December 10, 2024 • 47 mins
Join Kyle Goodknight as he chats with Zach Loescher about his shift from EMS to entrepreneurship. Zach delves into his journey in network marketing, business ventures, and the crucial role of mental health and therapy. They discuss business automation, software development challenges, and AI's impact. Discover how automation benefits entrepreneurs by boosting engagement and sales. Zach contrasts automation with traditional advertising and highlights mental health normalization for first responders. The episode wraps up with tips on supporting entrepreneurial first responders and streamlining podcast production.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
You know, now it's really being able to helpany entrepreneur, you know, that wants to grow
their business or scale their business.
And the nice part is that's literally what gotme through rehab because the biggest thing in
rehab was that I noticed was, you know, whenyou go in there, obviously, your income quits,
you know, or you lose your job or, you know,whatever.
And, fortunately for me, I still have aresidual income.
(00:21):
So I knew every Monday for the 3 weeks I was inthere that that was coming in.
Hello, and welcome to the first ever IgnitionPath and Elevate podcast.
So I've got the pleasure of having a guest whonot only has has a entrepreneurial path for my
Ignition Path podcast, but he also is a firstresponder like myself and had some mental
(00:48):
health struggles and some some things that hedealt with that he can speak very, very
professionally and highly about, when it comesto my 1st responder podcast.
So this is going to be a dual podcast.
It'll be put on both channels and, just takeout of it what you will.
You may be a 1st responder out there looking tostart your own business, so you may be able to
get a nugget there.
You may be a business person who wants to knowa little bit more about, what we face as first
(01:10):
responders.
So today, I've got Zach Loesch.
Nope.
It's not Loeschay, not Loeschare.
Zach Loesch.
I met him a couple heck, it's not even been aweek ago that you and I met through a what is
it?
Like a networking event.
I met somebody else, and then they found outwhat I do and said, oh my god, you gotta talk
(01:32):
to Zach.
So Zach and I and and this other individual gotjumped on a a Zoom call and talked for, what, 2
hours that night.
So found a lot of stuff in common, and Iinvited him to come on the podcasts.
And here we are doing the 1st dual Elevate andIgnition Path podcast.
So, Zach, welcome to the shows.
Thank you, Kyle.
Awesome.
Yeah.
It's been like yeah.
It was like a week and yeah.
(01:53):
That was a good, like, 2 hours or so thatnight.
So I appreciate it, Kyle.
Yeah, man.
We learned I learned a lot of stuff.
We we both kinda shared some some good nuggetswith each other with, not only business, but,
we kind of we didn't go too deep into the 1stresponder stuff because, you know, the other
gentleman on the phone was not a 1st responder,so we didn't really dive into that.
(02:13):
But definitely wanna get talk about both ofthem.
So go ahead and tell us all about where youcame from, you know, what you did as a first
responder.
You don't have to get too heavy into the mentalhealth, whatever you want to do.
Like I said, this is a open format where wejust kind of freely talk about what things that
have challenged us and things we've faced alongwith, you know, eventually, we'll get talking
(02:36):
into the business side of stuff too.
Yeah.
I always got to play along and ride along alittle bit because it was a volunteer
department.
So, you know, that is you got your pager backthen and it went off and you rolled.
(02:57):
So I grew up back and then went, obviously gotolder and went to Denver to play college soccer
at Metro State and knew I really didn't wantthe business path at that time because, you
know, I'd grown up in it with my dad and mygrandpa with a Firestone, home appliance
electronic dealership and knew the hours theykinda worked.
But I was thankful.
They were always, you know, my dad was alwaysat sports or whatever, so we worked it out.
(03:20):
But this wasn't the best thing.
So it happened to be my 1st year down at MetroState.
There was a first responder course that fit mydegree as one of my electives, so I took it.
And that's when I met the chief or the captainfor station I think it was engine 11 in Denver,
and kinda that's where it all just started.
(03:40):
Took that course and then started in search andrescue because I was volunteer.
So I could do that while I was playing collegesoccer and then, so that was in 96.
And it just went from there, not long after Igot my EMT.
And this was on trucks for up through I don'tremember the year.
About 2011, 10, somewhere in there, 11.
(04:04):
Then did a lot of dispatching, after that.
But, yeah, being in the Denver Metro 911system, in my last truck I was on was not in
the best neighborhood.
So we were pretty much guaranteed to shootingor stabbing every rotation.
So Wow.
It took a toll on you.
And back then, you know, there's not the mentalhealth health that there is now that Right.
(04:26):
We got off shift.
And we knew in Denver where there were 4 barsthat open at 6 AM depending on what part of
town you're in.
And that was our decompression, and that wasour mental health.
So at 6 or 7 or 8 when we got off shift, that'swhere we were.
And then so fast forward, got out of that in2017.
I found it in COVID.
Came, so the drinking became more because I wasworking from home.
(04:48):
And then moved to Michigan and finally lastyear on 11/24/23, went to the rehab and got
help for it.
And and what?
9, 8, 7 days, something like that, whatever thenumber is.
It'll be 1 year or so.
But, you know, I'm not more
fantastic.
Well, congratulations on that.
Thank you.
I know that's a a daily struggle from how Iunderstand it, and I come from a long history
(05:12):
of alcoholism in my family and was my my dadwas definitely an alcoholic before I was born,
but he stopped drinking a little bit before Iwas born.
And so I don't know him as the alcoholic.
So which is to me is I'm really lucky, but hewas very open about it.
He never sugarcoated things.
I remember one time, I had a friend's friendsof mine drop me off, and I was pretty pretty
(05:35):
inebriated one night, coming home, and he waslike, boy, you're pretty.
You're timing on, didn't you?
And and, he got me up at the bright and earlycrack of dawn and got me got me on, you know,
the I think we were working on I think we wereworking on, like, a, like, a single story house
that day, putting in windows, and he's like,yep, come on out.
You know, He's like, The good news is like, I'mglad you had a hangover.
(05:56):
He goes, Because I could drink a 24 pack andnot have a hangover the next morning.
He goes, That was my problem.
The first day I woke up with a hangover, Irealized I didn't never wanna drink again.
I quit cold turkey.
I was like, Well, wow.
I mean, now, knowing that now and hearing, youknow, hearing it in my head from him telling me
back when I was, you know, early twenties, youknow, that's pretty significant to do a cold
turkey thing.
That's pretty tough as it is from from how I'veseen it in the health care field and and, you
(06:20):
know, talk to people about it.
But congratulations on that.
That is a huge feat in itself.
So when did you actually stop right doing sowhen you moved to Michigan, you weren't doing
any more first responder stuff at all?
It was, I think it was 2017.
I actually got out.
Did you retire, or did you just have to be,like, I'm done and burn out?
Like, talk about that experience.
It's a hoot.
Denver, for the most part, everything I did wasprivate EMS.
(06:43):
So there was no 401 k.
There was no pension.
There was no
Gotcha.
Any retirement per se.
It was, yeah, it was a 100% burnt out.
Like, it was it got more into the politics andeverything back then in 2017 that it wasn't,
you know, let's go help people.
And that's what came first.
It was more the politics side, and that's whatI got tired of.
(07:04):
Gotcha.
And, I don't like, 12, I jumped in back intonetwork even though I said I wouldn't.
So I started Amway in 1999, did that for 6
or 7 years.
I did Quickstar for a while.
It was I think the year after I got an Amwayquick star came out if I remember right.
But Amway gave me, great, you know, the book ofthe month club and all that the personal
(07:26):
development side gave me that that I alwayshave taken forward.
Because I went to college and play sports andthat was basically I would never went to
college.
I kinda didn't, you know, appease me at all.
So but yeah.
And then, so 2012, I swore I'd never get backinto networking and a buddy in high school
talked me to get into my solace.
Did that until things there changed.
(07:48):
We have more we have more in common than Ithought because I did Visalis too.
If you say Scentsy, we're just gonna shut thisoff right now.
My wife did my wife did Scentsy, and she'slike, I have no idea what I'm doing.
Can you help?
And I'm like, yeah.
This is like my wheelhouse.
Yeah.
That the founders there took it in a differentdirection and, but, you know, it's I always had
(08:12):
it in there and then, you know, found, leavinga starting that or started the what I believe I
went into the solar cells in Denver, which Iused a lot of the online experience that I had
to generate more of my leads and everythinglike that using software.
Right.
You know, and did a little, I think, Isagenix,Melaleuca for a little bit.
Just nothing really excited me.
(08:33):
And I always loved technology.
So about 4 years ago, found Bo with my GeniusLeads, and, that's where it's been in the AI
and the technology that's out there now is,just kept me going and, obviously, we've been,
you know, going into rehab last year.
So it's, like, added basically a second levelto that just because it's the story that I can
(08:55):
help others that once you have, you think it'sbasically over and there's nothing you can do
except for that $12 an hour job at the factorythat you know?
So
Yeah.
Being an entrepreneur coming out of somethinglike that is definitely a little bit more you
know, as long as you, you know, you have you'rewilling to to build the skills that you may
need for it.
Sounds like you had been kind of dabbling in iteven and when you were still in EMS, you
(09:16):
started getting back into it, which is, youknow, I'm not sure what your schedule was like.
I mean, my schedule is 2448.
I'm not sure what the private schedule waslike.
And and here, private can be 2448 or it can be12.
So or eights depending on where you work.
It was modestly chilly.
So 24 on, 24 off, 24 on.
Okay.
Okay.
So it was a little bit so you had those daysoff where you can, like, okay.
I'm not doing anything today.
(09:37):
Let me, you know, work on my self development.
Let me let me have that.
So that's now now let's just talk a little bitmore about, so you got done doing EMS.
You just and then you were still drinking, andso that was still an issue.
So the stuff the the the stressors of EMScaused you to, well, for lack of better terms,
(09:57):
you know, kind of drove you to, having thislifestyle of being addicted to alcohol and the
disease that it is.
And then when you left EMS, that didn't stop.
Did you have any other mental health, like, didyou do anything mental health wise when you got
out or you were your quit was the mentalhealth, and then you still just opened to the
(10:17):
bottle just to just because it was there now?
Is that how talk about that.
It was no, it was always the whole denial partthat I don't have an issue, even though, you
know, one was not enough and 2 was too manyevery time I drink.
And, you know, it wasn't you know, and nobodylike, you know, all my friends in Denver then
were that drinking circle.
So, you know, nobody's gonna tell you anythingbecause you're all drinking.
(10:39):
You know?
So it wasn't until I got to Michigan with Jen,you know, got away from that circle and Jen
having me open my eyes, you know, was then theone that, okay.
Yeah.
I need to do something.
So and it was like, you know, and, yeah, 11 24,23 at 7 PM.
I think it was actually before that, but I callit 7 PM was my last drink.
(11:02):
And I literally, I just kinda, like, your dadquit cold turkey and
Nice.
Well, that's that probably was a rough coupleof weeks, but
Yeah.
It wasn't too bad.
But, yeah, Sunday
Now did you seek did you seek, like, officialhelp or was it when you I mean, cold turkey, a
lot of people are like, okay, I'm done.
I'm not gonna do it anymore, but knowing thatthat itch is probably there.
Or did you get into the trip the the, you know,the AA?
(11:24):
Did you do all that whole path and everythingas well?
And then
Yeah.
I went into rehab for 3 weeks.
Okay.
So, or just shy of 3 weeks, 20 daystechnically.
Yeah.
And, you know, so I quit on a Friday, figuredout Saturday, trying to try to use the
available system, which I figure we figured outas flawed because if you have a if you call
(11:46):
your cell phone, it's based on your area codeon your phone.
So I kept getting transferred to Colorado eventhough I was living in Michigan.
So there was that little pickup in the system,but, they got me everything.
And then Sunday, I went in, thinking I wasgonna go in after talking to people, like,
they're, like, oh, just bring some a couple ofchanges of clothes for overnight or something.
Then they're like, well, no.
You're here to stay.
(12:06):
I'm like, well, crap.
Okay.
Cool.
Mhmm.
I knew if I left at that point, then I wasn'tgonna come back and I wasn't gonna do it.
So Right.
You know, and and
You stayed and hunkered down.
Yeah.
Now in that in that process, when you went torehab, do they do because I've I've never I've
never been to rehab, and I've never, I haven'treally spoke in-depth with anybody that has.
(12:28):
Do they focus I mean, I the addiction, ofcourse, is something that they concentrate on,
but do they do they discuss mental health andget you trained up and and about how our brain
works or they don't focus on that?
It's just truly the addiction?
It's truly, yeah, truly the addiction side.
And then when you get out, there's supposed tobe mental health help, which, I still have yet
from it's called CNS in Michigan.
(12:50):
And we're in, what, November now, and that was,well, in April March or April.
It was supposed to start that, which it's stillin the pending process.
But, knock on wood, yeah, my rehab that I wentto and some connections while Dwayne actually
was it that got me in touch with Chuck, whichis a hypnotherapist.
And that is I mean, I I think I have done alittle mental health therapy here and there,
(13:16):
like, tried it with one of the online servicesfor about a month, and it didn't do much.
But we added to a Chuck.
It was, like, night and day, and it's been thatway since May when I started with Chuck.
So knock on wood, I've known him because that'sreally the mental health side that I needed.
Right.
Right.
Well, that's cool that you got that toobecause, you know and that's that's one thing,
(13:38):
you know, when it when we're talking about theElevate podcast part of it, is I like to bring
different success stories on of differentthings, burnout, you know, alcoholism.
I've had one other recovering alcoholic on mypodcast early on, you know, what he did and
what therapy worked for him.
(13:59):
It's good to hear that there's someone thathas, okay, I have had a hypnotherapist on my
podcast before and talk about the benefits ofit.
Actually, a hypnotherapist that is a firstresponder, he was an ex EMT.
So, knowing that that works for people, it'sgood to share that and good for someone to hear
that that works.
So if they're, Oh, listen, I don't want to dotalk therapy, or I don't want to go and do
(14:24):
whatever, I'm gonna be having a guest on thatdoes Ketamine, and that's really new, you know,
so, and, for her mental health and her PTSD.
So it's gonna be pretty amazing that, you know,when you take the Elevate podcast as a whole,
you'll be able to search the system and findout different, you know, different things that
that are out there.
(14:45):
I don't offer any of them.
I don't support I don't endorse any of themexcept for the ones that I did.
I can endorse those because I I actually, youknow, had benefit from it.
You know, Emily, like my sponsors, it'd be agood time to go to my sponsor.
This is a system that I used, to kind of getover the hump on some things that I was
struggling with, mental health and peoplepleasing and, the funky 5, you'll hear what it
(15:08):
is.
So we'll take this, as a time to go do that,and then we'll come back and we'll dive into
the, the business side, for the, for theIgnition Path podcast on the backside of this.
So real quick word from our sponsors.
Let me ask you a question.
Would your life be better if whatever you'restruggling with, you could finally break free
of?
So what am I talking about?
The funky 5.
(15:29):
What's the funky 5 you ask?
It's those oh, so familiar struggles,Procrastination, people pleasing,
perfectionism, low self confidence, and the oneI call the big a, anxiety.
For years I struggled to manage my own version,and I call them my funky 3.
I had 3 of these funky 5 weighing me down.
(15:50):
I've tried just about everything to deal withthem.
Then a guest on my podcast, Daniel Packard,shared with me a profound thought that I had
never thought of.
So Daniel, a UC Berkeley engineer, spent 8years working with this team and over 3,000
people to create an approach that doesn't justhelp you manage these issues, it actually frees
you from them by getting right to the root ofwhat's holding you back.
(16:13):
So, after meeting with Daniel, I decided togive it a shot, and within 6 short weeks, gone.
Truly gone.
I was so amazed.
The number one thing I was dealing with wasprocrastination, but miraculously a deeper
rooted struggle with people pleasing, somethingI'd been unknowingly battling for a lifetime,
lifted entirely.
(16:33):
And the anxiety that came with them both, goneas well.
Are you tired of battling any of your funkyfives?
People pleasing, procrastination,perfectionism, low self confidence, and the
biggest happy killer of them all the a wordanxiety.
Imagine how much better life would be if youweren't just managing these things, but free of
(16:54):
them quickly and yes, permanently.
If you're ready for a real solution, head todanielpacker.com and get his free 90 minute
training.
Daniel himself will walk you through what makeshis approach so different and teach you a
technique you can use immediately to startfeeling the difference.
So if any of the funky 5 or maybe your ownversion of the funky 5 are holding you back,
(17:17):
don't wait.
Visit danielpacker.com.
You can truly get results and start living thelife you want.
Okay.
We're back and, you know, give Daniel a calland or or send him a message inside of the
system.
Go to his website.
Find out what funky fives that that are thatare weighing you down.
Tremendously, changed everything about myprocrastination that led into my people
(17:41):
pleasing that then, therefore, gave me theanxiety and all of that stuff completely gone
now, a whole different look.
So if you're struggling with any of those funky5 talked about a minute ago, go ahead and look
up Daniel and touch base with him.
So back to Zach.
Hi, Zach, and thanks for holding on for thatlittle snippet.
And I host the Ignition Path Podcast forEntrepreneurs that actually describes their
(18:04):
path through entrepreneurism and then Elevatefor the 1st responder mental health.
So, we've dabbled in the 1st responder mentalhealth a little bit.
Well, dove deepened a little bit with Zachhere.
And now we're going to, and we've dabbled inhis business path with self development and
other businesses that he's tried to do.
Like I said, as a first responder, we typicallydo something else.
Some people do landscaping, some people doconcrete, some people dive into I did voice
(18:28):
over for a while.
I still do voice over.
I've started podcasting.
I do construction.
So us first responders, we typically haveanother job or 2 or another career.
And a lot of times that those of us that haveany type of entrepreneurial path or mindset, we
we start diving into things and seeing whatsticks.
So tell us about, a little bit deeper on on thepath that you took once you once you decided
(18:50):
not to be a first responder and, and that thatdecision and and all that and and how that went
and where we're at now and where we're at todaywith you.
Yeah.
No.
It's it took some years and a lot of trials andtribulations in different companies and to find
a fit.
And I finally, about 4 years ago, found anautomation, a software company.
(19:15):
And I just did get kinda tired of trying tofind the perfect person that wanted to lose
weight or that wanted to travel or the 2 bigones that I've usually done.
And, you know, especially during the COVIDtimes and, you know, nobody was traveling.
The money wasn't there.
Same thing with, you know, health and wellness.
You know, the money wasn't there.
So but every business still needed leadgeneration and engagement and things like that.
(19:37):
So when I found the software, I just knew thatwas the right thing to do, and I can talk to
anybody and everybody, whether it's an onlineentrepreneur or a brick and mortar.
So, you know, that just kinda fell into place,but, you know, there's a lot of, you know,
probably 4 or 5 different companies afterleaving Visalis even that, you know, just
wasn't the right fit ever.
(19:59):
And, you know, now it's really being able tohelp any entrepreneur, you know, that wants to
grow their business or scale their business.
And the nice part is that's literally what gotme through rehab.
Because the biggest thing in rehab was that Inoticed was, you know, when you go in there,
obviously, your income quits.
Mhmm.
You know?
Or you lose your job or, you know, whatever.
And, fortunately for me, I filled up a residualincome.
(20:21):
So I knew every Monday for the 3 weeks I was inthere that that was coming in.
You know, and it's just over, you know, timebuilding that up.
But with the, you know, software automation,you know, that was something that, you know, I
I liked helping wellness and, you know,obviously playing soccer that, you know, was a
part of my life.
Mhmm.
But it wasn't, like, something that was truly,like, I'm gonna do this the rest of my life
(20:46):
kind of thing.
You know, you'll find a lot of people too that,you know, in the health and wellness, you know,
they get healthy, they lose their 20 or 30 or£40 or whatever it was.
You know, and then they're kind of back totheir normal lifestyle again, kinda.
So it was a really a revolving door on that,which, you know, it didn't matter how much how
hard I tried or, you know, it would that wasjust that was the game there.
(21:08):
So with the lead software, literally what fromthe day I saw it, I knew that was the thing to
do.
And, you know, I kinda like the whole solvingproblems kinda like, you know, in EMS where,
you know, I'm solving a problem and you gottaget down to what the problem is.
Just be able to solve it the same thing, youknow, whether they're, you know, how their
Facebook's set up, what they're doing for leadgeneration.
(21:28):
You know, is it just spammy pitching firstmessage, not, you know, building know, like,
and trust.
So that whole part was something that I foundreally, I guess, fascinating, for better like a
term, that in a different way to help peopleoutside of EMS, still helping them grow their
business, which, you know, obviously, health isa big part of if you don't have your health,
then you're not gonna have anything after thatanyway.
(21:50):
But, you know, I just got tired of focusing onthat part where I could focus on, you know, and
have connections for all the other fields thatI could help them grow their business now, you
know, without the limitations that, you know,I'm only looking for people that wanna lose
weight and, you know, there's a ton of greatcompanies out there, you know, people will find
them.
But I just like the technology set.
(22:10):
I've always liked technology.
I used Microsoft front page back in, what,2,000 or whenever it came on.
My dad didn't
That's a that's a name I haven't heard forever.
Yeah.
Built me Wow.
Dad's website for his business.
So I'd always dabble in technology.
And,
I think my first time I ever built a websitewas I think it was in Yahoo's web builder back
(22:31):
in the day.
So yeah.
And, you know, I've done other, you know, leadgeneration companies or, you know, where where
you had the beacons, you put a beacon, it waslike a 100 yard radius, you'd be able to push a
message under your cell phone notification.
And, you know, Google shut that down, and thenit went to a pin drop on the Google map, and
Google shut that down a little later.
(22:51):
So it was Yeah.
That's a good that's a good point there.
Are you finding with this new service that youare are representing that that, that when
Google's algorithms
(23:14):
Yeah.
And so, you know, a lot of it and a lot of itwith the software is, you know, it's not just
your CanSpitch like a lot of other automationcompanies.
It's the same pitch over and over and over andover, so which is an easy way for an
entrepreneur to get into trouble with Facebookwhere, you know, I sent out 249 engagement
(23:35):
messages yesterday with 249, absolutely 100%different messages.
Wow.
Oh, because the AI is building
it for you.
AI is switching it to be Yeah.
You've commented a couple of my since we becamefriends on Facebook, you've commented on a
couple of my things.
I'm like, is this him?
Or is this his AI?
But it's still I'm like, it's very appropriatefrom our early discussion and what he knows of
(23:56):
me, and what he and what he does.
I'm like, this was, I'm like, that's a 100% aperfect, you know, comment.
So I've been watching the comments, and mostlikely your, your bot's doing, but they're
really good and they're sincere.
And, you know, I mean, and, you know, the way Isee it is it's still your it's still you
because you put all the information into thesystem to when you showed it to me, you know,
(24:21):
you you you build the you build the responsesper your personality.
So if you were an upfront, harsh, rash kind ofperson that would come across upfront, harsh,
and rash, but you're more of a caring,understanding, nurturing person in your
business, and that's exactly how the messagecame across.
So that's pretty interesting.
So talk a little bit about, did you helpdevelop the software?
(24:43):
Or did you were you the inventor of it or justsomeone that that, got in early and
Been, yeah, early.
Good friends with the business owner.
I actually living with them right now in Texas.
But yeah.
And, you know, we do connect with thedevelopment team, you know, easily on a weekly
basis, multiple times during the week.
(25:04):
Like, I'll beta test a couple of upgradesbefore they're pushed out to make sure it's
working right, things like that.
Yeah.
You're kinda like a super user.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yep.
Exactly.
So yeah.
And, you know, kinda know what's coming up orwhat's not coming up or what's not gonna work.
You know, or, you know, ask them, like, onesoftware, they tried to do green and red.
So, like, you know, when your friend a friendrequest was sent out, it turned green instead
(25:26):
of red.
And then, but Facebook changed some stuff up ontheir back end, so they had to take the green
and the red away.
You know, so we're that that was a good idea.
It was for a little while, and then Facebookchanged up what they did.
So, you know, it still sends a friend request,still sends a message, and we just don't get to
have the nice, cute little red and green.
To, like, to kind of differentiate yourself.
(25:46):
Yeah.
That's cool.
So
yeah.
But
Well, fantastic.
Now when it comes to the path that got you tohere, you know, it's understandable that, you
know, we you know, I've I'm a firm believer inthe old concept of failing forward.
You know, so, when we fail forward and we don'tgive up, and that's exactly how the Elevate
(26:06):
podcast came about from earlier, and IgnitionPath, for that matter of fact, because I was
only doing the Elevate podcast, and that was afail forward.
I was doing webinars, trying to get people,first responders, to come on and get my
coaching for mental health.
I've spent a whole year developing a system,and no one showed up to my no first responders
are out there, you know, breaking down thedoors to get mental health help.
(26:28):
So we have to do it a little bit morestrategically.
So I know for a fact that I got introduced to apodcasting group that explained to me
podcasting can be used in a way that not onlygives you authority in the space, but actually
connects you with people like yourself andpeople that have good information that could
possibly be collaborators of some sort.
So, well, I was like, Wait a second.
(26:49):
And with the software that I use that I showedyou the other night when it comes to my post
production, I'm no longer post production in anhour and a half, 2 hours.
I'm doing it in 10 to 20 minutes, and I'mrunning other people's shows.
So people that I run their shows for, theyrecord, they send me the episode, and I do the
rest of it for them.
And that was a business that I kind of pivotedaway from the first responder mental health
(27:12):
stuff.
Still did the podcast, but just pivoted awayfor a little bit, got this business, you know,
under under wraps, and it's full circle.
Now I'm interviewing, and it's the firstepisode where I'm doing Elevate and Ignition
Path.
So it all blends together because, you know, alot of us first responders out there do have
second jobs, do have an entrepreneurial path.
(27:33):
So it's a very good fit that you're on todayand kind of releasing this dual episode with
me, and I appreciate that.
And, you know, and it saves a whole anotherconversation just specifically about the
business or the mental health.
So it's gonna be I'll have to see how this onetrends when I put it up on YouTube and all that
and see how many see which one gets more views.
(27:53):
You know, I could put the exact same episode upat the exact same day with 2 different podcast
names and go from there.
But, yeah, so, you know, the entrepreneurialpath is, the ignition path is what we dive deep
in.
I thank you so much for coming on today andexplaining all that.
Dive a little bit more in what your softwaredoes, like the 30,000 foot thing, if anybody is
(28:15):
interested in this type of secondary businessthat may be looking out there, whether they're
a first responder or whether they're anentrepreneur that is looking for the next thing
that is a fit, because they've been fallingforward or failing forward.
So tell us a little bit about what your 30,000foot view is of your of what you're you're
representing now, and then we'll wrap thingsup.
(28:54):
You know, today I think I had 3 or 4 birthdaysthat, you know, automatically went out.
But up there, but the cool part with ours isyou can go up to 7 days before their birthday
and up to 7 days after their birthday withdifferent messages.
So one before their birthday, on theirbirthday, and then after their birthday.
So, you know, I take advantage of on the day oftheir birthday.
It goes straight into their messenger insteadof, like, my birthday last June, you know, I
(29:16):
had 200 and plus messages posted on my Facebookwall.
I didn't read most of them.
I just liked them all.
But if you sent me a message in messenger, wehad a conversation.
And then 5 days after your birthday, I'm justasking you how your birthday was and what you
have planned for the next year.
Because I know most people love to talk aboutthemselves, you know, their whatever's coming
up the next year, their family, their pets,their kids.
(29:37):
You know, how the economy is so amazing thatthe bank is overflowing with money right now.
You know, so there's always a conversationstarted.
And so, you know, like, you know, it's like yousaid, Kyle, that people are looking for, you
know, that next income level or that next, youknow, way to make money outside of what they're
already doing, whether it's full time or, youknow, I always call the MS part time because,
you know, hypothetically, we only work 11 or 12days a month usually.
(30:01):
Yeah.
Yeah.
But, we were there
for 4 months.
I'm at 11 myself.
Yep.
Yep.
About,
a 100 21 days a year, and that's if I don'ttake any vacations.
So
it's Yeah.
Yep.
So, you know, it's it doesn't matter if I wason shift or not.
The software is working.
And then, the engagers going out there, and,you know, like yesterday, I said I did 249
engagements to all my friends on Facebook.
You know, if you're my friends post somethingthat's up on my wall, it's gonna make a comment
(30:25):
in regards to that specific post, you know,whether it's, you know, them on vacation for,
you know, a post about vacation, whether it's apost about business, whatever it is, the AI is
gonna pick it up.
And like Kyle was saying earlier, it's gonnareally dive into that specific post and what
it's about and put a comment in there, which istechnically you guys helping that person out of
my Facebook list.
(30:45):
But once they come back and start engaging, youknow, a conversation, then Facebook actually
takes your algorithm for both ways.
And then, you know, the big one another big oneis the disconnector, because the more fringe
you have on Facebook, the smaller youralgorithm is gonna be, because the more
deadweight you have with no reactions, nocomments, no messaging, Facebook takes that as
a negative.
So you don't know.
(31:05):
And there's for whatever reason, there'scompanies out there that are going, oh, get
your 5,000 friends as quick as you can, whichis the worst thing you can do for your Facebook
algorithm.
You want the least amount of people with themost engagement.
Now, yes, we're not gonna kick off our family,you know, our friends, mom and dad, whatever,
that might not engage with us, but we don'twanna keep other entrepreneurs on there that
aren't engaging.
(31:25):
So the disconnector will go through and look athow many comments they've done, how many
reactions they've done, how many messages, andthen show you that exactly so you can get rid
of that dead weight.
And then let stories drive since we weretalking about other forms of medication, LSD
for short.
Actually takes your Facebook story and if youcan set up multiple ways, if you do a poll, it
(31:48):
will comment on the polls, it will comment ifsomebody gives you a reaction or like mine, I
do it that other day every day on my Facebook.
So anybody that views it it would just you knowlike Kyle will watch it today it would be Hey
Kyle thanks for viewing my Facebook story can'twait to see you on Tuesday's video.
It just is a daily reminder that I have a videocoming the next day.
So just to build that engagement again and theneasy messenger will go out there and engage,
(32:11):
whether it'll scrape a Facebook group for youand build a list for you or a Facebook ad or
even a post.
So that's the main software and that's allautomated.
And I just turn my computer on in the morningand it's set at different times for frequencies
to run everything.
And it does it all for me, so it literally hasfreed up my time to, you know, this is the
second well, one was a phone interview, andthis is a podcast right now, this morning.
(32:33):
And then I've also done a training on thesoftware this morning while the software is
running right now.
So it gives you it frees up your time for thosemoney making activities instead of the mundane
everyday.
We know we have to do this to grow ourbusiness, but we gotta find time for a ton of
stuff.
Yeah.
No.
It doesn't actually create the post for you ordoes it sometimes depending on
Yeah.
We have a software, AI content creator that'llactually create the post based on the
(32:57):
information you give it, and then you just haveto go schedule it.
Go schedule it?
Yeah.
So if you go
Now how does how does what you're using turninto actual like, you call it as a umbrella.
You call it a lead generator.
So how does it actually like, what are theleads?
Are there people that actually want to know howto do this themselves?
Or do you have another product that you sellthat it's or or like you said, you could go to
(33:21):
brick and mortar as well, not just online, youknow, online entrepreneur?
Yep.
Yeah.
So it does A lot of them are, yeah, talkingabout this outflow and the automation because 1
or 2 posts a day talk about either AI or justbusiness in general questions.
So it brings up the scheduled post bring up alot of conversation about growing a business or
(33:42):
implementing AI.
You know, like one of the posts I use a lot isAI isn't gonna take your job as the person
behind AI that will take your job.
Yeah.
You know?
So, you know, it's you know, which is true.
You know, we talked about VAs this morning.
You know, VAs, they wanna keep, you know, theywanna book the calls for you.
They wanna set the schedule.
They wanna do all that for you.
We're, you know, talking to a VA this morning,like, my software does all that already.
(34:06):
What can you do for me that software doesn't doalready?
You know, so they're kinda the ones I've talkedto were kinda behind the 8 ball, where if they
learn the software, now they can actually addmore clients, but the software is working for
the clients.
You know, so it's, you know, it's really known.
AI is gonna take over, not essentially takeover.
AI is gonna be at the forefront of building bigbusinesses.
(34:26):
And it just depends on who knows how to run itand, you know, that's where the money is gonna
be.
But, you know, it's creating that engagementwhich creates that conversation which, you
know, then opens up the know, like, and trustfactor, You know, then you get to really see
what you know, there might not be an issue, itmight be, you know, I've got a couple of
coaches that I use now based off of our talksoff of Facebook where I've got a lot of clients
(34:48):
that, you know, need that extra help in growingtheir business or starting their business.
You know, one last year was a teacher, and, youknow, her and her husband had a talk.
And she went to part time teaching because shedidn't agree with what the school district was
doing for COVID and the politics that theybrought into it.
And if she went part time, she could pick andchoose what school she worked at and who she
(35:09):
worked with, so she had to find a secondaryincome.
So that's how they all came off the birthdaypost because it asked what you were doing this
upcoming, you know, the upcoming year.
Oh, so then once they now when does it switchfrom engaging to, as as a lead generator, when
does it switch into you actually having a realphone, you know, a real conversation with them
(35:30):
about purchasing or or giving them the helpthey need with your services?
Yeah.
So basically, right after their first commentback to me in Messenger.
And with that, and a good nugget is, like, Itry not to just come back with another typed up
message to you.
I try and I do a lot of it is that I come backwith a voice message right away to them.
(35:51):
You know, hey, Kyle.
That's awesome.
Sounds good.
Whatever, you know, the message was.
But Facebook lets you use your voice voicemessage.
And so No.
That's not AI.
That's actually you.
Right?
That's
me talking to them.
Yep.
Yeah.
Okay.
Because I've because their software my softwarehas my AI voice.
My my podcast software, and I could drop in I
mean, TV.
I can drop in copy and get me to talk about it.
So
Yep.
I have a streaming TV service that iscompletely hands off when you call the phone
(36:14):
number or go to the website and sell AI.
Yeah.
When they when they respond to me in FacebookMessenger, I use my voice and, you know, I'll
go quick and look at their Facebook profile soI can be like, hey, Kyle.
Looks like you had a great vacation or it lookslike, you know, business is going good or
whatever.
That way they know that, you know, I've lookedat their Facebook profile because I just
related to something that was they postedrecently.
But then it's also me talking to them in myvoice.
(36:36):
So there's that difference.
There's a little bit more connection there.
Yeah.
You know, versus Now,
you you keep on mentioning Facebook, but doesthis also go into LinkedIn as well?
Do you is this do you have a LinkedIn?
Yep.
Facebook obviously is the big one since it'sgot 4,700,000,000 people on it.
Yeah.
It's got a 1,000,000.
And then, yeah, we do yep.
LinkedIn.
And we actually got a new cool software comingout, that will actually do a video message back
(37:01):
to you.
You know, I could sit here and, you know, do a30 second video message back to you instead of
my voice.
So that's pretty cool.
I actually did one this morning for a gentlemanand, well, he actually I didn't know until he I
went and looked at his page.
He was a first responder.
Now he then went to be a doctor, and he'sretired, but he helps people over 50 get back
into shape.
And I did a video back to him, and he's like,that's the first time I've ever seen this video
(37:24):
message.
Yeah.
I've I've there's been some like back when Idid.
Oh, here's another one.
Are we mutual on this one?
Did you use send out cards at all?
I did, but very limited.
But I almost thought about getting back into itagain.
Because last year, I think it was last year Ireceived 2 and started like, wait a minute.
Yeah.
And that's one of those things.
(37:44):
When I first started doing that, I was inmedical sales at the time, and I got introduced
to send out cards.
And of course, it's an MLM.
And, and I'm so that's okay.
I didn't, you know, I didn't have to, I wasn'ton the big time recruiting path for that people
because, ultimately, I just wanted to use itfor my medic for my sales.
I wanted to have that awesome follow-up that isa real card.
(38:05):
I used to get thank you phone calls for mythank you cards.
So I would send a card with maybe I would evenmaybe even take a picture of the director that
I spoke with or their product or, you know,picture their ambulance or their hospital.
And and I would send them back a card.
Hey, hey, thanks so much.
It was great, you know, conversation aboutthis.
We look forward to implementing blah, blah,blah, blah.
(38:25):
And I get phone calls like, hey.
I just got your card.
I've never got a card before, and you standout.
So, you know, send out cards.
You know, I tried to get every every realtor Iever met.
I was like, you've gotta have send out cards.
Any sales rep I ever met, you gotta have sendout cards.
And people just, you know, they it's stillanother thing to do.
You still have to get on and do it.
But, you know, once you learn it, it wasn'tthat hard and but it really sets you apart.
(38:48):
And the ones that used it loved it and havethat that differentiation.
And the ones that didn't, you know, I mean, whoknows what they're doing now?
But it was definitely, yeah, it was definitelypretty cool.
And I've recently just started thinking aboutpossibly using it again because a gentleman
that I've been talking with to help a podcastthat he's trying to get off the ground, that's
(39:09):
gonna be a 501c3, entity.
But that podcast, when I mentioned to him, hey,what are you doing after guests come on?
I've got an idea.
He's like, shoot.
Tell me what about it.
I'm like, it's called Send Out Cards, orthere's there's there's a couple of them now,
AM, AIM cards.
Like, there's a couple of different people, butthey all stem from the concept of of the
(39:30):
SendOutCards people.
Right?
They've some people have split off and createdtheir own companies, just like most, a lot of
people do in general, if they have the capital.
But he's like, oh, my God.
That's such a great idea for my guest to get aphysical card once they're being done being on
my podcast.
And, of course, though, his guests are gonna beideal for him because they're corporate guests
(39:50):
that eventually wanna have some sort ofcorporate, you know, entity come in and do this
this, motivation thing that he that's thereason why he's doing his podcast.
So I may be getting back in the SendOutCardsmyself and be running that division for him
too.
Yeah.
No.
I think it's well, just put something tangiblein their hands and, you know, people keep the
cards for, you know, especially if it's aholiday card for 2, 3, 4, 6 weeks after
(40:15):
Well, then you set it up as a as a campaign,and next thing you know, a year like like
realtors, this is a no brainer.
I'm like, realtors, listen.
Thank you card for selling the house with agift.
And then 6 months in, hey, how's everythinggoing?
You know?
And then a year in, hey, it's your yearanniversary.
By the way, rip off the bottom of this and giveit to your friend.
You'll get a, you know, you'll get a finder feeor something, you know, or like some sort of,
(40:39):
you know, referral.
But, you know, and they just some people justaren't too busy or whatever.
But, you know, it's all in what the effortsthat you wanna put in and where you wanna put
your your advertising dollars, of course.
And, you know, and and this the software thatyou're speaking of sounds so much smarter than,
like, Google Ads or or Facebook Ads too,because it's not just a blanket and find out
(40:59):
what kind of fish you're catching.
It's it's going out there and saying, no,that's the fish I want right there.
That group right there, that specific niche iswhere I wanna concentrate on, and it goes and
targets them specifically.
So that's what's great about your softwarecompared to just having a blanket, you know, ad
spend on.
And that's what I try to tell people withpodcasting.
(41:20):
Podcasting is a fantastic lead generator,probably not as hands off as your program.
But if but you would come up with like a like acombination where those it gets people to come
to a webinar that talks about podcasting in andbuilding a business and rapport and niche and
being an authority.
And people have always a lot of people want tostart podcasts, but they don't know how easy it
(41:43):
is.
So it sounds like a very good hand in handthing to utilize in any business, your software
or podcasting.
So want to see where this takes us eventually.
Yeah.
It's yeah.
I mean, I mean, with especially with Facebook,there's a group for everything.
Yeah.
And, you know, whether it's, you know, like,well, like, WPW, Wolf Parks and White syndrome.
Like, I had a friend in Colorado that herdaughter had it.
(42:05):
I was like, well, that's a very, very, veryrare, you know, body condition.
And there's a handful of Facebook groups aboutit.
You know?
So that that was my test to prove that therewas something for everybody on Facebook.
And, yeah, you can target the group or you cantarget target the specific ad.
You know, you could go if you're in, you know,weight loss, you can go to weight watchers or
Jenny Craig and specifically target thoseclientele because you already know they're in
(42:28):
weight loss, you know, and spending a whole lotof money on those products.
So you're probably probably just as good if notbetter and you already know that that niche
that you're targeting right there is they'relooking for, and they got the money to spend.
So it makes it very easy to target, you know,your specific niche market.
Yep.
Well, let's go ahead and wrap this up.
And thanks so much for coming on the Elevateand the Ignition Path podcast, and sharing your
(42:54):
backstory.
We appreciate it.
That's also a very challenging thing to do.
So I want to thank you for sharing your storyand your path to help those first responders
out there that may be looking for help ortrying to normalize this.
And that's what you and I spoke about the otherday is, as first responders, we need to
normalize the conversation of our mentalhealth.
And as soon as we can normalize it, then morepeople are going to be able to get the proper
(43:17):
help they need.
And it doesn't always mean it's sitting on acouch with some doctor on the other side of you
trying to shrink your head.
Doesn't mean that.
It could mean anything.
The main thing it doesn't mean is the 6 o'clockin the morning bar.
That's, you know, that's not the most ideal wayin surrounding because, you know, I read the
book, The Body Keeps the Score, and they spokeabout veterans that why they formed these VFWs
(43:42):
is because of that camaraderie and putting themback into those situations that they felt, you
know, that they felt alive in because they werefighting for their lives, literally.
And going back and being with their peers is isdefinitely a part of why those were formed.
And but it's what are you doing when you'rewith your peers?
(44:05):
Is it damaging you or creating some sort ofdisease that's going to fight you in the end
and be a downfalls?
You know, hanging out with your buddies is onething, hanging out with your buddies and only
drinking and not having anything else otherthan and doing it on a daily basis, that's just
not the healthy way to do it.
And if you're struggling with that out there,feel free.
I know for a fact, Zach, his phone will alwaysbe open for first responders or anybody
(44:29):
struggling with sobriety.
Actually, plug your podcast.
Your podcast is definitely, if you hear whatthe name of his podcast, you're a business
person that struggles with addiction, you maywant to tune into this guy's podcast.
Yeah.
Just go to, yeah, soberpreneur.life.
The soberpreneur.life, l I f e.
(44:49):
Alright.
And, yes, you'll enjoy it.
Yeah.
Exactly.
So once again, if you're a first respondertrying to figure out what to do, trying to see
if you need help, there's plenty of stuff outthere.
Contact me or Zach or anybody else from thepodcast that I have come on.
They're all people that are willing to help usas first responders.
If you're a first responder and you have anentrepreneurial brain or entrepreneurial itch
(45:11):
or you've tried things and you don't know whereyour entrepreneurial path is going, don't
hesitate.
If you wanna start podcasting, reach out to me.
You wanna start getting leads from Facebook andLinkedIn, reach out to Zach.
You know, we're here to help.
That's one thing I know that him and I agreedupon too is that our service to our community
(45:31):
has now kind of come over to our business, andwe wanna just serve other business people to
make it smarter.
I was doing podcast or post production in 2hours before.
Now I'm doing it a lot smarter.
I'd like to teach that, so I'm going to beservicing those who want to know how to do it
better.
So we're here to serve.
We're here to, you know, we are here to have abusiness, of course, but ultimately, it's with
(45:52):
a server's heart.
So and I and I think you agree to that.
Right, Zach?
A 100%.
Yeah.
Yeah.
100% there.
It's, yeah.
Even though, you know, I've walked away fromEMS 7, 8 years ago, whatever it is, that's
still the whole well, the whole brotherhood,sisterhood doesn't leave you, but the whole
helping others doesn't leave you.
And even, you know, when I reached out for helpwith my addiction last year, like, you know,
(46:14):
there were still people there that wanted tohelp.
So, you know, it's still there and definitelysomething I know both of us still wanna do no
matter whether it's on the streets or on thefront line or on the business aspect of it too.
You both wanna do it.
Exactly.
Alright.
Well, once again, thank you so much for comingon to the Ignition Path Podcast and Elevate.
Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share.
(46:35):
If anything you heard during this, during this,dual episode resonates with you and you're or
you feel like you need to share it with afriend of yours or another brother or sister in
the EMS or not EMS, 1st responder world or thebusiness world, don't hesitate to just hit that
share button and send it off to them and we'dreally appreciate it.
Zach, thanks so much for coming on.
We'll talk to you later.
Thank you, Kyle.
(46:57):
Thank you for listening to Ignition Pack,fueling the entrepreneurial fire.
You know, now it's really being able to helpany entrepreneur, you know, that wants to grow
their business or scale their business.
And the nice part is that's literally what gotme through rehab because the biggest thing in
rehab was that I noticed was, you know, whenyou go in there, obviously, your income quits,
you know, or you lose your job or, you know,whatever.
And, fortunately for me, I still have aresidual income.
(00:21):
So I knew every Monday for the 3 weeks I was inthere that that was coming in.
Hello, and welcome to the first ever IgnitionPath and Elevate podcast.
So I've got the pleasure of having a guest whonot only has has a entrepreneurial path for my
Ignition Path podcast, but he also is a firstresponder like myself and had some mental
(00:48):
health struggles and some some things that hedealt with that he can speak very, very
professionally and highly about, when it comesto my 1st responder podcast.
So this is going to be a dual podcast.
It'll be put on both channels and, just takeout of it what you will.
You may be a 1st responder out there looking tostart your own business, so you may be able to
get a nugget there.
You may be a business person who wants to knowa little bit more about, what we face as first
(01:10):
responders.
So today, I've got Zach Loesch.
Nope.
It's not Loeschay, not Loeschare.
Zach Loesch.
I met him a couple heck, it's not even been aweek ago that you and I met through a what is
it?
Like a networking event.
I met somebody else, and then they found outwhat I do and said, oh my god, you gotta talk
(01:32):
to Zach.
So Zach and I and and this other individual gotjumped on a a Zoom call and talked for, what, 2
hours that night.
So found a lot of stuff in common, and Iinvited him to come on the podcasts.
And here we are doing the 1st dual Elevate andIgnition Path podcast.
So, Zach, welcome to the shows.
Thank you, Kyle.
Awesome.
Yeah.
It's been like yeah.
It was like a week and yeah.
(01:53):
That was a good, like, 2 hours or so thatnight.
So I appreciate it, Kyle.
Yeah, man.
We learned I learned a lot of stuff.
We we both kinda shared some some good nuggetswith each other with, not only business, but,
we kind of we didn't go too deep into the 1stresponder stuff because, you know, the other
gentleman on the phone was not a 1st responder,so we didn't really dive into that.
(02:13):
But definitely wanna get talk about both ofthem.
So go ahead and tell us all about where youcame from, you know, what you did as a first
responder.
You don't have to get too heavy into the mentalhealth, whatever you want to do.
Like I said, this is a open format where wejust kind of freely talk about what things that
have challenged us and things we've faced alongwith, you know, eventually, we'll get talking
(02:36):
into the business side of stuff too.
Yeah.
I always got to play along and ride along alittle bit because it was a volunteer
department.
So, you know, that is you got your pager backthen and it went off and you rolled.
(02:57):
So I grew up back and then went, obviously gotolder and went to Denver to play college soccer
at Metro State and knew I really didn't wantthe business path at that time because, you
know, I'd grown up in it with my dad and mygrandpa with a Firestone, home appliance
electronic dealership and knew the hours theykinda worked.
But I was thankful.
They were always, you know, my dad was alwaysat sports or whatever, so we worked it out.
(03:20):
But this wasn't the best thing.
So it happened to be my 1st year down at MetroState.
There was a first responder course that fit mydegree as one of my electives, so I took it.
And that's when I met the chief or the captainfor station I think it was engine 11 in Denver,
and kinda that's where it all just started.
(03:40):
Took that course and then started in search andrescue because I was volunteer.
So I could do that while I was playing collegesoccer and then, so that was in 96.
And it just went from there, not long after Igot my EMT.
And this was on trucks for up through I don'tremember the year.
About 2011, 10, somewhere in there, 11.
(04:04):
Then did a lot of dispatching, after that.
But, yeah, being in the Denver Metro 911system, in my last truck I was on was not in
the best neighborhood.
So we were pretty much guaranteed to shootingor stabbing every rotation.
So Wow.
It took a toll on you.
And back then, you know, there's not the mentalhealth health that there is now that Right.
(04:26):
We got off shift.
And we knew in Denver where there were 4 barsthat open at 6 AM depending on what part of
town you're in.
And that was our decompression, and that wasour mental health.
So at 6 or 7 or 8 when we got off shift, that'swhere we were.
And then so fast forward, got out of that in2017.
I found it in COVID.
Came, so the drinking became more because I wasworking from home.
(04:48):
And then moved to Michigan and finally lastyear on 11/24/23, went to the rehab and got
help for it.
And and what?
9, 8, 7 days, something like that, whatever thenumber is.
It'll be 1 year or so.
But, you know, I'm not more
fantastic.
Well, congratulations on that.
Thank you.
I know that's a a daily struggle from how Iunderstand it, and I come from a long history
(05:12):
of alcoholism in my family and was my my dadwas definitely an alcoholic before I was born,
but he stopped drinking a little bit before Iwas born.
And so I don't know him as the alcoholic.
So which is to me is I'm really lucky, but hewas very open about it.
He never sugarcoated things.
I remember one time, I had a friend's friendsof mine drop me off, and I was pretty pretty
(05:35):
inebriated one night, coming home, and he waslike, boy, you're pretty.
You're timing on, didn't you?
And and, he got me up at the bright and earlycrack of dawn and got me got me on, you know,
the I think we were working on I think we wereworking on, like, a, like, a single story house
that day, putting in windows, and he's like,yep, come on out.
You know, He's like, The good news is like, I'mglad you had a hangover.
(05:56):
He goes, Because I could drink a 24 pack andnot have a hangover the next morning.
He goes, That was my problem.
The first day I woke up with a hangover, Irealized I didn't never wanna drink again.
I quit cold turkey.
I was like, Well, wow.
I mean, now, knowing that now and hearing, youknow, hearing it in my head from him telling me
back when I was, you know, early twenties, youknow, that's pretty significant to do a cold
turkey thing.
That's pretty tough as it is from from how I'veseen it in the health care field and and, you
(06:20):
know, talk to people about it.
But congratulations on that.
That is a huge feat in itself.
So when did you actually stop right doing sowhen you moved to Michigan, you weren't doing
any more first responder stuff at all?
It was, I think it was 2017.
I actually got out.
Did you retire, or did you just have to be,like, I'm done and burn out?
Like, talk about that experience.
It's a hoot.
Denver, for the most part, everything I did wasprivate EMS.
(06:43):
So there was no 401 k.
There was no pension.
There was no
Gotcha.
Any retirement per se.
It was, yeah, it was a 100% burnt out.
Like, it was it got more into the politics andeverything back then in 2017 that it wasn't,
you know, let's go help people.
And that's what came first.
It was more the politics side, and that's whatI got tired of.
(07:04):
Gotcha.
And, I don't like, 12, I jumped in back intonetwork even though I said I wouldn't.
So I started Amway in 1999, did that for 6
or 7 years.
I did Quickstar for a while.
It was I think the year after I got an Amwayquick star came out if I remember right.
But Amway gave me, great, you know, the book ofthe month club and all that the personal
(07:26):
development side gave me that that I alwayshave taken forward.
Because I went to college and play sports andthat was basically I would never went to
college.
I kinda didn't, you know, appease me at all.
So but yeah.
And then, so 2012, I swore I'd never get backinto networking and a buddy in high school
talked me to get into my solace.
Did that until things there changed.
(07:48):
We have more we have more in common than Ithought because I did Visalis too.
If you say Scentsy, we're just gonna shut thisoff right now.
My wife did my wife did Scentsy, and she'slike, I have no idea what I'm doing.
Can you help?
And I'm like, yeah.
This is like my wheelhouse.
Yeah.
That the founders there took it in a differentdirection and, but, you know, it's I always had
(08:12):
it in there and then, you know, found, leavinga starting that or started the what I believe I
went into the solar cells in Denver, which Iused a lot of the online experience that I had
to generate more of my leads and everythinglike that using software.
Right.
You know, and did a little, I think, Isagenix,Melaleuca for a little bit.
Just nothing really excited me.
(08:33):
And I always loved technology.
So about 4 years ago, found Bo with my GeniusLeads, and, that's where it's been in the AI
and the technology that's out there now is,just kept me going and, obviously, we've been,
you know, going into rehab last year.
So it's, like, added basically a second levelto that just because it's the story that I can
(08:55):
help others that once you have, you think it'sbasically over and there's nothing you can do
except for that $12 an hour job at the factorythat you know?
So
Yeah.
Being an entrepreneur coming out of somethinglike that is definitely a little bit more you
know, as long as you, you know, you have you'rewilling to to build the skills that you may
need for it.
Sounds like you had been kind of dabbling in iteven and when you were still in EMS, you
(09:16):
started getting back into it, which is, youknow, I'm not sure what your schedule was like.
I mean, my schedule is 2448.
I'm not sure what the private schedule waslike.
And and here, private can be 2448 or it can be12.
So or eights depending on where you work.
It was modestly chilly.
So 24 on, 24 off, 24 on.
Okay.
Okay.
So it was a little bit so you had those daysoff where you can, like, okay.
I'm not doing anything today.
(09:37):
Let me, you know, work on my self development.
Let me let me have that.
So that's now now let's just talk a little bitmore about, so you got done doing EMS.
You just and then you were still drinking, andso that was still an issue.
So the stuff the the the stressors of EMScaused you to, well, for lack of better terms,
(09:57):
you know, kind of drove you to, having thislifestyle of being addicted to alcohol and the
disease that it is.
And then when you left EMS, that didn't stop.
Did you have any other mental health, like, didyou do anything mental health wise when you got
out or you were your quit was the mentalhealth, and then you still just opened to the
(10:17):
bottle just to just because it was there now?
Is that how talk about that.
It was no, it was always the whole denial partthat I don't have an issue, even though, you
know, one was not enough and 2 was too manyevery time I drink.
And, you know, it wasn't you know, and nobodylike, you know, all my friends in Denver then
were that drinking circle.
So, you know, nobody's gonna tell you anythingbecause you're all drinking.
(10:39):
You know?
So it wasn't until I got to Michigan with Jen,you know, got away from that circle and Jen
having me open my eyes, you know, was then theone that, okay.
Yeah.
I need to do something.
So and it was like, you know, and, yeah, 11 24,23 at 7 PM.
I think it was actually before that, but I callit 7 PM was my last drink.
(11:02):
And I literally, I just kinda, like, your dadquit cold turkey and
Nice.
Well, that's that probably was a rough coupleof weeks, but
Yeah.
It wasn't too bad.
But, yeah, Sunday
Now did you seek did you seek, like, officialhelp or was it when you I mean, cold turkey, a
lot of people are like, okay, I'm done.
I'm not gonna do it anymore, but knowing thatthat itch is probably there.
Or did you get into the trip the the, you know,the AA?
(11:24):
Did you do all that whole path and everythingas well?
And then
Yeah.
I went into rehab for 3 weeks.
Okay.
So, or just shy of 3 weeks, 20 daystechnically.
Yeah.
And, you know, so I quit on a Friday, figuredout Saturday, trying to try to use the
available system, which I figure we figured outas flawed because if you have a if you call
(11:46):
your cell phone, it's based on your area codeon your phone.
So I kept getting transferred to Colorado eventhough I was living in Michigan.
So there was that little pickup in the system,but, they got me everything.
And then Sunday, I went in, thinking I wasgonna go in after talking to people, like,
they're, like, oh, just bring some a couple ofchanges of clothes for overnight or something.
Then they're like, well, no.
You're here to stay.
(12:06):
I'm like, well, crap.
Okay.
Cool.
Mhmm.
I knew if I left at that point, then I wasn'tgonna come back and I wasn't gonna do it.
So Right.
You know, and and
You stayed and hunkered down.
Yeah.
Now in that in that process, when you went torehab, do they do because I've I've never I've
never been to rehab, and I've never, I haven'treally spoke in-depth with anybody that has.
(12:28):
Do they focus I mean, I the addiction, ofcourse, is something that they concentrate on,
but do they do they discuss mental health andget you trained up and and about how our brain
works or they don't focus on that?
It's just truly the addiction?
It's truly, yeah, truly the addiction side.
And then when you get out, there's supposed tobe mental health help, which, I still have yet
from it's called CNS in Michigan.
(12:50):
And we're in, what, November now, and that was,well, in April March or April.
It was supposed to start that, which it's stillin the pending process.
But, knock on wood, yeah, my rehab that I wentto and some connections while Dwayne actually
was it that got me in touch with Chuck, whichis a hypnotherapist.
And that is I mean, I I think I have done alittle mental health therapy here and there,
(13:16):
like, tried it with one of the online servicesfor about a month, and it didn't do much.
But we added to a Chuck.
It was, like, night and day, and it's been thatway since May when I started with Chuck.
So knock on wood, I've known him because that'sreally the mental health side that I needed.
Right.
Right.
Well, that's cool that you got that toobecause, you know and that's that's one thing,
(13:38):
you know, when it when we're talking about theElevate podcast part of it, is I like to bring
different success stories on of differentthings, burnout, you know, alcoholism.
I've had one other recovering alcoholic on mypodcast early on, you know, what he did and
what therapy worked for him.
(13:59):
It's good to hear that there's someone thathas, okay, I have had a hypnotherapist on my
podcast before and talk about the benefits ofit.
Actually, a hypnotherapist that is a firstresponder, he was an ex EMT.
So, knowing that that works for people, it'sgood to share that and good for someone to hear
that that works.
So if they're, Oh, listen, I don't want to dotalk therapy, or I don't want to go and do
(14:24):
whatever, I'm gonna be having a guest on thatdoes Ketamine, and that's really new, you know,
so, and, for her mental health and her PTSD.
So it's gonna be pretty amazing that, you know,when you take the Elevate podcast as a whole,
you'll be able to search the system and findout different, you know, different things that
that are out there.
(14:45):
I don't offer any of them.
I don't support I don't endorse any of themexcept for the ones that I did.
I can endorse those because I I actually, youknow, had benefit from it.
You know, Emily, like my sponsors, it'd be agood time to go to my sponsor.
This is a system that I used, to kind of getover the hump on some things that I was
struggling with, mental health and peoplepleasing and, the funky 5, you'll hear what it
(15:08):
is.
So we'll take this, as a time to go do that,and then we'll come back and we'll dive into
the, the business side, for the, for theIgnition Path podcast on the backside of this.
So real quick word from our sponsors.
Let me ask you a question.
Would your life be better if whatever you'restruggling with, you could finally break free
of?
So what am I talking about?
The funky 5.
(15:29):
What's the funky 5 you ask?
It's those oh, so familiar struggles,Procrastination, people pleasing,
perfectionism, low self confidence, and the oneI call the big a, anxiety.
For years I struggled to manage my own version,and I call them my funky 3.
I had 3 of these funky 5 weighing me down.
(15:50):
I've tried just about everything to deal withthem.
Then a guest on my podcast, Daniel Packard,shared with me a profound thought that I had
never thought of.
So Daniel, a UC Berkeley engineer, spent 8years working with this team and over 3,000
people to create an approach that doesn't justhelp you manage these issues, it actually frees
you from them by getting right to the root ofwhat's holding you back.
(16:13):
So, after meeting with Daniel, I decided togive it a shot, and within 6 short weeks, gone.
Truly gone.
I was so amazed.
The number one thing I was dealing with wasprocrastination, but miraculously a deeper
rooted struggle with people pleasing, somethingI'd been unknowingly battling for a lifetime,
lifted entirely.
(16:33):
And the anxiety that came with them both, goneas well.
Are you tired of battling any of your funkyfives?
People pleasing, procrastination,perfectionism, low self confidence, and the
biggest happy killer of them all the a wordanxiety.
Imagine how much better life would be if youweren't just managing these things, but free of
(16:54):
them quickly and yes, permanently.
If you're ready for a real solution, head todanielpacker.com and get his free 90 minute
training.
Daniel himself will walk you through what makeshis approach so different and teach you a
technique you can use immediately to startfeeling the difference.
So if any of the funky 5 or maybe your ownversion of the funky 5 are holding you back,
(17:17):
don't wait.
Visit danielpacker.com.
You can truly get results and start living thelife you want.
Okay.
We're back and, you know, give Daniel a calland or or send him a message inside of the
system.
Go to his website.
Find out what funky fives that that are thatare weighing you down.
Tremendously, changed everything about myprocrastination that led into my people
(17:41):
pleasing that then, therefore, gave me theanxiety and all of that stuff completely gone
now, a whole different look.
So if you're struggling with any of those funky5 talked about a minute ago, go ahead and look
up Daniel and touch base with him.
So back to Zach.
Hi, Zach, and thanks for holding on for thatlittle snippet.
And I host the Ignition Path Podcast forEntrepreneurs that actually describes their
(18:04):
path through entrepreneurism and then Elevatefor the 1st responder mental health.
So, we've dabbled in the 1st responder mentalhealth a little bit.
Well, dove deepened a little bit with Zachhere.
And now we're going to, and we've dabbled inhis business path with self development and
other businesses that he's tried to do.
Like I said, as a first responder, we typicallydo something else.
Some people do landscaping, some people doconcrete, some people dive into I did voice
(18:28):
over for a while.
I still do voice over.
I've started podcasting.
I do construction.
So us first responders, we typically haveanother job or 2 or another career.
And a lot of times that those of us that haveany type of entrepreneurial path or mindset, we
we start diving into things and seeing whatsticks.
So tell us about, a little bit deeper on on thepath that you took once you once you decided
(18:50):
not to be a first responder and, and that thatdecision and and all that and and how that went
and where we're at now and where we're at todaywith you.
Yeah.
No.
It's it took some years and a lot of trials andtribulations in different companies and to find
a fit.
And I finally, about 4 years ago, found anautomation, a software company.
(19:15):
And I just did get kinda tired of trying tofind the perfect person that wanted to lose
weight or that wanted to travel or the 2 bigones that I've usually done.
And, you know, especially during the COVIDtimes and, you know, nobody was traveling.
The money wasn't there.
Same thing with, you know, health and wellness.
You know, the money wasn't there.
So but every business still needed leadgeneration and engagement and things like that.
(19:37):
So when I found the software, I just knew thatwas the right thing to do, and I can talk to
anybody and everybody, whether it's an onlineentrepreneur or a brick and mortar.
So, you know, that just kinda fell into place,but, you know, there's a lot of, you know,
probably 4 or 5 different companies afterleaving Visalis even that, you know, just
wasn't the right fit ever.
(19:59):
And, you know, now it's really being able tohelp any entrepreneur, you know, that wants to
grow their business or scale their business.
And the nice part is that's literally what gotme through rehab.
Because the biggest thing in rehab was that Inoticed was, you know, when you go in there,
obviously, your income quits.
Mhmm.
You know?
Or you lose your job or, you know, whatever.
And, fortunately for me, I filled up a residualincome.
(20:21):
So I knew every Monday for the 3 weeks I was inthere that that was coming in.
You know, and it's just over, you know, timebuilding that up.
But with the, you know, software automation,you know, that was something that, you know, I
I liked helping wellness and, you know,obviously playing soccer that, you know, was a
part of my life.
Mhmm.
But it wasn't, like, something that was truly,like, I'm gonna do this the rest of my life
(20:46):
kind of thing.
You know, you'll find a lot of people too that,you know, in the health and wellness, you know,
they get healthy, they lose their 20 or 30 or£40 or whatever it was.
You know, and then they're kind of back totheir normal lifestyle again, kinda.
So it was a really a revolving door on that,which, you know, it didn't matter how much how
hard I tried or, you know, it would that wasjust that was the game there.
(21:08):
So with the lead software, literally what fromthe day I saw it, I knew that was the thing to
do.
And, you know, I kinda like the whole solvingproblems kinda like, you know, in EMS where,
you know, I'm solving a problem and you gottaget down to what the problem is.
Just be able to solve it the same thing, youknow, whether they're, you know, how their
Facebook's set up, what they're doing for leadgeneration.
(21:28):
You know, is it just spammy pitching firstmessage, not, you know, building know, like,
and trust.
So that whole part was something that I foundreally, I guess, fascinating, for better like a
term, that in a different way to help peopleoutside of EMS, still helping them grow their
business, which, you know, obviously, health isa big part of if you don't have your health,
then you're not gonna have anything after thatanyway.
(21:50):
But, you know, I just got tired of focusing onthat part where I could focus on, you know, and
have connections for all the other fields thatI could help them grow their business now, you
know, without the limitations that, you know,I'm only looking for people that wanna lose
weight and, you know, there's a ton of greatcompanies out there, you know, people will find
them.
But I just like the technology set.
(22:10):
I've always liked technology.
I used Microsoft front page back in, what,2,000 or whenever it came on.
My dad didn't
That's a that's a name I haven't heard forever.
Yeah.
Built me Wow.
Dad's website for his business.
So I'd always dabble in technology.
And,
I think my first time I ever built a websitewas I think it was in Yahoo's web builder back
(22:31):
in the day.
So yeah.
And, you know, I've done other, you know, leadgeneration companies or, you know, where where
you had the beacons, you put a beacon, it waslike a 100 yard radius, you'd be able to push a
message under your cell phone notification.
And, you know, Google shut that down, and thenit went to a pin drop on the Google map, and
Google shut that down a little later.
(22:51):
So it was Yeah.
That's a good that's a good point there.
Are you finding with this new service that youare are representing that that, that when
Google's algorithms
(23:14):
Yeah.
And so, you know, a lot of it and a lot of itwith the software is, you know, it's not just
your CanSpitch like a lot of other automationcompanies.
It's the same pitch over and over and over andover, so which is an easy way for an
entrepreneur to get into trouble with Facebookwhere, you know, I sent out 249 engagement
(23:35):
messages yesterday with 249, absolutely 100%different messages.
Wow.
Oh, because the AI is building
it for you.
AI is switching it to be Yeah.
You've commented a couple of my since we becamefriends on Facebook, you've commented on a
couple of my things.
I'm like, is this him?
Or is this his AI?
But it's still I'm like, it's very appropriatefrom our early discussion and what he knows of
(23:56):
me, and what he and what he does.
I'm like, this was, I'm like, that's a 100% aperfect, you know, comment.
So I've been watching the comments, and mostlikely your, your bot's doing, but they're
really good and they're sincere.
And, you know, I mean, and, you know, the way Isee it is it's still your it's still you
because you put all the information into thesystem to when you showed it to me, you know,
(24:21):
you you you build the you build the responsesper your personality.
So if you were an upfront, harsh, rash kind ofperson that would come across upfront, harsh,
and rash, but you're more of a caring,understanding, nurturing person in your
business, and that's exactly how the messagecame across.
So that's pretty interesting.
So talk a little bit about, did you helpdevelop the software?
(24:43):
Or did you were you the inventor of it or justsomeone that that, got in early and
Been, yeah, early.
Good friends with the business owner.
I actually living with them right now in Texas.
But yeah.
And, you know, we do connect with thedevelopment team, you know, easily on a weekly
basis, multiple times during the week.
(25:04):
Like, I'll beta test a couple of upgradesbefore they're pushed out to make sure it's
working right, things like that.
Yeah.
You're kinda like a super user.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yep.
Exactly.
So yeah.
And, you know, kinda know what's coming up orwhat's not coming up or what's not gonna work.
You know, or, you know, ask them, like, onesoftware, they tried to do green and red.
So, like, you know, when your friend a friendrequest was sent out, it turned green instead
(25:26):
of red.
And then, but Facebook changed some stuff up ontheir back end, so they had to take the green
and the red away.
You know, so we're that that was a good idea.
It was for a little while, and then Facebookchanged up what they did.
So, you know, it still sends a friend request,still sends a message, and we just don't get to
have the nice, cute little red and green.
To, like, to kind of differentiate yourself.
(25:46):
Yeah.
That's cool.
So
yeah.
But
Well, fantastic.
Now when it comes to the path that got you tohere, you know, it's understandable that, you
know, we you know, I've I'm a firm believer inthe old concept of failing forward.
You know, so, when we fail forward and we don'tgive up, and that's exactly how the Elevate
(26:06):
podcast came about from earlier, and IgnitionPath, for that matter of fact, because I was
only doing the Elevate podcast, and that was afail forward.
I was doing webinars, trying to get people,first responders, to come on and get my
coaching for mental health.
I've spent a whole year developing a system,and no one showed up to my no first responders
are out there, you know, breaking down thedoors to get mental health help.
(26:28):
So we have to do it a little bit morestrategically.
So I know for a fact that I got introduced to apodcasting group that explained to me
podcasting can be used in a way that not onlygives you authority in the space, but actually
connects you with people like yourself andpeople that have good information that could
possibly be collaborators of some sort.
So, well, I was like, Wait a second.
(26:49):
And with the software that I use that I showedyou the other night when it comes to my post
production, I'm no longer post production in anhour and a half, 2 hours.
I'm doing it in 10 to 20 minutes, and I'mrunning other people's shows.
So people that I run their shows for, theyrecord, they send me the episode, and I do the
rest of it for them.
And that was a business that I kind of pivotedaway from the first responder mental health
(27:12):
stuff.
Still did the podcast, but just pivoted awayfor a little bit, got this business, you know,
under under wraps, and it's full circle.
Now I'm interviewing, and it's the firstepisode where I'm doing Elevate and Ignition
Path.
So it all blends together because, you know, alot of us first responders out there do have
second jobs, do have an entrepreneurial path.
(27:33):
So it's a very good fit that you're on todayand kind of releasing this dual episode with
me, and I appreciate that.
And, you know, and it saves a whole anotherconversation just specifically about the
business or the mental health.
So it's gonna be I'll have to see how this onetrends when I put it up on YouTube and all that
and see how many see which one gets more views.
(27:53):
You know, I could put the exact same episode upat the exact same day with 2 different podcast
names and go from there.
But, yeah, so, you know, the entrepreneurialpath is, the ignition path is what we dive deep
in.
I thank you so much for coming on today andexplaining all that.
Dive a little bit more in what your softwaredoes, like the 30,000 foot thing, if anybody is
(28:15):
interested in this type of secondary businessthat may be looking out there, whether they're
a first responder or whether they're anentrepreneur that is looking for the next thing
that is a fit, because they've been fallingforward or failing forward.
So tell us a little bit about what your 30,000foot view is of your of what you're you're
representing now, and then we'll wrap thingsup.
(28:54):
You know, today I think I had 3 or 4 birthdaysthat, you know, automatically went out.
But up there, but the cool part with ours isyou can go up to 7 days before their birthday
and up to 7 days after their birthday withdifferent messages.
So one before their birthday, on theirbirthday, and then after their birthday.
So, you know, I take advantage of on the day oftheir birthday.
It goes straight into their messenger insteadof, like, my birthday last June, you know, I
(29:16):
had 200 and plus messages posted on my Facebookwall.
I didn't read most of them.
I just liked them all.
But if you sent me a message in messenger, wehad a conversation.
And then 5 days after your birthday, I'm justasking you how your birthday was and what you
have planned for the next year.
Because I know most people love to talk aboutthemselves, you know, their whatever's coming
up the next year, their family, their pets,their kids.
(29:37):
You know, how the economy is so amazing thatthe bank is overflowing with money right now.
You know, so there's always a conversationstarted.
And so, you know, like, you know, it's like yousaid, Kyle, that people are looking for, you
know, that next income level or that next, youknow, way to make money outside of what they're
already doing, whether it's full time or, youknow, I always call the MS part time because,
you know, hypothetically, we only work 11 or 12days a month usually.
(30:01):
Yeah.
Yeah.
But, we were there
for 4 months.
I'm at 11 myself.
Yep.
Yep.
About,
a 100 21 days a year, and that's if I don'ttake any vacations.
So
it's Yeah.
Yep.
So, you know, it's it doesn't matter if I wason shift or not.
The software is working.
And then, the engagers going out there, and,you know, like yesterday, I said I did 249
engagements to all my friends on Facebook.
You know, if you're my friends post somethingthat's up on my wall, it's gonna make a comment
(30:25):
in regards to that specific post, you know,whether it's, you know, them on vacation for,
you know, a post about vacation, whether it's apost about business, whatever it is, the AI is
gonna pick it up.
And like Kyle was saying earlier, it's gonnareally dive into that specific post and what
it's about and put a comment in there, which istechnically you guys helping that person out of
my Facebook list.
(30:45):
But once they come back and start engaging, youknow, a conversation, then Facebook actually
takes your algorithm for both ways.
And then, you know, the big one another big oneis the disconnector, because the more fringe
you have on Facebook, the smaller youralgorithm is gonna be, because the more
deadweight you have with no reactions, nocomments, no messaging, Facebook takes that as
a negative.
So you don't know.
(31:05):
And there's for whatever reason, there'scompanies out there that are going, oh, get
your 5,000 friends as quick as you can, whichis the worst thing you can do for your Facebook
algorithm.
You want the least amount of people with themost engagement.
Now, yes, we're not gonna kick off our family,you know, our friends, mom and dad, whatever,
that might not engage with us, but we don'twanna keep other entrepreneurs on there that
aren't engaging.
(31:25):
So the disconnector will go through and look athow many comments they've done, how many
reactions they've done, how many messages, andthen show you that exactly so you can get rid
of that dead weight.
And then let stories drive since we weretalking about other forms of medication, LSD
for short.
Actually takes your Facebook story and if youcan set up multiple ways, if you do a poll, it
(31:48):
will comment on the polls, it will comment ifsomebody gives you a reaction or like mine, I
do it that other day every day on my Facebook.
So anybody that views it it would just you knowlike Kyle will watch it today it would be Hey
Kyle thanks for viewing my Facebook story can'twait to see you on Tuesday's video.
It just is a daily reminder that I have a videocoming the next day.
So just to build that engagement again and theneasy messenger will go out there and engage,
(32:11):
whether it'll scrape a Facebook group for youand build a list for you or a Facebook ad or
even a post.
So that's the main software and that's allautomated.
And I just turn my computer on in the morningand it's set at different times for frequencies
to run everything.
And it does it all for me, so it literally hasfreed up my time to, you know, this is the
second well, one was a phone interview, andthis is a podcast right now, this morning.
(32:33):
And then I've also done a training on thesoftware this morning while the software is
running right now.
So it gives you it frees up your time for thosemoney making activities instead of the mundane
everyday.
We know we have to do this to grow ourbusiness, but we gotta find time for a ton of
stuff.
Yeah.
No.
It doesn't actually create the post for you ordoes it sometimes depending on
Yeah.
We have a software, AI content creator that'llactually create the post based on the
(32:57):
information you give it, and then you just haveto go schedule it.
Go schedule it?
Yeah.
So if you go
Now how does how does what you're using turninto actual like, you call it as a umbrella.
You call it a lead generator.
So how does it actually like, what are theleads?
Are there people that actually want to know howto do this themselves?
Or do you have another product that you sellthat it's or or like you said, you could go to
(33:21):
brick and mortar as well, not just online, youknow, online entrepreneur?
Yep.
Yeah.
So it does A lot of them are, yeah, talkingabout this outflow and the automation because 1
or 2 posts a day talk about either AI or justbusiness in general questions.
So it brings up the scheduled post bring up alot of conversation about growing a business or
(33:42):
implementing AI.
You know, like one of the posts I use a lot isAI isn't gonna take your job as the person
behind AI that will take your job.
Yeah.
You know?
So, you know, it's you know, which is true.
You know, we talked about VAs this morning.
You know, VAs, they wanna keep, you know, theywanna book the calls for you.
They wanna set the schedule.
They wanna do all that for you.
We're, you know, talking to a VA this morning,like, my software does all that already.
(34:06):
What can you do for me that software doesn't doalready?
You know, so they're kinda the ones I've talkedto were kinda behind the 8 ball, where if they
learn the software, now they can actually addmore clients, but the software is working for
the clients.
You know, so it's, you know, it's really known.
AI is gonna take over, not essentially takeover.
AI is gonna be at the forefront of building bigbusinesses.
(34:26):
And it just depends on who knows how to run itand, you know, that's where the money is gonna
be.
But, you know, it's creating that engagementwhich creates that conversation which, you
know, then opens up the know, like, and trustfactor, You know, then you get to really see
what you know, there might not be an issue, itmight be, you know, I've got a couple of
coaches that I use now based off of our talksoff of Facebook where I've got a lot of clients
(34:48):
that, you know, need that extra help in growingtheir business or starting their business.
You know, one last year was a teacher, and, youknow, her and her husband had a talk.
And she went to part time teaching because shedidn't agree with what the school district was
doing for COVID and the politics that theybrought into it.
And if she went part time, she could pick andchoose what school she worked at and who she
(35:09):
worked with, so she had to find a secondaryincome.
So that's how they all came off the birthdaypost because it asked what you were doing this
upcoming, you know, the upcoming year.
Oh, so then once they now when does it switchfrom engaging to, as as a lead generator, when
does it switch into you actually having a realphone, you know, a real conversation with them
(35:30):
about purchasing or or giving them the helpthey need with your services?
Yeah.
So basically, right after their first commentback to me in Messenger.
And with that, and a good nugget is, like, Itry not to just come back with another typed up
message to you.
I try and I do a lot of it is that I come backwith a voice message right away to them.
(35:51):
You know, hey, Kyle.
That's awesome.
Sounds good.
Whatever, you know, the message was.
But Facebook lets you use your voice voicemessage.
And so No.
That's not AI.
That's actually you.
Right?
That's
me talking to them.
Yep.
Yeah.
Okay.
Because I've because their software my softwarehas my AI voice.
My my podcast software, and I could drop in I
mean, TV.
I can drop in copy and get me to talk about it.
So
Yep.
I have a streaming TV service that iscompletely hands off when you call the phone
(36:14):
number or go to the website and sell AI.
Yeah.
When they when they respond to me in FacebookMessenger, I use my voice and, you know, I'll
go quick and look at their Facebook profile soI can be like, hey, Kyle.
Looks like you had a great vacation or it lookslike, you know, business is going good or
whatever.
That way they know that, you know, I've lookedat their Facebook profile because I just
related to something that was they postedrecently.
But then it's also me talking to them in myvoice.
(36:36):
So there's that difference.
There's a little bit more connection there.
Yeah.
You know, versus Now,
you you keep on mentioning Facebook, but doesthis also go into LinkedIn as well?
Do you is this do you have a LinkedIn?
Yep.
Facebook obviously is the big one since it'sgot 4,700,000,000 people on it.
Yeah.
It's got a 1,000,000.
And then, yeah, we do yep.
LinkedIn.
And we actually got a new cool software comingout, that will actually do a video message back
(37:01):
to you.
You know, I could sit here and, you know, do a30 second video message back to you instead of
my voice.
So that's pretty cool.
I actually did one this morning for a gentlemanand, well, he actually I didn't know until he I
went and looked at his page.
He was a first responder.
Now he then went to be a doctor, and he'sretired, but he helps people over 50 get back
into shape.
And I did a video back to him, and he's like,that's the first time I've ever seen this video
(37:24):
message.
Yeah.
I've I've there's been some like back when Idid.
Oh, here's another one.
Are we mutual on this one?
Did you use send out cards at all?
I did, but very limited.
But I almost thought about getting back into itagain.
Because last year, I think it was last year Ireceived 2 and started like, wait a minute.
Yeah.
And that's one of those things.
(37:44):
When I first started doing that, I was inmedical sales at the time, and I got introduced
to send out cards.
And of course, it's an MLM.
And, and I'm so that's okay.
I didn't, you know, I didn't have to, I wasn'ton the big time recruiting path for that people
because, ultimately, I just wanted to use itfor my medic for my sales.
I wanted to have that awesome follow-up that isa real card.
(38:05):
I used to get thank you phone calls for mythank you cards.
So I would send a card with maybe I would evenmaybe even take a picture of the director that
I spoke with or their product or, you know,picture their ambulance or their hospital.
And and I would send them back a card.
Hey, hey, thanks so much.
It was great, you know, conversation aboutthis.
We look forward to implementing blah, blah,blah, blah.
(38:25):
And I get phone calls like, hey.
I just got your card.
I've never got a card before, and you standout.
So, you know, send out cards.
You know, I tried to get every every realtor Iever met.
I was like, you've gotta have send out cards.
Any sales rep I ever met, you gotta have sendout cards.
And people just, you know, they it's stillanother thing to do.
You still have to get on and do it.
But, you know, once you learn it, it wasn'tthat hard and but it really sets you apart.
(38:48):
And the ones that used it loved it and havethat that differentiation.
And the ones that didn't, you know, I mean, whoknows what they're doing now?
But it was definitely, yeah, it was definitelypretty cool.
And I've recently just started thinking aboutpossibly using it again because a gentleman
that I've been talking with to help a podcastthat he's trying to get off the ground, that's
(39:09):
gonna be a 501c3, entity.
But that podcast, when I mentioned to him, hey,what are you doing after guests come on?
I've got an idea.
He's like, shoot.
Tell me what about it.
I'm like, it's called Send Out Cards, orthere's there's there's a couple of them now,
AM, AIM cards.
Like, there's a couple of different people, butthey all stem from the concept of of the
(39:30):
SendOutCards people.
Right?
They've some people have split off and createdtheir own companies, just like most, a lot of
people do in general, if they have the capital.
But he's like, oh, my God.
That's such a great idea for my guest to get aphysical card once they're being done being on
my podcast.
And, of course, though, his guests are gonna beideal for him because they're corporate guests
(39:50):
that eventually wanna have some sort ofcorporate, you know, entity come in and do this
this, motivation thing that he that's thereason why he's doing his podcast.
So I may be getting back in the SendOutCardsmyself and be running that division for him
too.
Yeah.
No.
I think it's well, just put something tangiblein their hands and, you know, people keep the
cards for, you know, especially if it's aholiday card for 2, 3, 4, 6 weeks after
(40:15):
Well, then you set it up as a as a campaign,and next thing you know, a year like like
realtors, this is a no brainer.
I'm like, realtors, listen.
Thank you card for selling the house with agift.
And then 6 months in, hey, how's everythinggoing?
You know?
And then a year in, hey, it's your yearanniversary.
By the way, rip off the bottom of this and giveit to your friend.
You'll get a, you know, you'll get a finder feeor something, you know, or like some sort of,
(40:39):
you know, referral.
But, you know, and they just some people justaren't too busy or whatever.
But, you know, it's all in what the effortsthat you wanna put in and where you wanna put
your your advertising dollars, of course.
And, you know, and and this the software thatyou're speaking of sounds so much smarter than,
like, Google Ads or or Facebook Ads too,because it's not just a blanket and find out
(40:59):
what kind of fish you're catching.
It's it's going out there and saying, no,that's the fish I want right there.
That group right there, that specific niche iswhere I wanna concentrate on, and it goes and
targets them specifically.
So that's what's great about your softwarecompared to just having a blanket, you know, ad
spend on.
And that's what I try to tell people withpodcasting.
(41:20):
Podcasting is a fantastic lead generator,probably not as hands off as your program.
But if but you would come up with like a like acombination where those it gets people to come
to a webinar that talks about podcasting in andbuilding a business and rapport and niche and
being an authority.
And people have always a lot of people want tostart podcasts, but they don't know how easy it
(41:43):
is.
So it sounds like a very good hand in handthing to utilize in any business, your software
or podcasting.
So want to see where this takes us eventually.
Yeah.
It's yeah.
I mean, I mean, with especially with Facebook,there's a group for everything.
Yeah.
And, you know, whether it's, you know, like,well, like, WPW, Wolf Parks and White syndrome.
Like, I had a friend in Colorado that herdaughter had it.
(42:05):
I was like, well, that's a very, very, veryrare, you know, body condition.
And there's a handful of Facebook groups aboutit.
You know?
So that that was my test to prove that therewas something for everybody on Facebook.
And, yeah, you can target the group or you cantarget target the specific ad.
You know, you could go if you're in, you know,weight loss, you can go to weight watchers or
Jenny Craig and specifically target thoseclientele because you already know they're in
(42:28):
weight loss, you know, and spending a whole lotof money on those products.
So you're probably probably just as good if notbetter and you already know that that niche
that you're targeting right there is they'relooking for, and they got the money to spend.
So it makes it very easy to target, you know,your specific niche market.
Yep.
Well, let's go ahead and wrap this up.
And thanks so much for coming on the Elevateand the Ignition Path podcast, and sharing your
(42:54):
backstory.
We appreciate it.
That's also a very challenging thing to do.
So I want to thank you for sharing your storyand your path to help those first responders
out there that may be looking for help ortrying to normalize this.
And that's what you and I spoke about the otherday is, as first responders, we need to
normalize the conversation of our mentalhealth.
And as soon as we can normalize it, then morepeople are going to be able to get the proper
(43:17):
help they need.
And it doesn't always mean it's sitting on acouch with some doctor on the other side of you
trying to shrink your head.
Doesn't mean that.
It could mean anything.
The main thing it doesn't mean is the 6 o'clockin the morning bar.
That's, you know, that's not the most ideal wayin surrounding because, you know, I read the
book, The Body Keeps the Score, and they spokeabout veterans that why they formed these VFWs
(43:42):
is because of that camaraderie and putting themback into those situations that they felt, you
know, that they felt alive in because they werefighting for their lives, literally.
And going back and being with their peers is isdefinitely a part of why those were formed.
And but it's what are you doing when you'rewith your peers?
(44:05):
Is it damaging you or creating some sort ofdisease that's going to fight you in the end
and be a downfalls?
You know, hanging out with your buddies is onething, hanging out with your buddies and only
drinking and not having anything else otherthan and doing it on a daily basis, that's just
not the healthy way to do it.
And if you're struggling with that out there,feel free.
I know for a fact, Zach, his phone will alwaysbe open for first responders or anybody
(44:29):
struggling with sobriety.
Actually, plug your podcast.
Your podcast is definitely, if you hear whatthe name of his podcast, you're a business
person that struggles with addiction, you maywant to tune into this guy's podcast.
Yeah.
Just go to, yeah, soberpreneur.life.
The soberpreneur.life, l I f e.
(44:49):
Alright.
And, yes, you'll enjoy it.
Yeah.
Exactly.
So once again, if you're a first respondertrying to figure out what to do, trying to see
if you need help, there's plenty of stuff outthere.
Contact me or Zach or anybody else from thepodcast that I have come on.
They're all people that are willing to help usas first responders.
If you're a first responder and you have anentrepreneurial brain or entrepreneurial itch
(45:11):
or you've tried things and you don't know whereyour entrepreneurial path is going, don't
hesitate.
If you wanna start podcasting, reach out to me.
You wanna start getting leads from Facebook andLinkedIn, reach out to Zach.
You know, we're here to help.
That's one thing I know that him and I agreedupon too is that our service to our community
(45:31):
has now kind of come over to our business, andwe wanna just serve other business people to
make it smarter.
I was doing podcast or post production in 2hours before.
Now I'm doing it a lot smarter.
I'd like to teach that, so I'm going to beservicing those who want to know how to do it
better.
So we're here to serve.
We're here to, you know, we are here to have abusiness, of course, but ultimately, it's with
(45:52):
a server's heart.
So and I and I think you agree to that.
Right, Zach?
A 100%.
Yeah.
Yeah.
100% there.
It's, yeah.
Even though, you know, I've walked away fromEMS 7, 8 years ago, whatever it is, that's
still the whole well, the whole brotherhood,sisterhood doesn't leave you, but the whole
helping others doesn't leave you.
And even, you know, when I reached out for helpwith my addiction last year, like, you know,
(46:14):
there were still people there that wanted tohelp.
So, you know, it's still there and definitelysomething I know both of us still wanna do no
matter whether it's on the streets or on thefront line or on the business aspect of it too.
You both wanna do it.
Exactly.
Alright.
Well, once again, thank you so much for comingon to the Ignition Path Podcast and Elevate.
Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share.
(46:35):
If anything you heard during this, during this,dual episode resonates with you and you're or
you feel like you need to share it with afriend of yours or another brother or sister in
the EMS or not EMS, 1st responder world or thebusiness world, don't hesitate to just hit that
share button and send it off to them and we'dreally appreciate it.
Zach, thanks so much for coming on.
We'll talk to you later.
Thank you, Kyle.
(46:57):
Thank you for listening to Ignition Pack,fueling the entrepreneurial fire.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com