Son of a Blitch
George Bowe Blitch has been a Wildlife Manager, Texas Rancher, Professional Writer, Videographer, Photographer, Editor, Speaker, Brand Developer & Designer, Cartographer, Touring Musician, Teacher, Coach, Entrepreneur, Finance Manager, and the owner of numerous businesses.
George has met some wildly interesting people in his lifetime, and this "Son of a Blitch” is sure to share some impactful stories, interviews, and messages that will be informative, educational, and highly entertaining!
"I've met some incredible people in my life, and I want to share their stories!" ~GB
Son of a Blitch
Ep. 56 - Will Alt - Helping Others Get to the Other Side of Their Challenges (Through Hunting & The Outdoors)
Amidst the narrative of professional milestones , serving in the military, and personal challenges, such as navigating through marriage, divorce, and raising children, Will Alt reveals how he maintained a delicate balance between his thriving career(s) and his commitment to family life. He reflects on the tumultuous financial storms he weathered, learning hard lessons about business and bouncing back with a renewed vigor to succeed. Taking over a struggling company and transforming it into a flourishing enterprise is no small feat, yet his story doesn't stop within the confines of office walls.
The heart of this episode lies in the what Will is currently building. We get a hint of it when he talks of initially co-founding Wilderness for Warriors, a sanctuary for veterans and individuals grappling with the scars of their past, both seen and unseen. Will speaks candidly about his personal struggles with PTSD and depression, emphasizing the transformative power of hunting and the great outdoors. It's a space where vulnerable individuals find strength and camaraderie, where every hunting trip with children and adults is a stride towards healing and understanding. This chapter of the episode poignantly highlights the therapeutic benefits of nature and the significant impact of giving back to those in need.
Looking ahead, the conversation shifts to an ambitious venture—an innovative outdoor and hunting platform that marries the thrill of the hunt with the soul of philanthropy. This upcoming project promises to leverage mainstream network TV and YouTube to inspire and engage the community, particularly focusing on the youth, veterans, and disabled.
Alt shares the challenges of building a non-commercial venture solely driven by a passion for helping others and the deep personal fulfillment that comes from such endeavors. The episode paints a picture of a future where heart-pounding hunts are interwoven with heartwarming narratives, inspiring others to join a movement centered on the human spirit.
Will recounts diverse hunting expeditions that span from the United States to the Yukon and Africa, bringing to life the friendships and experiences that hunting has brought him. But the real focus is not on the hunts themselves, but on the human connections they foster. From taking veterans on African safaris to giving a terminal cancer patient one final round of sunset hunts and memories with the family , each adventure is a thread in the larger tapestry of human connection and compassion. The stories told are a testament to the power of shared experiences in the wilderness and the anticipation of a new show that will showcase these profound encounters.
The final chapter of the episode delves into the deep emotional challenges faced by veterans post-service, touching on the often-overlooked issue of mental health. The conversation becomes an eye-opening discussion on the life-saving importance of education on explosive threats, the harrowing personal toll it takes, and the long road to recovery. It is here where a transformative discussion happens, when Will Alt talks about his failed suicide attempt for the first time ever, in public. He was dead for 16 minutes and was brought back to life. His raw and unfiltered telling of the story and its effects on him and his family were very powerful. It's a sobering reminder of the critical need for mental health awareness and support, which Will also addresses through various initiatives.
Alt leaves us pondering the imprints we leave on the world, the legacies we build, and the lives we uplift—inviting us to join a movement that's about more than the hunt, it's about the human spirit.
Learn more about Will Alt & Other Side Ventures, here:
Will Alt on IG
Other Side Ventures
Will. I am so stoked for you to be here today. How the heck are you doing? Man Doing good.
Speaker 2:Doing good, appreciate it. We've been talking a long time. It's good to finally meet up with you and talk a little bit. So, yeah, it's been a busy year, to say the least, but it's been great. It's been an extraordinary journey so far and we got a lot of cool things in the work. So, yeah, it's exciting.
Speaker 1:It is, man. Well, I'm going to dive in. There's a lot of different questions I got for you, but I guess let's kind of just start a little bit kind of giving people a little bit of one-on-one on your background. Let's talk about where you're from, how you got involved in hunting, fishing, the outdoor lifestyle. Maybe you know who were some of your mentors. Is this something that you grew up with with your family? And just kind of give us a little sneak peek into that, and then we'll kind of walk through to all the amazing things. You got to keep on these days.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I was born and raised in Western Montana small town, phillipsburg, montana, you know I graduated with 14 kids. There wasn't a whole lot to do but fishing, hunting and play sports, chase girls. That's all you did. So I grew up with the love of the outdoors and my uncle, elmo, actually is the one that initially got me into hunting and got me interested in everything in the outdoor space and he's since passed, you know. So it's kind of a cool legacy to carry on for him and the outdoors and hunting has helped me in so many ways throughout the years. It's incredible. But yeah, we just grew up working hard.
Speaker 2:My family was in the lumber industry and saw milling industry, so we learned a lot about business along the way, picked up things we didn't know. We picked up, you know, and after high school, joined the military, spent some time overseas in Iraq and came back and started business, wanted to hit the ground running. When I got back from overseas and started my first business and moved forward from there and did well in some business and did poor, made some mistakes and lost my button, and that's all part of growing and learning, you know and got into real estate and real estate crashed and lost everything again, had to start over again, you know, in 2009, 2010. And you know, as young as in my 20s and I learned a lot about over extending and over extending your credit and just a lot about the financial world, which is really good. It was best thing that ever happened to me, honestly. So I had to start over again and then a good friend of mine introduced me to the president over at what then was critical power exchange, just an equipment brokerage company, and I've worked there for over seven years where I really went entry level and moved my way up through the company. I love the industry, the equipment, the people. Like I gained some unbelievably good mentors within the industry and just business sense itself. You know Glenn Hansen and Mark McKelley and Eddie Beteralli and different people that really just gave me a lot of things along the way, just a wealth of knowledge, you know that really helped me and that stick with me all the time, you know.
Speaker 2:And so from there I was asked to get into higher management to help run the company and really it was a company owned by a group that really didn't have interest in investing in the business. You know where it needed to go. So I really was either going to go start my own business at that point or buy the assets of their company. You know it was losing a million and a half dollars a year at that point. It was just. It was a mess, and for a lot of different reasons. There was high turnover, there wasn't investment in the inventory, there was mismanagement, there was a lot of different things. You know that happens in a lot of businesses.
Speaker 2:But ultimately they agreed to sell me the assets of the company and when they did that, like I said, we were losing our butts and my team had the faith in me to stick it out. We you know the ownership had quit paying the lease at our headquarters. We got a three day vacate notice before I even finished the purchase. So we were scrambling. We either had to shut the doors or find a place to work until we could find a permanent home, you know.
Speaker 2:So within a day we found what it used to be like an old church and it had been many different things, but it was almost right across the street from our building. It had no CAT 5 going into it. It had really nothing that we needed to operate because we were online sales and project management. So we worked, we moved into there within 72 hours, the whole team rallied up and we moved over there, worked off hotspot for several months and wireless internet, which was a terror in itself, but eventually got up and running. I got the purchase completed and then my good friend, ryan Beckenhauer. He worked with me to get a new headquarters over in post-fall. So we started designing and putting together just awesome new headquarters and the following February, exactly one year after the purchase closed, we moved over to Idaho and Idaho really wanted to move some of our industry into the state.
Speaker 2:So there were some great folks over there that helped us out and gave us a lot of incentives to move over to Idaho.
Speaker 2:So ever since then we've just been terrorizing the town and we've been growing like crazy and blessed with the most amazing employees you could ever ask for, which is the only reason I get to do it I love to do and I'm passionate about now.
Speaker 2:So our average tenure there is over nine years and we just have so much trust and love in that company and everybody helps everybody out and it's something I've never witnessed before and so grateful for it. So that's been a heck of a journey and, along the way, got married to a wonderful woman and had two small children. My little man is five now and my little girl, ava, is seven, you know and things were going in two different directions. So that ended up in a divorce, which was so difficult in itself having kids, but turned out to be really good, I think, for both of us and for the kids. I spend way more time with them now, so went through that and now my new gal and I have another baby girl coming in May and the kids are super excited. So yeah, it's been a whirlwind, to say the least.
Speaker 1:Well, and that's not even. We haven't even brought in what kind of first connected us was with your. All the different things that you got going on centered around the hunting and the outdoor lifestyle. You know you talk about bringing teams together, work, amazing, and all sorts of facets of your work life. But now you're doing this and you know your passion project which I can only assume will be coming more of a work project as this builds but you've been traveling all across the world hunting, bringing people, maybe people with special needs or needing to have those experiences. You know life changing events, working with veterans, you're working with all sorts of different people. You know teaming up with some amazing folks in the outdoor world to provide these experiences that are just so enriching.
Speaker 1:So I want to know when did that begin to happen? In that pivot I mean working on, you showed me the highlight reel of some of the hunts that you have, you know, been on your filming, some of the behind the scenes of what you got going on and it's incredible and I know that that is, you know, an assumed to be release thing. So I just kind of want to give people an idea of where you kind of got involved in this and you know where this is going and let's talk about that, let's talk about other side ventures and just kind of, if you can bring it into that avenue, and then we'll kind of dive deep and into some things you got kicking this next year.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So the outdoors, like I said, it's always been in my blood, you know. It's always been my safe place, you know, and when I got back from overseas and many of the guys that I serve are really that getting back into the outdoors and just getting into mountains and a piece and tranquility of the outdoors is really what made me feel good again, you know, and whole again. And a good friend of mine, daniel, he and I he actually started it and I co-founded Wilderness for Warriors and that was an organization that he poured his whole life into, every bit of it, and it took me two seconds to know that I wanted to be part of it, you know, and I, you know it was helping so many people get back into something that they love. You know, and take all the negativity and whether it's PTSD, whether it's physical illness, loss of limbs, whatever it was from overseas, there was something that happened when we got into the outdoors and into the mountains and started sharing stories and adventures and things like that. That just brought people to a better place, you know, and that was, you know, a decade ago and ever since then it's just been a big part of my heart and who I am and have just wanted to give back as much as possible.
Speaker 2:And about a year, year and a half ago, you know I've, throughout the years I've suffered with my own depression, ptsd, you know, all the way down to suicidal thoughts and weird stuff that you can never explain until you're in the middle of it. And you know, and it made me feel even worse because I was so blessed in life with such good people around me, whether it's family, employees, beautiful children. You know everything from the outside looking in, you know you've got everything in life and people don't understand it. But you know, I went through such a dark time where I didn't want to be here anymore and some things transpired. And when I came out, the other side of that don't stop wat senator wants to change I was so grateful for the few people I had in my life that were constants. They were constantly beating my door down, just making sure I was okay, you know, and trying to get me out and things like that. A lot of people in your life are afraid to dive in. When you're going through something that's really dark and really bad, people kind of take the distance, you know, and kind of want to stay away from it, which is fine. But you know, the few people that were constantly by my side and they drug me through it, you know, and got me through it, are instrumental in even being able to get through to the other side of it. But when that happened I knew that I was still here for a reason, and that reasons to help other people get through hard times, and it doesn't have to be PTSD from war, from anything like that. It can be anybody going through a hard time or just needing to picking up.
Speaker 2:Or you know, we've taken some incredible children on hunts that have been abused in the past. That this amazing little girl, ella, we took on an elk hunt this year and her and her family have dwarfism and you know, she's just this sweetest, cutest little thing in the world, but she can't really fit behind a rifle and you know, growing up with that, I can only imagine the kind of criticism you get into just the bad people out there that feed your crap every day, you know. And she got a monster bowl. I mean, her confidence level was through the roof. It was so special to see, you know. And then we took another little girl, aspen, and she's actually our little ambassador, her and her dad and good friend of mine now, todd they. We took them down to Texas and she had been previously abused pretty bad and since her father had gotten full custody of her. But she was going through a really hard time and we took her down and just I mean we were all in tears the whole trip, you know. And you know we went down to try to help her and just get her in a good space and get to where she could trust guys again and know that she has family and people that support her and love her. And it ended up changing us all. I mean we had, you know, my team, my camera guy, my good friends from Texas, my buddy that owns the ranch down there, we all. It was such a special trip for all of us. I mean we were all in tears throughout the trip, you know.
Speaker 2:So you know, and then recently we took Donnie. He's been in my life for several years as a contractor and he's just one of those guys that you gravitate to. You know, just an amazingly good guy and huge heart and over the last year and a half he's been fighting with cancer and thought it was going well and a little over a month ago, I guess. Now, the doctor said they couldn't do anything and he only had about two months to live, which is just for anybody that's the worst thing you want to hear. He's got a beautiful wife, mary, and family and friends, and so we wanted to do something for him and his family.
Speaker 2:Just as, you know, a last let's get out there, have some fun, get your mind off everything and make some memories, you know, and so we took him and Mary and his best friend, randy down to Texas. This was just a few weeks ago and he had some bucket list items that he wanted to hunt, you know, a black buck and Axis and Oryx, a big white tail, and we were able to witness him, you know, putting the smack down on all these animals. And same thing, you know there's tears. You're fighting back tears all the time. Mary's crying and making us all want to cry and like just so much emotion, you know, and my better half, hannah, filmed the whole thing and we're gonna put a big film together for his family so that they can all witness it and watch it in the future. And it was amazing, man, and we got everything back home really quick and my good friend, nick, with wildlife creations. He busted everything through overnight to get everything bleached and cleaned up so the family could enjoy the horns with Donnie, you know, and he can kind of show off his trophies, you know, before he gets taken from us.
Speaker 2:So there's just. There's so much good that comes from bad situations, if you allow it, you know, and so it's a blessing to just be a part of it. You know, and I've lived so many selfish years, you know, as a youngster and just a punk, you know Like everything's about you and what you're gonna accomplish and the cars you're gonna have and the big houses you're gonna have and all that stuff. And you know, to finally find your place in life and being humbled enough to want to do nothing but give everything back has been a huge blessing. And you know God is pointing me in the direction that I'm very, very blessed for and appreciate every day for sure.
Speaker 1:So Well, when you open the door for that kind of spirit to come in and help kind of direct those things sometimes you're not in the driver's seat, You're sitting maybe in that, in that you know the passenger seat letting that kind of the next experience come because, as you do all these things and you give back, it's more people wanna get involved, more people want to be able to help. I've seen those, you know, those posts you've done. It's inspirational, you know. It makes other people think Myself included like what can I do to give back to my community? What can I do to give back, especially to veterans, you know, and the veteran families, you know, it's not just the veterans that go through this stuff, it's the families too, everyone's effect, I mean.
Speaker 1:And you look at things that you know terminal cancer. You look at the struggles that you know young children are left without mothers and fathers, there's so many different heavy things. But when you can put that spark of light and love and just pure spirit out there and, you know, be able to film it and have that experience and, like you said, Even like the antlers and things that you're giving back to them, so you can kind of have those moments and those memories that last forever. There's so much that's enriching about that. You know, my hats off to you for what you're doing and I can't wait to see it, because I know that we're just talking about a few examples from like this year and like there are so many things that you've been doing throughout the years and the things you have planned.
Speaker 1:You know, why don't you talk to me about kind of the idea of what you want to have? As far as you know, You're this idea of like a show, as an experience of a movement, of having these types of experiences giving back. You know how do you Perceive this moving forward and I know, like a lot of vehicles like this, once they kind of gain traction, you never know where they can go. So I don't accept. You know. I know there might be not absolutes, but what is it that you're wanting to do?
Speaker 2:and kind of moving this forward from today here on so so, really, when I decided to Build the main platform which we don't even have a name for yet, because it's something that it's really special to me and Hannah and the other people that are involved in it, and it's gonna be more than just a hunting show you know, we're not just sitting in the Midwest hunting white tails. Even though I love it, you can see it. White tails are my absolute.
Speaker 2:They're my absolute addiction, but we want to bring more adventure to it and we want to bring more of the giving back aspect to it. So, if we go to Africa, if we go to Spain, if we go to the Yukon, wherever we go, we want to give back, we want to help, we want to educate people on local conservation efforts and and why we hunt the animals that we're hunting and and why it's so important to their species and others in the region. You know, and so there's gonna be a lot more to it than than just hunting, and we're going to. We've got a lot of surprises we're gonna. We're gonna release on on, you know, main network TV as well as YouTube, and and we're gonna Work with some of the best in the business. You know, we've got some incredible names in the industry that are partnering with with myself to to be on the show, and They've got the same hearts, you know. They like to give back, they like to get, get youth into into the outdoors and hunting, things like that. They're so meaningful, you know, and and we're not releasing any of it yet, but it's it's getting close, you know, and and we want feedback on a name. It's something that we're gonna do giveaways around or around, you know, giving input for for the, the platform name, just because it's it's got to be special and it's got to be something that comes from inspiration and and you know, so Sound silly, swim, working on it for over a year and we've we've thrown around you know a thousand different names but it just hasn't, hasn't hit us all yet. So, so really, that main platform is to build an audience and and building that audience to to be able to help people and really inspire other people to To give back a little bit and then just put a helping hand out.
Speaker 2:You know, and and the other side ventures is is my, my platform that I started a while back and that's really where where I take the kids out and and veterans and disabled veterans and and and different folks that just need help. And you know I don't have an official nonprofit. I've never Taking any donations, anything like that. I just do it as I can, you know, which can be pretty taxing in in itself. So we're gonna build this main platform to be able to support that a little bit and then, and then we'll just collaborate with the other side ventures and we'll have awesome Hansen episodes with, with our veterans, with our, with our youth, with things like that, and I think it's gonna be a lot more inspirational, you know, and and it has absolutely changed my life and and Made me into a complete different person.
Speaker 2:I, you know, I didn't like who I was in the past and, and, you know, for a lot of different reasons and held a lot of guilt and and a lot of pain and different things like that and and this is really giving me a second chance, not just to get back and help people, but it's giving me a second chance with my family, with my kids, with my companies and employees, with with really everything.
Speaker 2:So, you know, being 40 years old now and and really getting a new lease on life has been Absolutely incredible for me and and so blessed to have the opportunity, because I Honestly didn't didn't know how I was gonna crawl out of the hole that I, that I came from, you know, and a lot of ups and downs and and things like that. So, really, that's that's what the platform is gonna be. Is is to create inspiration and and Show people that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that that there there is opportunity, that there, that there is adventures out there that Anybody can go on, you know, and we want to take those people on and and we want to help people out and and we're gonna do some wild crazy hunts along the way and and we've got some big things in store, but Really there's gonna be a lot more mixed into it, you know, and and hopefully inspire more to do the same.
Speaker 1:So you know that having being able to show that all the stories behind the hunts is so incredible. You know I there's so many wonderful shows out there that are that you know can teach you from A to Z education going out in the woods, hunting this place, you know, and giving you tips and tricks and things to and you know I'm not knocking any of them. I think that's great to have that out there. I think having that human aspect of like what's happening, the things you're doing to fulfill, you know, enrichment and and just experience and happiness, positivity and helping people, you know, cross that other side of their struggles is is paramount and it's something that I can totally see. You know Everyone get behind that because it's like the entertainment Thing but it like feels your heart and makes feel good being a part of that network and you know, when you build things like that, everyone else just wants to come aboard and be a part of that too.
Speaker 1:So I can't wait to see you know, where this you know goes to, all the links that y'all will be, you know, going to like have all these hunts around the world and, you know, enrich so many lives. So, you know, kudos to you for all that you've done and all that you're doing. Can't wait to see all the things you have lined up. You know when we talk about going all around the world and you showed me that you're doing something that's so amazing the world and you showed me a highlight reel of just some of your. You know films Of some of these hunts with some veterans or people that kind of needed to be out there in the woods for their own enrichment, and it's all across the board. I mean, how many countries have you now gone to? You've probably done every state in the US now, and yeah, so we've hunted many, many states.
Speaker 2:This year we got to do a lot of white tail hunting, which which obviously is a huge passion of mine, and so we've done, you know, south Carolina, oklahoma, idaho, montana, iowa, texas, many states. I'm sure I'm missing a lot of them, but you know we've been able to to hunt the Yukon with my good buddy Logan, with midnight sun outfitters. He's been trying to drag me up there for years and and we finally got me up there this last year and we ended up just having an incredible time, man, and and it was so humbling like being way back in the Yukon. You know you're dropped off on a float plane and it's it's pretty gnarly and it was the best experience ever. You know, having nothing was was the best part, you know, and being back up there and horse packing in and and we saw some absolutely unbelievable animals and and harvested some some incredible critters and. But we made some lifelong friendships and you know there were some struggles. There was. There was Definite cold, nasty weather, and then we were. We were super fortunate with some great weather for several days and so that was a super cool one.
Speaker 2:We did Kodiak Island for, for for brown bear, and that's where I met who now is one of my best friends, dan Walker. You know he's he's probably the only Crazier hunter than myself. He hunts year-round and he's got some world records, archery and and just a stud, you know. And he's him and I just got back from Mexico Meal. They're hunting together and he's gonna be a big part of this new platform as well. And then we spent quite a bit of time in in Africa in different places where you know I met Garrett rash. You know he's a huge guy in the outdoors industry and we become very good friends and and you know, he's a part of this new platform and and have you know, we went to Spain hunting a couple times and and met some amazing people over there and Pretty much everywhere. I feel like we've been a lot of places, but you know, the hunter one thing and I I Don't take anything away from the hunt. They were incredible experiences, but more so the people that I've been able to surround myself with and now, like our family, and we're building this thing together. I feel like it all happened for a reason, you know, and every little place we went, I was impacted by people, you know, and I was inspired by people and so it's been incredible this last year just really building a network of good, like-minded people. I feel like the outdoors and the hunting industry is just that's the one place where I can meet people and just feel like they're genuine, like they're good people and they have, you know, like minds and like hearts, and you know there's always bad apples and anywhere you go, but outdoors is I've just met the best people, man, and it's been awesome. So we're definitely excited to do a lot more and go a lot more places. We're.
Speaker 2:We got to take some veterans over to Africa this last trip and it was just mayhem.
Speaker 2:There was, I had two veterans, one of my employees and friends, and then Hannah and I and we met Garrett and a couple of other good folks over there and I think in 11 days we harvested 123 animals, which was unreal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so those boys had fun, to say the least, and Africa is a target-rich environment anyways, you know, but it was so cool to see those guys, you know, being able to harvest kudu and Cape buffalo and all these cool animals, you know, and you know they're lifelong friends now, you know, and Bryant and Michelle, they came over there with us and you know he had lost his leg and almost his other leg and several other things in Iraq getting blown up, and the guy is an absolute inspiration. You know he, every day he gives back. You know he is so positive and him and his wife both are very involved with different nonprofits and helping other veterans out and things like that, and those are the guys that we want to help. You know what I mean. Yeah, those are the guys that deserve a break and deserve to go on a trip like that, because they're giving all of themselves, you know, and so it's been pretty special for sure. So, yeah, a lot more to come, that's for sure.
Speaker 1:Oh man, I am so excited. I can't wait. You know, we'll definitely have you on, maybe do even a short little podcast for the big announcement when everything kind of is, you know, solidified as far as what's coming next and what you know avenues. You'll be having this, you know, show on and I can't wait to learn more. I think it'd be a miss of me if I did not bring up and mention the lion on the Lambo. Oh boy, dude. Yeah, I was. You know, I had seen it when it first happened and I'd never put it together until later. On doing some research. As we're kind of getting ready for this podcast and I would just go, I wanted to ask about this because I've never seen a mountain lion on Lamborghini before. That is, that was just something that was like. There we go. I can now check that out, the list of the amazing things, because, being in Texas, I've seen some wild things.
Speaker 1:I mean people in cars with cows in the backseat. That was another one to add to the list of like you haven't seen it. Now you have Talk to me about what that was like for you, what the goal was turned into a viral sensation and ultimately, would you go through with it again. So go ahead and start us at the beginning on that story, if you wouldn't mind.
Speaker 2:So we've been lion hunting really hard and and yeah, so I ended up getting a great Tom with some good friends of mine and we came back to town and it was kind of the first nice day of spring and it was sunny out and my buddy Rob had his hounds and and we had the cat and we were gonna bring into my taxidermis and we just happened to be over in my shop and my cars were over there and I'm like what if we? What if we put it on the car and brought it over to Nick? Nick is, he's been my taxidermist forever and good friend, great person, and I just like razzling him. So I'm like let's show up in the Lambo with the lion. And so it went from there to okay, we could probably make something of this, gain a little traction, let's post something and let's give away a lion hunt and a day at the track in the car for just somebody and we posted this all in the narrative just somebody who needs a picking up, someone who needs something positive in their life. And so it went from that to just Drew took a short, short clip and I had my buddy, justin Fields, over here and and and so we just made this short clip and edited it up and like, okay, we'll throw it on, couple of thousand people will see it and we'll get some good entries for this lion hunt and stuff. And so we posted it and overnight it went insane and it wasn't at all what we had expected or what we wanted to happen. Right, you know.
Speaker 2:But I mean, put a red neck in a fast car and you're gonna get lions on it, I guess I just, I don't, I just I see it as a car. You know, I feel very blessed and I just love fast cars, but it's still just a car to me. That doesn't. It doesn't, you know, make me who I am, or, or you know, anything other than just a car that goes down the road, you know. So I didn't, I put the line on there and strapped it to the fender wells and and went down the road.
Speaker 2:So you know, we didn't think of it much past that. But I wouldn't do it again, that's for sure. And you know, I think I probably had more backlash from hunters in the community than non-hunters, you know which, which I respected, you know. And and if I could have pulled it back, I would have, but there was no, stopping it once it once it got out there. But no, you know, I think it was for a good cause, but it was only meant to go, you know a little ways and have some good people sent our way that we could help out, and and it went way, way further.
Speaker 2:And you know, I think it does. It gives, you know, anti-hunters ammunition, and look at that dumb ass putting a lion on his car and and blah, blah, blah. You're going to get, you're going to get all that, which is fine, but I also think that we don't need to feed the fire, as as outdoors, when you know, I think, that they, they get enough ammunition to to come at us. So I would definitely wouldn't do it again.
Speaker 2:But there was some good that came out of it and and so, you know, I think about it that way, but it still pops up every once in a while. I'm like, please, please, please, don't start going all over again. You know, cause you just you can't stop it, and uh, yeah. So that was quite the the experience. And when it hit like, uh, national Fox news and things like that, I thought I was going to have death threats and who knew what was going to happen? But it actually it wasn't. Uh, it wasn't that way. You know, I, you obviously get get a lot of comments of people hating and things like that, but, um, you know you got to take it as constructively as possible and and uh and move on. But yeah, that was. That was something that wasn't meant to be that crazy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, it just kind of blew up. In that sense, man. I mean, you know it's, it's uh, I look at, like what you're talking about now and your, you know, in this, in these projects and this show and all the things that um are going to come from this and the spotlights there, and you know it's, I, I am so excited to see this. Like I said, see this build, see what comes from from the show, um, and where these are going to be going, cause that's something I think is what's going to be turning viral. That's the thing that's going to really continue to build every single year in snowball.
Speaker 1:Cause, when you get behind the stories of people, um, and especially the struggles that we all go through every single one of us goes through it, Um, and I appreciate you, by the way, sharing, you know, part of yours and you know you're you overcoming it. Some of the things that you tuned into, I think going into, uh, working with you know worked a lot of veterans who talk about nature, about fishing, about hiking, about hunting, about getting out there, into the, into those elements that really sues them and they bring a part of that back with them into their daily life and I think it's so important for us. Um and again, you know I'm all about doing anything I can to get back to veterans, so there's anything ever I can do to help you guys. If you need some maps along the way for some of the hunts, uh, you know I can do that. If there's, you know, whatever you need me to do, just kind of help to provide this platform, cause these are the moments that I believe that you know you're going to be putting out there, going to be going truly viral and taking it to that next level.
Speaker 1:And, uh, you know that that's something that I can't wait for. Uh, you know you do accomplish and and kind of be able to share. So I also forgot to just say one thank you for your service. And what branch of the military were you in? What did you?
Speaker 2:what were you doing? So I was um in the army and um, when I went overseas I served as a. He had he had trainer, so um, explosive awareness trainer, so um. We trained um troops coming into into country on explosive ordinance, ttps what to look for, how to identify them, um who to reach out to um if they, if they found a roadside bomb, car bomb, um things along those lines. So we worked close with the EOD teams over there.
Speaker 2:Um and uh, it was really rewarding, man. It was a. It was something that we, our whole team, felt like we were making change over there, you know, and and that's what was killing our guys so um, getting as much information out there as possible before they hit the road, um was really important. So um, it was a cool mission and and something we were very proud of. But, um, it was good and and I got back from overseas and fully intended on going back over um and then ended up getting in, I reckon, one of my semis.
Speaker 2:I had my family get a couple semis for me and started a trucking company before I got back and I was in one of those trucks and someone pulled out in front of me and ended up rolling and breaking my back and my neck up and everything really, really bad. And so I ended up getting I was still in the military and ended up having to get medically discharged, which at the time was heartbreaking. You know that was a tough one, especially when I saw friends and loved ones getting hurt or killed over there and no one I couldn't do anything, especially with the knowledge that we had. So that was a tough one, but it was something I'll never change. It was a crazy time over there and it makes you grow up so fast.
Speaker 1:I spent my 21st birthday in Baghdad, so it makes me out of you quick yeah yeah, no, I mean, I come from a family of veterans and my cousin was over in Iraq by around the same time you were, and just the different things, like he told me one day he was. He said he realized the day he needed to quit cigarettes when he was behind the glass and passenger seat of a vehicle at like three in the morning, lit up a cigarette and then her and he's like looked up and the bulletproof glass had caught the bullet that was about to go right through his freaking in between his eyes and he's like, yes, you know, I've been told not to smoke cigarettes by my mom, but now he talked about, you know, in the near misses that he had and then the not so near misses that his friends had, and like coming back and the struggle was like trying to be a survivor when your friends didn't make it and the guilt and all that. I mean that's one of the things I'm working on doing this next year is I want to do it about once a month or I'm doing a podcast that is buy for, about veteran awareness, mental health awareness. Anything we can do to kind of shine the spotlight on, you know, this 22 day thing is just it's too too much man and 22 too many. Right Like it's it can't be happening and whatever I can do.
Speaker 1:So I've got a bunch of foundations and organizations that I'm working with. There's some angler Patriot anglers here in Texas that they take out a bunch of folks in the fishing realm. So I'm going to be a part of those and kind of kind of a journalist of the sorts and writing that out. But I had something that I get behind every single day that I possibly can anybody you know, kind of you conduit to the message man, because that's to me that I think those are the folks who you know, that teachers, first responders, man, those are the people that I think should be taking care of the most in our society. No, I've not. They get now the shaft.
Speaker 2:That's the shitty part is that it just isn't that way, you know, and any awareness that we can raise and people seem like lives get turned around and actually getting a second chance at life instead of just going in the bedroom and shoot themselves. You know, and I was that person, I was there and I can tell you it is the worst place in the world to be and when you're there you don't think about the people you're leaving behind. You know, everyone says suicide is selfish. It is selfish and I agree and I've got a beautiful family and amazing people in my life, but when you're in that place there's nothing else that crosses your mind. It's a scary, scary place to be. And if I can help even a few guys from being in that place of darkness and bringing them through to help them out, to get them in a better place, I'm going to do it every day for the rest of my life. You know How'd you get out of that? I hit absolute rock bottom man and I tried to kill myself and I was gone for 17 minutes and that 17 minutes was the longest 17 minutes of my life and by the time the paramedics got there, I had been getting CPR for those 17 minutes. But I was gone and they didn't think that they were going to be able to get me back. Now the paramedics were able to bring me back and on the way to the hospital my heart stopped again and they got me going again and then made it to the hospital and they were able to get me going again.
Speaker 2:But that was the point in my life where I knew what it felt like. You know what I mean and I knew what that rock bottom felt like and it is the absolute worst place you could ever want to be. You know the things you do, the people you associate yourself, the terror that you subject yourself to, you know, is it'll tear your whole life apart and I'm lucky I didn't lose my kids, my family, my businesses, my everything. You know, and that's where the amazing people in my life really came through for me and believed in me and helped me through it. You know, all the way down to my ex-wife, you know she was so graceful through the whole thing and I don't know that she believed in me, but she knew that the kids needed their dad and you know she was some tough love. She really, really helped me through it, you know, and I'll always thank her for that, because it was, you know, a time where I didn't really deserve anything. I didn't feel like you know, and so it's definitely been a trying time and it's a story I've never really told, but I want people to know, you know, I want people to know that it's okay to be at rock bottom, but there is damn sure a way to get out of it. And, you know, I waited until it was too late and, thank God, somehow, by the grace of God, got through it and, coming out the other side, I knew that I had a purpose and I knew that God wanted me here to do something, and I am damn sure going to do it every day, you know. So that really is my motivating factor in everything that I do every day.
Speaker 2:I think that, you know, everybody sees the glam and the perfect life and the hunting and the cars and all the stuff we're blessed with in life, but there's a lot of struggle that people have that others don't know about, you know, and I think that it's important that they do. You know, and I've never told my story, you know, and I've always been ashamed of myself and who I allowed myself to become and you know the way I treated situations and things along the way and the way I treated certain people, and it's just just not something anybody's gonna be proud of. But it doesn't have to define who you are either. You know what I mean. Like it, if you use it constructively and learn from it and and find purpose in life, you can come out of anything. And I only know that because I have and I'm not one to preach to anybody because I've I've been trying to preach to myself and get myself to a good place, you know.
Speaker 2:But I do know what it's like being at rock bottom and being in the absolute darkest place you can be in life, to where you don't want to live anymore, and Coming out of that was Was a hand of God and and I'm certainly not going to waste any moment that I have moving forward, you know so Really that is.
Speaker 2:You know, in reality, the, the inspiration Behind what I'm doing. You know, and I don't want to see other people go through that man, I don't it's. It's such a scary place to be. I Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, but I'm so blessed with the people in my life that Support me that I can talk to. You know, there's very few that even know this story, you know, but I feel like it's time that that I do put it out there and, as Hard as it is to talk about and and you know, put out there to anybody, let alone everybody, I think he could help help people, you know, and Ultimately that's that's what I'm living my life for right now. So if it helps one person you know to reach out and to To, to get through and and work through that shit and get out to the other side, then Then it's worth telling my story.
Speaker 1:It is a hundred percent. I mean that sharing our testimonies, and what we have are hardships, the things that Make us who we are the human nature and like being able to connect with other people and letting them know that it's okay that you hit rock bottom, but there is the light, there is a ladder, there is a way to climb out of this, there's a way to move forward, there's a way to work on healing yourself. It won't happen overnight, it's not something that's gonna be in, but at least you can get that sliver of hope that that'll give you that next edge to get through another day and then build upon the momentum of the last day and be able to surround yourself by the inspirational stories of yourself and other people who have gone through it and can be able to get to that other side. So thank you for sharing that, thanks for being so open and honest and for deciding to come forth and talk and share your story.
Speaker 1:It it's something that we you know we need to come together In humankind and realize that. You know we are all here to help each other. That will all make through together, that we need our brotherhood, our sisterhood, our families, our friends to all rally around at any point in time so that we don't have to have any of the tragedies of that we see every day all too often, where somebody lost hope, lost that sliver, didn't have the next spring of the ladder to climb up. And you know, I'm glad that you and other people are there to help provide that Opportunity, because we need it in this world and we need more positivity. And, hey man, thanks for being a beacon of it yourself. I really appreciate it. Yeah, I do have two last questions, one of which is about your legacy. You know I've been asking everyone who's been coming on about how they want to be viewed. You know they're their legacy. Maybe you know personally and professionally, and I know you got a lot of Richmond that you can kind of talk about in both of those.
Speaker 2:So if you wouldn't mind just kind of giving you know listeners a little bit of an idea of, like, how you view legacy and you know what you want to be remembered for, you know that's a that's a big question that I have in my, my mind, every single day, especially as of late, over this last year, like I said, I feel like I lived for myself and selfishly, and and heard a lot of people along the way and, and, you know, did things I'm not proud of and and and just life and relationships and and things like that, and you know a lot of things I'm not sure I'll ever forgive myself for.
Speaker 2:But you know, you, you talk a lot and think a lot about.
Speaker 2:You know who's gonna be at your funeral, what are they gonna say at your funeral, and and what type of legacy you are actually leaving behind and and, at the end of the day, I just want, I want my kids to be proud of me and I want, I Want to make enough of a positive difference in this world that will carry on, and I've been over the last year fighting every single day to do just that and and we're gonna keep doing it and until my last day, and and and I think for me, that's that's all I care about.
Speaker 2:You know, I I Don't need to leave my kids with with millions of dollars. I want to leave them with memories and I want to leave them with viable businesses that they can take over if they want to work hard and and they're gonna inherit a lot of shoulder mounts, you know but but I want them to know that I, that I did good by people, and that I help people, and and that we inspired other people to do so as well. So, you know, all I think about every day now is just making my family proud, you know, and and Doing the right thing by others and and giving back. So really I don't know what what more you could want, you know when you go in that.
Speaker 1:So yeah, no good answers, man. I appreciate you sharing that and, you know, diving into your personal there a bit, you know. The last thing I just wanted to know is where can people join this journey? How can they follow you and kind of make sure, whenever you make in the next big announcement, that they got their finger on the pulse? So give us your socials. Where is the best place to follow this journey?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So Right now it's just the other side ventures you can look up on on Instagram and Facebook and then and then will alt I'm on on Instagram or Facebook as well. You can. You can look me up there. If you, if y'all, know of anybody who is going through a rough time, needs some help, let's try to help them out. Let's try to get them on a trip. If you want to be a part of Taking a veteran or youth or somebody in need on a trip, I won't take your money, but I'll take you on a trip and you can.
Speaker 2:You can see what it feels like firsthand to be a part of something like this and you know, as I move forward into this, that that's one thing that I think will change more lives than Than anything else, and I think we'll get more people on board with helping. You know you can donate a thousand dollars and know that went to a good cause, and then you're like, okay, yep, I did my, did my good deed, I'm good. But actually experiencing the change in the heartfelt Love through one of these hunts, outdoor adventures, will change somebody forever, and I know that 100% with all my heart. So you know, if you all want to be a part of of what we're doing, and and Go on a hunt with a veteran and and and see the changes and the difference that you can make in someone's life. Let me know and we'll set it up and and you can go along and you can be a part of it and you can witness that change, you know.
Speaker 2:So we haven't released any of our main platforms yet. We got to make sure they're perfect. It's something that I've had a vision for quite some time now and and we got to make sure the name is right and we got to. You know we are going to Go to network television, whichever platform we decide to go with. You know we want, want to make sure that we're able to really show our hearts and our views and and not have to Adhere to somebody else's beliefs, you know.
Speaker 2:And same thing with sponsors. I haven't taken any sponsors just because you know I'm not doing it for the money. This has nothing to do with that. You know, I think that eventually here we will start taking sponsors for sure that so we can impact and help more people. But yeah, we'll, we'll, we'll get back with, with, with you, and when we release everything, and. But as of right now, just go to us, our social media and, like I say, message me if you, if you want to go on a trip and and be part of helping somebody and changing someone's life, it's, it's, it's quite fulfilling, so you can always reach out to me.
Speaker 1:Wonderful. Well, I know you've done just that. I've seen it on the videos, I've seen it on your posts. Definitely bring some you know, some friends along and everyone join in, check this out. There's some wonderful Adventures to come, wonderful people to help, and I just want to say thank you again will for all that you're doing and all you're Giving back, and it's a wonderful thing all together and I definitely appreciate you and I thank you for coming and joining me today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thanks for having me, I sure appreciate it, but cheers man, we'll talk soon. Man Can't wait. Thank you. All right, take care, brother you.
