1 01:00:07,083 --> 01:00:09,416 Welcome to The Recalibrated. I'm your 2 01:00:09,416 --> 01:00:11,041 host, Meade Kincke, and 3 01:00:11,041 --> 01:00:12,000 I'm here to take us through 4 01:00:12,000 --> 01:00:13,583 the journey of being in the service, 5 01:00:14,083 --> 01:00:15,458 transitioning out, and 6 01:00:15,458 --> 01:00:16,666 what today looks like. 7 01:00:17,208 --> 01:00:19,833 Our guest, Adam Peters, served over 13 8 01:00:19,833 --> 01:00:20,666 years in the United 9 01:00:20,666 --> 01:00:22,416 States Army as an infantryman 10 01:00:22,625 --> 01:00:24,458 and has seen more than his fair share 11 01:00:24,458 --> 01:00:25,583 with four combat 12 01:00:25,583 --> 01:00:26,875 deployments to the Middle East. 13 01:00:27,583 --> 01:00:29,666 Today, he is the founder of the Strategic 14 01:00:29,666 --> 01:00:31,291 Veteran, a platform and 15 01:00:31,291 --> 01:00:33,083 podcast focused on helping 16 01:00:33,083 --> 01:00:35,458 service members and veterans navigate the 17 01:00:35,458 --> 01:00:36,583 realities of life 18 01:00:36,583 --> 01:00:37,916 after the military. 19 01:00:38,333 --> 01:00:39,916 Adam, welcome to the show. 20 01:00:40,958 --> 01:00:42,125 Meade, thanks for having me, 21 01:00:42,125 --> 01:00:43,125 man. I'm excited to be here. 22 01:00:43,666 --> 01:00:48,041 Absolutely lovely, sir. So, let's begin with 23 01:00:48,041 --> 01:00:52,833 "The Why." So, what drew you to the Army, 24 01:00:53,041 --> 01:00:54,083 especially given that you 25 01:00:54,083 --> 01:00:56,333 hold a CPL or commercial pilot? 26 01:00:57,750 --> 01:01:01,250 Well, one would think it would be driven 27 01:01:01,250 --> 01:01:02,791 towards the Air Force in that. 28 01:01:03,250 --> 01:01:05,208 Well, you know what's funny about that is I 29 01:01:05,208 --> 01:01:06,291 actually was driven towards 30 01:01:06,291 --> 01:01:07,250 the Air Force and the Navy, 31 01:01:07,375 --> 01:01:09,208 so the commercial pilot's license 32 01:01:09,208 --> 01:01:11,291 wouldn't come until after the 33 01:01:11,291 --> 01:01:14,208 Army. So, I joined right out of 34 01:01:14,208 --> 01:01:18,541 high school. And the truth is, it's 35 01:01:18,541 --> 01:01:21,250 somewhere in the middle of all of this. I 36 01:01:21,250 --> 01:01:22,541 had a buddy that was 37 01:01:22,541 --> 01:01:24,916 a class ahead of me in high school. His 38 01:01:24,916 --> 01:01:26,583 name's Alex Burkle. He is a 39 01:01:26,583 --> 01:01:28,125 bigwig in the Air Force now, 40 01:01:28,541 --> 01:01:31,208 but he went to basic training the summer 41 01:01:31,208 --> 01:01:32,166 between our junior and 42 01:01:32,166 --> 01:01:35,041 senior year. And I saw the changes 43 01:01:35,541 --> 01:01:37,583 as a young man that that made in him. And 44 01:01:37,583 --> 01:01:38,541 I actually kind of 45 01:01:38,541 --> 01:01:39,666 wanted to do that. And then 46 01:01:39,666 --> 01:01:42,291 you couple that with some stuff that was 47 01:01:42,291 --> 01:01:44,500 going on at home. And the 48 01:01:44,500 --> 01:01:46,083 fact that I grew up in kind of 49 01:01:46,250 --> 01:01:48,708 small town Indiana, I just wanted out, 50 01:01:48,708 --> 01:01:49,916 man. I didn't want to be 51 01:01:49,916 --> 01:01:51,333 a farmer. I didn't want to 52 01:01:51,333 --> 01:01:55,083 work for the farmers. The business, the 53 01:01:55,083 --> 01:01:56,416 industry in Southern 54 01:01:56,416 --> 01:01:58,458 Indiana, you could just tie it all 55 01:01:58,500 --> 01:02:00,666 the way back to, I mean, it's just legacy 56 01:02:00,666 --> 01:02:03,125 generational land and 57 01:02:03,125 --> 01:02:05,375 businesses. And so, I just 58 01:02:05,375 --> 01:02:06,583 kind of knew that there was more to the 59 01:02:06,583 --> 01:02:08,375 world and I wanted out. So, 60 01:02:08,375 --> 01:02:11,541 self-improvement, being mad at my 61 01:02:11,541 --> 01:02:14,125 parents, and wanting out of small town 62 01:02:14,125 --> 01:02:16,125 America, I ended up in 63 01:02:16,125 --> 01:02:17,875 the Army as an infantry guy. 64 01:02:18,583 --> 01:02:20,791 I love that. You're like, anywhere but 65 01:02:20,791 --> 01:02:23,250 here. The smell of corn makes me 66 01:02:23,250 --> 01:02:24,458 nauseated. I can't do this 67 01:02:24,500 --> 01:02:27,916 anymore. And it's funny, man, because it 68 01:02:27,916 --> 01:02:29,333 will always be home. 69 01:02:29,333 --> 01:02:31,375 There's a certain way that I 70 01:02:31,458 --> 01:02:34,625 feel when I go back and I'll even take 71 01:02:34,625 --> 01:02:36,375 this a step further. I've 72 01:02:36,375 --> 01:02:38,666 been back twice in 22 years. 73 01:02:39,083 --> 01:02:42,541 It's not like I go back often, but it 74 01:02:42,541 --> 01:02:44,791 will always be some element of home. 75 01:02:44,791 --> 01:02:45,708 There will always be some 76 01:02:45,708 --> 01:02:48,625 kind of grounding, energetic feeling in 77 01:02:48,625 --> 01:02:50,000 my body when I go back to 78 01:02:50,000 --> 01:02:51,333 my hometown. But there's just 79 01:02:51,375 --> 01:02:53,458 nothing there for me anymore. You know, 80 01:02:53,458 --> 01:02:55,083 if that makes sense. No, it 81 01:02:55,083 --> 01:02:57,500 does. And, that's one of those 82 01:02:57,500 --> 01:03:00,166 things where when you chat to people who 83 01:03:00,166 --> 01:03:02,500 are worldly and you chat to 84 01:03:02,500 --> 01:03:03,375 people that are definitely 85 01:03:03,541 --> 01:03:05,416 not, there's a difference between the 86 01:03:05,416 --> 01:03:08,375 two. You can kind of go like, well, the 87 01:03:08,375 --> 01:03:09,708 Kathleen Madigan, 88 01:03:09,708 --> 01:03:11,291 the comedian, has said it really well of 89 01:03:11,291 --> 01:03:13,166 like, well, where would I go? And you go 90 01:03:13,166 --> 01:03:14,750 like, there's a map. 91 01:03:14,750 --> 01:03:16,583 You can throw a dart at it. You can go 92 01:03:16,583 --> 01:03:18,416 anywhere you like. But not 93 01:03:18,416 --> 01:03:20,041 everyone have the wanderlust. 94 01:03:20,333 --> 01:03:22,458 And, it seems like you may have taken 95 01:03:22,458 --> 01:03:23,791 their share as well. 96 01:03:25,458 --> 01:03:27,125 Probably, man, because one of my favourite 97 01:03:27,125 --> 01:03:28,791 things to do, I do this 98 01:03:28,791 --> 01:03:30,125 frequently when I go to Peru, 99 01:03:30,125 --> 01:03:32,333 and I go to Peru once a year. I love to 100 01:03:32,333 --> 01:03:34,333 just go to a place with no plan and get 101 01:03:34,333 --> 01:03:36,041 lost. Like, obviously, 102 01:03:36,333 --> 01:03:37,958 there's like a process. You know what I 103 01:03:37,958 --> 01:03:38,833 mean? Like, I know where 104 01:03:38,833 --> 01:03:40,583 the hotel or the Airbnb is at. 105 01:03:40,833 --> 01:03:41,166 Sure. 106 01:03:41,166 --> 01:03:43,083 I know what direction I've walked. I also 107 01:03:43,083 --> 01:03:44,583 have, you know, kind of, 108 01:03:44,583 --> 01:03:46,541 it's 2026, so you should have 109 01:03:46,541 --> 01:03:48,250 some kind of electronic map in your 110 01:03:48,250 --> 01:03:49,625 pocket. You know what I mean? 111 01:03:50,041 --> 01:03:52,958 But like, that's fun for me. 112 01:03:52,958 --> 01:03:55,125 Like, I don't speak the language. I'm 113 01:03:55,125 --> 01:03:56,125 terrible at learning 114 01:03:56,125 --> 01:03:57,416 languages. I think that I have the 115 01:03:57,416 --> 01:03:59,541 capacity to do it. But, I think the only 116 01:03:59,541 --> 01:04:00,833 way I'm going to do that is 117 01:04:00,833 --> 01:04:02,750 through immersion and being 118 01:04:02,750 --> 01:04:05,416 in places like that. But it is true. It's 119 01:04:05,416 --> 01:04:06,500 one of my absolute favourite 120 01:04:06,500 --> 01:04:08,375 things is to just start walking 121 01:04:08,375 --> 01:04:11,958 a direction and explore a foreign place. 122 01:04:12,708 --> 01:04:14,083 I'm much the same. I love 123 01:04:14,083 --> 01:04:15,416 that. And that's the thing is 124 01:04:15,458 --> 01:04:18,125 that you end up like three o'clock in 125 01:04:18,125 --> 01:04:19,250 someone's, you know, back 126 01:04:19,250 --> 01:04:20,750 garden going like, "What do you 127 01:04:20,750 --> 01:04:22,416 mean we're doing drunk ring toss?" And 128 01:04:22,416 --> 01:04:24,666 you go like, "What do you mean you're 129 01:04:24,666 --> 01:04:25,791 not? I'm over here living 130 01:04:25,833 --> 01:04:27,583 life. Come on now. Let's do the thing." 131 01:04:27,583 --> 01:04:31,083 Right. Yes. Yes. Yes. Just, I mean, 132 01:04:31,083 --> 01:04:32,625 there's so much to see. 133 01:04:32,625 --> 01:04:34,458 There's so much to experience. And, 134 01:04:34,875 --> 01:04:36,708 I know the United States is a big place. 135 01:04:36,708 --> 01:04:37,458 You could spend your whole 136 01:04:37,458 --> 01:04:38,875 life here and not explore 137 01:04:38,875 --> 01:04:41,583 everything, but also like, there's a 138 01:04:41,583 --> 01:04:43,166 whole world out there, you know? 139 01:04:43,166 --> 01:04:44,041 Definitely that. 140 01:04:44,625 --> 01:04:49,333 So, let's get into the beginnings of it. 141 01:04:49,833 --> 01:04:51,708 As far as, you know, 142 01:04:51,708 --> 01:04:53,041 humble beginnings for you as an 143 01:04:53,041 --> 01:04:54,916 infantryman, what did that 144 01:04:54,916 --> 01:04:56,208 look like? How did that begin? 145 01:04:56,875 --> 01:05:01,166 It was rough, man. It was rough. So, I 146 01:05:01,166 --> 01:05:04,125 joined the Army. Technically, I joined 147 01:05:04,125 --> 01:05:06,333 the Army July 3rd of 148 01:05:06,333 --> 01:05:08,666 2002. So, I spent a year on the delayed 149 01:05:08,666 --> 01:05:10,416 entry program, which is 150 01:05:10,416 --> 01:05:11,833 nothing more than a year of 151 01:05:11,833 --> 01:05:13,916 indoctrination before you go get 152 01:05:13,916 --> 01:05:17,458 indoctrinated formally. Right? And look, 153 01:05:17,458 --> 01:05:19,041 man, I did the things 154 01:05:19,125 --> 01:05:21,333 to get the extra rank that you can get. 155 01:05:21,625 --> 01:05:24,083 So, instead of, you know, being an E1 156 01:05:24,083 --> 01:05:25,833 that came in as an E3 157 01:05:25,833 --> 01:05:27,916 and would do that thing, right? Like, 158 01:05:27,916 --> 01:05:29,458 just kind of just did the thing, 159 01:05:29,458 --> 01:05:31,541 whatever. Originally, I joined 160 01:05:31,541 --> 01:05:34,500 as an 11 X-Ray airborne ranger. So, I had 161 01:05:34,500 --> 01:05:36,208 the whole contract. That 162 01:05:36,208 --> 01:05:38,541 got screwed up. But back in 163 01:05:38,583 --> 01:05:41,291 the day, there was like the way you would 164 01:05:41,291 --> 01:05:42,791 get things was recruiters 165 01:05:42,791 --> 01:05:44,250 had to do certain things 166 01:05:44,250 --> 01:05:46,541 to make quotas. And then you could only 167 01:05:46,541 --> 01:05:47,833 get certain contracts by 168 01:05:47,833 --> 01:05:50,208 being... Anyway, long story short, 169 01:05:50,208 --> 01:05:52,458 they paired me with a guy. My contract 170 01:05:52,458 --> 01:05:53,666 was contingent on that guy 171 01:05:53,666 --> 01:05:54,708 shipping to basic training. 172 01:05:54,708 --> 01:05:56,041 That guy never shipped to basic training. 173 01:05:56,041 --> 01:05:57,375 So, I lost my contract. I 174 01:05:57,375 --> 01:05:59,208 just got to become an 11 X-ray, 175 01:05:59,750 --> 01:06:02,708 lose the airborne, lose the ranger. So, I 176 01:06:02,708 --> 01:06:03,875 get to family day at basic 177 01:06:03,875 --> 01:06:05,458 training, and I didn't have 178 01:06:05,625 --> 01:06:08,166 like a duty station to go to. And this is 179 01:06:08,166 --> 01:06:09,541 kind of the first time in 180 01:06:09,541 --> 01:06:11,708 my life where hindsight's 20/20. 181 01:06:11,708 --> 01:06:14,416 I should have stayed as permanent 182 01:06:14,416 --> 01:06:15,916 party at Fort Benning after 183 01:06:15,916 --> 01:06:17,041 I graduated basic training. 184 01:06:17,041 --> 01:06:18,958 This was the options that they gave me. 185 01:06:19,166 --> 01:06:20,333 Okay. I should have 186 01:06:20,333 --> 01:06:21,250 stayed because I would have got 187 01:06:21,250 --> 01:06:22,375 all the schools and I would have 188 01:06:22,375 --> 01:06:23,833 eventually kind of gotten to 189 01:06:23,833 --> 01:06:25,458 go where I wanted to go in the 190 01:06:25,458 --> 01:06:27,375 beginning. But I didn't know that. What I 191 01:06:27,375 --> 01:06:29,583 knew is there was a 192 01:06:29,583 --> 01:06:31,333 permanent party guy during my cycle 193 01:06:31,375 --> 01:06:33,041 of basic training and they treated him 194 01:06:33,041 --> 01:06:35,208 like shit. And I didn't want any part of 195 01:06:35,208 --> 01:06:36,291 that. So, I opted to 196 01:06:36,291 --> 01:06:39,416 just go to Fort Stewart. And I got to 197 01:06:39,416 --> 01:06:41,041 Fort Stewart somewhere 198 01:06:41,041 --> 01:06:42,916 between two weeks and a month after 199 01:06:42,916 --> 01:06:44,500 those guys had come home from the 200 01:06:44,500 --> 01:06:47,291 invasion. So, that should tell you enough 201 01:06:47,291 --> 01:06:49,125 about what my life as 202 01:06:49,125 --> 01:06:52,583 a private was like. Sure. And, now a 203 01:06:52,583 --> 01:06:55,666 combat seasoned, if you will, infantry 204 01:06:55,666 --> 01:06:57,666 unit. So, life sucked for me 205 01:06:57,666 --> 01:07:00,458 as a private man. No combat patch, no 206 01:07:00,458 --> 01:07:02,958 CIB. At the time, we were still in the 207 01:07:02,958 --> 01:07:04,583 BDU and the DCU uniform. 208 01:07:05,250 --> 01:07:07,625 So, the only way you would wear- This was 209 01:07:07,625 --> 01:07:09,166 at the day, when they were introducing 210 01:07:09,208 --> 01:07:12,541 Digitals, yeah? Yeah. So, this was about 211 01:07:12,541 --> 01:07:13,708 four years before we 212 01:07:13,708 --> 01:07:15,541 would go into the ACUs. Yeah. 213 01:07:15,833 --> 01:07:18,500 Yeah. So, at the time, the way you wore 214 01:07:18,500 --> 01:07:19,708 your flag on your shoulder 215 01:07:19,708 --> 01:07:20,916 was you had to have a combat 216 01:07:20,916 --> 01:07:22,916 patch. So, I literally had nothing, man. 217 01:07:23,166 --> 01:07:24,250 Wow. And they were quick 218 01:07:24,250 --> 01:07:25,458 to let you know about it. 219 01:07:25,791 --> 01:07:29,958 You were ostracised. I wouldn't call it 220 01:07:29,958 --> 01:07:30,708 hazing. I would just 221 01:07:30,708 --> 01:07:32,000 call it paying your dues. 222 01:07:32,708 --> 01:07:33,875 Looked down upon, I 223 01:07:33,875 --> 01:07:35,083 think is a fair way to say it. 224 01:07:35,416 --> 01:07:39,000 Absolutely. Yeah. But I think, look, man, 225 01:07:39,000 --> 01:07:40,000 I participated in that 226 01:07:40,000 --> 01:07:41,208 stuff throughout my career. 227 01:07:41,583 --> 01:07:43,708 I would have been guilty of what they 228 01:07:43,708 --> 01:07:46,166 call hazing now. I think it's all for a 229 01:07:46,166 --> 01:07:47,041 reason. I think it all 230 01:07:47,041 --> 01:07:49,916 makes sense. And I think it's just part 231 01:07:49,916 --> 01:07:51,041 of it. It's the fucking 232 01:07:51,041 --> 01:07:52,416 army. You know what I mean? Like, 233 01:07:52,958 --> 01:07:55,791 deal with it. So, do I think it was 234 01:07:55,791 --> 01:07:57,166 wrong? No. Did it suck? 235 01:07:57,375 --> 01:07:58,666 Yeah, absolutely. Did I feel like 236 01:07:58,666 --> 01:08:00,708 I was abused? No. Did I feel like I was 237 01:08:00,708 --> 01:08:01,875 paying my dues and earning 238 01:08:01,875 --> 01:08:03,166 my right to be there? Yeah, 239 01:08:03,166 --> 01:08:05,583 kind of. Can I say all of that because I 240 01:08:05,583 --> 01:08:07,416 lived through it and kind 241 01:08:07,416 --> 01:08:08,541 of that was my experience? 242 01:08:09,000 --> 01:08:10,916 Yeah, that probably has an effect on it. 243 01:08:11,166 --> 01:08:13,583 But would I change any of 244 01:08:13,583 --> 01:08:15,166 it? No. And I think it's- 245 01:08:15,166 --> 01:08:15,500 Fair enough. 246 01:08:16,458 --> 01:08:17,875 I wouldn't. I wouldn't change any of it 247 01:08:17,875 --> 01:08:18,958 because it made me 248 01:08:18,958 --> 01:08:20,000 the man that I am today. 249 01:08:20,500 --> 01:08:22,125 So, basically, you're just saying 250 01:08:22,125 --> 01:08:23,875 drink the Kool-Aid, go to the 251 01:08:23,875 --> 01:08:25,791 frat with guns is the big- 252 01:08:26,083 --> 01:08:27,958 That's it, man. Shut up and colour, dude. 253 01:08:28,291 --> 01:08:29,958 You got yourself into this. 254 01:08:31,958 --> 01:08:33,833 What did you think? You were 255 01:08:33,833 --> 01:08:35,000 going to change a machine 256 01:08:35,000 --> 01:08:37,375 that has been running since 1775? 257 01:08:38,125 --> 01:08:40,166 It only has a few hands in 258 01:08:40,166 --> 01:08:41,875 the cookie jar. Just a few. 259 01:08:42,875 --> 01:08:44,041 Right. So- 260 01:08:46,375 --> 01:08:47,041 Oh, goodness. 261 01:08:47,916 --> 01:08:50,541 So, we kind of answered what it looks 262 01:08:50,541 --> 01:08:51,916 like. Oh, pardon. I'm speaking of you. 263 01:08:51,916 --> 01:08:53,041 No, I was just going to say that's what 264 01:08:53,041 --> 01:08:54,000 it was like for me, 265 01:08:54,000 --> 01:08:56,000 man. If you could dream it, 266 01:08:56,000 --> 01:08:58,791 I was probably treated that way. I understand. 267 01:08:58,791 --> 01:09:01,000 I also... There's a caveat 268 01:09:01,000 --> 01:09:02,958 to that too. Yeah, they treated 269 01:09:02,958 --> 01:09:05,291 me and ostracised me differently because 270 01:09:05,291 --> 01:09:06,416 I didn't have all of those 271 01:09:06,416 --> 01:09:09,041 things. But also, after work, 272 01:09:09,250 --> 01:09:11,625 I was still invited to go to Savannah and 273 01:09:11,625 --> 01:09:13,166 to drink and to party and 274 01:09:13,166 --> 01:09:14,125 to go to the strip clubs. 275 01:09:14,166 --> 01:09:14,458 Okay. 276 01:09:14,916 --> 01:09:18,125 And to be a... Right, so, it was, I guess 277 01:09:18,125 --> 01:09:19,708 for a young man, that can be kind of 278 01:09:19,708 --> 01:09:21,041 confusing, but also, 279 01:09:21,208 --> 01:09:24,416 I think as an older man now, I understand 280 01:09:24,416 --> 01:09:26,000 what was going on. There was, 281 01:09:27,000 --> 01:09:28,500 You kind of had to earn your place and 282 01:09:28,500 --> 01:09:30,000 prove yourself during the 283 01:09:30,000 --> 01:09:31,583 day and when you're working 284 01:09:31,583 --> 01:09:33,458 into field problems and all of that. But 285 01:09:33,458 --> 01:09:35,833 also, you are a part of this team, 286 01:09:35,833 --> 01:09:37,083 whether we like it or not. 287 01:09:37,083 --> 01:09:38,583 So, we are going to include you and we 288 01:09:38,583 --> 01:09:40,041 are going to look out for 289 01:09:40,041 --> 01:09:41,416 you and treat you the right way 290 01:09:41,541 --> 01:09:42,958 after hours. You know what I mean? 291 01:09:43,041 --> 01:09:44,541 Well, and see, that's where you really get 292 01:09:44,541 --> 01:09:46,416 to know men anyway. I've said this a 293 01:09:46,416 --> 01:09:47,458 thousand times over, 294 01:09:47,458 --> 01:09:49,750 if you go to a conference, you go to this 295 01:09:49,750 --> 01:09:51,458 and you go, "Yeah, do 296 01:09:51,458 --> 01:09:52,416 you know where you actually 297 01:09:53,041 --> 01:09:55,500 meet people, make really lifelong 298 01:09:55,500 --> 01:09:57,000 friends, do business?" 299 01:09:57,500 --> 01:09:59,041 Hotel lobby bar, three o'clock. 300 01:09:59,375 --> 01:10:02,041 That's where you do it. You're like, "Oh, 301 01:10:02,041 --> 01:10:02,666 let's go to the 302 01:10:02,666 --> 01:10:03,958 conference." No one to go into the 303 01:10:03,958 --> 01:10:07,708 conference. Right. Dude, I totally agree 304 01:10:07,708 --> 01:10:08,666 with you. I've got a 305 01:10:08,666 --> 01:10:09,916 four-day event coming up over in 306 01:10:09,916 --> 01:10:11,958 Orlando next week. Three o'clock lobby 307 01:10:11,958 --> 01:10:13,250 bar. That's the time. 308 01:10:13,250 --> 01:10:16,416 It will be. And look, I'm intentionally 309 01:10:16,416 --> 01:10:17,791 staying in the hotel when I 310 01:10:17,791 --> 01:10:19,125 could drive home every night 311 01:10:19,458 --> 01:10:21,208 because of what you just said, because of 312 01:10:21,208 --> 01:10:22,458 the networking opportunity. 313 01:10:23,541 --> 01:10:25,125 Bring your business cards. That's one of 314 01:10:25,125 --> 01:10:26,708 those things where you go like, "Listen, 315 01:10:27,291 --> 01:10:28,125 have you met John?" You're 316 01:10:28,125 --> 01:10:29,208 like, "No, but I'm about to." 317 01:10:30,541 --> 01:10:33,500 Yeah, for sure. I love that. 318 01:10:34,916 --> 01:10:37,750 So, we've kind of touched on should have 319 01:10:37,750 --> 01:10:39,166 been special forces, and 320 01:10:39,166 --> 01:10:41,041 then because of, we can 321 01:10:41,041 --> 01:10:43,250 only say bureaucracy and paperwork, that 322 01:10:43,250 --> 01:10:44,666 fell by the wayside, 323 01:10:45,000 --> 01:10:46,291 because as the army, well, 324 01:10:46,750 --> 01:10:49,041 anything government is known to do, it 325 01:10:49,041 --> 01:10:50,250 wouldn't be a good party 326 01:10:50,250 --> 01:10:51,666 unless someone mucked up the 327 01:10:51,750 --> 01:10:52,708 paperwork. 328 01:10:52,958 --> 01:10:56,791 But. That's so true. That's so true. 329 01:10:57,041 --> 01:11:02,750 Just saying. Let's say, through your 330 01:11:02,750 --> 01:11:03,875 tenure, what's 331 01:11:03,875 --> 01:11:05,208 something that you were just 332 01:11:05,291 --> 01:11:07,750 absolutely delighted that smartphones 333 01:11:07,750 --> 01:11:10,625 were not around to record? 334 01:11:13,708 --> 01:11:16,541 Oh, man. Probably 20 stories. 335 01:11:17,166 --> 01:11:18,541 That's a loaded question. 336 01:11:19,125 --> 01:11:20,333 That's what I'm here to do. 337 01:11:20,625 --> 01:11:26,541 Yeah. So... Probably, so, my roommate was a cook 338 01:11:26,541 --> 01:11:27,583 when I lived in the barracks. 339 01:11:27,583 --> 01:11:29,208 Danny Cassidy, one of my favorite 340 01:11:29,291 --> 01:11:31,500 humans on the planet. I wish that I would 341 01:11:31,500 --> 01:11:32,166 have stayed in better 342 01:11:32,166 --> 01:11:34,250 touch with him after he got out 343 01:11:34,250 --> 01:11:38,291 of the army. But as young, still teenage 344 01:11:38,291 --> 01:11:40,291 men, he was older, so 345 01:11:40,291 --> 01:11:41,208 he could buy the beer. 346 01:11:41,875 --> 01:11:45,041 I was just a youngster. We played a game 347 01:11:45,041 --> 01:11:46,750 where we would ride to 348 01:11:46,750 --> 01:11:47,833 Savannah with everybody because 349 01:11:47,916 --> 01:11:49,541 Savannah is about an hour drive away from 350 01:11:49,541 --> 01:11:50,458 Fort Stewart, but that's 351 01:11:50,458 --> 01:11:53,333 where you go for the night life. 352 01:11:53,333 --> 01:11:56,041 But, we would play a game and we 353 01:11:56,041 --> 01:11:58,083 would race. We would see who could get 354 01:11:58,083 --> 01:11:58,958 back to the barracks 355 01:11:59,208 --> 01:12:01,041 first. So we would go out, we would leave 356 01:12:01,041 --> 01:12:03,083 the crowd, and then the 357 01:12:03,083 --> 01:12:04,333 goal was to get women to 358 01:12:04,333 --> 01:12:06,416 bring us back to the barracks. And man, 359 01:12:07,166 --> 01:12:10,250 there's one night that I 360 01:12:10,250 --> 01:12:11,791 remember very distinctly. We did 361 01:12:11,791 --> 01:12:13,166 get women to bring us back to the 362 01:12:13,166 --> 01:12:14,833 barracks. They were drinking and driving. 363 01:12:15,083 --> 01:12:16,208 I'm not advocating for 364 01:12:16,250 --> 01:12:18,208 drinking and driving, but at least we 365 01:12:18,208 --> 01:12:19,875 weren't drinking and driving and 366 01:12:19,875 --> 01:12:22,666 jeopardising our careers. 367 01:12:23,375 --> 01:12:25,500 The one that he was sniffing after was 368 01:12:25,500 --> 01:12:26,750 the one that was driving, 369 01:12:26,750 --> 01:12:27,791 the one that I was sniffing 370 01:12:27,791 --> 01:12:29,750 after, I ended up having to hold her hair 371 01:12:29,750 --> 01:12:30,833 to puke behind an 372 01:12:30,833 --> 01:12:32,958 electrical box somewhere. Really, 373 01:12:33,291 --> 01:12:36,416 really close to the gate. And so, they get 374 01:12:36,416 --> 01:12:38,375 us to the gate and they 375 01:12:38,375 --> 01:12:40,375 don't want to drive on post 376 01:12:40,958 --> 01:12:42,416 and honestly, I can't 377 01:12:42,416 --> 01:12:43,500 blame them because they were... 378 01:12:43,500 --> 01:12:43,958 Yeah, no. 379 01:12:44,458 --> 01:12:45,041 You know? 380 01:12:45,041 --> 01:12:46,500 It's like there's a guard post, there's a 381 01:12:46,500 --> 01:12:47,958 man with a carbine, I 382 01:12:47,958 --> 01:12:49,458 don't think this is for me. 383 01:12:49,541 --> 01:12:51,291 This isn't where I'm supposed to be. 384 01:12:51,666 --> 01:12:53,666 And so, Danny and I, we had to walk 385 01:12:53,666 --> 01:12:55,041 through the front gate of Fort Stewart 386 01:12:55,041 --> 01:12:56,500 right there. I forget 387 01:12:56,500 --> 01:12:59,375 the name of the main road, but luckily 388 01:12:59,375 --> 01:13:00,958 there's a class six just 389 01:13:00,958 --> 01:13:03,916 inside the front gate. So, he stops 390 01:13:03,916 --> 01:13:06,208 and he buys beer and now we walk. Our 391 01:13:06,208 --> 01:13:07,541 barracks was the complete 392 01:13:07,541 --> 01:13:09,000 opposite end of post. It's like a 393 01:13:09,041 --> 01:13:11,583 four or five mile walk and we're 394 01:13:11,583 --> 01:13:13,458 hammered. And so, I'm pretty 395 01:13:13,458 --> 01:13:14,708 glad there was no smartphones 396 01:13:14,791 --> 01:13:16,666 because there's no telling what we did on 397 01:13:16,666 --> 01:13:18,458 that walk. But those 398 01:13:18,458 --> 01:13:19,708 videos probably would have got 399 01:13:19,708 --> 01:13:20,708 us in a lot of trouble. 400 01:13:20,708 --> 01:13:21,958 You made it home though, 401 01:13:21,958 --> 01:13:23,041 so at least that's that. 402 01:13:23,041 --> 01:13:26,000 And we did. And I think it's funny 403 01:13:26,000 --> 01:13:28,916 because in all the... It was probably a 404 01:13:28,916 --> 01:13:31,750 good 10 or 11 months 405 01:13:31,750 --> 01:13:34,000 that we would do this pretty much every 406 01:13:34,000 --> 01:13:37,291 weekend. We never got stranded ever. We 407 01:13:37,291 --> 01:13:38,958 never had not a ride 408 01:13:38,958 --> 01:13:41,375 home. That was the only time that 409 01:13:41,375 --> 01:13:43,750 somebody didn't drop us back off or stay 410 01:13:43,750 --> 01:13:45,125 the night in our barracks. 411 01:13:45,541 --> 01:13:46,166 You know what I mean? 412 01:13:46,541 --> 01:13:48,375 So yeah. And like four miles is a decent 413 01:13:48,375 --> 01:13:50,333 hump from the gate. Like that's... 414 01:13:50,750 --> 01:13:51,208 Especially when you've 415 01:13:51,208 --> 01:13:52,291 been drinking all night. 416 01:13:52,291 --> 01:13:54,958 Yeah. You're like navigating by the North 417 01:13:54,958 --> 01:13:57,125 Star going, "Where are we?" 418 01:13:58,291 --> 01:14:01,458 There's another one would be probably... 419 01:14:02,125 --> 01:14:03,291 So, St. Patrick's Day is 420 01:14:03,291 --> 01:14:05,125 huge in Savannah. It's a giant 421 01:14:05,291 --> 01:14:07,291 thing. Over a million people on River 422 01:14:07,291 --> 01:14:08,291 Street. It's really cool. 423 01:14:08,291 --> 01:14:09,458 They turn the whole river green. 424 01:14:10,916 --> 01:14:14,208 So, my first year there, shortly after I 425 01:14:14,208 --> 01:14:16,125 showed up to the unit, we all went to 426 01:14:16,125 --> 01:14:17,458 party for St. Patrick's 427 01:14:17,458 --> 01:14:20,083 Day. And there was a 12-mile ruck march 428 01:14:20,083 --> 01:14:21,208 that started at four in 429 01:14:21,208 --> 01:14:22,583 the morning the next morning. 430 01:14:23,000 --> 01:14:24,541 But, we didn't get back from drinking 431 01:14:24,541 --> 01:14:25,625 until three in the morning. 432 01:14:25,625 --> 01:14:27,000 So we didn't even go to bed. We 433 01:14:27,000 --> 01:14:29,125 just show up drunk on duty, just hammered 434 01:14:29,125 --> 01:14:31,541 everybody. Everybody from... I mean from 435 01:14:31,541 --> 01:14:33,083 at least the platoons 436 01:14:33,208 --> 01:14:35,458 sarge down. They were all there. So 437 01:14:35,458 --> 01:14:36,541 we're all hammered. And we 438 01:14:36,541 --> 01:14:37,958 do the 12-mile ruck march. 439 01:14:38,750 --> 01:14:41,041 And just, dude, if you would have had a 440 01:14:41,041 --> 01:14:43,166 smartphone to film this, you'd be like, 441 01:14:43,166 --> 01:14:44,041 "This is America's 442 01:14:44,041 --> 01:14:46,583 fighting force. This is the cut." 443 01:14:46,583 --> 01:14:48,791 All I can see is it's the beginning scene 444 01:14:48,791 --> 01:14:49,875 of "Shaun Of The Dead" where 445 01:14:49,875 --> 01:14:51,583 you go like, "Who died and made 446 01:14:51,583 --> 01:14:55,250 you King Zombie?" Oooaaahhh. It was bad, man. It was 447 01:14:55,250 --> 01:14:56,625 bad. That's the definition 448 01:14:56,625 --> 01:14:59,541 of dead on the feet. Come on, now. 449 01:14:59,541 --> 01:15:02,000 Yeah. And so, thank God we had just like a 450 01:15:02,000 --> 01:15:03,750 DONSA after the ruck march 451 01:15:03,750 --> 01:15:05,166 finished. And I think, dude, 452 01:15:05,166 --> 01:15:06,875 that was truly... That was one of the 453 01:15:06,875 --> 01:15:08,791 fastest times I ever had. I 454 01:15:08,791 --> 01:15:10,458 finished it sub three hours, 455 01:15:10,458 --> 01:15:13,625 which is kind of the standard, but I 456 01:15:13,625 --> 01:15:14,375 don't know how. I don't 457 01:15:14,375 --> 01:15:15,583 know how I finished it. And, 458 01:15:15,666 --> 01:15:17,375 dude, as we're all finishing, we're all 459 01:15:17,375 --> 01:15:19,625 throwing up. You can smell 460 01:15:19,625 --> 01:15:21,041 the alcohol coming out of our 461 01:15:21,041 --> 01:15:21,666 pores. Of course. 462 01:15:21,666 --> 01:15:24,041 You know, it's just... It's in the bones. 463 01:15:24,416 --> 01:15:26,083 I really am glad that there was no 464 01:15:26,083 --> 01:15:28,125 smartphones for that stuff, man. And 465 01:15:28,125 --> 01:15:29,250 you're right, probably 466 01:15:29,250 --> 01:15:30,666 a hundred other stories that I 467 01:15:30,666 --> 01:15:32,458 just can't think of right now. 468 01:15:32,458 --> 01:15:32,916 No worries. 469 01:15:33,416 --> 01:15:35,000 They should probably live in my memory 470 01:15:35,000 --> 01:15:36,875 and never be talked about again. 471 01:15:38,541 --> 01:15:40,666 And in puddles in Savannah. 472 01:15:41,541 --> 01:15:43,833 Yes. Very much, yes. 473 01:15:45,291 --> 01:15:49,500 I think those two will cover. So, nearing 474 01:15:49,500 --> 01:15:51,750 the end of your service, what 475 01:15:51,750 --> 01:15:54,375 drove your decision to retire? 476 01:15:55,416 --> 01:15:58,333 It wasn't me, man. My body quit. Four 477 01:15:58,333 --> 01:15:59,666 deployments, almost 50 478 01:15:59,666 --> 01:16:00,875 months of combat time. 479 01:16:02,166 --> 01:16:05,833 I had one, two, three, four, five 480 01:16:05,833 --> 01:16:07,916 surgeries while I was still in. So I had 481 01:16:07,916 --> 01:16:08,916 two shoulder surgeries. 482 01:16:08,916 --> 01:16:10,541 I had a hernia repair and then I had my 483 01:16:10,541 --> 01:16:12,000 entire left foot put back 484 01:16:12,000 --> 01:16:13,125 together, which took three 485 01:16:13,125 --> 01:16:18,125 surgeries. The decision, I guess you're 486 01:16:18,125 --> 01:16:19,625 putting me on the spot. I have to be 487 01:16:19,625 --> 01:16:20,250 honest, the decision 488 01:16:20,416 --> 01:16:22,583 actually was mine. They gave me the 489 01:16:22,583 --> 01:16:26,208 option to MMRB, which is a medical 490 01:16:26,208 --> 01:16:27,500 reclass. So I would change 491 01:16:27,500 --> 01:16:31,250 MOSs and then kind of finish my career in 492 01:16:31,250 --> 01:16:33,625 a different job. I said no to that. 493 01:16:33,625 --> 01:16:34,458 It was like a desk job 494 01:16:34,458 --> 01:16:35,541 kind of thing at that point. 495 01:16:35,541 --> 01:16:36,791 Oh yeah. A hundred percent would have 496 01:16:36,791 --> 01:16:37,750 been probably a 497 01:16:37,750 --> 01:16:39,541 non-deployable or kind of like a 498 01:16:39,541 --> 01:16:43,125 FOBbit role, whatever. Obviously not 499 01:16:43,125 --> 01:16:43,875 going to work for me 500 01:16:43,875 --> 01:16:45,375 because I was never a fobbit. 501 01:16:46,000 --> 01:16:47,375 That was not the role that I played. I 502 01:16:47,375 --> 01:16:48,541 was an infantry guy. I 503 01:16:48,541 --> 01:16:49,625 was in the fight always. 504 01:16:50,083 --> 01:16:52,458 Some was more boring than others. I'm not 505 01:16:52,458 --> 01:16:55,416 here to evangelise and make 506 01:16:55,416 --> 01:16:56,416 it something that it wasn't. 507 01:16:56,666 --> 01:16:59,208 I've seen it all. I've seen heavy combat 508 01:16:59,208 --> 01:17:01,250 and firefights that last 509 01:17:01,250 --> 01:17:03,250 a long time to an entire 510 01:17:03,250 --> 01:17:05,250 deployment where I didn't fire a single 511 01:17:05,250 --> 01:17:06,666 round because it was so 512 01:17:06,666 --> 01:17:09,208 boring and ROE was that lame. 513 01:17:10,791 --> 01:17:13,541 But for me, the fact that I was a senior 514 01:17:13,541 --> 01:17:16,375 staff sergeant, so I'm about to be an E7, 515 01:17:17,375 --> 01:17:20,000 that's a leadership issue. I cannot as a 516 01:17:20,000 --> 01:17:20,916 senior non-commissioned 517 01:17:20,916 --> 01:17:22,666 officer go to another MOS where 518 01:17:22,666 --> 01:17:23,958 I'm supposed to be the subject matter 519 01:17:23,958 --> 01:17:26,583 expert to mentor, to 520 01:17:26,583 --> 01:17:28,833 lead, and to train these young 521 01:17:28,833 --> 01:17:31,125 soldiers that are coming up. I just knew 522 01:17:31,125 --> 01:17:33,208 that I wasn't going to fit 523 01:17:33,208 --> 01:17:34,625 that mould. How am I going to 524 01:17:34,625 --> 01:17:37,708 be a leader in an MOS that I don't know? 525 01:17:38,041 --> 01:17:39,000 You know what I mean? I'm 526 01:17:39,000 --> 01:17:41,041 only going to have as an E6 or an 527 01:17:41,125 --> 01:17:43,416 E7, I'm only going to have whatever the 528 01:17:43,416 --> 01:17:45,458 length of reclass training is. 529 01:17:45,458 --> 01:17:48,291 I gonna go to... That's the other part of it. 530 01:17:48,291 --> 01:17:50,000 I'm going to go to their AIT. I'm going 531 01:17:50,000 --> 01:17:51,458 to be treated like shit as 532 01:17:51,458 --> 01:17:53,416 a senior non-commissioned 533 01:17:53,416 --> 01:17:56,041 officer with more combat time than most. 534 01:17:57,125 --> 01:18:01,458 I don't know. I think, I think, if I 535 01:18:01,458 --> 01:18:02,750 really think about it too, 536 01:18:02,750 --> 01:18:05,625 I was just bitter. I was angry that my 537 01:18:05,625 --> 01:18:06,416 career is over. I 538 01:18:06,416 --> 01:18:08,375 can't do what I do anymore. 539 01:18:08,416 --> 01:18:12,750 So I just kind of took the angry way out 540 01:18:12,750 --> 01:18:13,625 and said, "Okay, well, 541 01:18:13,625 --> 01:18:14,625 I guess I'm going to get 542 01:18:14,625 --> 01:18:17,541 medically retired. Screw you guys." 543 01:18:17,541 --> 01:18:19,708 Fair enough. There's a lot to be 544 01:18:19,708 --> 01:18:20,916 said about when the body says 545 01:18:20,916 --> 01:18:23,666 no, the body is done. It's a thing. But, 546 01:18:23,666 --> 01:18:25,625 you go back and you can 547 01:18:25,625 --> 01:18:27,166 play the, we've already kind of 548 01:18:27,166 --> 01:18:29,375 touched on it, the hindsight being 20/20. 549 01:18:29,541 --> 01:18:30,458 You go like, "Oh, well, 550 01:18:30,458 --> 01:18:31,458 maybe I could have talked about 551 01:18:31,458 --> 01:18:32,875 being an officer. Maybe I could have 552 01:18:32,875 --> 01:18:34,208 talked about this. Maybe I 553 01:18:34,208 --> 01:18:35,125 could have been a spaceship." 554 01:18:35,291 --> 01:18:38,541 But it's done now. It's okay. 555 01:18:39,166 --> 01:18:41,958 And honestly, it was probably the right 556 01:18:41,958 --> 01:18:44,041 decision because I've had another five 557 01:18:44,041 --> 01:18:44,958 surgeries since I've 558 01:18:44,958 --> 01:18:46,625 been out, just putting myself back 559 01:18:46,625 --> 01:18:51,125 together after destroying my body from 560 01:18:51,125 --> 01:18:52,375 the age of 18 to 30. 561 01:18:52,916 --> 01:18:54,250 So, what you're trying to tell the 562 01:18:54,250 --> 01:18:55,166 audience is that you're just 563 01:18:55,166 --> 01:18:56,791 very clumsy. Is that what I'm 564 01:18:56,791 --> 01:18:57,125 understanding 565 01:18:57,125 --> 01:18:59,041 correctly? Yeah, I think so. 566 01:19:00,625 --> 01:19:01,041 That's fine. 567 01:19:01,041 --> 01:19:04,125 I fucked around and found out. 568 01:19:06,291 --> 01:19:10,000 He keeps talking about combat. All he 569 01:19:10,000 --> 01:19:10,875 does is fall downstairs 570 01:19:10,875 --> 01:19:12,208 all day long. It's just like, 571 01:19:12,208 --> 01:19:13,500 "Come on now." I do 572 01:19:13,500 --> 01:19:16,541 do that. I do do that. 573 01:19:16,916 --> 01:19:17,916 Let's not have that be 574 01:19:17,916 --> 01:19:19,750 true. That was a joke. 575 01:19:20,250 --> 01:19:22,291 I actually trip over my own feet quite a 576 01:19:22,291 --> 01:19:25,416 bit, which is, I just did it this 577 01:19:25,416 --> 01:19:26,125 morning. I was walking 578 01:19:26,125 --> 01:19:28,208 out of the bathroom at the gym on the way 579 01:19:28,208 --> 01:19:29,500 to the leg press and 580 01:19:29,500 --> 01:19:31,750 just my feet get in the way sometimes. 581 01:19:31,750 --> 01:19:34,458 And then, it's one of those stumble, fall, 582 01:19:34,458 --> 01:19:35,958 run forward. Did anybody 583 01:19:35,958 --> 01:19:36,958 see that embarrassing 584 01:19:37,041 --> 01:19:39,750 moments? Yeah. That happens to me more 585 01:19:39,750 --> 01:19:41,291 often than I'd like to admit. 586 01:19:41,291 --> 01:19:43,958 So, are you just trying to exhibit your 587 01:19:43,958 --> 01:19:46,708 inner newly born gazelle 588 01:19:46,708 --> 01:19:47,708 or something where they just 589 01:19:47,708 --> 01:19:49,666 have to figure out the legs? Yeah. Maybe 590 01:19:49,666 --> 01:19:50,750 that's what it is. It 591 01:19:50,750 --> 01:19:52,291 was leg day today too, 592 01:19:52,291 --> 01:19:52,958 so maybe I can blame 593 01:19:52,958 --> 01:19:54,375 it on that. Fair enough. 594 01:19:54,625 --> 01:20:01,166 Okay. So, at this point, you're out. What, 595 01:20:01,166 --> 01:20:03,375 What was the moment you 596 01:20:03,375 --> 01:20:05,083 realised civilian life was 597 01:20:05,083 --> 01:20:08,916 going to be different? Probably the day I 598 01:20:08,916 --> 01:20:13,791 got out, man. I think for me, 599 01:20:14,833 --> 01:20:18,416 I may not have the same kind of vision of 600 01:20:18,416 --> 01:20:20,666 what it was like that 601 01:20:20,666 --> 01:20:22,916 other people do in that I was 602 01:20:23,208 --> 01:20:25,166 medically retired, so I got a hundred 603 01:20:25,166 --> 01:20:26,333 percent total and permanent. 604 01:20:26,333 --> 01:20:28,333 So I know that I'm going to 605 01:20:28,333 --> 01:20:30,625 get a significant amount of money into my 606 01:20:30,625 --> 01:20:32,083 bank account and I'm not 607 01:20:32,083 --> 01:20:33,000 really going to be pressured 608 01:20:33,000 --> 01:20:36,083 to have to go and find that super 609 01:20:36,083 --> 01:20:38,416 lucrative job. I don't have a family. I 610 01:20:38,416 --> 01:20:39,166 was living in a really 611 01:20:39,166 --> 01:20:42,708 cheap apartment at the time. So, it was 612 01:20:42,708 --> 01:20:43,875 basically a lateral move for 613 01:20:43,875 --> 01:20:46,416 me. I was making less money, 614 01:20:46,416 --> 01:20:48,166 of course. However, it didn't really 615 01:20:48,166 --> 01:20:50,208 affect me because I wasn't spending a 616 01:20:50,208 --> 01:20:50,708 whole bunch of money. 617 01:20:50,708 --> 01:20:54,750 So for me, just knowing that the day that 618 01:20:54,750 --> 01:20:56,166 I got out, and I actually 619 01:20:56,166 --> 01:20:57,583 am writing a book about my 620 01:20:57,583 --> 01:20:59,333 transition story because that's what I 621 01:20:59,333 --> 01:21:01,958 do. My brand is advocating 622 01:21:01,958 --> 01:21:03,458 for a better veteran transition. 623 01:21:03,666 --> 01:21:06,958 And now, obviously, some veteran policy 624 01:21:06,958 --> 01:21:08,166 issues that we're dealing 625 01:21:08,166 --> 01:21:11,000 with. But, in my transition, 626 01:21:11,500 --> 01:21:13,708 as I'm writing this book, I realise that 627 01:21:13,708 --> 01:21:14,833 first day I got out, it's like 628 01:21:14,833 --> 01:21:15,750 one o'clock. I'm supposed to 629 01:21:15,750 --> 01:21:19,250 be back at work call formation after 630 01:21:19,250 --> 01:21:21,333 lunch and it's just deathly 631 01:21:21,333 --> 01:21:24,291 silent. And I'm 30 years old. 632 01:21:24,708 --> 01:21:27,958 I have, all my friends have jobs. All of my army 633 01:21:27,958 --> 01:21:29,500 friends have to be back at 634 01:21:29,500 --> 01:21:31,375 work. So, I'm just in this 635 01:21:31,375 --> 01:21:33,625 between. What do I do now? And that's 636 01:21:33,625 --> 01:21:34,625 when I realised the 637 01:21:34,625 --> 01:21:35,958 phone's not ringing anymore. I'm 638 01:21:35,958 --> 01:21:37,916 not putting out fires. I'm not a leader 639 01:21:37,916 --> 01:21:40,583 anymore because I'm not in 640 01:21:40,583 --> 01:21:41,875 the army anymore. And that's 641 01:21:42,041 --> 01:21:43,958 when I realised it was going to be very 642 01:21:43,958 --> 01:21:45,916 different, man. Very, very different. 643 01:21:45,916 --> 01:21:49,250 How... I've spent 13 years of 644 01:21:49,250 --> 01:21:51,708 somebody telling me where to be, when to 645 01:21:51,708 --> 01:21:52,750 be there, what uniform 646 01:21:52,750 --> 01:21:53,708 to... All day every day. 647 01:21:54,250 --> 01:21:57,166 All day, multiple times a day. And I 648 01:21:57,166 --> 01:21:58,083 don't think that's a bad 649 01:21:58,083 --> 01:22:01,000 thing. I think that's why the army 650 01:22:01,041 --> 01:22:04,125 works. Yeah. Being extremely regimented 651 01:22:04,125 --> 01:22:06,250 to, and I've said this and 652 01:22:06,250 --> 01:22:07,416 I'll repeat it for your benefit, 653 01:22:08,166 --> 01:22:11,208 transitioning more often than not is like 654 01:22:11,208 --> 01:22:12,333 a miniature death. You 655 01:22:12,333 --> 01:22:13,291 just kind of go like, 656 01:22:13,291 --> 01:22:15,541 well, what happened? You're on your own 657 01:22:15,541 --> 01:22:17,500 big boy. Have fun. That's it. 658 01:22:18,041 --> 01:22:21,416 Yeah. A thousand percent, man. And you're 659 01:22:21,416 --> 01:22:25,333 absolutely right. It's just a complete... 660 01:22:26,166 --> 01:22:28,041 You don't know how to create that 661 01:22:28,041 --> 01:22:29,125 structure for yourself 662 01:22:29,125 --> 01:22:30,958 because from the minute you join, 663 01:22:31,375 --> 01:22:34,750 I mean, for me, my delayed entry, a year 664 01:22:34,750 --> 01:22:35,875 of indoctrination before 665 01:22:35,875 --> 01:22:36,875 the real indoctrination, 666 01:22:37,291 --> 01:22:40,666 that is drilled into you from day one, 667 01:22:40,875 --> 01:22:43,750 minute one. And so, what 668 01:22:43,750 --> 01:22:44,750 they don't teach you is how do 669 01:22:44,750 --> 01:22:46,291 you build that regimen for yourself? 670 01:22:46,291 --> 01:22:47,000 Yeah. Of course, you go 671 01:22:47,000 --> 01:22:48,041 to some leadership schools, 672 01:22:48,041 --> 01:22:50,041 you learn about the five paragraphs of an 673 01:22:50,041 --> 01:22:50,708 op-word and how to put 674 01:22:50,708 --> 01:22:51,916 these things together. You learn 675 01:22:51,916 --> 01:22:54,208 what WARNOs and FRAGOs and OPORDs 676 01:22:54,208 --> 01:22:56,666 are. And that's largely what 677 01:22:56,666 --> 01:22:57,958 drives the structure of the 678 01:22:57,958 --> 01:22:59,666 military, but you don't understand how to 679 01:22:59,666 --> 01:23:00,666 build that for yourself 680 01:23:00,666 --> 01:23:02,125 when it's been given to you for 681 01:23:02,166 --> 01:23:07,208 13 years. Yeah. Again, echoing that, when 682 01:23:07,208 --> 01:23:10,416 you go, you know who you're reporting to, 683 01:23:10,666 --> 01:23:12,541 you know who reports to you, you know 684 01:23:12,541 --> 01:23:13,583 what time you're eating, you 685 01:23:13,583 --> 01:23:14,708 know what time you do this, 686 01:23:14,708 --> 01:23:16,750 and you go like, wait, hold on, I'm 687 01:23:16,750 --> 01:23:21,166 supposed to do my... What? Hold on a 688 01:23:21,166 --> 01:23:22,541 tick. This isn't the same. 689 01:23:22,625 --> 01:23:28,833 What are you talking about? No, man. It's 690 01:23:28,833 --> 01:23:30,875 strange. It's a very, very 691 01:23:30,875 --> 01:23:32,666 uncomfortable, strange feeling. 692 01:23:33,541 --> 01:23:37,916 Sure. So what did not translate well, 693 01:23:38,208 --> 01:23:39,166 let's say it that way? 694 01:23:40,916 --> 01:23:44,458 So much, man. I'm just going to poke the 695 01:23:44,458 --> 01:23:45,583 bear. That's all I need to do. 696 01:23:45,583 --> 01:23:48,125 Yeah, honestly, first of all, the 697 01:23:48,125 --> 01:23:52,375 attitude, right? Like the... particularly 698 01:23:52,375 --> 01:23:55,125 as a combat arms guy, 699 01:23:55,125 --> 01:23:59,041 like as an infantry guy, I hate saying it 700 01:23:59,041 --> 01:24:00,333 like this because it sounds so 701 01:24:00,333 --> 01:24:01,416 egotistical. It's just 702 01:24:01,458 --> 01:24:03,750 true. The infantry inside of the military 703 01:24:03,750 --> 01:24:05,750 is a miniature military 704 01:24:05,750 --> 01:24:06,958 inside of the military. 705 01:24:06,958 --> 01:24:09,083 It's completely different than the rest 706 01:24:09,083 --> 01:24:10,541 of the MOSs, the rest of 707 01:24:10,541 --> 01:24:12,166 the regular army, the rest of 708 01:24:12,500 --> 01:24:14,750 the Marine Corps. And I've got all the 709 01:24:14,750 --> 01:24:16,250 conversations of infantry 710 01:24:16,250 --> 01:24:18,458 guys who feel the exact same way. 711 01:24:18,666 --> 01:24:20,833 Sure. I've got some soft skill MOS guys 712 01:24:20,833 --> 01:24:22,375 who agree with me because they've been 713 01:24:22,375 --> 01:24:23,166 attached to infantry 714 01:24:23,208 --> 01:24:24,958 units. So it's very different. This 715 01:24:24,958 --> 01:24:27,500 attitude, you know, we've had 716 01:24:27,500 --> 01:24:28,750 professional athletes come and 717 01:24:28,750 --> 01:24:30,125 train with us and they're like, dude, you 718 01:24:30,125 --> 01:24:31,291 do more than we do. You 719 01:24:31,291 --> 01:24:32,750 train as hard as we do. It's 720 01:24:32,750 --> 01:24:36,166 incredible, right? So, none of it 721 01:24:36,166 --> 01:24:38,166 translates, man. The civilian world is 722 01:24:38,166 --> 01:24:40,041 all about mediocrity and 723 01:24:40,250 --> 01:24:42,166 just showing up, doing the bare minimum 724 01:24:42,166 --> 01:24:43,833 and going home at five 725 01:24:43,833 --> 01:24:46,250 o'clock. So none of it translates 726 01:24:46,416 --> 01:24:51,333 because in my role and what I was doing 727 01:24:51,333 --> 01:24:53,541 for my career, it's very 728 01:24:53,541 --> 01:24:55,458 much like I'm responsible for, 729 01:24:56,416 --> 01:24:58,291 as a team leader, three other dudes' 730 01:24:58,291 --> 01:25:00,166 lives. Sure. As a squad leader, nine 731 01:25:00,166 --> 01:25:01,333 other people's lives. As 732 01:25:01,333 --> 01:25:03,541 a platoon sergeant, 40 people's lives. 733 01:25:03,791 --> 01:25:05,125 I'm responsible. The 734 01:25:05,125 --> 01:25:06,625 decisions that I make, my 735 01:25:06,625 --> 01:25:08,708 leadership is directly responsible for 736 01:25:08,708 --> 01:25:09,625 whether they live or 737 01:25:09,625 --> 01:25:12,458 die. Right? So that level of 738 01:25:12,458 --> 01:25:14,750 responsibility, how could that translate 739 01:25:14,750 --> 01:25:15,833 to the civilian world? You mean that doesn't 740 01:25:15,833 --> 01:25:17,000 translate into who's getting 741 01:25:17,000 --> 01:25:19,041 submarine sandwiches for lunch and why is 742 01:25:19,041 --> 01:25:20,125 it a half hour late? That 743 01:25:20,125 --> 01:25:21,541 doesn't translate. Come on, 744 01:25:21,541 --> 01:25:23,791 I think you're having us on. You know, 745 01:25:23,958 --> 01:25:25,291 to your point, like something 746 01:25:25,291 --> 01:25:27,416 as stupid as in the civilian 747 01:25:27,458 --> 01:25:28,916 world, they say that we're having a 748 01:25:28,916 --> 01:25:30,791 meeting at nine o'clock. My experience is 749 01:25:30,791 --> 01:25:32,250 like all the military 750 01:25:32,250 --> 01:25:33,583 people are going to be there at 8:45 751 01:25:33,583 --> 01:25:34,541 because that's what we're 752 01:25:34,541 --> 01:25:35,666 taught. We're going to sit there 753 01:25:35,666 --> 01:25:38,708 till 9:30 before the meeting starts. And Timeliness is not a thing. 754 01:25:38,708 --> 01:25:39,250 then we're already 755 01:25:39,250 --> 01:25:42,500 pissed off because we're 756 01:25:42,500 --> 01:25:45,041 30 fucking minutes, man. What is going on 757 01:25:45,041 --> 01:25:50,291 here, dude? It's hard to 758 01:25:50,291 --> 01:25:52,833 say, dude. And it's been so long 759 01:25:52,833 --> 01:25:54,458 since I got out to. So for me to 760 01:25:54,458 --> 01:25:56,041 actually recall what all of 761 01:25:56,041 --> 01:25:57,125 this feels like. No worries. 762 01:25:57,333 --> 01:25:59,208 No worries at all. Particularly with 763 01:25:59,208 --> 01:26:02,708 disqualifying myself from the corporate 764 01:26:02,708 --> 01:26:03,666 world. I want nothing 765 01:26:03,750 --> 01:26:05,750 to do with the corporate world because of 766 01:26:05,750 --> 01:26:07,750 how much none of it 767 01:26:07,750 --> 01:26:09,000 translates. I'm so much 768 01:26:09,000 --> 01:26:10,791 better off just doing what I do now. I'm 769 01:26:10,791 --> 01:26:11,791 way happier for 770 01:26:11,791 --> 01:26:16,333 sure. I understand. So let's say it this way, 771 01:26:16,333 --> 01:26:21,750 who or what, kind of, helped you adjust? Oh 772 01:26:21,750 --> 01:26:23,166 yeah. I love that you're 773 01:26:23,166 --> 01:26:24,458 asking this question because 774 01:26:24,875 --> 01:26:27,541 I actually can articulate this is I've 775 01:26:27,541 --> 01:26:28,541 had some time to sit 776 01:26:28,541 --> 01:26:29,916 back and look at my journey. 777 01:26:30,083 --> 01:26:34,166 When I first got out, I didn't have a 778 01:26:34,166 --> 01:26:35,666 clue what I was going to do. I had no 779 01:26:35,666 --> 01:26:37,416 idea. Like seriously, 780 01:26:37,833 --> 01:26:41,375 and I mean this because flying has always 781 01:26:41,375 --> 01:26:43,208 been a dream. Right. So, 782 01:26:43,208 --> 01:26:45,333 aviation was a dream. I told 783 01:26:45,333 --> 01:26:47,250 you, I tried to join the Navy and the Air 784 01:26:47,250 --> 01:26:48,500 Force. I got laughed out of 785 01:26:48,500 --> 01:26:49,541 the foyer at my high school 786 01:26:49,541 --> 01:26:50,875 by them. They told me there was not a 787 01:26:50,875 --> 01:26:51,958 shot, a snowball's chance 788 01:26:51,958 --> 01:26:53,625 in hell that I would ever fly 789 01:26:53,625 --> 01:26:56,166 for the military. I even put in two 790 01:26:56,166 --> 01:26:57,041 warrant packets while I 791 01:26:57,041 --> 01:26:58,750 was in the army to fly. And 792 01:26:58,750 --> 01:27:01,666 And, hoping that the technology would get 793 01:27:01,666 --> 01:27:03,666 better to fix my eyes. Well, spoiler 794 01:27:03,666 --> 01:27:04,708 alert, the technology 795 01:27:04,708 --> 01:27:06,541 is never going to get good enough to fix 796 01:27:06,541 --> 01:27:07,458 my eyes because I'm 797 01:27:07,458 --> 01:27:09,750 very, very, very far sided, 798 01:27:09,958 --> 01:27:12,291 which means they need to build the curve 799 01:27:12,291 --> 01:27:13,750 of my eye. My eye is flat. 800 01:27:14,083 --> 01:27:16,250 Well, we can't really build 801 01:27:16,250 --> 01:27:18,708 our eyes anymore than what we've already 802 01:27:18,708 --> 01:27:21,291 been able to establish. So, I 803 01:27:21,291 --> 01:27:23,041 digress on that. But I found 804 01:27:23,125 --> 01:27:24,958 out that I could go to flight school. I 805 01:27:24,958 --> 01:27:27,833 went to an orientation at Clover Park 806 01:27:27,833 --> 01:27:29,291 Technical College in 807 01:27:29,625 --> 01:27:31,791 Puyallup, Washington. It was like a win. 808 01:27:32,250 --> 01:27:33,291 I went through the whole 809 01:27:33,291 --> 01:27:34,500 two hour briefing that they 810 01:27:34,500 --> 01:27:36,583 give the tour, all of that. And I went 811 01:27:36,583 --> 01:27:37,458 straight to the assistant 812 01:27:37,458 --> 01:27:38,500 chief and I was like, man, 813 01:27:38,500 --> 01:27:40,291 what are the odds that I can actually 814 01:27:40,291 --> 01:27:42,000 come to this school and 815 01:27:42,000 --> 01:27:43,666 learn how to fly? And he's like, 816 01:27:43,666 --> 01:27:44,916 what do you mean? I was like, I wear 817 01:27:44,916 --> 01:27:46,416 glasses. I've been told no my 818 01:27:46,416 --> 01:27:47,583 whole life. He's like, dude, 819 01:27:47,833 --> 01:27:49,458 like this is civilian aviation. As long 820 01:27:49,458 --> 01:27:50,666 as you can get corrected to 821 01:27:50,666 --> 01:27:52,958 20/20, you can fly. And I was 822 01:27:53,041 --> 01:27:55,333 like, I'm a pilot as well. And when you 823 01:27:55,333 --> 01:27:56,541 talk about people and you go 824 01:27:56,541 --> 01:27:57,791 like, well, hold on a moment. 825 01:27:58,250 --> 01:28:00,375 Are you flying humans? Cargo? Are you 826 01:28:00,375 --> 01:28:02,583 doing this as a 827 01:28:02,583 --> 01:28:03,958 charter? There are different 828 01:28:04,791 --> 01:28:09,083 questions to answer here. Yes. Yes. 829 01:28:09,083 --> 01:28:12,500 My main concern was, are my eyes going to 830 01:28:12,500 --> 01:28:14,125 disqualify me from flying? 831 01:28:14,125 --> 01:28:17,333 Sure. The answer was no. And so, I 832 01:28:17,333 --> 01:28:19,583 immediately started the process. While 833 01:28:19,583 --> 01:28:21,208 all of that was going 834 01:28:21,291 --> 01:28:25,750 on, I didn't, I'm like a guy that needs 835 01:28:25,750 --> 01:28:26,875 to have something to do 836 01:28:26,875 --> 01:28:30,083 always. It is not good for me to 837 01:28:30,083 --> 01:28:32,625 sit around and do nothing. It's just 838 01:28:32,625 --> 01:28:34,833 really bad for my physical, 839 01:28:34,833 --> 01:28:36,291 my mental, my emotional health. 840 01:28:36,291 --> 01:28:38,166 It's just not good for me. So I always 841 01:28:38,166 --> 01:28:39,125 need to have something to 842 01:28:39,125 --> 01:28:41,291 do. I didn't need a job when 843 01:28:41,291 --> 01:28:44,500 I got out, but I was blessed enough to 844 01:28:44,500 --> 01:28:46,750 meet Larry and Margo Perini 845 01:28:46,750 --> 01:28:50,625 who owned or owned several vape 846 01:28:50,750 --> 01:28:53,000 shops. Actually, they owned one at the 847 01:28:53,000 --> 01:28:55,625 time in Olympia, Washington. They 848 01:28:55,625 --> 01:28:56,833 eventually expanded to 849 01:28:56,875 --> 01:29:00,833 three and a bar and really blessed to 850 01:29:00,833 --> 01:29:02,750 know these people. And I'll 851 01:29:02,750 --> 01:29:04,083 save you all the details on how 852 01:29:04,083 --> 01:29:06,041 we met and why they're special to me and all No worries. 853 01:29:06,041 --> 01:29:10,166 that. But Larry saw that 854 01:29:10,166 --> 01:29:11,166 it's not good for me to sit 855 01:29:11,166 --> 01:29:12,833 around and he called me out of the blue 856 01:29:12,833 --> 01:29:14,000 one day and said, Hey, I 857 01:29:14,000 --> 01:29:15,916 need an employee and I think you 858 01:29:15,916 --> 01:29:18,708 should come do this. And I was like, 859 01:29:18,708 --> 01:29:23,166 okay, cool. So, I started working at the 860 01:29:23,166 --> 01:29:25,333 vape shop retail. And, 861 01:29:25,833 --> 01:29:28,583 I started learning about how all of it 862 01:29:28,583 --> 01:29:30,916 works and how things are ordered and 863 01:29:30,916 --> 01:29:32,083 customer service and 864 01:29:32,083 --> 01:29:35,750 how that makes a difference and point of 865 01:29:35,750 --> 01:29:37,041 sale systems. And I 866 01:29:37,041 --> 01:29:38,083 really started learning the 867 01:29:38,083 --> 01:29:40,958 business. They weren't trying to teach me 868 01:29:40,958 --> 01:29:41,750 the business. I wasn't 869 01:29:41,750 --> 01:29:43,833 a manager. I just, I just 870 01:29:44,083 --> 01:29:45,958 observe it. I see I pay attention to it all. 871 01:29:45,958 --> 01:29:48,791 Learn by doing. So, while I was 872 01:29:48,791 --> 01:29:49,541 going through flight school, 873 01:29:49,541 --> 01:29:52,750 that's what it did. And I learned a tonne 874 01:29:52,750 --> 01:29:55,000 and had a lot of fun and, of 875 01:29:55,000 --> 01:29:56,333 course, made a little extra 876 01:29:56,333 --> 01:29:59,500 spending cash. As I finished up flight 877 01:29:59,500 --> 01:30:00,458 school, I wanted to go get 878 01:30:00,458 --> 01:30:02,791 my bachelor's and I kind of 879 01:30:02,791 --> 01:30:04,250 couldn't work out a schedule at the vape 880 01:30:04,250 --> 01:30:06,333 shop. So, long story short, 881 01:30:06,333 --> 01:30:07,416 I got an opportunity to go 882 01:30:07,458 --> 01:30:09,125 manage a gun store. And that's where I 883 01:30:09,125 --> 01:30:10,875 really learned about 884 01:30:10,875 --> 01:30:13,833 business because former veteran 885 01:30:13,833 --> 01:30:15,500 owned the gun store, needed a lot of 886 01:30:15,500 --> 01:30:17,250 help. Didn't realise that he was a 887 01:30:17,250 --> 01:30:18,166 terrible business owner. 888 01:30:19,500 --> 01:30:21,166 Long story short, I turned his entire 889 01:30:21,166 --> 01:30:23,125 business around and he 890 01:30:23,125 --> 01:30:24,416 stopped showing up seven days a 891 01:30:24,416 --> 01:30:27,583 week. So it was like my gun store. I was 892 01:30:27,583 --> 01:30:28,750 doing literally everything 893 01:30:28,750 --> 01:30:30,916 from ordering to background 894 01:30:31,041 --> 01:30:34,958 checks, to NFA items, to taking in all of 895 01:30:34,958 --> 01:30:36,708 the repair stuff, to 896 01:30:36,708 --> 01:30:39,000 payroll, to you name it. I was, 897 01:30:39,333 --> 01:30:42,458 I was the guy. I was doing all of it. So I 898 01:30:42,458 --> 01:30:44,791 really, for about a year, I just learned 899 01:30:44,791 --> 01:30:46,041 how to run a business 900 01:30:46,083 --> 01:30:48,541 and I made a shit tonne of money for him. And, 901 01:30:48,541 --> 01:30:52,583 that's when I had finished my 902 01:30:52,583 --> 01:30:54,750 bachelor's. The reason I went 903 01:30:54,750 --> 01:30:56,125 to go get the bachelor's is because in 904 01:30:56,125 --> 01:30:57,416 the aviation world, I wanted to fly 905 01:30:57,416 --> 01:30:58,541 internationally. That would 906 01:30:58,541 --> 01:31:01,125 have made me more competitive. That's 907 01:31:01,125 --> 01:31:01,833 neither here nor there 908 01:31:01,833 --> 01:31:03,083 because I don't do any of that 909 01:31:03,083 --> 01:31:07,250 shit anymore. But part of the voc-rehab 910 01:31:07,250 --> 01:31:11,916 thing is when you graduate, 911 01:31:12,166 --> 01:31:13,791 they give you three or four 912 01:31:13,791 --> 01:31:15,583 months of extra money and it's a 913 01:31:15,583 --> 01:31:17,708 significant chunk of change. As long as 914 01:31:17,708 --> 01:31:18,666 you're looking for a new 915 01:31:18,666 --> 01:31:20,875 career and you can show that you're 916 01:31:20,875 --> 01:31:23,250 applying to jobs and the caveat is you 917 01:31:23,250 --> 01:31:24,708 cannot refuse interviews. 918 01:31:25,041 --> 01:31:28,041 So, I ended up applying to jobs just to get 919 01:31:28,041 --> 01:31:29,625 the extra money. I had no idea what I 920 01:31:29,625 --> 01:31:30,750 actually wanted to do. 921 01:31:31,541 --> 01:31:33,833 COVID was going on. So everything in 922 01:31:33,833 --> 01:31:34,875 Washington state was shut 923 01:31:34,875 --> 01:31:36,041 down. So I knew I was going to be 924 01:31:36,041 --> 01:31:39,666 a pilot for a while. Plus, you as a pilot, 925 01:31:39,666 --> 01:31:40,708 know, there's like 1200 926 01:31:40,708 --> 01:31:42,625 extra hours you got to go get. 927 01:31:42,833 --> 01:31:45,041 Well, in the States, yeah. And that's one of those things 928 01:31:45,041 --> 01:31:46,666 that people don't want to talk about either. 929 01:31:46,666 --> 01:31:47,500 It's like that's only 930 01:31:47,500 --> 01:31:48,916 in the States when you talk about the 12 931 01:31:48,916 --> 01:31:49,875 and you talk about Europe 932 01:31:49,875 --> 01:31:50,875 and you go, that doesn't exist. 933 01:31:50,875 --> 01:31:52,500 And you get like, hold on a minute. What? 934 01:31:53,416 --> 01:31:54,958 Yeah, well, it's a wild bunch. 935 01:31:54,958 --> 01:31:55,833 That's Congress and their 936 01:31:55,833 --> 01:31:59,125 infinite wisdom thinking that it's safer. 937 01:31:59,416 --> 01:32:00,833 Well, let me tell you this. 938 01:32:01,208 --> 01:32:02,333 The guy who sits in the left 939 01:32:02,333 --> 01:32:05,458 seat of a jet, he's got like 20 years, 940 01:32:05,458 --> 01:32:08,125 probably 10 at least. He's the one in 941 01:32:08,125 --> 01:32:09,375 charge. So you don't 942 01:32:09,375 --> 01:32:11,916 really need 1200 extra hours really 943 01:32:11,916 --> 01:32:13,541 tooling around in a small airplane 944 01:32:13,541 --> 01:32:14,458 because that's how most people 945 01:32:14,458 --> 01:32:16,250 get their hours anyway. Yeah. Your 946 01:32:16,250 --> 01:32:18,041 aerodynamics and your 947 01:32:18,041 --> 01:32:20,041 stall knowledge is great. If you're getting 948 01:32:20,041 --> 01:32:22,416 typed on something like, oh, how does 949 01:32:22,416 --> 01:32:24,083 that, how does, how does, you know, 950 01:32:24,083 --> 01:32:25,541 747 translate 951 01:32:25,541 --> 01:32:28,125 to a 172 and you go, um, they 952 01:32:28,125 --> 01:32:29,666 both have wings. They both 953 01:32:29,666 --> 01:32:30,750 have wings. I think there's the 954 01:32:30,750 --> 01:32:34,500 similarity. Like you do a spin in 955 01:32:34,500 --> 01:32:36,166 one of those and you tell me how it 956 01:32:36,166 --> 01:32:38,208 feels. Yeah, for sure, 957 01:32:38,208 --> 01:32:40,541 man. And, and look, look, I'll digress on 958 01:32:40,541 --> 01:32:42,333 all that because flying is 959 01:32:42,333 --> 01:32:43,666 still to me, one of the greatest 960 01:32:43,791 --> 01:32:46,541 things I've ever accomplished being a 961 01:32:46,541 --> 01:32:48,333 pilot. I just realised that 962 01:32:48,333 --> 01:32:50,125 the dream was to be a pilot 963 01:32:50,125 --> 01:32:52,875 and fly for myself, not to do it for 964 01:32:52,875 --> 01:32:54,958 somebody else. And I think 965 01:32:54,958 --> 01:32:56,416 that's a really important 966 01:32:56,500 --> 01:32:59,333 distinction because for me, that is now a 967 01:32:59,333 --> 01:33:01,125 goal. Like my goal with 968 01:33:01,125 --> 01:33:02,916 business is to make enough 969 01:33:02,916 --> 01:33:04,958 money that I can buy a Cirrus Vision Jet 970 01:33:04,958 --> 01:33:05,916 and just fly myself 971 01:33:05,916 --> 01:33:07,833 wherever I want. And I, I don't 972 01:33:07,833 --> 01:33:09,208 think that that's an unrealistic goal 973 01:33:09,208 --> 01:33:11,041 because you can get one used for like 974 01:33:11,041 --> 01:33:13,041 1.1, you know, that's really not much 975 01:33:13,041 --> 01:33:15,250 Yeah, no, I will say we can, we can get 976 01:33:15,250 --> 01:33:17,958 into, um, not a debate, but a suggestion 977 01:33:17,958 --> 01:33:20,000 session, uh, as far as 978 01:33:20,000 --> 01:33:21,541 thrust and everything else, the 979 01:33:21,541 --> 01:33:23,416 Vision Jet, like they do a really good job of 980 01:33:23,416 --> 01:33:24,125 saying like, this is 981 01:33:24,125 --> 01:33:27,000 sexy and this is, it's one of the slowest 982 01:33:27,000 --> 01:33:28,625 birds that exists, but this 983 01:33:28,625 --> 01:33:29,791 is something we can, we can 984 01:33:29,791 --> 01:33:32,208 discuss later. Meade, you know, I, like I'd be 985 01:33:32,208 --> 01:33:35,000 okay even with like an SR 22 or a 986 01:33:35,000 --> 01:33:36,208 HondaJet, you know, like... Sure. 987 01:33:36,208 --> 01:33:39,625 HondaJet make a beautiful one. They really do. Dude, they are beautiful. 988 01:33:39,625 --> 01:33:40,541 Have you had the opportunity 989 01:33:40,541 --> 01:33:42,208 to like get in one? Uh, no, 990 01:33:42,250 --> 01:33:45,041 I've been in, uh, uh, things like CJ's 991 01:33:45,041 --> 01:33:45,875 and otherwise I haven't 992 01:33:45,875 --> 01:33:47,083 actually been in a, uh, 993 01:33:47,083 --> 01:33:49,083 a HondaJet though, but I've done Oh, they're awesome. 994 01:33:49,083 --> 01:33:50,500 research on them. They really are cool. 995 01:33:50,500 --> 01:33:53,833 Yeah, and, anyway, like, like the point is, 996 01:33:53,833 --> 01:33:55,458 is I want to own my own airplane at some 997 01:33:55,458 --> 01:33:56,666 point when it makes sense 998 01:33:56,666 --> 01:33:58,958 and just, just enjoy aviation 999 01:33:59,041 --> 01:34:02,166 for what it is. Like so, so freeing and 1000 01:34:02,166 --> 01:34:04,791 just so amazing to, you 1001 01:34:04,791 --> 01:34:06,125 know, I have a thing for like 1002 01:34:06,333 --> 01:34:08,500 doing things that like only one percent of 1003 01:34:08,500 --> 01:34:11,041 people can do, I guess. So, you know, so... 1004 01:34:11,041 --> 01:34:14,833 I understand. That is flying, right? And I 1005 01:34:14,833 --> 01:34:15,666 forget where I was 1006 01:34:15,666 --> 01:34:17,416 going with all of this. Oh, no worries. 1007 01:34:17,416 --> 01:34:21,416 When I learned, yeah, so, so working the 1008 01:34:21,416 --> 01:34:23,375 gun store, I... long story 1009 01:34:23,375 --> 01:34:25,875 short, I got a knack for business. I 1010 01:34:25,875 --> 01:34:27,583 ended up getting an opportunity to move 1011 01:34:27,583 --> 01:34:29,541 across the country and really start my 1012 01:34:29,541 --> 01:34:31,041 own insurance agency. 1013 01:34:31,666 --> 01:34:33,041 I didn't know that's what it was at the 1014 01:34:33,041 --> 01:34:34,166 time, but I got sold hook 1015 01:34:34,166 --> 01:34:36,083 line and sinker on selling 1016 01:34:36,625 --> 01:34:39,000 final expense insurance, uh, and, and 1017 01:34:39,000 --> 01:34:42,041 really kind of working for myself 1099, 1018 01:34:42,041 --> 01:34:43,375 like eat what you kill, 1019 01:34:43,916 --> 01:34:47,083 really lucrative. Um, and so that's how 1020 01:34:47,083 --> 01:34:48,708 it went for me. I moved all 1021 01:34:48,708 --> 01:34:49,500 the way across the country, 1022 01:34:49,500 --> 01:34:52,416 left Washington, uh, in November of 2020, 1023 01:34:53,041 --> 01:34:54,833 went out to South Carolina, started 1024 01:34:54,833 --> 01:34:56,416 selling final expense 1025 01:34:56,416 --> 01:34:58,500 to the poorest one third of Americans and 1026 01:34:58,500 --> 01:34:59,958 very quickly went broke 1027 01:34:59,958 --> 01:35:02,125 and learned that I had a lot 1028 01:35:02,166 --> 01:35:06,083 to learn from there. Uh, I pivoted to, 1029 01:35:06,083 --> 01:35:08,500 uh, health insurance sales, which was 1030 01:35:08,500 --> 01:35:09,541 work from home. That was 1031 01:35:09,541 --> 01:35:11,500 not a bad gig, not nearly as lucrative as 1032 01:35:11,500 --> 01:35:12,833 life insurance. However, 1033 01:35:13,750 --> 01:35:14,625 what I sold there would 1034 01:35:14,625 --> 01:35:17,666 actually stay on the books. I left that 1035 01:35:17,666 --> 01:35:19,125 because they turned my leads 1036 01:35:19,125 --> 01:35:20,666 off for 10 days. And anybody 1037 01:35:20,666 --> 01:35:23,333 who knows a sales cycle, like that's just 1038 01:35:23,333 --> 01:35:26,208 suicide. Um, from there I worked, uh, 1039 01:35:26,208 --> 01:35:26,708 property and casualty 1040 01:35:26,875 --> 01:35:29,250 insurance at an all state agency. I left 1041 01:35:29,250 --> 01:35:30,458 that after six months 1042 01:35:30,458 --> 01:35:32,875 because I got stiffed on $6,000 1043 01:35:32,875 --> 01:35:35,416 worth of commission. And also because, 1044 01:35:36,125 --> 01:35:37,583 um, I was the only agent in 1045 01:35:37,583 --> 01:35:38,750 the office doing anything, 1046 01:35:39,000 --> 01:35:40,500 including the owner. The owner wouldn't 1047 01:35:40,500 --> 01:35:41,291 talk to his book of 1048 01:35:41,291 --> 01:35:42,916 business. And so I just was like, 1049 01:35:42,916 --> 01:35:45,083 this is, I'm never going to be successful 1050 01:35:45,083 --> 01:35:47,583 here. Um, from there I went 1051 01:35:47,583 --> 01:35:49,541 to Medicare, Medicaid sales. 1052 01:35:49,833 --> 01:35:53,208 Um, that is, that is just as demoralising 1053 01:35:53,208 --> 01:35:54,083 as knocking doors, 1054 01:35:54,083 --> 01:35:55,166 selling final expenses to the 1055 01:35:55,208 --> 01:35:56,875 poorest one third of Americans. It's 1056 01:35:56,875 --> 01:35:58,083 really sad. And it made me 1057 01:35:58,083 --> 01:35:59,458 feel like a terrible human. 1058 01:36:00,291 --> 01:36:03,000 So, I actually left all of that. I let my 1059 01:36:03,000 --> 01:36:04,166 licenses and all that 1060 01:36:04,166 --> 01:36:07,125 expire. I went and decided I was 1061 01:36:07,125 --> 01:36:10,083 going to go back to flying. Um, so 1062 01:36:10,083 --> 01:36:13,000 finished CFI. Uh, that's when I tore my 1063 01:36:13,000 --> 01:36:14,208 bicep tendon and hit rock 1064 01:36:14,250 --> 01:36:17,333 bottom, and then found ayahuasca. And so 1065 01:36:17,333 --> 01:36:19,416 that's ayahuasca is truly 1066 01:36:19,416 --> 01:36:21,583 what freed me and allowed me to 1067 01:36:22,166 --> 01:36:25,875 take a journey. Like, and I'll pause you 1068 01:36:25,875 --> 01:36:27,000 for a moment, and then 1069 01:36:27,000 --> 01:36:28,333 you kind of answered this, 1070 01:36:28,791 --> 01:36:31,375 but, uh, just to poke the bear a little 1071 01:36:31,375 --> 01:36:32,583 bit more, were there any 1072 01:36:32,583 --> 01:36:34,166 things that you needed to unlearn? 1073 01:36:34,375 --> 01:36:38,833 I think you've said so. This is wild. So 1074 01:36:38,833 --> 01:36:41,166 bicep tendon, we went from that 1075 01:36:41,833 --> 01:36:44,708 to ayahuasca. Now quick question as far 1076 01:36:44,708 --> 01:36:46,250 as the medical did, did 1077 01:36:46,250 --> 01:36:49,416 the tendon pop off the bone? 1078 01:36:50,083 --> 01:36:53,083 Yeah. Yeah. So I actually had, so this is 1079 01:36:53,083 --> 01:36:56,666 how it went. So, um, I'm a pretty 1080 01:36:56,708 --> 01:36:58,541 miserable human being at this point, 1081 01:36:58,541 --> 01:36:59,791 right? Like I just given 1082 01:36:59,791 --> 01:37:01,625 you this long. So from, 1083 01:37:01,875 --> 01:37:06,125 I got out November of 2015, it is now, 1084 01:37:06,416 --> 01:37:08,000 um, when I tore my 1085 01:37:08,000 --> 01:37:11,125 bicep tendon, it's 2022. 1086 01:37:11,666 --> 01:37:14,000 So it's like November, December of 2022. 1087 01:37:14,458 --> 01:37:16,541 Okay. And so that, that was 1088 01:37:16,541 --> 01:37:18,000 my journey, right? So college, 1089 01:37:18,166 --> 01:37:20,916 uh, you know, managing other people's 1090 01:37:20,916 --> 01:37:22,625 businesses and making them a lot of 1091 01:37:22,625 --> 01:37:24,333 money, um, failing in 1092 01:37:24,333 --> 01:37:26,333 the insurance industry, because I was, I 1093 01:37:26,333 --> 01:37:27,750 was, I was just given the 1094 01:37:27,750 --> 01:37:28,958 sales pitch. I wasn't actually 1095 01:37:28,958 --> 01:37:30,791 educated on how to sell insurance, how to 1096 01:37:30,791 --> 01:37:32,541 get, uh, what chargebacks 1097 01:37:32,541 --> 01:37:34,041 are, how to get business to stay 1098 01:37:34,041 --> 01:37:35,541 on the books, et cetera, et cetera, et 1099 01:37:35,541 --> 01:37:38,958 cetera. Um, and so I just resigned 1100 01:37:38,958 --> 01:37:39,958 myself. Like I'm just 1101 01:37:39,958 --> 01:37:41,208 going to go back to flight school. I'll 1102 01:37:41,208 --> 01:37:42,875 finish CFI. I'll, I didn't 1103 01:37:42,875 --> 01:37:44,000 want to be a CFI at all. I don't 1104 01:37:44,000 --> 01:37:45,541 want to be dependent on a student for 1105 01:37:45,541 --> 01:37:47,541 paycheck. I don't know many 1106 01:37:47,541 --> 01:37:49,666 pilots that really want to be a 1107 01:37:49,666 --> 01:37:52,416 CFI. Usually it's always a CFI so they 1108 01:37:52,416 --> 01:37:53,958 can get to the airlines. And 1109 01:37:53,958 --> 01:37:55,416 that's it. I just, I fought it 1110 01:37:55,416 --> 01:37:56,750 and fought it. Didn't want to do it. 1111 01:37:56,750 --> 01:37:58,791 Resign myself to, you know, at least I'm 1112 01:37:58,791 --> 01:37:59,583 flying, right? At least 1113 01:37:59,583 --> 01:38:01,125 it's something that I do enjoy, even 1114 01:38:01,125 --> 01:38:02,250 though it's going to be miserable. Cause 1115 01:38:02,250 --> 01:38:03,041 I'm going to do five 1116 01:38:03,125 --> 01:38:05,041 of the same lesson with this, you know, 1117 01:38:05,041 --> 01:38:05,833 five different students 1118 01:38:05,833 --> 01:38:06,958 every single day for each 1119 01:38:06,958 --> 01:38:10,666 18 months to get these hours. Um, and long 1120 01:38:10,666 --> 01:38:12,166 story short, my log book, 1121 01:38:12,166 --> 01:38:13,333 when I finished commercial, 1122 01:38:13,458 --> 01:38:16,083 got stolen by a tweaker out of my garage 1123 01:38:16,083 --> 01:38:17,541 in my house in 1124 01:38:17,541 --> 01:38:20,041 Washington, uh, right before COVID 1125 01:38:20,083 --> 01:38:22,333 happened. I've completely forgot about 1126 01:38:22,333 --> 01:38:24,000 that. Needed those numbers, had to 1127 01:38:24,000 --> 01:38:25,333 petition the FAA to, 1128 01:38:25,541 --> 01:38:27,708 and send them a paper check for $2 and 1129 01:38:27,708 --> 01:38:29,083 then wait six months to get 1130 01:38:29,083 --> 01:38:30,375 those numbers so that I could 1131 01:38:30,375 --> 01:38:32,541 take the check ride for CFI. So to this 1132 01:38:32,541 --> 01:38:34,291 day, I'm about three days 1133 01:38:34,291 --> 01:38:35,500 worth of work away from the check 1134 01:38:35,583 --> 01:38:37,583 ride for CFI. I haven't, I just haven't 1135 01:38:37,583 --> 01:38:40,041 finished. Um, sure. Um, also 1136 01:38:40,041 --> 01:38:42,166 there was a bear that came and 1137 01:38:42,166 --> 01:38:44,583 clawed your leg and that woman started 1138 01:38:44,583 --> 01:38:46,250 shrieking. Are there any other weird 1139 01:38:46,250 --> 01:38:47,125 obstacles that you'd 1140 01:38:47,125 --> 01:38:48,708 like to throw into the mix, good sir? 1141 01:38:48,708 --> 01:38:50,625 I mean, we're here to entertain them. I spent, I spent 1142 01:38:50,625 --> 01:38:53,583 $10,000 to get my medical to even 1143 01:38:53,583 --> 01:38:55,416 go to flight school in the first place. 1144 01:38:55,416 --> 01:38:58,000 Sure. Because I'm 1145 01:38:58,000 --> 01:39:00,000 guessing none of the, the logbook 1146 01:39:00,000 --> 01:39:01,875 was digitised. This was all just paper. 1147 01:39:02,541 --> 01:39:03,541 No, what was funny 1148 01:39:03,541 --> 01:39:04,958 Meade, you'll appreciate this. 1149 01:39:05,000 --> 01:39:07,333 In IACRA. Sure. I go to, I go to the 1150 01:39:07,333 --> 01:39:08,958 IACRA website to do all 1151 01:39:08,958 --> 01:39:10,375 the paperwork for, you know, 1152 01:39:10,500 --> 01:39:13,916 the, the 8710 to take the check ride. And 1153 01:39:13,916 --> 01:39:15,541 my private pilot check 1154 01:39:15,541 --> 01:39:17,208 ride is, is digitally on 1155 01:39:17,208 --> 01:39:19,333 IACRA's website, but my commercial one 1156 01:39:19,333 --> 01:39:22,291 isn't. How would my private pilot one 1157 01:39:22,291 --> 01:39:23,125 from three years ago, 1158 01:39:23,125 --> 01:39:25,000 not be archived, but my commercial one 1159 01:39:25,000 --> 01:39:26,500 is. And it was only a 1160 01:39:26,500 --> 01:39:27,916 year ago. As it turns out, 1161 01:39:27,916 --> 01:39:30,166 one of those require a little bit more 1162 01:39:30,166 --> 01:39:31,375 flight knowledge, just 1163 01:39:31,375 --> 01:39:32,791 saying. As it turns out, 1164 01:39:32,833 --> 01:39:36,250 you know, so like why, so that, that was 1165 01:39:36,250 --> 01:39:37,916 actually why I had to write 1166 01:39:37,916 --> 01:39:39,833 the FAA. I did everything. 1167 01:39:39,833 --> 01:39:41,541 I went to the FSDO. I liked, I was 1168 01:39:41,541 --> 01:39:42,708 like, you guys are really 1169 01:39:42,708 --> 01:39:44,541 going to make me wait six months 1170 01:39:44,541 --> 01:39:48,375 to get this. And they said, yes. So 1171 01:39:48,375 --> 01:39:51,083 paperwork, we're finding a common thread 1172 01:39:51,083 --> 01:39:52,666 with your particular 1173 01:39:52,791 --> 01:39:55,541 stories, paperwork. That's why we don't 1174 01:39:55,541 --> 01:39:56,500 invite paperwork to 1175 01:39:56,500 --> 01:39:58,458 play. Yeah, we don't. We did 1176 01:39:58,541 --> 01:40:00,916 paperwork, the bane of my existence, but 1177 01:40:00,916 --> 01:40:03,416 yeah. So, so yeah, I 1178 01:40:03,416 --> 01:40:04,583 did. I tore the bicep tendon 1179 01:40:05,291 --> 01:40:07,708 down at the bend in your elbow, which is 1180 01:40:07,708 --> 01:40:10,083 kind of the most rare place to tear it. 1181 01:40:10,291 --> 01:40:11,375 Yeah. Usually it's up at 1182 01:40:11,375 --> 01:40:12,541 the top of the humerus. 1183 01:40:12,875 --> 01:40:14,208 I also tore it there. 1184 01:40:14,583 --> 01:40:16,166 Well done you. Well done you. 1185 01:40:16,166 --> 01:40:18,250 Yeah, that, that was fixed before I got 1186 01:40:18,250 --> 01:40:19,291 out of the army with the two 1187 01:40:19,291 --> 01:40:20,625 shoulder surgeries I had. So 1188 01:40:20,708 --> 01:40:22,041 that was part of the two shoulder 1189 01:40:22,041 --> 01:40:24,041 surgeries down here at the 1190 01:40:24,041 --> 01:40:25,916 bottom. Man, look, I was, 1191 01:40:25,916 --> 01:40:28,875 I'm telling you, I was at rock bottom. I 1192 01:40:28,875 --> 01:40:31,416 weighed 321 pounds. I was at 1193 01:40:31,416 --> 01:40:32,958 the fastest I had ever been. 1194 01:40:33,958 --> 01:40:36,583 I was just disgustingly out of shape. 1195 01:40:36,583 --> 01:40:37,875 It's a wonder that, you 1196 01:40:37,875 --> 01:40:38,833 know, it didn't happen sooner. 1197 01:40:39,083 --> 01:40:41,791 And the way I tore it is I had gone to my 1198 01:40:41,791 --> 01:40:42,916 Dad's, we were working on 1199 01:40:42,916 --> 01:40:43,791 my Harley and I was putting 1200 01:40:43,791 --> 01:40:45,250 the front sharing back on my Harley. And 1201 01:40:45,250 --> 01:40:46,166 as I pushed, it just 1202 01:40:46,166 --> 01:40:47,541 popped. It just snapped. 1203 01:40:48,333 --> 01:40:50,541 Literally, Dad heard it. He said, what the 1204 01:40:50,541 --> 01:40:51,625 fuck was that? I said, I 1205 01:40:51,625 --> 01:40:52,791 just took my bicep tendon. 1206 01:40:53,125 --> 01:40:55,041 I walked out the garage door. I threw up 1207 01:40:55,041 --> 01:40:56,416 in his landscape 1208 01:40:56,416 --> 01:40:57,791 because it hurt that bad. 1209 01:40:58,083 --> 01:40:58,416 Oh yeah. 1210 01:40:58,416 --> 01:40:59,625 And, and, and then walk back in the 1211 01:40:59,625 --> 01:41:00,416 garage and he's like, are 1212 01:41:00,416 --> 01:41:01,500 you serious? I was like, Dad, 1213 01:41:01,500 --> 01:41:03,416 I don't know how to tell you, like, I 1214 01:41:03,416 --> 01:41:04,333 know I'm not a doctor, 1215 01:41:04,333 --> 01:41:05,833 but I know I just tore this 1216 01:41:06,250 --> 01:41:09,083 completely, just completely tore it. So 1217 01:41:09,083 --> 01:41:10,583 this is where it gets really interesting. 1218 01:41:10,958 --> 01:41:13,791 Then why I had two surgeries. So I go 1219 01:41:13,791 --> 01:41:15,750 through the VA immediately, 1220 01:41:15,750 --> 01:41:17,541 like the next day, because I know 1221 01:41:17,541 --> 01:41:19,333 a bicep tendon, you got to get it 1222 01:41:19,333 --> 01:41:20,916 repaired quickly. Cause it's like leaving 1223 01:41:20,916 --> 01:41:22,041 a rubber band in the sun. 1224 01:41:22,166 --> 01:41:24,583 It just, it gets brittle and eventually 1225 01:41:24,583 --> 01:41:26,291 you can't fix it. So they 1226 01:41:26,291 --> 01:41:27,541 send me to community care 1227 01:41:27,583 --> 01:41:29,625 because they can't do it. I go to this 1228 01:41:29,625 --> 01:41:31,500 doctor. This doctor cuts me 1229 01:41:31,500 --> 01:41:33,791 open. He wakes me up to tell 1230 01:41:33,791 --> 01:41:35,583 me, oh, your MRI is wrong. Your bicep 1231 01:41:35,583 --> 01:41:37,375 tendon is not torn. I couldn't find it. 1232 01:41:38,041 --> 01:41:39,500 Couldn't find it. Oh, pardon. I left it 1233 01:41:39,500 --> 01:41:40,458 in the carpark. What do 1234 01:41:40,458 --> 01:41:41,541 you mean you couldn't find it? 1235 01:41:42,708 --> 01:41:45,708 So, now this is where I learn, I go back 1236 01:41:45,708 --> 01:41:47,000 to the VA. I'm like, Hey, 1237 01:41:47,000 --> 01:41:48,375 this isn't right. Like it's 1238 01:41:48,416 --> 01:41:50,583 definitely fucking torn. Like you can 1239 01:41:50,583 --> 01:41:51,750 visibly see that it's 1240 01:41:51,750 --> 01:41:54,541 torn. This surgeon, like it's, 1241 01:41:54,541 --> 01:41:56,625 it's an elective surgery. Like you don't 1242 01:41:56,625 --> 01:41:58,041 have to fix a bicep tendon. 1243 01:41:58,583 --> 01:41:59,958 Yeah, no, you don't need to be able to 1244 01:41:59,958 --> 01:42:01,041 bend the arm. Adam, 1245 01:42:01,291 --> 01:42:03,375 listen, listen, you and your 1246 01:42:03,375 --> 01:42:04,708 highfalutin ways in your 1247 01:42:04,708 --> 01:42:07,833 arms. Yeah, right. What do you want from me?!? 1248 01:42:08,166 --> 01:42:11,916 Yeah. So, so I, I get with the VA, I 1249 01:42:11,916 --> 01:42:12,791 fight back and forth 1250 01:42:12,791 --> 01:42:13,833 for like three weeks. 1251 01:42:14,500 --> 01:42:15,291 Goodness. 1252 01:42:15,583 --> 01:42:17,333 Turns out I have to go over to Orlando 1253 01:42:17,333 --> 01:42:19,291 because all the surgeons 1254 01:42:19,291 --> 01:42:21,083 in the network over here, 1255 01:42:21,666 --> 01:42:24,041 they have a hard and fast rule. They 1256 01:42:24,041 --> 01:42:26,416 won't see you if you've been cut on 1257 01:42:26,416 --> 01:42:28,458 within the last 90 days. 1258 01:42:28,875 --> 01:42:30,708 So it's like a, it's an insurance thing, 1259 01:42:30,708 --> 01:42:32,041 right? Like I, I respect 1260 01:42:32,041 --> 01:42:34,041 it. I understand it. Thank God 1261 01:42:34,041 --> 01:42:35,708 they sent me over to Orlando Health Jewett 1262 01:42:35,708 --> 01:42:37,541 Orthopedic Institute. And I 1263 01:42:37,541 --> 01:42:40,875 get with Dr. Zumsteg and, what an 1264 01:42:40,875 --> 01:42:42,458 amazing human being, because my first 1265 01:42:42,458 --> 01:42:43,458 appointment with him, he 1266 01:42:43,458 --> 01:42:45,375 agrees to see me. He walks in, 1267 01:42:45,875 --> 01:42:48,708 he says, I'm Dr. Zumsteg. First things 1268 01:42:48,708 --> 01:42:49,666 first, I don't think your 1269 01:42:49,666 --> 01:42:51,291 MRI was wrong. And I was like, 1270 01:42:51,291 --> 01:42:53,541 okay, we're in business now. Right? So 1271 01:42:53,541 --> 01:42:55,708 long story short, he agrees 1272 01:42:55,708 --> 01:42:57,541 to fix it. He does fix it. He 1273 01:42:57,541 --> 01:42:59,375 found the tendon, uh, have a really cool 1274 01:42:59,375 --> 01:43:01,041 scar. It's kind of like a, 1275 01:43:01,041 --> 01:43:02,583 it's like a 90, 90 degree 1276 01:43:02,625 --> 01:43:04,250 angle where he had to like peel the skin 1277 01:43:04,250 --> 01:43:05,250 back to actually get to 1278 01:43:05,250 --> 01:43:06,708 the tendon. It's really cool. 1279 01:43:06,708 --> 01:43:08,583 Kind of, I don't know. I like my scars, I 1280 01:43:08,583 --> 01:43:09,958 guess, but, but long 1281 01:43:09,958 --> 01:43:11,458 story, he, he fixed it. I have a 1282 01:43:11,458 --> 01:43:14,833 donor tendon in there. Um, and, uh, you 1283 01:43:14,833 --> 01:43:16,083 honestly can't even tell 1284 01:43:16,083 --> 01:43:17,625 that I actually tore it. I don't 1285 01:43:17,666 --> 01:43:19,708 have like the double peaks, like some 1286 01:43:19,708 --> 01:43:21,791 people do. I'm kind of blessed in that. 1287 01:43:22,166 --> 01:43:23,750 Um, but that actually 1288 01:43:23,750 --> 01:43:26,041 set my recovery back about nine months. 1289 01:43:26,041 --> 01:43:28,041 So I was in a cast for a lot 1290 01:43:28,041 --> 01:43:30,333 longer, uh, more scar tissue, 1291 01:43:30,708 --> 01:43:33,250 uh, just the whole left arm atrophies. 1292 01:43:33,250 --> 01:43:34,041 And you go like, great. 1293 01:43:34,375 --> 01:43:36,041 I have one, one big arm, 1294 01:43:36,083 --> 01:43:38,291 one small arm. Like, great. This is, 1295 01:43:38,291 --> 01:43:39,541 that's not natural at all. 1296 01:43:39,875 --> 01:43:42,541 Yeah. So the big kicker there is 1297 01:43:42,791 --> 01:43:45,041 the day I tore the bicep tendon is the 1298 01:43:45,041 --> 01:43:46,208 same day that I had 1299 01:43:46,208 --> 01:43:48,333 received the numbers from the FAA 1300 01:43:48,333 --> 01:43:51,750 in the mail. Oh, wow. So I was literally 1301 01:43:51,750 --> 01:43:53,250 scheduled to go back and 1302 01:43:53,250 --> 01:43:56,541 finish CFI that following week. 1303 01:43:57,333 --> 01:44:00,291 And, um, you know, I, that's, that's when 1304 01:44:00,291 --> 01:44:02,500 I, I mean, torn bicep 1305 01:44:02,500 --> 01:44:04,333 tendon, your left arm, right 1306 01:44:04,416 --> 01:44:05,791 seat is where you're taking the check 1307 01:44:05,791 --> 01:44:07,208 ride. Can't work a throttle pretty 1308 01:44:07,208 --> 01:44:08,166 important to be able to 1309 01:44:08,166 --> 01:44:10,250 work the throttle. Had I been doing any 1310 01:44:10,250 --> 01:44:11,208 other check ride from the 1311 01:44:11,208 --> 01:44:12,208 left seat, I still think 1312 01:44:12,208 --> 01:44:14,625 I could have flown and been fine. Um, but 1313 01:44:14,625 --> 01:44:15,958 let's just say, uh, I'm 1314 01:44:15,958 --> 01:44:17,750 glad you didn't, uh, you know, 1315 01:44:17,750 --> 01:44:20,375 if you can't move the arm up to the yoke, 1316 01:44:20,375 --> 01:44:23,250 uh, maybe, maybe let it ride for a bit. 1317 01:44:24,625 --> 01:44:26,916 So, so that was it, man. Um, that was 1318 01:44:26,916 --> 01:44:30,708 rock bottom for me. I, um, while I was 1319 01:44:30,708 --> 01:44:32,291 working a, a menial is 1320 01:44:32,333 --> 01:44:34,208 actually a really great job. I worked in 1321 01:44:34,208 --> 01:44:36,041 the sod farm, uh, while I was 1322 01:44:36,041 --> 01:44:37,125 waiting for those numbers to 1323 01:44:37,125 --> 01:44:39,666 come from the FAA, uh, really cool. No 1324 01:44:39,666 --> 01:44:40,833 responsibility show up, 1325 01:44:40,833 --> 01:44:42,208 mow grass from 7 to 1326 01:44:42,208 --> 01:44:44,208 5:30 every day. Listen to books, 1327 01:44:44,208 --> 01:44:46,583 podcasts, all of that good stuff, like 1328 01:44:46,583 --> 01:44:47,750 completely left alone, 1329 01:44:47,833 --> 01:44:50,083 like honestly, like and made a thousand 1330 01:44:50,083 --> 01:44:51,791 dollars a week after taxes, which is 1331 01:44:51,791 --> 01:44:52,875 really, that's really 1332 01:44:52,875 --> 01:44:55,416 good money. Um, and for not a lot of 1333 01:44:55,416 --> 01:44:56,625 work, dude, like I sat on my 1334 01:44:56,625 --> 01:44:58,458 ass in the hot Floriday sun, and I 1335 01:44:58,541 --> 01:45:00,250 mowed grass and listened to books. I 1336 01:45:00,250 --> 01:45:02,000 bettered myself for money. 1337 01:45:02,375 --> 01:45:04,041 That's a pretty cool. Um, 1338 01:45:04,041 --> 01:45:06,083 and that's, that's where I really, I 1339 01:45:06,083 --> 01:45:07,250 found The Shawn Ryan Show. 1340 01:45:07,250 --> 01:45:08,666 It's how I got introduced to, 1341 01:45:08,666 --> 01:45:10,333 to plant medicine. Ibogaine 1342 01:45:10,333 --> 01:45:11,500 and 5-MeO-DMT was his 1343 01:45:11,500 --> 01:45:13,083 story and his guest stories. 1344 01:45:14,000 --> 01:45:16,041 Then his wife interviewed him on her pod 1345 01:45:16,041 --> 01:45:18,083 on his podcast about his 1346 01:45:18,083 --> 01:45:20,333 journey. Then I started seeking 1347 01:45:20,333 --> 01:45:22,083 it out because you know, the bicep tendon 1348 01:45:22,083 --> 01:45:23,541 thing was pretty much rock 1349 01:45:23,541 --> 01:45:24,708 bottom for me. I was pretty 1350 01:45:24,750 --> 01:45:27,166 suicidal. I wanted to kill myself. 1351 01:45:27,166 --> 01:45:27,708 I didn't think that I 1352 01:45:27,708 --> 01:45:29,791 belonged anywhere in the world. Um, 1353 01:45:30,958 --> 01:45:32,916 got really even more discouraged as I 1354 01:45:32,916 --> 01:45:33,750 started looking for a 1355 01:45:33,750 --> 01:45:35,291 nonprofit that would pay for me 1356 01:45:35,291 --> 01:45:36,750 to go and have a plant medicine 1357 01:45:36,750 --> 01:45:39,583 experience because 95% of 1358 01:45:39,583 --> 01:45:41,125 them at the time were all, 1359 01:45:41,125 --> 01:45:42,166 they would all cater to special 1360 01:45:42,166 --> 01:45:44,375 operations. They didn't cater and still 1361 01:45:44,375 --> 01:45:45,833 don't really cater to 1362 01:45:46,500 --> 01:45:49,041 conventional guys like me. And then by 1363 01:45:49,041 --> 01:45:50,666 the grace of God, I got picked up by 1364 01:45:50,666 --> 01:45:51,833 Heroic Hearts Project 1365 01:45:51,833 --> 01:45:55,375 and July 2nd through the 7th of 2023 is 1366 01:45:55,375 --> 01:45:57,250 when my entire life changed 1367 01:45:57,250 --> 01:45:59,333 and, uh, it turned me into 1368 01:45:59,333 --> 01:46:01,541 the person that I am now. And I've built 1369 01:46:01,541 --> 01:46:03,416 literally everything, uh, 1370 01:46:03,416 --> 01:46:05,875 from, from the heels of that first 1371 01:46:05,875 --> 01:46:10,541 retreat. Well, I'm glad that you got 1372 01:46:10,541 --> 01:46:11,625 involved the way that you 1373 01:46:11,625 --> 01:46:13,541 did. I'll say it that way. 1374 01:46:14,083 --> 01:46:16,250 I think, uh, we all have a journey, 1375 01:46:16,250 --> 01:46:19,416 right? And mine, I'm learning that mine 1376 01:46:19,416 --> 01:46:20,166 is really interesting 1377 01:46:20,333 --> 01:46:22,958 and fascinating to people and can serve 1378 01:46:22,958 --> 01:46:24,166 as a really good example 1379 01:46:24,166 --> 01:46:26,458 for, you know, things that, 1380 01:46:26,666 --> 01:46:29,250 that we as vets getting out don't have to 1381 01:46:29,250 --> 01:46:30,541 go through. Sure. 1382 01:46:31,333 --> 01:46:33,416 Definitely that. Well, to all 1383 01:46:33,416 --> 01:46:35,500 of you listening at home, uh, if you love 1384 01:46:35,500 --> 01:46:36,333 what you're hearing as much 1385 01:46:36,333 --> 01:46:37,500 as we love what we're doing, 1386 01:46:37,708 --> 01:46:40,375 smash that subscribe button and, you 1387 01:46:40,375 --> 01:46:43,291 know, getting into the now, 1388 01:46:43,541 --> 01:46:45,666 what, what is your mission now? 1389 01:46:47,291 --> 01:46:51,041 I have several, um, the, the mission with 1390 01:46:51,041 --> 01:46:53,375 the brand, uh, is to, to 1391 01:46:53,375 --> 01:46:55,041 just be the guy I didn't have 1392 01:46:55,041 --> 01:46:58,458 when I transitioned out to, to be, you 1393 01:46:58,458 --> 01:47:00,166 know, that, that example of like, Hey, 1394 01:47:00,458 --> 01:47:01,916 um, you don't have to 1395 01:47:01,916 --> 01:47:03,791 make the same mistakes that I did. You 1396 01:47:03,791 --> 01:47:04,791 don't have to go through 1397 01:47:04,791 --> 01:47:06,583 eight and a half years of struggle 1398 01:47:06,583 --> 01:47:09,541 before you figure out, um, what, what, 1399 01:47:09,875 --> 01:47:12,375 what you should be doing or what's going to resonate 1400 01:47:12,375 --> 01:47:16,000 with you. And moreover, it's to push you into, 1401 01:47:16,208 --> 01:47:18,416 um, ignoring all of those 1402 01:47:18,416 --> 01:47:19,875 people who are telling you 1403 01:47:19,875 --> 01:47:22,041 when you get out, you should do this, you 1404 01:47:22,041 --> 01:47:24,625 should do that. It's to 1405 01:47:24,625 --> 01:47:26,291 encourage you to sit with yourself 1406 01:47:26,291 --> 01:47:28,416 in front of the mirror and truly ask 1407 01:47:28,416 --> 01:47:30,625 yourself what you want to be doing and 1408 01:47:30,625 --> 01:47:32,083 then help you find a way 1409 01:47:32,083 --> 01:47:35,666 to pursue that. Um, whether that's to 1410 01:47:35,666 --> 01:47:39,666 earn a living, um, or, I mean, obviously everybody needs 1411 01:47:39,666 --> 01:47:41,541 to earn a living. I'm of the belief that 1412 01:47:41,541 --> 01:47:42,958 everybody can earn a living doing 1413 01:47:42,958 --> 01:47:44,000 something that truly 1414 01:47:44,000 --> 01:47:46,208 resonates with them and makes them happy. 1415 01:47:46,208 --> 01:47:47,541 We don't need as much money 1416 01:47:47,541 --> 01:47:49,375 as we think that we do. Um, 1417 01:47:49,458 --> 01:47:53,083 we, we can live incredible lives, uh, 1418 01:47:53,333 --> 01:47:54,666 doing things that resonate 1419 01:47:54,666 --> 01:47:57,000 with us. And, um, that's kind of 1420 01:47:57,000 --> 01:47:59,583 the mission with, with TSV and the brand. 1421 01:47:59,583 --> 01:48:03,875 Um, then, you know, in business, my mission is to 1422 01:48:03,875 --> 01:48:05,958 obviously create generational wealth that 1423 01:48:05,958 --> 01:48:08,333 I don't come from. But the thing that 1424 01:48:08,333 --> 01:48:10,291 drives me is, is, uh, 1425 01:48:10,291 --> 01:48:12,083 I want to retire my Dad. My Dad is 1426 01:48:12,083 --> 01:48:14,000 constantly, it's in every year it goes 1427 01:48:14,000 --> 01:48:16,041 up. He, he says he'll be 72 1428 01:48:16,041 --> 01:48:18,625 years old before he can truly retire. My 1429 01:48:18,625 --> 01:48:19,291 Dad is one of the hardest 1430 01:48:19,291 --> 01:48:20,583 working people that I've ever 1431 01:48:20,583 --> 01:48:23,291 met in my entire life. And he does it at 1432 01:48:23,291 --> 01:48:26,250 such a level that, you 1433 01:48:26,250 --> 01:48:27,791 know, it's, it's no wonder I am 1434 01:48:27,791 --> 01:48:29,208 the way that I am. It's just, it's 1435 01:48:29,208 --> 01:48:31,000 always professional. It's always done the 1436 01:48:31,000 --> 01:48:32,083 right way. He doesn't cut 1437 01:48:32,083 --> 01:48:34,541 corners. And I would like to 1438 01:48:34,541 --> 01:48:36,958 see him enjoy his, his later years in 1439 01:48:36,958 --> 01:48:39,416 life and not have to work, you know, 40 1440 01:48:39,416 --> 01:48:40,333 hours a week till he's 1441 01:48:40,333 --> 01:48:42,833 72 years old. So, that's the mission 1442 01:48:42,833 --> 01:48:44,750 there. And then the mission with the 1443 01:48:44,750 --> 01:48:45,958 plant medicine stuff is to 1444 01:48:46,000 --> 01:48:48,291 obviously provide people the opportunity 1445 01:48:48,291 --> 01:48:49,083 to have a 1446 01:48:49,083 --> 01:48:51,208 transformational experience. Like I did. 1447 01:48:51,708 --> 01:48:53,750 I love that. Well, that actually rolls 1448 01:48:53,750 --> 01:48:55,416 into the kind of another 1449 01:48:55,416 --> 01:48:57,541 query. How do you feel your 1450 01:48:57,791 --> 01:48:59,958 identity has evolved 1451 01:48:59,958 --> 01:49:01,500 since leaving service? 1452 01:49:03,916 --> 01:49:07,541 Um, I don't know that it has, man. I 1453 01:49:07,541 --> 01:49:09,958 think a huge part of my 1454 01:49:09,958 --> 01:49:14,083 identity was, was being a leader. I 1455 01:49:14,083 --> 01:49:16,791 loved being a leader. I loved mentoring 1456 01:49:16,791 --> 01:49:19,291 soldiers and I was, look, I 1457 01:49:19,291 --> 01:49:21,458 have not been the nicest to 1458 01:49:21,458 --> 01:49:23,375 myself about this. I had a mediocre 1459 01:49:23,375 --> 01:49:25,250 career. I could have had 1460 01:49:25,250 --> 01:49:27,083 such a much better career. I 1461 01:49:27,125 --> 01:49:29,541 truly did have a mediocre career and I 1462 01:49:29,541 --> 01:49:30,375 carried over into, I 1463 01:49:30,375 --> 01:49:31,708 thought I was a shitty leader. I 1464 01:49:31,708 --> 01:49:33,500 really did think I was, I wasn't a great 1465 01:49:33,500 --> 01:49:36,041 leader. Um, hindsight is 1466 01:49:36,041 --> 01:49:38,083 20/20. I can see now that I was 1467 01:49:38,083 --> 01:49:40,458 actually kind of a phenomenal leader. 1468 01:49:40,750 --> 01:49:42,916 And, there've been guests on 1469 01:49:42,916 --> 01:49:44,583 my podcast that have said as 1470 01:49:44,583 --> 01:49:46,708 much that were my subordinates. I still 1471 01:49:46,708 --> 01:49:48,750 mentor several kids that 1472 01:49:48,750 --> 01:49:50,500 are, you know, at the end of 1473 01:49:50,500 --> 01:49:52,625 their careers now, but I still get to 1474 01:49:52,625 --> 01:49:54,833 mentor them and look now 1475 01:49:54,833 --> 01:49:56,875 because I built this platform and 1476 01:49:56,875 --> 01:49:59,083 I'm advocating for people to not make the 1477 01:49:59,083 --> 01:50:00,750 same mistakes. And not only 1478 01:50:00,750 --> 01:50:01,750 do I get to lead the army, 1479 01:50:01,750 --> 01:50:04,416 I get to lead all of the military again. 1480 01:50:04,791 --> 01:50:06,041 So, I don't think my 1481 01:50:06,041 --> 01:50:07,583 identity has changed that much at 1482 01:50:07,583 --> 01:50:09,375 all, man. I get to be a leader in 1483 01:50:09,375 --> 01:50:11,750 entrepreneurship and encouraging these 1484 01:50:11,750 --> 01:50:13,041 guys and girls that are 1485 01:50:13,041 --> 01:50:17,166 getting out, women, whatever, to, to, to 1486 01:50:17,166 --> 01:50:19,041 think outside the box, to, 1487 01:50:19,041 --> 01:50:21,166 to consider an avenue that 1488 01:50:21,208 --> 01:50:24,041 nobody turned me on to when I was getting 1489 01:50:24,041 --> 01:50:25,666 out, right? Like, like, 1490 01:50:25,666 --> 01:50:27,458 and it's, it's also 2026, 1491 01:50:27,541 --> 01:50:30,375 like the barrier to entry to becoming an 1492 01:50:30,375 --> 01:50:32,125 entrepreneur is it's 1493 01:50:32,125 --> 01:50:33,333 non-existent right now. 1494 01:50:33,333 --> 01:50:35,250 You have so many tools at your disposal 1495 01:50:35,250 --> 01:50:36,458 to shortcut so many 1496 01:50:36,458 --> 01:50:38,500 things. Um, so I get to be a 1497 01:50:38,500 --> 01:50:39,916 leader in that. And then in the plant 1498 01:50:39,916 --> 01:50:41,041 medicine space, I get to be 1499 01:50:41,041 --> 01:50:44,000 a leader in, in making sure 1500 01:50:44,000 --> 01:50:46,041 that it's done the right way, making sure 1501 01:50:46,041 --> 01:50:47,333 intentions are set 1502 01:50:47,333 --> 01:50:49,541 and, and, you know, um, 1503 01:50:49,541 --> 01:50:52,041 integration is, is pre and post and it's 1504 01:50:52,041 --> 01:50:54,000 being done. And, and, uh, 1505 01:50:54,291 --> 01:50:55,791 so I, I really don't think 1506 01:50:55,791 --> 01:50:58,208 that it's changed at all. It just looks 1507 01:50:58,208 --> 01:50:59,958 very different. Fair 1508 01:50:59,958 --> 01:51:03,458 enough. Fair enough. So what do 1509 01:51:03,458 --> 01:51:08,000 you think, let's say, um, strengths from 1510 01:51:08,000 --> 01:51:09,666 service that serve you 1511 01:51:09,666 --> 01:51:11,333 well, like things that you, you 1512 01:51:11,458 --> 01:51:13,125 wouldn't have had otherwise that, that 1513 01:51:13,125 --> 01:51:14,875 really are who you are now. 1514 01:51:15,750 --> 01:51:19,916 Oh, hands down discipline, um, uh, hands 1515 01:51:19,916 --> 01:51:21,708 down adaptability, 1516 01:51:21,708 --> 01:51:23,750 problem solving, leadership, um, 1517 01:51:23,750 --> 01:51:26,541 the same skills that do translate well to 1518 01:51:26,541 --> 01:51:27,875 the civilian world. If you 1519 01:51:27,875 --> 01:51:29,375 know how to translate them, 1520 01:51:29,666 --> 01:51:31,583 uh, they're the high leverage skills that 1521 01:51:31,583 --> 01:51:32,333 I talk about that the 1522 01:51:32,333 --> 01:51:34,041 military gives us. I mean, from day 1523 01:51:34,083 --> 01:51:35,833 one, whether you realise it or not, 1524 01:51:35,833 --> 01:51:37,666 they're grooming us to be the best 1525 01:51:37,666 --> 01:51:39,083 leaders that we can be. 1526 01:51:39,083 --> 01:51:42,041 Leadership, it is second to none 1527 01:51:42,041 --> 01:51:43,250 anywhere on the planet 1528 01:51:43,250 --> 01:51:45,000 than, you know, in the military, 1529 01:51:45,000 --> 01:51:47,000 like, like that is the standard of 1530 01:51:47,000 --> 01:51:48,416 leadership, I think. Right. 1531 01:51:48,708 --> 01:51:51,208 Um, so, so yeah, all of those 1532 01:51:51,208 --> 01:51:53,125 things I carry with me, but the biggest 1533 01:51:53,125 --> 01:51:54,208 one for sure is 1534 01:51:54,208 --> 01:51:55,916 discipline. Discipline for me is, 1535 01:51:56,000 --> 01:51:58,750 is my number one core value. Uh, 1536 01:51:59,041 --> 01:52:00,208 discipline is something that will never 1537 01:52:00,208 --> 01:52:01,250 abandon you. Discipline 1538 01:52:01,250 --> 01:52:03,833 is always there to show you the way. If 1539 01:52:03,833 --> 01:52:05,916 you just remain disciplined, you will 1540 01:52:05,916 --> 01:52:06,625 accomplish literally 1541 01:52:07,000 --> 01:52:08,500 everything that you set out to accomplish 1542 01:52:08,500 --> 01:52:10,333 in your life period, end of story. It's 1543 01:52:10,333 --> 01:52:11,833 all around discipline. 1544 01:52:12,083 --> 01:52:16,833 I love that. I absolutely adore that. Oh goodness. 1545 01:52:16,833 --> 01:52:18,625 So, this is something that you 1546 01:52:18,625 --> 01:52:19,875 probably won't have a whole 1547 01:52:19,875 --> 01:52:21,833 lot to offer on, but I'll ask it anyway. 1548 01:52:22,083 --> 01:52:23,375 What, what do you have to 1549 01:52:23,375 --> 01:52:25,625 offer veterans that are in 1550 01:52:25,625 --> 01:52:29,625 transition? Oh man. What advice can you 1551 01:52:29,625 --> 01:52:30,625 give them? What's something 1552 01:52:30,625 --> 01:52:31,750 they need to hear from you? 1553 01:52:32,416 --> 01:52:35,416 Stop listening to everybody else, and 1554 01:52:35,416 --> 01:52:37,500 start listening to yourself. 1555 01:52:39,458 --> 01:52:41,500 I'm serious, man. I see this all the 1556 01:52:41,500 --> 01:52:44,125 time. It's, it's, it's signal versus 1557 01:52:44,125 --> 01:52:45,375 noise. I know that's 1558 01:52:45,375 --> 01:52:46,750 cliché, but it's so true. Oh, you're 1559 01:52:46,750 --> 01:52:49,250 quoting me. I say that constantly. And 1560 01:52:49,250 --> 01:52:50,958 it's, but it's true, 1561 01:52:50,958 --> 01:52:53,083 man. The only signal that should be 1562 01:52:53,083 --> 01:52:55,041 coming in as you're getting out is from 1563 01:52:55,041 --> 01:52:56,875 yourself. And, you know, 1564 01:52:56,875 --> 01:52:59,833 to go more in depth on that, what does 1565 01:52:59,833 --> 01:53:01,166 that look like? How do I listen to 1566 01:53:01,166 --> 01:53:02,250 myself, Adam? I don't, 1567 01:53:02,250 --> 01:53:04,750 I don't know what that means. And well, 1568 01:53:04,750 --> 01:53:05,625 aren't you being kind of a 1569 01:53:05,625 --> 01:53:06,541 hypocrite? Because you're, 1570 01:53:06,541 --> 01:53:07,875 you're, you're, you're giving me this 1571 01:53:07,875 --> 01:53:09,250 advice and you're telling me not to 1572 01:53:09,250 --> 01:53:10,166 listen to you. Yeah. 1573 01:53:10,166 --> 01:53:11,833 That's, that is kind of hypocritical, I 1574 01:53:11,833 --> 01:53:13,750 guess, or catch 22 ish or 1575 01:53:13,750 --> 01:53:16,625 whatever that is. But you, 1576 01:53:16,625 --> 01:53:19,208 you have to sit in the mirror and have 1577 01:53:19,208 --> 01:53:20,666 the tough conversation with 1578 01:53:20,666 --> 01:53:22,208 yourself. You have to analyse 1579 01:53:22,875 --> 01:53:25,041 what are my core beliefs, my core values, 1580 01:53:25,041 --> 01:53:26,875 my passions, and, and 1581 01:53:26,875 --> 01:53:29,208 how can I live a life that 1582 01:53:29,291 --> 01:53:30,958 is in alignment with those? What does 1583 01:53:30,958 --> 01:53:32,208 that look like career wise? 1584 01:53:32,208 --> 01:53:33,750 Where can I spend less money? 1585 01:53:35,166 --> 01:53:37,291 Where can I sacrifice in the short term 1586 01:53:37,291 --> 01:53:39,833 to, you know, to, to reap 1587 01:53:39,833 --> 01:53:41,541 the rewards in the long term? 1588 01:53:41,541 --> 01:53:43,833 Like all of those questions have to be 1589 01:53:43,833 --> 01:53:44,625 answered. And the only way 1590 01:53:44,625 --> 01:53:46,458 to do that is to turn off the 1591 01:53:46,458 --> 01:53:48,333 noise that's coming from the outside and 1592 01:53:48,333 --> 01:53:49,750 to listen to the signals 1593 01:53:49,750 --> 01:53:51,500 that you're giving yourself. 1594 01:53:51,750 --> 01:53:54,375 I love that. Yeah. The, the Japanese have 1595 01:53:54,375 --> 01:53:55,916 a, a wonderful word that 1596 01:53:55,916 --> 01:53:57,333 kind of wraps all of that 1597 01:53:57,333 --> 01:53:58,833 up in one. It's, have you 1598 01:53:58,833 --> 01:54:00,333 heard the term "Ikigai" before? 1599 01:54:00,333 --> 01:54:02,250 Ikigai. Yes, of course. I 1600 01:54:02,250 --> 01:54:05,666 designed my life around it. There we go. 1601 01:54:06,166 --> 01:54:08,541 And look, man, you could take the 1602 01:54:08,541 --> 01:54:10,625 Ikigai even further. If you look at it, 1603 01:54:10,625 --> 01:54:11,291 there's a really good 1604 01:54:11,291 --> 01:54:13,333 Netflix documentary because like part of 1605 01:54:13,333 --> 01:54:15,416 my new obsession is, is the 1606 01:54:15,416 --> 01:54:17,750 Bible says we can live to 120. 1607 01:54:18,333 --> 01:54:21,416 I'm healthier. I've completely turned my, 1608 01:54:21,416 --> 01:54:23,083 my entire life around 1609 01:54:23,083 --> 01:54:25,458 from, from the first ayahuasca 1610 01:54:25,458 --> 01:54:27,541 ceremony. My new goal is to live to 120. 1611 01:54:27,541 --> 01:54:28,208 So I'm obsessed with 1612 01:54:28,208 --> 01:54:29,958 blue zones. And if you look, 1613 01:54:30,791 --> 01:54:34,208 Japan is a blue zone and the reason they 1614 01:54:34,208 --> 01:54:36,500 attribute the biggest reason those 1615 01:54:37,583 --> 01:54:39,291 centenarians, I think is what they call 1616 01:54:39,291 --> 01:54:40,958 them. Yeah. They attribute 1617 01:54:40,958 --> 01:54:42,791 it to the Ikigai. If they 1618 01:54:42,791 --> 01:54:44,791 didn't have the Ikigai, they wouldn't 1619 01:54:44,791 --> 01:54:45,916 have purpose and they 1620 01:54:45,916 --> 01:54:46,875 wouldn't live as long. 1621 01:54:47,041 --> 01:54:48,750 Well, I think it's also a big thing, like 1622 01:54:48,750 --> 01:54:49,458 something that I've 1623 01:54:49,458 --> 01:54:51,500 said a tonne of, especially 1624 01:54:51,583 --> 01:54:54,541 when you talk, you know, say agency or 1625 01:54:54,541 --> 01:54:58,083 military, otherwise, not everyone that 1626 01:54:58,083 --> 01:54:59,125 want you to do work 1627 01:54:59,125 --> 01:55:01,000 for them are kind hearted individuals. 1628 01:55:01,333 --> 01:55:03,083 Some of them are definitely 1629 01:55:03,083 --> 01:55:04,208 individuals that you should 1630 01:55:04,208 --> 01:55:06,291 not be involved in. And the concept in 1631 01:55:06,291 --> 01:55:07,416 the middle of like the four 1632 01:55:07,416 --> 01:55:08,750 square Ikigai where you say 1633 01:55:08,750 --> 01:55:10,833 like, well, these are the things I'm, I'm 1634 01:55:10,833 --> 01:55:11,625 great at. These are the 1635 01:55:11,625 --> 01:55:13,416 things society need. And then the 1636 01:55:13,625 --> 01:55:15,458 big one that no one really talk about for 1637 01:55:15,458 --> 01:55:16,875 me is the, and these are 1638 01:55:16,875 --> 01:55:18,333 the things I'm willing to be 1639 01:55:18,333 --> 01:55:21,583 paid for, because just because you can do 1640 01:55:21,583 --> 01:55:23,833 something, does not mean you should. 1641 01:55:24,333 --> 01:55:26,333 Exactly, man. I just so 1642 01:55:26,333 --> 01:55:28,375 good. I just did this last night with, 1643 01:55:28,375 --> 01:55:31,166 with another guy, he runs a community and 1644 01:55:31,166 --> 01:55:31,875 asked me to come speak 1645 01:55:31,875 --> 01:55:34,416 about networking to his community. And we 1646 01:55:34,416 --> 01:55:36,666 actually talked about kind 1647 01:55:36,666 --> 01:55:38,250 of along the same lines, but, 1648 01:55:38,916 --> 01:55:41,041 but as you join, you begin your 1649 01:55:41,041 --> 01:55:42,416 entrepreneurial journey, you're going to 1650 01:55:42,416 --> 01:55:43,333 experiment with a lot 1651 01:55:43,375 --> 01:55:44,916 of different things, right? And you're 1652 01:55:44,916 --> 01:55:45,833 going to start to understand 1653 01:55:45,833 --> 01:55:46,666 the things that you're good 1654 01:55:46,666 --> 01:55:47,916 at and the things that you're not good 1655 01:55:47,916 --> 01:55:49,166 at. And you should not ever 1656 01:55:49,166 --> 01:55:50,333 focus on the things that you're 1657 01:55:50,333 --> 01:55:52,083 not good at. You're never going to go 1658 01:55:52,083 --> 01:55:53,083 forward. If you're focusing 1659 01:55:53,083 --> 01:55:54,166 on it, you're not going to get 1660 01:55:54,166 --> 01:55:55,625 better at the things that you're not good 1661 01:55:55,625 --> 01:55:56,583 at. It's just, it just 1662 01:55:56,583 --> 01:55:58,416 really is like, yes, you in theory 1663 01:55:58,416 --> 01:56:00,208 could get better if you practice them. 1664 01:56:00,208 --> 01:56:01,291 However, you're wasting 1665 01:56:01,291 --> 01:56:03,541 time. Go, go focus on the things 1666 01:56:03,541 --> 01:56:05,750 that you are good at and practice those. 1667 01:56:06,833 --> 01:56:08,583 Yeah. The thing that I say 1668 01:56:08,583 --> 01:56:10,708 constantly and like any time I 1669 01:56:10,750 --> 01:56:13,083 ask anyone, they always go, I'd never 1670 01:56:13,083 --> 01:56:14,625 been asked this before. This happens 1671 01:56:14,625 --> 01:56:15,583 constantly with veterans. 1672 01:56:16,041 --> 01:56:17,875 And I go, what makes you happy? And they 1673 01:56:17,875 --> 01:56:20,333 go, Oh, don't ask big 1674 01:56:20,333 --> 01:56:21,333 questions like that. Like 1675 01:56:21,333 --> 01:56:23,458 instantaneously, like no one have ever 1676 01:56:23,458 --> 01:56:24,958 asked me like what I like. 1677 01:56:24,958 --> 01:56:25,875 And I'm like, well, I'm here 1678 01:56:25,875 --> 01:56:27,666 to do it. So, and then like all of a 1679 01:56:27,666 --> 01:56:29,291 sudden it just goes, I'm allowed to do 1680 01:56:29,291 --> 01:56:30,208 something that brings me 1681 01:56:30,208 --> 01:56:32,291 joy. And I go, well, not only allowed, 1682 01:56:32,291 --> 01:56:35,583 but required to. And to your point, 1683 01:56:35,791 --> 01:56:37,250 man, particularly in 1684 01:56:37,291 --> 01:56:39,166 veterans, because we're taught mission, 1685 01:56:39,166 --> 01:56:41,666 soldiers, then self, right? 1686 01:56:42,041 --> 01:56:45,875 So my whole life, I still am 1687 01:56:45,875 --> 01:56:48,041 guilty of this, Meade. I am not, I'm not 1688 01:56:48,041 --> 01:56:50,708 perfect at this. I still put a lot of 1689 01:56:50,708 --> 01:56:52,208 things that's, that's my, 1690 01:56:53,041 --> 01:56:55,208 in fact, that is, that is my 2026 that 1691 01:56:55,208 --> 01:56:57,083 I'm not a big goal setter. I 1692 01:56:57,083 --> 01:56:59,083 know that the self-help gurus 1693 01:56:59,083 --> 01:57:00,833 are going to fucking chastise me for 1694 01:57:00,833 --> 01:57:02,708 that. I just, I just don't believe in it. 1695 01:57:02,708 --> 01:57:03,416 I think it's bullshit. 1696 01:57:03,458 --> 01:57:06,375 Don't set a bunch of goals. Find like a 1697 01:57:06,375 --> 01:57:07,625 theme, a thing that you 1698 01:57:07,625 --> 01:57:08,916 want to change about yourself, 1699 01:57:09,250 --> 01:57:11,000 like something very deep seated. So for 1700 01:57:11,000 --> 01:57:12,833 me this year, that is the 1701 01:57:12,833 --> 01:57:14,791 letting go of the "I have to" and 1702 01:57:14,791 --> 01:57:17,333 the "I should", those feelings are 1703 01:57:17,333 --> 01:57:20,166 detrimental to my life. I'm not even 1704 01:57:20,166 --> 01:57:22,333 joking here and I'll cut you 1705 01:57:22,333 --> 01:57:24,375 off because I need you to hear from, like 1706 01:57:24,375 --> 01:57:25,958 I was on, like Reddit, 1707 01:57:25,958 --> 01:57:28,166 literally yesterday giving advice 1708 01:57:28,708 --> 01:57:31,166 to those in transition and things like 1709 01:57:31,166 --> 01:57:33,166 that. And they said, like, how do you 1710 01:57:33,166 --> 01:57:34,750 take care of you? And 1711 01:57:34,750 --> 01:57:37,375 I said, well, here's the thing. Guilt, 1712 01:57:37,958 --> 01:57:40,125 guilt is a poison pill. And if you feel 1713 01:57:40,125 --> 01:57:41,583 like you owe someone 1714 01:57:41,583 --> 01:57:43,333 something, if you feel like, oh, well, I 1715 01:57:43,333 --> 01:57:46,000 need to do this, then you're 1716 01:57:46,000 --> 01:57:48,250 not living like a pilot. And 1717 01:57:48,250 --> 01:57:49,541 you go, well, what's that mean? I'm like, 1718 01:57:49,541 --> 01:57:50,666 okay, what's the rule on a 1719 01:57:50,666 --> 01:57:51,833 jetliner? You're a pilot, 1720 01:57:51,833 --> 01:57:53,833 you know, we put your oxygen mask on 1721 01:57:53,833 --> 01:57:55,500 first. If you can't take care 1722 01:57:55,500 --> 01:57:57,416 of you, you can take care of no 1723 01:57:57,541 --> 01:58:01,625 one else. That's it. Yeah. No, it is 1724 01:58:01,625 --> 01:58:04,833 true. So that's, you know, I'm still 1725 01:58:04,833 --> 01:58:05,791 guilty of not putting 1726 01:58:05,791 --> 01:58:08,583 myself first, the carrying the guilt of I 1727 01:58:08,583 --> 01:58:10,041 have to do this because if 1728 01:58:10,041 --> 01:58:11,541 I don't do this, then I ruin 1729 01:58:11,541 --> 01:58:13,333 my reputation with the brand that I've 1730 01:58:13,333 --> 01:58:15,166 built or I kill the momentum in the 1731 01:58:15,166 --> 01:58:16,708 business or, you know, 1732 01:58:17,041 --> 01:58:19,458 insert whatever fucking excuse you want. 1733 01:58:19,458 --> 01:58:21,083 Nonsense reason. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 1734 01:58:21,083 --> 01:58:23,416 Absolutely. So, you know, 1735 01:58:23,625 --> 01:58:25,583 saying all of that to say like, like, 1736 01:58:25,583 --> 01:58:26,708 you're absolutely right. 1737 01:58:27,000 --> 01:58:28,750 Like, nobody, we don't know 1738 01:58:28,750 --> 01:58:31,916 how to articulate what actually makes us 1739 01:58:31,916 --> 01:58:34,041 happy because we're so 1740 01:58:34,041 --> 01:58:36,250 focused on making other people 1741 01:58:36,250 --> 01:58:38,666 happy at the expense of our own 1742 01:58:38,666 --> 01:58:41,500 happiness. And I'm still wrestling with 1743 01:58:41,500 --> 01:58:42,583 that question. If you were to 1744 01:58:42,583 --> 01:58:44,416 point blank, ask me that question right 1745 01:58:44,416 --> 01:58:46,375 now, I wouldn't have an 1746 01:58:46,375 --> 01:58:48,000 answer for you because I still 1747 01:58:48,000 --> 01:58:50,375 don't know. It's some combination of 1748 01:58:50,375 --> 01:58:51,666 this, what we're doing right 1749 01:58:51,666 --> 01:58:53,291 now. This makes me genuinely 1750 01:58:53,458 --> 01:58:56,125 very happy. I enjoy podcasting a lot. 1751 01:58:56,125 --> 01:58:58,333 I love it. I enjoy the work 1752 01:58:58,333 --> 01:58:59,500 that I do. So, you know, 1753 01:58:59,500 --> 01:59:01,750 the plant medicine stuff, the AI stuff, 1754 01:59:02,208 --> 01:59:04,583 but that's not true 1755 01:59:04,583 --> 01:59:06,291 happiness. And I don't know 1756 01:59:06,791 --> 01:59:09,625 what my version of like true happiness is 1757 01:59:09,625 --> 01:59:11,958 outside of kind of work, 1758 01:59:12,291 --> 01:59:13,166 if you will. You know what I 1759 01:59:13,166 --> 01:59:15,083 mean? Maybe that's yet to be revealed, 1760 01:59:15,083 --> 01:59:18,166 but I think it'll show itself soon. 1761 01:59:18,166 --> 01:59:19,833 Oh yeah, I'm with you. 1762 01:59:20,250 --> 01:59:22,291 I really, I know a big part of it will be 1763 01:59:22,291 --> 01:59:24,791 travel. So, I think, you 1764 01:59:24,791 --> 01:59:27,875 know, this work has given me a 1765 01:59:27,875 --> 01:59:29,791 platform that now is allowing me to 1766 01:59:29,791 --> 01:59:32,416 travel. So, maybe like you're 1767 01:59:32,416 --> 01:59:33,875 saying that that's happiness 1768 01:59:33,875 --> 01:59:37,666 starting to reveal itself. I do know I am 1769 01:59:37,666 --> 01:59:39,500 very happy enjoying the 1770 01:59:39,500 --> 01:59:41,125 journey. I will say that. 1771 01:59:41,375 --> 01:59:44,791 Then there you go. I've said this a tonne. 1772 01:59:44,791 --> 01:59:45,375 If you're playing the 1773 01:59:45,375 --> 01:59:46,333 game, you're still winning. 1774 01:59:46,875 --> 01:59:49,875 That's the only way to really see it at 1775 01:59:49,875 --> 01:59:51,250 all. And I'm telling you, 1776 01:59:51,250 --> 01:59:52,750 this is such a fun game, man. 1777 01:59:52,958 --> 01:59:55,666 It's such a fun game because when you 1778 01:59:55,666 --> 01:59:57,875 win, oh man, do you 1779 01:59:57,875 --> 01:59:59,708 win. Yeah, no, that's true. 1780 02:00:01,000 --> 02:00:03,708 Well, let's do this. We've talked about 1781 02:00:03,708 --> 02:00:04,875 you. We've talked about that. 1782 02:00:04,875 --> 02:00:05,791 So, we've talked about this. 1783 02:00:05,791 --> 02:00:07,958 What about people? What about civilians? 1784 02:00:08,291 --> 02:00:09,791 What do you, if you can like 1785 02:00:09,791 --> 02:00:11,208 just like drop a thought in 1786 02:00:11,708 --> 02:00:13,416 something that they need to 1787 02:00:13,416 --> 02:00:15,916 know. What do they need to hear? 1788 02:00:15,916 --> 02:00:17,750 It's the same shit, man. It's the same 1789 02:00:17,750 --> 02:00:19,000 stuff. Like what I am, 1790 02:00:20,791 --> 02:00:22,458 everything that I talk about, all of my 1791 02:00:22,458 --> 02:00:23,541 philosophies, all of 1792 02:00:23,541 --> 02:00:24,458 the things that I preach 1793 02:00:24,500 --> 02:00:26,250 on LinkedIn, because that's really the 1794 02:00:26,250 --> 02:00:29,166 only place I'm at, and my podcast. I've 1795 02:00:29,166 --> 02:00:30,041 been blessed enough to 1796 02:00:30,041 --> 02:00:33,208 see this grow. My audience is 50-50, 1797 02:00:33,791 --> 02:00:35,125 veterans and civilian. It's 1798 02:00:35,125 --> 02:00:37,541 not, I mean, these are universal 1799 02:00:37,916 --> 02:00:41,750 things that civilians and military alike 1800 02:00:41,750 --> 02:00:44,333 can adopt and do these. 1801 02:00:44,333 --> 02:00:45,541 The things that I talk about 1802 02:00:45,541 --> 02:00:47,500 that have helped me, the mindfulness, the 1803 02:00:47,500 --> 02:00:48,291 breath work, the 1804 02:00:48,291 --> 02:00:50,291 grounding practices, the yoga, the 1805 02:00:50,291 --> 02:00:54,000 meditation, all of that stuff applies to 1806 02:00:54,000 --> 02:00:55,625 all of the things, to 1807 02:00:55,625 --> 02:00:56,791 sitting down in front of the mirror 1808 02:00:56,875 --> 02:00:59,125 having the conversation with yourself, to 1809 02:00:59,125 --> 02:01:01,125 cancelling out the noise, to 1810 02:01:01,125 --> 02:01:02,833 learning how to determine what 1811 02:01:02,833 --> 02:01:04,958 is noise. Yes, noise comes from your 1812 02:01:04,958 --> 02:01:06,500 kids. It comes from your spouse. It comes 1813 02:01:06,500 --> 02:01:07,166 from your parents. It 1814 02:01:07,208 --> 02:01:10,083 comes from your brother and your sister. 1815 02:01:10,458 --> 02:01:11,750 It comes from all of 1816 02:01:11,750 --> 02:01:13,791 those places. I do not care 1817 02:01:14,166 --> 02:01:16,333 what you think about that. When you tune 1818 02:01:16,333 --> 02:01:17,541 out the noise of what all 1819 02:01:17,541 --> 02:01:18,958 those other people want you to 1820 02:01:18,958 --> 02:01:20,875 be doing, and you start listening to 1821 02:01:20,875 --> 02:01:23,333 yourself and focusing on that, all of 1822 02:01:23,333 --> 02:01:24,458 those other things fall 1823 02:01:24,541 --> 02:01:26,375 into place where they're supposed to. I 1824 02:01:26,375 --> 02:01:27,708 promise you, it's not 1825 02:01:27,708 --> 02:01:29,250 bullshit. It's not made up. It's 1826 02:01:29,291 --> 02:01:31,666 very true. When I started focusing on 1827 02:01:31,666 --> 02:01:33,833 taking care of myself, all the other 1828 02:01:33,833 --> 02:01:34,791 piddly little bullshit 1829 02:01:34,958 --> 02:01:37,958 from the outside noise started to fall 1830 02:01:37,958 --> 02:01:41,375 into place. Everything. I've said this a 1831 02:01:41,375 --> 02:01:42,583 tonne, and you've nailed 1832 02:01:42,583 --> 02:01:45,708 it on the head of people can wait. It's 1833 02:01:45,708 --> 02:01:46,541 one of those things where 1834 02:01:46,541 --> 02:01:47,500 you go like, "Oh, this needs 1835 02:01:47,500 --> 02:01:49,291 to get done last week." My wife says this 1836 02:01:49,291 --> 02:01:51,291 constantly of, "Well, if 1837 02:01:51,291 --> 02:01:52,333 everything's important, 1838 02:01:53,000 --> 02:01:55,125 then nothing is important." So true. 1839 02:01:56,166 --> 02:01:57,500 You'll appreciate this 1840 02:01:57,500 --> 02:01:58,875 and I wish I could remember 1841 02:01:58,875 --> 02:02:00,416 where I heard it. I heard it on a 1842 02:02:00,416 --> 02:02:01,500 podcast. I know that for 1843 02:02:01,500 --> 02:02:03,500 sure, but they talk about the word 1844 02:02:03,750 --> 02:02:06,375 priority. It should never be plural. How 1845 02:02:06,375 --> 02:02:08,125 can you have more than one priority? 1846 02:02:09,041 --> 02:02:13,875 We have 13 things that are paramount. 1847 02:02:13,875 --> 02:02:15,541 By definition, you have one. 1848 02:02:16,083 --> 02:02:18,041 Yeah. I love it. 1849 02:02:18,041 --> 02:02:20,916 Obviously, the podcast I heard that on, 1850 02:02:20,916 --> 02:02:22,375 there was a lot longer explanation. 1851 02:02:22,708 --> 02:02:23,166 Sure. 1852 02:02:23,166 --> 02:02:25,166 It was way more articulated. However, 1853 02:02:26,208 --> 02:02:27,333 simplifying it still 1854 02:02:27,333 --> 02:02:29,291 carries a lot of weight. Priority 1855 02:02:29,750 --> 02:02:31,625 should not be plural. There's no such 1856 02:02:31,625 --> 02:02:33,708 thing as priorities 1857 02:02:33,708 --> 02:02:34,833 because by definition, 1858 02:02:35,208 --> 02:02:36,916 you cannot have more than one. 1859 02:02:38,958 --> 02:02:40,083 Well said. No, I love it. 1860 02:02:40,666 --> 02:02:43,041 So what is your priority and 1861 02:02:43,041 --> 02:02:45,250 it should be yourself always? 1862 02:02:45,875 --> 02:02:47,500 Yeah. Well, see, that's another thing 1863 02:02:47,500 --> 02:02:48,958 that people, I literally 1864 02:02:48,958 --> 02:02:50,625 said this yesterday as well, 1865 02:02:51,041 --> 02:02:55,000 is that people start feeling the whole 1866 02:02:55,000 --> 02:02:56,833 guilty thing when they 1867 02:02:56,833 --> 02:02:57,666 say, "Oh, I'm going to take 1868 02:02:57,666 --> 02:03:00,083 care of me, but isn't that selfish?" No. 1869 02:03:00,291 --> 02:03:02,250 And this is where people get it twisted. 1870 02:03:02,875 --> 02:03:05,583 Selfish means doing something at the 1871 02:03:05,583 --> 02:03:07,458 detriment of someone else. It's 1872 02:03:07,458 --> 02:03:08,833 benefiting you and taking away 1873 02:03:08,833 --> 02:03:10,875 from them. If you're doing something 1874 02:03:10,875 --> 02:03:12,750 great, that's not taking something away 1875 02:03:12,750 --> 02:03:14,541 from this guy or her 1876 02:03:14,541 --> 02:03:16,833 or this or whatever. That's just you 1877 02:03:16,833 --> 02:03:18,250 making yourself as big as 1878 02:03:18,250 --> 02:03:20,208 you should be. But, that's 1879 02:03:20,208 --> 02:03:21,958 the difference is that people think of it 1880 02:03:21,958 --> 02:03:23,541 like it gets conflated with being 1881 02:03:23,541 --> 02:03:24,625 parasitic where you go, 1882 02:03:24,625 --> 02:03:26,708 "Well, I'm doing this," but it's at the 1883 02:03:26,708 --> 02:03:29,250 pulling away from someone 1884 02:03:29,250 --> 02:03:30,875 else. That's not the case. 1885 02:03:31,291 --> 02:03:33,625 And if anything, you being bigger makes 1886 02:03:33,625 --> 02:03:35,041 everyone else bigger. 1887 02:03:35,250 --> 02:03:37,500 That's the only thing to live by. 1888 02:03:38,291 --> 02:03:43,375 Yeah. And with my goal for 2026, with 1889 02:03:43,375 --> 02:03:45,750 letting go of "I have to", "I'm supposed to", 1890 02:03:45,750 --> 02:03:47,541 the guilt that comes with that, 1891 02:03:47,541 --> 02:03:49,416 I actually think it will allow me to be 1892 02:03:49,416 --> 02:03:50,833 more productive and help 1893 02:03:50,833 --> 02:03:53,291 more people. It absolutely will. Because 1894 02:03:53,291 --> 02:03:54,916 again, you're not focused 1895 02:03:54,916 --> 02:03:56,708 on, "Oh, this little thread 1896 02:03:56,708 --> 02:03:59,041 and this thing," and you go like, "No, 1897 02:03:59,041 --> 02:04:00,583 we're making a tapestry. I don't care. 1898 02:04:00,875 --> 02:04:01,666 Let's just do the thing." 1899 02:04:01,666 --> 02:04:03,750 And I'll be honest, it is so hard. It is 1900 02:04:03,750 --> 02:04:05,125 so hard when I get that DM 1901 02:04:05,125 --> 02:04:06,125 like, "Hey, man, I'd love to 1902 02:04:06,125 --> 02:04:07,750 get 30 minutes of your time." And it's 1903 02:04:07,750 --> 02:04:09,375 like, "Okay, but now I have 1904 02:04:09,375 --> 02:04:11,083 to gatekeep my time because 1905 02:04:11,083 --> 02:04:15,583 I feel like I have to when somebody 1906 02:04:15,583 --> 02:04:16,625 reaches out to me." And it's 1907 02:04:16,625 --> 02:04:18,208 like, No, I need to know why 1908 02:04:18,250 --> 02:04:20,500 you want 30 minutes of my time. And I 1909 02:04:20,500 --> 02:04:22,750 will decide if that moves the needle 1910 02:04:22,750 --> 02:04:24,208 forward or if it's just 1911 02:04:24,208 --> 02:04:27,416 wasting. I hate saying it like this, but 1912 02:04:27,416 --> 02:04:30,250 wasting my time. And, I say 1913 02:04:30,250 --> 02:04:32,500 that because I've talked to so 1914 02:04:32,541 --> 02:04:34,833 many people over the last two years, 1915 02:04:34,833 --> 02:04:37,041 particularly last year. And 1916 02:04:37,041 --> 02:04:38,833 I actually pay attention and 1917 02:04:38,833 --> 02:04:40,541 analyse what I'm doing, how I'm spending 1918 02:04:40,541 --> 02:04:42,833 my time. And I go back and 1919 02:04:42,833 --> 02:04:44,208 look at a lot of those meetings 1920 02:04:44,333 --> 02:04:46,166 and I'm like, "What did this actually 1921 02:04:46,166 --> 02:04:48,041 help me do? It didn't help me do 1922 02:04:48,041 --> 02:04:49,750 anything." So then it becomes 1923 02:04:50,166 --> 02:04:52,375 a waste of my time. Well, why did I do 1924 02:04:52,375 --> 02:04:53,500 that? Because I felt like I 1925 02:04:53,500 --> 02:04:54,833 had to. Because I felt like 1926 02:04:55,125 --> 02:04:57,291 that's what got me this far. And if I 1927 02:04:57,291 --> 02:04:59,416 abandon that now, I'm going to lose 1928 02:04:59,416 --> 02:05:00,583 everything. And that's 1929 02:05:00,583 --> 02:05:02,583 simply not fucking true. It's just not 1930 02:05:02,583 --> 02:05:04,916 true. And so now I get to 1931 02:05:04,916 --> 02:05:07,041 protect my time and you can think 1932 02:05:07,041 --> 02:05:08,625 whatever you want of me because I tell 1933 02:05:08,625 --> 02:05:10,583 you, "No, you're not worthy 1934 02:05:10,583 --> 02:05:12,958 to be on my calendar." But in 1935 02:05:12,958 --> 02:05:14,875 the long run, it's going to make the 1936 02:05:14,875 --> 02:05:16,416 brand that much bigger, that 1937 02:05:16,416 --> 02:05:17,791 much more powerful and allow 1938 02:05:17,791 --> 02:05:21,541 me to help more people like you. You know? 1939 02:05:21,916 --> 02:05:27,041 No, I get it. So, let's get into 1940 02:05:27,041 --> 02:05:28,416 something a little bit more 1941 02:05:28,416 --> 02:05:30,583 lighthearted. And you can play it however 1942 02:05:30,583 --> 02:05:32,000 you like to, but what's 1943 02:05:32,000 --> 02:05:34,041 like a film or a telly show, 1944 02:05:35,208 --> 02:05:38,666 Something that is just so funny that you 1945 02:05:38,666 --> 02:05:39,791 can't even believe it or 1946 02:05:39,791 --> 02:05:41,500 it's so accurate that it's 1947 02:05:41,541 --> 02:05:43,208 just like, "Wow, they really nailed 1948 02:05:43,208 --> 02:05:44,416 this." Something like 1949 02:05:44,416 --> 02:05:47,708 that. What do you have that 1950 02:05:47,708 --> 02:05:49,250 relates to military life? 1951 02:05:50,041 --> 02:05:53,125 That relates to military life. 1952 02:05:53,333 --> 02:05:55,041 And again, this can be ridiculous. It can 1953 02:05:55,041 --> 02:05:56,541 be something funny. It can be something 1954 02:05:56,541 --> 02:05:58,750 that's heartbreaking. It's dealer's 1955 02:05:58,750 --> 02:06:02,041 choice. Man, that's tough. 1956 02:06:02,791 --> 02:06:04,125 What comes to mind? Just straight away? 1957 02:06:04,583 --> 02:06:05,458 Straight away when you 1958 02:06:05,458 --> 02:06:06,541 talk about a TV show, 1959 02:06:06,916 --> 02:06:09,208 there's a Cinemax TV show called, 1960 02:06:09,208 --> 02:06:10,708 "Strike Back". It's one of my 1961 02:06:10,708 --> 02:06:12,291 favourites. I don't know why. 1962 02:06:13,833 --> 02:06:16,041 I love the dynamic between the two 1963 02:06:16,041 --> 02:06:17,166 operators in that show. 1964 02:06:17,166 --> 02:06:18,458 And they're super secret, 1965 02:06:18,458 --> 02:06:20,958 super special forces, whatever guys. 1966 02:06:21,208 --> 02:06:22,125 Like, Delta this, blah. 1967 02:06:22,166 --> 02:06:26,833 Yeah. Wildly inaccurate. Lots of... I've 1968 02:06:26,833 --> 02:06:29,291 watched, I think there's 1969 02:06:29,291 --> 02:06:30,250 four seasons, three or four 1970 02:06:30,250 --> 02:06:32,166 seasons. I've watched that all the way 1971 02:06:32,166 --> 02:06:33,125 through three or four 1972 02:06:33,125 --> 02:06:34,875 times. And I don't know why I'm 1973 02:06:34,916 --> 02:06:37,291 drawn to it. I just really like it. I 1974 02:06:37,291 --> 02:06:38,541 like Sullivan Stapleton 1975 02:06:38,541 --> 02:06:40,333 and I forget the other guy. 1976 02:06:40,333 --> 02:06:42,125 They're both British guys that are in it. 1977 02:06:42,416 --> 02:06:43,541 And, it's just really 1978 02:06:43,541 --> 02:06:45,041 well done and I enjoyed it. 1979 02:06:45,041 --> 02:06:47,750 I thought it was great. I can relate to a 1980 02:06:47,750 --> 02:06:49,375 lot of it, the situations 1981 02:06:49,375 --> 02:06:50,625 they find themselves in or 1982 02:06:50,625 --> 02:06:52,833 whatever. Because, I don't know. 1983 02:06:52,833 --> 02:06:55,208 It's just, it's silly, and I like it. 1984 02:06:55,666 --> 02:06:57,208 Beyond that, I'm not sure I can 1985 02:06:57,208 --> 02:06:58,916 articulate what it is about it. 1986 02:06:58,916 --> 02:07:00,625 No worries. That's one of those 1987 02:07:00,625 --> 02:07:02,166 things where a lot of times 1988 02:07:02,166 --> 02:07:04,875 it's... I find it's the chemistry. Where 1989 02:07:04,875 --> 02:07:06,083 you go and you're like, "I just..." 1990 02:07:06,375 --> 02:07:07,333 Listening to them speak, 1991 02:07:07,333 --> 02:07:09,791 you go like there's something... It just 1992 02:07:09,791 --> 02:07:11,000 It has that flavour to it. It has 1993 02:07:11,000 --> 02:07:12,416 that like, "I could have 1994 02:07:12,416 --> 02:07:14,083 a whole bowl of this. This is wonderful." 1995 02:07:14,208 --> 02:07:15,000 Yeah. A thousand 1996 02:07:15,000 --> 02:07:16,750 percent. And thinking about it, 1997 02:07:16,750 --> 02:07:18,541 it's like from the very first episode, 1998 02:07:18,541 --> 02:07:20,250 the way Sullivan Stapleton's character 1999 02:07:20,250 --> 02:07:21,625 acts. It's just like, 2000 02:07:22,333 --> 02:07:24,083 "Yeah, I know characters like that that 2001 02:07:24,083 --> 02:07:25,666 I've served with. I can 2002 02:07:25,666 --> 02:07:27,541 picture his face and him doing 2003 02:07:27,583 --> 02:07:30,000 this." And then to... I mean, there's 2004 02:07:30,000 --> 02:07:31,125 some seriously emotional 2005 02:07:31,125 --> 02:07:32,333 moments in it where people 2006 02:07:32,333 --> 02:07:33,541 lose their lives that are main 2007 02:07:33,541 --> 02:07:36,791 characters. And you get the whole range 2008 02:07:36,791 --> 02:07:40,041 of it. And now that I'm 2009 02:07:40,083 --> 02:07:42,958 semi-healed or on the healing journey, I 2010 02:07:42,958 --> 02:07:44,416 actually get to express 2011 02:07:44,416 --> 02:07:46,708 those emotions in a healthy way 2012 02:07:46,708 --> 02:07:49,250 and purge those now through different TV 2013 02:07:49,250 --> 02:07:50,250 shows and things like 2014 02:07:50,250 --> 02:07:52,375 that. So I don't know. I just, 2015 02:07:52,416 --> 02:07:55,208 I love it. And about every three years, 2016 02:07:55,541 --> 02:07:56,458 it gives me enough time to 2017 02:07:56,458 --> 02:07:57,791 kind of forget the whole seasons 2018 02:07:57,791 --> 02:08:00,166 and all of that. And then I'll go back 2019 02:08:00,166 --> 02:08:01,958 and watch it. It's getting 2020 02:08:01,958 --> 02:08:03,166 harder and harder to find it 2021 02:08:03,166 --> 02:08:06,208 though. Cinemax is not really putting it 2022 02:08:06,208 --> 02:08:07,166 out there. You can't like 2023 02:08:07,166 --> 02:08:09,000 go on Apple TV and buy it. 2024 02:08:09,250 --> 02:08:11,500 So, I just got to kind of wait. 2025 02:08:12,250 --> 02:08:14,291 Maybe like a DVD box set or something. 2026 02:08:14,541 --> 02:08:15,916 It's probably what it's going to come 2027 02:08:15,916 --> 02:08:16,916 down to, to be completely 2028 02:08:16,916 --> 02:08:17,916 honest with you, which is... 2029 02:08:18,875 --> 02:08:20,541 That's strange, isn't it? 2030 02:08:21,000 --> 02:08:22,708 A little bit, but not really though, 2031 02:08:22,708 --> 02:08:23,791 because I've said this a 2032 02:08:23,791 --> 02:08:25,541 tonne about people get like, 2033 02:08:25,541 --> 02:08:26,791 "Oh, streaming service this." And I'm 2034 02:08:26,791 --> 02:08:28,375 going, "You just said it 2035 02:08:28,375 --> 02:08:30,000 yourself. You don't own it." 2036 02:08:30,083 --> 02:08:32,250 If you don't have the thing, it's not 2037 02:08:32,250 --> 02:08:34,333 yours. I've talked about this in security 2038 02:08:34,333 --> 02:08:35,250 and everything else, 2039 02:08:35,250 --> 02:08:37,458 like with cloud computing and otherwise, 2040 02:08:37,458 --> 02:08:38,791 and it's like, that's not 2041 02:08:38,791 --> 02:08:39,958 your server. That's just 2042 02:08:39,958 --> 02:08:41,666 someone else's imaginary box. And guess 2043 02:08:41,666 --> 02:08:42,625 what? If you don't 2044 02:08:42,625 --> 02:08:43,916 have it, it's not yours. 2045 02:08:44,083 --> 02:08:48,000 Yep. Yep. Yep. No, you're so right, man. 2046 02:08:49,583 --> 02:08:49,958 I love it. 2047 02:08:50,583 --> 02:08:51,416 I mean, that's part of 2048 02:08:51,416 --> 02:08:53,208 the reason I collect vinyls. 2049 02:08:53,416 --> 02:08:56,416 It's a real thing. And, that's something 2050 02:08:56,416 --> 02:08:57,625 that's kind of wild. I've 2051 02:08:57,625 --> 02:08:59,500 talked about this in music 2052 02:08:59,750 --> 02:09:02,666 chats and things recently, that cassettes 2053 02:09:02,666 --> 02:09:05,625 are kind of back on the rise. 2054 02:09:06,291 --> 02:09:06,708 Are they? 2055 02:09:07,291 --> 02:09:10,500 Yeah. Kids are getting into cassettes 2056 02:09:10,500 --> 02:09:11,458 again, because you can 2057 02:09:11,458 --> 02:09:12,458 make mix tapes. You can have 2058 02:09:12,500 --> 02:09:14,791 something tangible that you can put in 2059 02:09:14,791 --> 02:09:16,625 someone's hand. And, I think 2060 02:09:16,625 --> 02:09:18,250 that's the thing is that the 2061 02:09:18,250 --> 02:09:20,958 pendulum swings. And at this point, it's 2062 02:09:20,958 --> 02:09:22,000 like, "Oh, digitise 2063 02:09:22,000 --> 02:09:23,541 everything." And you go, "That's cute. 2064 02:09:24,083 --> 02:09:25,000 Can I hold it?" 2065 02:09:25,791 --> 02:09:29,250 Right. I don't know. I feel both ways, 2066 02:09:29,250 --> 02:09:31,083 right? I agree with you. If 2067 02:09:31,083 --> 02:09:32,875 it's digital and it's somebody 2068 02:09:32,875 --> 02:09:34,791 else's server, you don't own it, right? 2069 02:09:34,791 --> 02:09:37,708 But also, I'm all up to digital, so 2070 02:09:37,708 --> 02:09:39,500 convenient. It is. I can carry 2071 02:09:39,583 --> 02:09:42,083 so much with me. You know what I mean? 2072 02:09:42,333 --> 02:09:45,291 It's just catch-22. It's 2073 02:09:45,291 --> 02:09:46,375 like, "Well, digital is kind of 2074 02:09:46,375 --> 02:09:47,208 ruining everything, but 2075 02:09:47,208 --> 02:09:48,916 also digital is so great." 2076 02:09:50,166 --> 02:09:51,625 Yeah. The thing about it is, I think 2077 02:09:51,625 --> 02:09:54,291 there's a lot to be said 2078 02:09:54,291 --> 02:09:55,958 about the kind of loss of experts. 2079 02:09:56,250 --> 02:09:57,791 I've talked about this in film and 2080 02:09:57,791 --> 02:09:59,083 photography, where if you 2081 02:09:59,083 --> 02:10:00,041 said you were a photographer, 2082 02:10:00,333 --> 02:10:02,166 you knew what an iris was. You knew how 2083 02:10:02,166 --> 02:10:03,000 to pull focus. You 2084 02:10:03,000 --> 02:10:04,416 knew all of this stuff, 2085 02:10:04,416 --> 02:10:06,583 where now you have someone with an 2086 02:10:06,583 --> 02:10:07,625 iPhone, like, "I'm a 2087 02:10:07,625 --> 02:10:09,458 photographer." And I'm like, I think the 2088 02:10:09,750 --> 02:10:13,708 word has been muddied a bit. And the same 2089 02:10:13,708 --> 02:10:14,416 kind of thing goes 2090 02:10:14,416 --> 02:10:16,833 with owning things that, 2091 02:10:17,083 --> 02:10:18,791 you know, self-hosting, like when you 2092 02:10:18,791 --> 02:10:19,791 talk about computing and 2093 02:10:19,791 --> 02:10:21,708 otherwise, you can still do all of 2094 02:10:21,708 --> 02:10:24,500 the cool, like, "Oh, digitise stuff," but 2095 02:10:24,500 --> 02:10:27,833 still own the box. But yeah, that's a 2096 02:10:27,833 --> 02:10:28,750 whole other soapbox. 2097 02:10:29,125 --> 02:10:32,166 It's just like in aviation, right? 2098 02:10:32,166 --> 02:10:33,333 How did you, when you became 2099 02:10:33,333 --> 02:10:35,416 a private pilot, for me, 2100 02:10:35,458 --> 02:10:37,666 I was not allowed to use a digital flight 2101 02:10:37,666 --> 02:10:39,791 bag until after private 2102 02:10:39,791 --> 02:10:41,500 pilot was over. Nope. Exactly. So I had to 2103 02:10:41,833 --> 02:10:45,041 do the chart flip and all of that. I took 2104 02:10:45,041 --> 02:10:46,458 my checkride on a paper 2105 02:10:46,458 --> 02:10:48,166 chart with a Wizz Wheel. 2106 02:10:48,750 --> 02:10:51,083 Same kind of thing. Like, what do you 2107 02:10:51,083 --> 02:10:52,750 learn on? And it's changing a 2108 02:10:52,750 --> 02:10:55,166 bit now, but the predominant 2109 02:10:55,375 --> 02:10:57,541 amount of people, it's all six-pack, you 2110 02:10:57,541 --> 02:10:59,375 know? That's what you 2111 02:10:59,375 --> 02:11:01,208 have. And you have nice things 2112 02:11:01,291 --> 02:11:04,083 now where I think it's a wonderful thing 2113 02:11:04,083 --> 02:11:05,500 where you have things like, 2114 02:11:05,500 --> 02:11:07,000 you know, Garmin, like G1000s 2115 02:11:07,000 --> 02:11:08,833 and otherwise, because we have better 2116 02:11:08,833 --> 02:11:11,416 tools now. And I don't think it's a wise 2117 02:11:11,416 --> 02:11:12,208 thing to say, "Well, 2118 02:11:12,208 --> 02:11:13,916 this is how, we did it back in 2119 02:11:13,916 --> 02:11:15,791 aught-two." Like, no, let's please 2120 02:11:15,791 --> 02:11:17,791 stop. We have cooler things. 2121 02:11:19,208 --> 02:11:21,500 I am, as an instructor, I think it's 2122 02:11:21,500 --> 02:11:25,166 important that I will teach my students 2123 02:11:25,166 --> 02:11:27,125 and probably require 2124 02:11:27,208 --> 02:11:29,541 them to do quite a bit with the paper 2125 02:11:29,541 --> 02:11:30,958 chart. I think that that's just an 2126 02:11:30,958 --> 02:11:32,250 essential skill that 2127 02:11:32,250 --> 02:11:34,541 needs to be known as a good pilot 2128 02:11:34,541 --> 02:11:35,375 because- What happens 2129 02:11:35,375 --> 02:11:36,416 if the stuff goes black? 2130 02:11:36,750 --> 02:11:39,000 Well, and to your point, the first time I 2131 02:11:39,000 --> 02:11:40,291 ever flew with the G950, 2132 02:11:40,666 --> 02:11:41,625 the whole fucking thing went 2133 02:11:41,625 --> 02:11:44,250 blank. The whole thing, right? So it 2134 02:11:44,250 --> 02:11:46,750 just, one of those rare days in 2135 02:11:46,750 --> 02:11:48,291 Washington, it got overheated 2136 02:11:48,291 --> 02:11:50,541 and it just shut down. And now I have 2137 02:11:50,541 --> 02:11:51,375 nothing. I had no 2138 02:11:51,375 --> 02:11:52,791 instruments whatsoever, right? 2139 02:11:52,791 --> 02:11:54,625 You're like, "That field is looking nice. 2140 02:11:54,875 --> 02:11:56,208 Maybe we put this bird down." 2141 02:11:57,208 --> 02:11:59,208 Good thing that I had a paper chart with 2142 02:11:59,208 --> 02:12:00,625 me and I knew, obviously 2143 02:12:00,625 --> 02:12:02,000 knew the area and some 2144 02:12:02,000 --> 02:12:03,250 landmarks, knew how to do some dead 2145 02:12:03,250 --> 02:12:05,416 reckoning, but also it was 2146 02:12:05,416 --> 02:12:06,583 clear in a million that day, 2147 02:12:06,833 --> 02:12:08,750 so I could actually land the plane. But 2148 02:12:08,750 --> 02:12:11,166 what happens? If I 2149 02:12:11,166 --> 02:12:12,458 didn't have that skill, 2150 02:12:12,750 --> 02:12:14,333 what would I have done? I probably would 2151 02:12:14,333 --> 02:12:15,833 have panicked, and I probably would have 2152 02:12:15,833 --> 02:12:17,541 got me and my instructor killed. 2153 02:12:17,541 --> 02:12:19,875 I'm picturing something along the 2154 02:12:19,875 --> 02:12:21,875 lines of a hopeful emergency 2155 02:12:21,875 --> 02:12:25,083 descent, and a field somewhere. You're 2156 02:12:25,083 --> 02:12:26,000 like, "I don't feel 2157 02:12:26,000 --> 02:12:28,333 comfortable at all with this." 2158 02:12:28,333 --> 02:12:29,250 And you go, "Let's just 2159 02:12:29,250 --> 02:12:31,166 circle. Screw it." That's it. 2160 02:12:32,041 --> 02:12:34,166 Yeah, but even then, right? So because 2161 02:12:34,166 --> 02:12:35,666 the G950 is out, it took 2162 02:12:35,666 --> 02:12:36,791 out all the electronics. 2163 02:12:37,208 --> 02:12:39,083 Everything was done. No radios, no 2164 02:12:39,083 --> 02:12:40,083 nothing. It was all 2165 02:12:40,083 --> 02:12:41,958 contained inside of that one box. 2166 02:12:42,166 --> 02:12:44,416 And I'm just like, "This sucks, man. This 2167 02:12:44,416 --> 02:12:46,208 is not awesome at all." 2168 02:12:47,375 --> 02:12:49,250 It's quite the opposite, actually. And 2169 02:12:49,250 --> 02:12:50,916 you go like, "Hey, where are we?" 2170 02:12:51,125 --> 02:12:53,333 No clue. What's the 2171 02:12:53,333 --> 02:12:55,500 attitude? Nothing. Altitude, uh, guess. 2172 02:12:56,250 --> 02:12:58,458 Pitot tube working? No way of telling. 2173 02:12:58,750 --> 02:13:03,041 No, right. Yeah. Yep. Yep. So yeah, no. 2174 02:13:03,708 --> 02:13:06,541 You're right, man. Digital and analogue 2175 02:13:06,541 --> 02:13:07,708 still have purposes, 2176 02:13:07,958 --> 02:13:08,625 believe it or not. 2177 02:13:09,583 --> 02:13:11,333 I would say embrace the digital, but 2178 02:13:11,333 --> 02:13:12,500 always know the fallback. 2179 02:13:13,041 --> 02:13:14,083 Yeah. Yep. 2180 02:13:14,625 --> 02:13:18,208 Cool. Well, thank you so much for coming. 2181 02:13:18,208 --> 02:13:19,666 And for people that are 2182 02:13:19,666 --> 02:13:21,083 looking to connect you with 2183 02:13:21,125 --> 02:13:22,125 it with you, what are the 2184 02:13:22,125 --> 02:13:23,666 best ways for them to do that? 2185 02:13:24,708 --> 02:13:27,041 LinkedIn. LinkedIn, Adam Peters, that's 2186 02:13:27,041 --> 02:13:29,291 it. People ask me this all 2187 02:13:29,291 --> 02:13:30,333 the time. I have a website, 2188 02:13:30,333 --> 02:13:32,625 I have the other socials. LinkedIn is the 2189 02:13:32,625 --> 02:13:34,916 primary one. I answer all 2190 02:13:34,916 --> 02:13:36,416 the DMs there. I answer all the 2191 02:13:36,416 --> 02:13:38,958 connection requests. It's the one that I 2192 02:13:38,958 --> 02:13:40,333 can keep up with the most 2193 02:13:40,333 --> 02:13:42,166 because it's just most routine 2194 02:13:42,166 --> 02:13:44,375 for me. So straight to LinkedIn if you 2195 02:13:44,375 --> 02:13:45,000 want to get in touch with 2196 02:13:45,000 --> 02:13:47,250 me. And I do answer all of my 2197 02:13:47,416 --> 02:13:49,083 own DMs. I don't have a virtual 2198 02:13:49,083 --> 02:13:52,333 assistant. I am a one-man operation. So, I, 2199 02:13:52,333 --> 02:13:54,583 I will get to you, I promise. 2200 02:13:54,708 --> 02:13:58,416 I love it. Well, we have more brilliant 2201 02:13:58,416 --> 02:14:00,625 stories coming soon. And, 2202 02:14:00,625 --> 02:14:03,583 be sure to look at our Patreon 2203 02:14:03,833 --> 02:14:06,125 to support us and join the tribe there. 2204 02:14:06,750 --> 02:14:07,916 And absolutely, 2205 02:14:07,916 --> 02:14:10,000 absolutely come back because we 2206 02:14:10,041 --> 02:14:12,083 love having you. Cheers all.