March 27, 2025 • 55 mins
The Man in the Arena - Show 33. Brought to you by LifeVac. Hosted by Rick Fatscher. With news on the latest lives saved. The Man in the Arena airs live @ 6:30pm EST every Thursday night from Paradise Studios NY via the STRONGISLAND.COM Entertainment Network.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Now on iHeartRadio, The Man in the Arena, the Life
Back Radio show where we explore incredible stories of courage,
resilience and life saving moments. Here's your hosts, founder and
venor and CEO of Lifeback, Arthur Lee and Life Back
Advocate and President of Sales, Rick Thatcher.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Hey, they're Live Back Nation.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Welcome to The Man in the Arena. Of course, the
show brought to you by Live Fact, the airway clearance
device that is closing in on four thousand laid lives
saved rented lips sorry, in forty different countries. I of
course am Rick Thatcher, and we want you to go
to life fact dot net, get the original authentic Life
Fact and use code MITA for a discount on protecting
(00:49):
those you love. You know, I got to say it
at the outset. I know that we're reaching folks in
Los Angeles, Houston, Orlando and of course New York where
we tape, and this is a few weeks out. We
just want to make sure that the news you just
listen to, I pray and hope that it was happy
news and good news. And again, just as a reminder,
I'm Rick Thatcher, host of Man in the arena. We're
(01:12):
awaiting creator CEO of Life Fact, Arthur Lee. He's en route,
as they say. But I am pleased and privileged to
introduce a newest member. When you say new guy, the
newest member of team Life Fact, Michael Devello, Michael, welcome.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Thank you, Rick. Yes, I am the new guy and
new guy. It's it's really a pleasure and an honor
to be a part of the team. It's been a
really exciting past two weeks and just trying to hit
the ground running.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Hit the ground running, and now you came. Let's let's
get it out of the outset.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
You came.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
I'm about a year behind you or yes, so I
was with January last year. I started came in in
a different capacity. You, of course, are heading up our
legal efforts. So you are an attorney. Yes, that's true
and so much different. But you've already gotten a sense
appearing tonight on the show inside of two weeks you've
(02:18):
been with the firm. Right, It's it's really a team effort.
And you never know. The best slogan that I could
give or or words of advice or wisdom is uh
And something that I heard myself saying many times whatever
you need. Yeah, it's it's a team effort, and it's
(02:39):
a there's a lot of sports analogies, but it it's
it's really right there.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
You're absolutely right, Rick, Everyone that I've met, you know what,
I it's it's like a it's really a I would
say more than a team. It's it's really like a family. No,
it's a small, uh tight knit group. Everyone has been
extremely helpful and really made me feel like I was
(03:06):
part of the family as soon as I as soon
as I joined, and it's been great. What I really
like is the the energy, the enthusiasm, the it's really
a positive, very very warm, friendly team. It's been really nice.
(03:29):
It's been great.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yeah. So you know, again through your eyes, I'm kind
of reliving some of my experiences, and a lot of
them are the same. You came from big, bigger corporations,
certainly small family. But you mentioned it to me this morning.
It's really the mission. So I was gonna harken back
to something Arthur said to me early on again, Arthur Lee,
(03:53):
the CEO and vetro Life BacT and you know he
started all this back in twenty twelve, but I think
he sense some just uh, I go hesitancy or confusion
or you know, excitement over exuberance. And he said, passion
before process because you'll find out and probably already have
(04:16):
some of the processes aren't there. But when you look
at the end result and your office right next to
the Hall of says great place to get things straightened out, you.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
Know you're right. It's definitely you could feel the passion
and it's it's uh, it's it's it's it's strong. I
mean the and and and you're right. Arthur had the
foresight and he saw he had the vision and and
and really created this niche market that didn't exist before.
(04:50):
So I'm really impressed with what I've seen so far.
It's amazing that you know the company, how well you
guys have done in such a short period of time.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
We're knocking with for those folks at home.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Yeah, it's been And it's a great story.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
It's a great crime. That's a great story. And it
started with a dad who learned of a passing. You know,
and we've we've told this story before, but if it's
always where if someone's listening with the first time, it
didn't know how he came up with this idea. He
learned of a seven year old. His daughter was seven,
I should say, learned of a seven year old who
tragically passed from a choking incident in a hospital setting.
(05:31):
So those questions were answered quickly. Why didn't they you know,
didn't they? Yeah, they did try all that stuff. The
standard protocols, we say it time and time again, don't
always work right. There's a large failure rate depending on
who's administering it, and some people you can't administer this
standard protocols, the backflows, the abdominal thrusts. We like to
(05:52):
call him, but he, you know, didn't think of the
world at first. He thought of his daughter, who was seven.
He wanted to protect her. And then there was a
period of time after twenty twelve where he had a
decision to make you know, he was about to, you know,
put a ribbon on his career in shipping. He built
(06:13):
his own company. He didn't need or want to do more,
but really felt the calling again protect his daughter.
Speaker 5 (06:23):
Had it.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
He goes, Okay, Jackie's protected now, but what if I
hear of another seven year old like I just did
a month ago. So to tell us about your background,
your path, you know, out of law school, you work
for other law firms.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Sure. So actually, even prior to law school, my background
was engineering and I started.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
And not on the trains, right because I'm basically you know, yeah,
the audience knows that I'm an idiot.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
No, no, no, it's a good question. So I was
an electrical engineer, Okay. I worked for Underwriters Laboratories, which
is an independent uh party yep, u L.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
You see it on every electrical every electrical protexture, plug.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Equipment, outlet, outlet, TV, anything that has electrical power.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
So even the company, yes, yes, how many employees do
you think?
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Now there, They probably have several thousand all over the world,
and I think it's over a two point something billion
dollar company. So I was there as a you know,
I started my career as a product safety engineer doing
public testing, public safety on electrical products. And then I
(07:50):
had this opportunity to go to Henry Shine, which is
another charge yep, large firm medical dental, huge multinational distribution company.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
And the headquarter here in Love Island.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Correct in Melville, And so I started with them and
the mid to late it was ninety six actually, and
at that time I started focusing on their quality management system.
And implementing standards and procedures for their private label medical
(08:28):
dental products which were also being shipped all over the world,
and they needed a corporate quality manager. So there was
the guy.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
You were there's a guy part of a team, right,
a legal team.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Yes. Yes, Ultimately I reported into the legal group and
I was responded and then I became responsible for their
regulatory compliance. And that's when I started working more and
more in the legal regulatory realm because the requirement became
because of the medical devices, they became legal regulatory requirements
(09:07):
and regulations with FDA and the European Union.
Speaker 6 (09:13):
So I.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
Like the technical aspects and the legal compliance aspects. So
I was working with attorneys and I had this thought,
you know, maybe I should go to law school, and
some attorneys talking to me and said, that's a great idea,
you should and so they mentored me and I went
to law school while I was working full time at
Henry Shine. So that's how my legal career began as
(09:40):
the regulatory council for Henry Shine.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Yes, so people get that thought. Now, we were you
in mid twenties.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
I was my late twenties actually late twenties, yes, late
twenties and family. I wasn't married yet, no, so made.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
That decision a little bit more less cumbersome.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Yes, yes, yes, I then got engaged and I was
lucky enough for my wife to take care of all
of that. During law school, working traveling, I was I
don't know how I did it. Sometimes I look back
and I go, Wow, how did I do all that?
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (10:14):
I had global responsibilities and law school was really interesting.
It was a big challenge for me because of all
the stuff I had going on, and intellectually it was
it was stimulating, and I thought about being a patent
attorney now working for.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Yeah, we're gonna tell impact, Yes, some patent issues, right.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Yeah, just a couple. So then after that I was
with Shine for many years. I got this opportunity to
work for a chemical company in Port Washington called a Seido.
There it was a much smaller company compared to Shine.
They think they were about at the time five almost
(10:56):
six hundred million dollars and it was just me and
the general council. So there I got to do a
lot more than just you know, regulatory and compliance work.
And I was fortunate enough there to uh to ultimately
become the general counsel. And then we were acquired by
private equity group.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
And you're already married, so that yes, so that that
wasn't something that you could use out socially like hey,
I'm the journal you know, in a you know, beverage setting,
right right, yeah, right right?
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
What was the wife? The wife was impressed?
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, my wife was impressed. She was a
big supporter, and she was very patient with me, you know,
I have to say, because yeah, it was a big undertaking.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Listen, you look throughout history, I mean Arthur or inventors
or you know, successful politicians, there's usually more often than
not a strong woman. I certainly can attest to that
behind supporting doing all the things to allow us to
accomplish what we're accomplishing's uh, you know, be it great
(12:00):
like inventing a life back or whatever it is that
you know, we're able to homes take care of a sense.
So what brought you to life back? How did you
hear about it?
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Actually? I was after I left the ceido I was doing. Uh,
I decided to uh hang a shingle and do something
very different because I've always been in the house and
uh and that was interesting too, and then I got
(12:33):
a phone call from a recruiter who said, Mike, I
think I have an interesting opportunity for you with a
small medical device company on Long Island and they need
someone in house to help them with their regulatory ivery everything.
Really you're yeah, everything legal. I said, well, that sounds
(12:56):
really interesting. So he told me about it, and I, uh,
I had a hole with Arthur and Laura, and then
a week later I came in and I met with
them and Mike and uh, you know, like singer, Mike
Singer and Donna Marie and we hit it off. I said, Wow,
(13:16):
this is fabulous. I said, this is this is really
really interesting.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Had you heard before you know, you get the call,
had you heard about Life Act?
Speaker 4 (13:26):
I I didn't. I don't think I. I don't think.
Speaker 6 (13:29):
I ever did.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
It's not on everyone's radar, It's.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
Not definitely was not on my radar. And I was
really I was really taken aback when when I got
the tour and I saw the you know, the whole
of SAVES, I was like.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Wow, r wow, who spipers? Let me ask you this?
Speaker 4 (13:51):
Sure?
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Much like Arthur found out that standard protocols, were you
aware of the downfall of standard protocols and the failure
rate no or five thousand people. I love that this
country keeps track of it because I've been to other
parts of the world where you look up you know
how many people die you're of accidental choking, and it
doesn't even come up on a search. Yeah, so none
(14:13):
of that.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
No, I was not. This was really a big eye
opener for me. And I was really I was pleasantly surprised.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
And like I said, here you are and here joining us,
joining us. On the Man in the radio, you're listening
to Michael Debllo, the newest member of Team Life Back.
We're so happy to have you because there are so
many issues, which we'll talk about in the next segment.
But Michael Debllo, I, of course, am Rick Thatcher were
waiting patiently waiting for Arthur Lee CEO and Adventure of
(14:46):
Life Back, and you're listening to the Man in Marita
and join us.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
After this break, she started to choke on a piece
of candy.
Speaker 5 (15:07):
She wasn't breathing.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Then Ray reached for the life back in it saved her.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
She could have easily died that day. A life back
saved her life. What I would say is, don't need
a life back and not have it. Have a life
back and hopefully never need it.
Speaker 7 (15:23):
Recently, the American Red Cross has added anti joking devices
as an option when standard protocol fails or is not feasible.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
God to Life back dot Net or called eight seven
seven five four three three eight two to two.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Welcome back to the Man in the Aradam Rick Thatcher
along with Michael Debello, newest member of Team Life Back
in illegal capacity. But it's it's more than that, Michael,
it's more than that. I mean, you find it's all hands,
all hands on deck. We say we have all hands meetings.
But such a small family that you wind up like,
(15:59):
for instance, appearing on the Man in the area who
who to know, never would have who would have thought it?
So we were before the break, we were talking about
your path uh coming to life BacT. So we talked
to the recruiter. You meet Laura Arthur, Mike Singer, and
you take a tour out in Wisconsin where we call
(16:20):
it h Q Headquarters. And was there any hesitation or
were you immediately struck by the mission.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
No hesitation. I felt the you know, like I said,
the positive energy and and and immediately I said wow,
I want to be a part of this, you know
it really you know, for me what's important is the people,
(16:53):
the work, the mission, and the culture and and and
it's like you said, it's it's it's it's doing the
right thing.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Yeah, the impact.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
So you the impact.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, you mentioned working for Henry Shine on direct A laboratories.
You know that the final product is certainly reducing risk.
I spent you know, three decades in healthcare sales, right,
you know, merk sharing plow and in cardiovascular disease allergy, uh,
seasonal allergic rhinitis, diabetes, you know, and you dealt in
(17:29):
certainly healthcare reducing risk, you know, with with a product
like life fact, it was such a Jurassic departure from
you know, reducing risk to eliminating risk or you know,
actual impact and saving lives. Both are important, but I
don't remember a more direct, direct.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Impact where you you you see it immediately and it's
almost instantaneous because we we we we operate in the
world of minutes, yes, seconds, four minutes can make a
huge difference. So that is, you know, like you said,
(18:11):
working in a large organization, being part of those teams
and all that, and then eventually having a trickle down
effect and an impact, but that takes time and months years,
you know, on a to see the tangible results. Here,
it's it's what did we save today? Who is still
(18:34):
with us?
Speaker 3 (18:35):
That's exactly. And each night I got you on the distributor, Yes,
thank you. I just saw you get your first one. Yes,
So I had to give your email because each night
Donnie Eisley, who also contributes to the show on a
nightly basis or when we take the show, she feeds
the information to mister three thousand, Ray Prevy, who joins
us every week he saves his daughter to account for
(18:57):
the three thousand save door to Maya on the side
of a Florida Highway and Cape Coral, Florida, and so Donna,
every night we get an email life Saved and if
you take the time to open and you see some
evidents redacted because of HIPPA. And we don't know know
right away if we're going to be able to share
the story, but in details it gets so far deeper
(19:20):
than the number. So we're approaching four thousand lives saved.
A get thirty different countries, and you know, we sit
and tape in massapeak with New York, where Life Act
was invented. But to realize, not all those lives and
communities and families that have been saved the tragedy of
a choking death right, but not just here in the US,
(19:40):
thirty different countries. So we have operations in Canada, in
Europe certainly Life Act UK, and if it wasn't for
the time difference, we'd have those folks on a lot
more often. But the Bannigans are out in Europe and
they do amazing work. And in fact, the first save,
I don't know if you realize this, Our first save
(20:01):
was from the UK in an assisted living facility because legally,
at first, when they entered the EU market, they weren't
able to be sold to individuals. At first it was
only in assisted living facilities retirement homes. And the first
save in twenty sixteen Wow.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
UK.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
And oddly Arthur will be here to attest to it.
He calls it a godwink. The nurse's name was Jackie,
same name as his daughter. And when he tells, when
he retells the story, which he will, it's hard not
to get choked up. And when you get into the numbers,
the number four thousand. It's you know, we're still chasing
(20:43):
the five thousand that die accidentally. So that's what you know,
Arthur will at the end of the day, whenever we're
talking about, you know, celebrating a save where the three
thousand lives save celebration, he just you know, all right, next,
let's keep going. And it's got to be everywhere. You know,
we're not in all the schools we need to, you're
(21:03):
not in all the vas that we're working on, right,
It's you know when you think about it's got to
be everywhere where food is consumed.
Speaker 6 (21:10):
Right.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
You know there's a virus stinguisher, an ad right in
a facility, right, and hats off to Costco, Right, Yeah,
Costco and has it in every food court and they've
had I think eleven saves.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
I'll also go a step further, even in dental offices.
If you're in the middle of a dental procedure in
the Crown breaks, that's an obstruction. Yes, So it's you know,
it's such an amazing product that is so useful in
different you know food, no, no question, but then just.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Arthur get in here. Arthur Late ladies and gentlemen has
entered the building and we're so blessed to have them,
uh in the set, in our lives and the life appreciate,
the world appreciates Arthur Lee, thanks for thanks for coming in.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
Breaks didn't work on the truck.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Hey listen in real life, So I'm going we used
the old Fred Flintstone see it out the door.
Speaker 6 (22:13):
I looked back.
Speaker 7 (22:14):
My dad got me a go cart one year when
I was a little kid, and it was awesome and
it was the most amazing thing. And then took it
from my first ride and I put it around a
car game down the block. I lived on a dead
end and I put it around, and I was scared,
so I was going to let the car go. It
had no breaks. I just drove right into a park car.
(22:37):
I was going like two miles an hour. And I'm like, nowadays,
imagine giving you a kid a gas powered motorcycle with
no breaks go cart.
Speaker 6 (22:46):
Then he made that he put a pipe, and he
put a pole. That's how I stopped it.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Amazing. I was just thinking little rascals because on an
earlier show, we haven't gotten to that part where we
talk about one of the chapters of Arthur's book. Tonight,
we'll talk about Few Money, which I loved. You know.
The initial thought is I have an idea of what
that is. But when you read the chapter, so please,
(23:14):
if you haven't already gotten the book, sorry can't is
a lie, go to life bac dot net and pick
up this story. Yes, I did one chapter right, and
there's so much and we'll talk more about it. But
there's so much. It's so deeper than the colloquial few Money.
Speaker 7 (23:30):
Well I lead all of them lead to bigger picture, right,
you know. And then later with Joe, we're talking about
silly and you would say, you know, what is silly
have to do with life?
Speaker 6 (23:38):
But it does have a bigger impact. Absolutely. What were
you guys talking about.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
We were talking about Mike's path, his his path in life,
how he went from being an engineer. Uh then was
introduced at Underwriter's laboratories to the field of law and
was encouraged by mentors.
Speaker 6 (23:55):
Yeah, I did that to go to law school.
Speaker 7 (23:57):
And I dig the fact that you got your degree
when you work your butt off, you know.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Yes, we also we also uncoverage.
Speaker 6 (24:07):
All right, so let's talk what do we have for
you money?
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Well, yeah, that's more. That's fun that's where we're getting there.
Speaker 6 (24:12):
So what do you think of the chapter?
Speaker 4 (24:15):
I thought it was right on point. I thought it
was really uh insightful and thoughtful and in how you
were able to articulate the you know, the importance of integrity.
We were talking about doing the right thing.
Speaker 6 (24:34):
That's why I yeah, I thank you for your part.
You get it.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
I get it, I I I love it. And we were, yeah,
we were talking about how it's it's so meaningful to
see the direct impact of the product and and and
and measurable. We're talking about minutes and you see those
(25:02):
faces and you know, I walk you know through the
whole of saves and it's like, wow.
Speaker 7 (25:08):
We'll check this out on the few money and then
the bigger picture. I don't know we did describe a
few money at all.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
We just started, all right. So basically, my uncle was my.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Yes, I want to hear about uncle.
Speaker 7 (25:20):
And he was an awesome dude in the book, going
to a little bit about his Davy and Goliath quality,
Like he would tell you a story that was cool
and before you knew it, you learned a valuable life
lesson and you walked away going, how do you do that?
You know, and he learned something. Yeah, and he was
he was a heartfelt, sensitive dude, but you know, he
(25:42):
punched in the face the kind of guy you want
in your life. And he was my mentor. So one
day we go out to lunch and he would coach
me because he was a salesman and there is a
very big potential for the need for few money and sales.
You know, you want to sell the thing, so you
sell your soul. And then all the knockoffs they're selling
(26:03):
their souls to kill people. They don't care. We can't
do that. So he tells me and he says, you know,
and it was so I can still remember. He's sitting
at lunch and he goes, you know, you got few money,
and I'm like, uh, what is that fewbuddy?
Speaker 6 (26:19):
And he went on to explain.
Speaker 7 (26:20):
He said, you need, like, you know, two or three
months of savings, so that if you're ever put in
a position where you're required or requested or nudged or
or coercized yet to not being maintained your integrity, that
you can say a few.
Speaker 6 (26:38):
You know, see, that's doing it.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
That's the difference that I learned from when I read
the chapter, because I immediately think of a few money
saying just say it for the sake of saying it.
I have the money, I can say it, but because
of being asked to do something that doesn't align with
your values and your family. And you mentioned that it's
no surprise that his kids, oh and you like had
(27:01):
that lesson because it adds that component of.
Speaker 7 (27:05):
Just sayings of his character that his children became so
great and are just amazing people, and his son is
a mini version of him. But what the bigger lesson was,
we can we can't only have our integrity, we have
to be prepared to protect it. Right desperate times, desperate people,
you know, I stole because I was starving. You know,
(27:27):
you kind of say, oh, I understand, but that got
too far, right. You have to be prepared to not
sell your soul because you feel you had to, you know,
And that to me was the lesson I took in
that we have to be conscious and careful with our integrity,
(27:47):
to be prepared to protect our integrity, and that that
was kind of one of the stimulus is of the
chapter saying these little lessons have bigger impact. And you know,
I was thinking about in the law world, you know,
integrity is big, huge, because there's a lot of not good,
nice lawyers that do things like.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
That to get this barred.
Speaker 4 (28:10):
Right, Yeah, but.
Speaker 6 (28:11):
That's as possible, is it.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
It happens.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
Not to my development people people on the other side.
We were gonna we were just about to touch on
some of the areas of concentration. I mean it's vast right,
our legal concerns, and we talked earlier about your kind
of like your big three, you know, protecting the company
(28:38):
intellectual propertial properties.
Speaker 6 (28:40):
Wait, wait, I want to go a little further on this.
So with life Act.
Speaker 7 (28:44):
So you know, my dad was an engineer, worked on
Space program. He was a product of the same integrity generation.
So I said, you know, how do I make it
the best I could be. I wanted to last forever,
you know, I wanted to not fail with the great
and the excutive just popped the valve and it would
have been cheaper and blah blah blah. So we worked
(29:05):
really hard on that, and then we were at the meeting.
I won't mention the company, but you'll know it. And
it was the first time I had like corporate world
they were going to buy him in bulk and all
this great stuff, and they said, okay, this is great. Yeah,
can need millions of them. You got to make it expire,
and you got to triple the price. And I went, well,
a few money, I don't need it.
Speaker 6 (29:27):
I'll see you late. I'm not doing that.
Speaker 7 (29:29):
And it's a bigger picture in kind of the like
the school world or the institutional world, because that money
goes to lobbyists, goes to the crooks. So it works
really well there. They want it to renew every year,
so every year they the lobbyist gets a check and
the criminal gets a check. But that was my uncle,
(29:51):
and it was a combination my dad. The engineering was
my dad, right right, you got to make it work forever,
and it's got to be you know, it's kind of
the best it could be.
Speaker 6 (29:58):
Reliable. Actually that was his title. He was reliability.
Speaker 7 (30:03):
So that was that uncle Roger kicked him when they
told me make it three times a price and make
it expire.
Speaker 6 (30:11):
I had a guy. I had a guy on the phone.
Speaker 7 (30:14):
At one point, we had a lobbyist to try and uh,
you know, get it there because it's the right thing
to do, particularly with the ADA. And he had secret
Miss Doctor X was a union guy. I didn't know
who he was, but he was on it was made
the lobbyist in the union guy says the same things.
I could see him with the cigar. I get it
(30:35):
in everywhere. I'll go require our all job try. She
just got to make it three times a price and
expire click.
Speaker 6 (30:42):
I just yeah, do it?
Speaker 3 (30:44):
You see it coming right?
Speaker 4 (30:45):
Does it?
Speaker 6 (30:46):
I didn't.
Speaker 7 (30:47):
Sometimes, Well, I'm one of those stupid people. I guess
that's in the Disneyland world. That people are good, they
want to help, they want to do the right thing.
And I kept getting slammed in the face with the
disgusting requests, and like, you know, yeah, he can't punch
him in the face. I don't even know who he is.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Those people start from a position of bed. They may
not reveal it right away. But I remember talking to
an assemblement from down South and he turned us onto
his manager and he saved himself. He has a dysphasia.
He has a neurological condition which causes him and he said, hey,
I just want to let you know at the start
(31:26):
of the conversation, I've used life Act twice and we
were like great, And then then came the money, the
request I just went on. You just you just took
the air out of the room.
Speaker 6 (31:37):
If I have a moment of a challenge the integrity
call that you had us saying, now.
Speaker 4 (31:44):
You know as an attorney, uh and and you know
when it comes to integrity compliance and there have been
a couple of times when and this is not a
dig on sales guys.
Speaker 7 (32:01):
Yeah, definitely, no, no kidding there definitely want some dudes
that's to sell.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
They want the sales and you know, and they sell
out and and so what I and this is also
I think, uh, a quality that I think, you know,
I try to instill in my team and my compliance
uh individuals, is that we have to partner with the
(32:30):
business units. We have to educate the business units. And
sometimes you have to say no. Sometimes we have to
say no and have to have a few money and
you put it on the line. But there's also another
time when you have to kind of guide them and
shepherd them into how do we do it exactly? And
(32:52):
and and it's a partnership because sometimes it's they don't
you know, they're not seeing it from a compliance or
legal perspective.
Speaker 7 (33:02):
That's that's good and they're not wrong with that and
that's part. And if you got to say no, you
got to say sometimes and then a lot of the
in those circumstances, it's not necessarily a bad person.
Speaker 6 (33:13):
They're agressive, you want to do it, and you got
to say no. You know you can't.
Speaker 7 (33:18):
I remember in my air freight days and it just
hit me again because the the punch in the face.
I had worked on this guy for months right to
get his business. I said, you know, I developed the rapport.
We went that happy hour and we have a good time,
check all the boxes and he says, you know, I'm
going to give all your I'm going to give that
(33:38):
business to you. You just got to give me ten
percent and I and I was like so deflated, Like
if you're a criminal, tell me early on, so I
don't waste my time. And I just walked away and
strips and I needed the money. Then R on time.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
We're on our way to a break perfect time and
we'll be back with more with Arthur Lee, CEO and
Adventure of Life, the newest member of clif Fact Michael
Debllok in house attorney and I'm Rick Ftcher and join
us for more.
Speaker 8 (34:06):
The man in the Arena, I'm sorry to bother you,
but I have thirty seconds to give you a very
important message.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
My name is Arthur Lee.
Speaker 7 (34:27):
I'm the CEO inventor of life Back, a simple choking
rescue device that could save a life in.
Speaker 6 (34:33):
A choking emergency.
Speaker 7 (34:34):
We've saved over three thousand lives now, but we're not there.
Five thousand people you choked to death, one child every
five days. Please consider protecting your family in a choking
emergency with life Back.
Speaker 6 (34:47):
Go to lifefact dot net today. Thank you for your time.
Speaker 3 (34:53):
And we're back on the man in the arena, I'm
still Rick Ftcher, along with Arthur Lee and Michael de Bello,
newest member of Team I Fact. He's our in house
attorney and Arthur, I should you know while I have
you here, it is he open for employees not employees, Okay.
(35:14):
I was just wondering he doesn't do criminal Okay, right?
What about what about parking tickets or infractions?
Speaker 4 (35:21):
We talked about We'll talk we'll talk about it.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Yeah, we were talking about the chapter of the book
Few Money. And more importantly, I think the bigger overriding
message of that is being integris uh learning and not
being compromised in your own values or your family's values.
I really was touched and I really wanted to meet
Uncle Roger.
Speaker 7 (35:42):
Yeah, the but I think that the bigger picture, I
appreciate you kind of softening it to some extent to say,
you can work with someone that's kind of friends, but
we have.
Speaker 4 (35:53):
Sometimes it's not always a black and white is right.
Speaker 6 (35:56):
That's the hard work.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
Those are the heart, those are the ones when you
really get the test the values and the integrity, the
gray issues.
Speaker 7 (36:07):
Do you guys remember the movie Fist with Sevesto Saloon
and he became a he became like a Jimmy Hoffa. Yeah,
and that sticks with me too. I think maybe because
I was conscious of protecting my integrity, especially because my
uncle Roger kind of ruined my brain and made me
think about it. But at one point his they joined
(36:31):
together and they were doing something good and and they
were fighting, and he he cut a little.
Speaker 6 (36:37):
Deal, right.
Speaker 7 (36:38):
It was a little deal, and the guy said to him,
you took you took right. And I think too that
in that sense we have to be conscious of the
little infraction right kind of there is not a there
is a gray area in the sense of maybe it
can be done differently. And still maintain integrity. But I'll
(37:02):
never think of because he says, you took, and to me,
that was always where I'm when I'm gray, where I
go am I taking? Because from then on he became
you know, he became the corrupt dude, and that was
the icebreaker. You know, does it lead to more? You know,
I just did this, Now this is easier.
Speaker 4 (37:23):
Next time he opened the door.
Speaker 6 (37:25):
Yeah, and opened the door.
Speaker 4 (37:26):
And little things can become big things.
Speaker 7 (37:29):
And we I think too, you know, these this show
and what we learned through life back are kind of
the foundation. The book kind of just gives us a
topic we then can bring in people and get life experiences.
I think, or the hope of this show is to
kind of bring some thoughts like this to light and
(37:50):
so that people get something from the show. Right, we're
not just complaining about the world or whatever. We're sharing
personal experiences that they help someone.
Speaker 6 (38:00):
It's great.
Speaker 7 (38:01):
You know, I love it And that's really the right,
don't you think as far as that's the bigger picture.
And I hadn't thought about that movie in that micro
is part of it in a long time that you
gotta be conscious of the micro taking the micro pointed
greation of yours.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
They call them microaggressions or micro transgressions, but I think
it's what you do that when you know none of
us are perfect living in these times and through the
course of a professional life, we both worked for other
companies I had, you know, and you talked about the
soldiers in the field. They have the tendency to be
(38:39):
go off on their own rogues. But when the guiding
principle and the ethics is sometimes there in place to
remind you and keep your true north, that's the important.
Speaker 7 (38:53):
To think about it too. Integrity takes courage. In nineteen
fifty it was I think it was around fifty five,
there was a fire mus school. A bunch of kids died.
The whole country became aware. That's when we all used
to do the fire drill, which because you got to
go outside and hang out and breck out your friends
and give them flats and chunk and that was fun.
And even doing the when we had a you know,
(39:15):
the bomb was going to go off and we had
to sit in the hall.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
There were some halls and there were some get under
the under under the really sturdy desk.
Speaker 6 (39:23):
Was going to work out.
Speaker 7 (39:25):
Once again, we got out the class, we got to
goof off. It was great, but the whole country did
it because it was the right thing to do. We
invented the cure to the fourth leading cause accidental death,
and we have to fight right that. I was shocked.
I thought it was going to go crazy and every
school and everyone was going.
Speaker 6 (39:44):
To do it because just like it did in the fifties.
Speaker 7 (39:47):
So these conversations, I think, because so look at the knockoffs, right,
they don't care, they don't care that they could kill someone, right,
and you want to talk about the ultimate like he
knock off a Gucci bag, that's wrong.
Speaker 6 (40:00):
No one's going to die today. We were playing with them.
They're falling apart, the one with the vow. It's shocking.
Speaker 7 (40:07):
We have to get back the courage of integrity to
doing the right thing is historically not the easy thing,
right Right. That dude didn't wanted to get paid off.
Speaker 6 (40:18):
I needed the revenue. You know, I could have got
fired and not having revenue.
Speaker 7 (40:23):
But I'm blessed that my uncle and my dad taught me.
Speaker 6 (40:30):
Worth it worth it?
Speaker 3 (40:32):
And they gave you that lesson to fall back on,
to say this isn't worth it and I'm able to
say a few.
Speaker 7 (40:37):
But I think too, and this is in my potential
speech for doctor Carson's event, that we have to reinforce
that it's going to be okay if you do the
right thing. I promise you're going to come out better.
When you take and you make a device that kills
someone one, you got oul, So you're gonna have to
(41:00):
face up to that man in the mirror someday. But
more importantly, it's not the path. It's going to crap
out and it's not going to work if you do
the right thing and you don't get it till you're older.
You have to have faith long enough for the faith
to prove that it works.
Speaker 6 (41:18):
Right.
Speaker 7 (41:18):
So that's what the message we need to give. I
know it's tempting, don't do it. It's going to be okay.
Speaker 3 (41:27):
Do you see that? As One of the bigger challenges
in the legal approach to the or the different fields
that you find out there is that the knockoffs is
the patent infringement all day about.
Speaker 4 (41:39):
That's that's the top priorities, as we were discussing before,
is protecting safety, Yes, the safety and the intellectual property
rights that that Arthur had the vision to foresee that
this is a this is a need that doesn't even exist.
(42:00):
And you know he had the ability to see that.
And you know, one of the and you asked me
what what attracted me to the company, and and and
and the meetings that we had. I don't know if
you remember, but I I, uh, and And this is
something I learned early on in my regulatory h career
(42:25):
is that ensuring compliance is not always the easy road,
but it's the right thing. And you know, so I
would run into the CEO and he would say to me, like,
we're in compliance right in all the jurisdictions. Yes, yeah,
I would say, yes, yes, Stanley. Fortunately, he asked me, well,
how do you know that? You know we're in compliance
(42:46):
and you.
Speaker 6 (42:46):
Know, all over the world. But the other.
Speaker 4 (42:49):
Question that I learned and I and I asked Arthur,
was you know what keeps you up at night? And
if you remember, you know, he said, being able to
save a life is our number one priority. And so
I saw the value system, and I saw the integrity.
(43:12):
You know, he's driven by his the principles that that
made him so successful, that led him to where he
is now.
Speaker 7 (43:24):
You didn't you know when we first started getting out,
and I still had visions of to do the right
world mentality and saying, wow, let's get Then we we
had out and we had a good day.
Speaker 6 (43:38):
I don't know what happened. Maybe we were even on briant.
Speaker 7 (43:42):
And the next day I got a report of a
kid who choked to death in the school in San Diego,
and I remember I cried because I had worked so hard,
we all had worked so hard to get it to
the point where it was out there, and I know
it was the big guy got pushing me to say
you're not there yet, and I said, we're not even close.
(44:07):
We got not only going to get it out there now,
we got to get it where its right like. And
it was I don't look at it as like a
knockdown blow. It was more of a you got to
keep going. You got a lot more to do. And
then when you asked that, that's to me when I
think about it. You know what, on the compliance side,
(44:27):
the last audit, we had no. Four eighty three zero.
And this is people we didn't know what we were doing.
We would, you know, the truck driver cop a finance
guy in the first we did a show and they
were like, Oh, it's not in protocol.
Speaker 6 (44:42):
I'm like, what's proto?
Speaker 3 (44:44):
What does that? What does that mean? Well, you're listening
to Arthur Lee, Michael Debello and Ritt Thatcher. This is
the man in the arena and he'll be right back
join us on the other side.
Speaker 9 (45:06):
I was in the living room when I heard my
son Carter, who was two at the time. I looked
over and I saw him grabbing for his face. I
grab a life back. I put the mask on his
face and place push pull the light back, dislodged the
ice cube from his airway, and he started crying the
most amazing sound I've ever heard in my entire life.
(45:28):
Please protect your family.
Speaker 2 (45:30):
Get a Life Back.
Speaker 3 (45:37):
And we're back on the Man in the Arena. Rick Thatcher,
along with Arthur Lee and Michael Debello, who wast member
of Team Life Back. We've been talking about the importance
of f you money and more importantly, maintaining your integrity,
which we all get from our family or or place
at work, and hoping everyone's doing the right thing. Gosh,
and we're also talking about your path Michael joining Life
(46:03):
Act from other Fight Back.
Speaker 6 (46:05):
More on that.
Speaker 7 (46:06):
I kind of jumped in and what over, but it
would be cool. You got to come back on.
Speaker 3 (46:10):
Of course he's going to be Now you've got to
read the rest of the book.
Speaker 4 (46:15):
I got to read all the other chapters.
Speaker 3 (46:18):
Yeah, but you've had Arthur, I mean out and about
a lot.
Speaker 6 (46:22):
Right.
Speaker 3 (46:23):
So last week just amazed because I know it was
important for you, just monumental and you're going back to
see doctor Ben Carson. But what was it like?
Speaker 6 (46:34):
First was amazing me.
Speaker 7 (46:35):
And Ray made a call at a children's hospital in
Fort Myers and that was really it was fun and rewarding.
And Ray when he tells a story about saving his daughter, uh,
he gets emotional and and just like Tim White's big
tough marine fighting dude, and it's very powerful to watch
him say. And then I shot across the state and
(46:57):
got to spend time with doctor Ben Carson, which.
Speaker 6 (47:02):
I just got chilled and answd it up.
Speaker 7 (47:04):
It's it's hard to be around someone like that because
of the awe right, humble kind genius. His wife's a pip,
funny and outgoing and she's just so cool.
Speaker 6 (47:22):
But they exude core value. Like these kinds of conversations.
Speaker 7 (47:29):
I had a lot of them, and you know a
lot of time people look at me like I'm nuts
when they delve into some of these things, like the
Little Rascals that changed my mentality.
Speaker 3 (47:38):
Yeah, but you always took really important lessons out of those.
We all watched the same movies. You garnered the good stuff.
Speaker 7 (47:47):
Yeah, and then I'm blessed for that, And that's why
I tried to share it to say, these these life
lessons can come from any angle, you know, catching a
marshmallow and thrown into a hurricane and teaches you anything possible.
That's not the normal way to learn.
Speaker 3 (48:03):
We're not going to revisit Niagara Falls.
Speaker 6 (48:05):
Are we, Steve wants so.
Speaker 3 (48:07):
Who ultimately, because I know other people in your circle
were trying to make this happen, this meeting with doctor
ben Carson. But who ultimately got it done?
Speaker 6 (48:16):
I always say Laura President, But.
Speaker 7 (48:18):
Laura Benelli everybody he knew about life back So I
don't know if Yang and Yang, if he talked to
us about it and then we talked to him, but
the real oh, it was him, you know, and his
wife too, in the sense of their ongoing desire to
be good people and to spread the word and to
(48:39):
be god people and just being around them because what's
cool when you shoot a commercials you just sit there
for a long time doing nothing. So I actually got
to hang out.
Speaker 3 (48:48):
Yeah, I saw some of those candidate photos.
Speaker 7 (48:50):
Run all my crazy ideas by him because I felt
comfortable enough and uh, just an awe inspiring dude.
Speaker 3 (48:57):
And how about the time, how about when he corrected
you and you called him doctor.
Speaker 7 (49:01):
Well, that that is such a moment of I don't
I still have trouble cont So I said to him
we were going to a different part and I said,
doctor Carson, I think.
Speaker 6 (49:11):
We're going over there.
Speaker 7 (49:12):
He looked me right in the eye and he goes Ben,
And I felt like I earned that, you know, and
he's not a stuck up guy. But it was just
a personal connection of because we had talked a lot
by then and a lot of integrity stuff, and that
was a really cool moment for me sure personally and
(49:32):
even him to kind of allow And it wasn't even
like an ego thing. It was more like, we're good, right,
you know, I respect you and I obviously respect him.
Speaker 6 (49:43):
That ain't odd In.
Speaker 3 (49:45):
The competition of cool things that happened this weekend or
this visit with Ben car competition, you do you have
the competition. I win the head measuring contest. I have
the biggest skull. It don't even try.
Speaker 6 (50:00):
You have to try.
Speaker 3 (50:02):
I can't be But you also mentioned that during your visit, Uh,
you you're going to be nominated and given an award.
I mean, what's the award?
Speaker 6 (50:13):
That's a good question.
Speaker 3 (50:15):
But it's doctor Ben Carson and his wife, and.
Speaker 7 (50:18):
They have a national foundation where they honor, they promote
and donate to children and their pursuits, and so they
give like a scholarship. And she called me up, she
texted me so right away, I'm like terrified.
Speaker 6 (50:34):
Right, what did I do? You know, that's my brain?
What I do? Did I do something wrong?
Speaker 7 (50:40):
And uh, they asked me to speak in the april
at this conference.
Speaker 3 (50:44):
Not to speak you're you're being honored and yeah, and
talk about some of the folks. I know you don't
want to, but talk about some of the Yeah, put
you on spot, but talk about some of the folks
that have also been asked.
Speaker 7 (50:55):
Look, she said, you know, we do this thing for children.
You know, we like you know, we'd like to iron
and speaking on children. I'm in, yeah, walk whatever I
gotta do. Give one that free to every school in America.
No one was real thrilled at that financially, but I said,
We're doing it and uh, I said, yell kids, I'm
in I'll do it. Then we got the full uh
(51:16):
breakdown and details it says passed.
Speaker 6 (51:21):
On and Reese right. I'm like, Okay, let's who it is.
Speaker 7 (51:24):
Uh Lou Holtz, Colin Powell, Lord Bush, Bill Gates, and
Art Lee Like the next guy who gets that it's
going to do what I did, go wow, Lou Holdst
who's that?
Speaker 3 (51:36):
Okay?
Speaker 6 (51:37):
But I don't care. I'm in there, man.
Speaker 7 (51:39):
I want to go between like someone cool like uh,
Colin Powell and Lord Bush.
Speaker 6 (51:44):
Put me in the middle there, throw them off a
little bit.
Speaker 3 (51:48):
It was just fantastic to hear about that and to
see you see the paperwork.
Speaker 6 (51:52):
I hit me like I couldn't believe.
Speaker 3 (51:54):
Now you tape some things with it and he talked.
I saw on social media Ben Carson talking partnership and you.
Speaker 7 (52:02):
Know about his ability to shay that it wasn't just
paid commercial.
Speaker 6 (52:07):
He believes in it.
Speaker 3 (52:08):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 6 (52:09):
And when we.
Speaker 7 (52:10):
First talked to him, he was like, you know, he goes,
I would like to be involved in promoting something that's
not ai me because he gets ripped off too. They
take him and make him, just make him up, and
he's He showed me one when we were there and
he said, I want to be involved in something where
it is me and it is important and I do
(52:33):
believe in it. And that's when I was like, I'm sorry,
if you Ben Carson believes in this and wants to
be part of this freaking ink that's a godwink.
Speaker 3 (52:41):
Yeah, you don't see him because he has.
Speaker 6 (52:44):
He has the moral character and he's not afraid, you know.
Speaker 7 (52:48):
So, I mean, it was an awesome experience, and I
hope so at some point we all get to just
be around him just to kind of absorb some of
his energy and that he's such a quiet, humble dude,
that there's some strength to that.
Speaker 6 (53:06):
Sure, you know, he's not jumping.
Speaker 7 (53:07):
Around sham wow, and he's he's focused and humble. And
you know, I cracked a couple of jokes. He cracked up.
I said, you know, what is that? And he goes,
it was a medical thing. And he goes, oh, that's
part of my jibilation with the thing. They go, you know,
it's funny. I was going to say that he just thought.
Speaker 3 (53:30):
I love two of the line. You don't have to
be a brain.
Speaker 6 (53:32):
Surgeon, but he can be because he was fun too,
like he got it.
Speaker 3 (53:38):
Absolutely great to be with Ben Carson. And of course
tonight's show or today's show, the Man in the Arena
with Michael Debllo, Arthur Lee, myself, Rick Thatcher. We've been
talking about Michael's path and Michael being the newest member
of Team Life Fact, but we also talked about one.
Speaker 6 (53:54):
Said that Mike, pick a chapter next time.
Speaker 7 (53:56):
Come on, absolutely, pick one chapter that you really okay,
and then formulate a story in your head about what
what it leads you to, right, and then let's have
him on. And that's like your new homework today was
read the chapter.
Speaker 3 (54:10):
Everybody gets home this initial training. Yeah yeah, but you
can't have back Yeah, one chapter that you can't pick. Well,
actually we say we can't can't. Oh my goodness right
there in the title, all right, that's demerits. I'm doped.
That you shouldn't pick is silly? And why because next
(54:31):
week we have Joe Piscopal. Joe Piscopal, he.
Speaker 7 (54:35):
Is awesome, need him because he comes out, he hangs
out with us, He's he's freaking amazing, another dude with
solid integrity and you just want them in your life.
Speaker 6 (54:46):
Absolutely soul man.
Speaker 3 (54:48):
Yeah. So if you're listening now in La Detroit, Detroit,
well in Detroit, Houston, yeah you can. You can find
us on our Heart Radio as well. But we're the
Man in the Arena next week, Joe Piscopo join us
and we're so excited.
Speaker 10 (55:06):
Michael de Bella, thank you so much, Thank you, it
was an honor and author always again, Rick Thatcher the
Man in the Arena and we'll see you next week
in the arena.
Speaker 6 (55:20):
And sing along if you know the words.
Speaker 4 (55:21):
But do do Do Do, Do, Do Do Do. It's
no joke.
Speaker 1 (55:25):
When you choke togad life back and without breath, they'll
be death cigad Life back and.
Speaker 4 (55:34):
Live back and
Speaker 3 (55:37):
Life lie back, Life back and life back and live
Now on iHeartRadio, The Man in the Arena, the Life
Back Radio show where we explore incredible stories of courage,
resilience and life saving moments. Here's your hosts, founder and
venor and CEO of Lifeback, Arthur Lee and Life Back
Advocate and President of Sales, Rick Thatcher.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Hey, they're Live Back Nation.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Welcome to The Man in the Arena. Of course, the
show brought to you by Live Fact, the airway clearance
device that is closing in on four thousand laid lives
saved rented lips sorry, in forty different countries. I of
course am Rick Thatcher, and we want you to go
to life fact dot net, get the original authentic Life
Fact and use code MITA for a discount on protecting
(00:49):
those you love. You know, I got to say it
at the outset. I know that we're reaching folks in
Los Angeles, Houston, Orlando and of course New York where
we tape, and this is a few weeks out. We
just want to make sure that the news you just
listen to, I pray and hope that it was happy
news and good news. And again, just as a reminder,
I'm Rick Thatcher, host of Man in the arena. We're
(01:12):
awaiting creator CEO of Life Fact, Arthur Lee. He's en route,
as they say. But I am pleased and privileged to
introduce a newest member. When you say new guy, the
newest member of team Life Fact, Michael Devello, Michael, welcome.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Thank you, Rick. Yes, I am the new guy and
new guy. It's it's really a pleasure and an honor
to be a part of the team. It's been a
really exciting past two weeks and just trying to hit
the ground running.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Hit the ground running, and now you came. Let's let's
get it out of the outset.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
You came.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
I'm about a year behind you or yes, so I
was with January last year. I started came in in
a different capacity. You, of course, are heading up our
legal efforts. So you are an attorney. Yes, that's true
and so much different. But you've already gotten a sense
appearing tonight on the show inside of two weeks you've
(02:18):
been with the firm. Right, It's it's really a team effort.
And you never know. The best slogan that I could
give or or words of advice or wisdom is uh
And something that I heard myself saying many times whatever
you need. Yeah, it's it's a team effort, and it's
(02:39):
a there's a lot of sports analogies, but it it's
it's really right there.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
You're absolutely right, Rick, Everyone that I've met, you know what,
I it's it's like a it's really a I would
say more than a team. It's it's really like a family. No,
it's a small, uh tight knit group. Everyone has been
extremely helpful and really made me feel like I was
(03:06):
part of the family as soon as I as soon
as I joined, and it's been great. What I really
like is the the energy, the enthusiasm, the it's really
a positive, very very warm, friendly team. It's been really nice.
(03:29):
It's been great.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yeah. So you know, again through your eyes, I'm kind
of reliving some of my experiences, and a lot of
them are the same. You came from big, bigger corporations,
certainly small family. But you mentioned it to me this morning.
It's really the mission. So I was gonna harken back
to something Arthur said to me early on again, Arthur Lee,
(03:53):
the CEO and vetro Life BacT and you know he
started all this back in twenty twelve, but I think
he sense some just uh, I go hesitancy or confusion
or you know, excitement over exuberance. And he said, passion
before process because you'll find out and probably already have
(04:16):
some of the processes aren't there. But when you look
at the end result and your office right next to
the Hall of says great place to get things straightened out, you.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
Know you're right. It's definitely you could feel the passion
and it's it's uh, it's it's it's it's strong. I
mean the and and and you're right. Arthur had the
foresight and he saw he had the vision and and
and really created this niche market that didn't exist before.
(04:50):
So I'm really impressed with what I've seen so far.
It's amazing that you know the company, how well you
guys have done in such a short period of time.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
We're knocking with for those folks at home.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Yeah, it's been And it's a great story.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
It's a great crime. That's a great story. And it
started with a dad who learned of a passing. You know,
and we've we've told this story before, but if it's
always where if someone's listening with the first time, it
didn't know how he came up with this idea. He
learned of a seven year old. His daughter was seven,
I should say, learned of a seven year old who
tragically passed from a choking incident in a hospital setting.
(05:31):
So those questions were answered quickly. Why didn't they you know,
didn't they? Yeah, they did try all that stuff. The
standard protocols, we say it time and time again, don't
always work right. There's a large failure rate depending on
who's administering it, and some people you can't administer this
standard protocols, the backflows, the abdominal thrusts. We like to
(05:52):
call him, but he, you know, didn't think of the
world at first. He thought of his daughter, who was seven.
He wanted to protect her. And then there was a
period of time after twenty twelve where he had a
decision to make you know, he was about to, you know,
put a ribbon on his career in shipping. He built
(06:13):
his own company. He didn't need or want to do more,
but really felt the calling again protect his daughter.
Speaker 5 (06:23):
Had it.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
He goes, Okay, Jackie's protected now, but what if I
hear of another seven year old like I just did
a month ago. So to tell us about your background,
your path, you know, out of law school, you work
for other law firms.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Sure. So actually, even prior to law school, my background
was engineering and I started.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
And not on the trains, right because I'm basically you know, yeah,
the audience knows that I'm an idiot.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
No, no, no, it's a good question. So I was
an electrical engineer, Okay. I worked for Underwriters Laboratories, which
is an independent uh party yep, u L.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
You see it on every electrical every electrical protexture, plug.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Equipment, outlet, outlet, TV, anything that has electrical power.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
So even the company, yes, yes, how many employees do
you think?
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Now there, They probably have several thousand all over the world,
and I think it's over a two point something billion
dollar company. So I was there as a you know,
I started my career as a product safety engineer doing
public testing, public safety on electrical products. And then I
(07:50):
had this opportunity to go to Henry Shine, which is
another charge yep, large firm medical dental, huge multinational distribution company.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
And the headquarter here in Love Island.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Correct in Melville, And so I started with them and
the mid to late it was ninety six actually, and
at that time I started focusing on their quality management system.
And implementing standards and procedures for their private label medical
(08:28):
dental products which were also being shipped all over the world,
and they needed a corporate quality manager. So there was
the guy.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
You were there's a guy part of a team, right,
a legal team.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Yes. Yes, Ultimately I reported into the legal group and
I was responded and then I became responsible for their
regulatory compliance. And that's when I started working more and
more in the legal regulatory realm because the requirement became
because of the medical devices, they became legal regulatory requirements
(09:07):
and regulations with FDA and the European Union.
Speaker 6 (09:13):
So I.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
Like the technical aspects and the legal compliance aspects. So
I was working with attorneys and I had this thought,
you know, maybe I should go to law school, and
some attorneys talking to me and said, that's a great idea,
you should and so they mentored me and I went
to law school while I was working full time at
Henry Shine. So that's how my legal career began as
(09:40):
the regulatory council for Henry Shine.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Yes, so people get that thought. Now, we were you
in mid twenties.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
I was my late twenties actually late twenties, yes, late
twenties and family. I wasn't married yet, no, so made.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
That decision a little bit more less cumbersome.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Yes, yes, yes, I then got engaged and I was
lucky enough for my wife to take care of all
of that. During law school, working traveling, I was I
don't know how I did it. Sometimes I look back
and I go, Wow, how did I do all that?
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (10:14):
I had global responsibilities and law school was really interesting.
It was a big challenge for me because of all
the stuff I had going on, and intellectually it was
it was stimulating, and I thought about being a patent
attorney now working for.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Yeah, we're gonna tell impact, Yes, some patent issues, right.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Yeah, just a couple. So then after that I was
with Shine for many years. I got this opportunity to
work for a chemical company in Port Washington called a Seido.
There it was a much smaller company compared to Shine.
They think they were about at the time five almost
(10:56):
six hundred million dollars and it was just me and
the general council. So there I got to do a
lot more than just you know, regulatory and compliance work.
And I was fortunate enough there to uh to ultimately
become the general counsel. And then we were acquired by
private equity group.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
And you're already married, so that yes, so that that
wasn't something that you could use out socially like hey,
I'm the journal you know, in a you know, beverage setting,
right right, yeah, right right?
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
What was the wife? The wife was impressed?
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, my wife was impressed. She was a
big supporter, and she was very patient with me, you know,
I have to say, because yeah, it was a big undertaking.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Listen, you look throughout history, I mean Arthur or inventors
or you know, successful politicians, there's usually more often than
not a strong woman. I certainly can attest to that
behind supporting doing all the things to allow us to
accomplish what we're accomplishing's uh, you know, be it great
(12:00):
like inventing a life back or whatever it is that
you know, we're able to homes take care of a sense.
So what brought you to life back? How did you
hear about it?
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Actually? I was after I left the ceido I was doing. Uh,
I decided to uh hang a shingle and do something
very different because I've always been in the house and
uh and that was interesting too, and then I got
(12:33):
a phone call from a recruiter who said, Mike, I
think I have an interesting opportunity for you with a
small medical device company on Long Island and they need
someone in house to help them with their regulatory ivery everything.
Really you're yeah, everything legal. I said, well, that sounds
(12:56):
really interesting. So he told me about it, and I, uh,
I had a hole with Arthur and Laura, and then
a week later I came in and I met with
them and Mike and uh, you know, like singer, Mike
Singer and Donna Marie and we hit it off. I said, Wow,
(13:16):
this is fabulous. I said, this is this is really
really interesting.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Had you heard before you know, you get the call,
had you heard about Life Act?
Speaker 4 (13:26):
I I didn't. I don't think I. I don't think.
Speaker 6 (13:29):
I ever did.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
It's not on everyone's radar, It's.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
Not definitely was not on my radar. And I was
really I was really taken aback when when I got
the tour and I saw the you know, the whole
of SAVES, I was like.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Wow, r wow, who spipers? Let me ask you this?
Speaker 4 (13:51):
Sure?
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Much like Arthur found out that standard protocols, were you
aware of the downfall of standard protocols and the failure
rate no or five thousand people. I love that this
country keeps track of it because I've been to other
parts of the world where you look up you know
how many people die you're of accidental choking, and it
doesn't even come up on a search. Yeah, so none
(14:13):
of that.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
No, I was not. This was really a big eye
opener for me. And I was really I was pleasantly surprised.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
And like I said, here you are and here joining us,
joining us. On the Man in the radio, you're listening
to Michael Debllo, the newest member of Team Life Back.
We're so happy to have you because there are so
many issues, which we'll talk about in the next segment.
But Michael Debllo, I, of course, am Rick Thatcher were
waiting patiently waiting for Arthur Lee CEO and Adventure of
(14:46):
Life Back, and you're listening to the Man in Marita
and join us.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
After this break, she started to choke on a piece
of candy.
Speaker 5 (15:07):
She wasn't breathing.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Then Ray reached for the life back in it saved her.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
She could have easily died that day. A life back
saved her life. What I would say is, don't need
a life back and not have it. Have a life
back and hopefully never need it.
Speaker 7 (15:23):
Recently, the American Red Cross has added anti joking devices
as an option when standard protocol fails or is not feasible.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
God to Life back dot Net or called eight seven
seven five four three three eight two to two.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Welcome back to the Man in the Aradam Rick Thatcher
along with Michael Debello, newest member of Team Life Back
in illegal capacity. But it's it's more than that, Michael,
it's more than that. I mean, you find it's all hands,
all hands on deck. We say we have all hands meetings.
But such a small family that you wind up like,
(15:59):
for instance, appearing on the Man in the area who
who to know, never would have who would have thought it?
So we were before the break, we were talking about
your path uh coming to life BacT. So we talked
to the recruiter. You meet Laura Arthur, Mike Singer, and
you take a tour out in Wisconsin where we call
(16:20):
it h Q Headquarters. And was there any hesitation or
were you immediately struck by the mission.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
No hesitation. I felt the you know, like I said,
the positive energy and and and immediately I said wow,
I want to be a part of this, you know
it really you know, for me what's important is the people,
(16:53):
the work, the mission, and the culture and and and
it's like you said, it's it's it's it's doing the
right thing.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Yeah, the impact.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
So you the impact.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, you mentioned working for Henry Shine on direct A laboratories.
You know that the final product is certainly reducing risk.
I spent you know, three decades in healthcare sales, right,
you know, merk sharing plow and in cardiovascular disease allergy, uh,
seasonal allergic rhinitis, diabetes, you know, and you dealt in
(17:29):
certainly healthcare reducing risk, you know, with with a product
like life fact, it was such a Jurassic departure from
you know, reducing risk to eliminating risk or you know,
actual impact and saving lives. Both are important, but I
don't remember a more direct, direct.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Impact where you you you see it immediately and it's
almost instantaneous because we we we we operate in the
world of minutes, yes, seconds, four minutes can make a
huge difference. So that is, you know, like you said,
(18:11):
working in a large organization, being part of those teams
and all that, and then eventually having a trickle down
effect and an impact, but that takes time and months years,
you know, on a to see the tangible results. Here,
it's it's what did we save today? Who is still
(18:34):
with us?
Speaker 3 (18:35):
That's exactly. And each night I got you on the distributor, Yes,
thank you. I just saw you get your first one. Yes,
So I had to give your email because each night
Donnie Eisley, who also contributes to the show on a
nightly basis or when we take the show, she feeds
the information to mister three thousand, Ray Prevy, who joins
us every week he saves his daughter to account for
(18:57):
the three thousand save door to Maya on the side
of a Florida Highway and Cape Coral, Florida, and so Donna,
every night we get an email life Saved and if
you take the time to open and you see some
evidents redacted because of HIPPA. And we don't know know
right away if we're going to be able to share
the story, but in details it gets so far deeper
(19:20):
than the number. So we're approaching four thousand lives saved.
A get thirty different countries, and you know, we sit
and tape in massapeak with New York, where Life Act
was invented. But to realize, not all those lives and
communities and families that have been saved the tragedy of
a choking death right, but not just here in the US,
(19:40):
thirty different countries. So we have operations in Canada, in
Europe certainly Life Act UK, and if it wasn't for
the time difference, we'd have those folks on a lot
more often. But the Bannigans are out in Europe and
they do amazing work. And in fact, the first save,
I don't know if you realize this, Our first save
(20:01):
was from the UK in an assisted living facility because legally,
at first, when they entered the EU market, they weren't
able to be sold to individuals. At first it was
only in assisted living facilities retirement homes. And the first
save in twenty sixteen Wow.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
UK.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
And oddly Arthur will be here to attest to it.
He calls it a godwink. The nurse's name was Jackie,
same name as his daughter. And when he tells, when
he retells the story, which he will, it's hard not
to get choked up. And when you get into the numbers,
the number four thousand. It's you know, we're still chasing
(20:43):
the five thousand that die accidentally. So that's what you know,
Arthur will at the end of the day, whenever we're
talking about, you know, celebrating a save where the three
thousand lives save celebration, he just you know, all right, next,
let's keep going. And it's got to be everywhere. You know,
we're not in all the schools we need to, you're
(21:03):
not in all the vas that we're working on, right,
It's you know when you think about it's got to
be everywhere where food is consumed.
Speaker 6 (21:10):
Right.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
You know there's a virus stinguisher, an ad right in
a facility, right, and hats off to Costco, Right, Yeah,
Costco and has it in every food court and they've
had I think eleven saves.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
I'll also go a step further, even in dental offices.
If you're in the middle of a dental procedure in
the Crown breaks, that's an obstruction. Yes, So it's you know,
it's such an amazing product that is so useful in
different you know food, no, no question, but then just.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Arthur get in here. Arthur Late ladies and gentlemen has
entered the building and we're so blessed to have them,
uh in the set, in our lives and the life appreciate,
the world appreciates Arthur Lee, thanks for thanks for coming in.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
Breaks didn't work on the truck.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Hey listen in real life, So I'm going we used
the old Fred Flintstone see it out the door.
Speaker 6 (22:13):
I looked back.
Speaker 7 (22:14):
My dad got me a go cart one year when
I was a little kid, and it was awesome and
it was the most amazing thing. And then took it
from my first ride and I put it around a
car game down the block. I lived on a dead
end and I put it around, and I was scared,
so I was going to let the car go. It
had no breaks. I just drove right into a park car.
(22:37):
I was going like two miles an hour. And I'm like, nowadays,
imagine giving you a kid a gas powered motorcycle with
no breaks go cart.
Speaker 6 (22:46):
Then he made that he put a pipe, and he
put a pole. That's how I stopped it.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Amazing. I was just thinking little rascals because on an
earlier show, we haven't gotten to that part where we
talk about one of the chapters of Arthur's book. Tonight,
we'll talk about Few Money, which I loved. You know.
The initial thought is I have an idea of what
that is. But when you read the chapter, so please,
(23:14):
if you haven't already gotten the book, sorry can't is
a lie, go to life bac dot net and pick
up this story. Yes, I did one chapter right, and
there's so much and we'll talk more about it. But
there's so much. It's so deeper than the colloquial few Money.
Speaker 7 (23:30):
Well I lead all of them lead to bigger picture, right,
you know. And then later with Joe, we're talking about
silly and you would say, you know, what is silly
have to do with life?
Speaker 6 (23:38):
But it does have a bigger impact. Absolutely. What were
you guys talking about.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
We were talking about Mike's path, his his path in life,
how he went from being an engineer. Uh then was
introduced at Underwriter's laboratories to the field of law and
was encouraged by mentors.
Speaker 6 (23:55):
Yeah, I did that to go to law school.
Speaker 7 (23:57):
And I dig the fact that you got your degree
when you work your butt off, you know.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Yes, we also we also uncoverage.
Speaker 6 (24:07):
All right, so let's talk what do we have for
you money?
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Well, yeah, that's more. That's fun that's where we're getting there.
Speaker 6 (24:12):
So what do you think of the chapter?
Speaker 4 (24:15):
I thought it was right on point. I thought it
was really uh insightful and thoughtful and in how you
were able to articulate the you know, the importance of integrity.
We were talking about doing the right thing.
Speaker 6 (24:34):
That's why I yeah, I thank you for your part.
You get it.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
I get it, I I I love it. And we were, yeah,
we were talking about how it's it's so meaningful to
see the direct impact of the product and and and
and measurable. We're talking about minutes and you see those
(25:02):
faces and you know, I walk you know through the
whole of saves and it's like, wow.
Speaker 7 (25:08):
We'll check this out on the few money and then
the bigger picture. I don't know we did describe a
few money at all.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
We just started, all right. So basically, my uncle was my.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Yes, I want to hear about uncle.
Speaker 7 (25:20):
And he was an awesome dude in the book, going
to a little bit about his Davy and Goliath quality,
Like he would tell you a story that was cool
and before you knew it, you learned a valuable life
lesson and you walked away going, how do you do that?
You know, and he learned something. Yeah, and he was
he was a heartfelt, sensitive dude, but you know, he
(25:42):
punched in the face the kind of guy you want
in your life. And he was my mentor. So one
day we go out to lunch and he would coach
me because he was a salesman and there is a
very big potential for the need for few money and sales.
You know, you want to sell the thing, so you
sell your soul. And then all the knockoffs they're selling
(26:03):
their souls to kill people. They don't care. We can't
do that. So he tells me and he says, you know,
and it was so I can still remember. He's sitting
at lunch and he goes, you know, you got few money,
and I'm like, uh, what is that fewbuddy?
Speaker 6 (26:19):
And he went on to explain.
Speaker 7 (26:20):
He said, you need, like, you know, two or three
months of savings, so that if you're ever put in
a position where you're required or requested or nudged or
or coercized yet to not being maintained your integrity, that
you can say a few.
Speaker 6 (26:38):
You know, see, that's doing it.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
That's the difference that I learned from when I read
the chapter, because I immediately think of a few money
saying just say it for the sake of saying it.
I have the money, I can say it, but because
of being asked to do something that doesn't align with
your values and your family. And you mentioned that it's
no surprise that his kids, oh and you like had
(27:01):
that lesson because it adds that component of.
Speaker 7 (27:05):
Just sayings of his character that his children became so
great and are just amazing people, and his son is
a mini version of him. But what the bigger lesson was,
we can we can't only have our integrity, we have
to be prepared to protect it. Right desperate times, desperate people,
you know, I stole because I was starving. You know,
(27:27):
you kind of say, oh, I understand, but that got
too far, right. You have to be prepared to not
sell your soul because you feel you had to, you know,
And that to me was the lesson I took in
that we have to be conscious and careful with our integrity,
(27:47):
to be prepared to protect our integrity, and that that
was kind of one of the stimulus is of the
chapter saying these little lessons have bigger impact. And you know,
I was thinking about in the law world, you know,
integrity is big, huge, because there's a lot of not good,
nice lawyers that do things like.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
That to get this barred.
Speaker 4 (28:10):
Right, Yeah, but.
Speaker 6 (28:11):
That's as possible, is it.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
It happens.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
Not to my development people people on the other side.
We were gonna we were just about to touch on
some of the areas of concentration. I mean it's vast right,
our legal concerns, and we talked earlier about your kind
of like your big three, you know, protecting the company
(28:38):
intellectual propertial properties.
Speaker 6 (28:40):
Wait, wait, I want to go a little further on this.
So with life Act.
Speaker 7 (28:44):
So you know, my dad was an engineer, worked on
Space program. He was a product of the same integrity generation.
So I said, you know, how do I make it
the best I could be. I wanted to last forever,
you know, I wanted to not fail with the great
and the excutive just popped the valve and it would
have been cheaper and blah blah blah. So we worked
(29:05):
really hard on that, and then we were at the meeting.
I won't mention the company, but you'll know it. And
it was the first time I had like corporate world
they were going to buy him in bulk and all
this great stuff, and they said, okay, this is great. Yeah,
can need millions of them. You got to make it expire,
and you got to triple the price. And I went, well,
a few money, I don't need it.
Speaker 6 (29:27):
I'll see you late. I'm not doing that.
Speaker 7 (29:29):
And it's a bigger picture in kind of the like
the school world or the institutional world, because that money
goes to lobbyists, goes to the crooks. So it works
really well there. They want it to renew every year,
so every year they the lobbyist gets a check and
the criminal gets a check. But that was my uncle,
(29:51):
and it was a combination my dad. The engineering was
my dad, right right, you got to make it work forever,
and it's got to be you know, it's kind of
the best it could be.
Speaker 6 (29:58):
Reliable. Actually that was his title. He was reliability.
Speaker 7 (30:03):
So that was that uncle Roger kicked him when they
told me make it three times a price and make
it expire.
Speaker 6 (30:11):
I had a guy. I had a guy on the phone.
Speaker 7 (30:14):
At one point, we had a lobbyist to try and uh,
you know, get it there because it's the right thing
to do, particularly with the ADA. And he had secret
Miss Doctor X was a union guy. I didn't know
who he was, but he was on it was made
the lobbyist in the union guy says the same things.
I could see him with the cigar. I get it
(30:35):
in everywhere. I'll go require our all job try. She
just got to make it three times a price and
expire click.
Speaker 6 (30:42):
I just yeah, do it?
Speaker 3 (30:44):
You see it coming right?
Speaker 4 (30:45):
Does it?
Speaker 6 (30:46):
I didn't.
Speaker 7 (30:47):
Sometimes, Well, I'm one of those stupid people. I guess
that's in the Disneyland world. That people are good, they
want to help, they want to do the right thing.
And I kept getting slammed in the face with the
disgusting requests, and like, you know, yeah, he can't punch
him in the face. I don't even know who he is.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Those people start from a position of bed. They may
not reveal it right away. But I remember talking to
an assemblement from down South and he turned us onto
his manager and he saved himself. He has a dysphasia.
He has a neurological condition which causes him and he said, hey,
I just want to let you know at the start
(31:26):
of the conversation, I've used life Act twice and we
were like great, And then then came the money, the
request I just went on. You just you just took
the air out of the room.
Speaker 6 (31:37):
If I have a moment of a challenge the integrity
call that you had us saying, now.
Speaker 4 (31:44):
You know as an attorney, uh and and you know
when it comes to integrity compliance and there have been
a couple of times when and this is not a
dig on sales guys.
Speaker 7 (32:01):
Yeah, definitely, no, no kidding there definitely want some dudes
that's to sell.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
They want the sales and you know, and they sell
out and and so what I and this is also
I think, uh, a quality that I think, you know,
I try to instill in my team and my compliance
uh individuals, is that we have to partner with the
(32:30):
business units. We have to educate the business units. And
sometimes you have to say no. Sometimes we have to
say no and have to have a few money and
you put it on the line. But there's also another
time when you have to kind of guide them and
shepherd them into how do we do it exactly? And
(32:52):
and and it's a partnership because sometimes it's they don't
you know, they're not seeing it from a compliance or
legal perspective.
Speaker 7 (33:02):
That's that's good and they're not wrong with that and
that's part. And if you got to say no, you
got to say sometimes and then a lot of the
in those circumstances, it's not necessarily a bad person.
Speaker 6 (33:13):
They're agressive, you want to do it, and you got
to say no. You know you can't.
Speaker 7 (33:18):
I remember in my air freight days and it just
hit me again because the the punch in the face.
I had worked on this guy for months right to
get his business. I said, you know, I developed the rapport.
We went that happy hour and we have a good time,
check all the boxes and he says, you know, I'm
going to give all your I'm going to give that
(33:38):
business to you. You just got to give me ten
percent and I and I was like so deflated, Like
if you're a criminal, tell me early on, so I
don't waste my time. And I just walked away and
strips and I needed the money. Then R on time.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
We're on our way to a break perfect time and
we'll be back with more with Arthur Lee, CEO and
Adventure of Life, the newest member of clif Fact Michael
Debllok in house attorney and I'm Rick Ftcher and join
us for more.
Speaker 8 (34:06):
The man in the Arena, I'm sorry to bother you,
but I have thirty seconds to give you a very
important message.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
My name is Arthur Lee.
Speaker 7 (34:27):
I'm the CEO inventor of life Back, a simple choking
rescue device that could save a life in.
Speaker 6 (34:33):
A choking emergency.
Speaker 7 (34:34):
We've saved over three thousand lives now, but we're not there.
Five thousand people you choked to death, one child every
five days. Please consider protecting your family in a choking
emergency with life Back.
Speaker 6 (34:47):
Go to lifefact dot net today. Thank you for your time.
Speaker 3 (34:53):
And we're back on the man in the arena, I'm
still Rick Ftcher, along with Arthur Lee and Michael de Bello,
newest member of Team I Fact. He's our in house
attorney and Arthur, I should you know while I have
you here, it is he open for employees not employees, Okay.
(35:14):
I was just wondering he doesn't do criminal Okay, right?
What about what about parking tickets or infractions?
Speaker 4 (35:21):
We talked about We'll talk we'll talk about it.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Yeah, we were talking about the chapter of the book
Few Money. And more importantly, I think the bigger overriding
message of that is being integris uh learning and not
being compromised in your own values or your family's values.
I really was touched and I really wanted to meet
Uncle Roger.
Speaker 7 (35:42):
Yeah, the but I think that the bigger picture, I
appreciate you kind of softening it to some extent to say,
you can work with someone that's kind of friends, but
we have.
Speaker 4 (35:53):
Sometimes it's not always a black and white is right.
Speaker 6 (35:56):
That's the hard work.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
Those are the heart, those are the ones when you
really get the test the values and the integrity, the
gray issues.
Speaker 7 (36:07):
Do you guys remember the movie Fist with Sevesto Saloon
and he became a he became like a Jimmy Hoffa. Yeah,
and that sticks with me too. I think maybe because
I was conscious of protecting my integrity, especially because my
uncle Roger kind of ruined my brain and made me
think about it. But at one point his they joined
(36:31):
together and they were doing something good and and they
were fighting, and he he cut a little.
Speaker 6 (36:37):
Deal, right.
Speaker 7 (36:38):
It was a little deal, and the guy said to him,
you took you took right. And I think too that
in that sense we have to be conscious of the
little infraction right kind of there is not a there
is a gray area in the sense of maybe it
can be done differently. And still maintain integrity. But I'll
(37:02):
never think of because he says, you took, and to me,
that was always where I'm when I'm gray, where I
go am I taking? Because from then on he became
you know, he became the corrupt dude, and that was
the icebreaker. You know, does it lead to more? You know,
I just did this, Now this is easier.
Speaker 4 (37:23):
Next time he opened the door.
Speaker 6 (37:25):
Yeah, and opened the door.
Speaker 4 (37:26):
And little things can become big things.
Speaker 7 (37:29):
And we I think too, you know, these this show
and what we learned through life back are kind of
the foundation. The book kind of just gives us a
topic we then can bring in people and get life experiences.
I think, or the hope of this show is to
kind of bring some thoughts like this to light and
(37:50):
so that people get something from the show. Right, we're
not just complaining about the world or whatever. We're sharing
personal experiences that they help someone.
Speaker 6 (38:00):
It's great.
Speaker 7 (38:01):
You know, I love it And that's really the right,
don't you think as far as that's the bigger picture.
And I hadn't thought about that movie in that micro
is part of it in a long time that you
gotta be conscious of the micro taking the micro pointed
greation of yours.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
They call them microaggressions or micro transgressions, but I think
it's what you do that when you know none of
us are perfect living in these times and through the
course of a professional life, we both worked for other
companies I had, you know, and you talked about the
soldiers in the field. They have the tendency to be
(38:39):
go off on their own rogues. But when the guiding
principle and the ethics is sometimes there in place to
remind you and keep your true north, that's the important.
Speaker 7 (38:53):
To think about it too. Integrity takes courage. In nineteen
fifty it was I think it was around fifty five,
there was a fire mus school. A bunch of kids died.
The whole country became aware. That's when we all used
to do the fire drill, which because you got to
go outside and hang out and breck out your friends
and give them flats and chunk and that was fun.
And even doing the when we had a you know,
(39:15):
the bomb was going to go off and we had
to sit in the hall.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
There were some halls and there were some get under
the under under the really sturdy desk.
Speaker 6 (39:23):
Was going to work out.
Speaker 7 (39:25):
Once again, we got out the class, we got to
goof off. It was great, but the whole country did
it because it was the right thing to do. We
invented the cure to the fourth leading cause accidental death,
and we have to fight right that. I was shocked.
I thought it was going to go crazy and every
school and everyone was going.
Speaker 6 (39:44):
To do it because just like it did in the fifties.
Speaker 7 (39:47):
So these conversations, I think, because so look at the knockoffs, right,
they don't care, they don't care that they could kill someone, right,
and you want to talk about the ultimate like he
knock off a Gucci bag, that's wrong.
Speaker 6 (40:00):
No one's going to die today. We were playing with them.
They're falling apart, the one with the vow. It's shocking.
Speaker 7 (40:07):
We have to get back the courage of integrity to
doing the right thing is historically not the easy thing,
right Right. That dude didn't wanted to get paid off.
Speaker 6 (40:18):
I needed the revenue. You know, I could have got
fired and not having revenue.
Speaker 7 (40:23):
But I'm blessed that my uncle and my dad taught me.
Speaker 6 (40:30):
Worth it worth it?
Speaker 3 (40:32):
And they gave you that lesson to fall back on,
to say this isn't worth it and I'm able to
say a few.
Speaker 7 (40:37):
But I think too, and this is in my potential
speech for doctor Carson's event, that we have to reinforce
that it's going to be okay if you do the
right thing. I promise you're going to come out better.
When you take and you make a device that kills
someone one, you got oul, So you're gonna have to
(41:00):
face up to that man in the mirror someday. But
more importantly, it's not the path. It's going to crap
out and it's not going to work if you do
the right thing and you don't get it till you're older.
You have to have faith long enough for the faith
to prove that it works.
Speaker 6 (41:18):
Right.
Speaker 7 (41:18):
So that's what the message we need to give. I
know it's tempting, don't do it. It's going to be okay.
Speaker 3 (41:27):
Do you see that? As One of the bigger challenges
in the legal approach to the or the different fields
that you find out there is that the knockoffs is
the patent infringement all day about.
Speaker 4 (41:39):
That's that's the top priorities, as we were discussing before,
is protecting safety, Yes, the safety and the intellectual property
rights that that Arthur had the vision to foresee that
this is a this is a need that doesn't even exist.
(42:00):
And you know he had the ability to see that.
And you know, one of the and you asked me
what what attracted me to the company, and and and
and the meetings that we had. I don't know if
you remember, but I I, uh, and And this is
something I learned early on in my regulatory h career
(42:25):
is that ensuring compliance is not always the easy road,
but it's the right thing. And you know, so I
would run into the CEO and he would say to me, like,
we're in compliance right in all the jurisdictions. Yes, yeah,
I would say, yes, yes, Stanley. Fortunately, he asked me, well,
how do you know that? You know we're in compliance
(42:46):
and you.
Speaker 6 (42:46):
Know, all over the world. But the other.
Speaker 4 (42:49):
Question that I learned and I and I asked Arthur,
was you know what keeps you up at night? And
if you remember, you know, he said, being able to
save a life is our number one priority. And so
I saw the value system, and I saw the integrity.
(43:12):
You know, he's driven by his the principles that that
made him so successful, that led him to where he
is now.
Speaker 7 (43:24):
You didn't you know when we first started getting out,
and I still had visions of to do the right
world mentality and saying, wow, let's get Then we we
had out and we had a good day.
Speaker 6 (43:38):
I don't know what happened. Maybe we were even on briant.
Speaker 7 (43:42):
And the next day I got a report of a
kid who choked to death in the school in San Diego,
and I remember I cried because I had worked so hard,
we all had worked so hard to get it to
the point where it was out there, and I know
it was the big guy got pushing me to say
you're not there yet, and I said, we're not even close.
(44:07):
We got not only going to get it out there now,
we got to get it where its right like. And
it was I don't look at it as like a
knockdown blow. It was more of a you got to
keep going. You got a lot more to do. And
then when you asked that, that's to me when I
think about it. You know what, on the compliance side,
(44:27):
the last audit, we had no. Four eighty three zero.
And this is people we didn't know what we were doing.
We would, you know, the truck driver cop a finance
guy in the first we did a show and they
were like, Oh, it's not in protocol.
Speaker 6 (44:42):
I'm like, what's proto?
Speaker 3 (44:44):
What does that? What does that mean? Well, you're listening
to Arthur Lee, Michael Debello and Ritt Thatcher. This is
the man in the arena and he'll be right back
join us on the other side.
Speaker 9 (45:06):
I was in the living room when I heard my
son Carter, who was two at the time. I looked
over and I saw him grabbing for his face. I
grab a life back. I put the mask on his
face and place push pull the light back, dislodged the
ice cube from his airway, and he started crying the
most amazing sound I've ever heard in my entire life.
(45:28):
Please protect your family.
Speaker 2 (45:30):
Get a Life Back.
Speaker 3 (45:37):
And we're back on the Man in the Arena. Rick Thatcher,
along with Arthur Lee and Michael Debello, who wast member
of Team Life Back. We've been talking about the importance
of f you money and more importantly, maintaining your integrity,
which we all get from our family or or place
at work, and hoping everyone's doing the right thing. Gosh,
and we're also talking about your path Michael joining Life
(46:03):
Act from other Fight Back.
Speaker 6 (46:05):
More on that.
Speaker 7 (46:06):
I kind of jumped in and what over, but it
would be cool. You got to come back on.
Speaker 3 (46:10):
Of course he's going to be Now you've got to
read the rest of the book.
Speaker 4 (46:15):
I got to read all the other chapters.
Speaker 3 (46:18):
Yeah, but you've had Arthur, I mean out and about
a lot.
Speaker 6 (46:22):
Right.
Speaker 3 (46:23):
So last week just amazed because I know it was
important for you, just monumental and you're going back to
see doctor Ben Carson. But what was it like?
Speaker 6 (46:34):
First was amazing me.
Speaker 7 (46:35):
And Ray made a call at a children's hospital in
Fort Myers and that was really it was fun and rewarding.
And Ray when he tells a story about saving his daughter, uh,
he gets emotional and and just like Tim White's big
tough marine fighting dude, and it's very powerful to watch
him say. And then I shot across the state and
(46:57):
got to spend time with doctor Ben Carson, which.
Speaker 6 (47:02):
I just got chilled and answd it up.
Speaker 7 (47:04):
It's it's hard to be around someone like that because
of the awe right, humble kind genius. His wife's a pip,
funny and outgoing and she's just so cool.
Speaker 6 (47:22):
But they exude core value. Like these kinds of conversations.
Speaker 7 (47:29):
I had a lot of them, and you know a
lot of time people look at me like I'm nuts
when they delve into some of these things, like the
Little Rascals that changed my mentality.
Speaker 3 (47:38):
Yeah, but you always took really important lessons out of those.
We all watched the same movies. You garnered the good stuff.
Speaker 7 (47:47):
Yeah, and then I'm blessed for that, And that's why
I tried to share it to say, these these life
lessons can come from any angle, you know, catching a
marshmallow and thrown into a hurricane and teaches you anything possible.
That's not the normal way to learn.
Speaker 3 (48:03):
We're not going to revisit Niagara Falls.
Speaker 6 (48:05):
Are we, Steve wants so.
Speaker 3 (48:07):
Who ultimately, because I know other people in your circle
were trying to make this happen, this meeting with doctor
ben Carson. But who ultimately got it done?
Speaker 6 (48:16):
I always say Laura President, But.
Speaker 7 (48:18):
Laura Benelli everybody he knew about life back So I
don't know if Yang and Yang, if he talked to
us about it and then we talked to him, but
the real oh, it was him, you know, and his
wife too, in the sense of their ongoing desire to
be good people and to spread the word and to
(48:39):
be god people and just being around them because what's
cool when you shoot a commercials you just sit there
for a long time doing nothing. So I actually got
to hang out.
Speaker 3 (48:48):
Yeah, I saw some of those candidate photos.
Speaker 7 (48:50):
Run all my crazy ideas by him because I felt
comfortable enough and uh, just an awe inspiring dude.
Speaker 3 (48:57):
And how about the time, how about when he corrected
you and you called him doctor.
Speaker 7 (49:01):
Well, that that is such a moment of I don't
I still have trouble cont So I said to him
we were going to a different part and I said,
doctor Carson, I think.
Speaker 6 (49:11):
We're going over there.
Speaker 7 (49:12):
He looked me right in the eye and he goes Ben,
And I felt like I earned that, you know, and
he's not a stuck up guy. But it was just
a personal connection of because we had talked a lot
by then and a lot of integrity stuff, and that
was a really cool moment for me sure personally and
(49:32):
even him to kind of allow And it wasn't even
like an ego thing. It was more like, we're good, right,
you know, I respect you and I obviously respect him.
Speaker 6 (49:43):
That ain't odd In.
Speaker 3 (49:45):
The competition of cool things that happened this weekend or
this visit with Ben car competition, you do you have
the competition. I win the head measuring contest. I have
the biggest skull. It don't even try.
Speaker 6 (50:00):
You have to try.
Speaker 3 (50:02):
I can't be But you also mentioned that during your visit, Uh,
you you're going to be nominated and given an award.
I mean, what's the award?
Speaker 6 (50:13):
That's a good question.
Speaker 3 (50:15):
But it's doctor Ben Carson and his wife, and.
Speaker 7 (50:18):
They have a national foundation where they honor, they promote
and donate to children and their pursuits, and so they
give like a scholarship. And she called me up, she
texted me so right away, I'm like terrified.
Speaker 6 (50:34):
Right, what did I do? You know, that's my brain?
What I do? Did I do something wrong?
Speaker 7 (50:40):
And uh, they asked me to speak in the april
at this conference.
Speaker 3 (50:44):
Not to speak you're you're being honored and yeah, and
talk about some of the folks. I know you don't
want to, but talk about some of the Yeah, put
you on spot, but talk about some of the folks
that have also been asked.
Speaker 7 (50:55):
Look, she said, you know, we do this thing for children.
You know, we like you know, we'd like to iron
and speaking on children. I'm in, yeah, walk whatever I
gotta do. Give one that free to every school in America.
No one was real thrilled at that financially, but I said,
We're doing it and uh, I said, yell kids, I'm
in I'll do it. Then we got the full uh
(51:16):
breakdown and details it says passed.
Speaker 6 (51:21):
On and Reese right. I'm like, Okay, let's who it is.
Speaker 7 (51:24):
Uh Lou Holtz, Colin Powell, Lord Bush, Bill Gates, and
Art Lee Like the next guy who gets that it's
going to do what I did, go wow, Lou Holdst
who's that?
Speaker 3 (51:36):
Okay?
Speaker 6 (51:37):
But I don't care. I'm in there, man.
Speaker 7 (51:39):
I want to go between like someone cool like uh,
Colin Powell and Lord Bush.
Speaker 6 (51:44):
Put me in the middle there, throw them off a
little bit.
Speaker 3 (51:48):
It was just fantastic to hear about that and to
see you see the paperwork.
Speaker 6 (51:52):
I hit me like I couldn't believe.
Speaker 3 (51:54):
Now you tape some things with it and he talked.
I saw on social media Ben Carson talking partnership and you.
Speaker 7 (52:02):
Know about his ability to shay that it wasn't just
paid commercial.
Speaker 6 (52:07):
He believes in it.
Speaker 3 (52:08):
Oh absolutely.
Speaker 6 (52:09):
And when we.
Speaker 7 (52:10):
First talked to him, he was like, you know, he goes,
I would like to be involved in promoting something that's
not ai me because he gets ripped off too. They
take him and make him, just make him up, and
he's He showed me one when we were there and
he said, I want to be involved in something where
it is me and it is important and I do
(52:33):
believe in it. And that's when I was like, I'm sorry,
if you Ben Carson believes in this and wants to
be part of this freaking ink that's a godwink.
Speaker 3 (52:41):
Yeah, you don't see him because he has.
Speaker 6 (52:44):
He has the moral character and he's not afraid, you know.
Speaker 7 (52:48):
So, I mean, it was an awesome experience, and I
hope so at some point we all get to just
be around him just to kind of absorb some of
his energy and that he's such a quiet, humble dude,
that there's some strength to that.
Speaker 6 (53:06):
Sure, you know, he's not jumping.
Speaker 7 (53:07):
Around sham wow, and he's he's focused and humble. And
you know, I cracked a couple of jokes. He cracked up.
I said, you know, what is that? And he goes,
it was a medical thing. And he goes, oh, that's
part of my jibilation with the thing. They go, you know,
it's funny. I was going to say that he just thought.
Speaker 3 (53:30):
I love two of the line. You don't have to
be a brain.
Speaker 6 (53:32):
Surgeon, but he can be because he was fun too,
like he got it.
Speaker 3 (53:38):
Absolutely great to be with Ben Carson. And of course
tonight's show or today's show, the Man in the Arena
with Michael Debllo, Arthur Lee, myself, Rick Thatcher. We've been
talking about Michael's path and Michael being the newest member
of Team Life Fact, but we also talked about one.
Speaker 6 (53:54):
Said that Mike, pick a chapter next time.
Speaker 7 (53:56):
Come on, absolutely, pick one chapter that you really okay,
and then formulate a story in your head about what
what it leads you to, right, and then let's have
him on. And that's like your new homework today was
read the chapter.
Speaker 3 (54:10):
Everybody gets home this initial training. Yeah yeah, but you
can't have back Yeah, one chapter that you can't pick. Well,
actually we say we can't can't. Oh my goodness right
there in the title, all right, that's demerits. I'm doped.
That you shouldn't pick is silly? And why because next
(54:31):
week we have Joe Piscopal. Joe Piscopal, he.
Speaker 7 (54:35):
Is awesome, need him because he comes out, he hangs
out with us, He's he's freaking amazing, another dude with
solid integrity and you just want them in your life.
Speaker 6 (54:46):
Absolutely soul man.
Speaker 3 (54:48):
Yeah. So if you're listening now in La Detroit, Detroit,
well in Detroit, Houston, yeah you can. You can find
us on our Heart Radio as well. But we're the
Man in the Arena next week, Joe Piscopo join us
and we're so excited.
Speaker 10 (55:06):
Michael de Bella, thank you so much, Thank you, it
was an honor and author always again, Rick Thatcher the
Man in the Arena and we'll see you next week
in the arena.
Speaker 6 (55:20):
And sing along if you know the words.
Speaker 4 (55:21):
But do do Do Do, Do, Do Do Do. It's
no joke.
Speaker 1 (55:25):
When you choke togad life back and without breath, they'll
be death cigad Life back and.
Speaker 4 (55:34):
Live back and
Speaker 3 (55:37):
Life lie back, Life back and life back and live
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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!
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