48. Mike Vizer - Stills Photographer/Content Creator

Originally from Ohio, Mike Vizer is a professional stills photographer and content creator within the world of action sports with an emphasis on both amateur motocross and professional Supercross and motocross racing. 

In today's episode, Vizer shares his story of growing up in small-town Ohio, getting a scholarship for wrestling, burnout from school, a life changing accident that left him unable to walk, his battle regain feeling and walk again, photography, seizures, the struggles of feeling valued in a creative field, rebuilding relationships, and more. 

I cannot begin to thank Vizer enough for spending the time to come on and share his journey, being so transparent and, hopefully, inspiring others chasing their dreams, too. Thank you, Vizer. 

Follow Mike Vizer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikevizerphoto

Follow The Failed Experiment on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thefailedexperiment/

Support the the Failed Experiment: https://account.venmo.com/u/kylecowling

Follow The Failed Experiment on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@_TFE

Follow Kyle Cowling on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylecowling/

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:00

I would like to apologize about last week's intro. That was dramatically too long. Uh so we're gonna try to do better today. I I think I may have actually ended up being the one and only intro I've ever cut a couple things out to try and cut down the time because holy fuck. So uh apologies about that, everyone. Uh episode 48 today, with none other than Mr. Mike Pfizer, still his photographer, content creator. Oh man, this was good. Pfizer and I have known each other for quite a few years just through our time working for and with Verb and being on Red Bull stuff. Um and we had talked about I think we had talked about doing this quite a while ago and just never worked out. Um but finally doing it. And really I I need to thank Visor for just being so damn open and vulnerable and transparent um about his life and story and battles and everything. Um it it was really, really good, and I learned quite a bit more about Visor that I did not know. Um I think we talk about it, but some of my honestly, some of my favorite memories are from Red Bull Imagination. Um at the end of the days, him and I and um just being in the rental car and leaving leaving location to go back to the hotel, and it would just be the two of us. And um I know not a whole lot of people got to actually experience Red Bull Imagination and see the location and from location to town, like that drive and what it looked like, but it was not close, but it was not far. It was this weird thing, a lot of a lot of gravel back roads through cornfields and stuff. Um so we had we had some wonderful conversations in the rental car driving from location back to the hotel after ridiculously long days. Um those are yeah, some of my honestly fondest memories from the three or four years I was a part of that whole project. Um so yeah, much love to you, Visor. Stoked you came on and shared your story. We there's a lot here that we get into. Um Visor grew up as a essentially a student athlete um wrestling and then eventually found his way into dirt bikes and um did at one point because of dirt bikes sustain a life-changing injury. Um went through paralysis and was uh very fortunate to end up regaining his feeling and being able to walk again, and he attributes almost all of that to his sister, who is a PT and was able to essentially provide all of his PT and get him back on his feet walking again. Um get into how photography um and in the picture for him, and and the opportunity that started everything for him behind the camera and how it just grew from there. Um being a part of the two stanken project with Jared Steinke, and how that was really the thing that essentially helped his career to take off. Um we get into because of his past injuries, uh they were causing seizures and mood swings, and this was a really interesting thing because that was something that I know he was struggling with, just the mood swings, and he was struggling with I think the anger anger and whatnot, and it wasn't something he could control. Um so we get into those seizures and again those mood swings and what was triggering them and where he's at now with all that, and basically he now has all of his seizures under control um and what they found that was triggering it, and how they were able to um improve on that, um, how he's been going through mending and repairing relationships, um how social media uh uh became such a big thing for him because he's got a massive following on social media. It is wild. Um where he's at now working with uh Insta360, his goals for the future, um, being able to spend more time at Club MX and repairing that relationship. Um there's just a lot here, and it was it was really good. I'm super stoked for Visor and where he's at. And he's pretty open about contemplating wanting to just step away and go find a real job, and um similarly, as I've said to some of these other conversations, I do think this one is at points very conversational where things are being thrown back to me, and just sharing my experience of how and when and why I knew it was time for me to step away and move on to the next career in the happiness um that has provided for me. And um but also for visor. I think he's got so much more to accomplish, and he has such a high ceiling. So um stoked on this one. Thank you, Visor, for coming on again. This was great. Keep doing your thing, keep pushing, proud of you and what you're doing, and hope everyone that listens enjoys. Um yeah. Uh wish list of guests. Same old suspects, Jenny Taft, Alex McKenna, Adam Censorello, Justin Brayton, the Williams Trio, CJ, Justin and Corey, West Borland, Buddy Nielsen, Jordan Pundick, Sam Rosenholtz, Max Anstey, David Blaine, Nick Romano, Molly Carlson. Did I say that? I don't know. Um, who else? Katie Maloney. Um, yeah, and others. And if there's uh anyone you think that should be on the podcast that I haven't had on that you think would be good, reach out, let me know. Or connect the dots and link us up and we can make it happen. Um follow Instagram at underscore the failed experiment, Apple, Spotify, subscribe, leave a review, rate it, preferably a nice kind one would be cool. If you want to support the podcast for some reason, you can uh at you can Venmo at Kyle Cowling a couple bucks or in the show notes or the link in bio on Instagram. Uh you can subscribe and become a member for three bucks a month and get access to episodes five days before they go live to the public, if that interests you, because this is a DIY no sponsor type situation. Uh if not, do not stress. Um, but if for some reason that floats your boat, that's how you can do it. Um yeah, and tell a friend. Just doing this thing, me, myself, and I, growing it organically. And and uh word of mouth is really all we got over here. So tell a friend to check it out if they're in need of a new podcast. And hope everyone enjoys episode 48. Mike Visor, still a photographer, content, creator, friend. Um just all around good dude, stoked free, Mike. Keep doing your thing, man. Um you're kicking ass. So uh okay, let's do it. And yeah, per usual, the kiddo is probably making appearances in here because she's the unofficial official co-host. So uh shout out to Violet. Love you, girl. Enjoy. I'm glad you were down to do this.

SPEAKER_00 8:03

Yeah, no, I'll say I love uh I love the opportunity to kind of talk about what's going on, especially like the industry. Um my story. I don't know. I don't know exactly what you want to talk about, but I'm game.

SPEAKER_06 8:15

Yeah, well we'll we'll get into all of it. Um I know some of my I was talking to Jeff Simpson maybe a week ago or something, I was telling him you were gonna come on and he was all stoked about it. And um and uh I was I was telling him like some of my favorite memories from Imagination were like our car rides that we had like after a day of shooting out there, just back to the hotel in the middle of nowhere, Kansas. Just like yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:43

Unbelievable. How far was that drive?

SPEAKER_06 8:47

I don't know. It felt far. Like I felt like we were on those those gravel roads for almost all of the drive.

SPEAKER_00 8:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 8:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

I got nervous the first time going out there. I'm like, are we really going somewhere that's actually there?

SPEAKER_06 9:04

That's how I felt the first time I ever went to Freestone in 2008 for the national. I went for Trans World and I was by myself in a rental car at 21 years old and just going down, like you pull off that I guess main road, and you go down that side road or whatever, and it just kept going and going and going. And I'm like, am I getting set up for like an execution or something? Because this is like scary.

SPEAKER_00 9:27

Yeah, I've had a couple of those. Freestone's actually one of the places I've never been. Oh, really? Yep, never been there.

SPEAKER_06 9:34

I love I've I got a soft spot for Freestone. Like, I don't know why, but there's something about that place that I've always enjoyed.

SPEAKER_00 9:41

Just good memories, or yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_06 9:44

I've always had a good time there, and I've the track is really simple, but it's one of those places where you can kind of point your camera 360 degrees and you have a a good background, a good angle. Like it's just a pretty facility. Um I've always had a good time there. Good memories. So um sweet. Yeah, I'll dive into your story. Kind of I know we talked about some stuff offline too. Um get your opinion on stuff. I'm sure we have similar thoughts on on things, but um just to start, um, born and raised, where are you from originally?

SPEAKER_00 10:22

Uh Spencer, Ohio. Tiny, tiny town in Ohio.

SPEAKER_06 10:26

What uh what was it like growing up in Ohio?

SPEAKER_00 10:29

Well well, where I was from, um, we live pretty close to like Amish. So it was it was different. Um, but I liked it. It was a small town. Uh my high school I went to was like 89 kids in my graduating class, so it was it was small. But uh I think it it gave me a good place to kind of grow up. Um I was around the moto scene pretty much from when I was a kid. My dad used to race. So um yeah, but it was good. I enjoyed it being uh quiet, you know, a little bit quieter than you know your typical city. And it was just uh it was nice, it was filled with good people. Um I mean I can't really say too much about it, just thankful, honestly. You know, I've been to a lot of different places and cities and I've talked to other people about you know how they grew up or where they grew up. And um a lot of people have some sort of negative thing to say about where they lived, but I feel pretty fortunate to have uh lived and grown up where I did. It was quiet.

SPEAKER_06 11:30

Yeah. Are your parents still out there?

SPEAKER_00 11:33

Uh yeah, my mom and dad are still in Ohio. Uh my dad's still in our original house. Um, my parents are separated now, but still both in Ohio. Um similar areas still. Uh I actually got to go visit them uh next week before uh Cleveland super crossed.

SPEAKER_07 11:49

Oh, cool.

SPEAKER_00 11:50

Pretty cool. Get to go back and see the tiny town.

SPEAKER_06 11:52

Yeah, nice. How was for you? How was school and education as a whole? Something you enjoyed or not so much?

SPEAKER_00 11:59

Um I did. Uh like I said, being so small, uh it was cool. We had kind of knew everybody. Um I wouldn't say bullying was very big in my school, which seems like that's a huge topic now, is just you know, the bullying, how you know, how bad it can affect a kid. But it seemed like where I was from, a lot of people respected each other, and that was nice. Um, I did I did okay in school. I have a sister, and uh she was definitely a little bit more academically um based, I guess, or focused than I was. I was in uh I wrestled, I did some other sports, and I guess I kind of wanted to just you know be a little bit different from what my sister really was. Um but it was good. I had a lot of fun in school. Um I wouldn't say I was part of like the cool, cool kid crowd, but there wasn't too much of a difference between crowds or clicks there. It was it was pretty friendly all around.

SPEAKER_07 12:55

Thanks.

SPEAKER_06 12:55

Um how old are you?

SPEAKER_00 12:58

Well, right now?

SPEAKER_06 12:59

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

Oh boy, oh boy, I'm 27.

SPEAKER_06 13:03

Are you really?

SPEAKER_00 13:04

Yeah, really.

SPEAKER_06 13:05

Okay, okay, red. Um how um how or I guess what was I know you said your dad rode dirt bikes, but what like was that your very first memory of dirt bikes? Was your dad, or was it watching the races on TV, or what was kind of your first core memory of it?

SPEAKER_00 13:25

Um crazy enough, I think I was about maybe three years old, and uh my dad put me on the front of his dirt bike, and uh I just remember it was in I believe it was a 1990 CR-125 or yeah, it would have been a 1990. And uh the way that the shrouds were, there was like these little holes that my little feet could like kind of just sit into. And uh crazy enough, I remember that. I remember clear as day. And uh that kind of gave me that that love immediately. And um my dad didn't race often and he didn't race for very long. He quit probably '92 at the latest, I think he wrote. He didn't really really ride very long.

SPEAKER_06 14:11

Um and for you after that, like, did you end up getting a bike, or how did that kind of progress for you?

SPEAKER_00 14:20

Um well, I my parents, I guess I was talented with wrestling, so they um they kind of pushed me to keep going with that. And it was it was funny because like I I loved wrestling and I really focused on it, but my true passion and love was always kind of towards dirt bikes. Um my dad also he got into cars, so I mean he was huge into that, and like I enjoyed that as well, but it always came back to dirt bikes, moto. I just really I loved it. So I went to I went all the way through um, I think I didn't get my first dirt bike until my sophomore year in high school.

SPEAKER_07 14:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:59

And uh I got a bike then and I just rode a little bit here and there. I started to race, and then um my college scholarship came up, and uh once I had that offer, they kind of cut out, you know, especially riding. They're like, you know, we can't have you getting hurt, you're you know, you're supposed to be with us. And uh so I went back to focusing on um on wrestling completely. Um but it was funny after my sophomore year I got hurt, I hurt my knee, and so I had some time off. And my grandfather, he had passed, but he left you know some money obviously to my sister and I. My grandma went ahead and got me my first nice bike. I got a brand new 04 CR125. I was hyped, and um, so I kind of started riding a little bit more um here and there, and uh, I guess that's kind of how it progressed. My uh wrestling career ended. Um pretty much the start of my junior year. I was hurt and I wasn't a starter anymore. And I'd already accomplished like my main goal. I set a goal for myself when you know I was a kid. I was like, I just want to win a varsity wrestling match in college, go to a big college, and uh once I did it, it was crazy, like the passion just kind of died away.

SPEAKER_06 16:19

Interesting. Where'd you go to college at?

SPEAKER_00 16:22

Uh Notre Dame.

SPEAKER_06 16:23

Oh wow. Okay. And overall aside from rest the wrestling, how was the college experience there for you?

SPEAKER_00 16:32

Um well as a college athlete, it's it's kind of funny. Like when you start, they uh they kind of tell you that that's your job. And um I'll be honest, I really didn't didn't pay attention very much. I didn't even go to class a lot my first two years of of college. And um so I mean overall I can't say that I really probably experienced a lot in college. I was so focused on athletics, and then by the time that wrestling ended, I was so far behind. Uh I felt like I could never catch up. I had to switch majors, like it was it was tough. I went initially for early childhood education, then I switched to uh criminal justice because I had no idea how to teach kids, and I was supposed to kind of be getting to that point. And uh I just couldn't do it. So I mean, but it it was fun. Um I'd say I wasn't very very social really in college. I didn't didn't go out often, I didn't didn't do all that. It was like I said, once wrestling ended, um my whole passion and I guess like goals and idea of of what college was, it just it all kind of died.

SPEAKER_06 17:42

And were you like when that that passion and everything kind of fizzled away, were you okay with it or were you kind of like confused by it, or how like what were those feelings?

SPEAKER_00 17:54

Um I was I was pretty confused. I was more um I guess I felt bad. You know, I felt like I disappointed my parents. You know, they put a lot of time and effort into um you know getting getting me there. And also at the same time, my sister was going to college and she was she went for she has her doctorate, you know, so she became a doctor. And um for me to be on the end that I was, it it kind of left me feeling a little bit lost. You know, I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing or if I was doing it the right way. Like I was confused the whole way through, especially after wrestling. And um, yeah, I just kind of bounced around. I wanted I just wanted to be home, you know, and try and figure things out. But um, yeah, it was tough. It was really tough. Um I never never looked into anything else uh besides wrestling at that point, and uh career-wise, like I said, I just I felt so lost.

SPEAKER_06 18:52

Um did you end up getting your degree in criminal justice?

SPEAKER_00 18:58

I didn't even get to finish.

SPEAKER_07 19:00

Oh wow, okay.

SPEAKER_00 19:01

No, it got to a point where uh my parents could see that you know I I was clocked out basically, you know, I was going to class, but I I had no plan with it. And um so I mean I just I didn't go all the way through. Um I'm I was like this close to graduating. I had everything. It just like I said, it it wasn't in my heart. And it's weird when something when one of my passions die, it really dies. And they could see that. And uh my parents were relatively okay with it because in that last part of uh my college career there was a job fair, and somebody came to our college there from Progressive Insurance, and uh because I had that criminal justice background, I went went and I had a pretty good position in like um fraudulent claims, you know, investigating claims, reporting claims. Uh so it was a good job. I mean, I was making good money. Um I had a really good thing going with Progressive, and um yeah, that's where I stayed for a little while.

SPEAKER_06 20:07

Okay. Wow, I had no idea about any of that. Um so where where in this does photography start to enter the picture for ya?

SPEAKER_00 20:21

Well, uh things got pretty crazy after that. I um after I was starting to make money, I was like, you know what, I'm gonna buy, I'm gonna get my bike back together. Um, I'm gonna start racing again. And uh I got pretty heavy into it for like I'd say like three years. Like I was I was pretty invested. I was riding all the time, going to tracks all the time. I was getting faster and faster, and like I put a lot into it. And um on February 27, 2011, I was at a uh like a small arena cross race and I crashed. I ended up separating my spinal cord, and uh I was in a wheelchair uh for a a good amount of time after that. And again, that was a big life reset uh because I couldn't come back in time for progressives, so they fired me and um so losing my job, having an apartment to pay, um, losing my ability to walk, like it was just it it hit hard. Uh so I was really depressed and being in the hospital doing physical therapy all the time because my sister's a physical therapist, a doctorate of physical therapy. So she um she was honestly the reason why I started walking again. I don't think I would have ever walked if I didn't have her pushing me so much or have the opportunity to just do session after session. Um I worked on that for a long time. Like I said, I lost my apartment. I was um I was in a long term relationship, like engaged, and she left. Um so it it just everything fell apart. So I was in a really bad like mental state, and um I kept getting my magazine, so Racer X and Trans World. And uh it was it was just really weird. I had gotten a camera, didn't really know anything about it. It was just something my grandma was like, here, have fun, you know, maybe get your mind off things, whatever. And um I got the magazines, I can't remember which one, but they had just a a straight up like photo column where all they did they just posted, you know, or printed. I guess back then it was all print. Um they had like an actual just like photo section, and I don't know how, but it clicked in my head that maybe, just maybe, um, if there was a way to stay around the sport, um, then maybe I could be in media, you know, be a photographer, um, video. I wasn't sure. You know, I just wanted to to try. And um I started walking again in October. And once I could, you know, walk pretty decently again, I started going to a track. And that's kind of kind of where the whole whole thing started. It was just a uh a crazy idea that clicked one day, and like I said, I mean losing everything at once. It was it was weird that that you know motto, for some reason, I think it's because it's such a core memory, you know, from my early, early childhood. I was like, maybe this can can bring me back to a better place.

SPEAKER_06 23:19

Yeah. Um so when you had that accident, was it in terms of feeling, was it from waist down, chest down? Like what was kind of the situation with that?

SPEAKER_00 23:30

Well, right when it happened, it was like chest down. I couldn't see, like I I lost vision, like I was I was in a pretty bad place because what I did is I like I stretched my spinal cord. So if you think about unplugging any cord, you know, once you get to that certain point, things shut off. Um so it was chest down at first, and then I was in the hospital, and I can't remember how many days, uh, but then it went, it I started getting feeling like further down, further down, and then it uh it was waist down for a while or a long time. And um still to this day I really don't have like good feeling. Um so like if I get cut or you know anything like that, especially waist down, I really doesn't bother me. My feet don't ever hurt, which is good. I don't really uh can't complain about walking.

SPEAKER_06 24:20

So Yeah. Um was there any prognosis for you from doctors of like you'll never walk again, or was it uncertain?

SPEAKER_00 24:31

Um I think I think like now or at least back then the protocol was kind of to prepare people for the worst. Um so they told me, you know, I we don't know. You know, it's it's up in the air, but you need to prepare, you know, for the chance that you'll never walk again. So initially they they throw you into occupational therapy so fast, and that in my mind is just learning how to live in that situation. And um for me it bugged me. It really bothered me that that was the immediate step. I'm like, that's that's not what I want to focus on. I want to you know focus on walking again. Um I wasn't in occupational therapy for very long, I kind of refused to do it, but okay.

SPEAKER_06 25:16

And then is that when you started to go see your sister and get help uh that direction?

SPEAKER_00 25:23

Yeah, no, our uh her clinic that she worked at uh was called Feral Whited, and like I said, I mean I'm indebted to them forever. I mean, it was uh it was intense. Like I would literally go there and spend the day at the uh the clinic, you know, she'd put me on a program and I would do the program, she'd check back in, she'd put me on another program to do, and then I did a lot of aquatic therapy, like in pools. And uh I think that's what really, you know, really, really helped, at least for me, um, to kind of let things go back to where they needed to be and plug it back in. And yeah, it was like I said though, if if I didn't do the therapy with her, I I don't know if how things would have turned out or if I would have been at least walking as soon as I was, it was fortunate. I'm a lucky guy that she chose that career path.

SPEAKER_06 26:17

Um do you remember the moment when like you're like, oh shit, I think this is actually working and like I'm regaining feeling?

SPEAKER_00 26:26

Oh yeah, yeah, no, for sure. Um there was a day in the pool, and like I said, it was I could I started to be able to actually move my legs in the water. Like I couldn't really do a whole lot out of the pool yet, just because the weight. Um, but I could start to move them, and then we would get out of the pool, and um there's like certain like tests where they take like a uh a sharp object and they run it against the bottom of your foot, and your foot's supposed to curl. It's like a reaction, and um, it started to do that, and I'm like, okay, here we go. Like, we're gonna get it back, and uh I think a lot of it was just the positivity, you know, like alright, this is this is gonna happen. And uh made a promise to my sister, I was like, look, I'm gonna walk at your wedding. And her wedding was in the I think it was like the end of October, and uh I wasn't walking like perfectly, um, but I was able to be a you know part of the the wedding party and um yeah, stand up there, and that was that was big. Um but yeah, no, definitely there was a moment. Um and once that moment clicked, it seemed like everything just started to kind of pick up pace, and uh it wasn't very long before I could start using um like a walker basically, and then it progressed to like these crushes are called leaf strand crutches. I used those for a while and then uh eventually yeah, started to put weight down.

SPEAKER_06 27:54

Okay, wow. Did you ever get back on a dirt bike after that or no?

SPEAKER_00 28:00

I did, yeah. No, I did. Um mentally I just told myself I had to, you know. I had to do it just so I wasn't afraid per se. And uh it was just tough because I can't like not being able to feel your feet how you should, um obviously like being on the pegs or you know, shifting, braking, anything like that. It was it was scary, sketchy, I guess, not really scary, but sketchy. And um, yeah, I mean I I had a lot of things to pay for, um, you know, both with the debt from the apartment and just in general, I was behind. Um, so I made the decision to sell uh sell my bikes, sell pretty much everything related to riding. And um I hadn't ridden since that point, I think the last time I rode now was it was while I lived at Club MX, and uh I did ride again, and uh yeah, it was fun. I think um I hope to ride again in the future, you know, but now I can't, you know, ever see myself putting you know that amount of effort into it again. It's just my time's gone.

SPEAKER_06 29:11

Yeah. Um so throughout all that you get your camera and you're getting the magazines every month from Trans World Racer X and and stuff. What um what are those next steps for you? You have a camera um and you're able to start walking again on your own. What kind of follows suit next for you?

SPEAKER_00 29:33

Um there was a local track that I used to ride at a lot, and I would just go to that track and just mess around, you know, mess around with it, and um just started there really, and then I would progress to okay, I went to this track, now I'm gonna try and go to another track. And as I went to that track, then I okay, I'm gonna try another track. And uh I gained some really good friends uh through that, and I think a lot of it, I mean, you know how content creation is. Once people enjoy your content, it kind of gives you a big boost. And when people were like, dude, this is this is awesome, you do good work, like can we do something? You know, can we do something at this track? Like, and they're just friends, you know, it's nothing big. Um, but that's kind of how like that whole process like kept growing was just building that group of friends and being a part of I guess their riding program. Um there was an indoor track, Ram Jam, in Ohio, and um the owner's son, Jesse Moore, and another kid, uh we clicked and uh they started to help me out a little bit more, you know, going places uh from there.

SPEAKER_06 30:45

Okay, nice. What who um in terms of photographers at that time that were published and making a career out of it, who were some of them that kind of caught your attention that you were looking up to that aesthetically you were like, yeah, I those are really pretty images. Like that's kind of who I'm not molding yourself after, but you know, taking inspiration from.

SPEAKER_00 31:07

Um Simon Cudby. To be honest, I mean I I loved I loved how natural he made things look. Um his colors were always natural. It was never like over the top, like it was always just natural, and uh I think that things that are natural and the natural colors, I think they're just it feels good. I don't know, it's a weird weird relation to looking at his work, and then I was like, yeah, that's that's quality, you know, and he had so many magazine covers and he was so well respected, worked with so many different teams at that time. I'm like, man, this guy, this guy does it right, and um, so I mean I I really looked up to him, and then I guess the next two people I really looked up to was uh Ryan Swanberg and Garf Linland.

SPEAKER_06 31:59

Okay. Nice. Um and being where you were in Ohio, um obviously you have your your local tracks, but industry-wise, especially at that time, it's really heavily based in Southern California. Um did it feel attainable to you to like make a career out of it at that time, like being where you were?

SPEAKER_00 32:24

No, I mean it at that time it didn't. Um, but there was one opportunity that I got, and um that was that was the one chance, and I think that was when I kind of looked at it like, man, this might might happen. Um there was a rider, Mike McDade, and uh he had this clothing company he was trying to make happen. I think it was called True Prodigy, and uh he posted on Facebook, he's like, hey, I need somebody to come out and do some photos at a track, and the track was kind of far away from me. Um he's like, Yeah, I need some riding photos, some pictures of me in the shirts. And I'm like, man, this this is an opportunity. So I I messaged him right away and he said, Yeah, come on out. So I went out to the track, did all the shoot with him, he paid me a little bit, and then he's like, Well, is there anything else I can do for you? He's like, I really appreciate what you did. And uh he was an arena cross guy at that time, and he was pretty good. Uh so I asked him, I'm like, Well, do you think it would ever be possible that you could help me get a credential for one round at Supercross, or not Supercross, but at Arena Cross? And he's like, dude, I think I think we can make it happen. So from that point, I was like, man, I don't know if this is even gonna happen. I don't know how it's gonna go. Um, but Mike Mewe, who's now the director of Supercross, he was the director of Arena Cross back then, and um, I'm not sure why, but he approved approved the credential for me. And uh, once I made it to that first pro race, you know, Arena Cross, that's when I started to think, wow, this this could maybe work. You know, if I if I figure it out and I keep keep networking, keep building, keep building, um, that it might work. I mean, there was always a doubt at that early phase, and um my parents definitely doubted it, for sure. Um like that was uh a hard pill to swallow, I think, for them. Like, hey, I'm trying to do this, and they're like, man, I don't see it. Um yeah, I mean that's that's pretty much where I kind of like started to to commit like, hey, this is this is what I might want to do for a career.

SPEAKER_06 34:42

Yeah. Um let me grab the kiddo a snack real quick for a second.

SPEAKER_00 34:45

Oh no, you're fine.

unknown 34:46

You're fine.

SPEAKER_04 35:01

What do you think?

SPEAKER_06 35:03

You're welcome. Um so what was it I guess first thing where was the arena cross race at that first one, and then what was it like for you to have that credential, your first professional race, arena cross, like what is that feeling like for you?

SPEAKER_00 35:24

Uh it was Wilkesboro PA, and um it was pretty far, you know, so I had to drive there, and I'm like, man, this is nuts. Like, am I really am I really doing this? And um, no, I was I was scared. I was nervous. Uh I didn't have like a full assignment or anything, so I was like, man, like I'm out of place. You know, there's these other guys there that are shooting and their work's going somewhere, you know. I didn't really have a home for it. Um I I was nervous, um, but I felt I felt that feeling. Like, I don't know if I'm sure you felt it like when you're at a pro race like that, it's just the first one, it it's uh the adrenaline rush. Like you're just so excited, and uh to be down there, to be a part of it, um, to see the riders, you know, that that's always where I wanted to be. Um and I knew that this was the closest, you know, that I could ever be to that. Um, but I was excited, I was definitely nervous. Um but it it it went well, crazy enough. I mean, that round went really well. Uh, and then I ended up getting approved for I can't remember how many rounds I did that first year. Uh, but I got approved for a bunch. Honestly, I kept getting, you know, okay, you can do this round, or okay, you can do this round. Uh, pretty much that were relatively close. I started a ride with um that Jesse Moore I told you about. He started taking me to the other races that were further away because he was pursuing the series and it made it a lot a lot easier, a lot more financially feasible to do it. And um, yeah, he really helped me, really supported me through it. Um yeah, again, Mike Mewey, gotta give him a shout-out. He uh he gave a a guy that wasn't doing a whole lot, but uh he gave me a chance, and uh yeah, forever thankful for that. That was that was big.

SPEAKER_06 37:16

Yeah, no, that's cool. I my first race with like an actual credential and a vest was 2007 Hangtown. It was the year that um RV ghost rode his bike into the face of JLaw at Hangtown.

SPEAKER_03 37:34

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 37:35

And uh it was for Trans World at the time, and Don was like, hey, I'll give you I'll get you a credential, I'll get you a photo vest um and the whole deal. But he's like, I'm not gonna I'm not paying for your travel or your lodging or anything. Like you gotta figure out how to get there, but you'll have everything you need ready at the tent for pickup. Just figure out how to get there, and if you have anything good, photo-wise, um we'll buy it and we'll run it in the magazine, but I'm not promising anything other than a credential and a photo vest. I was working at a art supply store at the time, making like $50 an hour. Like saved up money, bought a plane ticket, and did the whole deal. Sure enough, there's a credential on a photo vest there waiting for me. And I think I got there on like a Friday, and this was when the outdoors were still Saturday, Sunday, so it was like Saturday practice, daytime qualifying, and then Sunday races, and I remember like kind of like you were saying, like you're you almost feel a little out of place, like even though I'm there, I guess, for trans world, there's no real assignment or anything, and there's no guarantee of anything. And I remember just like shooting everything, like I didn't know what to do or like how to like self-edit myself, so you're just like shooting anything and everything because you you don't know, you know, and then um it ended up working on I think Don bought a handful of photos and I made like a thousand bucks or something like that, and I was like, and they were published, and I'm like, here you go, and I was like, oh my gosh, like that was so crazy, and then I I go back to my eight dollar an hour job stocking shelves at an art store, and I'm like, I gotta figure this out because that was too good to not get to do again, you know.

SPEAKER_00 39:22

I I agree. Did you have that feeling like um I don't know, I always felt like the first couple, I'm like, man, do these guys like accept me? Like the other media guys, you know, you're looking at like, man, I I know that I'm new, like how do I, you know, talk to these guys? How do I that's where I was. I don't know, I had that weird feeling.

SPEAKER_06 39:42

Yeah, no, I was the same. The and because the only real photographer at the time I even like knew on a first name basis, and that they knew me was Garth. Um, but like Simon and Chris Tedesco and Jeff Cardi and um was like Carl Stone at that time, and um who else? Hoppice, like those guys were there, and they were all guys like I remember like looking up to and seeing their names in the magazines, but like they didn't know who I was, and I'm like, man, I do not want to piss off anybody. Like I don't want to do the wrong thing, you know? I don't want to be that guy. And everything was I remember just kind of keeping to myself, and then a few months later I ended up getting hired full time at Trans World, and then my first like real super cross on assignment full time was Houston 2008. I remember it being like I think Cudby and Chris Tedesco were there, and I was like, holy shit. And they were all very kind and helpful to me, like honestly, it kind of helped show me the ropes. Um and I think that had a lot to do with just like not coming in and being an asshole and thinking you're hot shit and that you know everything, because I don't like I'm I'm new, you know. So and I'm sure you've seen it, like some of these younger kids come in, they get a credential and they're just like I'm fucking hot shit, and they piss everybody off.

SPEAKER_00 41:08

Yeah, no, I think I think that's becoming more and more the story. I mean, there's so many new like even at the last super cross I was at, um I'm a friendly guy now, you know. I I may not have been like super super friendly for a little while. Um but I mean I try and be super, super outgoing, super, you know, accessible. I was you know, hey, you know, how you doing? Give them the head nod. And they just they don't even care. Like it's yeah, it's like you know, they they just have this, I don't know, like a mindset of like you said, they think they're hot shit and they they don't have to pay their dues or you know, kind of figure it out or or be nice in general.

SPEAKER_06 41:50

Um yeah, yeah, and I I hate uh like I don't want to say, oh back in my day, but like when I was coming up, there wasn't social media, it was still print. Um Instagram, Twitter, you like YouTube, and those didn't really exist at the time, and and like I worked at a limousine company making answering phones and booking reservations, and then obviously a lot of people know Disneyland, and then I worked at a Starbucks and an art store and Target and all this stuff, and um a lot of that was to save money to buy a camera and just you know, on the weekends go to the track and go shoot photos out at Elsinore Paris of just whoever might be like the local intermediate kid, and then send them to Don, because Don was always at the tracks riding and stuff, and like hoping to God that you know there's something there. And it was just like this year after year after year of like doing that and kind of grinding, and then you get that opportunity and you don't want to fuck it up and you don't want to piss people off, and then I was there for a year, I got fired, and that's when I immediately went into video in 2009, and it was almost like starting over again, and then just it's almost the same thing. Like I think one of my first clients when I was doing when I started doing video was Novik Gloves and Pantsagon Designs, and it was for like Yeah, it was like 200 200 bucks for shooting and editing. Because I was like, I'd fuck I I don't know. I'm just think it's weird even want to give me money to go shoot Tyler Bowers or Alexa Pearson or whoever it was at the time, and so just like you know, starting small and being humble and tr knowing that I don't know everything and trying to learn and grow and grow and grow, and obviously got to the point where it's like I was doing work for Red Bull and American Honda and Suzuki and shot commercials that were on TV and in the stadiums and even still it's like imposter syndrome. You're like, This this shouldn't be me. There's people out here that are better than me. Like I'm not really that good, you know. Um but yeah, I I did last Few years of my career, I saw it too. Like kids just they'd get their pass and they'd be at the race. And I have a Snapchat clip, Snapchat video, Snapchat video I took at Paulo one year. We were shooting the flight plan stuff for the Lawrence brothers. And I'm set up waiting for the first motor to get a first turn shot or whatever. Dude, dude, that I didn't know who he was. I later found out who he was, but he was like, first time at the race, kind of that hot shit vibe. Walks up where I am, literally, dude, straight in front of me, sets up. Like, straight in front of me. And it was very obvious that I wasn't just like chilling. I was posted up like this was gonna be my angle for the first turn. Straight in front of me, dude. Just sets up, doesn't even like give a fuck. And I remember like getting getting on my Snapchat and like recording the video and sending it to a few of my friends, and I'm just like, I'm over here getting frame fucked real hard, and a homie does not care. So that's that was yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:03

Yeah, no, I I've had I've had my fair share of you know similar things, and I can relate. It's a weird feeling for sure, you know, because you can't really do anything about it, and you don't know it's hard for me, I guess, to be like, yo, get the f out of my way.

SPEAKER_06 45:20

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think I ended up just moving, like moving over, I don't know, two feet to the left or to the right or whatever, and it it was fine, but it was just like there's an etiquette on on the track, like for us as photo video guys, like there's an etiquette and a way to respect everybody and make sure you're not I always called it frame fucking, like not frame fucking someone shot. Um and I felt like it was yeah, being that etiquette was becoming less and less of a thing my last few years. Yeah. So um so you do the arena cross and you start doing a few more of those. Um how does it keep progressing from there for you?

SPEAKER_00 46:04

Uh it just I guess I kept getting like more and more small opportunities that gave me that confidence or that belief, like, man, if you just keep going, you just keep going, something will happen, you know, something good. And initially I was just putting deals together with either you know riders or the smaller Renicross teams and uh providing content each week. And it wasn't bad, you know, like it was it was good enough to where I could keep going. Um, you know, I obviously you can't shoot for free um if you want to make it you know a career, and I think that's that was one thing that I you know obviously wanted to touch on too. We'll circle back to it later, maybe, but it just kept going. And like I said, I was so lucky that I had a good group of friends that would let me you know ride along with them and kind of support me, you know. Obviously, I'd give back to them, but without having that, I think it it would have been pretty much impossible. And I just kept going with Arena Cross, and then I think my first media like hookup was with Verb. Um and that was huge because obviously growing up or not even growing up, but through that time, you know, while I was in Moto and all this stuff, I'm like, man, I always I always watch Verb stuff, always um Wes, you know, just the stuff they created, I'm like, man, this stuff is cool, it's good. And um, I think I reached out to Wes, and I think Wes was the one that was like, all right, we'll we'll give you a chance, you know, you can do some galleries. And uh that was kind of how I really started, you know, getting more access, more things going. And um, yeah, I did the first two seasons, I guess that would have been 2013 and 14. It were just like rounds here and there, it wasn't a full, full season. And then 2015, I ended up doing a full season of that. And midway through the season, I got kind of lucky. Um Cuzo, I'm sure you know Kuzo, he um I contacted him. I can't remember how it even came together. I think I did a he bought a photo or something like that from Arena Cross of a 100% guy, because he was the 100% goggle guy at the time.

SPEAKER_07 48:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:18

And uh I asked him, I'm like, yo, what do you think of you know, me going to a super cross one time? You know, what what about that? And uh he was he managed to get me a credential for that. I just shot for 100% that day, and uh that was indie, Indianapolis. So I mean it just kept giving me more and more and more confidence, and then um yeah, things just kept building, and I guess the big progression too was um the two stanking series with Jared Steinke.

SPEAKER_07 48:49

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 48:51

So I was friends with Jared, and uh there was a day where we were just hanging out after a race, and this kid I know he built an insanely sick 125, but crazy enough, the kid's hand was paralyzed. So he had to have like a recluse system in every bike, but a recluse wouldn't work on a 125. So he had this sick 125 that he couldn't ride, and uh I don't know how it came up. I don't know if I was just messing with him or talking some trash, but I was like, dude, what do you think? Could you think you could even qualify, you know, at a national or anything like that on a 125? Oh yeah, dude, for sure. I'm like, well, I can I think I got you a bike, like I think we can put some together. And um, I was working at a company called Thermotech, and that was the kid who owns the bike, that was his dad's company. So I was just creating like ad work for him, product photography, things like that, and uh kind of like linked them up. And uh once that series started, it kind of just blew up, and that carried me for like like two years, almost three years of doing the two stanking thing, and um Wes. I ended up pitching it to Wes, and uh they brought the series on, which um obviously, you know, it paid well. It was a good thing. I was writing for it, shooting photos for it. Um actually ended up uh he asked me, you know, hey, who do you think we could bring to film, you know, film this? Because I wasn't I'm not a filmer really, especially back then. And uh I saw a young, a young kid, he's now he's pretty big, but um uh Tom Journett. And uh he was just local, like local, local in in New Jersey. I didn't I just saw his stuff and I thought it was sick. And uh Wes ended up contacting uh Tom and gave Tom a chance, and Tom you know joined the journey, I guess you could call it, and uh we went out west. That was my first time going out west, and uh we tied in the two-stanking thing all the way from Arena Cross to outdoors, so we had like a full year journey, I guess, with that project, and we took it from 20, like I said, it was like three years of you know building that, and it it turned into something pretty big. I mean, Jared, it helped Jared a lot, it gave him a really big name. Um, and it was fun too. I mean, it brought it brought the two strokes kind of back into the sport, and uh yeah, it was good, it was really good.

SPEAKER_06 51:21

What um coming to the West Coast for the first time, what was that experience like for you?

SPEAKER_00 51:29

Uh I was pretty uh pretty shocked. I mean, it was coming from where I came from, like I remember my first time, like we were driving uh through I think it just the open, like the desert area basically. And I'm like, what is this? Like this is crazy. Step outside, it's dry, you know, there's like no humidity. I'm like, what is this? You know, so it just felt different, and then uh Arena Crossing, we didn't go to Cali the first time, uh, but we went to Vegas, and I I was mind blown. Like, I've never seen anything like that, never saw that many people in one place, never been in a casino in my life. Uh so I mean just that experience was crazy, and then uh I remember one time we we went out west and we were trying to go to Paula, I think, and the amount of time it took to go from where we were staying to the track, like all the traffic and just everything in SoCal, and just I I'd never seen it before. So I mean I I wasn't sure what to think of the West Coast scene. Um honestly didn't like it like for a while. I'm like, this sucks, like it's so busy and like just and was expensive too. Like that blew my mind. I'm like, dude, everything here costs more. But at the same time, I was kind of jealous because they had so much of a scene out there compared to Ohio, you know, where I'm from. I'm like, man, like this is this is like a necessary evil, you know, like we have to do this. Uh and we didn't stay too much in SoCal, but we went to NorCal and we stayed there for a while at Jared's um Jared's house. And uh yeah, but I mean it was it was pretty mind fucking. Like I had no clue what to do. Yeah, I felt like everybody was looking at me. I'm like, dude, I I don't know how to act. I really don't.

SPEAKER_06 53:34

Yeah. Well, especially too, like you're coming out this way for the first time and you're in you're in Southern California, but you're in like the Temecula area, which is such a unique area on its own, like compared to like I'm an hour from that area, like I'm essentially by the beach in like where I grew up in this whole like part of Southern California, such a different, in my opinion, way of life than it is in Omega Bikes, which is Temecula, Corona, Riverside, like that whole pocket. Like it's people are always like, why don't you just move out this way since you're always here shooting? I'm like, fuck no, I will do the hour drive three days a week to be able to come back home and be three miles from the ocean. Like, no question.

SPEAKER_00 54:20

Yeah, it um for me it just and I didn't I didn't realize how different people could be in different parts of the country. Because before that I had never traveled outside of Ohio.

SPEAKER_07 54:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 54:33

Like I we just I was based there, you know. The only other ties was say if I, you know, we went on a a trip for a wrestling match, you know, to a different college or whatever, but I mean you don't get to go see anything. You're stuck on a bus and then you get to the hotel and then you go go to your match. But yeah, I had no idea that there was like different people, you know, from from one state to another, or even just different parts of California. Like it was it was crazy to see the culture and how much it could change.

SPEAKER_06 55:04

Yeah. That was always my biggest takeaway when I would leave California and travel Midwest, South, East Coast, or whatever. Like it's like, oh, it's a slower lifestyle. Everything is for the most part much more affordable, and people are like nice. It's like oh this is this is a bit different.

SPEAKER_00 55:25

Yeah, it it was it was weird, and I don't know about you, but I mean still to this day, I'm sure you probably prefer where you where you're at now over any other place.

SPEAKER_06 55:37

Yeah, a hundred percent. I and um I think traveling and being able to see as much as I was able to see made me appreciate even more like where I grew up and where we live. And um and it's like yeah, there's obviously the cost of living out here is ridiculous and not getting any better right now. But you also don't know any different, you know, so it's like you just figure out how to make it work and um like I don't know where else the only other place I could even imagine living, and I don't think it would ever happen, but it's like if Trader Joe's was to ever open a store in Hawaii, like I would pack up the family and move to Hawaii in a heartbeat because we my wife and I would go to Hawaii before we had our kiddo for our wedding anniversary every year and just in love with it. Like loved it, it's just so pretty. So that's the only other place I could even really imagine. Um, but that's not really a reality because I don't believe the company has any interest uh in opening stores over there from a logistical standpoint, it just doesn't make sense.

SPEAKER_00 56:52

I think I believe Trader Joe's is starting to make their way like kind of east, like by where I'm at now.

SPEAKER_06 56:58

Oh, they are they are growing. It's a uh good time to be part of the company because they are they are growing like crazy, and um every week we get updates on where new stars are opening, and they are definitely pushing big time in Midwest and in the East Coast right now. Like the growth is gonna be wild over the next five years, which is cool. Um I've said it a lot on past episodes, but I I love it. It's a great company. They don't it's a massive company from a financial aspect, but it doesn't feel like you're a part of a machine. Like when I would do work for Red Bull or Honda or whatever, like you can feel that this is a billion dollar corporation and um it's just kind of I don't know, you just felt that weight in being where I am now, like it's a it's a billion dollar company, but it doesn't feel that way because of the way the stores are run. They're all run essentially like independently. So like each store is run. I've been at two stores now and it's each store is run differently just based off like the neighborhood that the store is in, the type of clientele, and it's really interesting. And it's so it doesn't feel like you're part of this big company because you have this freedom to do what you want, to like to do what you need to do to cater to that neighborhood that your store's in, if that makes sense. It's really cool, it's a cool feeling.

SPEAKER_00 58:26

That's awesome. I was gonna say, I mean, I would say working at Progressive was kind of like that, you know, that bad feeling, that bad style. Um that's hard to find, I think. You know, uh like I said before, I'm super happy for you. I've I got to see you when you weren't so happy and weren't you know so positive. So I got to see that side. And uh yeah, I'm I'm so stoked for you. And to hear that about that company too, it's like you know, I want to support it, honestly. Yeah, it makes uh makes me want to check one out. I've actually never been to one yet. Um I definitely want to you know check it out. And is it is it that they're flexible? Is that part of it?

SPEAKER_06 59:05

Like, yeah, there's a lot of flexibility and um just like the way I guess the the essentially the way it works is it's broken down into um like as minimal layers as possible. So like we have two like main offices, one of them is in Monrovia, California, and then the second one in Boston, and that's it. Um but in terms of like an actual store, you have your crew members, which is what I am, which is what you hire into, and then you have your mates, which are store managers, and then there's like 12 to 14 mates at each store. Um and then you have one store captain who's like the general manager, and the store captain is essentially the one responsible for the overall flow of the store, hiring, um, letting people go, like all that stuff. Like a lot of kind of behind the scenes work. Um and and that's it. And it's that's it. And you're you have this freedom to, you know, do things and make changes to whatever section you're on just based on what's come in that day or like what the season is, or the store I'm at right now, it's in a pretty um affluent part of town. So we have a higher clientele. So like we do stuff to kind of cater more towards that with higher end wines and more organic type stuff because they have the money to spend to that. Uh um, whereas my first store, it was right next to a college, and so we're not really pushing not pushing, but we're not like catering to um customers that are looking to buy a $70 bottle of wine or organic this or that. Like they're just there for like snacks and and such because they're in college. Um there's just a lot of like I don't know, the layers are removed, if you will. Um you just show up and you you do your thing and everyone's super solid and they're great scheduling-wise, they've been great. Um they understand my my store captain is like very family first, so it's like there's any ever anything going on on our end with our kiddo where I'm like, hey, we have this going on or that, like she's like, let us know, and like we'll make sure to not schedule schedule you that day, or you know, if you need to only close on this day instead of open, like whatever we gotta do. Um they're very accommodating. Um and it's just nice to like go to work, punch in, do my thing, punch out. I come home and I don't have emails to answer at you know, seven o'clock at night saying, Hey, we uh changed the logo and it's now blue instead of red, and you need to swap it out right now because now we've decided to upload the video in 20 minutes. You're like, well, I'm not even home. And they're like, well, figure it out. Like as you know very well, like that bullshit's not a thing anymore. It's I make less money, but I feel more free, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:18

No, it it does. I just I mean, like you said, I mean, when you get done, it's gotta be nice to be done. Like, I think in what what I do and what you did, it felt like you were never off. No, like you're truly off work.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:35

Mm-mm. And I always feel I don't know about you, but I would always feel guilty. Like I would force myself to take days off, and I would feel guilty because it's like, well, technically, like, I could be working on this or doing that. Like, there's always something I could be doing, so it's like me taking a day off means that's a day where I'm not doing something to earn a paycheck, you know. Um and that sucked, and especially towards the last couple years of my career, I just it was really, really, really like wearing me down. And I was like, I don't know what I'm gonna do. At some point, like I'm gonna get older and I'm gonna have to keep doing this until the day I die. Like I have no safety net, there's no nothing, like there's no retirement, there's zero, and clients can just decide that they don't want to pay me anymore or they don't want to do this project anymore, and I'm the one that gets screwed. Um I just got really, really tiresome of of that. So um it's nice to just have stability and okay. Um and like when I have a day off, I have a day off. Like it feels good.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:53

I remember um when we did imagination, uh, we definitely talked about you know kind of how how you're feeling and everything.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:02

And yeah, it's yeah, I was I was really not in a good spot because it was like doing a magic. It's really shitty to say, because it's like you work so hard to get in those positions to have those opportunities, and then to be in like the frame of mind I was in. Like it makes it makes it sound like I was ungrateful, but that wasn't the case. But um it was like imagination, there was Red Bull straight rhythm, there was I think like uh the jet stuff was still going on with flight plan, plus verb stuff, plus I was doing my own stuff outside of all of that. I had my own even my own like Red Bull stuff that I was doing outside of all that Red Bull stuff, and it was just like some of it was my own doing, like I was just taking on too much, but um I just gave you a snack, you cuckoo. Um you're a savage with these there you go. Um but it also comes down to like how you're treated, and uh I'm a big like have empathy and have compassion, and I was at a point where I felt like a lot of that was lacking, and um I didn't even though I was being paid well, I didn't feel like I was appreci necessarily always appreciated or valued. Um and that was just getting to a point where I was like, I can't I can't do this anymore.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:43

Yeah. I totally and honestly, I mean, if I'm being completely honest, like I I've had those moments and even especially recently, um you know, kind of feeling that same way, and it's it's tough, you know. It uh You never know when it's gonna end or when you're gonna find something different, but Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:05

And I didn't think it was gonna like all my stuff ended with Verb and um they were like, hey, we're out of money and we don't think we're gonna go to keep paying you, and I was like, okay.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:18

Um I was actually relieved because I I was at my I was kinda at my wit's end and um I didn't want to do it anymore and I really wanted to focus on like the LA kind of Hollywood scripted narrative stuff, so that all ended and I was like, okay, like there were certain things about the way it was handled that still don't sit well with me. Like I haven't talked to any of those guys for since it happened, like December of 2023. Um I haven't said a word. I don't want to. Like maybe over time all it'll get better, but I just didn't like the way certain things I felt like were handled. I felt a little like I was just not kicked to the curb, but I don't know, just felt a little cold.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:09

Um devalued condu.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:12

Kind of, yeah. Yeah, and um whether or not that's how it was meant to be, and it might not have been that the way they meant it, but it was the way it felt. Um and it just rubbed me the wrong way, so I was like, okay. And uh Yeah, then the TLD thing came and that was out of nowhere, and that was a lot of fun, and then it all got canned. And that's when I knew I was like, I'm done. This is over. Like I don't want to keep doing this. We have a kid now. I just burned through all the savings that I had put away, and now I have absolutely nothing. Um I've done this for 16 years, like it's time. Um so it was I think I've talked about it on other episodes, but it I never like had a grieving process because it was just all so fast that it was like as soon as it all ended, I was like, Oh yeah, I'm done. And it was just immediately the like what do I gotta do to survive? Um Trader Joe's and um Yeah, it like I said, I don't know that I've had a grieving process. I don't miss it though.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:23

Like what I was gonna ask if you miss it or anything like that.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:29

I I think the only thing I would say I miss is like seeing people. Like when I was doing the TLD thing, I would see Cole Beach at the on the at the races, and it was nice to see him or see Paige and Christian or like Amber and Justin. Like I was always really close with them, like spending time with you. We always had a good time, I felt like so. Like those things I guess I miss. But like I would never go back. You know, like I don't I don't miss the act of that job and what it came with and all the BS and stress and the kind of grind culture that I'm just like, no, it's okay to have a day off and like reset yourself. Like me burning myself out for a company that doesn't care. No, I'm good. Um how I know you like you did you were at SOB and Club. How did all those opportunities come about for you?

SPEAKER_00 1:09:39

Well, club club was like a long time like build-up kind of like they used to have or they still do, they have like an open house event. And um that Jesse Morchid and Chris McCann, we would go to it every year. Um so we would drive down, do it, you know, get a hotel, the whole works, and uh I just kept coming and you know doing it every year, and uh would always manage to make like good content, like something good every time. And uh Brandon, uh the owner Brandon Haas, he would joke around and he'd be like, dude, when are you gonna move down here? You know, when are you gonna move here? Why don't you just move here? You know, every every time, you know, and then uh I had a photo shoot for Custom Power Sports, which was an arena cross team. Um by far the craziest bikes I've ever shot, still to this day. They had like lime green frames or all black frames with you know header pipes with they're powder coated with flames on them, like just a unique, uh unique group. But I did their bike shoot at club, and um of course when I you know I'm at a shoot, there's obviously something else going on at the same time. So I would just shoot and um you know they'd help me out, they'd hook me up, and he kept saying, kept saying, Hey, when are you gonna move down? When are you gonna move down? And I entertained it for the first time, like, okay, well, how would it work? You know, how how would this happen? And he's like, Well, we got a place for you to live. There's a cabin here, and um, you know, we'd we'd let you live here for free, you know, we'd pay you all that, and it was basically just a job. And um, so I came down, checked out the the cabin where they wanted me to be, and um talked to my parents, and I was like, hey, look, you know, I had I have something good going in Ohio, but you know, there's this opportunity um with club, and I I think from day one I saw that club had that that ability to grow or that they were going to grow. Um I wanted to be a part of that, and um, so I moved down, and yeah, I mean I worked at Club for almost five years. Uh so lived there, did all that, you know, watched the team go from there wasn't even a team when I first came, and then they did the whole KTM deal for one year, did Canada. Um they did that, and I mean honestly it was kind of good for me because I learned how to do team shoots more, you know, learned how to work with lighting finally. Um so that was it was a good place for me to grow my skills and it um yeah, I mean it was a great time in my life. I really appreciate you know what they what they did and uh how it all came to be. Like I said, it was crazy. And um, you know, moving down south too, that was a big change. Uh going from Ohio uh to South Carolina. I mean, there's a lot of difference there. Um you've got the the southern charm, you know, hearing people's accents down here and like it was just different all around because Brandon's from um Minnesota, I think. And uh so he didn't have like that accent. You know, nobody that worked there had that accent, but you know, I'd go into town to like piggly wiggly, and it would just shock me, you know. Hey baby, how you doing? Yeah, baby, you look like you're having a good day. And I'm like, what? I'm like, she just called me baby. Like, what you know, what is that? But it it was uh it was fun. Like I said, I was there for like four and a half years, and um, yeah, I mean, uh that's a the reason it ended, honestly, is like now that I look back on it, it's a lot of you know how I changed. Um I ended up and I didn't even know it was really happening, but I started having seizures like a lot, and uh it all stemmed from my crash. Uh there was we ended up finding out there's like a uh cyst on the back of my brain, and it puts pressure and it causes seizures, and I was having these micro seizures like every day. And uh when you have that, like it it changes who you are kind of as a person, and uh I turned into a straight-up dick. Like I was an asshole, man. I I talked so viciously to people, I was so vengeful. Um and I don't blame them. You know, they they saw that and uh they they were tired of it, and um, that's you know pretty much how how that one ended. Um but yeah, it was it was rough, and that's even something I'm still you know dealing with today is just trying to repair all the relationships and things that kind of you know that that viewpoint that people had of me, you know, especially when I was at club going through all that. So that was club.

SPEAKER_06 1:14:37

Um I know Violet! Violet! Stop! Don't not do don't do that. Um I know I saw uh Instagram post of yours that you said that you you're six months free of of seizures. Um what is that attributed to? Is it like any uh medication that you're on or any type of operation that you went through?

SPEAKER_00 1:15:06

Or well funny, like okay, so I moved I moved from club, and it was funny too during that time. Ryan Schaefer is south of the border. I went there a couple times because I had to do a shoot here and there. Um and he was funny, he'd be like, dude, when are you gonna come work for me? And I'm like, dude, I can't. Like I'm at club, you know, and they're like they butt heads. I really did. And um, it was funny when things ended. Uh I've always been kind of friends with Matt, Beschelia, and Jenna.

SPEAKER_07 1:15:38

Oh yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:39

I'm like, man, I I just lost my job at club. They said I gotta leave within, you know, they gave me an ample amount of time, like a good amount of time to, you know, get out or move or you know, figure things out. And uh I messaged Jenna and I was like, hey Jenna, I lost my job. Like, is there anything, you know, that that could could happen as out of the border? And she talked to Ryan and they, you know, they gave me a chance. And at that same exact time, um I started dating a girl who's now my wife. Um, and we actually we talked during COVID, but obviously with COVID, can't really do a whole lot, can't see each other. Um kind of just stopped talking for a while. But when I moved to South of the border, um, she saw my post, you know, saying that you know things were ending at club and just a bad situation. So we started talking and uh she started coming and hanging out, and she's from the Philippines, and I don't know if it's just being from the Philippines or or what, but um such a caring person, you know, and she saw me going through, you know, these things, and and she was like, you know what? I think I think you really need to go to a doctor, like you're having seizures. She's like, you know, it's not it's not a question, like you're having seizures. And um, so she she told me she was like, look, either you go to the doctor or I'm going back home to the Philippines. She's like, I'm done. She's like, I can't see you go through this, I just can't deal with it. I'm like, shit. So I went for the first time to a neurologist a long time ago. I went to one, and um, I've all I've always kind of been the person like, you know, I can deal with it, you know, I'll deal with it. I think it was just, you know, being in the situation I was before. Like, I it wasn't that I was afraid of doctors, but I just it kind of gave me like PTSD, you know, going into a doctor's office or having to deal with that stuff, and I'm like, I just I'm not gonna deal with it. So I mean I knew something was wrong, um, but I just didn't care. And uh so she ended up getting me to go to a neurologist, and uh they started working on it, working on it, working on it. I think I saw like two, maybe three, and uh ended up with one that I'm still with now. Uh and that neurologist has been incredible. They've got me on the right kind of medication, and uh we've we've managed to to stop them, you know. I um I think eventually, you know, things might change. I need to definitely get obviously more tests and MRI, things like that, whatever. But for the time being, yeah, it's a um it's incredible. I mean, it's it was something that weighed on me every day. You know, yeah, I just didn't know. Didn't know when it was gonna happen. And I mean, for the last I think three years at Loretta's, I've had a seizure at Loretta's every year. And um it's just it's embarrassing, you know, it really is. You know, people see you go through that. And I think a lot of people for a long time didn't want to even give me you know jobs or you know, opportunities because they're like, man, I don't know if he can even, you know, do this. If he has a seizure, then what are we gonna do? Uh so yeah, I mean I I credit all of my like getting better, everything like that to my wife. Um yeah, she's uh when they say a woman can change your life, dude. She really uh she really did. And uh yeah, so that's kind of how I how I got things under control with the seizures, and um it's awesome. I mean, I can go to movies now, um, because before, I mean, if there was like flashing lights or anything like that, I'd I'd be cooked.

SPEAKER_07 1:19:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:19:28

Um this might be an obvious question or a silly one, but uh are they able to go in and remove the cyst that's back there to take the pressure off, or is that something that you just have to live with?

SPEAKER_00 1:19:50

When I first had it looked at a long time ago and they found it, um they did mention, you know, hey, we can do that, but where it's located on your brain, like if we do it, you might change as a person. Like your personality may change because it's on my Medullah, so it's like a part. So I'm like, man, like it would be great not to have to worry about it, I guess, but I don't want to change, you know. Like it it almost sounds selfish, probably, but like I like who I am, and uh yeah, I don't know. My big fear too back then, I'm like, oh I'm just figuring out this whole media thing, and I I love being creative. I'm like, what if what if I did it and I I wasn't creative anymore? Like you know, what do I do? Um so yeah, I mean they I think like I said, in the future, depending on what happens if it progresses or gets any worse, you know, I'm sure I'll end up looking into that. But for the time being, um medication seems to be, you know, working to kind of regulate everything and keep things good. Good. That's good.

SPEAKER_06 1:20:58

Um what um so you leave club, you go to SOB. Um at what point were you able to start kind of mending the relationship with the club guys?

SPEAKER_00 1:21:18

Um that honestly took a long time. Um Lorettas, I can't remember if it was I guess it would have been even the same year that things ended with Club. I was at Loretta's and uh Brandon Haas, he won, won Loretta's. And it was just neat because all at that same time I still had a relationship with FXR, and they were obviously a huge, huge sponsor of Club. And you know, you go under the tent, and uh it was just it was odd because they were still friendly to me. You know, I talked to Ben and uh Mike Benacci and like it was it was really odd. I'm like, hold up, like these guys are able to, you know, forgive me. And that kind of I guess it's kind of a precursor to like how I started to change. I'm like, you know, you gotta put your burdens down, you know, hold on to grudges or you know, things in the past. And as time went by, um, some things really fell apart at South of the Border. Uh, ended up getting fired right basically at Loretta's uh one year. And um still pretty if there's one thing I'm still kind of not happy with, it's how things ended there. I don't think it was very fair. Uh put me in a really bad place. My wife, um, we got married while I was at South of the Border and we were living on their property. Um so we had like a whole setup, you know. They built us a um like two rooms into like a basically like a small house. And uh spent our whole life there, you know. She was a teacher, uh, so she had a job that was based in that area, you know. And um so they kicked me out, and that was tough. You know, we didn't get a whole lot of time to move or get things figured out. Um that put put me in a pretty bad spot. And um yeah, I guess after that I I was I was lost again, you know. I didn't know what I was gonna do with photography. I had no idea. And um I can't I think I texted I think I texted Ben, maybe Ben or Brandon, one of the two, and I asked them, hey, would you you know would it be okay if ever I came you know out to club for a day, you know, just to shoot or come to open house, you know, anything like that. And uh I was shocked they said yes. And um and I think it's just it's kind of the group of people that are that run club, that are at club, um they're good people, you know. I think that they um they're pretty based in faith, which is I think a big part of why they were so forgiving. Um but yeah, I went out there, shot a little bit here and there, and um I proposed them the idea, like, hey, you know, I used to do your team shoots, they were always really good. Um would you guys want to let me do a team shoot again? And uh this past year, it was I mean, this was probably like a year ago from this season of Supercross. So I mean I asked them then, it just didn't didn't pan out, didn't happen. They had another media guy, um Ripper Rob Robin. He's awesome. I mean, they picked a good dude, he's a great filmer. Um and I, you know, I didn't want to step on anybody's toes, so I just you know, here and there I'd come out. I was trying to rebuild all of my relationships, really, you know, try and put things back together, you know. And uh I think that year I I only went to Minnios for like two days. So I mean I was almost embarrassed, you know, to show my face anywhere. Um, because I felt like I was getting forgotten, you know, like pushed behind, you know, it was over, but it wasn't on my terms, which was hard. And um, so yeah, I just kept going to club. They gave me the shot at doing the team shoot, and uh went really well. And um kind of ever since then we've had a great relationship. Um, it's nice because I'm not tied down anymore. So I mean I go to different facilities too. You know, crazy enough, I've been back to South the Border. I had to do a shoot with Logan Leitzel before Supercross. Went back there, um, and gone to next level, gone to a bunch of places, which I think is something that I couldn't do, you know, when I lived at the facilities. Um but yeah, no, uh, the relationship with club, getting that back, uh I wouldn't say it was easy, but it was easier than I thought it would be. Um But I mean, I there's some riders there who that was a little bit tougher, you know, to um show them that I was changed, you know, that I was a better person now. And like I said, it it was so frustrating because once I was properly medicated and diagnosed, my entire personality changed. Like I I wasn't angry anymore, I wasn't just vengeful. Like I I was so frustrated with how I felt, like I forget things all the time. Like even something so small as that, but forgetting stuff all the time just turned you into just a bad mood. Wow. Yeah, I mean the the relationship with club, it took a little bit, uh, but I think they saw how upset and like how hurt I was for how things ended at South the border, yeah. They're willing to, you know, give me a place to create again. Um and that helped, that helped a lot.

SPEAKER_06 1:27:05

Um throughout all of this, too, um from like a uh mental health aspect, did you ever sit down with anyone and talk to anyone? Um or no?

SPEAKER_00 1:27:20

I mean yes and no. Like um, I did end up going to see a psychologist, you know. I was like I said, I mean, I it was like I was on a roller coaster for a while, and it was really hard for me to even just put things into terms. I don't know, it's hard to describe, but um, yeah, I mean I I did talk to you know some people and my mental health was not good, you know, for a long time and it you know sounds like a broken record, but man, my wife really, really helped. I mean, without her, and I I mean I guess I'll I'm not afraid, you know. I'll I'll be open with you. Like I uh I started to drink a lot, you know, um just because I couldn't I couldn't deal with things. I didn't know how to organize my thoughts. I didn't know how to feel about certain things, and it was like that one way I could kind of hide from it, you know, mentally at least. And um, you know, did that. I used to smoke a lot. Like I was in a bad place, you know. I was just trying anything to numb, you know, the pain that I was too proud to admit that I was going through. You know, I think it's a a problem still that our society, I think that men in general, uh, we have a hard time kind of talking about that. You know, it's it gets judged so badly. And um yeah, I was afraid. I was afraid to admit it. I was afraid to get any you know help with it. And um, but you know, through through all my you know, working with my doctors, um, especially the the last one, my psychologist, he's like, Look, dude, I'm going to make you pass a drug test every time. You have to stop drinking, like you have to change your life, like at the core level, you know, and um kind of giving up all that. Uh again, my wife is a huge support. Um but yeah, I mean I I struggled. I really struggled. It was there were some dark times, you know, especially and even at the end of club. Like I the other day, you know, you have all the memories come up on Facebook and Snapchat and everything, and there was a video that I popped up and it was me showing like the cabin where I lived, and it was just a mess. Absolutely, you know, just disaster. And I was, you know, basically yelling the video. I'm like, dude, this sucks. I can't, you know, I don't know what to do. And uh, yeah, I mean it it got to that point. Like I was just I didn't know. And it was always like something I tried to table, you know, put on the back. And uh I think that held me back for a long time. But yeah, no, I I did talk to people, and again, I wish that society was a little bit more I don't know, open to how men feel and not, you know, looking at it as like a weakness.

SPEAKER_06 1:30:20

Yeah, yeah, I a hundred percent agree. That's one of the reasons when I started going to see a therapist, I was like pretty open about it on Instagram, just because I was like, Instagram is this place where we use it to like show how you know, oh hey, look, I'm here doing this with that person type thing, but no one really shows to real life. So it was like I wanted to use it as an opportunity to like, hey, sometimes life really fucking sucks and you need to get some help. Um and is I don't know how you feel, but especially in or if you've ever like felt or noticed this, but especially in the very niche industry of dirt bikes, like that topic is such a like so frowned upon, and you're like so looked down as like this weak uh I mean I've I've I've been called names by people in that world because I've gone to get help and still still do go see my therapist and um I've had overall like the social media feedback has always been positive, but periodically there are the like messages of like you know, you're such a beta um or like why don't you just go work out or like I remember one time on a shoot I had just told a story actually, but excuse me, I was on a shoot and the one of the guys on the crew he was he just found out that someone he had grown up with took their own life and he was like I I remember him just going like yeah I don't get it like when I'm when I'm sad he's like or he's like I don't really get sad like if I think I'm in like not a good mood I just like look look in the mirror at myself and I punch myself in the face and I say stop being a bitch and I just I just feel better like I don't I don't need to go get help that's just for like really weak people and I'm like oh my god like tell me you need to get help without telling me you need to get help because that was like I'll never forget that like okay noted I'm not gonna bring up but I go see a therapist because you ain't gonna like it.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:28

No, I I a hundred percent agree the industry is weird. Um it's funny actually I went uh when I was in Birmingham, I was sitting at the media like table, the media meeting, whatever, and uh Sarah Whitmore was there, and she's actually uh she has her psychology, she has her master's in psychology, but now she's trying to get like a focus, whatever, on sports psychology. And um it was so so weird. We just started talking like at the table, and I'm at a point now where like I don't care, you know, I don't care what people think, um, you know, or whatever. And I think and I say it as almost like a joke, but like once you're married, you don't I don't feel like I have to impress so many people anymore. I'm like, you know, somebody loves me for lean, you know, for being me. Um yeah, I mean, I I it's it's at a point, I think, in that industry where things need to change, and I hope that certain you know people that are stepping up into those rules, or not rules, but roles of um, you know, say like a sports psychologist, um, you know, that might help. Maybe it'll help the industry, but in general, no, I completely agree. The industry is pretty turned off to you know, accepting that even right now, like with Chase Sexton, you know, I hate to like put it on him, but like you can tell, you know, you can tell Chase is going through something. And unfortunately, social media, people tear tear people apart. Like, you know, they they can't look at it like he's just another person, he's going through it, you know. It's not easy. And uh social media is so toxic. Um, I don't know if it's the same in every sport, every industry, but I think I think this industry is is one of the worst. I mean, it's it is so hard to open a post on the you know one of the major pages and not not find something horribly negative, you know, that someone's written. And uh you know, I hate that it's a love hate. Like I I have a huge following on social on Instagram, and I have to keep up with it, obviously, to keep it going and to keep certain like deals happening. But there's times man where I hate opening that stuff because it's it's just so toxic. I'm sure you can relate, I mean it's just it's gross kind of what people can say, and it's no wonder why people's mental health has gotten to a place where it's getting worse, I think. And I think a huge part of it is social media.

SPEAKER_07 1:35:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:35:11

Yeah, I I was listening to a podcast not too long ago, and they were talking about uh like bullying, and like for kids growing up, like for I mean for you too, like we were kind of in this age where like you go to school and maybe you're bullied at school, but then you go home and you're like free from it because social media wasn't like especially like for me, like I graduated high school in 2005. Social media did not exist, so it wasn't a thing. But nowadays, like these there's kids that they go to school, they get bullied, and then they go home and they're being bullied on their phone via social media. Like, so there's just like this 24-hour cycle of being bullied, and you can't escape it unless you choose not to be a part of social media. Um I was like, Yeah, that's a really I never thought about that. But I'm like, fuck, I have a kid at some point, you know, she'll have if social media is still a thing, she'll be on it when she's older, and like how do we navigate that? Like there's she's going, you know, that is the reality. Everyone gets bullied at some point, and like it's fucking scary sometimes to think about. Like, how are we as parents going to navigate it? And how do you like keep their you know keep them feeling good about themselves and not get down because someone called them a name or whatever, you know?

SPEAKER_00 1:36:38

Yeah, no, I I completely agree. And I mean, with my wife being a teacher, um, she teaches middle school and like she'll tell me stories, and I'm just like, wow, I can't believe that that stuff happens not only in school, but then you know, it it follows these kids home, he said. I mean, and it's it's tough. I don't know what the if there is a solution I have to deal with is yeah, no, I completely agree. If uh we don't have right now, but I mean I I graduated also 06, so I know exactly what you're talking about. There was no social media. Yeah, uh boy was it nice.

SPEAKER_06 1:37:19

Yeah, yeah, for real. Um yeah, it's wild. It's funny you bring up Chase. I I I agree on the it's like it's all on the head. Like I I worked with Chase quite a bit, especially at Geico, and he was always really, really kind to me. Um we always had a good time working together. Um so it's kind it's sad to see like where he's at now just from like a mental aspect. It's like there's it's it's not the bike. Like, sure, the bike might not be that great, but it uh surely the bike at Honda wasn't bad. Then you go to KTM and you go to Cowie, but then you look at who's on Honda still, still winning. Like look at who's on a KTM right now, points leader. Um I'm like it it can't be the bike. Like again, maybe to some extent, but at the end of the day, it's really gotta be what's going on upstairs. Like just I obviously don't know if he's going to see anybody or getting help, but like, dude, it's gotta be all mental at this point.

SPEAKER_00 1:38:25

Yeah, no, he's an incredible athlete, amazing rider, and um yeah, I and like I said, I mean, if if I was Chase, and obviously I can't 100% put myself in his shoes, but like I think he knows or he you know, he struggles probably like with confidence because man, if if it were me and I made a mistake, you know, on the track, whatever, and all I saw or heard from people was just negativity, like bashing me, just telling me I sucked. Like eventually, I think almost anybody would start to feel that, and um yeah, I mean it gets to a point, you know, I think where it would hurt, you know. I don't know what Chase's activity is on social or anything like that, but yeah, he's he's got something going on, like you said. I mean, it can't all be the bike. Um, I saw him in Florida. I did a shoot for PRMX this year, and uh they ride at the same place Chase trains at. And boy, preseason, I was telling people, you know, after watching Chase ride those couple days, like he is on fire. Like he was so fast, so perfect. And um for the season to start and just slowly go, you know, downhill. I went down to Florida again um to work with PRMX another time, and Chase was riding that day, and it was completely different. You know, it was like he was chasing a setup all day. Um and that wasn't how it was in the beginning of the season, you know. Like I mean, he looked so good that um yeah, I would have put money on it, like, dude, this is he's gonna be the guy this year.

SPEAKER_07 1:40:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:40:11

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:40:13

Things can change.

SPEAKER_06 1:40:14

For sure. Um how I know you just touched on it, but you have a very large Instagram following. Um how did that kind of come to be? And was that on purpose, or did you just kind of like accidentally like unlock the algorithm gods and it just happened, or like how did that all come about for you?

SPEAKER_00 1:40:36

Um I mean it was kind of it was kind of a goal in a way. I like I don't know, I like to set goals and like once I accomplish them, it feels good. Um but no, I I when I initially started it, man, it was just it was just a thing, you know. It wasn't anything special. I didn't really care about it, you know, and that was in like 20 I guess that would have been like 2014, you know, when I started like an Instagram and really actually, you know, posting here and there. And uh yeah, it was funny. I figured it out. Like I just figured out social media and like what people wanted to see when they wanted to see it, and um, yeah, it just kind of like took off. And I think I was in that perfect time, you know, the perfect window where social media had so many opportunities for people to grow. I think it's changed now, you know, the algorithm, things like that, it's a lot harder. Um but I just started to um to grow, like followers, and and uh like I said, once it started for me and I started to see like there could be a benefit with it too. You know, I get like deals to try products or you know, post about a product or you know, all that stuff, and I'm like, wow, this is crazy! Like who knew social media could be more than just a place to you know post a picture, post a video? Uh so it just kept kept going. And um, yeah, I mean still to this day, you know, I I pay attention to it, I try and use it as a tool. And um too now, I I guess I'm I'm a little less selfish about it. I like to post you know kids that may need some exposure, you know, try and help them out. Uh but I think, and and I I don't like to brag, but I think I grew my following into the most followers of any independent photographer or videographer in the sport.

SPEAKER_06 1:42:37

I would I would think that's right, because Jeff Simpson and I have actually had this conversation about you, and he was the one that brought it up. He was like, I said the same thing. He's like, I'm pretty confident Visor is the only media guy that has that large of a following and did it organically as well. Like, and I had never thought about it, and I was like, oh fuck, I think, yeah, you're probably right.

SPEAKER_00 1:43:02

Yeah, it uh I've never like you said organically, and that's one thing I'm super you know proud on. And um, yeah, I mean, like I said, I never thought social media could help me in any other way than just hey, check out my picture, check out my video. Um, but it really has, and it's it's hard, I think, for a lot of people to understand like how powerful you know social media can be if you you know kind of do it right and work it. Um just the amount of deals and opportunities that I've gotten from having a following, from having the view count, from you know, all that stuff. It's it's wild. Like I'll get emails every day about you know someone wanting to do a partnership or a collaboration, and like some of the products are just off the wall, dude. I'm talking stupid shit. Like I can't believe people are like, yeah, dude, this guy in Moto, he's the perfect person for this product. Like, it is some of the dumbest shit. Like today's, I think was a um it was a self-tanner that you could like drink and it was supposed to help your skin too. And I'm like, what the hell does that have to do with with what I do? I'm like, this is just fucking crazy. And like I put one together recently and I am gonna pursue it. It's a company that makes motorized blinds for like a house. Okay, like you know, I but it'll it'll help me, you know, a lot. But again, it's like some of these offers, it just it blows my mind that they see a page and they're like, Yeah, this this is the right call, you know. This is a guy that you know he's interested in this product, and yeah, there's so many, so many funny opportunities or people that are like, dude, let's do it. Um it's it's wild.

SPEAKER_06 1:44:56

Has anybody like reached out to you because of what you've been able to do with your account in hopes to like like hire you or have you consult with them to help them build their their channel at all?

SPEAKER_00 1:45:10

Oh yeah, yeah. I mean I the app like what I'm doing right now with um like I guess my main deal is with Insta360, and uh that kind of all built off my social to helping them and teaching them, you know, teaching them how to do it properly in this industry. Um, you know, I've had other even just writers uh you know ask me, hey man, like can you help me, you know, grow my social that way I can you know maybe obtain a couple more sponsors, or how would I post something that would make my sponsor happy? Just a lot of that. So yeah, I mean you're you're definitely right. Like I've had people approach me for that.

SPEAKER_06 1:45:57

And is that something that you're like interested in that you you take on, or do you um try to avoid that?

SPEAKER_00 1:46:05

No, I I've always had like a passion for teaching. Like I think if things would have gone a little bit different in college, I would be a teacher probably right now. Uh so I take I take pride in it, man. I love it. Uh I used to put on a class every week at Club uh with social media and marketing class every single week. Okay, and teach the riders like you know how to market themselves better, how to run their social media better, how to interact with sponsors face to face. I mean it it kind of all ties in. Um but no, I I love teaching people about it because I want to see other people succeed, you know, and get those benefits. Uh because I mean I know as you've seen, I mean, unless you're a factory guy, it is so hard to like get things, you know, to make it work. And um, yeah, I mean it's it's fun. I like doing it too because I get to see someone else's growth. You know, it's like, dude, I I helped them out, like this is sick. Like you know, I I do like doing it. Um for a while though, um, I tried to keep like a lot of stuff secret, you know. I was like, I don't want to tell I want to tell people, you know, how to do this because I don't want it sounds so bad, but I didn't want people to like outdo me, you know?

SPEAKER_07 1:47:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:47:32

I was like, I want to make sure that I'm on top, like I want to make sure that I can grow my account still and not have people just copy, you know, copy and paste what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_06 1:47:42

So yeah. No, that's yeah, I totally understand that. That's why I asked him, like I was curious if it was something that you were keeping close to your vest or wanting to share. And I like didn't want to share it with people because then it was kind of simple. I'm like, oh if I if you find out how I do it, then you'll probably do it better than me. And then that will lead to you getting getting a job over me type thing. And then as you get older and mature, it's like, no, I want to be able to like give back and and help. But yeah, I can I can relate to that actually. Um present day, I know you just mentioned you're doing a lot with Insta360.

SPEAKER_04 1:48:33

Um like present day like what's the workload look like for you and uh for some of your clients, or is it really just focused on Insta360 right now?

SPEAKER_00 1:48:49

Um well, I mean like I'm not like at club, at club. Like I might go there like once every other week, you know, something like that, or if they have a project they you know have in mind or want to work on. Um but no, my workload's not like it's not terrible at all. I'll I have the ability now, like I said, now that I'm not tied down, I can kind of put things together for myself. Um but for Supercross this year, um, yeah, my my main work is instant 360, so I mean I gotta do a lot with that. And um it's it's gonna be like more and more stressful. Uh the way that things were going for that company. I mean, they invested so much in SMX as a whole. I mean, they're you know one of the title sponsors, and they even released a camera that's you know dedicated, it's called like the SMX bundle, and like it's a big deal. They spend a lot of money on it, and uh they weren't getting much of a return, you know, from the content you know, side of things. And I I kind of wasn't the one that kind of pushed, you know, for something to change. I'm like, look, guys, like if you want. To take advantage of this industry and actually get something out of it, I know how to do it. I'm like, I can do this for you. I'm like, you know, let's let's make this right. You know, so I proposed, you know, a whole bunch of different you know, content ideas, and we had a couple meetings and um yeah, I mean put something together, and now I go to the events and you know, say I'll work with their main sponsored athletes. So, you know, so that this weekend coming up, I'm doing a lot of work with Cooper, Cooper Webb. And so I mean that's that's pretty much all put through his agent to Insta360 to you know fulfill the requirements. So at the event, my workload's pretty intense. Um, they want a lot of stuff that at first I wouldn't, I was like, why the hell do you want this? I they wanted they want actual photos, you know, with like an actual camera setup, my DSLR setup, uh, which is crazy, I thought, but then you know they explained, hey, this is just branding. You know, we need branding photos, um, say with our logo in the background or of our sponsored athletes for like different win posts, things like that. And like, but we we see you can also do video. I'm like, really? I'm like, so you want me to do the photos and actual videos, not not with the Insta360 cameras. And like, yeah, yeah, we want you to put together, you know, some sort of an edit of each rider every round. I'm like, oh man, I'm like, well, that's a lot. Um, so I mean it at the races, it's it's a lot. I mean, like I said, I mean it's stressful. I gotta, you know, find a way to convince athletes to wear a camera. And now that they're not allowed on a helmet, you know, the whole helmet cam ban, it's it's tough, man. Chest straps are not something that that riders want to wear. Um like I said, I mean, trying to go up to Cooper Webb or Hunter Lawrence or you know, any of those guys and be like, hey, you want to wear this chest strap and make yourself uncomfortable a little bit? Um it just doesn't happen, you know. So you get that denial a lot. And I don't know about you, but like for me, that that is the most awkward situation I've probably ever been in, you know, trying to convince somebody to do something that I know they probably don't want to do. Um so I mean I gotta do that, you know, opening ceremony stuff. The turnaround's pretty gnarly. Like I'll get the camera say back off an athlete, and I have to hurry up and edit the video and put it straight to the guys with TV so they can drop it in, you know, during the broadcast. And that's it's tough. Like, you know, say opening ceremonies, you know, I'll get the camera back off the athlete in the tunnel, you know, when they're exiting. And luckily, Insta360s, their app is ridiculous, like it's good. And uh I'll have to hurry up, plug it into my phone, edit it, and get it done within you know, five minutes tops, and then run it. Um so it's it's gnarly at the races. It's it's something that I mean it it keeps me going. Like I'm running everywhere at the races, you know, and then they they obviously want because they're cameras, they promote them as you know, they can do everything. So not do they want the chess cameras, you know, and I I use privateers a lot now for a guy to actually run the camera because it does help them, you know, big time exposure if they get posted on SMX or whatever pages. I mean, they're like the only people that are running during a race, but then they want you know to film with their cameras, their actual cameras, um edit that all together. Um so right now, weekends and the first like two to three days of the week, you know, when you're finishing putting everything together, it's it's it's a lot, it's a grind. Um I'm sure you know the feeling. It's uh it's tough, but at the same, I think the only reason I'm okay with it uh is because I actually have like a passion and a good relationship with that company.

SPEAKER_03 1:54:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:54:17

And I feel in a way I feel bad for what you know what's happened because nobody nobody really knows, you know, or sees at least the content from Supercross besides like a behind the scenes clip or like a static camera angle, and I'm like, man, it there's so much more that they can do, or like they'll they will post like a chess camera view, and it just looks terrible. And then you look at the comments and they're like, dude, these cameras suck. Bring GoPro back, like these are terrible. This view is trash, and like I've used their cameras since their very first camera that came out. Like, I was one of the only people that ever messed with them for years. People are like, Why are you using that camera? Like, you really probably remember with uh imagination. I brought one, even though I was doing the GoPros. Yeah, I throwing it on people, and uh so I've always like wanted to help them, and uh yeah, I mean I'm I'm just passionate about it. I want to see people enjoy what those cameras can do. And yeah, I think that's that's the only reason I'm okay with the workload.

SPEAKER_06 1:55:26

Yeah, no, that's that's cool. I was gonna say like that race day hustle. Um I feel like one of the the cool things of coming through the the verb moto pipeline was that it was like you go to a race and you are tasked with a thousand things to do at once. Like you're not there to just do one thing. You may have like one main project, but then you have all these other um reels and stuff you gotta capture for motorsport, for fly, for 100%, for whoever it may be, and it's just you or like you and one other person. So I feel like when you you experience that and you survive it, it makes going on to the next thing a lot maybe not easier, but like you know how to do it because you've gone through the gauntlet that is, and I mean that in a good way, like a verb, like pretty much putting you to the limit to like either gonna succeed or you're gonna fail, type thing. Yeah, and I mean that as a compliment.

SPEAKER_00 1:56:30

No, I I feel the same way. I mean, if if it weren't for some of the stuff that I had to do, like when I was just starting, like I didn't want to do video, like I hate to say that, I just thought, you know, photos, photos, photos. But there's those situations where like, well, hey, you know, if you're there, can you do reels? Can you film? And it's a good and a bad thing. I mean, I know that that brand into 360, they see what I post on social and they immediately they're like, okay, so he's skilled enough to do all of these things, you know, so why don't we take advantage of you know the capability? Um yeah, I mean it's it's something that I don't think I would have been able to do if it weren't for, like you said, you know, some of the craziness with with verb, you know, different uh different times.

SPEAKER_06 1:57:27

So yeah, for sure. I yeah, I always when I s was really like doing a lot of the kind of scripted stuff in LA, I remember um very specifically this shoot, you know, we had a there was a little bit of a camera debacle, and like the time, like doing that stuff, like I would have a camera department, so like there was a team, and we were there was an issue, I forget what the issue was, but there was an issue with the camera, and my first and second AC were troubleshooting it, and we were on a tight deadline, and the director was freaking the fuck out. Freaking out. And he's I remember like him coming up to me, and I'm just like, I'm just chilling, because my first and my second, they're troubleshooting, they are trying to figure out the solution. I don't know what the solution is, but they know how to figure it out. So like I'm just gonna my job at that point is like keep everything cool and calm and collected. And the director's just pam full panic mode, and he's like, I don't know how you're not freaking out. Like, I need you to freak out with me. Like, because like you not freaking out is stressing me out. And I was like, Well, no, I'm not gonna. I know that we're on a really tight schedule and we're this is setting us back to make our day, but me freaking out isn't going to help my first and my second AC troubleshoot any quicker. It's gonna stress them out and probably make it worse. So like just need to stay calm. And that's something like I attribute to spending so much time in the dirt bike industry and doing so many things at once with different clients, or like time at Verb. Like you are tasked with a thousand different things on a single day, and so you learn time management and and just how to stay calm in stressful situations. And that's something I always was very thankful that I was able to take from that world and then apply it into a more I guess the more LA style stuff where it's like, hey, if I'm calm, it keeps my crew calm. We they got this uh issue figured out, we got the camera back up, we made our day, it was all good. Um but it was just funny because full panic moan, I'm like just chill. It's all good. We'll get it figured out. And it's attributed to just the dirt bike life and the chaos that it that it is on those shoots sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 1:59:52

And like one I don't know if it's like a gripe or you know, complaining, but like it seems now that people want stuff instantly in this industry, like they just want it now. Like on a race day, they you got you know five minutes to turn it around or even less, you know. People want that wind shot up in a couple minutes, you know, and uh I think that that's been one thing that's kind of like stressing me out a little bit more is I don't know, I like to take take a little bit of time, you know, when I'm putting something together, just a little bit at least, and how it it kind of makes me feel like, well, was that my best or was that just to get it done quick?

SPEAKER_07 2:00:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:00:36

Um yeah, I mean that's that's just one little one little side thing, but um yeah, no, the industry definitely teaches you how to multitask, how to deal with stressful situations and puts you through it, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_06 2:00:52

Oh yeah. And you're not wrong though, I feel like there's a lot of there's like a lack of substance in stuff nowadays, because it is like we just it's this world of like you gotta get it up as soon as the checkered flag waves, you gotta get it up in 60 seconds, otherwise in 90 seconds it's old news and no one cares about it anymore. And I I still am a prop proponent of long form that people want something long form and of substance, and I've always kind of thought for a while it would be really cool if someone went to a supercross or went to an outdoor and they shot like still photography, but shoot it on film and do like a whole photo essay and it like tell a story of the whole day from start to finish, follow a writer or a team, or or w however you want to go about it, but shoot it on film and like take your time with it and sure it might not be done and ready to present for a month, two months, or something like that, but like I feel like something like that people would eat up because it's something of substance, there's passion there, there's there's thoughtfulness and a unique perspective that is unlike anything else anyone is doing. Um I'm not gonna be that person because I don't want to, but like I do think that there's a space for that, and there's just unfortunately um no one is is doing that for better or worse. At least that I've seen, but I'm also like I don't really pay attention anymore either. I'm kinda I watched the races on Saturday, and that's really the extent of it.

SPEAKER_00 2:02:31

I think now, like one of the problems even with like trying to do that is like to get a credential right now is so like it is hard, man. Like I got denied so many times, and I'm like, man, you know, I'm I'm pretty good. Like, you know, I have this following to where you know typically I'll reach like eight and a half, ten million, you know, every every cycle of seven days. Like it's big. And uh it's just it's so tough. So I mean if if you wanted to do something like you were saying with like the film, I don't know if they'd even let it happen because you're not quote like on assignment, you know. Yeah, so it it's it's definitely tough, and um I think in a in a way it's kind of good, you know, the credentials you're getting to it's a little bit harder to get now because kind of circles back to one thing that I like mentioned earlier, is there's so many kids, and not even kids, but newer media people that come into it and they're willing to shoot for free. So like they're willing to do whatever to get that credential, but that's not that's not really how it should work, you know. I mean, so I think that's partially why maybe that they're making it a little bit harder to get a credential because you know you would have a kid that you know wants to or or has you know an ability just to shoot for like you know one team or two teams, and they they're not paying them, but you know, he has this assignment, but it's a small assignment, you know. Um now it seems like you have to have a pretty big reason why you're there, um, or like a really accredited group. Um like I said, I think it's a good thing, and it all goes back to like one of my main like complaints now is just like the amount of people that are willing to do media in this industry for free or for very little money.

SPEAKER_06 2:04:41

Yeah, yeah, it's that's definitely definitely a thing. I was I mean, you always see it, and um like I said earlier, like when I was starting out, I like for Novic and Pant Sag and Designs, it was like 200 bucks, 250 bucks, and but I was like, I also didn't know what the fuck I was doing. Um or like even how to price like I don't know, is 200 bucks too much? Is it too little? Like, no one talks about it, you know. So there's like how do you gauge what your value is? And then over time I feel like I got a good gauge on it. Um you get to a point like my day rate was 1500 bucks a day to go shoot, and then it was a separate rate for post-product, and then also like travel, all that stuff needs to be included. Um and but no one would ever really talk about it. And like, here's like people that would ask me, I'd be like, Yeah, this is my day rate, and here's how I break it down, and here's you know, some of them would be like, hey, what do you think I'm worth? And I'd be like, you're a 700 to eight eight fifty a day type of guy, and here like here's why, because you gotta take like obviously what equipment you have, and then your skill set and what you can offer. I was like, just because you have a red doesn't mean you're fifteen hundred dollars a day.

SPEAKER_03 2:05:55

No, like that's not how it works.

SPEAKER_06 2:05:57

Like there's a lot of different layers that go into it. Um but yeah, I I there was definitely like some jobs that I lost out on because it was like, oh yeah, well, so and so is like they'll do it for 500 bucks. And I'm like, okay, then go ahead. You also get like unfortunately that 500 bucks means you're gonna get a $500 project most of the time, you know. I think that just the client just is like they need to, you know, no client ever has money. Ever. In all the year, in the 16 years I did it, there wasn't a single client that ever had money. Even Red Bull, we don't have the money, even though like they would pay my full day race, but still don't have the money. I'm like, give me a fucking break, you guys.

SPEAKER_00 2:06:44

I will say, like, I I went to uh one not even a race, it was like a practice, like a testing session with a uh F2 team. Um they had more money than any group I've ever you know tried to really put something together with in the moto industry. It was like I don't know if they just respect the that work, or maybe if the like you said, like what the value is of content, if it's just higher up in those industries. Um because I I think again it's a lot of people don't talk about you know, hey, this is this is what you should be making, or this is what this type of project, you know, should kind of this is the range, you know, like you said, you had no idea what to ask for.

SPEAKER_07 2:07:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:07:40

Um so I think that's a big part of it. And I mean there's there's so many people I know even now, like their work is awesome. Like they they put together some really good stuff, and yet they're they're going on, well, they're just covering my travel. And then they gotta kill themselves all week at another job, you know, just to make ends meet. And it's like, yep, how do you do that? You know, how how do you do that? That's that's even like a point where I'm getting to. It's like, you know, you you want to make more, obviously, but the industry right now is in a weird spot to make what you need to make to have a comfortable living to support a mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_06 2:08:28

Yep. I um I have no issues saying it, but when I was doing the TLD project in 2023, and it was still like the reality is it was still on the low end for what the scope of work was, but it we agreed to just a monthly retainer rate, and it was five thousand dollars a month plus all expenses paid, um, which is great money. Um but it was also the reality was the scope of work was you're going to eleven outdoor races, three playoff races, two to three days of shooting during the week, and all the post-production work. Just me, myself, and I for five grand a month. Again, great money, but the scope of work, like the reality is it's like a eight to ten thousand dollar job per month, because then I can use some of that money to hire someone to either be a second shooter or be like an assistant editor and help me go through all of this stuff. I think in total it was sixty-two days of shooting in however many travel days, like for five grand a month. Again, good money, but for the scope of work, like and I knew that, like, I knew that the scope of work was way more than what the budget was. Um, but it's one of those things where it's like it was an opportunity and there was a lot of I saw a lot of opportunity for it to go a lot further than what the original concept was. So it's like, yeah, we can like this can be like a legit thing, especially with Troy's connections in LA with um uh uh Sony Pictures and Paramount and all this stuff. Yeah, I'm like, there's there's ways we can link this into like a streaming platform. Um if we can do five grand a month plus expenses, like yes, and then we can obviously go from there when we get even further into this thing, and obviously that never materialized, but that's what I was getting paid. Um and again, probably eight to ten thousand dollars a month is what it should have been, but it's just is what it is.

SPEAKER_00 2:10:36

Like one thing, and I probably shouldn't shouldn't be doing it, and it's like made it harder to like mentally accept you know, some of the what I'm being paid right now is like all right, so this is how many hours I'm dedicating to this, you know, between travel, actually being at the track, editing, like how many hours is that, and then to break it down into how much you're actually making per hour. And that number just it's stuck.

SPEAKER_06 2:11:08

Yes, yeah. I I yeah, I I remember doing that, and then I was like, oh, I can't do that, I can't think that way because otherwise, like none of this is worth it at all. Like it makes no mathematical sense whatsoever. Like, I don't yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:11:21

That's where I've been like trying to think away from it. Yeah, I mean that's it's nice to know that you know you've kind of thought and been in the same place because it's like I said again, I mean, I don't think people in this industry really talk about the financial perspective of media. You know, it's it's pretty pretty tight secret, you know, between different groups. You know, what do you what do you charge? What do you charge? What do you charge? Nobody knows.

SPEAKER_06 2:11:51

No. No. Yeah, my my my day rate for like a high end client for a Red Bull, American Honda, Suzuki, uh those level clients was. shoot day rate fifteen hundred bucks a day and then obviously and then all expenses paid um and then post production was a separate rate and usually sometimes I would do like a flat rate ideally an hourly rate like I don't know it's like eighty to a hundred bucks an hour type thing um you can I would usually do it to where I could negotiate a little bit because wasn't often a client was big a hundred like we'd sign off on a hundred bucks an hour fucking eight eight hours a day for a week or whatever like that's a lot of money so you like I would always go a little higher on that so that there was room to like negotiate down and it was still like it was still a win for me and the client was like oh yeah we fucking we got them down to a lower rate and I'm like I'm still making great money.

SPEAKER_00 2:12:42

I've been like that's cool because that's what I wanted in the first place.

SPEAKER_06 2:12:45

Literally yeah yeah and I think like when I was at um Verb was paying me the same thing as TLD when I was on retainer I think it was five grand a month plus expenses when I was doing Geico Honda work in 2020 it was I think four grand a month plus expenses. But we were only literally doing one I man it's so sad that team folded because I I would have probably asked you if you were were you there when it folded yes I remember I was on a walk with my wife and her dog when Paige um reached out to me and told me what was going to be going on I was like oh like damn okay so that sucked because if that had not have happened like I was so happy there they were that whole team was fucking incredible staff riders like oh my gosh it was so good. Yeah they were we were only doing one video a week so it was basically like a thousand bucks a video so four grand a month plus expenses and it was pretty easy um and that was like I had full freedom to do whatever I wanted paige would reach out sometimes and be like hey what do you think about this or that I'm like yeah fuck yeah let's do it like if if so and so is cool let's do it um yeah I would have if they were still around like I I would have I would have I'd probably still be there today.

SPEAKER_00 2:14:07

Yeah that's the only reason it's like been on my mind is um obviously like a club 100 Yoders there. I still I feel so bad for what happened to him like I do too I do too that situation was just so hard like I can't imagine I mean I really can't like being a kid and like how much pressure those kids are already under and decide that deal and just have it all ripped away from you.

SPEAKER_06 2:14:37

Mm-hmm Yeah yeah I'm really stoked like I actually maybe if you see Hunter tell him to hit me up again because I wanted I reached out to him a little while ago about coming on the podcast and he was like yeah let's do it we'll figure it out and then it never obviously I mean I know how it goes like I'm obviously full-time job have a kid and then he's I know how the grind is so like I get it but I want to get him on the podcast because we worked together a lot that year and he was such a he's such a cool kid so to see him on club now and having the results that he's having like I'm so happy for him. I'm so stoked that he stuck it out for these last few years to get to where he is now at Club and like it's finally seeing it paying off for him is so fucking cool.

SPEAKER_00 2:15:22

Yeah no he's he's one of those guys that like I don't know it it's it's weird to say it in media but like dude I'm proud I'm so proud of him and like I think now he's in such a better headspace like that he's okay with talking about things like so I think he'd be an incredible guest to have on here because he opens up now and I think it's just because he's so comfortable knowing that his journey kind of is paying off you know um yeah I mean he's he's incredibly well spoken too he's he's fun to talk to he's a really uh really good kid really talented kid and uh being a club you know even today they uh we're doing outdoor testing and just the effort you know you can just see it and he he loves riding still which I think a lot of athletes in this sport by even by his age you know they start to just kind of look at it as like okay this is my job you know um he has fun like he loves to ride and um yeah I mean such a such a good story you know to see that come and I mean there's there's a couple good stories at Club like I think another person uh you'd have fun talking to would be uh Joey Crown I haven't heard that name in so long is he did you is he on club no well so and it's it's a really it's a sad story like so Joey was on the club team um for a long time he was actually their one of their first riders on the KTM team and uh he ended up winning um Paris Supercross he was the prince um so like things were going good man he was like crushing like he was always like top ten supercross like having a a really good like build you know he's doing really well and uh the year that he was going to go back to Paris it was like a week I think it was the week before um this is when I was at club too and um he was riding Supercross and uh the way they had that track set up was they had a set of whoops and they had a straightaway going the opposite way. And uh Joey was going through the set of whoops kind of hopped out and Enzo Lopes was coming the other direction at full speed and uh Enzo kind of like pitched the bike and it it went straight into Joey's face. Oh my god it like the clutch lever or one of the levers like went through his face like through his orbital bone and like we got over to him and like they're I don't have a problem normally you know I see crashes all the time um that's the first crash I ever just walked away from I didn't think I didn't think Joey was going to be around you know and uh for a long time I mean he's had a a big road to recovery and um I think most people would have just quit you know found something else um but you want to talk about somebody that like really loves the sports Joey and um still now like he has problems with his eye um he has to ride with like a kind of like a cover type thing over his one eye but cool enough I mean he's been just working working and and he had a job at South the Border for like maybe a month. He was a trainer and uh just didn't work kind of the same type of deal just things ended poorly and club kind of I don't know if they talked to him about anything specific but Joey Crown his dad owns a suspension company and so Joey started learning suspension and uh club ended up hiring him now to be the uh the suspension guy at Club. Okay. But the cool thing is like Joey rides so much still and he's still so fast that he's able to do all the testing too. Like he's at a point now where he's gonna race a couple outdoor nationals this summer and uh I mean his times like he's he's like right there but I mean I've never seen anybody persevere through an injury like that was that bad and still affects him to this day and he's still like everyday you know he just so I think I mean he is he had he can tell it much better. I went uh into a race and uh I played mechanic you know um which I'm just gonna say my rider won you know he took the dub so only mechanic twice in my life once was for Cameron McAdoo crazy enough okay that was when he was supposed to ride for club and uh that didn't happen. Okay we went to one race took the dub of course you know yeah um Joey he won so I'm on this perfect streak and I don't know if I'm gonna ever do it you know again I just want to keep that that perfect score I'd go out on top dude go out on top I you know when you know you know and uh I think it's it's that time to call it you know those two races were incredible and uh yeah I'm not a mechanic like I I can't say I'm a mechanic at all but um maybe it's just um I got that vibe you know and I'm just I'm on the line acting like I'm a you know pro mechanic like dude you got this bro you got this like don't worry man I I checked your air pressure dude the chain's perfect like you know I'm just I'm just there you know and I've I had cameras on me too so it's like the funniest shit you know I'm so good setting his whole shot device feeling like I'm fucking Brent Duff you know out there with hey and you know I'm like I'm shit but uh no Joey was the kind of dude though like we had so much fun on that last trip and uh yeah he was he's awesome to work with but yeah I'll that's I had no idea yeah I'll um I'll slide into the DMs maybe let him know that I'll be I'll reach out to him so we have to know that yeah I'd be that'd be rad. Yeah he's one of those guys and I I don't normally say something like that but dude his story is just incredible like absolutely and it's far from over too that's why I'm you know yeah I love Joey and seeing him so okay yeah I'll rule yeah for sure I'm I'm gonna slide into DMZ and um see if he'd be down that'd be cool. Only a few more things for you and then we'll get this wrapped up ask away for you like where you're at now in your career like what are the the goals or aspirations for you moving forward that you want to accomplish and achieve well I mean one one goal that I had that I'm achieving right now is to get back to the top you know top kind of level super cross doing that finding a position uh finding a home in you know in the industry my other goal is you know to to find a way to make it into a career and in my mind the word career encompasses you know being able to provide you know enough of a financial number you know to uh to make things happen like my wife and I we just we just started building a house and uh that's not cheap you know and we're talking about as a kid like eventually and like in my mind that's that's what my goal is you know if I can do it I need to do it to that level um so I mean that's that's probably my biggest biggest goal right now I want to either fully make it to where I need to be in media within the next probably I told her probably like year and a half two years max or I'm gonna have to you know call it I'm gonna have to step away and find that other other avenue in life um I think it's just about you know somewhat growing up like I'm not young but uh this has been my passion and my you know the thing I focused on and I've I've made it you know I've made it made it work um but yeah there's that level of what is a career and that's what I've been asking myself and I even ask people I I posted it on Facebook the one day I'm like how do you define a career you know and that's even a question like shoot I'd love to ask you like what would you say a career is um I think for me once for me my my experience was once I realized that the I mean I hate to use the word consistent but there was a point I got to where the paychecks were for lack of a better term consistent in an otherwise inconsistent path in this like weird creative niche that we're in where it's like oh I have money coming in for the most part every month um and I'm working consistently or even if there's not money coming in for a month or two months like I was on this job that paid enough money to hold me over for those couple months while the next thing comes in.

SPEAKER_06 2:25:25

Um and I guess it it's like for me it was like oh this is what's paying my bills and I don't need to go get a second job because there's enough coming in sustain me to pay for my bills and provide for myself and you know have a have a partner in a marriage and r have our own place and start a family and stuff like oh there's like I guess that's what a career is um I I call it a career I it it always for me always felt weird that this was like how I made a living because I know not everyone got to do what I got to do or does what you do. So I also like wrestled with like guilt a lot of like there's a lot of people that go to a nine to five and they hate their job and that's just what it is. But like I'm getting paid to go do this thing or like I get to hang out at home for a week because there's nothing going on and and there's you know money in the bank account uh invoice that's out there that's been submitted like um it was kind of I don't know it was weird. So I guess though to answer the question a career for me was like that's what's paying the bills and I don't need anything outside of this to to support me you know um it got like I was able to save up a nice little nest egg um and then when everything ended like we were able to when all my stuff ended with verb we were able to live off of that that obviously though went pretty quickly because there wasn't a lot of money coming in because like that paycheck was gone and um got a little scary there's a kid on the way then the TLD thing comes that kind of like keeps the lights on for a little bit and then that ends there's still a outstanding invoice that I'll never get a penny from that never got paid and then you're out of money. Okay. So that's like yeah how the whole Trader Joe's thing came to be and for me like I call Trader Joe's a career too like it's not a job like for me it's a career because I do see my been there for almost two and a half years and I'm not going anywhere. I love it. Like I'm very happy doing what I do and there's a lot of opportunity for me to grow and move up in the company and there's opportunity for me to make what I was making before if not even more and that's really up to me. Like that's not and that's what's cool. That's on me. That's not on the job or like you know in the film world like me making fifteen hundred bucks a day is great money but I knew that I couldn't really get much more than that. Like that was really where it was going to cap out. Where like where I'm at now there's room to make a very very comfortable living and again match what I was making and then if I want to go even further make much more all by working in a grocery store. So like for me it's it's that's a career. It sounds weird to some people I know because some people are like I don't know how you can just do that like not want to go get on a plane and shoot a dirt bike race or go do this and like I did it for 16 years. Like I got what I wanted out of it and I'm good. Like we were talking about I get to come home clock out I'm done I work with really cool people in a company that I really enjoy and that really treats and respects their employees um and there's empathy and compassion that's like the biggest thing for me is just having empathy and having compassion um and I have that where I'm at and like I love it. So that's that's that's my career putting stuff on a shelf and just trying to be a kind human that people that come in and spend money at our store.

SPEAKER_07 2:29:26

That's cool.

SPEAKER_06 2:29:27

So I don't know if that answers the question but no it it does and like I said yeah that that's just something that I've been wrestling with you know like you said I mean what's what do I see happening or like what's my goal with media and I think that's that's like that ultimate question I keep having like is this a career like is this what I really need moving forward or is this something that I'm doing that is just prolonging where I should be like if that makes sense like yeah yeah yeah no I I get that I for me like doing the passion projects was what really made it all like maybe put it into perspective of like oh yeah this is why I do it because when you're on like these bigger jobs like for me the pat I mean I we talked about it at imagination like the I just was so burned out I was so unhappy and part of it too like to be fair to like Wes and the verb crew I was also a fucking asshole the last like year and a half or so like I was a dick because I was in a bad mood because I wasn't doing the stuff I thought I should be doing um or like was passionate about doing and so like when I went off and would do like that no runners project with Trevor Stewart or I did this thing called Whois with Gunnar Wright or like some of those all in projects those were really fulfilling for me because there was no rules there was no expectations I was just going out and like creating what was in my head and that was it. And I wasn't letting any client or anybody dictate what the end result was going to be. But then you get on the bigger shoots and there's client expectations and needs and requirements and it's just like I I'm being put in a box and it wasn't fulfilling for me and I just turned into a total dick and well I mean you weren't a dick to me so you know no I yeah but I towards like the verb like Wes and those guys like I would definitely had an attitude um and I recognize that um and that's something that's on me so as well like yeah I was an asshole because like no I don't I don't want to go to El Snor on a Tuesday and go shoot a raw video of Carson Mumford. No disrespect to Carson because it's not him but like I could be doing something a lot better with my time in terms of like my creative outlook on things and what I could be making that are for me would be much more like of substance in this Instagram reel that's gonna get forgotten about in 20 minutes. And that just turned me into a bit of an asshole and that part is on me for sure. And then when like when everything ended like my advice to you would be like keep fucking going because you're really good at what you do. In all my time with you I always enjoyed working with you. Like keep going and don't fucking give up you'll know and for me I knew like when the TLD thing ended I knew I was done and I didn't want to do it anymore. Like I was rock bottom. I've talked about it in therapy I don't know what it's like to be an addict but I always hear addicts talk about there's rock bottom and then you have to go past rock bottom to actually want to get help. And that's where I was at. When the TLD thing ended I went from rock bottom to like below that to where like I didn't want to exist anymore. And when you have an eight month old little girl and you all of a sudden have no money and there's it got it got really really really bad. And um you're like oh yeah I got I need to make a change and I made the change but it was because I I knew I was ready and that it was time and like I'm not I'm I have anger just about the way things went because it was kind of I've said this a thousand times but like I just felt cold and callous and very disrespected um that's my subjective observation on the situation. So like that part still rubs me the wrong way because then everything that followed from a financial aspect and just like not wanting to be a part of this world anymore like that's not good. Um but it also like was good because I knew like yeah I don't want to go back to this and I'm very much at peace with that. Um so my advice to you would just be like you'll know like when that time comes. If it comes, it might not come, dude. Like it I hope it works out because you're so fucking talented at what you do. So like keep keep pushing and keep keep going until like you feel like I can't, like you know you're done. If that and that like I said, that might not ever come. Like it that was that's just my story, you know.

SPEAKER_02 2:34:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 2:34:38

Um because I've had people reach out too and be like, how do you know like when you're done? And I'd tell them exactly what I told you. Like I just was at the lowest of the low, and I knew that it was time, and I was completely at peace with it, and I still am two and a half years later. Like the thought of getting in the car and going to a test track or going to the airport at five in the morning to go to fly across the country to go to Unadilla or something sounds so horrible for me. Like, there's no way in hell. Um and it's fine that someone else is like, no, like that's what I want to do. That's cool. I did too, until I didn't anymore. Um, but everyone's story is just different, and that's how mine wound up, and I'm like I said, very much at peace with the decision I made and where it led me to. I wouldn't and I'm not I would never say, Oh yeah, go get a job at Trader Joe's, because you might fucking hate it because you're not ready yet, you know. Like my good friend Nathan, like he asks me that too, and I'm like, he's like, should I go get a job at Trader Joe's? And like I'll happily help you out, but like you gotta be ready. Like, because you might come in and you might not like it, and that's okay, but that means you still have things you want to accomplish in your current craft. Me five years ago, if I would have quit and gone to Trader Joe's, I would have been so angry and so bitter because I wouldn't have been ready, you know. And that's where I think it comes back to like the ad an addict. Like you can't force someone to get clean until they're actually ready, otherwise they'll just like do a 180 and keep going back to it. It's like I was completely ready to make a change. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:36:20

I appreciate that. I mean, I really do. That's something that um, like I said, I've been wrestling with this, you know, back and forth. But it's weird that at that time that I was really questioning things, it wasn't that long ago. Um, that's when I got the opportunity with Insta360 and to go back to Supercross, and like it's you know, I and maybe it's maybe it's just I want to cross this, you know, this last thing off, but you know. Yeah, that's yeah.

SPEAKER_06 2:36:52

Yeah, you'll like I said, you'll know, like I I don't sure there's other things I wanted to accomplish, but when I look back on it, like I really did achieve everything I wanted to from like the whole spectrum series thing to working with Red Bull and Honda, and I did a project with Tom from Blink 182. Like I got to do some really cool shit that I'm very thankful for. Um so I don't necessarily look back and be like, oh man, I w I wish I would have done this or like done that. Um I'm very thankful and appreciative that I really did get to check off everything I wanted to accomplish. Really, my only other thing was trying to make that push into Hollywood and go that route. And I did some small, very low budget short films that some of them I'm pretty proud of for having no money. We did a really we created this really cool thing, but that'd be the only thing. Like I never got to actually be on like a big, big union movie set or anything like that, but I'm also okay with that.

SPEAKER_00 2:37:56

This is a super random side note, but there's someone you would never guess um is working like Hollywood stuff now, union stuff, uh Tim Ferry.

SPEAKER_05 2:38:08

Doing what?

SPEAKER_00 2:38:10

A um what do they call it? So he's like the chase car like camera operator, or they strap a camera onto a bike and then he rides the bike.

SPEAKER_04 2:38:24

Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:38:26

So yeah, it's it's just when you said that, I'm like, dude, that's that's what the mo I had no idea. And somehow Tim and I, because Evan rides a club a good bit, uh, we kept talking about it. And um that's something he even told me. He's like, dude, there's there's some opportunities around here. He's like, so if you're interested, he's like, I can you know throw your name in there here and there, and we'll see what happens. So I mean that's even something I'm like, dude, that might be kind of fun.

SPEAKER_06 2:38:52

I would for sure take him up on that because um yeah, there's a lot of opportunity in that world if you can get a foot in the door, and that was the biggest thing for me, is I didn't know anybody. So I was like ground zero trying to work my way up, like basically starting all over again because I didn't know a single person. Um but if you have an in like that, dude, I would I would follow up on that and like see what you can get because that would be that would be really cool shit. I could see you enjoying that.

SPEAKER_00 2:39:19

I couldn't believe it when he told me. I'm like, shut up.

SPEAKER_06 2:39:22

Like really yeah, I hadn't too, that's so random.

SPEAKER_00 2:39:25

Right?

SPEAKER_06 2:39:27

Yeah, yeah, I would definitely recommend following up with that. Um ask you a couple questions we got submitted from Instagram. Uh we'll do two, and they're gonna both be from uh Coal Beach. Uh what's one thing he would like to tell his younger self with the knowledge he has now?

SPEAKER_00 2:39:52

Oh boy. Um I would say I would say try try as hard to do everything you want to every day. Uh because there's still and I think anybody that says, oh, I have no regrets, I think, I think that's a lie. I think everybody, you know, kind of looks back on life and they're like, man, if I could have you know done this or done that, you know, maybe things could have you know gone a little better, gone a little different. Um, yeah, I think I would always tell my like my younger self, like, hey, even when you feel like you know, giving up or you know, taking a lazy day, or you know, letting an opportunity pass by, like, don't do it, you know, do it, do it to your fullest, um, and and always stay more grounded. Like, I I was like I told you, I felt lost so many times, and I would go back and tell myself, like, dude, you don't need to feel lost, you just need to move forward, I guess. I was always kind of stuck in the past, and that's probably so cliche, you know. I would just that's that's one thing I tell myself, and I also just reassure you know my younger self. I'm like, dude, don't I would tell myself that you are going to do something great, you know, like you will accomplish your goals, you know, if you work hard. Um so yeah, I mean I I think that's the one main thing I tell myself, like you will accomplish something great if you want to.

SPEAKER_06 2:41:42

I like that, that's good. Um what the heck? And then his follow-up is which actually good. I should I didn't I should have asked you, but shout out to you, Cole. Good one. Uh what's what's he most proud of during his time in the in the industry?

SPEAKER_00 2:42:00

Oh boy. That's a tough one. Um I'm I'm proud of a lot of things that I've done. Um but I guess the one thing that I'm like still so proud of is uh honestly what I did with Jared. Stanky, that that whole two sancing thing. Like to to start something from such a small random idea and turn it into a project that you know lasted years. It gave it took Jared from being a relatively unknown guy in Arena Cross, you know, he's like top five, whatever, to somebody who was like pretty much a household name in the industry. Like that was super cool. Um just making that big idea like happen, you know, and able to give like Tom an opportunity like that. I never thought that I'd be able to open the doors, you know, for someone else. Like, and that that whole series went better than I could have ever imagined. And I'd say that's really uncommon, especially in this industry. There's always like, all right, this could have gone better. But with that, it was it went so well, and I got to see and do so many things that like I'm so thankful for. Like, we got to to film all the um those vlogs and weekly videos and stuff. Um, the places we got to go. Like, I mean, we went to Caemas, we went to all these weird random places, and like I said, it was just it's that one thing that I created that actually like fully worked out, I guess. And that's that's what I'm I'm really proud of how that happened.

SPEAKER_06 2:43:56

But yeah, that's cool, dude. I I remember that series well. That was a big deal. It was cool shit.

SPEAKER_00 2:44:03

That's the only time I've ever gotten to write, you know, for anything either. And that if you would have asked me, like, especially when I was in like high school or even college, like, hey, you're gonna write for some sort of like big, you know, big deal, I would have told you no way. Like, no way would that happen. And uh it was it was cool. And I mean I've I've even worked with Cole, so like hearing this, it's like it's really cool. Like, I I truly appreciate Cole and uh he's given me opportunities too. So I mean yeah, that's I wonder what other questions you get, anything stupid?

SPEAKER_06 2:44:41

Um I didn't know. No. Um there was those, there was camera setup, like in terms of your still like DSLR setup, what you're shooting on, favorite lens.

SPEAKER_00 2:44:59

I mean, I I'm a Nikon guy, uh always have been since day one. Um I'm just starting to get out of the whole old school DSLR setup. I have D5s and then uh I just got a Z9. Oh man and uh it's obnoxious like technology, it's it's insane. The uh the newer crowd coming up in uh media have no idea like how primitive things were, you know, not too long ago. Um favorite lens, probably boy, 70 to 200 or my 300 to 2.8, the whole prime. Yeah, it just depends. It depends on the situation, but the 300 holds a special place in my heart because I had to save for so long for that lens. And uh yeah, it's my baby, you know.

SPEAKER_06 2:45:49

That's funny you say that because when I when I think Mike Visor, I think 300 millimeter. Like that's my like immediate like visual of you in my head is you with the 300.

SPEAKER_00 2:46:01

Yeah, I I love that thing, and it's funny, like I I love people's responses too, like to it, like just the random people, especially like say like an outdoor national, you know, you're walking down the fence, dude. I bet that lens can see like from here to the concession stand. Or like, dude, that lens probably costs this, or like you know how people are, dude. It just generates so many random things that like people say. I'm like, wow, like this is this is wild, this the people's reaction to it sometimes.

SPEAKER_06 2:46:37

Like it's my yeah, yeah. Quick quick story, and then we'll get this wrapped up because the kid is she getting she getting fired up. Um Buds Creek 2023 for the TLD thing. I don't know what the fuck was going on with that crowd that weekend, but my god, they were unhinged the entire day.

SPEAKER_03 2:46:58

I was there.

SPEAKER_06 2:46:58

Were you there?

SPEAKER_03 2:47:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 2:47:00

Okay, so I don't know if it was just me or what, but like I remember going to Red Bud that year and mentally prepared for like a psychotic crowd, and I thought it was pretty mellow. I was like, it was kind of underwhelming, gorgeous track. But like from a crowd perspective, I was like, eh, isn't that kind of normal? And then Buds Creek that year, dude, the whole fucking day I'm getting shouted at going up and down the hills by the crowd, just the same shit. And I'm like, as someone that has a clinically diagnosed social anxiety disorder, it was stressing me the fuck out, dude. Oh my god. And they were like aggressive. Like, what what is going on here at Buds Creek?

SPEAKER_00 2:47:39

They ask you to like, did they ask you, hey, like take my picture, like that kind of stuff?

SPEAKER_06 2:47:44

Dude on my 70 to 200 on the tripod with like all this shit hanging off of it. I'm like, for real? Like, dude, we're two feet apart right now. There's just a fence line separating us, like it's not gonna work.

SPEAKER_00 2:47:56

They get pissed too.

SPEAKER_01 2:47:57

Yes, like what the fuck?

SPEAKER_05 2:47:59

Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Is this is this on the broadcast? Am I gonna am I am I gonna be on the TV, the TV broadcast right now, bro?

SPEAKER_01 2:48:08

Where where where can I see this dude?

SPEAKER_06 2:48:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:48:13

Probably won't, man.

SPEAKER_06 2:48:14

Yeah, the reality is dude, actually not, because it's sitting in a hard drive in my garage right now.

SPEAKER_00 2:48:19

Dude, I I can't tell you the amount of times, especially East Coast, because like the moto scene out east is like really tight knit. So like I'll go to a national, and like, dude, there'll be so many people, Mike, you know, screaming all the shit. And uh even just like regular people in the crowd, you know, like you said, they're gonna ask you to like take their picture or whatever. I can't tell you how many times I've faked it. Yes, like just like faked it, like, oh yeah, sick, dude, and like they get all hyped, and I'm like, thank god they'll leave me alone now. And I just walk down like another 10 to 15 feet, you know. Yep, yep, and that's that's even super cross now. Like it's gotten weird to super cross, like fans are wild, like absolutely wild. Yeah, yeah, that's okay.

SPEAKER_06 2:49:06

Well, I'm glad I'm I'm glad I'm not crazy and that Red Bull or uh Bud's Creek that year was psychotic, memorable. Yeah, but I'll never I will never forget that shit because the whole summer and all the years I've been doing this, I've never had it at that level. I'm like okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:49:21

Something within the water, you know.

SPEAKER_06 2:49:22

For sure, dude.

unknown 2:49:23

For sure.

SPEAKER_06 2:49:24

Um cool. Last three things I ask everyone at the very end. Um, kind of rapid fire. Uh, do you see yourself as a realist, optimist, or pessimist?

SPEAKER_00 2:49:35

I would say pessimist, honestly. I doubt so many things.

SPEAKER_06 2:49:43

Okay. I think you're the first out of your episode 48. You're the first pessimist.

SPEAKER_00 2:49:49

I mean, it yeah, I mean, I guess my pessimism though is based on realistic, you know, like realism. Like I'm it's based on not I guess my thing is I don't want to get my hopes up, you know. So I think that can be looked at as pessimistic because I look at okay, you should be prepared to fail. Like you should be prepared to feel that way. You know, things probably won't work out how you want them to. So I probably not the best thing, but uh being a pessimist too has kind of gotten me to a point where I don't get my heart broken so much.

SPEAKER_06 2:50:31

Yeah, no, I totally get that. Um do you see uh no? I was gonna ask you the same question I just asked you. Uh guilty pleasure.

SPEAKER_07 2:50:41

Guilty pleasure. Oh boy.

SPEAKER_00 2:50:51

Okay. I guess probably Instagram with um my own content.

SPEAKER_06 2:50:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:51:00

Watching, you know, watching how it grows. It's uh that's one of my guilty pleasures for sure. Like that shit affects me sometimes.

SPEAKER_03 2:51:12

That's fair. That's fair.

SPEAKER_00 2:51:13

That's probably my guilty pleasure, like social media sometimes, you know. I yeah, yeah, way, way more into it than I should be.

SPEAKER_06 2:51:22

Um and then last thing, if you could have dinner with three people excuse me, dead or alive, who would they be?

SPEAKER_00 2:51:33

Oh boy. I'd say Albert Einstein. Um this is tough. This one's tough. I would say Albert Einstein. Man, I can't even like there's so many people I think from history. I would honestly I can say for sure though, I would want to have dinner with somebody who isn't live now. Um I feel like I can learn so much from people in the past, you know, maybe somebody like um Neil Armstrong. You know, somebody that just like so Neil Armstrong, Albert Einstein, and this is tough. Maybe Martin Luther King.

SPEAKER_06 2:52:45

Yeah, okay. That's a s that's I would like to go to this dinner if that happens, please.

SPEAKER_00 2:52:50

I was gonna say those those are probably each one of them just contributed a lot, and they also did something that took a lot of courage, you know, each time. Like I just recently watched something on Albert Einstein, like it's a little off topic, but like I did not know that he was Jewish and that he was annexed from Germany and fled, fled from Germany in World War II, and came here, and like I had no clue like exactly how much that guy went through, and to still do what he did, and just the mind that he possessed was just incredible.

SPEAKER_07 2:53:38

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:53:40

What about you, dude? I gotta ask you, who are you three?

SPEAKER_06 2:53:43

Um, so one and two are uh uh Walt Disney and JFK, yeah, yeah. And then my number three always switches out, so it goes between my girl Jenny Taft, um Adam Cincinnato, because I just feel like he would be such a fascinating character. I would love to get him on the podcast. I'm trying to see if Colbeach can connect the dots for me. Um and then who's the other person? There's someone else. Oh, Tom from Blink. And like even though like I've met him and got to spend the day with him, it'd still be like rad to sit down and have dinner with him. He's also someone I'm trying to figure out how to navigate to maybe uh see if I can get on the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 2:54:27

I'm telling you, it is that's like one thing that I've learned is if you want to meet or talk to somebody, there's always a way to make it happen.

SPEAKER_07 2:54:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:54:39

Always. It's just I don't know, maybe it's just because of like where I've gotten or like my knowledge on it. I can say I've met or talked to pretty much every person that I've kind of wanted to.

SPEAKER_06 2:54:54

So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:54:55

It's just crazy.

SPEAKER_06 2:54:57

No, you're you're not wrong. It's definitely like when I look back at my career, like I was saying earlier, like I had these goals of clients I wanted to work for and people I wanted to meet, and similarly, like I've been able to make all that happen. So I'm trying to apply that as well to the podcast, and like Jenny Taft is someone I want to get on here at some point. Tom, Adam, like it can happen.

SPEAKER_01 2:55:21

Yeah, good time.

SPEAKER_06 2:55:23

Yeah, it's not I don't feel like it's out of the question, so we'll see. Um, sweet dude, dude. This was almost three hours. This is solid. Thanks for taking the time, dude.

SPEAKER_00 2:55:33

Dude, I honestly I had a a lot of fun and it was almost like therapy for me.

SPEAKER_07 2:55:39

Um that's cool.

SPEAKER_00 2:55:40

Yeah, it uh it was more than a podcast, I think, which was I appreciate it, dude. Honestly, I uh I'm thankful that you had me on. I learned a lot. Um yeah, I grew a little bit too, you know.

SPEAKER_06 2:55:56

That's cool.

SPEAKER_00 2:55:56

No, I'm right here, man.

SPEAKER_06 2:55:59

Same, same. Like I was saying in the beginning, man. I I still some of my favorite memories from Imagination were our drives from location to the hotel on those nights and just talking.

SPEAKER_00 2:56:11

Um didn't we have we had one talk in that weird building thing where we put all of our camera stuff?

SPEAKER_06 2:56:21

Yes, we did. I forgot about that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:56:24

That that's still dude, that's one of my like memories of creators and and friends that like I will never forget that. Like that was Yeah.

unknown 2:56:34

It's cool.

SPEAKER_06 2:56:35

It was, yeah. No, I appreciate it, dude. Same. Um, I feel like this was this was a really good one. It's cool to hear the whole story on your end and your frame of mind. And I hope, like I said, I hope you keep doing what you're doing and keep pushing because you're really fucking good at what you do. Um and I want to see you succeed. So keeping it, dude.

unknown 2:56:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:56:57

And dude, let's stay in touch more, man. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 2:57:02

Um I'm gonna hit stop real quick.