1 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: Welcome back to another episode of Cutting the Distance. Today, 2 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: I'm here with just myself. I want to do a 3 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 1: little bit more of a personal episode. There's a lot 4 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: more to people than hunting, right everybody gets to see, 5 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: you know, Jason Phelps, the elk hunter. Jason Phelps, the 6 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: guy that gets to go on some dream hunting trips, 7 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 1: and you know, the guy that started a successful elf 8 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 1: hunting brand and then eventually branched out in the turkey 9 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 1: and deer and predator and so on and so forth. 10 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: But this is going to be just a little bit 11 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: more of a of a personal list of questions that 12 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: I get quite a bit, and I'm just gonna elaborate. 13 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 1: You know, some people message me this week on Facebook 14 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: and kind of said, hey, I think that'd be something cool. 15 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: You know, they were asking me questions and I was 16 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: able to help them or or give some advice, and like, man, 17 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: you should really talk about that. So it kind of 18 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: inspired me to talk about that and kind of sparked 19 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: this converse. So, you know, one of those things everybody's like, 20 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: what's the and when you say the cost of chasing 21 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: elk dreams, you know the cost of chasing this dream. 22 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,119 Speaker 1: But they're not talking about cost and and the sense 23 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: of money. There is definitely cost involved, which fortunately a 24 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: successful business can can help along the way. But for me, 25 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 1: it's more of that cost, you know, of the family, 26 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: cost of time away from my kids, time away from 27 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: my community, time away from these other things that I do. 28 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: You know, for those that don't know, I've coached every 29 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: single sport my kids have played, both boy and girl 30 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: from the time they started until this year is the 31 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: first year I'm no longer coaching their rex sports, but 32 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,559 Speaker 1: instead I took on a high school basketball coaching jobs. 33 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: So you know, late November, I'm I've now you know, 34 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: I'm I'm in the gym. I'm with my other coaches. 35 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: We're with our team throughout the summer. But you know 36 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: I've did that. I'm on the school board. I'm you know, 37 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 1: I've helped with the Youth Baseball Association for the last 38 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: five or six years. Is a treasurer, you know. I 39 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,799 Speaker 1: try to be very active, but it does then you 40 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: throw on top of that a busy schedule both in 41 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: the spring and in the fall, and so these I 42 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: don't take for granted. Last year, especially twenty twenty four season, 43 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: I started to miss my family more than I typically have, 44 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:27,799 Speaker 1: and it wasn't that busy of a year. So I 45 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: don't know if I'm getting soft in my old age 46 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: or what. But the cost for me is those long days, 47 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: you know, seven to ten days gone, and a lot 48 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 1: of times we will stack those back to back to back. 49 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: My wife is a rock star. She'll never jump on 50 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:44,519 Speaker 1: the podcast. I thought this would be an interesting podcast 51 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: with her, but she's not interested in any of this stuff. 52 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: But you know, Sondy has to take care of everything, 53 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: you know, running all the kids to practices, you know, 54 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,679 Speaker 1: cooking dinner, you know the stuff that we typically share in. 55 00:02:57,880 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: You know, I love helping cook dinner. I love helping 56 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:01,839 Speaker 1: take care of the house, you know, whatever it needs 57 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:04,839 Speaker 1: to be done. But you know, during that time, it's 58 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: all her and we do get some one thing that 59 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: that is very nice. Stayed very good friends with my parents. 60 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: There actually are next door neighbors. They help out a 61 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: ton with the kids, which is you know, the the 62 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: tough part with with busy schedules. And you know, Sondia 63 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: puts in long days here at phelps game calls. She's 64 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: always the first one here, the last one to leave. 65 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: You know. Fortunately, I I'll never miss any major milestones, 66 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 1: but I do miss some of my daughter's volleyball games. 67 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: She understands, you know, this is this is dad's job. 68 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: She's super grateful when I'm there. And and if I 69 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: have any chance to make it home early for a game, 70 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: you know, make it home early for my hunt, so 71 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: I can, you know, take pictures with my boy before 72 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: he goes to homecoming. All of that. But that's the 73 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 1: biggest cost. Yeah, there's there's always a financial but I 74 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: would just hunt different hunts and and and that that 75 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: financial cost is different, but there's no replacing, you know, 76 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: missing out on those special family events. You know, some 77 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: people call me crazy, but I I've grown to love 78 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: just sitting around on the couch at night, but where 79 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: we're all whinding down and you know us kind of 80 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: all joking and giving each other a little bit of 81 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: guff about the day or making jokes about each other. 82 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:16,279 Speaker 1: I just I like that. And so why I love hunting. 83 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: Don't get me wrong. I get to live a dream life, 84 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: get to hunt all of you know, as much as 85 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: I want, those things do start to wear on you 86 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 1: a little bit. I had a question from from a 87 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:30,160 Speaker 1: guy expecting, you know, with his first kid. And he said, well, 88 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:32,039 Speaker 1: how did how did being a dad or you know, 89 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 1: how did having these extra responsibilities change, you know, the 90 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: amount you gotta hunt and how you think about it 91 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 1: and the financial responsibility and taking care of your family. 92 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: And that was probably the hardest time because I was 93 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:46,280 Speaker 1: hunting a lot prior to having my first kid, and uh, 94 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: you know, the first kids always a little more difficult. 95 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: But I would say until he was about five, like, 96 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 1: that was probably the most tension I had on leaving 97 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 1: you know, my wife, you know, taking care of a 98 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: young kid. And then we had our second kid, you know, 99 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: slightly after, just just right after two years, so we 100 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 1: had a you know, a zero and a two year 101 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 1: old in the house and that was the tough time. 102 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 1: And and things were just starting to get going at 103 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: that point, and so it was a real interesting time 104 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:14,600 Speaker 1: to like push forward on our dreams. And you know 105 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: a lot of times we would just sit down and 106 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: talk about it, like is this the right thing to do? 107 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: Is this you know, do you need to be pushing 108 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 1: this hard? Should you spend more time at home? Should 109 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: you be hunting? And ultimately we made it work. But uh, 110 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:30,479 Speaker 1: fatherhood you know, being a dad definitely kind of it 111 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: put everything in check a little bit, and you know, 112 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: my responsibilities of a dad kind of kicked in took 113 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 1: care of those. But then I still did try to 114 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: get out in the field as much as I could 115 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: without feeling guilty. You know, like I say, Sony's a 116 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: rock star, she'd let me hunt a lot. But you 117 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: do feel guilty that, you know, you you get to 118 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: throw away your responsibilities or put your responsibilities along the 119 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: side and put it all in her. Why you know, 120 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: you get to get to come home and go do 121 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: what you want to do. So definitely kind of crip 122 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: things back and things get for us. At that time, 123 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 1: things got a little bit tight, so there wasn't as 124 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 1: much money to be, uh, you know out there out 125 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 1: there hunting as much as I was prior to. And 126 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: then after that things got kind of rolling again. But yeah, 127 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: and like I say, going back to last year, I 128 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: started thinking about, oh, you know, I would check my watch, 129 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 1: but oh, it's it's a Monday night. My daughter's got 130 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: a volleyball game. Wonder how she's doing, you know, and 131 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,040 Speaker 1: you let those thoughts, you know, kind of get into 132 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: your head and it's not like, you know, the mental 133 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: thought of just I want to go home because I 134 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 1: want to quit. It's a mental thought of like, all right, 135 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: I wish I was at the gym watch my daughter 136 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: at least for that a little bit of time, and 137 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 1: then I'd love to be back out here. So those 138 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 1: things start to creep in. You start to miss your 139 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 1: wife and kids and family and friends, and and uh, 140 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: it get it gets at you a little bit. This 141 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: was a question we I had a great conversation with 142 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: my buddy Matt Schmidtz prior to the day I killed 143 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: my my bowl here in Washington this year. We were 144 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: sitting there having a whiskey on the back of the tailgate. 145 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 1: I had just had a hard day and my buddy 146 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:04,239 Speaker 1: Tyson went home. We were kind of switching hunting partners, 147 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:07,479 Speaker 1: guys that wanted to hunt with me, And He's like, man, 148 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: how what's it like having the pressure of being you 149 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 1: on this hunt? And I hadn't really thought about it, 150 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: but it was easy to explain. I was. I was 151 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: starting to think about, like, what will people think if 152 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: I kill this and here? Or what would people think 153 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: if I don't kill the big bull? Because I was 154 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 1: starting to get some pressure I'd already went through all 155 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: of my time I could hunt with a rifle and 156 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: I had to switch over to a muzzleoder. Now Like 157 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: not that it wasn't going to happen, but things were 158 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 1: getting more difficult. My weapon was getting more primitive. By 159 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: the time I could pick up a rifle, we were 160 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: going to be kind of out of the rut. And 161 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 1: so he brought up this questions like, what's the pressure 162 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 1: of being you on this hunt? And you know, people 163 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: expect some certain level of success, And I talked through it. 164 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: I'm like, yeah, man, it's as much as I'd like 165 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: to say it doesn't bother me, it was bothering me 166 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: on that hunt a lot. I wasn't getting excited about 167 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: you know, bulls. Ten years ago that would have got me, 168 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: you know, Jack, I'd have been running over there for 169 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: a chance to kill a bowl like that. And I 170 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: started to think, like, am I doing this for myself? 171 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 1: Am I doing this for the right reasons? And I 172 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: told Matt that night, I'd be like, you know what, 173 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: I'm glad you brought that up because it got me 174 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: back to a spot of I'm just gonna go hunt 175 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: and whatever gets me going. If it's a small bowl, 176 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: that beagle's big if it's a small bull that tears 177 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: down a tree on his way in, Like, I'm just 178 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: gonna go hunt to have fun. I'm gonna go hunt 179 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: for the reasons I always have. And on that hunt, thankfully, 180 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: that morning we did run into the biggest bowl and 181 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 1: he played the game right, and he beagled enough and 182 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: he was pushing cows all over the cut and the 183 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 1: alpine patch there, and you know, so we had that talk. 184 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 1: Ultimately I was able to finally kill the biggest bowl 185 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 1: we had seen on that hunt, thankfully, But it was 186 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: a tough, trying hunt, and I really had to get 187 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 1: back to a place of do this for the reasons 188 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 1: you love it. Do this for the reasons you you 189 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: love to be out here, and don't worry about, you know, 190 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: anybody judging, you know, anything that you do. So this 191 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: one I could write maybe a book on, and it 192 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,200 Speaker 1: would probably not be a very good book, but I 193 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 1: could write a book on, you know, lessons that I've 194 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 1: learned from being in business, and lessons that I've learned 195 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: from working with people in the hunting industry and how 196 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,439 Speaker 1: they've improved my life or affected my life, and vice versa. 197 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:23,199 Speaker 1: I'm going to keep it short. I'm not in I'm 198 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 1: not going to tell people how to run a business. 199 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:27,319 Speaker 1: I've learned kind of the school of hard knocks. I 200 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: didn't know a lot about it going into it. I'll 201 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,079 Speaker 1: keep it pretty high level. I built what I wanted 202 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: to use. I took feedback well. I had empathy for 203 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: all my customers. If they didn't like something, if something 204 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: wasn't up to their standards, I took care of them. 205 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: And it was people don't believe me. I'm like, it 206 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: was very easy. I just designed a bunch of calls 207 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: that I liked to use and I thought were easier 208 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 1: or better or more consistent than other calls out there. 209 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: What really kind of god at me was when it 210 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 1: got the big business. You know, just selling online was fine, 211 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: you know, selling it to the the small pro shops, 212 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: the small vendors. My biggest hurdle or my biggest like check, 213 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 1: you know, kind of getting checked up on business was 214 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: when I went to the bigger vendors, you know, the 215 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: sportsman's warehouses, the kabelas, you know, all of this stuff, 216 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: and there's all these vendor compliance guides and there's all 217 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:20,360 Speaker 1: these things you have to do right, you have to 218 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: package them right. That's what I decided. I didn't like 219 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:25,200 Speaker 1: that part of the business. I was gonna go back 220 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:27,560 Speaker 1: to designing calls and hire somebody that can do that side. 221 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:30,679 Speaker 1: You know, my my wife and then my business manager, 222 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: Corey handle most of that stuff and I'm able to 223 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: just focus on the marketing, the business side that the call, 224 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,199 Speaker 1: design that side, and not have to deal with the 225 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: day to day you know, warehousing, shipping, all of that stuff. 226 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:47,600 Speaker 1: But I'm I'm convinced that business. Yeah, there's rules, and 227 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: there's numbers, and there's math, and there's margins, and there's 228 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 1: making sure you're profitable and you're doing things in an 229 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 1: efficient way. But business is really about being a good 230 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: person and understanding like your end customer and for me 231 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: being a diar hunter, knowing what I wanted when I 232 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 1: went to buy a product or you know, something to 233 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 1: use in the pursuit of you know, hunting. I just 234 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: applied that and took care of everybody, and it made 235 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: my life pretty easy as far as the business goes. 236 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: This one is how do you go about building something 237 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:21,439 Speaker 1: that lasts beyond the call? So how are you building 238 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 1: a legacy with values? Around it. I'm just hoping that, 239 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 1: you know, I always always tell everybody I hope I 240 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 1: don't cross anybody that's actually met me, actually got a 241 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: chance to talk to me. Everybody has their opinions on 242 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:38,199 Speaker 1: the internet. They can say what they want, But if 243 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:40,320 Speaker 1: you've met me and got a chance to talk to me, 244 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 1: I want you to walk away from that conversation like 245 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 1: we might not you know, we may be in business 246 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 1: against each other, but Jason Phelps is a pretty good guy, 247 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 1: right Like that that to me, and so I treat 248 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 1: every conversation like that. I want it to be true. 249 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: Like I want to take care of everybody. I don't 250 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 1: want to ever walk away from a relationship, a conversation 251 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,959 Speaker 1: and interaction, whether they use my calls, whether they like 252 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: my calls, whether they don't like my calls, whether they 253 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 1: like me, whether they don't like me, whether they know me. 254 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:12,959 Speaker 1: Be like, hey, that that changed my opinion of him, 255 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: or that changed who I thought he was. And by 256 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: me being honest and just being the guy that I am, 257 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:22,080 Speaker 1: I want people. You know, I always joke about what 258 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:24,560 Speaker 1: I want on my headstone. I'm like Jason Phelps, a 259 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: pretty nice guy, you know, Like never did me wrong, 260 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 1: and that's important to me. Like you're only as good 261 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:32,959 Speaker 1: as your word, You're only as good as is what 262 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 1: you say and what you do. And so that's what 263 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 1: I want my legacy to be. Is a good guy 264 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 1: that took care of his customers and you know, built 265 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: a pretty dang good call in the process. Is something 266 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:49,679 Speaker 1: that's very very important to me. So that was kind 267 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:51,839 Speaker 1: of those that was four or five high level. And 268 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 1: then we're going to get into like these twenty random 269 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: kind of those personal, thought provoking questions just to like 270 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:00,320 Speaker 1: I say, dive in a little bit more. I'm going 271 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: to try to keep these all to a minute, minute 272 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: and a half and skip through them here. So how 273 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 1: do you stay grounded when you're constantly in the spotlight 274 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 1: within the hunting world? Was a question I got in 275 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 1: the and uh and I think it was an Instagram 276 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 1: message and I copy and pasted it in in here 277 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 1: and grounded for me, let me say there was a 278 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 1: there was a time and being completely transparent when I 279 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:32,680 Speaker 1: first started, you know, quote unquote building calls, posting on 280 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:36,080 Speaker 1: social media, I started to get a big head and 281 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: started to get a little bit of a chip or 282 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:41,440 Speaker 1: an attitude. I would argue with anybody, and then there 283 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 1: was I would say, it was a short time, you know, 284 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:46,439 Speaker 1: and my and my young my my mid twenties, right, 285 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:49,440 Speaker 1: you're full of pisson, vinegar, full of testosterone, whatever you 286 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:51,719 Speaker 1: want to call it. And then I slowly realized that 287 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:53,079 Speaker 1: that's not the right way. There are a lot of 288 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 1: good hunters out there. There's never going to be a 289 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 1: best hunter. And and it's just what happens when you 290 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 1: take a lot of guys and some you know, some alphas. 291 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,440 Speaker 1: The majority of guys that are, you know, that way, 292 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:11,080 Speaker 1: they've got that mindset. I just always remind myself is like, 293 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 1: why did we do this? Why did why did Grandpa 294 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: get up early every morning, you know, brew too, two 295 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 1: big Stanley thermoses full of coffee. Why did grandpa wake 296 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 1: all of his kids up every morning, you know, throw 297 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 1: them all in the rig and go hunting. It was 298 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: for them to spend time together, and it was to 299 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: fill the freezer. And I always remember why, you know, 300 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: the Phelps family hunted and why we did that. And 301 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: even though my path is completely different than than the 302 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: family of loggers that I come from that have lived 303 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 1: here and logged and hunted forever, just remember where I 304 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 1: come from why we do it, and don't let any 305 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 1: of quote unquote the spotlight get to you. It's not 306 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 1: why I do it. I hunt because I absolutely love 307 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: love the process. I love the the challenge. I love 308 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 1: being in these wild places. I love pursuing them where 309 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 1: they're at. How are you able to grow the business 310 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 1: and then still be able to spend as much time 311 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: in the field, And that was that was one of 312 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: my biggest struggles. Was all right, our busiest time of 313 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: the year is during fall hunting seasons. But yet I'm 314 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 1: not going to be here for the fall hunting seasons, 315 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: you know, or not very often. And so what finally 316 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 1: had to happen I mentioned it a little bit earlier, 317 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: was I just had to build a team around me. 318 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: A team that could handle production, a team that could 319 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: handle all of my emails, all of my business related questions. 320 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: They could handle all of our account you know, maintenance, 321 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 1: all of those things, which then gives me the chance 322 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 1: to go out and do what I'm good at, and 323 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 1: is to go hunt, Go test the product, go show 324 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 1: off the product, go put the product to you, so 325 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: I can say, hey, I think we need to make 326 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 1: a tweak to this call or that call, you know, 327 00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 1: wore out a little bit premature, or this or that. 328 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 1: So I need to be out in the field as 329 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 1: much as possible so that I can I don't lose 330 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:07,120 Speaker 1: that connection that I'm just a guy that's designing products 331 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: because there's a business that can be had around it. 332 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 1: I want to be the guy that hunts harder more 333 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 1: days than everybody else. And so I'm now the authority 334 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 1: on what needs to be designed, what needs to be tweaked, 335 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:22,080 Speaker 1: and whatnot. What sacrifices have you made to chase your 336 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: passion and are they worth it? The one thing that changed, 337 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: and I would say, when I was twenty five years old, 338 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: So what is that? Twenty two thousand and six, two 339 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 1: thousand and seven, my friends were all partying. You know, 340 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: they were all big Seahawks fans. They would spend all weekend, 341 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 1: you know, drinking, watching the games, partying party and Friday 342 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: night party and Saturday night. Me and my wife, I'm 343 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: introverted anyways a little bit, so it is easy for me. 344 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 1: But like we kind of stopped going to those events, 345 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: those you know, weekend parties, those things, and we kind 346 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: of fully or at least I did at the beginning 347 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 1: when I didn't need help. I was I was on 348 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: social media doing my marketing. I was on my call 349 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:09,639 Speaker 1: press building calls. I was on out in the woodshop 350 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: turning barrels on my lathe. I was trying to you know, 351 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: design new tone boards. I was working on you know, 352 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 1: new diaphragm designs. So that there was a six to 353 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 1: eight year period where not that I didn't have any 354 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 1: friends but my old friend group and myself, me and 355 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 1: my wife, we didn't really hang out that much. It 356 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:31,199 Speaker 1: was it was me burying myself in work so that 357 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:34,479 Speaker 1: it was my my number one and you know, aside 358 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: from my wife and my kids, the business was my 359 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:41,439 Speaker 1: my other priority, you know, And and just kind of 360 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:47,199 Speaker 1: buried myself in that and and that was my biggest sacrifice. 361 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 1: I feel like I made my family. I feel like 362 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:53,919 Speaker 1: had to make additional sacrifices, you know, as I was 363 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 1: traveling to do a seminar, you know, one day seminar 364 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:59,040 Speaker 1: in Salt Lake City and then doing a seminar down 365 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:01,119 Speaker 1: in New Mexico or whatever it may be, Like I 366 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:03,879 Speaker 1: was flying all over the place, you know, and it 367 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:05,399 Speaker 1: takes a day or two here, and a day or 368 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:06,720 Speaker 1: two there, and by the time you looked at my 369 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 1: summer schedule, I didn't have a whole lot of time 370 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 1: left on the that wasn't already booked. And so thankfully 371 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:15,439 Speaker 1: I was able to take my kids to some of 372 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 1: these events. My my wife would go to some of 373 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:19,439 Speaker 1: these events, and we were able to make it a 374 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 1: little bit more, you know, it was a little easier 375 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:25,560 Speaker 1: for me with them there versus me always being gone 376 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:30,639 Speaker 1: by myself. That was that was the biggest sacrifice. Was 377 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:34,000 Speaker 1: was just the time and then just kind of leaving 378 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:35,920 Speaker 1: my friend group so that I could develop something that 379 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:39,440 Speaker 1: I was very passionate about on your mind on my 380 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:42,399 Speaker 1: mindset and growth. What does mental toughness mean to me 381 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: outside of the mountains, Man, I tackle everything, and a 382 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 1: lot of a lot of it comes from my my 383 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:52,879 Speaker 1: dad's side of the family. My grandpa was in the Marines, 384 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 1: very very strict, very demanding grandpa, not so much to 385 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: me the grand but to my dad and my uncles. 386 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:08,120 Speaker 1: That mental toughness was then relayed down to us through sports, 387 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: through hunting, through chopping firewood on the weekend, through whatever 388 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:17,280 Speaker 1: we did there was you were never tired, you were 389 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: never too sore, you were never and and I don't 390 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:23,639 Speaker 1: know if these guys tricked you into believe and they 391 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:25,680 Speaker 1: never got sore, because now I'm their age and I'll 392 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 1: get sore. But they they just powered through like it 393 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 1: was a It was a And sometimes people say pride 394 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:33,439 Speaker 1: is a bad thing, and I think it it is 395 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: most of the time, but there is some good pride 396 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 1: that like I'm just not gonna I'm not gonna show 397 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 1: any signs of fatigue or soreness or and and so 398 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 1: with that said, I think just watching my dad and 399 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 1: and some of my uncles that logged and you know, 400 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 1: get up at get up at four in the morning, 401 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 1: and you know, get up and go work in the 402 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:59,800 Speaker 1: you know, freezing cold rain all day to make a living. 403 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:01,480 Speaker 1: And as soon as they would get home, they would 404 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: just put ten hours in in the most miserable conditions ever. 405 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 1: And then he'd come chop firewood for two hours because 406 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 1: that was what needed to be done. And then watch 407 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:13,000 Speaker 1: him after that go down and coach my basketball practice 408 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: or my football practice or my you know, baseball practice, 409 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:18,080 Speaker 1: whatever it was. He was still there. And so it's 410 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 1: like you start to see like what people are capable 411 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: of when you're not lazy, and when you're not, you know, 412 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 1: you don't need an hour on the couch or two 413 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: hours on the couch. You start to realize just what 414 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 1: you're capable of. And so I think I just got 415 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: my mental toughness, you know, from from watching men in 416 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: my life, and you know, competition through sports and just 417 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: learning whether even if it's false confidence or you're you're 418 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: faking some of this, or you're faking mental toughness, Like 419 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 1: faking mental toughness is still toughness. So's it was more 420 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 1: of that, like you train yourself to push through, and 421 00:20:52,880 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: that's helped a lot. If I ever been burned out, 422 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 1: and how it was I able to pull myself back up. 423 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 1: I can remember one one trip in particular, I was 424 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:18,960 Speaker 1: still hunting off of a bike here in my backyard, 425 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:21,360 Speaker 1: so to speak, and I remember being like, you know what, 426 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,880 Speaker 1: this sucks. I'm not we aren't killing anything, Like, I'm 427 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 1: just going home. I'm not hunting to night. And I 428 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: can remember sitting at home that night just being like, 429 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:31,919 Speaker 1: how did you get here? You wait all year for 430 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:35,600 Speaker 1: this opportunity, that's all you want to do, but yet 431 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 1: you've only got a twelve day season and you've just wasted, 432 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: you know, at one twenty fourth of it by not 433 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: hunting tonight and just kind of had a real conversation 434 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 1: with myself. I'm like, don't ever let yourself do that again. 435 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:50,840 Speaker 1: And so for me, it's like these little internal battles. Now, 436 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: that was me hunting by myself. Now, if I'm hunting 437 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:56,440 Speaker 1: with a buddy. I've said this before numerous times. I've 438 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 1: got one of the most diehard group of hunting partners ever, 439 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 1: and we are all pretty mentally strong, and we can 440 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 1: all feed off of each other. So if one guy 441 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:07,920 Speaker 1: is down, the other guy knows his jobs to pick 442 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:10,120 Speaker 1: him up. And once again, it's almost back to that thing, 443 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:12,640 Speaker 1: like you could never be the second guy to say, yeah, 444 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:14,280 Speaker 1: I think we should leave, or I think we should 445 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:17,199 Speaker 1: throw the talent. You're always trying to like show your 446 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: buddy how tough you are, and you just say, nope, 447 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 1: we're sticking it out. I think this is gonna work. 448 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,440 Speaker 1: And that's kind of how I don't get burned out 449 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:29,000 Speaker 1: too much. I love the whole pursuit of it. I 450 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:32,959 Speaker 1: know that there's limited time throughout the year, and so 451 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 1: I don't have to do that very often. But I 452 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:36,720 Speaker 1: remember that one time, very vividly, where I rode my 453 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:39,680 Speaker 1: bike down, went home and did not hunt that evening, 454 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 1: and I almost didn't let myself kind of forgive myself 455 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 1: because it was just it was frustrating once I thought 456 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,680 Speaker 1: about it. From you, you dream about this all the time. 457 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: Is there a failure that I'm especially thankful for now? 458 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: In hindsight, I've one thing about failure, and you don't 459 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: talk about it as much. But I've failed over and 460 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 1: over and over and over, especially when it comes to 461 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:09,199 Speaker 1: being in the woods making decisions. I've failed over and 462 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,959 Speaker 1: over and over on call design attempts. I've you know, 463 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:15,240 Speaker 1: we've we've tried to do something it doesn't work. We've 464 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 1: tried to do something doesn't work, you know, and then eventually, 465 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:18,679 Speaker 1: one of these days you're going to come up with 466 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 1: something like the easy sucker or something to that effect. 467 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:25,919 Speaker 1: That's that's revolutionary kind of an emerging technology nobody's did, 468 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:27,399 Speaker 1: and you're like, all right, it was all worth it. 469 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 1: But yeah, I'm thankful for all of my failures. And 470 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:36,119 Speaker 1: this is an easy answer, right, But what I what 471 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 1: I'm able to do, or what I do or I 472 00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 1: make it a point to do, is that failure is 473 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,440 Speaker 1: worthless if I don't learn from it, if I don't 474 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:46,119 Speaker 1: step back what happened. How do we not do that again, 475 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: whether it's to a manufacturing process or getting something made, 476 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 1: or you know, trusting that somebody will do it and 477 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:53,840 Speaker 1: then I didn't check up on it. You know, one 478 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 1: thing I I read early on and creating this business 479 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: is extreme ownership. And you know Jocko wrote that, and 480 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:04,720 Speaker 1: it just whether you need to think like that all 481 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 1: the time, but it never lets yourself off the hook 482 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 1: for anything. Any failure that happens within this business, whether 483 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,200 Speaker 1: I truly have control over it or not, should be 484 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: under my control. And so I try to put my 485 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:20,040 Speaker 1: I make myself liable for everything in this business. Whether 486 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:22,880 Speaker 1: I truly have input or not on that specific thing, 487 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:28,480 Speaker 1: it ultimately ends up on me. And so you learn 488 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:32,159 Speaker 1: from all my failures. Maintaining ownership over everything that happens 489 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:38,879 Speaker 1: with this business has been a big, big help. How 490 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 1: do I measure success these days versus how we started? 491 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 1: Everybody calls me out on that, not calls me out, 492 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 1: but they're like, you know, I can always kind of 493 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,199 Speaker 1: see them roll their eyes and say, sure, success for 494 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 1: me was those stories I would get early on, success 495 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,879 Speaker 1: for me was somebody asking how to run a diaphragm, 496 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 1: me providing what I thought was good feedback, and then 497 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:09,399 Speaker 1: learning into how to run a diaphragm. I never you know, 498 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:13,160 Speaker 1: a lot of people would relate success to financial success 499 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:17,359 Speaker 1: or growth of the business. I was just passionate about something, 500 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:20,119 Speaker 1: and this something allowed me to hunt more and without 501 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 1: as many financial restrictions. Is all I really cared about now, 502 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:28,679 Speaker 1: not so much my own measuring stick, but like the 503 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: company corporate measuring stick is, we are trying to hit 504 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 1: sales numbers, We're trying to hit targets, which changes my 505 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:38,080 Speaker 1: mindset a little bit, But man, I still get a 506 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:40,000 Speaker 1: big old grin on it. When people send me, you know, 507 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,480 Speaker 1: success stories or something that I personally did to help 508 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,879 Speaker 1: them be successful in the field, I always tell them like, 509 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: I'm just I'm just some information. I just build a call, 510 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 1: Like you're the carpenter that's using all these tools, You're 511 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:53,359 Speaker 1: the one that made it happen. Like I'm just happy 512 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 1: I could be a part of it and that you 513 00:25:54,560 --> 00:26:00,199 Speaker 1: trusted us with being a part of it. So what 514 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 1: do I fear more? Failure in the field or failure 515 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:05,960 Speaker 1: as a leader as a leader for sure, even more 516 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 1: so failure as a father, and even more so like 517 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 1: failure as a husband, you know, like all those things 518 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:16,760 Speaker 1: are are more important. Like failure in the field. It stings, 519 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: but the I don't fear that as much I want 520 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:22,639 Speaker 1: to be I want to be the best GM and 521 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 1: leader of Phelps game calls that that we can. It's 522 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:28,679 Speaker 1: it's very important to me that people have jobs to 523 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:31,200 Speaker 1: come to, especially in my small town appeal. There's not 524 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:34,000 Speaker 1: a lot of jobs that have benefits like these, that 525 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:37,919 Speaker 1: have you know, somewhat flexible schedules. So it's very very 526 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 1: important that I don't fail as a leader, more so 527 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 1: important that I don't fail as a father. You know, 528 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:47,439 Speaker 1: you get eighteen years with these kids plus you know, 529 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:49,679 Speaker 1: plus or minus to to kind of mold that. And 530 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:52,919 Speaker 1: then you know, I want to be known if you 531 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:54,720 Speaker 1: went to up to my kids, like the most important 532 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 1: thing to me is like you have a good dad, 533 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:00,440 Speaker 1: and they answered it yes, and and they would have 534 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: good reasons why, you know. And then even more importantly 535 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 1: than that, uh, you know, we're getting down that this 536 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 1: this rabbit hole of you know. Then then being a 537 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:11,359 Speaker 1: good husband to my wife, you know, taking care of 538 00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 1: the house financially, you know, being a good, good partner, 539 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 1: sharing and things around the house, you know, having fun together, 540 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,439 Speaker 1: being best friends. That sort of thing is important, you know, 541 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:24,040 Speaker 1: more so than than those other things. So until I 542 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 1: get those in order, then yeah, failure in the field sucks, 543 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:35,239 Speaker 1: but not that worried about it in reality. So this 544 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 1: one I talk about all the time, and people with 545 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:41,320 Speaker 1: a business degree don't like it. Trusting my gut versus 546 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 1: following data or market trends. You don't confidence in cocky. 547 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:50,080 Speaker 1: There's that, There's a fine line between it, and I 548 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:55,200 Speaker 1: always want to be confident but not cocky. Right now 549 00:27:55,200 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 1: in the ELK call world, like I feel like I'm 550 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:02,679 Speaker 1: we are as a Phelps game calls, as a brand, 551 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 1: me and my team, we're setting the market trends within 552 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:09,399 Speaker 1: ELK calls. I don't need to follow anybody, and so, 553 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:11,359 Speaker 1: like I said, I want to be confident in that, 554 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:13,640 Speaker 1: not cocky. I don't pay too much attention to other 555 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,360 Speaker 1: brands within the ELK call world. Now we do pay 556 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 1: attention to some other brands. We're still the new kids 557 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 1: on the block when it comes to Turkey and Deer. 558 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:24,720 Speaker 1: But what we've really did on that was we set 559 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:27,159 Speaker 1: the bar very high. We you know, we're one of 560 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 1: the few building acrylic CNC machine the tone boards for 561 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: our deer calls. You know. The only other place you 562 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:36,359 Speaker 1: see that is in your your Duck calls, you know, 563 00:28:36,359 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 1: some of your Goose calls, but the majority of those. 564 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,719 Speaker 1: And we brought that high level of design into our 565 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 1: deer call line, you know, our Turkey call lines. We've 566 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:49,240 Speaker 1: we've we've joined with the right people you know that 567 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: that know more about Turkey calls than me. At times 568 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: I would stay, I stay. I would say I'm a 569 00:28:56,440 --> 00:29:01,320 Speaker 1: very good sounding board on what the users out there 570 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 1: want to use as far as like ease of you 571 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:06,400 Speaker 1: sound quality, you know, how easy they already use right 572 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 1: out of the box, that sort of thing. But we 573 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 1: work with some amazing, amazing people on the Turkey call 574 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: side that have really helped us out. What part of 575 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: Phelps go switching gears, what part of helps game calls? 576 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:21,920 Speaker 1: Am I most proud of? Not the products, but the culture. 577 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 1: Man Like the best example, I want to say, the 578 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 1: people that we have representing the brand, the people that 579 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:33,240 Speaker 1: you see the brand attracts. So I always tell everybody 580 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: go if you were to ever go to one of 581 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:37,480 Speaker 1: our consumer shows, whether it's a Pacific Northwest sportsman show, 582 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:40,800 Speaker 1: the Western Hunt, you know, the Mile High, any of 583 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:42,680 Speaker 1: these ones we're at. If you can't go to our 584 00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:46,560 Speaker 1: booth and get treated with the utmost respect, no matter 585 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:49,200 Speaker 1: who you are, what you've accomplished, if you can't leave 586 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:52,600 Speaker 1: there laughing at somebody or laughing with somebody, maybe laughing 587 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:54,760 Speaker 1: at yourself, laughing at one of us, laughing at me, 588 00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 1: laughing at Dirk, if we're all in the same place, like, 589 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 1: I would be very, very surprised. Like we want to 590 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:04,920 Speaker 1: be fun, we want to be educational, we want to 591 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: be entertaining, entertaining, we want all of these things. And 592 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:13,560 Speaker 1: I feel like the group of people we've we've attracted, 593 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 1: the people that use our calls, number one, they're they're 594 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:20,440 Speaker 1: all excellent callers. Everybody that's in there is excellent callers 595 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:23,040 Speaker 1: or has an excellent knowledge of the call, the the 596 00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 1: brand and what to recommend. But more importantly than how 597 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:29,600 Speaker 1: good you can call, is the quality of people, Like 598 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:32,400 Speaker 1: is that the person I want representing the brand? Is 599 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: that the person I could trust that if I'm not 600 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: in the conversation that's talking to a young kid just 601 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 1: getting into it. That that conversation, that kid's going to 602 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:41,960 Speaker 1: walk with a big smile and he's going to have 603 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,000 Speaker 1: the best information he can get. Is he going to 604 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:47,240 Speaker 1: be treated right by everybody? You know? One thing I 605 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:50,080 Speaker 1: check is I don't want anybody representing my brand ever 606 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:53,040 Speaker 1: publicly bad mouth and other brand. Now you can you know, 607 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:55,280 Speaker 1: we can say things like that call just doesn't work 608 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:57,560 Speaker 1: for me, or I really struggle to get that call 609 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:00,400 Speaker 1: to work, or you know, at the worst. Yeah, I 610 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:02,719 Speaker 1: mean I just had some consistency issues with something. But like, 611 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 1: we never bad mouth another call company. We sometimes recommend 612 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: the other call companies, like there's another option that may work. 613 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:13,160 Speaker 1: So that was like a long winded I went down 614 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:16,880 Speaker 1: the rabbit hole a little bit. But I tend to 615 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 1: lean on my gut quite a bit and the direction 616 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:22,160 Speaker 1: that we need to go, and then I try to 617 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:23,960 Speaker 1: get the numbers to back that up, if that makes 618 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:25,960 Speaker 1: any sense. So I go with my gut and then 619 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:30,440 Speaker 1: back it up with numbers. But yeah, that, oh, excuse me, 620 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:33,240 Speaker 1: I just reread the wrong question. We were talking about 621 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:36,680 Speaker 1: the culture of Phelps, not necessarily the product. Yeah, so 622 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 1: the culture we built the people are pretty awesome. How 623 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 1: do I stay inspired and creative when everybody's watching our 624 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 1: next move, waiting for the next thing to come out. 625 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:52,360 Speaker 1: I just put on my blinders. I don't pay a 626 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:55,400 Speaker 1: lot of attention to naysayers. I will ask questions on 627 00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:58,520 Speaker 1: how come or wide didn't that work. I don't pay 628 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 1: attention to what other call companies doing. We don't chase them, 629 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:06,440 Speaker 1: their their ideas, their designs. Everything we do is kind 630 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:11,760 Speaker 1: of on our own. And so, once again, if I 631 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 1: just shut my mouth open my ears at some of 632 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:18,000 Speaker 1: these sportsman shows where I get to talk to hundreds 633 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:20,960 Speaker 1: and hundreds of hundreds of elk hunters that range from 634 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 1: probably some of the worst elk hunters out there to 635 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:24,959 Speaker 1: some of the best ellk hunters out there, and everywhere 636 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:29,280 Speaker 1: in between. If I just listen and try to fix 637 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 1: everything that they say is affecting their hunt or causing 638 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:36,000 Speaker 1: them not to find success. If we just listen to that, 639 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:38,680 Speaker 1: and I can affect that from a call side, or 640 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,520 Speaker 1: if I can affect that from how easy it is 641 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:44,920 Speaker 1: to use, that usually gives my inspiration on where to go, 642 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 1: what to change, what to come back into the end 643 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:48,880 Speaker 1: of the lab or at my desk and start to 644 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:53,320 Speaker 1: design and then the last question on the business innovation side, 645 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:56,840 Speaker 1: what's the biggest myth people believe about growing a hunting business. 646 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:09,520 Speaker 1: The biggest myth I didn't really that it that there 647 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:12,320 Speaker 1: that there's no room. I guess right now, you know, well, 648 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:15,160 Speaker 1: it's like there's always there's always more room. There's always 649 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:17,760 Speaker 1: room for a new widget, there's there's shoot, there's room 650 00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:19,400 Speaker 1: for a new call company. I didn't tell you that, 651 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:22,320 Speaker 1: So don't go start one tomorrow. But there's room for 652 00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:24,440 Speaker 1: for more people. If you can do something, be a niche, 653 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:27,200 Speaker 1: provide good service. I think there's always going to be 654 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:32,200 Speaker 1: going to be room for you. You know, one thing 655 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:34,360 Speaker 1: I heard early on is it doesn't cost a lot 656 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,000 Speaker 1: of money. That I believe is a myth. Getting a 657 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:40,960 Speaker 1: business going without some sort of financial backing is very, 658 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:43,760 Speaker 1: very tough. You know, I did this thing. I cash 659 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:47,000 Speaker 1: flowed my business for a long time. It was very 660 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:49,240 Speaker 1: difficult and was probably the reason that took me so 661 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 1: long to get things going was because of me limiting 662 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:57,000 Speaker 1: cash flow because I was so stinking conservative. Now that 663 00:33:57,040 --> 00:34:00,000 Speaker 1: I know what I know, and there's lots of UH 664 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:04,800 Speaker 1: avenues out there for funding, I would I would probably 665 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 1: do it a little bit different, you know, and and 666 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:10,000 Speaker 1: accelerate that. But it is going to cost money. There's 667 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:13,640 Speaker 1: no way into this thing unless you're an e product 668 00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:16,839 Speaker 1: developer or something. That's just time. But if you've got 669 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:20,319 Speaker 1: physical material goods, you know, something you hold in your 670 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:24,359 Speaker 1: hand that's either sown, built, welded, anything like that, it's 671 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 1: gonna cost money. Now we're gonna we're gonna finish up 672 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:31,440 Speaker 1: with some hunting questions. The categorize these as like hunting 673 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:35,319 Speaker 1: philosophy questions because your wife are hunting changed over the years, 674 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:40,000 Speaker 1: we touched on this a little bit. It was always 675 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:44,320 Speaker 1: about meat. When I was young, nothing nothing that was 676 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:46,640 Speaker 1: legal ever got a pass. And I grew up in 677 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:50,240 Speaker 1: western Washington, so you know, spike Bucks, two point bucks. 678 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:52,120 Speaker 1: I got to a point where I'd passed spike Bucks. 679 00:34:52,120 --> 00:34:53,680 Speaker 1: But you know, most two point bucks were going to 680 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:57,560 Speaker 1: get shot. Fok and horn Bucks. You know, any bowl 681 00:34:57,680 --> 00:35:01,040 Speaker 1: was always not going to get past We around here. 682 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:03,359 Speaker 1: We shot every legal goal. So that was just how 683 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:07,840 Speaker 1: it was around here. It's no I still love to 684 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:10,439 Speaker 1: fill the freezers full of meat. It's still my number 685 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:14,040 Speaker 1: one priority. I just have the luxury. I'm a better 686 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:16,480 Speaker 1: hunter now, I'm a more patient hunter. Now I know 687 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:18,440 Speaker 1: what I'm doing, I can kind of assess what my 688 00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:21,160 Speaker 1: chances are if I don't shoot that one right now, 689 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:23,520 Speaker 1: what my chances are of filling the freezer at all. 690 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:27,720 Speaker 1: So now hunting has changed more for that challenge of myself, 691 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:30,680 Speaker 1: more for that experience. And when I say that challenge 692 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:31,960 Speaker 1: of myself, like I want to go out and find 693 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,240 Speaker 1: a mature animal, like what does this unit have to hold? 694 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:36,799 Speaker 1: Can I find it? And can I successfully take it? 695 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:40,719 Speaker 1: And so that's my why a little bit on comparison 696 00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:42,759 Speaker 1: from the beginning to where I'm at now. And then 697 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:46,080 Speaker 1: one thing I've added, which I overlooked early on, was 698 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:51,200 Speaker 1: just how cool of places hunting takes you to. So 699 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:52,960 Speaker 1: I've started to take that in a little bit more 700 00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:55,200 Speaker 1: now than at the ripe old age of forty one. 701 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:57,319 Speaker 1: I start to pay more attention to where I'm at, 702 00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:00,239 Speaker 1: how pretty things are, how many people have stepped in 703 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:02,920 Speaker 1: this same area, got to see this view on this 704 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:06,160 Speaker 1: sort of lighting that that stuff's starting to become more 705 00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:09,359 Speaker 1: special to me. What's my one value I hope every 706 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:11,759 Speaker 1: young hunter walks away with after spending time with you. 707 00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:16,440 Speaker 1: I want people to think like my time is not 708 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:18,600 Speaker 1: so valuable that they weren't worth it, if that makes 709 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:22,840 Speaker 1: any sense. So my buddy Tony Gilbertson, great out caller, 710 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:25,439 Speaker 1: he texted me the other day like, Hey, this kid's 711 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:27,160 Speaker 1: been talking about you all day. He'd love to just 712 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:28,839 Speaker 1: talk to you. I'm like, what am I doing right 713 00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:30,319 Speaker 1: now that I couldn't do that? So I said, have 714 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:32,600 Speaker 1: him call me on your phone. And so I got 715 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 1: to talk to a kid. They were out fishing, wanted 716 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:37,920 Speaker 1: to talk to me, and we just hey, are you 717 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:39,960 Speaker 1: a better caller than Tony? Are you gonna be a 718 00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:41,880 Speaker 1: big outcunter when you get older? Just I gave that 719 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:44,320 Speaker 1: kid two to three minutes of my time that I 720 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:48,000 Speaker 1: I could do why I was doing whatever else I 721 00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:52,440 Speaker 1: was doing. But that kid now knows, like, hey, Jason, 722 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:55,680 Speaker 1: his time is not worth more than me. You know, 723 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:58,359 Speaker 1: it's not worth more than my time can he can give. 724 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:01,799 Speaker 1: And so that's very important, like any kid, you know, 725 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:05,640 Speaker 1: not even kid, just anybody that I've got time. Now, 726 00:37:05,719 --> 00:37:08,399 Speaker 1: with that said, I'm very busy and sometimes it's tough 727 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:11,120 Speaker 1: to get to things. But if I've got time, I'll 728 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:13,160 Speaker 1: try to make sure that that I can give you 729 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:15,440 Speaker 1: a little bit of it. And help with whatever's going on. 730 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:20,000 Speaker 1: What hunt challenged my identity the most physically or emotionally, 731 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:26,680 Speaker 1: and on that one, the one that changed not challenged 732 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:29,920 Speaker 1: my identity the most, would be my big, my big 733 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:35,000 Speaker 1: Cascade Roosevelt back in twenty twelve. I really wasn't a 734 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:38,359 Speaker 1: backpack hunter at that time. I wasn't doing a lot 735 00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:40,640 Speaker 1: of that, and we got closed out of our area 736 00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:43,200 Speaker 1: on fire danger. I really didn't know anywhere else to go, 737 00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:45,040 Speaker 1: but I had to try to find somewhere on National 738 00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:48,160 Speaker 1: Forest Service. So we kind of ended up, you know, 739 00:37:48,239 --> 00:37:51,319 Speaker 1: hunting that way. And I would say that hunt was, 740 00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:54,239 Speaker 1: you know, was one that challenged me a little bit. 741 00:37:54,239 --> 00:37:56,759 Speaker 1: I thought it was all over. I just missed a 742 00:37:56,800 --> 00:38:02,399 Speaker 1: smaller Roosevelt prior to being shut out for fire, and 743 00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:06,680 Speaker 1: that one, you know, both physically and emotionally challenged me 744 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 1: because I wasn't really set up to hunt that way. 745 00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:11,600 Speaker 1: And then one thing that people may or may not know, 746 00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:13,920 Speaker 1: in the middle of that hunt, or no, not the 747 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:15,359 Speaker 1: middle of the hunt, towards the end of that hunt, 748 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:18,360 Speaker 1: with two days left, I actually missed that bowl that 749 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:21,120 Speaker 1: I ended up killing. So for me to go up 750 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:24,200 Speaker 1: there spend all that time, effort, energy, and the miss 751 00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:27,279 Speaker 1: a bowl that was three hundred and seventy inches. Like 752 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:29,840 Speaker 1: emotionally and physically, I was just in the tank, and 753 00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:31,440 Speaker 1: I never thought I would get a chance on the 754 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:34,080 Speaker 1: very last day of season to go in there and 755 00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:36,000 Speaker 1: then to be able to kill that bowl. And so 756 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:39,040 Speaker 1: that roller coaster ride of being in the in the 757 00:38:39,080 --> 00:38:42,120 Speaker 1: lowest the lows to the highest the highs, and it 758 00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:44,520 Speaker 1: just kind of it draws, it kind of pulled together 759 00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:47,400 Speaker 1: everything I already know, like it only takes one It 760 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:50,880 Speaker 1: only takes a quick change for everything to change. And 761 00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:52,759 Speaker 1: so that's why I like now it's easy for me 762 00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:54,359 Speaker 1: to hunt and give it my all all the way 763 00:38:54,360 --> 00:38:55,759 Speaker 1: to the end because I know it only takes that 764 00:38:55,840 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 1: one chance, and we're gonna end it with this one. 765 00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:02,120 Speaker 1: If I had to stop hunting tomorrow, what would be 766 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:06,920 Speaker 1: the hardest part to let go of? I think this one. 767 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:13,600 Speaker 1: I would I would struggle with not having fresh dear, elk, sheep, cougar, 768 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:15,920 Speaker 1: whatever the heck I have in my freezer at that time. 769 00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:19,120 Speaker 1: But I think the answer is more intended for like 770 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:21,680 Speaker 1: what do I what do I What would I miss 771 00:39:21,719 --> 00:39:24,080 Speaker 1: the most, aside from you know, being able to eat 772 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:28,200 Speaker 1: the meat and man. You know some people talk about 773 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:29,719 Speaker 1: like I don't. I'm not there to spend time with 774 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:31,960 Speaker 1: my buddies. I'm there to kill an elk. I'm there 775 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:36,239 Speaker 1: to kill a deer. Man, I could. I would love 776 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:38,080 Speaker 1: doing that. If it's just me by myself, I would 777 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:41,400 Speaker 1: still love that challenge. I love I love being out 778 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:43,720 Speaker 1: there with the buddy, you know, giving each other a crap. 779 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:45,560 Speaker 1: We don't, you know now that we're getting older, we 780 00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:48,160 Speaker 1: all got families. Like the best time I get to 781 00:39:48,160 --> 00:39:50,839 Speaker 1: spend with my friends now or the most time is 782 00:39:50,880 --> 00:39:52,880 Speaker 1: on a hunt. We can sit and talk about everything 783 00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:55,160 Speaker 1: going on in each other's lives that you can't you know, 784 00:39:55,200 --> 00:39:58,880 Speaker 1: figure out over a text message. You know, people that 785 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:01,640 Speaker 1: were all growing up in different towns where we got 786 00:40:01,680 --> 00:40:04,480 Speaker 1: you know, different hunts, but to be able to join 787 00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:06,680 Speaker 1: back up on those, like I love hunting with buddies 788 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:09,160 Speaker 1: that that hunt hard. We can share a camp. We 789 00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:11,480 Speaker 1: share in the hard work, we share in the packouts 790 00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:14,279 Speaker 1: we sharing cutting up the deer and the elk and 791 00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:17,120 Speaker 1: the whole the whole thing is a is a shared 792 00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:19,520 Speaker 1: experience from start to finish. And if I had to 793 00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:21,480 Speaker 1: stop hunting tomorrow, I would miss that because I'd have 794 00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:23,399 Speaker 1: to have some I'd have to figure out some other 795 00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:27,400 Speaker 1: way to fill in that void of of that experience 796 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:30,840 Speaker 1: with my buddies, and just it's the reset button for 797 00:40:30,920 --> 00:40:34,640 Speaker 1: me every year, Like when I come back to coaching 798 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:38,920 Speaker 1: basketball at the end of November, I'm just reset. I'm 799 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:40,719 Speaker 1: ready to kind of you know, you roll into the 800 00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:45,040 Speaker 1: Christmas season, that whole process of fall hunting season into Christmas, 801 00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:46,680 Speaker 1: rolling into New Year. It just kind of gets me 802 00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:49,080 Speaker 1: ready to to kind of take on that next year. 803 00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:52,640 Speaker 1: And that's that's what I would miss the most. But 804 00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:56,600 Speaker 1: uh no, hopefully, hopefully this episode doesn't doesn't turn you 805 00:40:56,600 --> 00:40:58,440 Speaker 1: guys off and and make you run away. It was 806 00:40:58,440 --> 00:41:00,359 Speaker 1: just one of those things where it was just kind 807 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:02,400 Speaker 1: of like, what's that life beyond the bagle, Like what 808 00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:05,200 Speaker 1: makes me tick? A little bit hunting related, a little 809 00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:07,320 Speaker 1: bit of business related, a little bit of family related, 810 00:41:08,239 --> 00:41:12,720 Speaker 1: but yeah, for me, it's it's God, family, you know, hunting, 811 00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:16,440 Speaker 1: everything else after that. So uh it's important to me 812 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:20,400 Speaker 1: to uh to to keep that in perspective. And uh, 813 00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:23,520 Speaker 1: you know, the business side, I it's it's not some 814 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:28,840 Speaker 1: mythical magical thing. I think you learn what people want, 815 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:31,480 Speaker 1: what you would want as a as a customer and 816 00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:33,600 Speaker 1: you make those decisions and everything else just kind of 817 00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:37,520 Speaker 1: falls in place. So yeah, that's where I'm at. That's 818 00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:39,319 Speaker 1: that's what makes me tick. That's kind of who I 819 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:41,600 Speaker 1: am a little bit behind the scenes. And I hope 820 00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:44,439 Speaker 1: you guys enjoyed this episode. And I hope you guys 821 00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:47,200 Speaker 1: are all having success out there in the in the spring, 822 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:49,680 Speaker 1: whether it's a Turkey Woods or spring Bear or whatever 823 00:41:49,719 --> 00:41:52,399 Speaker 1: your chase. Know if you guys are having success, and 824 00:41:52,520 --> 00:41:56,160 Speaker 1: uh yeah, tune in next week. And appreciate you all 825 00:41:56,160 --> 00:42:02,400 Speaker 1: for listening to the cutting the distances