Bobby Kraft, How to Be an Early Adopter of Yourself (#208)

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Bobby Kraft is a Tech & Marketing Entrepreneur, with almost 20 years of experience working in the direct marketing industry. After a notable football career, where he had the opportunity to play for the Charleston Swamp Foxes in the Arena Football League, Bobby Kraft entered into the business world. He began his career as a licensed financial advisor and then transitioned to the Direct Marketing industry, where he became the CEO of a growing global company, with over 600 employees speaking 10 different languages.

Bobby grew up around entrepreneurship, as his father started his venture in printing in direct marketing. As a kid, he would spend a lot of time asking business-related, which surely helped him develop the right mindset to approach the entrepreneurial jungle. A few years down the line, in early 2000, Bobby Kraft realized the printing industry was about to change dramatically. Those were the early days of smartphones and digitalization, and the future was all going to be about software. That’s when he started helping other printing companies transition to the digital world.

Atlas World Sports: The Expedia for Sports Fans

After achieving great success with direct response marketing, Bobby Kraft was ready for a new challenge. That’s when the Supreme Court struck down a 1992 federal law that banned commercial sports betting in most States. That caused a eureka moment for Bobby Kraft, as he immediately understood sports betting would have been the way to blend together his biggest passions: sports, business, and marketing.

That was 2018, and during the past few years, Bobby has worked with his team to develop Atlas World Sports, which he describes as the “Kayak mixed with Expedia” for sports fans. In fact, Atlas World Sports is designed to be a central hub that helps sports fans enjoy all their games with the following main steps:

     • Connects Sports Fans to their favorite major sports leagues, teams, and players via a mobile app

     • Provides the latest data and all legal online betting lines by state

     • Provides access to all legal online sportsbooks from one single entry point in Atlas.

     • It delivers expert betting tips to help sports fans make the most informed decision before placing their bet.

The app has been recently launched and is ready to become the central hub that sports fans have always been looking for.

And now here’s Bobby Kraft.

Full transcript below

Timestamps

[2:43] How’d it happen for Bobby Kraft?
[14:39] On getting drafted into a college football team
[29:43] When the rug was swept off of his feet
[35:49] Helping their printing business thrive
[51:16] Why Bobby loves Elon Musk
[55:54] Dealing with law changes that impacted the business negatively
[1:07:02] Diving deeper into the Atlas World Sports app
[1:18:09] Beyond the app is a community
[1:20:04] Outro

Video on How to Be an Early Adopter of Yourself

Visit AtlasWorldSports.com

Get Atlas World Sports Free App

Learn More About New Edge Marketing, Bobby’s Marketing Company

Connect with Bobby Kraft on LinkedIn

Follow Bobby on Twitter

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Podcast with Bobby Kraft. How to Be an Early Adopter of Yourself.

 TRANSCRIPT – HOW’D IT HAPPEN – BOBBY KRAFT, GUEST

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Mike Malatesta: hey everybody welcome back to the how that happened podcast, I am very, very excited today because I have an old friend on the podcast with me who will be your new friend when we get done with this Bobby craft joins me on the show today Bobby welcome to the show.

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Robert Kraft: Thanks Mike it’s an honor to be here and I love the brewers had, as I have my Alice world sports hat on so thanks for fitting the theme.

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Mike Malatesta: Well, I knew we were going to be talking sports I normally wear my podcasts hat, but I.

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Mike Malatesta: Specifically, chose this hat just for you, but.

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Robert Kraft: yeah that’s great.

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Robert Kraft: Well, I appreciate it.

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Mike Malatesta: And the brewers are doing very well too so we’ll.

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Robert Kraft: we’ll see where that ends they’ve been awesome to follow and we had a.

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Robert Kraft: Tough loss with the packers opener yesterday So hopefully maybe they’ll start following more of the bucks in the brewers and kind of just start winning yeah we’re really hoping so because Yes, that was a very ugly last for the.

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Mike Malatesta: package, but they will recover as well.

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Mike Malatesta: Sure, so.

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Mike Malatesta: um I promise you every week that I bring you an amazing success story, and I certainly am going to do that today.

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Mike Malatesta: Let me tell you a little bit about Bobby craft so Bobby has almost 20 years of experience working in the direct marketing industry.

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Mike Malatesta: After an illustrious football career that earned him an opportunity to play for the charleston swamp boxes in the arena football league.

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Mike Malatesta: Bobby began his career as a licensed financial advisor before transitioning to direct marketing and becoming CEO of a growing.

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Mike Malatesta: CEO and growing a global company that’s global with a G, with over 600 employees speaking 10 different languages, working in printing plants around the country, and maybe around the world.

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Mike Malatesta: In the last five years Bobby has moved into the tech sectors of marketing, especially the burgeoning world of sports betting earlier this year, which is 2021 Bobby founded atlas world sports which he describes as the as the kayak mixed with expedia for sports fans.

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Mike Malatesta: So let’s put this into gear and take off Bobby I started every podcast same way and it’s with a question how did it happen for you.

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Robert Kraft: Well i’ll kind of give a little bit enough and then i’ll let you you steer it, because if you just let me run on that open question, I think the podcast will end with you never speaking rest of time, so i’ll try to be respectful here for.

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Mike Malatesta: People are here to listen to you now you’re listening as well want to make sure it’s good back and forth right so.

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Robert Kraft: um I guess the long story short, my my family is originally from Detroit I was born there moved through Chicago got to milwaukee.

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Robert Kraft: Where my dad was you know, took over a company in the point purchase area, so I always grew up around.

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Robert Kraft: Business in an entrepreneurial family he ended up starting his first venture when I was in grade school.

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Robert Kraft: In printing and direct marketing and being around that my whole life outside of football and sports that.

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Robert Kraft: is something that huge passion of our family my sister Kelly play college golf she had a scholarship at Wisconsin she’s great athlete and while still is, to this day she just has mom duties to get in the way of playing as much anymore, but.

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Robert Kraft: She ended up transferring your college of charleston and play down there my brother ended up may have a brother Sean end up playing college football out at fairfield he and I both went through market high school.

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Robert Kraft: So it’s kind of one of those things so outside of sports or is around business, and it was it was always a passion of mine.

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Robert Kraft: Like when I was a little kid I remember trying to figure out how to a dad I don’t make money at all that was still lemonade stand that’s for suckers nobody makes money on.

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Robert Kraft: lemonade stands because who drives mind to stop So when I was in fifth grade I started the first lawn mowing company, and you know that that was kind of the thing and then gone back door to door and ask people if they.

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Robert Kraft: Let me give them a free estimate, you know, like like that was really a value but either way you know just kind of built it up that way, no different than anything else and.

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Robert Kraft: You know just really had a love for serving people, and then I kind of tried to hire on a couple kids around the neighborhood and I just.

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Robert Kraft: The team thing has always been something that’s been huge for me and for my family as has you know really the productivity, on behalf of serving others, and so, then.

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Robert Kraft: kind of as I was always around my dad’s business, it would be just questions of okay why you know why do you guys make that and what’s what’s the market for that, and this is what I was in grade school and just had an interest on it.

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Robert Kraft: And then from there, you know, certainly going through college and played football got into the.

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Robert Kraft: Financial services industry and my dad asked me to come back to milwaukee.

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Robert Kraft: You know to be to be part and kind of help on one of his businesses where you know some men gone well with a previous partner, so that that kind of got me into that world.

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Robert Kraft: And I looked at it, I just thought Jesus praying thing is just brutal This is down the early 2000 so I just looked at like.

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Robert Kraft: I just i’m a cell phone I was a cell phone guy even at that point when you’re on those you know kind of qwerty keyboards and had to you know hit you know the same button three times to get a certain letter, all the way through.

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Robert Kraft: Early another.

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Robert Kraft: yeah yeah that would be that would be right.

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Robert Kraft: So I remember Texan friends early on the given wire and and answer whatever back for.

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Robert Kraft: For going to meet up tonight, but I remember seeing that with printing and in that business and just thought.

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Robert Kraft: This isn’t where it’s at software is where it’s at software, so you know my entrepreneurial career kind of went through that and trying to.

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Robert Kraft: acquire printing companies that were that were failing and fix them that was kind of my thing was that was the best way to kind of that I thought through it and.

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Robert Kraft: You know the industry changed tremendously and certainly had obamacare time we had a huge position in insurance and limited medical insurance.

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Robert Kraft: To the tune where we invested multiple millions of dollars in new presses, as a result of the big insurance companies asked us to do so, such as cigna.

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Robert Kraft: assurance, which is no longer in milwaukee delta devils and then, when that government mandate came it changed everything kind of flipped upside down.

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Robert Kraft: Just you know just all this debt and then ended up getting out of it in 2015 and you know, having to liquidate and went through a.

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Robert Kraft: Painful period in business, but it was it was a learning, it was a failure, learning.

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Robert Kraft: And so, then I then I kind of went through there and it was, like all right, you know clean board, what do I really want Am I an entrepreneur, and if i’m an entrepreneur i’m gonna want to get right back into it.

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Robert Kraft: i’m not going to run an hightail and go and work for a corporation, and all these offers I could have done whenever I want, and I just said no.

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Robert Kraft: I loved the building process I love the team process I love that creation process and kind of a little bit of everything one day you’re emptying your own garbage and the next day.

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Robert Kraft: You know you’re creating a new product, and then the third day you’re.

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Robert Kraft: Making coffee for people, maybe, or whatever you know it says, an entrepreneur Mike you certainly know this it’s just kind of eight where Am I needed most and.

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Robert Kraft: And, and then you build teams and you kind of delegate when you get to a certain level.

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Robert Kraft: But I had the opportunity to sit back and reflect and I saw everything going on and I knew like software was that was what we were really building always and.

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Robert Kraft: that’s where I always saw the huge value inside the print sector was any of the pdfs that were that were moving around and we created a tremendous highly highly profitable division within our company.

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Robert Kraft: That was really the source of what kept the printing plants going it was it was all the dynamic document creations we wrote software that then just built.

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Robert Kraft: The ability for us to change documents for for UBS Union bank of Switzerland and either 401k recipients pension plan recipients around the country.

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Robert Kraft: We would then you know dynamically create those you know what was sears at the time as well target employee whomever it would be.

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Robert Kraft: That was all created and either sent to them via mail or email as well, it would also update in a profile we created on those platforms that was starting in 2005 when I go back in front of New York City.

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Robert Kraft: Because I saw the value of software so then fast forward to when I get out of it now it’s time to reassess and I just saw.

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Robert Kraft: You know just kind of thing I had some friends going into the software and TV space kind of media tech and and a few of them because did some things so start poking around I.

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Robert Kraft: Think I go into the digital thing again and then passed by happened in May of 2018 and that’s when the Supreme Court ruled on sports betting and flipping over.

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Robert Kraft: That law that was in place since 1992 under Senator bill Bradley as one of the sponsors of it, and at that point.

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Robert Kraft: yeah That was what I saw my ultimate venn diagram coming together of sports, you know, business and marketing colliding.

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Robert Kraft: And I just thought geez if this thing is admitted, for me, I don’t know what is in my real thought was the sports books are going to go huge into marketing.

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Robert Kraft: they’re going to try to create loyalty programs to allow people to Tibet in whatever state add points so they can eventually fly to Vegas because I.

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Robert Kraft: i’ve always just known enough and i’ve actually done a lot of marketing in the past for for the casinos and certain some of the Vegas entities, in fact, we tried to acquire a marketing company in Las Vegas.

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Robert Kraft: Around 2010 2012 we’re always in negotiation, so you know, I was very intimate with kind of those loyalty programs, we did a lot for American airlines in the past and they’re there you know advantage Program.

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Robert Kraft: So just it was familiar and I just kind of had this vision of where this thing is going to go and I just thought geez they’re going to try to get everybody sitting on their couch to make a bet of 20 bucks 50 bucks whatever is comfortable.

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Robert Kraft: And then you’re going to get loyalty points so, then you can eventually go take a trip out to Vegas and dump that money back to them, you know, and I just thought geez this is, I see this thing, and it was just kind of light bulb moment.

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Robert Kraft: So really since then 2018 and it was kind of behind the scenes that I was kind of thinking about a newly and do my homework go to conferences, you know the standard stuff you do.

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Robert Kraft: And then it came to fruition, where I found the right software development team off shore now they’re all part of the team, we have 12 guys on the team.

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Robert Kraft: Just an incredible group of co founders and we’ve launched our APP as of a week ago we’re in the APP store we’re in ios.

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Robert Kraft: And android and we have a brand new website that’s up rock and rolling or two point O B, you know out in five weeks, which will be the middle to end of October, basically so that’s kind of how it happened in as close to a nutshell, is, I give it to my.

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Mike Malatesta: yeah you gave us a ton there so i’m gonna i’m gonna go back and dissect some of that if you don’t mind, but before I forget what is the website for so that everyone.

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Robert Kraft: gets www dot atlas world sports.com et la s world sports plural.com.

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Mike Malatesta: how’d you come up with the name.

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Robert Kraft: You know, it was one of those.

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Robert Kraft: you’ve been through these exercises of starting a company and what do I name, and all this, you know where I went with the exercise was you know, I was kind of at this inflection point I guess of my life, where it was just like man.

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Robert Kraft: it’s just been kind of a grind and a challenge, if you will, and you are you up to the challenger you know your folder you kind of get stronger and get more resolve and you know I just started thinking of.

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Robert Kraft: Just things I admire and then I eventually got over to the kind of Greek gods and that type of world Greek mythology.

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Robert Kraft: And you know I remember the story of Zeus and out casting atlas who is one of the sons and you know that kind of thing and then he had to put the weight of the world on his shoulders gnosis penalty.

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Robert Kraft: And I thought you know that’s kind of cool that’s a little bit of like you know kind of overcoming stuff and I just I always thought atlas world maps and kind of.

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Robert Kraft: You know, and I kind of thought, maybe there’s a play with this where people might make a mental connection of atlas and if we’re kind of the roadmap for sports betting and sports books.

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Robert Kraft: Maybe there’s a little bit of a tie there, but I just thought you know I like the symbol of strength and we’re sports, so you know the Greek gods were, I mean the Greeks really came up with the Olympics so.

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Robert Kraft: You know I thought there were just kind of a lot of ties there so that was really it was just kind of, but it was one of those exercise was like okay something in this line let’s go and then you kind of.

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Robert Kraft: days, weeks and you ask people and they say that that’s terrible that’s awesome you kind of just kind of keep working it.

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Mike Malatesta: I like it and you don’t want it reminds me of and i’m maybe a little old school, but the Atlas part I think everybody gets but and it reminds me of.

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Mike Malatesta: Wide world of sports, which used to be, probably the that was that for a long time the.

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Mike Malatesta: Days where you went to.

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Mike Malatesta: consume sports.

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Mike Malatesta: Right, especially like not football but you know all the other sports that never got any TV or anything so anyway that’s what I kind of put together when I when when you were talking about it.

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Robert Kraft: yeah Thank you well.

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i’m.

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Mike Malatesta: This thing with the lawn mowing was so funny because the free estimate thing as like I can just see it as a free estimate no obligation.

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Mike Malatesta: To a big thing now is to you know right you give people this sort of no obligation.

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Mike Malatesta: Quote or proposal everybody saying that these.

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Mike Malatesta: Yes, and I could just see you going around as a as a little kid fifth grade just making this pitch to people.

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Robert Kraft: I remember could ask my dad as I keep getting a good hook or something just tell me give them fast when i’m like you should give a free estimate should he goes we’ll just say it, though, to kind of know but.

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Mike Malatesta: yeah right as if I normally charge.

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Robert Kraft: 10 bucks for yeah you know walk your lot in.

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Mike Malatesta: Your case.

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for free.

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Mike Malatesta: and tell me about this it’s some you know you you your whole family’s very sports oriented very talented I guess in sports and.

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Mike Malatesta: you end up in the arena Football League coming out of a.

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Mike Malatesta: You know, a small school like a D3 school right.

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Robert Kraft: that’s true which.

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Mike Malatesta: Which is.

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Robert Kraft: A University in Cleveland Ohio we have.

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Robert Kraft: General managers in the nfl now yeah.

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Mike Malatesta: Well that’s that’s a great program right, even though it’s a D it’s a D3 school, but a great program so What was it like when you had to make.

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Mike Malatesta: I know, when you get drafted into something I assume there’s a draft for the I know that i’m assuming there was tell me what it was like to get in there and what.

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Mike Malatesta: I mean you had for years, or maybe you know.

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Robert Kraft: One season and the most interesting thing, so the real thing was you know my.

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Robert Kraft: In high school The goal is okay i’m playing a market high school and you said luck, I want to play college football and people are like while you’re small.

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Robert Kraft: Is that, and this would be junior and i’m like well i’ll work out as hard as I have to you tell me what do I need to do to get there, give me the metrics.

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Mike Malatesta: yeah.

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Robert Kraft: I remember talking to coaches and you know and then as simple as a conversation with you, Dan he goes well, if you want to do it you’ll figure it out okay well anything where you can give me now yeah okay.

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Robert Kraft: All right.

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Mike Malatesta: I could have told myself that.

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Robert Kraft: yeah I kind of understood that coming into this thing.

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So.

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Robert Kraft: You know, but.

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Robert Kraft: You know, then you just kind of you know I guess it’s like anything else you’re on.

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Robert Kraft: You know, high intake, if you will, so anything in the world or realm of that whether it’s you hear a brother’s got an older.

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Robert Kraft: buddies got an older brother who is playing college football somewhere you just say, I want to meet him when he’s back in town and then I want to pick his brain and get his.

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Robert Kraft: And he’d asked for, like the workouts or whatever, and next thing you know you’re using some of these workout from nebraska.

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Robert Kraft: Where you know they were kind of front, you know they’re really, the ones who came up with a lot of the pie metrics and agility type of training speed kills That was all the time.

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Robert Kraft: days and when they are reading the the option or Tom Osborne just killing everybody they’re just bigger faster and stronger so so that I get into college and.

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Robert Kraft: Let him fletcher was one of my teammates is going to be he’ll be a first ballot hall of famer in the nfl.

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Robert Kraft: josh mcdaniels is the offensive coordinator at the patriots Nick caserio, who is now the general manager of the Texans that was one of my quarterbacks my other quarterback is the head coach for akron now I mean we’ve got all these guys.

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Mike Malatesta: All these guys on your team.

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Robert Kraft: yeah brandon staley who’s now the head coach for the Los Angeles chargers he did not play with me, but he coached at john Carroll after I was gone.

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Mike Malatesta: Oh, I just read about that.

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yeah.

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Robert Kraft: yeah yes, these are all our guys, I mean it’s.

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Robert Kraft: All these guys, so we have a plan like.

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Robert Kraft: It was tough yesterday, I told my girlfriend I just like you know just say no, this is football season Bobby like, and this is, you know kind of like religion so.

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Robert Kraft: You know we’re going to tuesday’s as a free night and Wednesday is a free night it didn’t go over very well, so I think i’m gonna have to back it down a little bit to maybe badger games and backwards games, but you know it’s like negotiation you throw away out there and you’re.

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Mike Malatesta: right man, so I asked for more than you actually can get away.

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Mike Malatesta: yeah can.

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Mike Malatesta: Good yeah yeah.

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Robert Kraft: Exactly, so I so loving fletcher was in the nfl at the time and.

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Robert Kraft: He was he was playing for the rams, and I mean don shula through john Carroll.

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Robert Kraft: And there’s just this great legacy, in fact, my dad play college football there, he was a quarterback so I was always kind of recruited as a kid from them at a walk on opportunity and purdue but then once I visit Jon callas I can just feels like market high there’s a family.

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Robert Kraft: atmosphere Cleveland is a great city Cleveland in milwaukee to me they’re just.

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Robert Kraft: they’re very good, you know there’s there’s a lot of quiet money that there’s also that kind of blue collar just.

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Robert Kraft: His his.

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Robert Kraft: love of state level of city, you know just sports towns, you know good hard working people good people.

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Robert Kraft: And you know I went there and I just thought this is me this is my city, and I wanted to go, you know, out of State for sure, nothing against Wisconsin Wisconsin obviously but I needed that.

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Robert Kraft: You know kind of i’m all by myself kind of thing figure out going my journey, and so, then I was playing started to vector I got.

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Robert Kraft: You know a lot of did not make all American my my publisher to kick return with me, David Ziegler.

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Robert Kraft: who’s now, the head of player personnel at the patriots, he was all American and he and I were together and but I got all kinds of national accolades as a parameter kick returner.

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Robert Kraft: And so that’s when I got kind of talks with an agent and a guy was like yeah you can play you’ve got the numbers to play in the nfl so I got invited to an nfl theater combine that was my real goal was like the nfl or bust.

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Robert Kraft: yep, and so I ended up my genuine actual you know numbers, which are the inflated numbers that people will say all the time, some guy says 40 time and it’s like you know.

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Robert Kraft: it’s like a world record he tells you, like all right, why don’t you go ahead and do some actual combine numbers out of four or five one in the 40 my standing vertical.

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Robert Kraft: Which i’m like the nba the nba allows guys to take running.

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Robert Kraft: Running step or a couple steps and then jump nfl has you, you have to have both your feet place Kim loop, so they have to be like locked and they watch to make sure you don’t even SLIME.

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Robert Kraft: So my vertical is 36 inches and then I ran the pro agility time which is you know five years to the right touch and then come back touch and then cross it’s like a 20 or shuttle I ended up.

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Robert Kraft: tying joey Galloway and Barry Sanders record for that which was 3.92 that I ran in that, and then you know my bench was to 2518 times so yeah I was ready to play so all my numbers were there, and I remember seeing with my agent, he said hey you got everything you got going for you.

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Robert Kraft: except a couple things isn’t okay what’s the problem, he said, look number is your ability your athleticism he said, you can play with anybody, you know that you play with these guys.

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Robert Kraft: He said you’re you’re you know one thing that’s going to get you a small school I said Okay, not a big deal right now, not that big of a deal.

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Mike Malatesta: Good pedigree school.

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Robert Kraft: For D3 yeah yeah, but these it was right, I mean I graduated in 2000 so was right at that time where they’re like.

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Robert Kraft: They knew they could find some kind of diamonds in the rough but they it wasn’t as popular to be the guy that’s like I found learn the program to find that guy now.

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Robert Kraft: The patriots and it’s really because there’s seven guys in the giant kill staff that have been there since early 2000s, I mean I think they were the ones who really convinced Bella check and Robert Kraft, the other Robert Kraft.

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Mike Malatesta: The other one.

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Robert Kraft: The other one that guy.

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Robert Kraft: That guy.

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Robert Kraft: But I think they really convinced him or those guys to say Look, we got some guys that.

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Robert Kraft: They weren’t blue chips because they didn’t grow till maybe their junior in high school, whereas guys get offered scholarships through sophomore year in high school if there are blue chip, will you hope that.

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Robert Kraft: And so what we really had a john Carroll were guys that are maybe an institution quarter, maybe 10 pounds lighter.

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Robert Kraft: And maybe a step behind but smarter and I would argue, tougher that anybody played at those big programs.

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Robert Kraft: I saw guys I when I took my first SIP from London fletcher i’d never been hit so hard in my life, and he got the iron man award because he never missed any games in the nfl.

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Robert Kraft: And you ask any nfl guy and they’re like that guy was animal any guys i’ve ever talked to said oh my God you play college football, with him, he was NUTS he’s great like one is smart tough.

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Robert Kraft: brought everything you know, and that was kind of the work ethic, and we also pride ourselves and our thinking everybody, but so then.

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Robert Kraft: So I sat in there and I remember this agent telling me said, then the other thing is your you know smaller five 990 pounds said okay that’s not an issue yeah no no problem so what’s last he said.

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Robert Kraft: He literally said this to me, and it was I just almost fell out of my chair, he said you’re the wrong color.

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Mike Malatesta: reason.

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Robert Kraft: I said you’re kidding me he said general managers don’t want to take a chance on like I have that position, because if you are, you know.

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Robert Kraft: pulled in and plan and you make it fine, but if you don’t make it and then that other guy go somewhere else they didn’t pick them if that guy ever gets Dean braces that general manager gets team races.

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Robert Kraft: Then they’re kind of blackballed as a general manager said you’re kidding me that stuff really happens, he said yeah that does.

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Robert Kraft: i’m not going to say the agents name i’m going to cut it, because this is a controversial story, of course, they could you know.

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Robert Kraft: Come back to bite somebody, but it was amazing I sat there, he said, this is impossible, is this the world we live in and.

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Robert Kraft: It was just said yeah that’s it so he said these we had five nfl teams that were very interested in me by the way, too, and.

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Robert Kraft: So after that I said, well, we can work through that I said I still know that I get a shot.

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Robert Kraft: So the one team that was willing to give me a shot, and it was flying me in and they said the other contracts for me was the green Bay packers.

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Robert Kraft: They were flying me and I got on an airplane I was about to get on the airplane he called me up.

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Robert Kraft: My agent calls me up and he said you’re not gonna believe this you’re not gonna believe what team wants, yes, and I don’t care, who wants me.

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Robert Kraft: See, but I figured it was the browns because i’m in their backyard, you know the backers I said you kidding me oh my God, you know what stark white info SEC i’m ready to go.

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Mike Malatesta: yeah I.

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Robert Kraft: got to play in and they’re gonna work you out tomorrow.

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Robert Kraft: But they want you in as a punt returner kick returner Oh, are you kidding me this awesome so about to get on a plane, and then the very next morning I get a phone call me, I mean I was like.

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Robert Kraft: You I was at the point I hadn’t had a beer in six weeks, you just check in and like rice and broccoli for dinner with not even like cream sauce on it, you know, like just.

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Mike Malatesta: yeah you just hardcore.

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Robert Kraft: yeah I was like I got to five and a half percent body fat, it was just.

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Robert Kraft: You know, making sure you’re getting your eight hours of sleep every night, you know just really listen to your body, and all that.

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Robert Kraft: So I was reading, so I wake up the next day i’m all excited and about to go to the airport Cleveland Hopkins was going to fly and that’s when the continental still had their.

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Robert Kraft: Their how about in Cleveland so I could get a direct flight into three bed that time and he calls me up in the morning and says hey.

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Robert Kraft: You got can’t see your fighters like we owe you talking about some whether something no, they just signed away the last roster spot.

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Robert Kraft: To a receiver for camp, it was like their 10th or 11th for the camp body, whatever I said you kidding me how.

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Robert Kraft: Does he do that for the special teams well there’s one spot between either special teams or receiver and you know receiver coach did it while.

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Robert Kraft: Special teams coach was on vacation coming back from vacation or whatever gone for the day or whatever it was, and that was it, I was just like what from a just so pumped to just like wow that is just thinking manner well it’s like that your life can just be flipped.

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Robert Kraft: From like this is it because they said, like we want you to know it’s like okay cool go out there, all I needed to do was do the quick check and make sure I can actually.

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Robert Kraft: run the way my number said and everything’s you know, do the physical and then it’s like here’s your contract yeah and that was it so then it was, like all right.

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Robert Kraft: Now I can go either to Canada and toxin the Canadian Football League, where I had to read it talks in my sister haven’t gone to college of charleston coming back to that now.

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Robert Kraft: She she was living in charleston and, and so I was like I want to go somewhere warm at least been playing football I don’t want to go to Canada like i’m from Wisconsin I.

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Mike Malatesta: already know that.

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Robert Kraft: Let me get some punches if I played football I know it’s temporary and my whole goal was just to play a real for one season and try to get them back you know with the nfl and if it didn’t happen then move on with my life and and it didn’t happen so under business right.

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Mike Malatesta: So there was.

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Mike Malatesta: What was your career like that year did you do.

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Mike Malatesta: Punch and kick returns or did you do other things, what was.

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Robert Kraft: yeah I got of course arena, football is just a shortened field, you know it’s 50 yards, you know go online to go on, and then I can’t remember the exact with dimensions but it’s.

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Robert Kraft: 24 yards wide I think something like that, whatever it is, I can’t remember exactly but you know so when you’re catching a kickoff because there are no punts everywhere, he goes for it on fourth down or kick the field goal.

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Robert Kraft: you’re catching it, you have to learn to turn around and catch it off the neck because it goes above.

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Mike Malatesta: Sure yeah.

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Robert Kraft: bounces around and then you got your back to guys and they’re just like this is this garbage.

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Robert Kraft: But anyway, so you know we right when we started the season, we get in and you know we’re kind of go on and.

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Robert Kraft: they’re even there I learned politics, it was like data guy starting for the from the central who.

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Robert Kraft: You know i’d beat now, but one of the coaches pulled me aside and they’re like dude they need attendance, just so you know so they they’re trying to play a few these local guys for the yard sign.

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Robert Kraft: Even though we you know, it was clear and the guys in the locker room, so it was interesting to see Canada created an issue i’m the northern guy was the Yankee on the team to so that that was a whole different thing differently.

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Mike Malatesta: How is the selection process to that’s the last question I want to ask you, yes.

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Robert Kraft: yeah I mean it was it was just a they I mean they worked me out, you know same thing there’s a there’s a camp do workouts.

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Robert Kraft: And they brought in two times more they signed two tons more guns for for the camp and then they kept and yeah that was it and then I got traded to a team in like in Georgia.

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Robert Kraft: But they wouldn’t give me out of the car they can’t buy me out of the like my my leases and all that and i’m making no money you know set from you know enough to cover food from the team.

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Robert Kraft: Like 500 bucks a week neighbors like that, whatever the game jack’s work and it’s like well I got this lease signed this lease on the hook, for it was I knew they say.

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Robert Kraft: i’m upside down and ready as it is and then now you know so as part of it, I said I can’t take this so then at that same time that’s what my.

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Robert Kraft: dad said hey why don’t you come on back and help out with this business in milwaukee you got traded, so you know cuz I was kind of.

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Robert Kraft: keeping them, you know my parents posted and it was one of those deals, and you know spike come back and help, and I said well you know I hadn’t planned on coming back with system was asking for I was like yeah okay that’s it.

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Robert Kraft: That was it, so I figured after that and that season was over, that was a wrap and it’s time to go back to milwaukee.

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Robert Kraft: love the city and then since then, on a walk in Chicago some back and forth.

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Mike Malatesta: That had to be a real kick in the teeth to get that call when you’re getting on that flight and.

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Mike Malatesta: Then, and then you know, end up end up.

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Mike Malatesta: still playing in the arena league different rules different feel different.

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Mike Malatesta: Especially for you more dangerous you know for 500 bucks a week that had to be real that’s a real turnaround that takes probably took you a little while to get your head around that turnaround.

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Robert Kraft: yeah it was a real it was it was yeah it was definitely a pretty raw in you know some eating crow you think you’re like this is it i’m finally getting that shot and then.

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Robert Kraft: Just like that it’s taken away, but it was great lesson in life and it’s just just just way life goes, and we have these plans we think we’re.

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Robert Kraft: You know unstoppable and all that and then all of a sudden, you get that wake up call and it’s like yeah you’re not everything you think you are and you’re like holy cow so.

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Robert Kraft: It so it’s been really good and it it helps probably helped me appreciate more certain moments when you’re in them more often and knowing that.

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Robert Kraft: This is the greatest place, I want to be right now right at this very moment, but if I also you’re cognizant maybe that you may never be able to return to that same space.

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Robert Kraft: And it’s helped me kind of enjoy those certain moments, you know when it’s time to unplug on the weekends, or something it’s like i’m gonna stay in that space where I am with family or friends or whatever that might be.

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Robert Kraft: versus checking everybody else’s social media or you know doing work or whatever, but then when i’m working it’s like.

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Robert Kraft: You know, get 100% into that and that’s the time to do that, so I think those kind of lessons to me i’ve been you know really good because I also got to know I also got to test my mettle I get to test.

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Robert Kraft: To see how far can I go in keeping killer mentally handle you know these guys that are you know played at Florida state that were teammates of mine and.

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Robert Kraft: These other places, and if I can run with those guys work out with them, then.

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Robert Kraft: You know I can I can kind of do it anywhere, because you know i’m the little white guy that wasn’t supposed to play probably high school football right according to the way you know somebody would do the eyeball test, they would have looked into, like a and put him off to the side.

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Robert Kraft: And they might keep going and you realize you’re faster and stronger and you’re smarter.

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Robert Kraft: And then, and then, when someone gives you a shot you don’t want to let them down like think the same thing in business, I think the same thing in life with your friends and your family is like look if somebody is going to bet on me.

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Robert Kraft: You know I own everything, and you know how keep fighting till till I can you know take care of people and do things the right way when it’s when somebody puts their neck out for me, because I think too few people are willing to put their neck out for people.

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Robert Kraft: You know, in this day and age tonight, and I think part of it is to too many people all often ask for.

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Robert Kraft: Others to put their neck out for them when they don’t really mean those were you know they say.

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Robert Kraft: I need help it’s like Do you really have a flat tire on the side of the road you can’t even you can figure this one out you don’t need me to show up until you and do your tire and drive an hour on my way like if you can’t emotionally handle that.

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Robert Kraft: Maybe I shouldn’t have you in my life like i’m talking like real stuff.

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Robert Kraft: Like yeah really.

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Robert Kraft: Really issues in your life here’s the shirt i’ll take it right off my back, and you can have it if that’s real, but if you call me and do the.

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Robert Kraft: boy who cried wolf stuff or whatever I think that’s so a lot of those lessons you come from football, I mean football to me has been so.

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Robert Kraft: Good because the locker room, you have a guy, who is a kicker who.

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Robert Kraft: You know is that really hitting people but he’s got to feel part of the team and, if he doesn’t you know he could cost us the game, if he misses that field goal at the end, but same way, the alignment side they’re scoring touchdowns but you need them to make those holes and.

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Robert Kraft: And yeah nobody’s got an important role.

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Robert Kraft: yeah and you get did you mean personalities, I think some of these other sports are all great.

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Robert Kraft: But football is like so many different unique body types and sizes and position needs and to me it’s that kind of ultimate cohesion with the team.

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Robert Kraft: For success and I think business is very similar to that especially you know building companies before you get that infrastructure set really.

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Mike Malatesta: That was great what you said about sticking your neck out because the there’s a lot of people who like you said they are asking for help, but what they really want is for you to do something for them yeah they don’t want help, they want it’s hard so they want somebody.

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Robert Kraft: My problems go away yeah.

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Robert Kraft: yeah.

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Mike Malatesta: tell me what to do, do it for me, you know.

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Mike Malatesta: yeah that stuff.

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Robert Kraft: yeah hundred percent and I can only imagine like I mean boy you transition out when you, you were you were bought out maybe seven years ago, eight years ago, so.

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Mike Malatesta: yeah it’s pretty good yes.

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Robert Kraft: 15 2015 yeah yeah so I can only imagine, I mean you know after that occurred, you know you have time to take a breath and get away and enjoy with the family and.

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Robert Kraft: Your close friends and board members or you know whomever and you do that, and you know so, then the high five and honeymoon tour goes on for a while and then eventually.

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Robert Kraft: You know, things reset but you know when you get back to whatever you’re going to go and do next, and get into and.

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Robert Kraft: Other things but, but I can imagine the amount of people you kind of want that information was public that reach out and are asking for you to fix something in there it’s not.

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Robert Kraft: necessarily help as.

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Robert Kraft: As from wisdom standpoint, or whatever, but just like make this problem I go away because we’ve been friends for 10 years or something else so.

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Robert Kraft: yeah imagine that position that you’ve probably.

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Robert Kraft: been in as a result of your success.

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Mike Malatesta: yeah you did you get some of that I got some of that I get a lot i’ve gotten a lot of you know brainstorm with me sort of thing where which I don’t mind how you know being.

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Mike Malatesta: as valuable as I can, but sometimes there’s nothing happening there and it’s just an exercise and.

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Mike Malatesta: You know.

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Mike Malatesta: Picking someone’s brain that kind of thing.

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Mike Malatesta: But yeah anyway i’m glad.

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Mike Malatesta: You brought i’m glad you brought that up and made that distinction because it’s an.

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Mike Malatesta: important one.

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Mike Malatesta: yeah so.

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Mike Malatesta: So let’s move into business your dad calls you up and says hey you know, whatever I could use some help or you know I need you, whatever it is you come and.

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Mike Malatesta: You know you discover.

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Mike Malatesta: Early I think you said that you know printing is just a brutal brutal business and.

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Mike Malatesta: And for those of you don’t know much about printing it for.

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Mike Malatesta: Two decades now, maybe, certainly for a decade it’s become it’s been a very, very, very, very tough business as there’s been a lot of consolidation and a lot of companies have gone gone out of business.

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Mike Malatesta: But what I like what you said that, I think, was really.

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Mike Malatesta: cool was that when you came in you saw that and you weren’t.

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Mike Malatesta: Like okay dad here’s how you’ve played it here’s how we’re going to play it, because this is how you play so we got to cut costs, we got to do this we don’t do this, we gotta do this because that’s, the only way for us to survive.

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Mike Malatesta: You it sounded like you said well wait a second this isn’t about surviving, this is about thriving How do we make this into a business that thrives am I, on the right track.

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Robert Kraft: yeah yeah absolutely you bet.

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Robert Kraft: And we went through seven acquisitions, as a result of that.

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Mike Malatesta: yeah so tell me tell me tell me about the strategy what how long did it take you to see it convince your dad and whomever else needs to be convinced and then get out there and start making it happen.

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Robert Kraft: yeah I mean it was I started writing the business plan for when I was 23 right when I got back because I looked at it, as if this thing this thing is not viable.

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Robert Kraft: And i’m 23 so what I know, but if I know that 23 it’s not viable, I felt pretty good that that was probably the right decision.

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Robert Kraft: And that’s just going on, you know my my Business School you know teachings and I actually reached out to a few my professors at that time, and I said, can I can bounce so our financials off you and just you know.

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Robert Kraft: Because here’s where I think and here’s some of the moves, what do you think you know it was it was it was they were really great the john Carroll you know Business School was it was great because they.

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Robert Kraft: You know, they obviously love helping former students, but you know it was it was like it was a project together, it was really fun collaboration to work with them on that so, then I wrote the new business plan figured out how to acquire.

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Robert Kraft: You know, business and and you know just kind of start building it from there, but so when I was 25 and we got to go in that time it kind of got the little seed capital and get it going and just start start building and buying off the cash flow.

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Robert Kraft: You know in verses of the industry, I mean now it’s like they don’t even want to hear about cash flow it’s crazy in the tech industry.

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Robert Kraft: Again they’re like Bernie.

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Robert Kraft: Active or whatever.

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Robert Kraft: it’s all about money downloads and your monthly active users right and it’s like those are the kpis it’s not like Eva da and you know you know talking, you know.

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Mike Malatesta: Traditional business metrics out the window yeah it’s incredible so so then so at that time I was doing traditional metrics, of course, and it’s like.

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Robert Kraft: Okay nobody’s going to talk to you, unless you have cash flow going and you got this and then you know built it out, but yeah the tough thing was it was probably around was just before the great recession hit so or seminar found a company called the banner graphic tech or in phoenix.

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Robert Kraft: and saw them and that they had created the unwritten and develop their own software platform inside that ran there to facilitate a facility in new Berlin Wisconsin as well, so just the summer here in milwaukee.

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Robert Kraft: and

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Robert Kraft: I saw them and I knew they were having problems so at this point, I was looking at like the way the best way to buy in the printing industry is distressed assets like they probably have a book of business, but then you know their costs are fixed cost structure is upside.

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Robert Kraft: Down downward pressure cached cetera So how do we kind of retool these things, because even then, I saw it is like all right i’m kind of in this because I was asked to be in this is turning as never anything I was dreaming of being in.

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Robert Kraft: But i’ve always been fascinated by computers and software, since I was a kid when I was in eighth grade I started I first started doing.

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Robert Kraft: Some dos programming, on my own I got intrigued by it.

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Robert Kraft: And then I realized, I was like this is kind of boring because it’s just memorization and once you know how to do this, like I didn’t see like a lot of value for me personally just coding, even though those guys are tremendously valuable me personally, I was like.

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Robert Kraft: If I can figure out the right team that does that one day i’d be interested in being involved in that, so I always thought that would be somewhere i’m getting into.

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Robert Kraft: But then I got pulled into the the print space and then, when I saw this company with the software and then I saw it as like oh if we could roll this thing up.

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Robert Kraft: and use our software platform, maybe we could migrate over time or outside of the you know cat backs and really into you know, doing the thinking for companies and or digital.

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Robert Kraft: Marketing and really focus on where where everything’s going with computers night, and I will say I definitely saw everything going to cell phones, I saw cell phone payments occurring when I was you know.

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Robert Kraft: In 2008 2008 I just it was like it’s just a matter of time before you can make a payment and people will be like you’re an idiot well, you talked about this, I said.

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Robert Kraft: You can kind of see where it’s a Wayne gretzky stuff if you’re in a space and industry, you can kind of anticipate where that hockey Puck is going to go, I mean that’s.

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Robert Kraft: A recent what what made you great Wayne gretzky well I didn’t skate to where the hockey Puck is I skated work it’s going to go.

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Robert Kraft: I think that’s the same thing in business and i’ve always seen that kind of with marketing and technology really technology and you said early adopter earlier.

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Robert Kraft: And I think that’s probably true i’m not necessarily a first adopter because I like to let others get the kinks out of stuff because I.

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Robert Kraft: There are times, where I definitely see something i’m like it just doesn’t seem practical I don’t know where the two point O of this this whatever.

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Robert Kraft: Software is or toy good gizmo but once things kind of have a little bit of a toll, then I like to get them and say, has improved my life, in fact, as I sit here, I have an electronic notebook now so i’ve gotten that it’s called remarkable.

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Mike Malatesta: cool yeah I can.

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Robert Kraft: yeah so it’s pretty cool, so the integrates your all your pdfs as well, so I can integrate it with my dropbox and so you can do notes on it and then just upload right away, or you just use as a notepad and then flip pages, you know just like a notepad.

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Mike Malatesta: yeah I got to talk to you about that offline because.

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Mike Malatesta: my daughter bought me one of those for.

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Mike Malatesta: Not remarkable is another brand for Christmas and I have been thinking it’s not until my desk Bobby and i’m like what am I gonna do with this thing.

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Robert Kraft: yeah.

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Mike Malatesta: cuz i’m like old school i’m writing notes.

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Mike Malatesta: In a book here.

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Robert Kraft: yeah well and I just got it last week it.

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Mike Malatesta: Is not scalable yeah yeah exactly right.

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Robert Kraft: I just got it last week it just got in and I got it on you know, seeing some some ads and instagram and I was kind of keep an eye on it for about three months and senior.

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Robert Kraft: I love everything about them and try and then, finally I pulled the trigger so over the weekend, I was kind of integrating everything and play with it, so I have more to report back to you in a.

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Robert Kraft: week or two for sure, but I, but I mean it’s.

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Robert Kraft: To me, that thing I was like well right when I saw when they started doing remarkable one of the game will see this is now called remarkable to so early adopter but not the first course and that’s kind of thing you.

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Mike Malatesta: Had you had to become more remarkable before you supermarket.

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Robert Kraft: Totally remarkable or whatever, whatever superlative you want to add, but so so that yeah so the software thing so i’m really in 2000 and then, of course, great recession hits but my whole thing was convincing the board.

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Robert Kraft: And you know i’m the only non baby Boomer that’s part of this thing and but i’m i’m tasked with making it successful, but at the same time, you know so it’s just the dynamics of that and hey I see this.

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Robert Kraft: You know it’s tough when you’re talking to people who aren’t necessarily tech geeks or.

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Robert Kraft: yeah sure.

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Mike Malatesta: It can be a lot of blank stare or like you’re crazy.

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Robert Kraft: yeah I got all that and that’s okay that’s good business because you should have that dialogue yeah do I mean, I think I think if you’re bored doesn’t tell you you’re crazy that I think you’re probably not pushing hard enough as a CEO or.

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Robert Kraft: Wine, or vice versa, or they’re not pushing hard enough or whatever, but you know I but I saw it, I was like these, these printing presses, these are million our printing presses these things are just huge honkin things that.

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Robert Kraft: You know you’re taking so much you know get the commodities in there, so much maintenance item in once again bring presses there’s economies of scale, but not true scalable the way i’m in software is just like you know those things go like.

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Mike Malatesta: That and everybody you’re competing against has something similar.

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Mike Malatesta: They get their own million dollar machine, maybe a different manufacturer or whatever, but it’s here it is.

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Robert Kraft: yeah and I got to it, where it’s like Oh, we.

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Robert Kraft: Have the Heidelberger we have the commodity or whatever, and all people are doing, I was like what’s the value that ring, aside from the printing press to tell you the printing on.

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Robert Kraft: And dots per inch I mean we can all basically get to that well there’s nothing there just cheaper as so that’s it like I mean, so it got.

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Robert Kraft: And you know that the lifecycle inside of business from economics, one on one is when when an industry gets to the point.

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Robert Kraft: Where the only reason a customer makes a decision is money based that’s what it’s beyond maturity and then the industry is about to shut down and that’s the, the issue is.

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Robert Kraft: I mean you talk to anybody you, you said, your daughter got you that you know for for Christmas or whatever, but I mean I bet you if you talk to her about.

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Robert Kraft: How excited she has to go to the mailbox and see what’s in there from an offer from a marketing standpoint she’s like.

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Robert Kraft: Are you kidding me like I get all my bills online I get this I get that like and then my friends i’ll do events if there’s a birthday party we’re doing through Facebook messenger instagram whatever you know, whatever.

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Robert Kraft: blah blah blah like you know so it’s just changed and that’s just the world we live in and.

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Robert Kraft: To me it always goes back to the fundamentals have never changed the delivery mechanism is just changed paper as a mechanism of communication, going back to Gutenberg when he invented the printing press.

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Robert Kraft: I mean you’re talking Middle Ages, now that middle age technology is just getting dated and it just happened so quickly so.

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Mike Malatesta: Well, the.

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Robert Kraft: data is not convincing all them to go the software side that.

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Robert Kraft: You know it’s kind of the net net net of it all.

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Mike Malatesta: I was gonna say the printing press at that time when it was invented was really the world’s first computer.

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Mike Malatesta: It was the first it was the first time that ideas could be shared.

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Mike Malatesta: You know, not on a tablet or not on a you know written.

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Mike Malatesta: Something like this.

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Mike Malatesta: or shared around a fire or at the family, get togethers you know you.

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Mike Malatesta: actually share story.

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Mike Malatesta: Well, across the world.

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yeah.

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Mike Malatesta: yeah sorry sorry to interject that little ya know exactly.

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Robert Kraft: And the interesting thing, so the interesting thing people don’t know this so like Xerox those that know about Xerox or copiers Kodak who wasn’t just cameras Kodak had a printing division.

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Robert Kraft: Kodak and Xerox in Rochester New York both of them were headquartered there.

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Robert Kraft: till Xerox went to Stanford and you know, whatever point in time to Connecticut but they had all the patents on everything Xerox actually had the gooey.

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Robert Kraft: And the touchscreen they you know they got rid of that and they came up with the mouse, so they came up with all the stuff that’s using computers today.

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Robert Kraft: So everything’s Bill Gates to this Bill Gates did not create windows Xerox created windows it’s amazing like somebody else thinks oh Microsoft and Bill Gates is the greatest ever and all that.

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Robert Kraft: Bill Gates was you know get of course he’s a genius he was a genius marketer he was genius business guy.

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Robert Kraft: But he didn’t invent any of that stuff that stuff was all comes out of the printing market, but the Xerox is in this Codex of the world that had all these patents.

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Robert Kraft: They sat on it, because they wanted to just drive traffic drive printing you know and they didn’t want it.

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Robert Kraft: To create an issue so emailing and all that that Xerox had in the closed loop networks.

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Robert Kraft: They didn’t want that going on, so that, because they always have the monitors talking to each other back even going back to the 90s, you can email.

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Robert Kraft: You know I mean you know pressman could email each other back and forth through the additional presses, and it was you know kind of predated all that stuff, but it was very interesting, they did it in a very.

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Robert Kraft: In my opinion, I don’t know this factual but i’ve heard something so the industry, but they really did it as a very selfish reason, which is understandable, their business.

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Robert Kraft: But to to prevent any kind of competition digitally from coming against paper because they wanted people communicate through paper they they had.

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Robert Kraft: I mean the only 15 years ago, probably do they have the market, you know to where they want to, and since then you just look at stock and it’s like then.

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Robert Kraft: they’re all going, and I mean you know you see you know quite graphics is you know there’s a close plans fast enough, and I mean the magazine industry, which is what you know Harry Potter actually built upon.

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Robert Kraft: that’s all online and people are doing, you know flip books through other stuff and I don’t know where you replace that so you know that that was kind of all the stuff that I saw.

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Robert Kraft: That it was, like all right, which way do we go like you said survive or thrive and said well let’s buy distressed assets see if we can get all the software in their first to manage everything, and then we can slowly, you know get rid of the the hard assets.

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Robert Kraft: yeah now that was kind of the general you know plan at a high level for it.

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Mike Malatesta: That was interesting what you shared about Xerox I did not know that like.

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Mike Malatesta: The Kodak story is sort of universally known, although it’s it’s told in a universal way you.

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Mike Malatesta: know they you know, created the digital camera and didn’t want to ruin their chemical business and that kind of stuff.

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Mike Malatesta: But what you described about Xerox I think is a good lesson for everybody here like they created something remarkable.

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Mike Malatesta: And they used it to protect their market instead of creating a new market for it is what it sounded like to me is what you said.

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Mike Malatesta: Which is what you are looking at doing as well, are you these people are using this software they created for themselves to protect their motor their business and printing business, but what if you took it and used it differently.

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Mike Malatesta: yeah you know, take the intellectual capital that you create your own company and then put it into use outside of your own business right that’s how you that’s how Bill Gates you know, maybe became who.

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Mike Malatesta: he’s become because they didn’t take whatever wherever they found windows and say we’re going to use this in our own company and that’s it.

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Mike Malatesta: I was like.

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Mike Malatesta: No, this is really good every company needs this.

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Robert Kraft: And he recognized that and that’s what’s amazing you know and that’s what I love about Elon musk, for example, amongst many other things in us just you’re talking about you know unbelievably smart and talented and everything else, but his whole thing is like.

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Robert Kraft: If it’s so great you shouldn’t have to really protect it give it out and and because you know if you know moore’s law, the way you know technology replaces itself even faster than ever, and you know so i’m a big believer in the innovator die.

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Robert Kraft: concept, because really our world is moving so fast now, certainly, I think we had a little pause or whatever you want to call us for speed of business during the pandemic, or maybe we’re still kind of.

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Robert Kraft: A little bit coming up, but I feel like that law of business of not moving that same speed, I think, is is we’re almost out of it and.

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Robert Kraft: it’s gonna move faster than ever, because the one thing about the pandemic that people know i’ve not heard a lot of people talk about.

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Robert Kraft: But folks that were you know, maybe something like my dad who’s now you know 70 years old, who wasn’t a guy using zoom or would say why did I use zoom i’ll tell the guy to fly in and we’ll talk or or i’ll do that or i’ll just make a phone call well now he’s like Mr zoom right.

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Robert Kraft: And yeah so how many people in that category that we’re at the back end of their careers are like I don’t need to learn this for the next five years, because i’m retired, by then, or whatever.

414

00:52:18.390 –> 00:52:25.980

Robert Kraft: that’s for them to learn and whatever and I don’t really care I don’t have to because i’m too old or I know blah blah blah all that stuff.

415

00:52:26.550 –> 00:52:32.520

Robert Kraft: All those guys it’s almost like everybody learned the same technology so at least the way I look at it, the way we see it.

416

00:52:33.060 –> 00:52:46.890

Robert Kraft: everybody’s very good at their their phones now their smartphones, I think, because of the pandemic in a bit of way you know I hear my mom talk about facetime or her friends as I couldn’t have gotten you even tried to say that word.

417

00:52:46.920 –> 00:52:48.330

Robert Kraft: right before the pandemic.

418

00:52:48.810 –> 00:52:52.530

Robert Kraft: So we look at it, for, like the company, I mean now that was from sports.

419

00:52:53.340 –> 00:53:09.300

Robert Kraft: The way we see it as like well, we would redo a thought the demographic is 2150 years old, for that standard kind of male target that were targeted going after because 85% of the sports bettors of the United States today are male.

420

00:53:10.830 –> 00:53:21.120

Robert Kraft: That we know is going to change it’s going to become much more female oriented here as it becomes ubiquitous across all the States, but until that occurs.

421

00:53:21.690 –> 00:53:31.350

Robert Kraft: You know it’s good the next year or two certainly is predicted to be very male dominated and then the females will grow significantly, which will be great but.

422

00:53:31.950 –> 00:53:41.250

Robert Kraft: kind of what happened, the fantasy sports, so you know, the way the way we see it, though, is like now that that maybe generation that was anti.

423

00:53:42.030 –> 00:53:57.270

Robert Kraft: tech they can’t learn it during the pandemic and now it’s like well, maybe that 65 year old guy will download our APP and they have access to all the sports books around the country that he would have been like yeah screw that i’m not interested in all of my son do that or my.

424

00:53:58.380 –> 00:54:03.060

Robert Kraft: When Dale whatever my neighborhood tell me or something we think that’s totally changed and.

425

00:54:03.150 –> 00:54:03.510

Robert Kraft: yeah.

426

00:54:03.690 –> 00:54:04.140

Robert Kraft: I agree.

427

00:54:04.890 –> 00:54:11.640

Mike Malatesta: yeah I agree with you it’s, particularly on the zoom, for example, has created bigger futures for a lot of people who thought their careers were.

428

00:54:12.270 –> 00:54:21.990

Mike Malatesta: You know just about over right, you know now just a minute, you know just imagine you’re seven years old, you don’t want to get on a plane and go visit customers in China.

429

00:54:22.290 –> 00:54:22.680

Robert Kraft: yeah.

430

00:54:22.710 –> 00:54:30.240

Mike Malatesta: You didn’t use and all these other places well and that’s what gets you out of it you’re like I don’t want that grind anymore I don’t want to do that anymore well.

431

00:54:31.650 –> 00:54:40.410

Mike Malatesta: hey all this time I thought I had to do that now i’ve got plenty of opportunity through zoom and a million of its competitors.

432

00:54:40.590 –> 00:54:51.150

Mike Malatesta: right to do exactly what I thought you could never do, which is have me sitting here talking to Bobby craft about his success story, and I don’t even know where you are.

433

00:54:52.800 –> 00:54:53.490

Mike Malatesta: doesn’t matter.

434

00:54:53.970 –> 00:54:58.620

Robert Kraft: it’s good it’s matter I wish I could tell you next to a palm tree in Costa Rica.

435

00:54:59.220 –> 00:55:00.060

Mike Malatesta: But yeah well.

436

00:55:00.450 –> 00:55:02.190

Robert Kraft: vince lombardi looking over my shoulder, though.

437

00:55:03.210 –> 00:55:16.800

Robert Kraft: i’m in my office downtown milwaukee so we have atlas world sports headquarters in Chicago and then also a satellite office in milwaukee to some back and forth, but today i’m in milwaukee because I had to be in town for the packers game, for the first game, at least.

438

00:55:16.800 –> 00:55:18.630

Mike Malatesta: yeah okay that’s, of course.

439

00:55:20.490 –> 00:55:21.870

Mike Malatesta: So a couple more things Bobby.

440

00:55:23.760 –> 00:55:35.460

Mike Malatesta: You mentioned, you know you you you got the you got the company going, you know with you know with technology as the driver, as opposed to presses the driver you’re creating this.

441

00:55:36.180 –> 00:55:43.590

Mike Malatesta: different kind of company, the great recession comes along you mentioned some change in the law that I didn’t really.

442

00:55:43.920 –> 00:55:45.420

Mike Malatesta: Get because I don’t I don’t have the.

443

00:55:46.020 –> 00:55:54.060

Mike Malatesta: So tell me the combinations of things that come together that start to you know impact the business that the the you know negatively.

444

00:55:54.210 –> 00:56:05.310

Mike Malatesta: yeah and then ultimately how you felt as you were going through that that whole thing, because I think that’s really something that i’ve never had to deal with.

445

00:56:06.510 –> 00:56:14.040

Mike Malatesta: That i’ve had to deal with a lot of other stuff but I never had to deal with with that and I want to know how I want to know how you felt.

446

00:56:14.490 –> 00:56:16.440

Robert Kraft: yeah yeah no good question Mike.

447

00:56:17.460 –> 00:56:23.100

Robert Kraft: So the the law, the change due to obamacare it it negated.

448

00:56:24.270 –> 00:56:27.360

Robert Kraft: The business of limited medical so.

449

00:56:28.380 –> 00:56:34.230

Robert Kraft: There was a huge business that these insurance companies cigna specifically.

450

00:56:36.180 –> 00:56:43.080

Robert Kraft: had a huge you know kind of niche in the limited medical so somebody worked for kohl’s department stores.

451

00:56:44.370 –> 00:56:51.870

Robert Kraft: Calls might give them limited medical because maybe they’re a part time employee but they’ll give them a limited medical option.

452

00:56:52.320 –> 00:56:54.150

Mike Malatesta: Oh OK so like health insurance.

453

00:56:54.180 –> 00:57:02.550

Robert Kraft: yeah exactly so we handle all those communications, but then after obamacare that limited medical was deemed illegal.

454

00:57:02.820 –> 00:57:05.850

Mike Malatesta: So she had to get on you had to get on and go.

455

00:57:07.410 –> 00:57:08.280

Robert Kraft: Okay, I can.

456

00:57:09.150 –> 00:57:14.370

Robert Kraft: do to get on full insurance so it’s almost illegal for calls to offer anymore.

457

00:57:15.630 –> 00:57:26.790

Robert Kraft: So you either get on the obamacare obamacare plan or you’d get on your calls and to offer whatever for, for you know I don’t know if it was 30 hours or more whenever wasn’t a weekly basis.

458

00:57:27.420 –> 00:57:37.290

Robert Kraft: can’t remember the law exactly but but either way it it killed our business, we had over $4 million a year of revenue was attributed to that and probably.

459

00:57:39.360 –> 00:57:47.160

Robert Kraft: A big portion you know of our of our profits with side to it and huge capital expenditure investments, because cigna needed us to have.

460

00:57:48.270 –> 00:57:52.950

Robert Kraft: You know facilities here, there and you have to ever done and see because insurance and.

461

00:57:53.010 –> 00:58:03.210

Robert Kraft: You know hipaa we’re working in the hipaa world and PGI so then that goes and we’re already you know it’s already in the printing industry, she already have that that were pressure was announced.

462

00:58:04.140 –> 00:58:12.180

Robert Kraft: You know you’re getting out there, and you already have thin margins, as it is and you’re fighting and clawing and scratching every.

463

00:58:12.840 –> 00:58:18.480

Robert Kraft: rfp ends up going to bid it, you know you think you have a relationship with the customer and they.

464

00:58:19.320 –> 00:58:25.530

Robert Kraft: invest in them and then all of a sudden, they go well you know our Donnelly, give us a deal and they’re going to save us.

465

00:58:25.980 –> 00:58:32.280

Robert Kraft: You know 10% over your deal and you’re like well we’re already to the bone we have no margin in this I don’t know how we can compete.

466

00:58:33.060 –> 00:58:49.770

Robert Kraft: So so just kind of you know, got a new game just cut lower lower and and we’re careful how we would or would not you know getting into that game because we’re not you know, but then you lose certain revenue and you can’t feel you know so just kind of a combination of things.

467

00:58:49.800 –> 00:58:58.770

Robert Kraft: yeah became like murphy’s law anything that could happen would because because it’s a it was an industry, quite frankly, that was getting zero talent.

468

00:58:59.400 –> 00:59:10.410

Robert Kraft: You know, to recruit imagine trying to recruit a new College graduate to come and work in a printing company or even if you call it a marketing company you walk out on the.

469

00:59:10.770 –> 00:59:12.210

Mike Malatesta: floor and you see the presence.

470

00:59:12.690 –> 00:59:14.340

Robert Kraft: Right they’re gonna look at you and go.

471

00:59:15.570 –> 00:59:18.420

Robert Kraft: This is stupid, we started this in college we studied these yeah.

472

00:59:18.690 –> 00:59:20.430

Mike Malatesta: that’d be like why, why do you have these.

473

00:59:20.610 –> 00:59:29.880

Robert Kraft: yeah yeah yeah what is that a fax machine is that a giant fax machine all then i’ve heard about these six know this is a printing press son, you know so.

474

00:59:30.870 –> 00:59:38.850

Robert Kraft: You know so it’s just kind of one of those things so we’re you’re already kind of you know, there were certainly some very talented people in the industry, but it was interesting because the.

475

00:59:39.420 –> 00:59:45.480

Robert Kraft: It was like the baby boomers in the industry they’re going to stay in the industry they’re not leaving but to get gen X and gen y.

476

00:59:46.260 –> 00:59:57.120

Robert Kraft: or excuse me gen Z convinced to come into the industry if they weren’t in the best sales people go into pharmaceutical sales or MED device sales are going into investment banking.

477

00:59:57.390 –> 01:00:04.680

Robert Kraft: yeah good and the 80s, when you know, like you know the stories that I would hear of yesteryear, you know the industry.

478

01:00:05.670 –> 01:00:12.690

Robert Kraft: They were the pharmaceutical industry sales people that are going into print sales, I mean that was that was a big deal, there were huge margins back then.

479

01:00:13.320 –> 01:00:25.050

Robert Kraft: And then the industry just just collapsed in you know inside of itself, so the combination of all those events, and you, and then you try to go out and seek financing nobody wants to capitalize a print industry, yes, he just.

480

01:00:25.740 –> 01:00:34.740

Robert Kraft: He turned in and then so when we get to the point where you know, the only option was to to liquidate it, you know it was really interesting because you.

481

01:00:35.580 –> 01:00:47.880

Robert Kraft: You learn quickly, I guess, I learned, you know I guess it’s like quarterback so here I just sent a tough Day yesterday, and you know, like he probably to me get more credit for when things go well, and then more blame for one things.

482

01:00:48.240 –> 01:00:48.540

Robert Kraft: You know.

483

01:00:48.750 –> 01:01:01.680

Robert Kraft: For me, it was kind of one of those things where it was just like you know, everybody stepped back, and it was like they don’t know you and you know so everybody, you know you it becomes a very lonely island.

484

01:01:02.550 –> 01:01:11.820

Robert Kraft: And you know, and you kind of work through it and you determine what kind of resolve, you have and, but it was also the greatest gift too, because it allowed me to say.

485

01:01:12.360 –> 01:01:19.620

Robert Kraft: Who really cares about me right and i’m not that person that I don’t keep score like that and do that.

486

01:01:20.310 –> 01:01:30.900

Robert Kraft: But the, the reason I asked that question earlier views as far as once you sold your business and you find out the people that need help, but they really don’t but they just want you to make their problems go away because you had.

487

01:01:31.320 –> 01:01:42.450

Robert Kraft: Because oh Mike, you have the money now to do it, so therefore you should do it like wait hold on what why that seems like entitlement to me but i’m not sure that definition, let me check on that.

488

01:01:43.860 –> 01:01:49.590

Robert Kraft: But, so the same thing is almost like the inverse it was like what I learned was the people that weren’t there.

489

01:01:49.980 –> 01:01:59.520

Robert Kraft: There were always they’re asking me to help and invest in you know support their charities and I always did and I always did it with asking for that Thank you or anything.

490

01:02:00.030 –> 01:02:14.730

Robert Kraft: Somebody needed something for me it’s like absolutely i’m there, what do you need happy to help happy to help, yes, I did deals on personal guarantees and I did deals on handshakes and I took care of people and always did, and then, when things fell apart.

491

01:02:15.840 –> 01:02:25.380

Robert Kraft: You know, there was nobody there to reach out and give me a hand to help me up there were a couple people, but of the general public, you know the general.

492

01:02:26.220 –> 01:02:32.760

Robert Kraft: And it was great it was very refreshing actually once I got to that point where I looked and I was able to be introspective about it.

493

01:02:33.390 –> 01:02:39.630

Robert Kraft: I was like yeah you know what things are going to happen with the best thing is to see who is there and.

494

01:02:40.140 –> 01:02:54.690

Robert Kraft: You know who really cares and who steps back and points the finger and goes Oh, it was all his fault, nobody had anything to do with affiliate business in a fail in a dying industry just just that one guy he’s the only reason, otherwise we would have had the greatest business ever like.

495

01:02:54.780 –> 01:02:56.130

Robert Kraft: Right know which.

496

01:02:57.030 –> 01:03:04.770

Robert Kraft: He was very freeing that when I got to that point, and you know it was tough to get to that point, because you really are like what did I do what would I do differently.

497

01:03:05.160 –> 01:03:13.590

Robert Kraft: And the truth is what would I do differently would probably be I just want to get into the industry because it was an awful industry, it is I hate to say it, so people in consumer packaging.

498

01:03:14.160 –> 01:03:25.830

Robert Kraft: that’s a good place, but if you’re in you know just straight printing for direct marketing, you know people don’t need flyers at meetings anymore, and if they survive even printing you know.

499

01:03:26.250 –> 01:03:37.770

Robert Kraft: During the pandemic, I mean, who was last time somebody said hey we’re 10,000 folders for my business, so my sales REPS can go out and leave these things behind you are you you, you have a meeting.

500

01:03:38.430 –> 01:03:46.920

Robert Kraft: Somebody says yeah just shoot me a PDF and i’ll check i’ll look at it, when i’m you know, on the road or up at our cottage or you know, whatever and.

501

01:03:47.820 –> 01:03:54.120

Robert Kraft: i’ll put it up in the cloud and check it out and then we’ll talk about doing business whatever I mean everything is so digital so fluid now.

502

01:03:55.080 –> 01:04:03.000

Robert Kraft: You know, but I even I didn’t think it was going to be that fast, you know i’m an exit because i’ll admit we even when I was in.

503

01:04:03.450 –> 01:04:14.340

Robert Kraft: You know, Friday oh eight or 910 when the great recession and I was like I don’t even know i’m in this industry, I don’t even I didn’t even love the I love direct marketing I love the psychology of business.

504

01:04:14.790 –> 01:04:20.700

Robert Kraft: But the printing thing i’d go to the print shows and people just wanted to talk about lines per inch and and you said guys.

505

01:04:21.510 –> 01:04:32.760

Robert Kraft: I know all that stuff but that doesn’t matter you know what matters is what results are you getting on behalf of your clients like yeah I can send I can create the ugliest marketing piece, but if it works.

506

01:04:33.300 –> 01:04:39.060

Robert Kraft: it’s in black and white, then it’s a winner right, you know it’s about return on investment not.

507

01:04:40.410 –> 01:04:44.700

Robert Kraft: You know how it looks or you know it’s not about the dirty side, if you will, of.

508

01:04:45.300 –> 01:04:55.650

Robert Kraft: The industry, so you know being now in complete software and APP build an APP development in the sports betting world it’s like the most freeing thing ever, because this is really the position.

509

01:04:56.220 –> 01:05:06.270

Robert Kraft: The journey to where I am now is actually where you know if I could have written the perfect scenario this result is where I would want to be in a perfect scenario.

510

01:05:06.810 –> 01:05:15.540

Robert Kraft: I would have no idea how to map out how the hell, I would get here from you know if I was 2000 and graduating college, so the road that I took to get here.

511

01:05:17.190 –> 01:05:22.710

Robert Kraft: Nobody could have predicted it but to get here That to me is what is like the thing that really is like.

512

01:05:23.400 –> 01:05:29.910

Robert Kraft: kind of the mind blowing deal for me to be where I am today it’s like holy shit I never could have map this out.

513

01:05:30.600 –> 01:05:43.530

Robert Kraft: But I couldn’t be more excited for where we are in this industry and the opportunity we have and what we’re building because we’re building something that nobody has in the marketplace and it’s gonna blow everybody away.

514

01:05:44.100 –> 01:05:58.500

Mike Malatesta: That is another great lesson that you just shared there too for entrepreneurs and others, you know you if you if you think you can’t get started until you have the absolute and you’re sure exactly how you’re going to get to the end you have in mind, you are never going to start.

515

01:05:58.560 –> 01:05:59.490

Robert Kraft: Because it’s right.

516

01:05:59.790 –> 01:06:08.730

Mike Malatesta: Because you can’t possibly imagine it until you start on the journey and you start to see all this stuff going on coming at me right, oh I didn’t who knew that but Oh, I met this person or what.

517

01:06:09.990 –> 01:06:17.820

Mike Malatesta: That that that you can always keep the end in mind, but how you’re going to get there is something you just got to take a first step, you just got to get started.

518

01:06:18.360 –> 01:06:26.760

Mike Malatesta: And you just got to experience stuff and that elysia ultimately if you keep you keep at it that’s going to teach you the lessons, you need to get to the end.

519

01:06:28.290 –> 01:06:28.680

Mike Malatesta: So.

520

01:06:31.410 –> 01:06:47.970

Mike Malatesta: I described in this I got this from you this kayak mixed with expedia thing about you know for atlas world sports, what is it exactly so people know what it what it is what they should you mentioned the APP what’s it, what is it why.

521

01:06:48.240 –> 01:06:50.370

Mike Malatesta: Why should they get the APP and then, what do they do.

522

01:06:50.760 –> 01:07:05.430

Robert Kraft: yeah no great question so in May of 2018 the Supreme Court overturned a bill, a law that was in place from Senator bill Bradley that was in place since 1992.

523

01:07:05.760 –> 01:07:07.890

Mike Malatesta: National athlete, by the way, ironically.

524

01:07:08.220 –> 01:07:19.890

Robert Kraft: yeah yeah I know I always thought that was weird to that, but bill Bradley was the guy of all people, but hey money does funny things to people and i’m sure he had some very star lobbyists out of Las Vegas supporting them or something.

525

01:07:19.920 –> 01:07:27.120

Robert Kraft: yeah so they overturn that and basically it said you can’t have sports betting outside of Nevada effectively.

526

01:07:28.140 –> 01:07:37.440

Robert Kraft: I mean there there, there are some outlier cases to them, but but in general that’s it, so we have 2018 that could slept.

527

01:07:38.160 –> 01:07:42.810

Robert Kraft: And they said, everything is good and then from there, you know any state.

528

01:07:43.260 –> 01:07:55.350

Robert Kraft: can regulate and create an online sports betting scenario or brick and mortar so it’s all free legal for States to choose and let’s get it above board and tax it, it is.

529

01:07:56.070 –> 01:08:14.640

Robert Kraft: When that law is getting overturned in it was estimated by the American gaming association, it was $150 billion industry that was underground so much like cannabis cannabis kind of soften the beach up for for our industry but cannabis is still kind of federally.

530

01:08:14.820 –> 01:08:16.560

Mike Malatesta: Illegal right yeah yeah.

531

01:08:17.550 –> 01:08:23.760

Robert Kraft: yeah so it’s weird so so you have all these people are businesses that are operating legally you say in Colorado.

532

01:08:24.450 –> 01:08:34.650

Robert Kraft: But they can’t put their money in a bank account, or you can’t use a credit card to buy it, because that would be against you know banking laws and interstate commerce, etc.

533

01:08:35.550 –> 01:08:48.450

Robert Kraft: So we think that the Supreme Court certainly saw that as becoming a huge issue because people were betting illegal either through Costa Rican online sports books or you know say fat Tony pizza down the street.

534

01:08:48.540 –> 01:08:58.860

Robert Kraft: And do it, and he just said, this is get out of control, and now that crypto is in, and you can have a digitization of money moving around, and it was like you know what let’s let’s.

535

01:08:59.520 –> 01:09:05.160

Robert Kraft: let’s legalize this thing get an above board of tax it let’s regulate it, and try to create at least.

536

01:09:05.970 –> 01:09:18.480

Robert Kraft: A fair environment for this to occur and it’s very bipartisan and that’s what I love about and also democrats are in support of it, the Republicans are because, ultimately, it was going on, no matter what that was the thing they couldn’t.

537

01:09:18.510 –> 01:09:19.470

Mike Malatesta: And everybody knew it.

538

01:09:19.860 –> 01:09:22.710

Robert Kraft: And everybody knew it was just kind of like turning a blind eye to it.

539

01:09:22.860 –> 01:09:24.660

Mike Malatesta: And they were probably all doing it themselves.

540

01:09:24.870 –> 01:09:25.980

yeah I was in Congress.

541

01:09:27.270 –> 01:09:29.100

Robert Kraft: I won’t say if I know that or not.

542

01:09:29.160 –> 01:09:29.370

But.

543

01:09:30.450 –> 01:09:31.710

Mike Malatesta: I saw ugly so that’s.

544

01:09:31.920 –> 01:09:34.020

Robert Kraft: Exactly exactly it’s legendary right.

545

01:09:34.320 –> 01:09:41.940

Robert Kraft: But so so you know something that goes in it, it makes total sense because it’s tax money for the roads tax money for the schools and.

546

01:09:42.570 –> 01:09:52.950

Robert Kraft: You know another programs, have you could do addiction programs through and and other things, not just in not just for sports betting are betting, in general, you could do it addiction programs for drugs and alcohol and.

547

01:09:53.580 –> 01:10:07.830

Robert Kraft: Other things so I mean it’s just it’s it’s been a great thing so so I saw that it was time to go, and so we saw it as look we’re not going to compete with the sports books there’s fandel there’s draft kings MGM Caesars bet rivers, etc.

548

01:10:08.910 –> 01:10:16.230

Robert Kraft: I said who’s gonna who’s going to really be the marketing engine to bring this information of the sports books to any user.

549

01:10:17.250 –> 01:10:28.590

Robert Kraft: So rather than you know the same way, you get out and pick your flights, when you go to expedia or kayak or whatever else, rather than just doing it for only your flights and your travel and hotels.

550

01:10:29.460 –> 01:10:32.970

Robert Kraft: What if there was one specifically just for sports and sports books.

551

01:10:33.750 –> 01:10:42.780

Robert Kraft: And then, of course, our foundation of it is just making sure we’re going to be the best sports APP we’re going to give you all the scores we’re going to allow you to track your your favorite players your teams.

552

01:10:43.260 –> 01:10:47.610

Robert Kraft: we’re going to give you the ap stories as well, and then, as the pyramid builds up.

553

01:10:47.970 –> 01:10:54.300

Robert Kraft: That we’re going to have that layer where we’re giving you the integration to all the sports books and then above that are 3.0 which will be launched.

554

01:10:54.720 –> 01:11:02.370

Robert Kraft: In the first quarter of 22 we actually have machine learning where we’re going to tell you who’s going to win every game we’re going to play every game 10,000 times with our algorithm.

555

01:11:02.790 –> 01:11:04.440

Robert Kraft: So it’s all machine learning based.

556

01:11:04.890 –> 01:11:16.590

Robert Kraft: And, and then our 4.0 we’re going to have you know, give the ability for all the users to then have personalized highlight reels for either their fantasy players or their teams and we’re going to compile all that repress it.

557

01:11:16.980 –> 01:11:24.330

Robert Kraft: and deliver it to them, and we have all kinds of other things we have other you know in updates coming through will have.

558

01:11:24.330 –> 01:11:26.370

Robert Kraft: Social chat functionality, where people doing.

559

01:11:26.820 –> 01:11:34.860

Robert Kraft: That have just their buddies tags so, then they can just do a chat within our APP about games so rather than having to leave and texted or.

560

01:11:35.250 –> 01:11:42.000

Robert Kraft: You know, push it through some other social media will allow people to integrate you know, an interface each other within our our APP.

561

01:11:42.780 –> 01:11:57.990

Robert Kraft: So that’s kind of I mean our roadmap, all the way through next summer call it q2 of 22 we have our 4.0 already mapped out a version 4.0 and two point O will come out just next month from now.

562

01:11:58.440 –> 01:12:07.620

Mike Malatesta: And so the the revenue model, then, is the sports book you drive traffic to the sports book and then there’s a fee for that.

563

01:12:07.650 –> 01:12:09.180

Mike Malatesta: That the okay back to you okay.

564

01:12:09.210 –> 01:12:20.520

Robert Kraft: that’s right we have we have for revenue miles three that were really, really working after So the first would certainly be we get affiliate revenue or an affiliate marketing engine.

565

01:12:21.390 –> 01:12:34.320

Robert Kraft: So, based on licensing and every bet that goes through, where they’re able to get it just a fraction and all it is, is just a little feed for just driving that traffic, but, as you know that those fees add up.

566

01:12:34.380 –> 01:12:34.800

Mike Malatesta: So yeah.

567

01:12:34.890 –> 01:12:35.820

Robert Kraft: Of course, the time.

568

01:12:37.080 –> 01:12:43.200

Robert Kraft: Talk about scalable but but yeah it’s a fixed percentage from the sports books that we get are actually from the handle.

569

01:12:43.710 –> 01:12:52.890

Robert Kraft: And, along with that, we also get referral fees so anybody who doesn’t have a sports book account with Caesars and we drive you to Caesars and you open an account.

570

01:12:53.700 –> 01:13:00.600

Robert Kraft: We get we have pretty good fees for that, too, and then, so the second revenue model, then, is a subscription base.

571

01:13:01.140 –> 01:13:13.920

Robert Kraft: And we’re going to do your classic bronze silver gold and Mike $5 $10 $20 a month and instead of calling a bronze silver and gold, though we’re going to call it rookie veteran all fame can have a little.

572

01:13:14.340 –> 01:13:18.660

Robert Kraft: fun with it, but at the highest level they’re going to get access to.

573

01:13:19.080 –> 01:13:34.530

Robert Kraft: The best sports bet pickers or sharps if you will still get access to the best ones for free once they’ve already paid into the subscription because we’re going to buy the those guys in bulk basically and then deliver that to the masses.

574

01:13:34.980 –> 01:13:37.890

Mike Malatesta: And then you said you said earlier you’d have a loyalty.

575

01:13:38.400 –> 01:13:39.990

Robert Kraft: component to this yeah yeah and.

576

01:13:40.320 –> 01:13:53.430

Robert Kraft: I and all those things we already have a deal done with American express so I can announce that publicly, so we have the ability, then when people sign up for subscriptions to actually give them a gift cards back i’m the American express.

577

01:13:53.550 –> 01:14:05.220

Robert Kraft: um yeah yeah which and we get that at a fraction because of our deal, you know just a great deal because American express and our partnerships, we can we can use their logo, however, we want, though, and.

578

01:14:06.150 –> 01:14:15.630

Robert Kraft: You know, we have some other big brands we’re in we’re in talks with as well from a national standpoint, and then the Third, the third revenue stream would would be in APP purchases, you know.

579

01:14:16.050 –> 01:14:22.830

Robert Kraft: box win the championship you get all of a sudden at fanatic send something through us where you want to buy Yiannis Jersey, or a.

580

01:14:23.250 –> 01:14:28.920

Robert Kraft: championship T shirt or whatever we would certainly get you know 10% 20% back on that.

581

01:14:29.700 –> 01:14:34.590

Robert Kraft: Depending on how we drive the sale and then the final the fourth revenue line is advertising, but we’re gonna.

582

01:14:35.010 –> 01:14:50.490

Robert Kraft: we’re gonna do everything we can to hold that off as long as possible, in fact, if we can always prevent it, we will because, personally I as a user of Apps and loving sports Apps everything I don’t really want to see advertisements pop up in the middle of what i’m.

583

01:14:50.880 –> 01:14:55.410

Robert Kraft: Trying to yeah sure book and gave information or whatever, but those four lines, though, from a revenue standpoint.

584

01:14:55.770 –> 01:15:01.710

Mike Malatesta: And how this is my last question, I think, how does the the when you get the machine learning going and you’re doing you’re basically.

585

01:15:02.910 –> 01:15:12.000

Mike Malatesta: You know, guaranteeing you’re picking the winner what happens there that’s i’m thinking about those old school things where you had to like pay with your credit card and call and listen to a.

586

01:15:13.170 –> 01:15:17.310

Mike Malatesta: You know, an ad voicemail where the guy would tell you the PICs of the week, or something like.

587

01:15:17.310 –> 01:15:17.490

That.

588

01:15:18.780 –> 01:15:19.260

Robert Kraft: yeah.

589

01:15:19.740 –> 01:15:26.190

Robert Kraft: Well kind of so but really what we’ll do we’ll just give them that information because we don’t take the PICs so.

590

01:15:26.250 –> 01:15:36.000

Robert Kraft: yeah that’s the thing, so we you know you you’ll see the lines you’ll see the draft kings line you’ll see the fan duel line and will, and we might say that that that line that.

591

01:15:36.510 –> 01:15:40.890

Robert Kraft: MGM is giving you know packers play the lines next week Monday night.

592

01:15:41.520 –> 01:15:48.390

Robert Kraft: So I don’t know what the opening line is but maybe that’s the one where the packers are given the least amount of points and then our model says.

593

01:15:48.840 –> 01:16:03.480

Robert Kraft: To take the packers given the points because our model says it’s going to 65% confidence rating that the packers will cover that spread, and so we say that and do that and then that’s it and it takes you right into MGM and you place your bet with MGM.

594

01:16:04.020 –> 01:16:06.780

Robert Kraft: So we’re not getting into fintech we’re staying outside of that.

595

01:16:07.320 –> 01:16:13.170

Robert Kraft: we’re just we’re just driving traffic really you know getting the accelerating the clicks in the activity.

596

01:16:13.650 –> 01:16:20.730

Robert Kraft: And will be communicating with people on a regular basis, because the truth is we’re agnostic dollar sports books in those guys all like us.

597

01:16:21.300 –> 01:16:26.550

Robert Kraft: Because we’re going to drive you to Caesars one day the next day will drive you to MGM.

598

01:16:27.060 –> 01:16:32.610

Robert Kraft: Caesars understands that I mean there will be loyalty within those components that somebody will say well.

599

01:16:32.910 –> 01:16:38.760

Robert Kraft: All else being equal, i’m going to make my bed the Caesars because i’m going to get some loyalty points with them and eventually i’ll have a trip out to.

600

01:16:39.300 –> 01:16:51.840

Robert Kraft: Las Vegas on Caesars but outside of those folks you know the Caesars and MGM they know as long as we’re kind of keeping people just thinking about them on a regular basis, you know it’s like.

601

01:16:52.770 –> 01:17:00.030

Robert Kraft: You know, think about beer, I mean you know the micro brews and that huge moving to get your IPA as well.

602

01:17:00.510 –> 01:17:09.810

Robert Kraft: They almost rather you just think about ipas and checking out micro brews around the country rather than saying I hate micro brews only want cores lights or Miller lites or Bud lights and whatever.

603

01:17:10.350 –> 01:17:21.150

Robert Kraft: I think the guys that do the micro brews and the ipas all around they’d rather you be kind of in that culture, so that you’re when you’re in town in Denver or you’re in town Chicago or milwaukee you’re checking out.

604

01:17:21.810 –> 01:17:23.970

Robert Kraft: Maria trying out new ones.

605

01:17:24.300 –> 01:17:29.340

Robert Kraft: And I think that’s the way that’s the way the sports folks have talked to us about it, at least so at this point.

606

01:17:30.420 –> 01:17:37.800

Robert Kraft: They know that we’re just there to drive traffic to them so we’re going to be agnostic and you know the numbers are what they are the way they.

607

01:17:37.860 –> 01:17:44.550

Mike Malatesta: yeah so you’re big so you’re building a community of people who come to you come to atlas world sports.

608

01:17:45.150 –> 01:17:53.790

Mike Malatesta: Because they like the the Community they like the interaction they like the value the tips, all of this stuff and they like that they can come in through you, and then they can go where they want.

609

01:17:54.510 –> 01:17:57.480

Mike Malatesta: To make a BAT or whatever that’s right yeah cool.

610

01:17:57.720 –> 01:17:58.200

that’s right.

611

01:17:59.520 –> 01:18:04.110

Mike Malatesta: Alright, so what the so is the APP called Patmos world sports.

612

01:18:04.140 –> 01:18:21.600

Robert Kraft: yeah so the APP is atlas world sports three words, we are not pushing our marketing into the in the APP stores till probably November 1 so you actually have to type in the words correctly, otherwise it probably won’t populate because if you just type in.

613

01:18:21.990 –> 01:18:25.950

Robert Kraft: atlas and I just have like Rand McNally pop up for you or something like that.

614

01:18:26.520 –> 01:18:35.070

Robert Kraft: Whatever else but then in November that’s when we open up our marketing and we launched that because we want to get to our two point O, with all the sports sports integrated.

615

01:18:35.460 –> 01:18:48.720

Robert Kraft: So we’re using this right now, this period the six week period, if you will, to just test in wow friends and family downloading it so make sure every types of improperly and they’ll get an account, otherwise November will find you.

616

01:18:49.470 –> 01:18:52.350

Mike Malatesta: Alright, so you’re using the remarkable two point O method they’re.

617

01:18:52.980 –> 01:18:54.420

Robert Kraft: Like yeah exactly.

618

01:18:54.660 –> 01:18:59.970

Mike Malatesta: Bobby this has been so much fun catching up with you, congratulations on atlas world sports and thank you for taking us through.

619

01:19:00.360 –> 01:19:14.130

Mike Malatesta: So much of your journey, I know we didn’t cover all of your journey but so much of your journey there’s just a lot of stuff there for everyone to learn and appreciate about you and about all the experiences that you’ve had and your success as well, so thank you so much.

620

01:19:14.310 –> 01:19:26.130

Robert Kraft: Well, thank you so much Mike I appreciate it i’ve enjoyed your podcast first of all, but then also your true life experience and learning from your journey and success and I appreciate you being a friend and.

621

01:19:26.850 –> 01:19:31.710

Robert Kraft: always continue to follow your example along the way, so thanks for having me today really appreciate it.

622

01:19:33.420 –> 01:19:34.620

Mike Malatesta: And out.

623

01:19:35.730 –> 01:19:36.270

Mike Malatesta: Okay.

624

01:19:36.900 –> 01:19:40.920

Robert Kraft: All right, yeah sorry we went a little longer there than i’d asked for, but.

625

01:19:41.670 –> 01:19:42.570

Mike Malatesta: I was just gonna.

626

01:19:42.600 –> 01:19:45.270

Robert Kraft: I just yeah that’s great that’s great well, I hope that was.

627

01:19:45.300 –> 01:19:48.570

Mike Malatesta: Good good cause great that was awesome man you’re you’re really good at this.

628

01:19:48.720 –> 01:19:50.280

Robert Kraft: you’re the expert so.

629

01:19:50.880 –> 01:19:54.180

Mike Malatesta: Do you want to be on other shows, do you want me to introduce you to some people.

630

01:19:54.180 –> 01:19:55.620

Robert Kraft: yeah love to i’ve been on.

631

01:19:56.790 –> 01:20:07.590

Robert Kraft: I mean cuz yeah now we’re at the point where it’s kind of like just getting the story out, you know how that goes where it’s just like there’s anything any introductions or whatever and i’m always open to it my.

632

01:20:07.830 –> 01:20:10.320

Robert Kraft: job is to get this thing out there, you know yeah.

633

01:20:10.440 –> 01:20:16.620

Mike Malatesta: I hear you so um do you want to do a little say a little something about your experience on the show.

634

01:20:16.950 –> 01:20:17.820

Robert Kraft: The other be great.

635

01:20:18.150 –> 01:20:19.260

Mike Malatesta: Okay, so.

636

01:20:19.290 –> 01:20:21.900

Robert Kraft: only thing is, I have a call here in a couple minutes.

637

01:20:21.960 –> 01:20:23.370

Mike Malatesta: Okay, this is only going to take a minute.

638

01:20:23.580 –> 01:20:24.990

Robert Kraft: Perfect that’s great.

639

01:20:25.140 –> 01:20:25.500

So.

640

01:20:27.300 –> 01:20:28.530

Mike Malatesta: I want you to you know.

641

01:20:28.890 –> 01:20:42.600

Mike Malatesta: You can say anything you want, but I thought you might say something like hey i’m Bobby crafts, you know, founder of atlas sports i’ve i’ve enjoyed this experience to share my story on how to happen podcast with Mike and you know that’s on.

642

01:20:43.530 –> 01:20:46.290

Robert Kraft: what’s the formal name of the podcast again how it happened.

643

01:20:46.650 –> 01:20:47.040

Robert Kraft: How.

644

01:20:47.550 –> 01:20:53.220

Mike Malatesta: It happened yeah so yeah just countdown 321 and do what you want to do.

645

01:20:53.520 –> 01:20:54.630

Robert Kraft: awesome deal.

646

01:20:56.370 –> 01:20:57.660

Robert Kraft: right there was your countdown.

647

01:20:57.900 –> 01:21:00.600

Mike Malatesta: know you count it down so they know you’re you’re ready to go.

648

01:21:00.930 –> 01:21:13.110

Robert Kraft: Okay 321 hi this is Bobby crafts, with atlas world sports and I just said, an amazing time on how did it happen podcast with Mike Miller TESTA.

649

01:21:13.560 –> 01:21:26.070

Robert Kraft: And I appreciate all the time and always just having the opportunity to talk about our brand but probably more importantly, my story that got our brand to where it is and can’t wait for the future, thank you.

650

01:21:27.660 –> 01:21:33.210

Mike Malatesta: Perfect alright man, this has been great same Thank you so much i’ll let you know when it comes out and i’ll.

651

01:21:35.130 –> 01:21:45.060

Mike Malatesta: send you some stuff with some clips and on, and you know you’ll have something to work with there and i’ll i’ll think about some folks that that that might be good fit for you as well, to come on their podcast.

652

01:21:45.090 –> 01:21:53.190

Robert Kraft: yeah that’s awesome like thank you so much, and I look forward to catching up here just on a personal basis here in the near future as well.

653

01:21:53.550 –> 01:21:53.820

Robert Kraft: Okay.

654

01:21:53.940 –> 01:21:55.050

Mike Malatesta: So it is getting back to.

655

01:21:55.050 –> 01:21:55.980

Robert Kraft: Normal a little bit.

656

01:21:56.070 –> 01:21:57.420

Mike Malatesta: yeah yeah i’m ready.

657

01:21:59.430 –> 01:22:02.730

Robert Kraft: Alright man Thank you joy thanks so much appreciate it talk to you soon.

658

01:22:02.850 –> 01:22:03.810

Mike Malatesta: My pleasure good senior.

659

01:22:04.050 –> 01:22:04.830

Robert Kraft: You bet you too.

660

01:22:05.040 –> 01:22:05.370

bye bye.