Construction Engineer and Safety Expert Taha Khalil
Safety Consultant with Sheldon Primus
Construction Engineer and Safety Expert Taha Khalil
April 19, 2021
In this episode, Sheldon speaks with Construction Engineer and Safety Expert Taha Khalil. Accredited Consultant Engineer by the Saudi Council of Engineers SCE, with more than 25 years of broad experience in Management of Health Safety & Environment (HSE). Mr. Khalil is one of the KSA/GCC leading Safety Expert's for Multinationals, Midsize Businesses’. Is is also founder of Safety, Health, & Environmental Action Centre (SHEAC). SHEAC is one of Saudi Arabia's Leading provider of Safety Training & Consultancy Services. Established in 2006 in Jeddha KSA. Sheldon and Taha speak about his background and how he came into being a consultant. They also speak about the COVID-19 vaccine, work as a consultant, tips for new consultants and many more topics.
Keywords: 
The Safety, Health & Environment Action Centre, SHEAC, Saudi  Arabia, KSA, Saudi Aramco, Unilever, OSHA, EPA, Wastewater Treatment, Jupiter, Florida, State of Florida, United States, Republicans, Democrats, OSHA Compliance, Enforcement, Marketing, YouTube, Safety and Health, EHS, Safety Culture, safety consulting, client management, clients, Sheldon Primus, Taha Khalil, Saudi Council of Engineers SCE, Unilever, SABIC, Maaden, PepsiCo, Mars, Nestle, Friesland, Toyota, Al-Marai Group, Yansab, MDR, Sadafco, Lafarge, Cristal, Arabian Trading Supplies, MLS, Naghi Group, Jarir, Tetra Pak, National Water Company, Bridgestone, Al-Rajhi Steel, Saudi Arabian Glass Company, National Food Industry Company, Al-Nahdi Medical Company, Al-Nahdi Transportation, Jotun Saudi Arabia, Saudi Snack Foods , Safety Trainer, Safety Consultant, Safety Speaker, Motivational Speaker 

[00:00:00] spk_1: This episode is powered by Safety FM. Welcome to the safety consultant podcast. Down in your heart, shoulders Promise, this is the show where I teach you the business of being a safety consultant and I switch it up when you deny. This time I actually did not play my normal Bruce lee, which is actually a song that I wrote. This is a song that I wrote. Now actually I wrote this one about a year ago, so I decided I've got so many songs that I've done and producing. Let's go ahead and throw one in for my guest today and this is going to be construction engineer to kill you. Taha or TK TK was very, very gracious to be on the show today. We did this interview a couple weeks back and I got to know him. He is an accredited consultant engineer by the Saudi Council of Engineers and he has more than 25 years in management of safety and health. So he is actually one of the people in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who does what I do. So we had a wonderful time talking about safety consulting and everything that goes with it and truly you're gonna just love this episode the way that we mixed everything up. It was a fun, fun, fun episode for me to do and I want to thank TK for taking the time. We had to kind of work around a little bit with our scheduling and everything else, which is you know par for the course, but truly had a good conversation with him. He told me a little bit about starting in the field. I told them my, my theory on engineers luce is kind of funny. I always call them a quirky bunch. Then also uh we talked a little bit about safety and health in general and how it benefits an organization. Uh we went even more about as a safety professional that is a consultant. Here are some of the things are tips for you or things to remember even how he gets his clients and keeps his clientele up and truly. Uh the company that T. King has, she would have to you have to go ahead and look it up. But his company is safety and health environmental action center. She Jack and she actually has been working in the Saudi Arabia area for quite some time. You she's talking about clients. He's got an amazing amount of clients on his list as well as uh companies that he's worked with for training and consulting. So it's pretty cool. You have to go to S. H. E. A. C. Slash S. A. Dot com. So that's S. H. E A C. Slash or hyphen S. A. Dot com. So we'll use a little hyphen one instead of slash because that could mean backslash. So hyphen is what I mean in there. So that is S. H E A C. Hyphen S A dot com and that's where you're gonna find T. K. S. Website and be able to get ahold of him as well. And it has just been my honor to have talked to T. K. And got a good understanding about his business and got to meet him and it was wonderful. So without any further ado enjoy the episode, I'll see you right after.

[00:03:46] spk_0: Yeah. Um first of all, thank you very much Sheldon for having me here. I mean, I really appreciate, you know, this opportunity to be, you know, among uh a veteran uh consultant like you uh my name is a consultant engineer to Khalil and people, you know, in short, they call me TK um Ceo of a company called Shack Safety consultancy in Saudi Arabia. Very simply, we help companies who wants to improve their safety systems, uh and the standards by, you know, giving them all the tools they need. So we help companies who are struggling to keep their employee engaged or uh their stuff uh not fully, you know, uh in the in the web length by by training them by providing them the tools um to engage their their employees at the same time. You know, uh complying me their their legal compliance, the legal compliance in Saudi Arabia and the in the recent years are, you know, devolving and evolving. So, you know, there's so many companies coming for that. Um uh but by that, you know, we use so many kinds of tools. We do trainings, we do consultancy, uh things like Eyes of 45,001, all those kind of stuff for 18,001. Uh We do auditing, we do stuff things training, we do uh you know, we try to implement the latest safety standards by that, you know, we help them to uh to have number one a safe employees, uh and uh of course helping them also increase uh their profitability and decrease, you know, the losses due to accidents.

[00:05:38] spk_1: Yeah, absolutely. So

[00:05:40] spk_0: uh this is in a in a nutshell about she acts safety consultancy. We've been doing a business since 2007, so I don't know how many years now is it? Uh almost yeah, almost 15 years and more. Yeah, but I've been in this field since I graduated from university uh as a safety professional practitioner for more than 25 years now.

[00:06:08] spk_1: Yeah. Yeah. Can you tell us how you got into that and how did you, how do you get into becoming into safety?

[00:06:16] spk_0: How do I get to safety? Yeah, well I graduated basically as a mechanical engineer and uh and my first job was in one of the uh Aramco subsidiaries in mobile joint venture between mobile and ankle here as a safety inspector, safety inspector mechanical inspection. So that was my first job, my first exposure to safety and uh then I joined Unilever uh as one of the multinational companies worldwide, uh as an engineer, as a mechanical engineer. And that was my another exposure with safety. And I found it very good because you know something uh clicked with me and I like it and because there is a people uh aspect, there is engineering aspects, so many you know, aspects there and I was maybe lucky because you know, um I when I started I started while they were building so many of the factories here. And so it was an experience. Yeah. Uh, to be, uh, you know, uh, you know, when you see something created, you know, uh, from the desert that you can, you can see a factory not going on. And you've been involved in engineering, uh, side and safety sides with contractors with workers with employees. So that was the trigger. And, uh, well, I, you know, I, uh, then it started by my journey.

[00:07:51] spk_1: Yeah.

[00:07:52] spk_0: Uh, this is it. I mean, simply, and since then I've been doing safety.

[00:07:57] spk_1: Yeah, no, I was looking at all your videos, you were with Youtube early, uh, doing safety videos.

[00:08:04] spk_0: Uh, well, let very early. I mean, maybe two or three years back, um, uh, crime, you know, for, for, for me, safety is not only just a job. Yeah. It's a mission in life. Uh, it's something that I love, Something that I have a passion for. Yeah. And so I tried to preach that, you know, uh the safety systems or the safety knowledge of the safety practice was not so developed like, you know, in the states or in the european countries. So I tried to be the preacher of that uh the safety in in my country and I found probably, you know, the easier way could be, you know, the social media. So I joined the social media, you know, probably what it was in the beginning facebook. Yes. Uh and then developed a little bit to become, you know, uh WhatsApp and then youtube, you know, so it's gradually uh linkedin so gradually, you know, trying to be with the audience wherever they are and trying to send very simple message. Uh you know, that's the challenge you know, we have with techies. Yeah. We take is always, you know, love to show our muscle in in the technicality. Uh, but I try to talk to the, to the layman and I try to make the message is very simple. So it can reach as much as uh, as many people as we, you know, we have. Um, so I mean, it's just, it's not only a work, it's more of a mission, it's more of a passion. It's something I love to do. Yeah, I love to more, yeah, I I really love to do uh, uh, diet contacts with the people there. Yeah. Going to the company's, going to the people. But uh, since the coffin, you know, we're trying, you know, there is some limitations. So, you know, the online in the virtual uh, platforms was one of the alternative. Um, so far it's going on. So

[00:10:36] spk_1: hopefully. Yeah. But

[00:10:38] spk_0: yeah, but there's nothing like uh honestly Sheldon like being face to face

[00:10:45] spk_1: with

[00:10:47] spk_0: the people and talking to them and you know, they're the magic starts.

[00:10:52] spk_1: Yeah, absolutely. There's a given play and you really could feel the energy in the room at times. And

[00:10:58] spk_0: it's all about the energy. Yeah. You said correct to it, It's all about the energy. I try always to keep the energy high, you

[00:11:08] spk_1: know, and

[00:11:10] spk_0: well, but uh so far it's going on.

[00:11:14] spk_1: Yeah, I listened to your story and uh when my old field, I used to work for the state of florida, Special district of the state of florida that would deal with water, wastewater treatment is what it was. And from time to time, I'd always come in contact with engineers and I've always found the engineers to be a quirky bunch. Yeah, yeah, because they love absolutes. They like to deal with absolutes. Normally they deal with uh they like to to work their formulas and do the checks and double checks and, and truly the, it's such a logical field that sometimes they don't, they don't seem to come off or should say when you, when you meet them, it seems like they're almost stand offish. It's the way I would say with engineers they didn't have, and this is general, obviously not every engineer, but they didn't really have the, the people skills, but when I see engineers that have that, and I see the people skills and the engineering together. Any time I've seen that in my career, I've always seen that person as being like magical. It's like you've got the best of both worlds. You understand people they like you and you understand technical stuff and it's, it's amazing. So I've seen that with you,

[00:12:39] spk_0: correct Sheldon. That's that's correct. I mean, the majority of the technical people, they like that kind of uh the people skills and this is very important. You have to be, you know, uh, you know, open to the people, talk to the people because at the end we are managing people, you know, we're talking to people. It's not only those uh they are not machines, you're talking to emotions, you're talking to rationals, you know? And believe me, that's the most difficult thing. Changing the mindset. Yeah, Yeah. The same thing, you know, it goes with you. I mean, like ones, I've seen so many of your videos and I can feel the click, I can feel that, you know, your magic is there?

[00:13:20] spk_1: Yeah, very

[00:13:21] spk_0: interesting. You know, when you start with the water treatment plant, you have everything there, you know, everything is there?

[00:13:26] spk_1: Yeah. Yes, I like that because surely the my experience came because of like you're saying everything's there, you can see it all and you're doing construction, you're doing general industry, you're doing lab work, you're doing so many different things and it kind of reminds me of all

[00:13:43] spk_0: types of hazards. You have all types of people.

[00:13:46] spk_1: Yeah and it reminds me of oil and gas to they've got the same kind of uh of a bunch of different things that they're doing at the same time uh depends on extraction and refinery, but they're still doing, you know, a whole bunch of things at once and it really kind of uh uh that in itself has a nice little feel to it. And then if you go at this right, you are also going to be learning, it's such experiences that you could take and become a consultant like what you did uh

[00:14:16] spk_0: and I think you have also something very unique your experience because you have the the you have the environmental aspects and you have the safety aspect. Yeah, so both together and they work together, they click together there, you know, it goes together. Yeah. Nowadays all those systems are integrated, you know, safety environment mostly going together. Um so when you work on those kind you know uh water treatment and water industry you get to do both. Yeah,

[00:14:46] spk_1: I

[00:14:47] spk_0: was I was there last year I was doing a two weeks risk assessment workshop in Jeddah and Riyadh in some of the mega projects of water treatment plants and a bunch of engineers. So I could see you know the difficulties and the challenge that having yes. Um yeah, but it's very important industry and people underestimate about you know the importance of that. Yeah.

[00:15:19] spk_1: Yeah. Uh I had a thought that just came and uh for for your business when you decided to to go ahead and go full time, how did you attract your first set of clients?

[00:15:32] spk_0: I'll tell you the story. I mean, I was working in Dubai between 2000 Uhh three in 2006 and at that time I was doing my MBA Yeah. Uh and I was going and coming to UK, going, coming to UK and I thought, you know, maybe there's an opportunity there. Yeah. And I I didn't want to work anymore uh as an employee. Yeah. And uh, well I said, well, I have some money that can, you know, I have all the basic things in life, you know, at that time. So why don't you and I try to do my passion both for something that I love to do. Yeah enough doing things for others. So let me do something that I love maybe helping more people because if I would just continue working for the corporate, I will just be you know, helping one company. So I thought maybe at that time why not try? Uh it was a green field at that time. Yeah why not? You know trying to go the extra mile and try to be more with more people and it worked. Uh there was a challenge for sure. I mean it's not that easy to start because you know as a start up business. Uh there's no payroll at the end of the day,

[00:17:00] spk_1: you are the payroll bear

[00:17:04] spk_0: on. Uh But uh well

[00:17:09] spk_1: I don't know, I mean

[00:17:10] spk_0: time policy, you know by the way shall in. No, it's it's been I mean so many of my I encourage people to go for if they can't do it. I mean why not? But I always encourage them to start, you know gradually. Maybe they kind of start in part of it. Uh not to do like my my you know, I just jumped into the air.

[00:17:30] spk_1: No parachute,

[00:17:33] spk_0: more parachute. But uh I have some savings that you know could could take me for a year or whatever. So I tried it and well here I am two years. I cannot imagine going back to the corporate. Yeah anymore.

[00:17:49] spk_1: Yeah. I tell people all the time I'm unemployable. Well

[00:17:54] spk_0: that's it

[00:17:55] spk_1: unemployed. I'm unemployed. Yeah. Just because I like it because for me uh the ebb and flow of your day is generally you could start any time unless you had, you know certain projects that you need to adjust. But uh there's some days where you could start your day at any time and you could you could work your way into doing things as opposed to having pressure from the time you you you come onto site or you clock in. If you do that to the time you clock out, you actually could you can maximize when your your body tells you I could do more now or I need a break now. So basically if your body is telling you I could do more now. You can get more production even though it's in, you know, a short spurt. But then when your body says I need a break, you know, you could take that break. That's that's part of

[00:18:47] spk_0: the advantages

[00:18:48] spk_1: that we have. Um

[00:18:50] spk_0: for sure. I mean, I mean, you're on your time. Uh but there's other things, you know, we work more, we do more hours, you know, than yeah, we work more more hours. I mean I work on average I work 12 hours per day. That's not good. But time passes and I love doing, you know what I'm doing? It's up to me. I will continue doing it. But you know my wife is there waiting for him to have to go

[00:19:19] spk_1: home. Yes. Yes. The spouses are always there to to say All right honey, it's been enough time. Let's close the laptop. Let's just go ahead and take dinner without thinking about business. I'm

[00:19:33] spk_0: sure we have the same the same concern

[00:19:35] spk_1: one of us. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. It's a balancing act and it's really one of the things that you have to uh you'll get with time, you'll learn what your balances. Uh There's never for me I I know for for what I'm hearing of you and seeing a view your systems person you like the systems aspect and you could see systems well. Uh so I'm also the same way where I know for me there's a system in my job, there's a system I do when I take on clients, but then there's a management system that I'd like to teach my students whenever it comes to the point of your working in a business. You want to be as valuable to that person in the safe department as the finance department is valuable or or manufacturing or quality control you want safety be thought of as that same level. And that's

[00:20:28] spk_0: that's the that's the main message, you know, and that's the main challenge that I see most of the companies, you know, especially in this part of the world uh still uh safety is not treated in parity with other aspects of the business, like production or quality or whatever and that's what we're trying to to push.

[00:20:48] spk_1: Uh

[00:20:50] spk_0: so far, you know, it's not only about the legal requirements but you know it's changing the behavior, changing the mindset, trying to raise the awareness of the public and that is developing and developing very fast. I would say

[00:21:05] spk_1: good for for those and I do have an international audience so they're all over the globe. So when I did an interview with me bash that was really well received because a lot of people in my international audience knows about me bosch and they they understand the basha talking to D. R. Was was wonderful. Uh And uh and I've been trying to make a concerted effort to help my international audience more than just on the us brace like me. So when I'm talking to you and I'm thinking about Saudi Arabia uh what's the safety climate right now, you said it's developing, is it developing quicker or slower or what, what's it like now?

[00:21:47] spk_0: Uh, I would say five years. There is a lot of, uh, new regulations. That's very important. We didn't have those clear regulations, uh, we didn't have the safety practitioners, uh, classifications.

[00:22:04] spk_1: Um,

[00:22:05] spk_0: there's a new kind of, uh, government push towards, you know, having safety practitioner and safety coordinators in each of the companies. So there's a lot of development which are positive development. So there is more shade, there's more support and, uh, there's a, I mean, I would say, you know, there's a good results. Yeah. Uh, we're still lacking some of the things, but, you know, so many of the people are lobbying and working towards having, uh, very soon, probably A safety act like the OSHA Act or the 1974 after the UK, uh,

[00:22:49] spk_1: because

[00:22:50] spk_0: it's still safety, you know, managed by so many government departments, but it is coming, it is in the way and I would say uh, I mean it was here now, it is here. So the uh, the curve is going up and that's very, very glad. I mean, and that's very good. I mean I'm very happy you know that I have seen it coming in my life.

[00:23:12] spk_1: So uh,

[00:23:14] spk_0: very simply that means, you know, the number of people injured or losing their jobs or there is a life is going down very simply. Yeah, and that's something something, you know, we we all other safety practitioners love. So there is a development and instead the journey is going on and when there is learning curves, you know, we're going and coming probably, you know, with the Covid, there are so many delays a little bit, but I'm sure it will continue here.

[00:23:40] spk_1: Yeah, Well, that's that's good. I seen that and I didn't know a whole bunch of out the UK standard. I did interview someone from Scotland and he, he gave me a Blair Boyd. His his organization is Ayyash uh, that he was his chapters, the Scotland chapter of that. He was telling me a little bit about some of the regulations that drive that was driving U. K. I know for OSHA we in the US when there's a republican in office as far as for politics, OSHA actually goes into compliance assistance mode, Not too much compliance enforcement, But whenever there's a Democrat in office, they could, they switch into compliance enforcement rule. And it's the way it has been ever since OSHA was an entity since 1971. So truly, you

[00:24:35] spk_0: Know, the fact is, you know, whenever you, when you see, you know, the number of fatalities in the 71 and maybe 20 and it's uh, there's a lot of improvement and I saw the figures

[00:24:46] spk_1: a lot of improvement.

[00:24:49] spk_0: A large improvement. Yeah. And but it takes time. It's not it's not like that. It's a push button that I think it takes

[00:24:59] spk_1: time.

[00:24:59] spk_0: It's a revolution. It takes time.

[00:25:03] spk_1: Do you find that as a good driver for you? Like, um, like when there is some more government pushes for compliance, does that push you?

[00:25:12] spk_0: Of course. I mean, at least, you know, uh, the decision makers, we'll take safety as grant as, you know, as one of the aspects. And at the end of the day, businesses, they think about, you know, not paying fines. Yes. Yeah. And this is, this is the stick that we use normally, you know, uh, he can requirements. Yeah. Uh So yes, it is a good thing and we want to have more in fact

[00:25:43] spk_1: here, yes, it helps, it helps for for the business, but then it also helps protect people. So it's a win win. That's a win

[00:25:52] spk_0: win uh ugly, It's a win win. Yeah, it's a win win. And the ultimate result, you know, is is uh more people going home safe at the end of the day

[00:26:04] spk_1: and their families.

[00:26:05] spk_0: Uh And also it will raise the standard, it will raise the standards and the quality even not only the quality of the quality of the products, it will improve the safety standards to improve the uh even the profitability. It is a good thing, as you said, uh Children, it is a win win situation. Yeah, and if you want to be in a world class uh industries, we have to act like the world class industries, yep,

[00:26:36] spk_1: that's true.

[00:26:37] spk_0: I'm glad things are developing uh developing the right

[00:26:42] spk_1: way. That's true. We

[00:26:44] spk_0: need, what we need is now is more of raising the awareness, raising the especially among you know, the younger sisters and and the public safety, public safety and public health safety. Uh I mean that could be done in so many ways, but you know, people like like us, you know, also have a role in that at least a small

[00:27:10] spk_1: yeah on the on the business end as the consulting side, uh I noticed that on your website and a few other of the uh your your promotions that you have really good. I mean uh getting a free assessment for your safety system is a way to get email and and be able to continue the conversation with the the potential client in a different way. I do that as well. Uh and I see that more and more if you're becoming consultant you end up having to do some more internet uh internet advertising, you might end up having to do facebook ads or lengthen ads or in some cases you may end up having to have a podcast or something like I do. But I noticed that for you

[00:28:03] spk_0: we are learning you know we are learning from veterans like union. I mean we have to admit we are not to that level but we're trying to to you know to to spread the message as much as we can uh systematically as you said, you know putting a system and uh yeah. Um so so far it's going on and we are learning also we are learning from you know from from from from from our peers and colleagues. Yeah. Right. Yeah. I think it's very important. I mean, having the podcast and having, you know, the interviews. This also will help a lot in promoting, you know, our field people don't know exactly this kind of occupation, you know, as a consultancy

[00:28:54] spk_1: in the Yeah. And I'm learning from you two

[00:28:57] spk_0: doing, you know

[00:28:59] spk_1: what they're just hanging out. I was looking at some of your Youtube videos and and even the way that you do your your your screenshot uh to catch people's attention, the I forget what they call it. Uh but the the thumbnail, the thumbnail picture where you're, you know, either back it up or you got to handle the chin or

[00:29:24] spk_0: well, uh well let me let me have a secret, my my daughter help me sometimes. You

[00:29:30] spk_1: know, I'm

[00:29:34] spk_0: not that, you know, uh G game and this kind of stuff, but you know, trying to learn, I've attended some kind of know of training and things like that in a video making and training or whatever. But uh you know those youngest as they are more clever and more

[00:29:52] spk_1: really good.

[00:29:53] spk_0: Yeah, they're very good. So I get to help from them and I have good assistance as well. They are helping me

[00:29:58] spk_1: good.

[00:30:00] spk_0: But I just go and try and shoot and you know, some uh some other people they will help me in doing you know, all

[00:30:07] spk_1: those kind of stuff. Yeah. How big is she act now as far as a company?

[00:30:12] spk_0: Uh Well, we are still you know in uh small businesses uh section. Yeah. Uh but we are happy. We don't want to we are growing organized what you're saying, you know, gradually uh we do a lot of works. We have enough work in our plates. Yeah. Uh thank brad. Also, even during the committee, you know we had we had to work as long as there is no lockdown, we can do a

[00:30:41] spk_1: work. Yeah. We

[00:30:43] spk_0: have been affected in the beginning of 2000. Uh there was a lockdown of course that was affected not only us affecting the whole business. I mean I think three or four months there was like you know stagnation in the market. But since lifting the lockdown, we're back to business and so far is going well. Yeah. which what are we trying? You know to 2000 was a bit of challenging year for not only all the small business, it was a colonic but uh now things are going smoothly and uh I would say you know the way of vaccination and things like that is going fantastically, fantastically amazing in Saudi.

[00:31:28] spk_1: Yeah.

[00:31:29] spk_0: Thanks. Yeah.

[00:31:31] spk_1: So more people are getting

[00:31:33] spk_0: it go back to

[00:31:35] spk_1: normal. Uh there's a lot of people getting their vaccines.

[00:31:39] spk_0: Yes. I mean I mean I was amazed yesterday, you know I think to them five million people got the vaccines for more than 20 minutes. So the rate is very good,

[00:31:50] spk_1: wow good. Yeah. My wife and I just got our first dose of the fighter. And tomorrow my daughter will be getting her johnson and johnson does. So we're again we're very hopeful that that is going to help bring some sort of semblance of order if you would get us back to normal.

[00:32:11] spk_0: So we are pushing for the safety practitioners and safety groups. We are always trying to promote that among the public. Yeah. Trying to push convince most of the people to go to go and take their vaccinations and it's good. And I tell them, look I have taken it. Nothing is I mean only one day and after that, you know, everything is okay. So encouraging people to go. Yeah. And uh, I would say, you know, uh, the way the government are organized and it's very excellent. Amazing. Can you imagine

[00:32:46] spk_1: it took me

[00:32:47] spk_0: uh, well, five minutes. Yeah. Just to take it. I mean, uh, there's an application. I go and the use of the application. I come with my timing. I show them the registration. I go directly. Some people are waiting for me to take it. Wait. It took me. You know, it's amazing. I mean the way they organize it. Yeah. Yeah. I took even my daughters that day and in five minutes they finished it. Amazing work. I'm really amazing work. Yeah.

[00:33:15] spk_1: That's good for us. It was saying it was a very quick going in and out. And I'm honestly truly looking at, I know they're not going to call it a vaccine passport uh domestically for any country. But if you're traveling, uh I would say that there's going to be looking for some sort of proof of at the vaccination in different countries. That's coming. Yeah, that is coming. And that will help you as an international businessman too. Because now you get the vaccine and you have to go to a different country that's going to help you with your business.

[00:33:49] spk_0: Uh Well, let's hope to we just want to go for travel and have a leisure first. Uh I've been traveling a lot abroad, you know, and they so many the past years and uh this year in the last year we couldn't travel

[00:34:04] spk_1: abroad. So

[00:34:05] spk_0: let's hope. Yeah.

[00:34:07] spk_1: Yeah, it was a little

[00:34:08] spk_0: break, but there's still there's still uh I think, I think, I think they will lift the bank uh traveling after one month. So let's see. Let's hope things will go. But I'm sure, I mean it will take to the

[00:34:22] spk_1: end of the year for sure. Had a question on as far as your ah how do you now go get more clients? Because your client list is outrageous. I'm looking at it and I'm looking at this list of, you know, who's who in any companies in the global?

[00:34:39] spk_0: You'll be surprised. I mean, the main the main source of marketing or lead generation for us is more by uh Okay, bye bye references still, you know the old way? Yeah, I mean, we don't get much from link than all those. You know, still it's more about the connections, More about networking. Yeah. It's more about the old way. The old ways are still working in the reputation in the market. Yeah. We're not going for mass market for mass marketing and going for niche marketing because you know, we don't have capabilities to serve all. Um However still, you know, the one of the major uh ways for us is more of networking and the fellows that we get from from from uh happy

[00:35:37] spk_1: customers. Yeah.

[00:35:39] spk_0: Uh We tried so many of the ways, I mean, google uh advertisement, facebook advertising but still the always always work. Yeah.

[00:35:52] spk_1: Yeah, I do that too with um I do have a consulting course and of course I tell the students I said try to get 3-4 times a relationship for every client. That means you may train for them one time or you may do a safety walkthrough for them one time. If you could get a referral, that's another way that this one client advanced your business. If you could come back a second year and do another audit or another training, uh that's going to be a third way and then for 1/4 way, uh maybe there's a there's a some other way that this client can then lead you to someone else. Or they could have you come back for another type of service. But I say instead of trying to find for new clients work to one client, make them happy, give them what they need, supply, what they are looking for and then they'll have you back. And

[00:36:54] spk_0: that that is, that is for sure. And I can say by experience that's still working and still one of the the majority of our customers, we get them through that. You

[00:37:08] spk_1: know? Me too. Yeah. And I do a lot of work with cities and counties and once I work with the cities and counties, it's almost like I'm in their system to call once a year. They keep calling back and say, Hey Sheldon, we need. This

[00:37:23] spk_0: is correct. I mean, this is the same thing for me. The repetitive customers always there. The putative customers. Huh? Once you have that kind of trust with them, they will come back to you. Yeah. Because they know that, you know, he is a quality man. Somebody we can trust. He has done a great job for me and always go for the go the extra mile with the clients. Keep them, you know, support. Even if there is no real work, give them a support. Yeah. I try to be when I walk with the clients, I always imagined myself not only as a customer or client. No, I as one of their teams, uh, try to be in there, you know, in their position, always give them the support always going. You know the extra money with them. This is very very important to keep their long term relationship and that to keep you know kind of repetitive jobs as well. Yeah.

[00:38:19] spk_1: Yeah. You are based in Saudi Arabia, correct?

[00:38:24] spk_0: I am based in Saudi Arabia.

[00:38:25] spk_1: Yeah. Were you born and raised there as well or were you? I'm

[00:38:30] spk_0: a Saudi Saudi Saudi And yes I've been you know studied brought for some time. But Saudi Arabia is my my country and I work here. Uh We have an office in gente real and I'm sure you have been to Saudi for I'm called something like that. Uh My country is a very big country. It's a very big, very very big continent. So uh it's the biggest country in the Middle East in this part of the world. So uh I travel a lot between cities. So uh yeah, I'm based in Jeddah and most of our clients are in this, in this region. We call it the gcc countries, gulf cooperation countries. Saudi Dubai, U A E uh kuwait Oman bahrain. Yeah, this part,

[00:39:24] spk_1: Oh man. Uh I have three times was doing a wastewater. Um I guess it was a seminar, someone had invited me to be a speaker and it was supposed to be in quality and poor twice and one year in um uh in Dubai and I didn't, I was not able to do it. They didn't have enough people to to do each time. So I was all prepared. I was ready to go had I was getting my visa ready and uh and I never was able to get over there. The Saudi Aramco thing

[00:39:59] spk_0: you come here hopefully after you know, the

[00:40:02] spk_1: the copy Yeah,

[00:40:05] spk_0: one of you know, conferences here.

[00:40:08] spk_1: Yes, I love to consider that. Accepted. I would love to to be there for that. And uh water wastewater safety, whatever you got. I'm there. How many languages do you speak?

[00:40:22] spk_0: I speak basically Arabic is my mother language and I speak english and I can manage a little bit in hindi and Urdu

[00:40:32] spk_1: uh

[00:40:35] spk_0: a little bit of uh Filipino Tagalog because of the mingling with those nationalities. So I learned a lot of hindi and in Filipino, but my mother languages

[00:40:48] spk_1: Arabic okay. I knew that it's probably going to be a bunch because truly a lot of the people that work in the Middle East, they're from all over the world and they come to the Middle East to help support the system and work because of the wages is so good. And uh and for them they think of it well I'll do a year over in the Middle East or two years whatever the contract is and I'm almost set for life. That's really the mindset, that's

[00:41:19] spk_0: why you know you have uh especially when you're dealing with so many of those nationalities who are workers or uh you know they don't know english much, you have to know how to communicate with them. So this is the uh this is the market requirements, you have to communicate, you have to get your message across. So we learned that my experience uh Yeah I know you, I know you speak also different language,

[00:41:46] spk_1: isn't it? I'm learning spanish now I'm really bad. My french is even, it's because my french is elementary at best and then now I'm taking spanish and I keep mixing the words and my spanish instructor is saying, hold on, I'm sorry, it's french. So I have to keep going back.

[00:42:08] spk_0: Language is really, you know, uh spanish is beautiful,

[00:42:12] spk_1: like it really is, it really is. So I'm doing my best

[00:42:16] spk_0: sleeping, you said in florida. So it is easier for you to communicate their

[00:42:22] spk_1: Yeah, absolutely. There's some parts of florida where truly I need a translator to help me because I'm definitely not that strong yet, but uh, as they're helping me with the language, uh, a lot of times there's no direct translation. So they have to give a story uh, to, to determine like permanent, required confined space. You may not have the direct words to translate to some of the hazards or some of the uh, some of the things that we talk about in that class. So I have to listen to them give a story on what this hazard control is or something similar to that. So that's always knew for me is is getting used to that the translation from whenever I speak and hearing the translator story

[00:43:10] spk_0: always connected and always called connect with people. Yeah.

[00:43:15] spk_1: Stories

[00:43:16] spk_0: are always telling so many things. I found it very useful tool when I, you know, in my training and classes, when I use stories, always the story, it will always click with the people.

[00:43:28] spk_1: Huh. I noticed a lot of your, your reviews on your website about from past clients, one of the running themes that they've always had about you and your your training has been that you've uh first sparked something in them that's causing them to want to go ahead and act safely. And then secondly the other thing is uh it comes across as dynamic to them. Uh So those are the two things I see the most from your reviews and that's that's a skill uh

[00:44:04] spk_0: that's beautiful. I mean that's an amazing thing that you're saying, you know, probably you're looking at something that I have not looked at. Uh Yeah, I tried to be always you know, talking to the humans, talking to the people and enlightening they're thinking changing the paradigm shifting their paradigm, giving them the other side. Because I always tell them, you know, when you do safety or when you promote safety with a new company, you show that you are caring for your people for your employees and caring is very important, you know for for the people they would love to do work for you. Uh what's what's more beneficial for for for than you know, happy, happy people, you know, working for

[00:44:53] spk_1: you. So

[00:44:55] spk_0: safety is you know, the other side of the is caring safety scaring. Yeah, and I mean this is this is it. I always tell people also we are in the business of saving lives. Yeah, we are in the business of saving lives. So it's a very noble thing, you know. Uh But we have to keep that intention always trying to save

[00:45:19] spk_1: people's lives. Absolutely.

[00:45:22] spk_0: It's another world. Yeah. It's like a teaching uh a teacher. Teaching is a very, I think if you're asking you know what is the more noble work in the life? I would say teaching, you know? So uh when you are consultants or trainer or speaker, you're always also doing teaching training uh very noble work.

[00:45:43] spk_1: Yeah.

[00:45:43] spk_0: Uh Educating people. So uh I Believe me, I I meet some people like that. I have trained maybe 15 years back, Sheldon. Yeah. And they still appreciate what and sometimes I forget their names but they still appreciate they remember my name.

[00:46:03] spk_1: Yeah.

[00:46:04] spk_0: So uh they made my life more joyful and I feel that you know I affected some of the people's life, give them something that was useful, beneficial for them. You feed that you know you are adding to life something

[00:46:17] spk_1: good. Yes. Huh? That's wonderful.

[00:46:21] spk_0: I'm sure you're you're having the same kind of uh feeling.

[00:46:25] spk_1: Yeah. Yeah, that's that's the part of the consultancy job. Yeah, that's true. Any any other parting words TK or tips or anything you have for for people who want to either they just got into the business or they're thinking about getting into the business is being consultant.

[00:46:41] spk_0: Well, uh I would say uh it's not only the matter of business uh and money, you have to look at the other side that you know what you are adding to life, what you are affecting their people's lives. And the money will come as soon as you're doing. You know, don't think money much first money will come. But you think about the quality of the work, think about what you're adding to the people, what you what's the effects of you work too on the society, and we should have a passion for what you're doing. Uh uh things will follow up and be systematic and learn from others as well, you know, be systematic and learn from others. Um and that's it. So this is what comes to my

[00:47:35] spk_1: mind now. Excellent. I truly appreciate you being on this and this podcast with me and and giving your perspective. I I feel like you do just looking at what you do. I feel like kindred spirit and and I was really glad that you're able to to come on with me,

[00:47:54] spk_0: why shall, and I really appreciate uh that we have made it finally and uh let it be, you know, the first, but not the last. And from time to time probably we can cooperate and doing kind of seminars or doing uh kind of uh you know, webinars, uh probably we can do something on together very soon on uh on environmental or something like that, you know to, you know, for this part of the world and now with the online things, you're not limit. We are not all limited to our part of the world, but you know, we can we can cooperate more and more. So thank you very much indeed for your time and for your your patience with me today.

[00:48:41] spk_1: Yeah, I appreciate it. Thank you.

[00:48:43] spk_0: Tell you something, you know, I love your smile

[00:48:45] spk_1: man, thank you yours too is just you see it and you're like, oh I got a smile right back I've hooked

[00:48:54] spk_0: you. You have my shining

[00:48:56] spk_1: smile. Oh thank you. Well you have a wonderful rest of your day man thank you so

[00:49:01] spk_0: much.

[00:49:03] spk_1: We'll be in touch. Yes sir welcome back to the episode. I'm glad that you guys were able to listen to this one and really get a good understanding of how it is to be a safety consultant in other places in the U. S. So I really one of the things uh take a for helping me out on that one. Oh the thing I want to add maybe it's a tip of the week. Maybe it's not it's just a thought. One of the thoughts that I really got out of this was truly if you engage with your clients and you make your clients happy they'll either keep coming back or they'll recommend you to other people or both. So imagine if not only did they keep coming back to you but then now they're recommending people. And then each client that is that is brought to you through a recommendation. Then they become new clients and you go through the process with them and they love you and now they want you to come back and they're gonna recommend you to other people and you're business then starts growing that way. So I kind of got a good understanding of how T. K. S business started growing the way he has because of not only overperforming and what he does and people just like him and his leadership and everything else. You could truly go to his happy clients section of his website and you can see all those things written out. And that website again is S H E A C hyphen S A dot com. And I'm in a happy client section and he's got a client such as nestle and IK and Unilever and uh Saudi Aramco and just uh a bunch of others that have showed up here. So truly that is the foundation, the grassroots of how do you actually grow your business? How do you get more and more people to come to you? And you know, the bottom line to that is you're going to be able to stay employed for yourself, you're going to feed your family and then therefore you now can be like TK and I joked in the interview were unemployable because we just love the life and the lifestyle of being your own boss. So that's what I do, that's what I'm here for. So thank you everybody for listening to the safety consultant podcast. I hope that this is an episode that you guys were able to really uh lock into. It was a wonderful guest and I was glad that TK was here to, to make it even more fun for me because I love having fun with you guys and we talk, but when I have guests and that's even more fun. Right? All right. So this week you guys have your marching orders, which is make a client happy. Just fun. Start with one client. Makes that one client happy and see what happens with your business. All right, we'll have a wonderful time. Thank you so much for listening to me. Subscribe if you haven't before, uh, go ahead. And whatever you're listening to me on, uh, hit subscribe because it's it's statistically probable that if you're listening to me right now that you haven't really subscribed to my podcast, so it's just statistically speaking and should be telling you to subscribe. So go ahead and subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening to me from. If you get a chance go ahead and uh give me a little bit of encouragement by writing in a comet. That'd be awesome. So thank you so much for for that in advance. Uh you can look me up at Sheldon Primus dot com of course the safety consultant dot tv. And with the safety consultant tv it's a video on demand service and you can have pretty much all you would need to get your mind thinking of starting at safety consulting business. OSHA compliance help is in there as well. And even mindfulness. One of the playlists in there is mindfulness for success. So those are the ways to hang out with me and find me. So you're going to go to safety consultant dot tv. There's a 30 day free right now going on, you just have to do code consultant. So you're gonna do The monthly plan and then just put in the code consultant and you will have 30 days free on that one. So I kick the tires a little. All right, have a wonderful rest of your day week. Go get them. Mhm. This episode has been powered by safety. FM.