Episode 684 - Away From The Noise

In this week, Phil takes listeners on a journey through the quail fields of southern Georgia, highlighting the importance of stepping away from daily distractions to foster meaningful connections. He shares captivating stories about the social aspects of quail hunting and the value of spending time with family, friends, and colleagues in serene environments. Phil emphasizes that these moments of tranquility create opportunities for deep dialogue and building trusting relationships. Tune in to discover how embracing such experiences can enhance both personal and professional growth.
 

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Transcript 

Top performers in every field surround themselves with those who inspire them, who seek to build them up, and who push them to reach beyond their current limits. I'm Phil Buchanan, Executive Chairman of Cannon Financial Institute. I designed Monday Morning Mojo to provide you with a weekly spark, a push, and motivational insight to live your best life.

Thanks for joining. Greetings, Cannon Nation. It is Phil here with episode 684 of Monday Morning Mojo. I recently spent some time in the quail fields and woods of southern Georgia. I am fortunate to live in close proximity to the quail capital of the world. It is said that the finest natural quail habitat in the world is found in the Albany, Georgia to Thomasville, Georgia corridor.

I don't doubt that statement. When European settlers first came to America, The bird known as the quail or the bobwhite were plentiful along the eastern U. S. After the Civil War, many wealthy northerners bought large tracts of land in the deep south. so that they might pursue the hunting of quail. This period saw many advances in the sport, including refinement in shotguns, and in the use and training of dogs to pinpoint the location of quail in the fields.

Today, as in the post Civil War period, quail hunting is a very social activity. Business professionals make up a large segment of quail hunters as the sport offers time for engaged conversations both before, during, and after the hunt. Southern Georgia boasts numerous preserves and plantations where guests are provided meals and lodging in addition to guided quail hunts.

One of my all time favorites is Piedra Plantation. It's near Camillo, Georgia. It was the dream of retired Coca Cola executive Bill Atchison. He and his wife, Annie, developed Rio to provide not only a world class hunting experience, but also to provide first class accommodations, gourmet meals, and excellent wine.

Well, today, Bill and Annie have turned the operation over to their son and daughter in law, Sam and Beth Atchison. If anything, the experience has been elevated. A typical day of quail hunting typically begins with coffee and breakfast, and then around 8. 45 your hunting guide arrives at the lodge, either by wagon or by jeep, to transport you and your hunting partners to your morning hunt.

Also along with you are the dogs who will assist in the hunt. Once you arrive at your hunting spot, the first group of hunting dogs are put on the ground. Now, at Rio, you typically hunt with two pointing dogs, whose task it is to find the location of the birds, and one flushing dog, whose task it is to flush the found birds from their hiding space and cause them to fly in the air.

It's this step that provides the hunters with a chance to take aim and fire. The birds fly fast, often very fast. Missing one's target is not a disgraceful thing. It's just part of the sport. The morning hunt lasts about three hours, and in order not to exhaust the dogs, the pointers and flushers are rotated each hour.

Thus, the jeep or wagon transports at least six pointers and three flushers. Now, just like our pets at home, these dogs have their own unique styles and personalities. I enjoy watching the dogs work in the quail field more than any other aspect of the sport. Now, after the morning hunt, your group, uh, typically has lunch and perhaps a quick nap.

And then it's back to the field for an afternoon hunt from 2 to 5. When the afternoon hunt concludes, hunters typically wash up and meet for a cocktail hour ish. I say hour ish because it It usually lasts a little longer than 60 minutes. The conversations, although they change, the topics are typically the same.

They always involve the toughest shots that one made in the afternoon and along with the easiest shots that were missed. Typically, there's another funny story or two to be told. Now, after dinner, usually around an outdoor fireplace if weather permits, or indoor fireplaces if the weather is not so, not so rosy.

That's when some of the greatest conversations take place. I have seen numerous business deals hatched, concluded, and or celebrated around those fires with another glass of wine or a nighttime cocktail. Experiences like those that you get at Rio force constantly busy people to slow down and to focus on things they might not engage in in everyday life.

You know, for me, when I'm in the field, it's, it's just me, it's my shotgun, it's the guy, it's the dogs, it's my hunting partner and it's the birds. There isn't any email or zoom meetings. No one is demanding of your time and it allows for thought and contemplation. Now, some of you may. Not like the idea of quail hunting, although I'm guessing that many of the folks who don't would have stopped listening a while back.

But I'm the type of individual that always brings home harvested quail for future meals. I've got some great recipes if you're interested, just email me. But my real reason for sharing with you this experience of Rio and Quail hunting in general isn't a focus on the hunt itself, but rather is to focus on the value of getting away from the noise.

And allowing yourself to spend time with those who really matter. Your family, your friends, your colleagues, your clients. and for you all collectively to pursue the activities that that aren't part of your everyday experience. Because again, it's situations like these that when they quiet the mind, it creates the opportunities for deep dialogue.

Yes, what we do professionally matters. Whatever our deep technical expertise, yes, it matters. But at the end of the day, what really matters is the ability to connect with people. To create the opportunities to understand their hopes, their dreams, their wishes, their fears. The time to establish deep and trusting relationships requires environments to help promote it.

So whether it's time you spend in the woods or on a trip to wine country or any other such endeavor, find the moments in 2025 that allow for deeper, more meaningful connections to those that are important to you. I promise you, you'll be glad you did. Monday Morning Mojo is a production of Cannon Financial Institute.
Executive producer of Monday Morning Mojo is Sarah Jones. Editing and mixing is done by Danny Brunner. Production management is done by McCall Channing. Until next time, I'm Phil Buchanan reminding you to be a force for good. Have a great week and thanks for being part of the Mojo community.