Matt Sodnicar 0:26
the Matt Sodnicar podcast everybody, welcome to the podcast. This is Matt Sodnicar. Thank you so much for listening. And when you send messages and send suggestions, I really appreciate it. Your your feedback, and your support means a lot. And with me is my friend Anthony DeLeo. He's the founder of bespoke Velo in Australia. We've been friends for a very, very long time. And I've been waiting to do this conversation with Anthony for a while. And Anthony. Good evening. Good morning. How are you doing, buddy?

Anthony De Leo 1:03
Good might have you thanks for having me, Matt. I'm looking forward.

Matt Sodnicar 1:08
I was looking trying to figure out how long we've known each other. It's been six, seven years is trying to go back through Instagram, or that's how we met Wasn't it just through the Billy Graham right?

Anthony De Leo 1:19
It was definitely it was social media. Yeah, I think it would be at least I think it'd be six years. Yeah, I think I think at least six years. So it's it's been It's actually amazing that it's, it's been so long that we've, you know, we've known each other and, you know, you've been an amazing support of myself. So very, very much looking forward to having a good chat, too.

Matt Sodnicar 1:46
Yeah. So I want to get to what? Well, what you mean to me, Anthony. Before that, let's talk about bespoke Velo. That's, that's a very cool story.

Anthony De Leo 2:00
So bespoke velo, as as you know, was originally full game Australia, which I started, I think, eight years ago, eight years ago, roughly. And it was born out of writing a lot during the morning and needing lights. Because at that stage, my, my two kids were young, and my wife wasn't working. So I'd get up and ride early every morning and, and got really focused on getting better lights. And I found a company in Scotland called full beam and got talking to them. And they're like, oh, you know, let's, let's send you some lights. But why don't you try and sell some? And I'm, like, go off. Okay, I hadn't thought of that had hadn't thought of venturing into the cycling industry. You know, my, my industry that I've been in for the last 20 years is the audiovisual industry. And cycling was was a passion, but wasn't something I'd ever thought of venturing into business wise. But if truth be known, the reason why I said yes was because they were going to give me some cheap lights, I thought I was going to get some cheap lights. Well, why not? Let's let's let's try this ecommerce thing. And, and for bein Australia was literally just a spin off of full beam lights from Scotland. And it started off with, you know, four products on our website, I had no idea what I'm doing. And I would say probably eight years later, I still don't have much of an idea of what I'm doing. But things of things have grown. And yeah, bespoke Vallo is is the new incarnation of fulbourn. Australia. For me, Australia, doesn't really represent what what I do anymore. As far as there's no lighting in our repertoire, it's I was sick of saying full beam, Australian beam beam of light and for marry. That was part of the reasoning of changing the name. And I thought changing the website would provide a good opportunity to rebrand and sort of re launch. So and obviously, as you know, Matt with COVID certainly gave us a bit more time to devote to it. So in some ways, COVID has been a real positive obviously, it's been a negative in so many ways for people around the world. And you know, I live in Melbourne and as most well I assume a lot of people around the world know we were the most lockdown city in the world. I think that in the last two years, my kids missed nearly 18 months of schooling. So yeah, it's been it was a challenging, challenging period of time having kids schooling at home and my wife being a teacher and working from home and then myself Trying to work couple of jobs and being in sales. As you know, Matt, you're always talking and I was constantly getting told to move and go away because they were constantly in video, Zoom calls. And I ended up setting up office in the garage, which is being the best thing I've ever done because it's my own little domain. So I don't get hassled too much. But yeah, so it bespoke value is kind of just born from for me, Australia. It's been a journey. We've I think we've been on a very similar journey. And you know, it's still still not my full time gig. I've spent 1000s of hours on it. So you would hope it would be but it's not yet it's I'm hopeful that it will get there and it certainly is tracking in the right way but yeah, long way from paying the mortgage yet with bespoke Melo that we're getting there.

Matt Sodnicar 5:58
Well, that's that's really all it is. Right? I mean, we didn't get into this for the money I'm assuming I'm assuming you're not a big Australian millionaire now with bespoke fellow Right?

Anthony De Leo 6:13
Definitely not I'm a one man one man bands. I take the orders. I pack the orders. I do the social media. Maintain the website. I do everything so yeah, occasionally my my kids will step in and give me a bit of a bit of a hand but no bespoke Volvo is a one man show. So yeah, definitely not definitely not doing it for the money, right?

Matt Sodnicar 6:41
Well, when you're when you're talking about the origin story, it took me back to a mountain bike ride I had cheese, this must have been 1518 years ago, when I was still getting still getting my cycling feet wet. And there was a ride up here called Waterton Canyon. And it's basically just a service road to a dam. And then there's some single track up towards the top. And went up there and I thought I had turned correctly for this little loop. And I had gone the wrong way and started going into this huge descent I was having a blast. And all of a sudden I was like, wait a minute, this isn't right, I'm having way too much fun, the sun's going down. So I hike a bike back up, I start coming down and it's getting pretty dark and kind of walking the curves where it can't see the the the moon is likely as a full moon. So I come across these campers and was literally like, you know, five miles from the trailhead. And this this guy, he asked me a question so I'll set this up so say say the word light in Australian for me light so this guy was Australian and he goes Do you have a lot I do have a lot you know and I'm calorie deficit dehydrated at this point. He stops he goes Do you have our lights? Like no do you want to camp with us was like dude no I'm like them for miles like on this fire road to get home. Yeah. And I finally get up get back to the car in the parking lots cleared out. It's it's my car and the serial killer van that I had completely forgotten that log boring story until you had said the word light in your in your accident. Last night. That's a lot. Well, yeah. Yeah, keep going on, on how bespoke has been growing because I still want to show because the reason that I wanted to have this conversation and I think you are definitely one of the flashpoints for this podcast is that it was the when I started this podcast, it was about business. And I always wanted to talk about not not so much the the results or things like that, but it was born out of seeing my own struggles. And the disconnect I felt between like big articles in ink or entrepreneur, but they would always devote like a little bit of time to that what I call the basement struggle. Yeah, or in your case the garage struggle.

Anthony De Leo 9:59
He might Definitely, yeah, yeah,

Matt Sodnicar 10:01
but they, they always kind of just, oh, Anthony started this, there was a little bit of lean years and then bam, right. And I just wanted to always talk to other people that really just kept going. In the mental side of not so much. Having zero were reward, but I guess looking for other rewards, well, this is getting going and wanted your thoughts on that.

Anthony De Leo 10:38
I'm still waiting for that been made. So I'll let you know when that happens. Although definitely, there's been periods of time where I've, I've just let for when it was for me in Australia, just let it run idle really just ticked along. And because you do as you know, you tend to devote so much time to it. And a lot of a lot of late nights, obviously. I'm, I'm in Australia, and most of the manufacturers I deal with are either in the US, Europe, or the UK. So the time differences are significant. And to communicate, like we are now on, I'd often be up to one 2am And, you know, trying to work a full time job trying to be a dad and a husband and probably not doing any any of it very well. Because just just sleep deprived and. And mentally just, you know, just cooked from the hours and not getting the rewards. And yes, you get a you get you do get small rewards. And that keeps you going. There's no doubt about it. But it's just the amount of times where I've thought that the doors were opening. And finally, this is gonna work. And then for one reason or another, it just didn't happen. And you know, and it's incredibly frustrating and soul destroying at times, and there were times over, you know, over the last few years where I just took time out and just thought, you know, I need to I need to reset, not think about it too much. And, you know, my wife many times has said to me, you know, is this thing ever going to make any money, you devote so much time to it? You know, you're sacrificing family time to get this going. And I'm like, I'm pretty stubborn. And I dig my heels in ongoing. Yes, it will. Yes, it will. But you know, there's been there's many times where I've thought what am I doing, you know, this is doing it because I love it. And I love you know, bicycles and cycling and all the accessories and all the bits and but from from a financial point of view, there's been many times where I thought what the hell, this is ridiculous, I'm wasting my time. But then you get a little, you know, you just get a little sniff the door, the door opens a little bit of light comes through and you're like, hey, this is this can work, this can work. And it keeps you going again. And I've heard that many times and you know, things from doing social media posts, and you get all this, these people happy and excited about your products and it's great and you get all you get old Jade up that high, this is gonna really work and then the next post you do you get no interest, it's just you know, and that's why I find all the good respect businesses and people who are able to get that ball rolling. And you know, I think often things in life are about timing, you know, everything from you know, the traffic in the morning to, you know, missing, missing the numbers on lotto, or whatever you guys call it over there, or I don't know life as I've gotten a bit older, I've learned that life is about timing and sometimes things stars that don't align and that's life. And, you know, I'm working hard to get this going. And it's definitely COVID As I said was probably the best thing that ever happened because I devoted so much more time to it because I had the time because my original my traditional nine to five job, you know had been put on you know, 1/3 of the hours. So I came to the realization well now's the time to dig in and see if we can get this thing to work. And obviously cycling went absolutely bananas on a global scale with COVID and lock downs. So that helped. And yeah, it kind of grew from that. I kind of got myself out of a bit of a hole with it got enthusiastic again and and started to see that hey, maybe this could work. And then bespoke Vallo look that's taken 12 months of Um, a lot of work to get, get the change over, you know, just, I had no idea how long it would take or you know, just little things from an E commerce point of view just to get pipella to integrate with the new name and without having to do a completely new

a completely new Pay Pal account, you know, that took, I think I was on a phone one day trying to get that to work, it was just all those things, it just takes so long that you don't realize and, and obviously trying to come up with a name, a logo, as you know, make trying to get a website domain that's available, a business name that you can register that's available and social media handle that all link took me weeks, probably months and you know, bespoke Velo look bespoke sums up, probably what the business is about now, it's about the artisan manufacturers and handmade stuff, like, you know, like what you do, mate, it's made with love and passion, and it's, there's a soul behind it, it's not, it's not mass produced on a, you know, in, in, in an Asian factory. Because that's what I want to do, I don't want to I don't want to sell stuff that is made by robot, you know, I love the fact that majority of the products that that I import and sell are handmade, and the people are like you and me, they're passionate. And good humans, I want to deal with good people. I've had brands come and go. And I've had some good brands that I've lost in, you know, but the people were not not great people to deal with. So life is not all about money made, as you know, and it's connecting with good good humans and good people and bespoke Vallo look, it's opened up some amazing doors, and I've met some such great people, you know, yourself being one of them. And one of the first that I ever started to work with and yeah, it's, it's, but it's challenging. And, you know, if we, if you and I had lots of money that we can invest in marketing and employing staff and setting procedures up, you know, I'm sure we could make things go better and quicker. But reality is, that's not the position we're in and I look at it that you know, the day that when maybe that when the door cut goes ajar, fully in that light is there, then I'll go hey, all those all those late nights were worth it. But you know, I'm enjoying the journey at the moment. It's been, it's been stressful, no doubt. But I get great pleasure and joy in you know, seeing people are happy and buying some cool stuff. And, and a lot of the customers I have now become friends. So you know, it's a good thing. Yeah,

Matt Sodnicar 18:11
I don't want to say that I'm so altruistic that I wouldn't turn down a financial reward. But in those in those years where I felt nobody cared, or sometimes even I didn't care honestly about the warm front and that I would get I would get an email or get an order or something in I think you hit upon something amazing. It's just the connections that are so important. And I remember I told everybody I knew when you had reached out and I was like, Holy shit, like some dude in Australia reached out they wants to talk about selling these things, the warm fronts over like literally around the planet and yeah, I just it was one of those like, I never would have thought and just that was just an amazing moment and just Yeah, I look at you Anthony as a mentor and a friend and just there would be times when and in a lot of people in Australia and just how welcoming and friendly and just kind of the posts and it's like I know where Australia is on the map right but there just be times when I would just look and like calculate the mileage or the time difference and in like, man there's some something that I create a new created got people connected around the world that's really cool.

Anthony De Leo 19:57
It entities and it's The warm front is still one of my most favorite products and everyone who buys one. Just honestly, they, you know, they they love it and look at the reviews that we've had done not one review Have we ever had has been negative. It's always been amazing. And I mean, there's only quite a few reviews we've had here that have said it's, it's just it's a no brainer. It's a necessity a necessary part of the kit every year and and I think because it's so it's a product that doesn't you know, it doesn't scream out me me or it's just so I don't know, it's it's plain and I mean that in the nicest possible way you know, there's no carbon fiber there's nothing that doesn't have christeli Scorpion all over it. It's just like these it's like a big you know, it's like what I used to give my kids when they are feeding themselves you know and what but when you were you thinking my god this product is ridiculous. What how does it work and like, I never ever use a thermal base layer. I just wear that now. It's incredible. And and I use the different versions now. So obviously started with the Ultralight and then the coat the coastal league. I don't know if I've pronounced that.

Matt Sodnicar 21:17
Yeah, I don't know if I am.

Anthony De Leo 21:20
And you know, and obviously now it is and I'm telling you the the mock up you did with the paper. All right, can I see that is the key. You've got to keep doing those as limited editions or something because that I absolutely pissed myself laughing already. How good is that? And I think I think that's it if you can keep doing that. I think that's I love it. I personally I love it because it's it appeals to my sense of humor and just just subscribe. So no, no, I'm very, very cool, very, very cool product. But again, the warfront is just one of those things that it just it took not put too fine a point on it. With a bit of Ozzy Ozzy slang, it just fucking works. And that's, that's what you want. So, thank you. And it's an it's an odd, thank you very humbling for you to call me to say that. I'm a mentor, I see you as the mentor to me. And I mean that genuinely because I've watched What's your website transformed over the years and, and always been, I just really admired it and admired your work and how you've connected with so many people. And, you know, again, from all over the world, you've had ambassadors, and I think it's, you know, I think it's amazing, you're in Colorado, and you're, you're talking to people around the world and, and getting things done, and it's just awesome. And I love that the meat in Colorado thing is really special. And, you know, obviously, I don't know, the intricacies of the US and, and, you know, the states and everything else. But I love the fact that you don't say just made in the USA made in Colorado. I think that's cool. And that's and that's something that, you know, I want to apply to a product that we were speaking to the last night about a new product that I'm building locally. So I want to put made in Melbourne not just made in Australia, so yeah, I think it's very cool.

Matt Sodnicar 23:40
Well, thank you for saying that. And I think it was um, totally a Pete Holmes, he's a comedian, he, he had a meditation teacher that taught him that when somebody pays you a compliment is like this count to five and just process it and just, I don't want to have a lot of dead air here. Your, your words are not lost on me and I, I appreciate that so much. And, you know, sort of the, the warmth from being born out of a darker period in my life when I didn't really have any belief in myself to be like recording a podcast and having, you know, to say I've got an Australian distributor it's amazing and I wanted to tell the story about that that moon landing print, because so I'm a I'm a huge fan of the onion. And they had this fake look back on the moon landing and the headline and I'll post a picture of this. The headline was Holy fucking shit, man walks on the moon. And the the the side story on this is when I worked for a clothing company years ago, my friend Sam up in Fort Collins, I was sending him a screenshot of his jersey, his kit design. And I think that was the very first time I'd seen that onion headline. So I just did a whole screen grab. And down at the bottom was like the onion headline behind it. So, but like that never left me. And so like one of the, you know, always looking to advance the product. And so finding someone that could do the digital sublimation has been a continual challenge. And I finally found somebody in like, they're in Portland. And she's amazing, like, and I actually sent her this, this, this email and I said, Hey, I wanted to find out if you print this and said, Hey, before you open this picture, there's profanity and vulgarity. There's not porno, but I was like, I go, Hey, if you don't want to print this, that's fine. She's like, but I don't care. And then same thing with the Linda, who makes these in Colorado, I said, Hey, you know, you're gonna be, you're gonna be sewing these things and say, Holy fucking shit. And then that I did this, clearly a fake Photoshop post of, you know, Neil Armstrong on the moon. And

Anthony De Leo 26:38
I think he should bring at least one out a year, every year. Okay. So good. But it's interesting to hear about, you know, you're talking about how warm front was at a period, you know, period in your life when things weren't great. And it's amazing how little things, you know, along the way can just help people believe in yourself again, and you know, I've had, I've had quite a few periods over the last few years that have been been tough. And yeah, it's, it's definitely, yeah, you do you lose, you lose confidence in what you do. And, and hope sometimes, and yeah, again, sometimes you just got to reset. And there's many times where I've just literally just thought, this is just all too hard, and it's not working, and I can't get this thing to work. And, you know, and that's kind of cycling you know, so please help me over the years with, with more, you know, some mental health battles. And yeah, so it is, it is a connection, definitely. You know, it's one place I'm not sure how you feel when I'm writing. I don't think about anything else. I just let it ride and the worries of the world get left behind and all that shit that you stress about. And it's one of the beauties that I discovered and I discovered cycling really late in life so it's been a godsend in some ways. And you know, it's also caused me a few injuries as well, you know. You know, I've, I've had plastic surgery and I did look like Brad Pitt prior to the plastic surgery. So I've been hit by a car I've have. I've had quite a few injuries yet. I played a lot of sport when I was young teenager and early adult and AFL football, which is pretty rough and never had that many injuries but start cycling and I've had more than more than I ever did playing sport when I was younger. So yeah, tats challenges, but never stops you wanting to get back on and just getting out, getting out into the environment, you know, obviously just getting away from the rat race and yeah, and I, you know, I enjoy riding with friends, but I also enjoy riding by myself and collecting my thoughts. And as said, it's been it's been one of those things in the last, you know, eight, nine years. It's certainly helped me over the years. But yeah, and again,

Matt Sodnicar 29:28
I think back to that to where there's been times where the only the only two things that made me happy were my kids in riding a bike. Yeah, and when I yeah, I discovered cycling late to I think about my very first actually my second road bike, which is my real new fit to me road bike was I think 2001 Yeah, and that was that was my 30s I think, but finding out late that I also had Add, there were times when riding a bike was the only time that I got a sense of what focus actually felt like.

Anthony De Leo 30:09
Yeah. That's interesting. So when were you diagnosed with ADHD

Matt Sodnicar 30:16
it would have been 3334 Something like that. I could probably get a finer point on the timeline, but it's about same time my son was when he was like five or six and, and it's, it was an amazing gift because it bonded us because I was able to talk to him and say, we have the same brain like I know. I know what you're thinking I know how you're feeling and not as a parent. And sort of just that false or are that that projecting, but just like Yeah, are you are you feeling like this? Are you thinking like this? Like yeah, so it really it really bonded us and so it was a gift to learn that

Anthony De Leo 31:08
yeah, that's Yeah, that's amazing. You know the fact that and you've got that in common with your son and like you said, it's it's been created a bond that will never be broken. So that's a special Yeah, none of us I'm far from perfect I can so far far from perfect. So it's there's no such thing as perfection. There's no such thing as normal. What I think there's no such thing as a perfect family that I've learned as I've gotten older, every family is dysfunctional in some way. So yeah, it's just it's just a We're on a journey and cycling is part of that journey. But yeah, definitely. It times in my life when I've struggled it's probably just kept me keep my head above water. It's just been an outlet to and I don't do it enough what I don't write enough I go through periods where I just don't write enough or write much. And then I rediscover that fire again, and just like Why haven't I been doing this? Because you know, my wife constantly tells me I'm a miserable prick when I don't ride

I think that was mentioned at my 40th birthday. She mentioned that caught quite significantly in her speech saying that he needs to write otherwise he's a grumpy grumpy old man.

Matt Sodnicar 32:35
But everybody in the room just nodded their head because they hear the same way

Anthony De Leo 32:39
Yeah, so yeah, it's our we've just come back from a from an Easter holiday break where we go to a place in northern Victoria about 400 kilometers so 300 miles from where we live in a place called Bright which is a it's a beautiful little foot of the mountains town. And the writing there is just it's a cyclist Mecca. You've got amazing mountain bike trails, downhill cross country, you name it, it's there then you've got amazing gravel, gravel riding and road riding if you want to spend days up in mountains riding your ride through bright and did a lot of riding while I was there and the first time I'd ridden every day for a long time and it was just just the stress of life was just gone and it was just beautiful unfortunately come back to reality and back to it but that seven days it was just kind of reminded me how much I love it and and just being out out in the environment it's autumn in in Victoria and although we are trees and native trees gum trees don't don't do the beautiful changing colors there's so many maples and oak trees and deciduous trees in Brighton and it's just spectacular assist all the colors and beautiful rivers running through it and yeah, it's it's just a magic place and we go every year and it's one of those places that I can happily live it's it's beautiful. But yeah, just getting out just getting out into space again was was lovely. And not saying many people out on trails and yeah, it's nice to have your own time and I'm not sure about you, Matt but my my everyday job or there was talk. That's my job. And and the last thing I want to do when I go away is talk I just want to switch off so that's where cycling is also bringing because if you go by yourself, you don't have to bother about talking you just do You know, just pedal and in your own thoughts. So yeah, that's a beautiful thing cycling and I wish I'd discovered it a bit earlier in life, but you're never too old.

Matt Sodnicar 35:13
Well, one of my favorite sayings is that when the the Voyager is ready, the guide will appear. So yeah, I do my best to try to describe this to dates or relationships. It's like, Look, I'm not like, this isn't like I'm not going out and getting my cardio. Right? It's not an obsession. It's just this is part of my DNA now is that this is, who I am and what I enjoy. And I like the various challenges of either the endurance or the skills on the mountain bike or sometimes just being stuck out in the cold or the wet and just, yeah, choosing to suffer a little bit, but it's just at the end of it. So yeah, I've been tracking my weight for like five or six years and I'm relatively the same and if I didn't ride really, like 300

Anthony De Leo 36:17
i That feeling very well night. And yeah, it's, it's, it is a magnificent sport. And, look, it's one of those things. I personally, like I don't follow a lot of cycling, like I watched the tours and things like that, but I'm not Yeah, I'm not a fanboy. You know, I'm not a fan like my, my I've got friends who will know every ride. Whereas I, I couldn't care less. I honestly don't care. I'm like, whatever. I prefer to ride them watch it. And it's like, it's like cars. I've always loved cars. I've always liked cars that are fast. I've always enjoyed that. But I've never been racing, like I've never, never really like f1 doesn't interest me one bit, even though I've been you know, I've gone to the Grand Prix in Melbourne a few times, but doesn't really do much for me. And but I love cars. I absolutely love them. I've worked on them my life and love them. But cycling is the same. I'd rather do it than watch it. I just don't. It doesn't do it for me as much as a spectator sport. And I also think I'm probably a little bit pessimistic here. But you know, especially in the especially the you know, in the road, the road scene, I think so many of them are not legit. As far as I'm not convinced that they're not doing something, a lot of them. I think maybe they disguise it. Well, I don't know that they get past things. But yeah, I probably I probably don't respect a lot of them. And I just think I just don't think it's possible to do what they do. over a three week tour, and have about 1% body fat, I mean, they they look emaciated. I don't actually, I don't actually know how they do it. And I've spoken to some people who were elite athletes in other fields, and they say that it's not possible to do what they do without some assistance. And my friend, my good friend who got me into cycling, who was a pro cyclist. He, he cycled in the 90s. And he was a very, very good cyclist and went to the Europe on his first tour. And it was with the whatever team he was with. And he said on the first climb. He said they got dropped, like they were standing still. And they all know each other and thought, How is this possible? Look, it was in the nine late 90s When obviously it was rough. But he said he made it yet to make a decision yet to either do drugs to compete, or if he chose not to retire. So he retired at 23 because he chose that not to do drugs and and I think although yes, it's probably cleaned up I still think I'm still I'm still dubious, so I probably don't watch it as much as I used to. I used to really love the Giro and the Tour de France and the Pirate Bay is always quite exciting to watch but I'm very skeptical and Chris Froome I've never right like I just think he's so I think there's something going on there. I just I just I just think I can't think I can't remember where when it was might have been 2014 or 15. And I was really I used to watch the tour every night like here it would start at 10pm Now open or outside and you'd be watching it to 2am I'd watch it every night and then there was this one it was when Ken Tanner had In a second the year before, and he was, he was touted to win. And he was, I mean, let's be honest, he was an amazing climber. And I think it was man for two. And Chris Froome rode past him in like the big chain ring. Still, and I'm thinking, Surely that is not possible and I remember it was quite controversial there were ex cyclists saying that's not possible that climb it's not possible to do what he's done and ever since then, I've probably switched off because I thought it's certainly not right he it's it's not possible and I don't look good. I think it's is can the mountain bike scene I'm not I'm not ofay with it, but I don't know if it's if it's prevalent there but certainly of the road scene. Yeah, I'm not a fan. And also, I think a lot of the riders like Formula One drivers, they're just not

pretty boring people. They're actually pretty bland. So yeah, I don't guys certainly, you know, I follow up I follow Caleb, Ewan a little bit because he's an Ozzy and he's a sprinter and on always never cold never be a climber and on certainly never be small enough or light enough. So yeah, I follow him a little bit. Again, very quickly. I'm not really into it but love love actually writing but yeah. So that's that's kind of where I'm at with with watching it. And obviously you You sound like you're the same mate. You're not a massive fan of watching and all that.

Matt Sodnicar 41:36
Yeah, I'd rather do than then consume. And you know that that story about that I was a gotten into frisbee golf the past year. And we were out playing and picked up this Rando. Me and my buddy, were playing and this guy jumped in with us. And we're going along and just playing. And this guy is like, Oh, wow, that guy looks like so and so. And I'm like, Who's that? He's like, Oh, that's like a that's like a pro frisbee guys like super well. Dude, I had to set the expectation. I go. I haven't looked at one like Frisbee. Dude. Like, t so any of the trivia that you could just spare me?

Anthony De Leo 42:25
That's me. Luckily, Mike because I my mates reel off all this stuff. And I just I just pretend I know. And so I yeah, that yet. Yep. I just smile and say yes. But I have no idea what they're talking about or who they're talking to. Or just not to sound like I know what I'm talking about. But having no ID and again, you know, the Pirate Bay was on the show the other night and we're gonna watch a little bit of it fell asleep. But yeah, again, I like that one because there's plenty of action. We throw Yeah. Carnage. It's like a train wreck. You just got to watch it. It's insane. And what they put their bodies through is, is crazy. But, you know, I look at the average speeds and I'm thinking more guys, you're riding 45 kilometers an hour average over cobblestones. It's just on a road bike. It's insane. But you know, they're freaks. There's no doubt about it. But I'm not convinced that they're all unassisted. But, you know, who knows? Maybe I'm maybe I'm just getting old and, and pessimistic. But yeah, I mean, I'm not convinced.

Matt Sodnicar 43:34
I did that ride three years ago, three of my buddies went over to Belgium. So we did the Tour of Flanders GranFondo and we did the de GranFondo. And, dude, I don't know, do you have rumble strips on the road? Yeah. Picture that. But double and for like, outliers every time it was the single most violent experience I've had on on a road bike. I mean, I've been overstone Chunky stuff on gravel and mountain but I Yeah, the jitter camp in my memories for the length of time. Just just crazy.

Anthony De Leo 44:18
I mean, that's awesome that you've done it that you've actually you know, you've actually written those cobblestones. That's, that's awesome. But yeah, it's I can't fathom it. Like I can't fathom doing that for kilometres on end. But also like you said, you know, it's just rattling you, you Brian everything. And they and they're so thin, well, there's nothing of them. They just don't know the bones would be rattling it's again, I look at them as as athletes and they've got physiques that I don't wouldn't ever want. They just know, they just, they're just not good looking athletes, you know, like, you know, some of the sprinters there, at least they look athletic and strong. And certainly the track cyclists are huge, but but they're those road like those road riders, they're just like, if they were walking down the street, you would never think that they can produce the amount of power that they do. Like, you just, I look at them. And I think How is that possible? You've got? There's nothing of you. Where does it come from? You know, they don't have big, big, muscular quadriceps. And, you know, like, I just I can't fathom it. But hey, they've got it. They do it. So it's clearly it happens. It's just It's just horrible.

But yeah, again, there. Yeah. And I've watched a watch, I think there was a documentary with

Istana time it was 2019, I think. And it was was really interesting and took you inside that that bust and you know, but there's so much infighting. And again, it reminds me of Formula One time, you know, that the Lead Writer is the man and everyone else is he's Domestique. And all these, there's all these factions within the group and almost doesn't look like a lot of fun to me.

Matt Sodnicar 46:20
I wanted to go back to something you had mentioned, because I'm in the same boat about being an entrepreneur and then having day jobs that I love what I do, and I don't like being busy, I like being productive, and I learned this a few years ago is that you can be an artist in so many different ways. It is confined sometimes in the discussion to art or music or writing poetry, sort of traditionally the arts, but you know, there's something you may not feel it in the moment, but artistic about getting that Pay Pal, integration of work or creating. Because this, basically like a designer, an artist is creating something out of nothing. And the designer is solving a problem. And while it might not be glamorous, those, I think what all this has taught me are problem solving skills, but the confidence that there's a solution there somewhere. Yeah, and then it it just feeds off each other. And so yeah, you and I could catch up on Game of Thrones or anything like that. But I'd much rather create these little challenges and roadblocks and overcome them because I think it it just it feathers and spiderwebs into every facet of your life.

Anthony De Leo 47:59
Yeah, absolutely. Not you. I've never thought of I certainly thought of myself as an artist, I have no talent in the arts, frustrated, rock and roll stars, I would love to be on love to be able to have some musical talent. I love music. About as good as I get is seen in the shower. But yeah, I guess when you put it that way, you're right. When you create something, it doesn't have to be like in the traditional form of art. And, you know, obviously the warm front and, you know, you've created something that you've manufacturing something that's something that you know, on learning and trying to do with with a new product. And that is a journey, you know, I've learned that my god that is that's really, it's really a lot of work to get things that you would think is so simple together. They're not, you know, even from packaging to writing instruction manual, you know, sourcing and sourcing the products and the manufacturers to make them and it's a process and it takes time and but it is it is definitely satisfying, like you know, when you create something and you hope I guess you hope that other people like it as much as you do. So, yeah, that's that's something that I've never considered never considered being called an artist and I'm going to want to tell my kids that I'm an artist. I like that

Matt Sodnicar 49:40
the the last story I want to tell and this was also a watershed, just amazing moment that was related to you and full beam at the time. Do you remember? Sonia O'Sullivan?

Anthony De Leo 49:55
Yes.

Matt Sodnicar 49:57
Yeah, so Sonia saw And I'm just reading from her Wikipedia page. She's an Irish track star. And she took silver in the 2000 Olympic Games. And yeah, if you remember the details, I'd like you to tell it because it was just one of those amazing moments of just this, this company, but also just my journey as well.

Anthony De Leo 50:26
If I can remember correctly, I don't remember it in detail, but, and you'll have to help me, but I remember we sent her a warm front, I think it was an ultra would have been an ultralight. I think it was. Yeah. And she, she absolutely loved it. And I remember I remember seeing her some of the she wrote, she wrote, explain what she thought of it. And and it was, it was amazing, because, again, you've created something like, and it's gone to an ex, you know, an Olympian, a silver medalist, which is just phenomenal. But But you've I think you've had that you've had a few of those stories, mate, you've, you've done very well with that.

Matt Sodnicar 51:16
Yeah, this one was, this one stood out to me though, because I think she, she met you. So you're in Australia, she's an Irish athlete, athlete. Yeah. And then I think we sent one from like, your stock in Australia, somehow. Yeah. Or like, she bought it there and then flew it back to Ireland. And so this thing literally traveled. Yeah, it just needed to come back to the US and it would have literally circumnavigated the globe. Yeah, and the fact that you know, here's somebody that you know, knows the top of her game to be an Olympian and just, you know, those connections just those are priceless, right those that wouldn't ever be connected or reflected on a p&l sheet or a checking account but like those things are just I still in those the beauty of this even this podcast right is remembering that story. And remembering the belief you had in me and our connection and our relationship and it's just that write that in there like that was just there's moments this make it like that that was worth it all to get to that point was worth it.

Anthony De Leo 52:38
Absolutely. And you know do remember Sonia and you're right yeah, I sent her some stock and it did she she she bought it she bought a locally in Australia and then she moved she went back to Ireland and what you said it's quite amazing and we tracked from Colorado to was to Melbourne and Australia and fishing motivating Queensland I think shifted to her there and then bang she she heads back to Ireland so you know who would have thought and loved it and that was even better so but you're right it is the connections and the people you made and it opens you it just opens you up to different people like again coming to cycling late in life I you know you sort of watch people write and think oh my god you know another girl and then I became one of those people in locker and and really appreciate appreciate it but you know again like any any any industry it has has good people and not so good people I've learned that you know in cycling it's very similar to the more everyday industry the audiovisual industry you got people that are really great to deal with and others that aren't and right cycling is no different I've had a few few run ins with people but in general I keep it pretty low profile and just do my thing I don't try and take on the big guys I'm not interested in that just just just find my little niche that's all I want

Matt Sodnicar 54:19
yeah that I'm I'm happy to be a part of it dude. So where can where can people find you I'll post links to bespoke in the in the episode but

Anthony De Leo 54:31
thank you can log on to the website at Bespoke valet.com.au And it's bespoke no II tried to get a bit creative there but it was mainly because that's all I can find. To get a business name,

Matt Sodnicar 54:46
but a designer there you go you designed to

Anthony De Leo 54:49
go Instagram handle, which I post pretty regularly is just bespoke Velo bespoke underscore Ravello Facebook the same I can email me feel free to email me at Anthony at Bespoke valet.com Now that you have stepped up in the real world and no longer just have a Gmail email address have a proper email address now.

Matt Sodnicar 55:16
So pro

Anthony De Leo 55:17
life pro so pro man so pro but yeah, and one of your one of my favorite Instagram followers is one of your friends who's an ex who's an Aussie. He knows you. I've got to find his handle because I love his one. I love his posts and he's he's a comedian, and he's great with music whenever I play music. He knows who it is the artists title, everything album is Encino. Velo cycling club.

Matt Sodnicar 55:52
Oh, yeah. Stefan

Anthony De Leo 55:56
he's a funny man. He's a funny man. So he sent him a note saying he he's a great he's a great Instagram follower of bespoke fellow he comments regularly and and always provides me some entertainment. So I think he's Australian is he's got okay. He's got on his, his Instagram profile. We teach cycling and sarcasm not necessarily in that order. And we OGS rule and then he has the Ozzy flag and the and the US flag. So yeah, he's he's an Aussie have some description.

Matt Sodnicar 56:31
Here he's a character man. I've known him for a long time. Oh, I'll reach out Did

Anthony De Leo 56:36
he leave locally to you or no in another state or

Matt Sodnicar 56:40
Encino is actually in California.

Anthony De Leo 56:44
Encino, of course, yeah,

Matt Sodnicar 56:46
so I met him through the bike industry, but just just Yeah.

Anthony De Leo 56:53
Man, his character, but he's, he's great on the music might or if there was ever a music trivia night, I'd invite him along, because he's very good. Very good on the music. Oh, yeah. It sounds like, you know, there's, there's, you know, we're talking about Connections is, you know, one of your one of your friends follows bespoke fellow. And he's, he's awesome. Really good. Really, really nice. Go on funny. So it's all about connections. And I don't know how many 1000s of miles away we are. But you know, the world we live in now. We're kind of close because of things like this. You know, yeah, we can talk to each other and and it's nice to actually see, you know, see you instead of via email, it's actually nice to see. See, it's more video and, and. And talk talk and talk. shoot the breeze and just have some fun. Yeah, but yeah, in my it's, it's been awesome. And I appreciate you having me on and appreciate your support over the years because you've always always been there to help. Nothing's ever been seen watch and yeah, I'm very thankful for that.

Matt Sodnicar 58:05
Yeah. And right back at you, my friend like thank you for your support and your your mentorship and your leadership and your support. Like it really means a lot and it always seems to happen at the exact right time that I need it like I would just get an email from Australia is sort of like, like just just a little tailwind. So I thank you so much for that.

Anthony De Leo 58:30
Thank you. Thank you for the support. Appreciate it.

Matt Sodnicar 58:34
All right. Thanks, Anthony. I really appreciate it.

Anthony De Leo 58:37
You take care

Transcribed by https://otter.ai