impact Podcast and we are recording from the Hershey Lodge at the Mitre foundation event. And this is our first night here, and this young man came to sit down and chat with me. And so, Cody, welcome to the podcast.
[00:00:39] Speaker A: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
[00:00:41] Speaker C: Yeah. So tell me a little bit about why you're here and what you're up to.
[00:00:44] Speaker A: So, for the last seven or eight years, I have been performing live at Mitre foundation events, including this one. And more specifically, this one is where I've been performing the most. So I've been coming to Hershey Lodge for a while now. My entire 20s. And I'll do a live performance tonight on the stage.
[00:01:03] Speaker C: Okay, and so when you say live performance, is that. Are you tap dancing? Are you singing? Like, what is your live performance?
[00:01:11] Speaker A: I am a live performance. Speed painter.
[00:01:13] Speaker C: Speed painter.
[00:01:14] Speaker A: Yes. I will be doing a painting on stage tonight in five minutes.
[00:01:19] Speaker D: Whoa.
[00:01:20] Speaker E: Yeah.
[00:01:20] Speaker C: I could do one in five minutes, but it won't look like anything.
[00:01:23] Speaker A: Well, tonight is going to be different than previous years. So for the past six years, I've done what I've always done. I've gone up there and I tried to create the most realistic speed painting in the least amount of time possible. So that's kind of my little formula. Like, I want to do a really realistic and straight to the point painting in the least amount of time. This one is going to be four minutes of nonsense.
[00:01:49] Speaker C: Oh.
[00:01:49] Speaker A: And then one big reveal at the end.
[00:01:52] Speaker C: And is it like just a crazy acrylic or, like, on canvas or what is it?
[00:01:56] Speaker A: Typically, what I do is I do latex acrylic on canvas. And I really love that type of paint. Feels the best. It's the most control I can have, but also with the most, like, fun because it's very liquidy, but it's not too liquidy and it dries quickly and you can blend it well on the canvas.
[00:02:14] Speaker C: So how big is the canvas that you're working on tonight?
[00:02:16] Speaker A: Five feet by four feet. Okay, so it's a big canvas.
[00:02:19] Speaker C: All right. That's not small.
And do you use brushes or your hands or what do you.
[00:02:23] Speaker A: I am going to use brushes tonight, which is a departure from what's normal. Cause I always use my hands.
[00:02:29] Speaker C: Okay, well, finger painting is pretty fun.
[00:02:32] Speaker A: I'm an adult finger painter and it's my favorite thing in the world to do. And it's nice though because for tonight I'll give my hands a break and I'll be able to use a brush instead.
[00:02:41] Speaker C: And so do you have time for a couple more questions?
[00:02:43] Speaker E: Yeah, of course.
[00:02:44] Speaker A: All the time in the world.
[00:02:45] Speaker C: So did you study formally to become a speed painter or what's your background?
[00:02:50] Speaker A: I went to college. I have a college degree, but it is not in finger painting. No, I am a self taught finger painter at University of YouTube. There were some guys that were doing it earlier than me, but like Denny Dent, David Garibaldi and Jared Emerson, those are guys that I were drawing inspiration from.
And yeah, that is kind of where I learned it. I was always drawing and painting when I was young and then when I was getting older, I saw those guys doing that and I gave it a shot just to, I don't know, maybe look cool in front of some people. And I eventually just loved it so much that I was doing it every single day. And now for the last eight years, I've been doing it full time.
[00:03:28] Speaker C: So you're a full time speed painter?
[00:03:30] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:03:31] Speaker C: So one of the things that you get to do then obviously is to give back in meaningful ways. Right. And so the Mitre foundation is here to obviously raise money and they're going to auction that off, right?
[00:03:40] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:03:41] Speaker C: And so are you going to be here again tomorrow night too?
[00:03:43] Speaker E: Yes.
[00:03:44] Speaker C: So are you doing the same painting two nights in a row?
[00:03:46] Speaker A: No, tomorrow's painting is a lot more intricate and a lot more difficult. They're both difficult, but the one tomorrow, its own weird little quirks and stuff. Because I've been doing this so many years, I gotta try and think of ways to keep it fresh for the audience. And we're definitely doing that this year.
[00:04:04] Speaker C: Well, and to keep it fresh for you, right?
[00:04:06] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm always trying to challenge myself.
[00:04:08] Speaker C: Yeah. So do you practice? Like, okay. Oh, that was 10 minutes. I gotta shave another minute off. Okay. Nope, I got it down to seven minutes. I gotta shave another minute off. Like how do you prepare for a speed painting event?
[00:04:18] Speaker A: So now it's a system where I try and have like the non negotiable. I need these elements on the canvas or it's no good.
[00:04:29] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:04:30] Speaker A: I need to have those on first if I'm really challenging myself on time. Because there are sometimes I do gigs where they ask me to do paintings in four or five minutes and I'm like, well, I need to really get the key elements on this canvas so everybody knows what it is. And Then any extra time that's just helping everything sort of like, come together, I guess, like details and stuff that look a little bit better. But so for something like this, I actually have like 10 to 12 minutes. But because of the elements that I'm using tonight, I really only have five or six minutes.
[00:05:05] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:05:05] Speaker A: It's tough to say now because I don't think I'm allowed to say what I'm doing tonight, but yeah, I'm sort of working against the clock based on my own materials that I'm using to create this painting.
[00:05:17] Speaker C: Okay. I'm so excited. I can't wait to see this.
[00:05:19] Speaker A: I'm a little bit nervous for it. Part of me is like, well, maybe you should have practiced more. But sometimes you practice too much.
[00:05:25] Speaker C: Right.
[00:05:26] Speaker A: And you overthink things. There's this perfect balance between, like, reacting to something and, like, overthinking. So I want to be good enough to not have to think and just to be able to react.
[00:05:39] Speaker C: Yeah. Just to get into the zone. So I'm so excited that I got a chance to talk to you and that you came over.
[00:05:44] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, thanks for having me.
[00:05:46] Speaker C: That we get to watch the speed painting tonight.
[00:05:47] Speaker A: It's gonna be fun.
[00:05:48] Speaker C: Awesome. Well, I'll let you get to it.
[00:05:50] Speaker A: Yeah. Thank you so much.
[00:05:51] Speaker C: Thanks, Cody. It was great chatting with you.
[00:05:53] Speaker A: Great chatting with you.
[00:05:54] Speaker C: Thanks.
[00:05:57] Speaker B: We are sharing our expertise around all topics relating to the window and door industry. Whether you are a customer selling our products or a homeowner doing research, the Clear Impact podcast provides helpful content that makes an impact. Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcast.
[00:06:16] Speaker C: So we are here at the Hershey lot in Hershey, Pennsylvania at the Mitre foundation event. And I am so excited to talk to you guys because I was here last night for the vendor portion of this event and you guys were so incredibly talented. Please introduce yourselves and tell me a little bit about your background and how you got into this. So we'll start with you.
[00:06:36] Speaker D: All right. I'm Andy Keller. I'm a third generation auctioneer and have a specialty in fundraising events for nonprofit organizations.
[00:06:46] Speaker C: Okay, and where are you based out of?
[00:06:48] Speaker D: Based out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
[00:06:49] Speaker C: Okay, so you're local. That's awesome. Okay. And how about you?
[00:06:52] Speaker E: And I am Tim Keller. Andy and I are related. I've known Andy all his life. I also happen to be his dad.
[00:06:58] Speaker C: Right, so you taught him everything he knows?
[00:07:01] Speaker E: Well, he had a lot of influence through my father and other auctioneers that we glean from and cooperate with.
[00:07:06] Speaker C: And so how long have you been an Auctioneer.
[00:07:08] Speaker E: So my dad started our company two years before I was born, so I grew up in the industry.
[00:07:12] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:07:13] Speaker E: And I've been a licensed auctioneer. Pennsylvania has a license for auctioneers. And I've been a licensed auctioneer since the mid-1980s.
[00:07:21] Speaker C: Wow. Okay, so that's a long time. And so, Andy, how long have you been at it?
[00:07:25] Speaker D: I think it was the mid-2000s that I went to auction school in Clear Lake, Iowa. The Worldwide College of Auctioneering.
[00:07:32] Speaker C: There is an auctioneering school?
[00:07:34] Speaker D: Yeah, so there are several across the country. It's a short program, usually 10 to 14 days. Just sort of a jump start on the bid. Calling and creating an auctioneer chant to sell items. But then other industry knowledge that's necessary to be an auctioneer.
[00:07:49] Speaker C: That's so amazing. And so do you work like every weekend? Every week? Like, how many events do you do a year, for example?
[00:07:56] Speaker D: So in the fundraising space, we do about 65 events a year right now. And we're looking to grow that. We have a team of six auctioneers who can each lead an event. So we have some dates where we have four or five or more auctions in one day.
[00:08:09] Speaker C: Whoa.
[00:08:10] Speaker D: And then we have a bunch of support staff as well. And those include our floor auctioneers who are out spotting bids and assisting the auctioneer with the process.
[00:08:18] Speaker C: Which is what you guys were doing last night.
[00:08:20] Speaker D: Exactly.
[00:08:20] Speaker C: I had not really seen that Was so cool to watch you guys like.
[00:08:23] Speaker D: Yeah. So we do that kind of on stage portion of the auctioneering, and then we also help with the record keeping and the cashiering and helping people check out at the end of the night to make payment for their donations and purchases.
[00:08:34] Speaker C: Right. And so how did you learn? How did you go to an auctioneering school?
[00:08:37] Speaker D: I did.
[00:08:37] Speaker E: I went to an auction school in Missouri.
[00:08:39] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:08:40] Speaker E: So I learned that. And basically the chant called chant for the auctioneer is the words that they speak.
[00:08:46] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:08:47] Speaker E: And there's all different types of auction chants used in different situations. For us, we realized that we're selling to what we'll call the general public, non professional buyers. So if you would go to a livestock auction or an auto auction, they have regular buyers and they use a little bit different chant. There's also like the gallery chant that you also see in a movie with an art gallery, where it's a very slow and deliberate pace. We try to be very clear in our numbers and that sets the audience at ease.
[00:09:14] Speaker C: Right. Oh, it's so fun to watch. It's so fun to listen to. I've Been tickled about this conversation all day. So I talked to Matt today. We were out on the golf course. I bumped in him. He said, like, $1.8 million last night is what we raised. That is phenomenal work. And that was what, 45 minutes?
[00:09:32] Speaker E: Yes. There's a lot of generosity in the.
[00:09:34] Speaker C: Room in less than an hour, like $1.8 million.
[00:09:37] Speaker E: And, you know, what happens in the room at an auction is really kind of the tip of the iceberg. The real work happens before that. So we do a lot of consultation with our nonprofit organization, and it's about getting the right people in the room, getting the right auction items. The way it's promoted and presented makes what we do, again, just tip of the iceberg.
[00:09:56] Speaker C: Yeah, well, it helps if you're selling something that people want.
[00:09:59] Speaker E: Exactly right.
[00:10:00] Speaker D: I think one of the really special things about this event is how much of an emphasis there is on matching. So the company, Miter Brands, will match the purchases and donations that happen during the auction to contribute to the foundation. So that makes a big difference for people to know that the money that they spend or the money they give is multiplied and makes an even greater impact in the organizations that are served through the Mitre Foundation.
[00:10:25] Speaker C: So I don't know if you know this off the top of your head. There's, like, zero prep on this, so you guys are so brave. Thank you for sitting down with me. What is the biggest dollar amount that you've, like, maybe an individual item? Like, what is the highest dollar amount of something that you, like, auctioned off?
[00:10:41] Speaker E: So, actually, a few years ago here, we sold a mini hershey bar for $10,000. Wow. Just a real ten, teeny tiny one.
We've done some events. We sold a chicken dinner with Greg Purdue's wife, and that was about $30,000 a plate.
[00:10:55] Speaker C: Wow.
[00:10:56] Speaker E: Okay, so that was a fun one.
[00:10:58] Speaker C: That is fun.
[00:10:58] Speaker E: But, you know, here at Mitre, they do such a terrific job of putting together great packages, great experiences for the buyers. We love being part of this event.
[00:11:07] Speaker C: Yeah. How long have you guys been working with Mitre foundation on this?
[00:11:10] Speaker E: I think we are close to seven years.
[00:11:13] Speaker C: Okay, that's amazing. And then do you go out to the Western event in Phoenix?
[00:11:17] Speaker E: We will be there.
[00:11:18] Speaker C: Oh, nice. Okay. I don't think I'm going to be at that one, but I'm excited that you guys are going to be there. I know that there's a very generous audience out that way, too.
[00:11:25] Speaker E: Yes, there is.
[00:11:26] Speaker C: All right, So I would be remiss if I didn't Ask you to do just like, a little sample of what you do. So pretend that you're auctioning off, I.
[00:11:33] Speaker D: Don'T know, the last room at the resort in St. Kitts.
[00:11:37] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:11:37] Speaker D: All right. What do you want to bid for it? Who would give 10,000? That would have been 10,000. 10,000 and now 12,000. 12,000. 14. Get a divided 14,000, add a bit of 14. 12,014. Get a divided to 14. Now 16,000. 16 and 18,000. Add a bit of 18, get a divided 18,000. 20. 20,000. Now get a divided 20, add a divided to 20,000. 20,000, add a divided 20. Sold it for 18,000. Right to you. Number 537.
[00:12:02] Speaker C: I love it. Thank you. I wish I could do that.
[00:12:05] Speaker E: You could do it.
[00:12:06] Speaker C: No, I don't think I could do the. I don't know.
[00:12:08] Speaker D: I think you could do it. It's just a matter of practice. You start slow and practice, and you can say real words in between. So $1 here. Now would you b. Would you bid $2 now 3. And then as you practice it, you get faster.
[00:12:20] Speaker C: Right.
[00:12:20] Speaker D: But it's. People get tripped up when they try to go fast.
[00:12:23] Speaker C: Right.
[00:12:24] Speaker D: Without the practice, start slow, and then it'll gradually get faster.
[00:12:27] Speaker E: The main thing is learning your increments. So in counting. So part of the practice, 2 and a half, 5, 7, 5, 10, 12 and a half, 15, 17 and a half 20, 22 and a half, 25. And when that can come naturally, where you're not even thinking about it, you're able to use the energy and the skill on the stage to engage with the audience and bring them in. So it's really about practicing the numbers. Not so much the speed. The speed will come, but it's understanding the numbers in the increments.
[00:12:51] Speaker C: Well, I loved last night because it's always, like, one or two that are bidding against each other, and you just kind of play them against each other. And you were like, it's more fun if it costs more.
[00:13:00] Speaker E: That's right. The more you spend, the more you like it. That's right.
[00:13:02] Speaker D: That's right.
[00:13:03] Speaker C: I was like, yeah. No buyer's remorse there.
[00:13:05] Speaker E: That's right.
[00:13:05] Speaker C: That's amazing. Any other fun stories you want to share?
[00:13:08] Speaker E: We love helping organizations raise money. Our phrase is we inspire generosity because dreams come true. Every organization, every nonprofit was started with a dream.
[00:13:20] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:13:20] Speaker E: And our plan is to help inspire that generosity for those dreams to happen. That's what we love to do.
[00:13:26] Speaker C: That's amazing. So if I'm looking for an auctioneer, will you guys travel anywhere in the.
[00:13:30] Speaker E: U.S. so we do. There are some states that require license. We are licensed in Florida.
[00:13:35] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:13:35] Speaker E: It's one of our licensed states. But yes, we travel and we can actually obtain licenses in other states that are required.
[00:13:41] Speaker C: Okay, I didn't know that that was a license thing. Do you have to renew every so often?
[00:13:45] Speaker E: Every couple of years. Some states have continuing education requirements for auctioneers.
[00:13:49] Speaker C: So do you have to, like, submit an audio tape to pass your test?
[00:13:53] Speaker E: It's really more about auction law than about.
[00:13:56] Speaker D: Yeah, the legal knowledge of how to handle funds on behalf of people that your clients, things like that.
[00:14:01] Speaker C: Okay, right. So. So you handle the whole donation part of it too.
[00:14:04] Speaker D: So we help to process the donations. We typically don't receive the funds. We just help to process them directly into the account for the nonprofit.
[00:14:12] Speaker C: Okay. And so if people are looking for an auctioneer, how would they find you?
[00:14:15] Speaker D: You can find
[email protected] and contact us through there.
[00:14:20] Speaker C: Okay. That's amazing. Oh, thank you guys so much for having me.
[00:14:22] Speaker E: This was fun.
[00:14:23] Speaker C: Yeah. I appreciate your time.
[00:14:24] Speaker D: Yes, absolutely.
[00:14:25] Speaker C: All right, have a great night. Thanks.
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