SPEAKER_00 0:01

Quick disclaimer before we start. We actually lost the first hour and 20 minutes of this conversation due to a very strange attack glitch. I closed my MacBook, opened it back up, and for whatever reason, the footage never uploaded to the cloud. What you are about to hear is the final 16 minutes. Why release just the ending of a podcast? Why indeed enjoy?

SPEAKER_01 0:29

Are we back? Are we live? I don't know what happened. I just I left and rejoined. So sorry. Might have been that we're just froze up on the internet.

SPEAKER_00 0:37

It's that those uh that western mountains, that western mountain Wi-Fi.

SPEAKER_01 0:43

Yeah, up in Appalachia, bud. Up in Appalachia. Have you yourself ever been to the state of West Virginia?

SPEAKER_02 0:50

No. I don't think so. No. You should come on through one day.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

It never was on my radar, like, oh, I think I should head over to West Virginia, you know?

SPEAKER_01 1:02

Uh, you know what? I I I get that a lot. I get that a lot. So not surprised by that. But we're gonna we're you know, we're gonna put West Virginia back on the map. I don't even know.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

I know Virginia's huge. Oh, so it's in West the West. All right, I got you.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

There's a whole story behind that. Pretty much uh as the story goes, it's like wet West Virginia stole this territory from Virginia. It was originally part of Virginia, but it's a small state. I mean, I think it's only 1.7 million people in the entire state. You know, the biggest towns have around 75 to 110,000 cities, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

And they're spread spread apart far, right? Or no?

SPEAKER_01 1:38

Uh far, buddy. I'm a now I'm a salesman, so I travel around the whole state. So I have to download my media, my podcast to listen to before I leave the house. Because if I get into a dead zone, it could be, you know, hour and a half, two hours of driving of radio silence. Which is kind of nice too.

SPEAKER_00 1:57

Gonna have to hit Elon up.

SPEAKER_01 1:59

I mean, Starlink, yeah, you know. Uh, but I kind of like it though, man. I kind of like being able to detach because I mean I I'm I'm a component of it too. I mean, you probably had weeks where it pops up, you spent this many hours a day on your phone. It's like, uh, but it knows me so well. It traps me in so fast. Like, yeah, like talking, I'm doing this through my phone, so talking about all my favorite hobbies and favorite things to do selfishly, you know that's what it's gonna be riddled with now. So it's gonna get me even tighter.

SPEAKER_00 2:32

With more hobbies or more cell phone.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

Yeah, more cell phone, because now I'll probably get our archery videos, you know what I mean? The guys ripping it, the gals ripping it on the phone.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

The algorithm's gonna focus in on you, and then you're gonna be trapped in a doom scroll, and then your brain's gonna be like, What am I doing? And you like pull away and you like slap yourself, and you're like, I I get that.

SPEAKER_01 2:54

Like, I think about this, like back to the dancing thing. Like, I would learn dances that were 15, 20 minutes long, you know, like or sections, and it's like a whole production thing. I'm like, I think to myself nowadays, I'm like, I wonder if I could access that part of my brain if I had to do it again. You know?

SPEAKER_00 3:11

Now with AI, I don't think we could. Yeah, because we used to play a game where we would like flap one, two, ball change in three, f uh you know, snap on four, and then do nothing on five, and then and then just keep going to see how long we could make the run. I couldn't do that now.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

Man, I mean, it's like I'd even ask uh certain AIs to like write me a song about a certain subject and give me the guitar chords. I'm like, now can you make that those chords a little more complex? I'm like, can you add this and that? And it just like it's unbelievable. It is unbelievable.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

So what do you what kind of sales do you do? Um you you performed until you were 30 and then you try transferred over to more of like Yes.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

So I everyone always told me when I got off our last hurrah was we didn't we I was in Chicago after college, after Busch Gardens went to Chicago, was in a troop there. Lived in Chicago about eight-ish years, and then uh our last hurrah was a cruise ship. So we lived on the boat, and then after that, I got off the ship, nothing, no plans. Um, I started selling cell phones for ATT at the mall here. It was my first like technically corporate experience. And um, you know, with the dancing background and the discipline and the hard work, I was like, you're gonna pay me this I can you're gonna pay me this much, and I could potentially make that much if I just stand here and just talk to people. It was like it was I was just like thrilled by it. I'm like, this is you know, I have a little bit of money in my pocket now selling cell phones, and uh they'll wake it up in bed and my knees aren't killing me. So it was a different transition there. And then um lady always came in the phone store, couldn't work her phone. I was like, what do you do? She's like, I'm a pharmaceutical salesman. I said, Really? I was like, what is that? She explained it to me. Went home, started doing my research and uh you know, science, overall health of people, things along those lines, and pounded on doors years back, and I've been a pharmaceutical rep for coming up on like 12 years, man.

SPEAKER_02 5:19

Awesome. Good for you.

SPEAKER_01 5:21

Yeah, man. Doing um I'm in the cardiovascular space now. I've I've been in the respiratory space, behavioral health space, women's health space, GI, neurology. A lot, a lot. I've learned a lot, and that's really cool too, because you know, my world you have to go to many med schools, so you have weeks and weeks of training and testing in order before before you're able to talk to anybody about it. Um, so it gets really intense at times. It's like you know, certain disease states, certain parts of the body, of course. I mean, you know, there's thousands of pages of textbooks written on these subject matters. So, you know, so you can't stop learning either, though. You know, to be a to be the best you can at your craft, you always have just like dance, man. Like you didn't just stop taking ballet class because you knew ballet, no, you have to keep taking it, you know, to keep the keep the knife sharp. So, you know, I constantly listen into different informational things and uh YouTube lectures and things like that to know what's happening in the world of health.

SPEAKER_00 6:20

So you have to like go talk to doctors or talk to organizations?

SPEAKER_01 6:25

All the above. Some days it's anybody who's willing to listen to me.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

But sales is hard. There's the gatekeep how yeah, the pressure, the gatekeepers. Like, how do you even get in contact with people now? There's so many ways to filter out sales calls, and it's gotta be hard. Man, it is hard.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

It's hard for me. And and you gotta and in my world, you gotta be patient, you know. Like you gotta be, it's a long, long game. And at the end of the day, I think people are just looking for people that are honest, normal, nice, and that they can trust you. You know, they can trust that I'm not gonna come in there and hit them over the head and I need you. Will you do this? Will you do that? No, I'm just gonna almost I I try to be a tool for them. I try to be a resource. You know, hey, I'm a sucker.

SPEAKER_00 7:17

I I take all the sales costs because I feel bad for the people who are like trying to book the calls and they've like followed up with me like 17 times. I'm like, uh Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Yeah, you're on a list somewhere, buddy, I'm sure. Some type of data list their their companies are pushing out. But um, you know, and it's but like you know, my world is a little misunderstood. Um the the the the benefit, the only benefit that I offer is information to help people. That's really what it comes down to. You know, is there a sales aspect? Yes. But at the end of the day, you know I I really try not to ever feel like sales is sales if you just talk to people and you just you know ask the right questions, and if they have a they have a gap, you can help fill it. Really. You know. And and Rich, if you have sales experience, buddy, you know it's the 80, it's a lot of a lot of it's the 80-20 rule. You know? 80% of what you do comes from 20% of what you see or who you see.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

So I was just talking about the 80-20 rule today. Cause I've um I'm re-listening to Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris.

SPEAKER_01 8:26

I'm gonna have to check that out. It's four-hour work week.

SPEAKER_00 8:29

He dives into that, like the 80-20 rule, like this is how you're gonna get more efficient and work only four hours a week. You're gonna only concentrate on, you know, the top two percent of what's moving the needle for you. 80% of your time is gonna go into that, and then the other 20% of the time is gonna go into the other 98. You know.

SPEAKER_01 8:49

I mean, it makes sense. It makes sense. Like, you know, if if in in sales, if you're doing what you need to do and things are hit, metrics are hit, you don't need to have a 20-hour a day job doing it. Um But I mean, look, they're they're talking a lot of places talking about Yeah, I mean it all comes down to the results, exactly. The merit you bring and the results you produce, you know. Um so that's what I've been doing, but hey man, it's still performing in a way, you know. I mean, I was such an introverted introverted kid growing up. You know, that performing art stuff like really blossomed my my personality that was in there that was like dormant. And now I feel like I could talk to anybody. You give me a microphone, you need there's a room of 500 people. I'd actually love that. If I'm comfortable and know the subject matter I'm speaking of, give me that microphone.

SPEAKER_00 9:41

Like part of starting this podcast was to get more comfortable on camera.

SPEAKER_01 9:47

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_00 9:48

Yeah, because I was like, I want to be making more content and not just like my stupid videos that entertain my friends, but like if I really want to niche down in something, I'm gonna want to make content. And I was like, I need to get more comfortable and like you said, a hobby. I was like, how can I like how can I do something that's gonna be fun? And and then I was looking through a yearbook in my basement and I was like, what happened to that kid? And I couldn't find him on Facebook, and I couldn't find him anywhere. I ended up finding his dad's email because he's a firefighter, and reached out to him, and that's how I got this idea to create a podcast called 20 year time out. I was like, if I could get people on a podcast, I'd be covering two things. One, my getting my over my fear of talking on camera, and then two, just producing some interesting content or what I think might be interesting, you know, to all my 13 listeners out there.

SPEAKER_01 10:39

Hey man, but you know, but you know what's it you know what's cool though is like this just shows like we haven't had a long conversation in two decades, and there is a mate, the majority of this feels like I just talked to you yesterday, Rich. It really does. It's like that is that's phenomenal. Like just the human, human, you know, like people that have impacted you that that you remember that you had a good time with, that was the thing was positive. Like you just you just pick up where you left off. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

Yeah, and uh, every single person I've had on the podcast so far, I find myself doing like voice memos back and forth all the time. Like, yo, what's up? I just saw you on Facebook, you know, and just just keep in in contact. So I hope that you we can do that from time to time.

SPEAKER_01 11:22

Man, dude, listen, my phone is always open. We're gonna get you in the hills of West Virginia, have a pepper pepperoni roll, which uh the state's famous for. Probably don't even know do you know what that is, pepperoni roll?

SPEAKER_00 11:33

No, pizza roll?

SPEAKER_01 11:34

Yeah, it's essentially just pepperoni wrapped in dough and baked, but there's different variations of it here. But it was it was it was created here. That's the West Virginia's claim to fame. That and John Denver.

SPEAKER_00 11:46

But I don't get you up into Worcester or the Boston area, get some what's the typical Boston thing? They say baked beans, but that ain't even really a thing anywhere. Oh, uh some like Coney Island hot dogs, you know, they got like a chili sauce with onions and mustards, fire.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Man, I was just thinking, um, you know, it's it's just crazy that the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl this year. I couldn't believe it. Like, no, I didn't see that coming, and I'm like, of course, of all teams, you know, uh as Pittsburgh Steelers fan here.

SPEAKER_00 12:21

So hey, that whole dynasty started a year before we were hanging out, and I'm sure every bunny was like, oh, this Brady guy, you know, he got lucky, it's his first year. Uh no one could have expected what was about to go down for the next 20 years and all the hate.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

But I mean, he's he's turned he's evolved into like the most likable personality online out there. Like, I love listening to the goat talk. Like, I can listen to him all the time. And how his brain works is just fascinating. It's like he was like savant.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

He's a giant human being, too. I did a video where he was getting a haircut for charity, and I was like next to him for a lot of the time. And when he stood up and I was following him with the camera, and I was like, later, Tom, he like dapped me up like quick, but like awkwardly, because he's such a giant human that I was like, oh my god, he's so massive.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

I mean, what's he like 6'6, 6'7, something like that? I mean, that's up there.

SPEAKER_00 13:22

Giant. I don't know, just like the biggest human I've ever seen. And he just, you know, is athletic, so it's wild.

SPEAKER_01 13:28

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

Uh you're a Pittsburgh fan, I'm guessing.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

Pittsburgh fan, man. We're we're building, though. We're in the rebuild.

SPEAKER_02 13:37

Uh-oh, you froze on me again. What about you can hear me still?

SPEAKER_01 13:43

I gotcha. I gotcha. You froze for a second.

SPEAKER_02 13:46

Yeah, Pittsburgh fan on the streets.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

It's getting to be that time anyways.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

It was a rough, it was a rough, it was a rough year for the for the Steelers, but we'll, you know, we're building. You know, now that we now that we we're we uh reconnected, I'll talk smack to you throughout the football year, send you a couple texts.

SPEAKER_00 14:00

I watched more Pittsburgh games this year than in years past just because it was interesting to see what was gonna unfold.

SPEAKER_01 14:07

Oh man. I I bought a Rogers jersey this year, you know.

SPEAKER_00 14:14

A lot of people bought uh a lot of people bought Mac Jones jerseys up here in uh New England and now they all had to go buy their uh what's his name? Drake May, baby. Drake May.

SPEAKER_01 14:25

Yeah, yeah. I I think Drake May is probably there to stay for a while, you know.

SPEAKER_00 14:30

But who you really who knows, you know? You fold they either succeed or you fold. It's like a tough people you think are gonna go long term don't. It's just like every it's year by year for sure in the NFL.

SPEAKER_01 14:42

Man, it it's you know, young young people doing stuff that physical, again, like what we used to do. I'd always say I'm one twisted ankle away from from pivoting, you know, no pun intended. But uh yeah, super awesome talking with you, man. Rich, hey, any other anytime, man, reach out, buddy, stay in contact. Uh send me your stuff. I'll follow you, please. Yeah, I will. On all the avenues.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

I'll I'll share, I'll share your content and what's what's uh the future? Will you got anything going on in the future?

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Man, nothing future, man. We just moved one day at a time. Man, one day at a time. I'm just right now, uh short-term goal is to uh get out of daycare payments, which is just uh uh short about six months away. Um, you know, I just transitioned to a new job, but you know, it's just grinding, man. And just watching these new humans grow has been the best thing to experience, you know. It's uh it's shifted to them now. So we're gonna try to help them follow their dreams and be here to support along the way.

SPEAKER_00 15:49

Amen to that. Let's keep them healthy, curious, not angry, although they'll probably get angry at some point when they become teenagers. And yeah, keep the hobbies going. That seems to help with the positivity and the creativity. Gotta keep gotta keep the creativity going, right?

SPEAKER_01 16:07

Oh man, never stop. Listen, never stop moving. Try stuff new, you know, try something new. Um, I got some things on my list I want to try new, but we'll we'll get to them. Hell yeah, bro. Rich, peace out, man. It's been an absolute pleasure, dude.

SPEAKER_00 16:23

Tell uh I never met your wife, but tell her I say hi. And yeah, I'll take you up on some pepperoni rolls some at some point in the future, maybe.

SPEAKER_01 16:33

Sounds good, dude. Keep doing what you're doing, buddy. All right. Peace, bro. That's love, man.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

Thank you. Thank you for doing this.