Firing The Man

A New Chapter for Firing The Man

• Firing The Man • Season 1 • Episode 250

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What inspired two Amazon entrepreneurs to take a leap of faith into podcasting, and how did a chance encounter at a St. Louis E-commerce Club set the stage for five years of captivating conversations? Tune in to discover the origins of "Firing the Man," as we reflect on our 250th episode and bid a heartfelt farewell to my co-host, Ken Wilson. Our journey started with dreams of escaping traditional jobs and transformed into a thriving platform where we shared stories of resilience, partnership, and the unpredictable adventures of entrepreneurship.

From the hilarious chaos of early mishaps—like finding sobriety more podcast-friendly than scotch—to the profound episodes that marked our growth, this milestone episode offers a nostalgic look back. Celebrate with us as we toast to Yamato whiskey, recounting pivotal moments such as episode 30's deep dive into quitting corporate jobs for entrepreneurial independence. We also spotlight the remarkable guests who've enriched our show, including industry giants like Carlos Alvarez and PPC expert Pat Lum, whose insights challenged and inspired our audience and ourselves alike.

As we embrace new beginnings, we unpack the strategies that have fueled our podcast's success: the power of consistency, the value of systems, and the irreplaceable role of accountability partners. Ken reflects on the balance between family life and entrepreneurial dreams, sharing personal growth stories and the liberating joy of owning one's time. Join us in celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship, as we explore the key traits that define successful e-commerce entrepreneurs and look forward to continuing our journey with you in future episodes.

How to connect with ken?
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennith-wilson/

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Speaker 1:

Welcome everyone to a very special episode of Firing the man podcast. Today marks an incredible milestone our 250th episode, celebrating five years of sharing stories, strategies and insights with all of you. But this episode is also bittersweet. For the past five years, ken Wilson has been more than just a co-host. He's been a key part of the heart and soul of this podcast Beloved by our listeners. Ken's energy, wisdom and passion have shaped Firing the man into what it is today. With a heavy heart, I share the news that Ken will be stepping away from the podcast to pursue some exciting new ventures that will be taking his time and focus. While this is the end of an era, it's also the beginning of a new chapter for Ken, and I know I speak for all of us when I say he will be deeply missed, ken, welcome.

Speaker 2:

David, I'm excited for the show today. It is bittersweet, you know. Five years, 250 episodes, spent great time, lots of good, uh, lots of good memories, lots of great stories, um, yeah. So let's, uh, let's, let's rewind all the way back and talk about um, where, where the podcast started and how.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely so. I had started the St Louis E-commerce Club Ecom Meetup and after hosting a couple of those events, you came to one and we immediately hit it off. You were a very data-driven person. There were just so many things that aligned and there were sparks in the air. Not to sound corny, but there were sparks in the air. Not to sound corny, but there were sparks in the air. And so curious, like what was your first impression there?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah. So I was working full-time as an engineer still, and I had been selling on Amazon for probably a year and a half, maybe at that point, maybe two years, but there was not I didn't know anybody else that I could physically talk to, who that was selling on Amazon to ask questions. So I was in like forums and different things, but you never know who you're talking to, right. And so I found this meetup I think my girlfriend might've suggested it hey, go see if there's any meetups and sure enough, you had a meetup. So I showed up and you know, you were really the only other person that was kind of higher level, selling on Amazon, like you had been doing it for probably three years at that time, or four years. And so, yeah, you know, you and I, after that first meetup, I was just, you know, question after question after question, you were the same thing and and so, yeah, I was like this is really cool, I think.

Speaker 2:

A second meetup and then, yeah, we were just connecting and sharing strategies and all kinds of stuff, and so, you know, it was the same on my side. It was like, wow, this other guy is. You were an accountant, full-time accountant at the time and you had a, you had all of it dialed in I was like, yeah, I need to connect with this guy and learn more. And so, yeah, definitely, definitely was a great connection. And you know, I think it's really valuable to go and have face-to-face connections with like-minded people. Otherwise, you know, like you know, meeting someone in forums and places online, it's great and you can get a lot from that, but definitely, I think meeting in person at live events is huge.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. You know, at that time, at that time we both had good jobs and I remember talking to family members and saying I want to quit this good job and sell on Amazon. And I told a lot of people that and most of them were not very receptive. I remember, like I specifically remember telling you that and you being like me too, I want to do that, and I think that was kind of the seed that started firing. The man was, you know, us sharing this common goal. So it was. We had lunch date after lunch date after lunch date. And one thing I remember was at the end of our meetups there was often a lot of times people would stay behind and ask us questions and I think I don't recall whose idea was the podcast?

Speaker 2:

I don't remember. I remember the questions, though it was, you know, you and I. They would usually corner you and I and just kind of pepper us with questions after the meetup, which was great. And then, you know, you would be like, hey, I've got the place rented only for so much time, so everybody's got to go. And then I think at the end of one of those you were just like man, you know, we should do a podcast and so we don't get peppered with questions as much. So yeah, I don't know whose it was, I'll defer to you.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it was, but I do remember after that I don't think either of us had a ton of audio experience. I think you probably maybe had more and you made a list. Here's the microphones we should get, here's the recorder we should get. And let's do it. And I would say from the time that we had the idea to the time that we were sitting in your basement where we are today recording our first one was maybe four to six weeks. I mean, we did not mess around, we got right into it and that's one thing I've always admired about you very action oriented person, and so from idea to doing the damn thing was not a long time.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, if I remember right, I think you know I'm a big fan of courses. I'm a big fan of blueprints. If someone has done it before, go ask them how they did it and file their plan. And if I remember now it's been five years. I got a bad memory but I'm pretty certain we bought Pat Flynn's podcasting course and we followed that thing to a T.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, and that was a huge step for us. That really helped us accelerate or at least prevented us from making a lot of newbie mistakes. And so now we did make some newbie mistakes. If you go back and listen to episode one, we had some really nice microphones in front of us. However, it was the computer audio that recorded the whole thing and the audio on it's not great, but I still go back and listen to that episode as just to kind of get into the mind of young entrepreneurs with big goals and, yeah, a lot of fun. So, yeah, what have been? So anything else, you know, I think we can't move on from this topic about the origin without discussing our firing, the mandates. Yeah, and let's, you were the one that did it first, so so walk me through what that was like.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you know I, at the time, you know I, when, when I, whenever you and I first met, I kind of had it in a plan like, hey, I'm going to grow these businesses until I can, you know, have enough income to quit my job. And so I I'd hired a, a coach or a mentor that had done it before. I kind of had the blueprint, you know. And then COVID hit and one of my brands completely sold out. Every single, every single unit in in stock was gone. I had a massive payday and so I had some runway and and at the time also, my company was was offering a buyout, and that, like, the timing was just incredible for me and I was like I, you know, I also had a very supportive girlfriend and you know I was kind of like, hey, this is what I want to do. And she's like do it. Like, you know, you've got the plan down, you have, you know what you're doing, and just, you know, take that leap and do it. And so I went in and the day that I quit, you were there and you were waiting, and so there was. No, I didn't take a crap on my boss's desk or anything like in movies. My old boss is actually in Denver, so I did go into the office and quit and turn my laptop in and everything in the last day, but it was really so.

Speaker 2:

There was a lot of emotion. I'm not a very emotional guy. There was a lot of emotions. There was like excitement and also anxious, like what you know what? Like what the hell am I going to do? Like this is a you know, I'm walking away from a six figure job that's safe and secure to something that I don't know. And so, yeah, there was a lot of anxiety and a lot of emotions there. But you know, at the end of the day, like it was exciting, like I walked out, you were there filming and I was like yes, and then so, yeah, it was. I had that vivid memory to today and, you know, I don't think there'll be a day in my life that I ever regret doing that. And so, yeah, it was, it was a great memory for me.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I remember sitting in my truck waiting for you to come out thinking like Ken's really doing this, like we've talked about it. We have a podcast. We ever at that point in time we had recorded 29 episodes and uh, and about you know the. The title of our podcast is firing the man and Ken's actually doing it and uh, I just remember that was. It was so cool. That's it. It was a scary step. I remember when I fired the man. It was a very scary step and having a buddy to do it with was helpful and I think having that you know you talked about having a supportive girlfriend and and um, but having somebody to walk through that fire with was huge and I really think, had I not met you, I would have sat on the sidelines a lot longer than I did, and seeing you take action was like all right. We've got a podcast called Fire Inc. The man Ken did it. Here I am. It's time for me to put my plan into action.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, here I am. It's time for me to put my plan into action. Yeah, can you walk through it to the audience on what your final day at your job was.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely so. One morning I was looking through financials and kind of looking at my family's personal financial situation and I had an aha moment that like this could work. Up until now it had been a side hustle. But I remember like sitting at my desk and I got to the end of my spreadsheet, looked at monthly cash inflows and outflows and was like, oh, I could do this. And I think I frantically called and texted you like a lot. It was not just one text, it was like Ken, I got to talk to you. Right now, I don't care what you're doing, drop it. And we hopped on a call and I'm like I'm doing it, man, I'm firing the man. And shortly thereafter put in my notice and shortly thereafter put in my notice.

Speaker 1:

And I remember that day walking out of the building I had spent tens of thousands of hours in and you were there with the camera, we high-fived and went and got drinks and at that point we had been doing the podcast for over a year and that was one thing. Having a good job and then having a podcast about quitting your job is an odd feeling. I always wondered if I was going to get discovered, if I was going to get called into the boss's office and they were going to say like, hey, you have a podcast about quitting your job that's not in alignment with our core values, and so having that monkey off my back was a good feeling. You have a podcast about quitting your job that's not in alignment with our core values, and so having that monkey off my back was a good feeling. And it was cool to set a goal, have a buddy who did it and then do it myself, and so, yeah, I will never forget that day.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, special times.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely so. Um, you know it's been five years, 250 episodes, hundreds and hundreds, probably thousands of hours by now. Um, what have been some of your favorite memories?

Speaker 2:

Yeah for sure. So, um, I've got there's. There's a lot Um. So I'll just go through, uh, in terms of the episodes, Um, one of the one of the first ones here, um, you know, we've been through a lot as business partners, podcasters, is a lot, everything.

Speaker 2:

I won't go too deep, but one time we got sued and I remember we, we, we kind of had this business relationship with someone, um, that we were doing business with, uh, um, and it just went South and so the person was like, hey, you know, they sued us, and so we knew it was happening. And I remember I'm pretty sure he told your wife hey, don't answer the door, don't answer the door. And then, uh, I, we were on the phone or we were on a call together or something, and we're here, ding dong, like got served, and I was like, oh crap. So, um, yeah, that was like, you know, I think anybody in business, if you're in business long enough, you're going to get sued. It's just a matter of dealing, it's just doing business. And so we did a whole episode.

Speaker 2:

It's episode 145. So if you haven't heard it, go listen to it. It's kind of it's funny, it's a funny story. Now we're three years, four years removed from that, but it was scary at the time. We're like what do we do here? We got, we're going to spend a ton of money on attorneys. You know, is it our fault, is it their fault? Like, what do we do? Um, and so in that episode we kind of explain what we did to get out of that situation. And so we actually, from my standpoint I think we kind of skated out of there pretty pretty good, like we, we, you know, we didn't, we didn't get, we didn't take too much damage. I should say, and um, but that's that's something where it's funny now that I look back on it. And it's also something where it's kind of a chink in the armor where, as you get older and you age and you have wisdom, you're like, okay, well, I remember this one time where I got sued and we kept our calm, we did our research, we did this whole plan.

Speaker 1:

But yeah, it's a great memory, yeah this, this whole plan and um, but yeah, it's, it's a great memory. Yeah, one lesson learned from that is hiding from the person that serves you papers is not an effective strategy, for I, I, I they must be paid when they get served. Because I remember, like peeking out my window and they were just so they had knocked on the door and I didn't answer. And they were just so, they had knocked on the door and I didn't answer, and uh, they just sat out there for probably an hour and uh, eventually my wife came home and they gave her the papers and and it was, yeah, it was a very scary day, uh, but having somebody to go through it with um was huge and uh, I do think we navigated that really, really well.

Speaker 1:

So you know, episode four, how to be efficient and productive with your time. This was, you know, both Ken and I are huge podcast fans, like we're big consumers of podcasts, and you know the OG of podcasting is Joe Rogan and very frequently Joe smokes weed or drinks on his podcast. And it just seemed like you know we were three, we had already done three episodes. We were doing our fourth episode. It just seemed like a natural thing to do to break out the scotch and we got hammered and that episode is one of my favorites. And this was at the time. This was before we had maybe thought of hiring an editor. I was editing it.

Speaker 1:

And I remember going through that and being like, oh my, we're slurring our words, like we don't sound like Rogan. When Rogan does it, it's very cool. But got into some fun topics about music that gets us pumped up for the day and YouTube videos that get us all fired up and it was a fun episode and I think that from then on, every episode was sober. Yeah, until today. Yeah, cheers, my friend, exactly. So Ken, to celebrate this, got some Yamato whiskey. And Ken, tell us a little bit about what we're having today.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, this is Japanese scotch special edition cask strength. It's from Japan and I think it's I'm thinking it's 18 years aged, but yeah, it's a really high-end bottle of scotch. For me Kind of cheap and so, but yeah, it's to commemorate the episode 250. And, like David said, we've been sober since episode four. Episode four, I think, we got three, four glasses deep of scotch and so it was pretty heavy. But yeah, for today. I don't know, david, I don't have any weed, but I do have cigars.

Speaker 1:

Hey we'll, we'll, we'll torch them up after this to celebrate.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely Um. Next one um for me, uh, episode 30, we did we, we talked about it a little bit, um, but you know the the a podcast called firing the man, and so episode 30 was, um, the episode where I discussed, hey, how I quit my job and I kind of broke down the process of doing that, and so you know whether you're in e-commerce, whether you're any kind of an entrepreneur, on that podcast, episode 30, which is special to me, david basically interviews me on how I did that, and so I kind of break down the plan on everything from insurance to budgeting to you know how to stay productive with, not without, a boss, everything in there. And so, yeah, that one, that one to me is it ranks up there. It was pretty special.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, absolutely. You know, one of my favorites was episode 45 was Walker Dybel. Favorites was episode 45 was Walker Dybul, and this was one of the first conversations I've had with somebody that really rewired how I thought he wrote the book by Then Build, which is an outstanding book, and he is an awesome writer, but I believe he's an even better podcaster. He is an awesome writer, but I believe he's an even better podcaster. And I remember after that episode, just kind of rethinking some of the steps that I'd taken over the last couple of years and thinking about you know, I'm in a 30 or 40 year chess game and Walker just suggested some chess moves that were not even on my radar. I had not thought about buying a company and there have been a lot of podcasts that have influenced how we do business. I think Walker was one that had a heavy impact on both of us. What do you remember from that podcast?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely. I think it was a game changer. I don't remember if I had already read his book or not, I can't remember, but when I read that book it really resonated with me. He calls it the $5 trillion tsunami of the baby boomer generation that are holding all of these businesses and they're retiring and they have to transfer them. And so one of others to tell I'm a big stats guy, right, david and I are both data guys.

Speaker 2:

And so 95% of all small businesses fail in the first five years. And so if you could buy a business that's 10 years old, 12 years old, that's cash flowing for, for you know, you can see a trend that it's doing well, you likely have a winner, and so you can just go buy that one instead of risking the 95% of the failures. And so any way to you know to jump, to skip the line or get leverage over your opponents. That's one way to do it. And it just really resonated with me like holy crap, I don't know that I'm ever going to start it. Maybe we got lucky. Man, I'm never going to start another business. I'm just going to buy one that's 10 years old and I won't have to worry about being one of the 95 percenters. You know.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, absolutely Absolutely. A couple other. Any other episodes that come to mind?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, let's. Let's talk about episode 122. That one, I think, ranks up on my list of the wackiest or the weirdest podcast we did.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so episode 122 was David Wood, and when we book people for the show, we don't always know what we're getting into, and this was a great example of that. David had a very eclectic personality and he said some wild wild stuff on that podcast and uh, and it it made for for good. You know, the end product was good, uh, but that guy had a lot of personality and and uh, it was fun. I'd never met anybody like David Wood before.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think we're being a little bit cautious here. I definitely recommend, if you want to hear a wacky podcast, go listen to episode 122. That one was interesting and I think you know, david, we were obviously 121 podcasts in, so we had some experience there and that was one that really tested our flexibility on pivoting and staying on topic and on point and also getting a guest to kind of stay somehow inside of a box to try to contain this guy, because he was pretty much he was a wild character and yeah, that was a fun episode.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, and you know one of my. You know there've been a ton of great episodes 163, david and Ken's letter to their younger selves. I really liked this podcast it was. I think the exercise of going through that, of writing a letter to your younger self, was really, really helpful and I really enjoyed that and I really enjoyed hearing your letter and, yeah, just a great podcast, good self-reflection. The exercise of going through it was great and so yeah, yeah, absolutely so.

Speaker 2:

who are some of your favorite guests? David?

Speaker 1:

You know Carlos Alvarez is. I've met him in person. He's a great dude. Yeah, he's a great guy and is a wealth of information, very successful entrepreneur. And I remember we were we had 18 episodes under our belt.

Speaker 1:

We invited him on for episode 19. And I remember feeling like that was a really big deal. Carlos is a nine-figure seller and is really a titan in the industry and for him to give us a shot at hosting him on our podcast was great and it was really a starting point for a really, really good relationship. You know, carlos has exceeded a lot of people in the industry in terms of performance and building brands and is somebody I really admire and look up to and one of the things I really like. So we had him on episode 19, 184 and 185. And uh, really down to earth guy and and really in when he would talk about strategies and what he was doing that was working really, he would really break it down into plain, plain English and so he was somebody that I remember being pumped to get him on our podcast and and high-fiving you about that and and I, you know, I I would consider us and Carlos friends now, yeah and uh, so, yeah, what about you?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so about it. On Carlos, uh, uh, his nickname is the big Spaniard and, uh, just a great guy. I've met him at uh several conferences now. Um, and just a really great guy. Um, he, he has, um, uh, one of the largest Amazon seller meetups in the world, if not the largest one, and he's based out of Florida, and so if you're ever in Florida and you want to go to a meetup, I think he's got a physical place where they all meet.

Speaker 2:

And so, yeah, for me also, uh, pat Lum. So I'll, um, I've known Pat for, I think, longer than I've known David, and uh, Pat owns uh, asteroid X out of Toronto, canada. Uh, asteroid X is a PPC agency. They also do services now for Amazon, and so Pat is, um, I call him a young kid. He's younger, he's younger and just a really, really smart guy. We've had him on the show episode 15, 150, 151 and 173. We've had him on four times and so he always comes to the show with tons of knowledge on PPC and Amazon and conversion. He's just a really smart guy and he's also, yeah, I would consider him a friend. I've never been to Toronto or met him at a conference, but I wouldn't hesitate to. He's just a great guy.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. I think we've kind of grown up alongside Pat and seen his business grow and expand and couldn't be a nicer guy. He's really like Pat and he's a great podcaster, great guest and really like him. You know, as we're talking favorite guests, another one that comes to mind is Adam Feinberg. He was episode 91 in 168. Episode 91 and 168.

Speaker 1:

And you know, one thing I will say about this industry is, oftentimes people will tell you their success story but leave out the products or what exactly they did. They'll give you a little bit to chew on. But one thing I like about Adam is he goes deep and he lets you you know this is what we were selling, this is how we were successful. He, he tells you how it is and I really that our, our number one downloaded episode is Adam Feinberg, episode 91. And I you talk to him. You you would not think a powerful podcaster, but you you listen to the subject matter that he discusses and he's outstanding. And he was somebody who had a nine-figure exit. He was one of the biggest acquisitions of Perch, yeah, and I remember seeing him speak at where would have we seen?

Speaker 2:

him speak. I think it was in Vegas. Yeah, I don't remember which conference it was.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, but was great on a panel, had a lot of really good stuff to say and was always really transparent, something I admired about him. Oftentimes in this industry people hide what products are selling, what niches they're going after, and Adam never did that and I always really appreciated that about him.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I would. I would rank Adam in probably our top three smartest guests we've had on the show. Like he. When you look at him you know you're not thinking, ah, he's the smartest guy in the room, um, but if you listen to him you'll understand like this guy's one of the smartest guys in the room and, um, you know he's also not really flashy, like. He had a massive exit and you know, ask him, hey, you know, did you go out? You know, like, what did you do? Did you buy a mansion? Did you like, travel the world? He bought a car with that Like. That's it Like. And he's super down to earth. I think his wife I think he said his wife still has a full-time job and he had a, you know, eight figure, nine figure exit. It was like super down to earth, a really, really smart guy, One of those guys where you want to. You want to. If you're talking to him, you need to ask as many questions as you can because he's he's really sharp.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, absolutely. So you know one thing as, as we move on into the conversation, one thing I'm really proud of is that we made it to episode 250. Yeah, there are so many people that start podcasts and they lose momentum, and so, ken, can you talk about how did we do?

Speaker 2:

it? Yeah, absolutely so, and I'm curious. I know lots of people that started podcasting and then they stopped. I don't know what the statistics are. I'm wondering if they're like small businesses, like 95% of all podcasts fail. I don't know, but I would assume it's pretty high.

Speaker 2:

One thing being consistent is just doing something over and over and developing habit. And so consistency, like you said, David, getting to 250, something that comes to mind is systems and processes. And so, David, you and I are both very systems oriented in processes. That just makes sense. And so, if you can, if you can develop, if you don't, you don't have any systems or processes when you start, but you just have to test things out and when you find something that works, okay, plug that over here. That's a, that's a, that's a process. Now, keep trying things, plugging it over here, plugging it over here Also, finding good team members or good.

Speaker 2:

You know, we went from you editing the podcast to we had an agency, we moved to another agency and then we moved to an in-house, and so we've had a couple of different in-house and so. But our processes have pretty much followed us. They've tweaked a little bit from, you know, in-house to um, to agency, Um, but our, but they've largely stayed the same, and it's, and it's repeatable Once something is in a system and a process, it's just repeatable and it's it's almost like it's not much work because you're just doing the same thing over and over again. And also, once you figure it out, you can automate it and then outsource it Right, and so I think that is one of the keys to to the puzzle. What else do you think, David?

Speaker 1:

You know, I think one thing that's helped us be successful is we are genuinely curious. I've enjoyed so many of the conversations that we've been able to have with people and you know, if I remember looking at, I remember being like, hey, Ken, we got more than 10 downloads. I haven't told that many people about it, so it's more than friends and family. And that first year, two years, we were not crushing it in terms of downloads and subscribers and things like that, but it was something that I think we both really enjoyed doing and learning and meeting new people. It's been a great way to network and so, yeah, I think, just kind of the love of the podcast.

Speaker 1:

My advice to anybody thinking about starting a podcast is, if you are doing it to make money, I'd suggest just go get a part-time job. If we look at dollars per hour, at least at this point, five years in, it has not been a high dollar per hour endeavor. However, if you look at some of the indirect, some of the things that we've learned talking to people, asking them our own questions uh, maybe that dollar per hour is a little bit higher, Right, and so, yeah, it's been. I remember when we started I had said can I? I'll do it, Um, but I want to do a hundred and you were on board with that and you know, I think if had it been my own podcast, it may have been something that I would have started and stopped long before that. But we made a commitment to go to 100 and have went far beyond that and just loving podcasts the, the medium of podcasts is, I think, what really helped us. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

I think it's almost like the uh, when someone has a problem, it's going to the gym all the time. Getting an accountability partner, yeah, and. And so having a podcast partner, it's almost like that accountability partner. Like, if you wake up and you're like, and you're kind of feeling like shit, you're like, eh, I don't know if I want to go to the gym today. Well, if you have an accountability partner, you know that person's going to be banging, they're going to be beating on your door. Get your ass up, go to the gym. Like you and I. Like, when we schedule something to tape a podcast, we show up you know, it's like that's huge.

Speaker 2:

If you're gonna, if you're thinking about doing a podcast, try to get a podcast partner and uh, you know I that could help.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, absolutely Any any other comments on on putting together a great string of podcasts.

Speaker 2:

Um, you know, I think one. One other thing is, uh like this kind of goes in with systems and processes. But, um, you know, early on we did a lot of like, uh, we didn't have guests. We, we kind of made up our own material, um kind of shared what we were doing in our businesses and then we, we kind of pivoted to show. We still, we still shared maybe one every 10 episodes, maybe one every eight episodes on what's working in our businesses. But we also found great guests to bring on Um. And so I think um do it, having a good funnel for guests and and and um stacking them up, whether you outsource, whether you, you know, meet people and then invite them on. However, you, we, we, we have tons of ways to bring guests on the show. And so I think finding um a good stream of guests, high quality guests, guests, that that's helpful.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, Absolutely. Now, Ken, we had said at the beginning of the episode this is, this is your, your finale. What are your plans for the future?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so I'm going to be focusing on less stuff, and so it's kind of a theme. You know, I'm getting older. I've got my kids are older. Now. They call my generation the sandwich generation, and it was a recent term I heard. We're kind of taking care of our parents and our kids at the same time, and so I feel I've been stretched thin lately and so I'm going to be focusing on less I'm still going to be working on.

Speaker 2:

So I have two brands that I currently own. I'm still going to be working on them. However, I'm kind of massaging one for an exit. I want to get it to a point where I feel like I have maximized the value that I feel like I can add to it, and then I'm going to sell that one. The second brand I'm probably going to keep for a while. I feel like this brand I can take. I can convert it off of Amazon, which is it's almost like a unicorn. There's very few people that have started an Amazon native brand and took it off of Amazon. It's really hard to do. I think. The second brand that I have the products are over, some of them are over $50, $75. I feel like I can take that off of Amazon with paid ads, and so I'm going to try to turn that one into a lifestyle brand and just kind of slowly grow it five, 10% a year, something like that.

Speaker 2:

I'm also kind of pivoting into real estate, multifamily real estate that's something that I've been, that's been on my back burner, uh, for a few years now and it's just kind of like market's not great now, but I'm reading, stocking cash away, waiting, waiting to pull the trigger when the timing is ready, um, but I but you know, um, I feel like real estate is just a great um. It's a great way to build long-term wealth. It's by far not passive, but I do feel like right now, the current tax strategies and stuff with real estate, there's a great way to leverage financing and some other stuff for real estate. So I'll be pivoting, I'll be easing for real estate, so I'll be pivoting. You know I'll be easing into real estate.

Speaker 2:

And then I'm always looking for passive ways to invest. Now, those are mostly elusive. When someone says passive, if you ever hear the word passive, you need to ask a dozen questions, because I have oftentimes found out the shit that people say are passive is not passive. And so you know I'm really looking for passive investments to where I can put a dollar in, sit back and get a quarter and do nothing Like that's. That's to me, passive as those opportunities present themselves, and then kind of funneling profits into that passive income or passive investment. So yeah, I'll be focusing on income for a while, pivoting into real estate, and I'm always open to passive investing Awesome, awesome. So a question for you, david what is the future of the Firing man podcast? Look like.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely so. The Firing the man podcast will be continuing on into the future. We will continue to focus on e-commerce and bringing on great guests. One of the things that we're going to be doing is branching out a little bit. You know, in my office I have a couple thank you cards from people that have fired the man.

Speaker 1:

Brendan Manns is one. Last year he fired the man and Brendan if you're listening, shout out. But he brought me a thank you card that said thank you for helping me fire the man and I hung that up on my wall and Brendan's life is different now that he has fired the man, and there are a lot of people that have listened to this show that have fired the man that their lives are dramatically different and I find that incredibly rewarding. And we're going to continue to focus on helping people helping our listeners fire the man or, if they have fired the man, continue to grow their e-commerce brands. Our listeners fire the man or, if they have fired man, continue to grow their e-commerce brands. We may be bringing on some more diverse guests and looking at a couple different angles of business going beyond Amazon, but firing the man podcast will continue on. Ken, you will be incredibly missed.

Speaker 2:

I appreciate that.

Speaker 1:

This has been just an excellent journey.

Speaker 2:

I'm sorry I'm getting choked up, it's alright.

Speaker 1:

An outstanding journey and I appreciate everything. It's hard to put into words how much our relationship means and I've grown as a person and man. I love you.

Speaker 2:

I appreciate that. I love you too, so moving on.

Speaker 1:

Sorry about that, ken. We have asked. Hundreds of people fire round questions. Yeah, I've never asked you. So, ken, this is a questions we ask to all of our guests.

Speaker 2:

Are you ready? I'm not ready, but I am ready.

Speaker 1:

All right, what is your favorite book?

Speaker 2:

This is a tough one. I love reading books I'm going to go back to. I think it's a timeless classic. David, both of you and I really really like this book Rich Dad, poor Dad and the reason that I think that one really like it really put a light bulb. It like turned a light bulb on in my brain and it really made me think of, like, what other possibility? Like, when I read that book I really thought, man, I've been duped my whole life into running in this, in this, thinking that this mouse wheel was the game, you know the actual game. And when I read that book, a light bulb, a light switch turned on in my brain. Like, no, that's not the game, that's a distraction from the real game. You have to figure out how to get out of the rat race to actually live your life. And so Rich Dad, poor Dad my favorite book.

Speaker 1:

Very good, what are?

Speaker 2:

your hobbies Very good. What are your hobbies? Hobbies? So the last couple of years I've enjoyed lifting weights a lot. I've been training jiu-jitsu for over a decade. I like to read, I like to travel with my girlfriend and I love spending my free time with my son and daughter and my family.

Speaker 1:

All right. What is one thing you do not?

Speaker 2:

miss about working for the man. This is a tough one because I have an entire list of shit that I do not like. I think probably the number one thing for me is my time, like having my life, the freedom of my time, like as an entrepreneur, I wake up and I can do anything I want with my day. Largely, I have. I have freedom of my time Now. I choose to have meetings and I choose to work on projects. I choose to do all those things, but it's my choice. With a job, it's not your choice. You're showing up eight to four, nine to five, and it's that's not your choice. You're doing it, you're trading your time for money, and so, uh, the freedom of my time is is, you know, absolutely crucial for me. So I, so I I do not miss giving up my time.

Speaker 1:

All right, and what do you think sets apart successful e-commerce entrepreneurs from those who give up, fail or never get started?

Speaker 2:

This is an interesting one, david. You and I have asked I think we've probably had over 150 guests, you know, and so I've been able to ask this question and listen so many times and there are two or three things that are repeatable, that a lot of entrepreneurs share with us. One of them is never quit, never give up. I think you and I do really well is that we try to learn and improve. We fall forward.

Speaker 2:

So we're going to make mistakes. We're going to make mistakes every day, and if we can learn from those mistakes and just the next day don't make that mistake again, you're going to fall forward. And so if you kind of tie those two together the other one is being resourceful and gritty. The other one is being resourceful and gritty, getting outside of your box, asking for help, reaching out to experts and asking them. So if you can do a combination of those three things just never give up, always learn from your mistakes and then build a network of people that you can go out and reach out to and ask for help when you need it that's a recipe for success.

Speaker 1:

Very nice, Very nice and well said. Uh, any parting thoughts, uh, as you sign off?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's been, um, you know, an absolute pleasure to the podcast with you for five years, um, and so, yeah, uh, maybe in the future I hope you'd have me on as a guest, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, we'd love to do that, and if people are interested in getting in touch with you, what's the best way?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, linkedin, I'm always on LinkedIn and so there's a link in the show notes. Just go to the show notes and grab that link and hit me up on LinkedIn.

Speaker 1:

Outstanding Well. Thank you everyone for tuning into the Firing Demand Podcast and we'll see you next week.

People on this episode

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David Schomer

Co-host
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Ken Wilson

Co-host