WEBVTT
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Everybody. Johnny here. Before we
dive into this podcast, I just wanted
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to let you know that it's being
developed as a side project for my main
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work, which is now heading up
content strategy for an early stage media startup
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called better, spelled, betr.
We're a digital media company that creates and
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curates uplifting stories to help people move
forward in life with hope, confidence and
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acceptance. We offer written, video
and audio content spending categories such as wellness,
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mental health, humanity and more.
Is really something for everyone at better,
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whether you need to pick me up
content, personal stories about overcoming life
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and mental health challenges, story that
gives you the push to start that business
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you've always dreamed of, or just
inspiration on bettering yourself as a human.
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To simplify its content that makes you
feel better and dream of a more positive
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world around you. So check out
better and find your new favorite video series,
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podcast or written column. Just go
to live bettercom l I ve betrcom
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or, if you like watching videos
on Youtube, subscribe to better on youtubecom
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slash betr media and, lastly,
make sure you follow us on instagram and
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twitter at Betr for some daily inspiration, Nads and feel good content to your
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social media feeds, because who doesn't
need that right now? All, right,
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now, here's the show. We
had several, several talks about me
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working late, and it was it
was very draining on our relationship, for
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sure. But what what I thought
I was doing at the time was okay
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enough to where there was one night. My wife's name is Gabby. She
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it was another kind of explosion of
you're working way too late or you came
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home at ten o'clock like this is
this just can't keep happening, and I
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ended up going back into work that
night and I pulled an all nighter there,
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but in my mind it felt like
I was doing the right thing.
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I just remember seeing my wife's face
whenever I told her I was leaving to
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go back to work, and I
definitely, at the time I thought this
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was the right thing to do and
looking back at it now and seeing her
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face kind of imprinted in my mind
is like, in what mind is this?
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Okay everyone, I'm John Willie and
this is creative AF, a podcast
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that dives smack DAB into the messy
intersection of creativity and mental health, sharing
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stories of your highest highs and your
lowest lows. So with Tyler trout is
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a name that many of you listening
are very familiar with, but you'll likely
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may not know but tyler's been up
to for the past year or so since
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leaving the sports design world. Like
many of us, Tyler grew up with
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a love of sports and playing sports. Is Well is this passion and need
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to always be creating all the time. A done collegiate discuss and hammer captain
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for the University of South Carolina.
That gave him the leadership chops to really
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outline where he wanted to go in
life. He got started early, as
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you will hear, filling a need
at the University of South Carolina creating some
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marketing posters for some of the lesser
supported teams. Tyler would take this newfound
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passion and really run with it,
making the right connections and building the right
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relationships along the way to land him
some of the most prestigious design jobs in
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the country. Yet it's drive and
hunger to do things right also meant months
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and months of living the unhealthy grind
life, working till three or four am
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consistently for months on end, in
being completely disconnected from all outside life and
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relationships, including his marriage at one
point in the not so recent past.
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But, like many of us coming
through college with a sense of wonder and
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openness to new ideas, tyler would
go through many different paths to eventually end
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up really falling in love with design. So I actually change my major probably
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about six times while I was at
school, and it was it was something
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that I never really found my footing
everywhere. I was trying to figure out
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what I want to do for the
rest of my life and I took a
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publications class which which then led me
to graphic design. It was a graphic
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design one hundred and one and and
that once I took that class, I
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knew exactly what my passion was,
and and that was in creating, just
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really just creating. I did photography, which was great to learn, but
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it still never stood, like stuck
like graphic design did, and so I
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just started pursuing it, taking more
classes, like accelerated classes, so that
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I could catch up, because I
was a junior at that point. Okay,
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and then just me being on the
track and field team, I wanted
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to to learn how to at least
put myself on a poster with all the
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my other teammates and because I did
that as a senior project and had that
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in my portfolio, when one of
the marketing directors, they were looking for
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work at the time, I'm or
someone to do something for track and field,
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show them what I was capable of, and that's kind of led me
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to the opportunity to at least design
their sports posters and that that was a
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blessing in disguise, because that's what
led me to Auburn and built the portfolio.
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And I'm even realize yeah, it's
yeah, I I a lot of
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people they start really early because their
passion is is sports and they want to
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get their stuff seen. But for
me I just loved playing sports and then
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graphic design was my actual passion,
and then merging the two was was kind
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of cool. Yeah, it kind
of becomes the dream at that point,
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right, it does. It does. It's neat to be able to to
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see your friends and to see if
people you know on a poster and you
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created that. It's definitely cool.
And then so you graduated, probably wanted
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to stay in sports. You were
doing some work there. It's out COOLINA.
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And then you took a job at
the very prestigious first citizens bank in
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that means you kind of made it
right. Oh, yeah, I can,
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yes, I did. I always
there. I was an art director,
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like an interim art director. They
were there. Art Director had just
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left and this wasn't I I knew
her and so, because of that relationship,
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they pretty much are I was recommended
to be like step in her shoes
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until they were able to find I
guess, as a creative director that point.
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And that was a big decision too, because I had a job opportunity
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with them, but it wasn't it
wasn't full time. It was more of
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a parttime thing, and so I
ended up, just through working with them,
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I ended up realizing that I really
wanted something a little more permanent.
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Yeah, and that's when, that's
when, whenever the job, the opportunity
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to work for Auburn University came then, yeah, that was yeah, I
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wanted to be a part of that. But yeah, it was fun at
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the being in an interim art director
and making some really, really cool graphics
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that you know what they're. Absolutely
you're not. I think I was the
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only designer there right, which you
know your have some freedoms, but at
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the same time you're held back.
But that was my I guess, my
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first taste of having experience in the
real world. Yeah, and it's good
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to get to go right out into
your first job. I mean that's,
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you know, most most folks don't
get the chance to go into something where
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they have that kind of autonomy,
in that freedom. Or even back then
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it was right. You know,
you're going into newspapers, are going in
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magazines and publication and you're the kid
sitting there putting in all the you know,
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ads and in you all that kind
of Shit. So that was a
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that was probably a great thing for
you. Absolutely, I think. I
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think it definitely kind of shapes your
like how you not just view the work
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force, but how you kind of
have a balance between your ego and everyone
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else's and trying to make sure that
everyone's heard and and I think what I'm
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trying to say is is it was
a learning lesson for sure, because I'm
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learning how to become aware of of
what the directors vision is and trying to
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adjust to it for the first time. Sure, you know. Sure,
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yeah, that's a huge lesson because
a lot of times you hear designers like
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getting mad whenever they don't whenever they
can't get their vision fully through and instead
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of using that as a as a
way to overcome it, they it's just
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more of the hindrance and they sometimes
they can't get past that tunnel vision of
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this is this way was so much
better. Ye, you just kind of
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shuts down, and so I think
that's where I really started learning how to
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be more aware. Yeah, I
think it's. I mean there's nothing more
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important that, right, we talked
about in every episode. I mentioned in
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every episode of the Ugly Baby Syndrome
and having our our ideas are the only
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ideas and they're the best ideas.
And and then when you're forced into a
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situation like this where you have to
we have to really kind of evaluate all
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of all of what the clients giving
you or what your bosses are giving you,
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and you have to take a little
bit of that ego out. And
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so, which is an interesting transition, right, because then you go from
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first Citizens Bank to school. It's
coming off of a two thousand and four
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SEC championship. They're building up for
an eventual two thousand and ten BCS championship.
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That was a like talk about a
transition like that was that's big.
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How did that transition happen? How
Didd you just apply for it on a
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whim. Well, it was.
It was wild. How I mean,
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yes, yes, I for it
on a whim, but it was it
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was brought to me by our the
person who gave me the freelance Gig at
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South Carolina shoot. She knew that
I was looking and so she's like,
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you should apply for this job.
and Luckily, like really real luck,
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that I applied for it, because
I had no actually didn't want the job
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at the time because I had a
girlfriend in Columbia and I was like I
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didn't want to leave Columbia and I
already had like a part time job.
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But I knew deep down the right
thing to do was to take a fulltime
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job at Auburn University, and so
I was like, I'm just going to
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apply and see what happens. And
sure enough I go there and I I
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know I did a good job with
the interview and from what I heard,
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the portfolios that they saw had nothing
to do with sports, and so I
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knew I had a good position.
And so it worked out. I ended
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up getting the job at Auburn and
made the difficult choice to just accept it
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and move from Columbia South Carolina.
which ultimately my former girlfriend I broke up.
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But Hey, it all, it
all worked out for a better and
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yeah, it's it was a life
changing decision, for sure, no doubt.
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And in you know, you look
back on these and and you realize
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how certain things in life you know, you think are going to be it
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for you and whether it's worth your
relationships, whether it's with jobs that you're
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in or jobs that you really want, and then you quickly realize how those
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changes, you know, those decisions
that you make, will literally affect every
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single decision. I was actually having
a good chat with with Jeff when today,
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who I know, you know,
and yeah, you know, talking
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about that, like how every transition, every every decisions you make in life
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will affect the next. And there's
no way that I get where I am
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here or in where I got to
in sports without the right relationships and the
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right decisions made. But yeah,
and it's definitely overwhelming to think about every
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decision transforms another decision. But the
way I look at it for sure is
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is it's transforming it in the right, the most correct way for yourself and
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and it's just basically following those instincts
and falling intuitions which will guide you to
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where you need to be, and
that's that's kind of the how I've kind
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of viewed everything moving forward, just
in in general, especially now after traveling.
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I'm my eyes are wide open,
my ears wide Owen and I feel
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like I'm my intuition is just stronger
than ever before. Keep talking about the
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transition, because I think it's important
that a lot of people want to hear,
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you know, how the swint and
how this affected you, because you're
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going from, you know, you
certainly South Carolina and while names, you
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know, big name school and working
in but you're still fairly young graphic designer
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and now you're thrust into this high
profile role. I assume it was,
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you know, fairly easy. How
was that transition? Did they have a
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big team? Was it just you? Yeah, so that transition was a
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really rough one. I came in
as a soul graphic designer and I was
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twenty three years old. There was
A to do list of about, want
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to say, like eightysothing things and
and and front and probably from I think
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there's like seven or eight different sports
and it was some of them were were
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a little bit easier, some of
them were just completely daunting them. And
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this was coming off of the the
end of the football season, regular season,
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so the bowl game was about to
was a couple weeks. I think
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it was a chick fla bowl.
Okay, couple weeks until that started,
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and so they needed a media guide
immediately. So you're thrust into a position
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where the football team of a major
SEC team needs, needs a media guide
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which is going to represent them in
their bowl game. No pressure, and
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so I immediately get working on that
and that just requires so many approvals and
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on top of that, it's every
sport doesn't have a poster. And when
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you get in November and you don't, you don't have a poster for all
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these sports. And I'm twenty three
at the time, and there's really I
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mean there's I mean, I don't
know anyone else that's been thrust into situation
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where it's just constant work, work, work. I knew I had to
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get this stuff done and I wanted
to make sure that I was doing right
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by the people that hired me and
I was doing right by the organization and
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to me at that time, like
working overtime, and extreme overtime, was
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well what I needed to do.
I felt like I had to do this
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and and looking back it there's a
detriment and it's a detriment to the graphic
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design field. But I was up
till two am most nights trying to get
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us back on track and trying to
get go down the list and go down
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the list and check everything off until
it took about three months. Took about
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three months to get to where I
could at least feel like a normal day
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was starting to happen and I could
I could leave at maybe eight o'clock.
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But yeah, that that is really
the start of when I started. I
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didn't even know my mental health suffering, but that's kind of the start of
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where I started feeling panicky or or
just not being able to sleep well.
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And so it's crazy to think back
now and we're not even realize that I
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was going through all that right.
Yeah, I think when we're when we're
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in the midst of it, we
just think it's normal and completely and we
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don't we don't know anything else because
we're not. You're twenty three years old,
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for God sakes. And Yeah,
and did you have a boss?
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Were you the boss? I did
have a boss, is a marketing director.
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was everyone structured differently, but my
boss of the marketing director. So
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it was I mean it's hard because
they are doing the same thing. So
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when you get sucked into that environment
of of everyone else is doing it,
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so you have to do it or
you look down, down, or you
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think at least if you see everyone
else doing it, you just think like
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if I don't do it, I
don't want anybody to to think that I'm
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not a team player, you know. But in the end of the day
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it's all about resources. Like when
you need to be able to look after
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your people, you need to be
able to build a team that can support
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all the demands of what the team
needs. Yeah, and so, and
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I learned about that later in my
career. Unfortunately, it's not talked about
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enough, which I'm it's not so
thankful that this is at least a platform
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to talk about it. Truly believe
you can have the most resources in the
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world, but their systemic problems in
the creative in sports industry, on on
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just the amount of work that goes
into it. We're talking like this is
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still two thousand and six right for
you? Yeah, so its two thousand
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and seven. This was facebook at
just gotten invented it. Literally, Um,
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you had to be in college.
You has probably had it because he
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had email addresses. But it was, you know, slowly rolling out.
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But instagram didn't exist, twitter didn't
exist. It was, you know,
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a different world for us, where
scheduled posters, schedule Magnets, media guides
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and I mean I don't even know, like recruiting graphics. Did they exist
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back then? No, definitely not
recruiting graphics. I mean all it was
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was designed envelopes. Yeah, you
put media guides in, you know,
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wow, wow, and so you're
it was just stationary. So at that
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time that was like that was even
a like the hard thing too, because
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they wanted like ten different colors for
different and different designs for it. So
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yeah, but that was it.
Like, yeah, you don't have to
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do it nearly. It's enough that
they do now for recruiting. God,
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no, and and to still be
working, you know, till two am
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for three months to get caught up
is is crazy. Yeah, it was.
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Ended up actually getting sick. I
forgot and tell you that. I
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ended up getting Salmonilla and working,
working for eleven, eleven days, still
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two am, and I ended up
losing ten pounds and that's what I forgot
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about that. That's when I knew
something was wrong. Right, she's I'd
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say, yeah, exactly. Yeah, it affects us in ways that we
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don't even see you while we're into
it and you're there. Are you single
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at the time? And so you're
just kind of grinding on your own.
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You. Yep, it's just grinding
on my own and not really knowing anybody
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and and not really I mean not
really having a life. Honestly right now,
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I didn't really know Auburn outside of
of my office and my apartment for
248
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I'd say about four months, and
then the people I work with. It
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was definitely a working relationship, but
it didn't go beyond that until until I
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was able to at least get caught
up on the stuff I was working on.
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Yeah, and I'm I was going
to say, you know, is
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anybody? They're saying, Hey,
tyler, you need to go home,
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you know, but it's also that's
the life in collegiate sports, where you
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may be there with all the coaches
to till two. I am. Yeah,
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and and you know what, there
were people. Definitely. They're like,
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you work in late tonight. Yeah, you shouldn't, like you should
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probably go home soon type stuff,
and and it's nice to hear that for
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sure, but at the same time, like I said, I mean I
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really just felt like I had to
do this for the organization. The wise
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it was it was never going to
get caught up and you'd see a media
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guide for a sport that's halfway done
with there or even at the end of
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their season if I didn't do it. And so and it is like in
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my mind now it's just like it's
saddening to even think about, but it
264
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is what it is. At that
time. Yeah, it is. Yeah,
265
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there was were I hate to say
that they were rights of passage because
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because I don't ever feel like anybody
should have to go through that, but
267
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I went through it. I remember
it well. Yeah, I mean that
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was like we were, you know, we were in the throes of having
269
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to completely understand print production as well, which is something that not a lot
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of young designers necessarily or totter understand, because what's printing anymore? You know,
271
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it's everything's digital and and you know
that adds a whole nother element to
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it. Right. So so after
three months, right, how did you
273
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find balance there, because you worked
there for eight years. Yeah, so
274
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what I learned real quick is that
I needed help. In order to do
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that, I knew I had to
make relationships and because I knew I wasn't
276
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going to be granted money for help
right up front, I'm Lee seeing to
277
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show my worth and possibly the worth
of someone else coming in and what we
278
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as a team could do. And
so what I did was I went to
279
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the head of internships for grabbing design
and at Auburn University and just kind of
280
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sat with her for a little bit
developed a really strong relationship to where we
281
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could call each other, email each
other and we respond immediately. She would
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shoot if she had anyone remotely interested
in sports and she'd let me know and
283
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I'd have a, you know,
just application add that I would send out
284
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to her. So she gets into
all of our students and who else was
285
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whoever was needing an internship while still
living in Auburn. And so that was
286
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a really nice get because I was
able to get two interns at the time
287
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and that was in the summer,
which helped, but then that slowly began
288
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to they wanted class. We were
able to establish class credit for it and
289
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because of that we I got a
little bit more people, so that that
290
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was able to help a little bit. But you you're getting different influxes of
291
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people who you're having to reteach,
just design and reteach what what you like
292
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and what your vision is, and
and it ends up taking a lot more
293
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time and even if they do finish
a graphic, it's probably something that you
294
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have to rework, and so or
not rework but kind of show them areas
295
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where they can then improve on it, which is just taking more time.
296
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And so just through there that I
knew that I had like one special person
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that I at least wanted to try
and keep, and so talking with marketing
298
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and talking with the director, the
athletics director, or I can't remember exactly,
299
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but basically we established a graduate assistant
ship. So I had an official
300
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GA and that was paid and in
Grad school at the time, and so
301
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that helped out tremendously and that's kind
of what started the the growth of the
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team, because then I was able
to still have interns. I had a
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graduate assistant and then myself and slowly, just because we were able to show
304
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what we're doing as a team and
how much we can get done and really
305
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the growth, the demand growth that
was continuing. We like, since that
306
00:26:02.269 --> 00:26:06.339
wasn't going to stop, we needed
to keep growing and I think that helped
307
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the cause for sure. But we
slowly growed into a four person all paid
308
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team and I was just leading the
charge and we still had interns working and
309
00:26:17.099 --> 00:26:22.410
and it nothing is ever enough,
you know, like we still were behind
310
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on on some things towards the at
towards the end of my stint at Auburn.
311
00:26:27.450 --> 00:26:32.329
But yeah, it was a it
was a learning, growth learning curve
312
00:26:32.410 --> 00:26:36.400
for sure, trying to build their
own team and then just kind of keep
313
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up with the demand, for sure. Yeah, how was was your mental
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health towards the end of it?
Towards the end, well, the way
315
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that I managed everything was, I
feel like, the way that designer would
316
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really like to be managed, and
so my mental health towards the end of
317
00:26:55.869 --> 00:27:02.500
that, I felt like was a
little bit more manageable because I really felt
318
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like the people we had on staff, I held them accountable for their sports
319
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and where I think a lot of
people, a lot of directors or they'll
320
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they might hold one person accountable and
then all of that weight just is sitting
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on them versus what I did was
I told them, essentially, you have
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three sports and I want you to
design all the content for these three sports,
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and so that gives them full ownership
of it, and that's that's essentially
324
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what anybody wants and they can learn
their their trial, through trial and error,
325
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and I can. I can show
them areas they succeeded, show them
326
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areas they they can improve on,
and then they get better and we get
327
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better as a whole. And so
that's kind of the model that was established
328
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and I think it was very successful
and I I only put that model into
329
00:28:02.099 --> 00:28:07.339
play because that's kind of what I
knew that if I were to be managed,
330
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that that's what I would want,
right, and I think that played
331
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to his strength. So really,
if I mean still if a poster or
332
00:28:15.809 --> 00:28:18.569
something look bad or something there was
a mistake, I mean it was still
333
00:28:19.329 --> 00:28:23.970
in my area and I'm the one
in charge of everybody, but I'm okay
334
00:28:25.049 --> 00:28:27.519
with that because I can look over
things and I can I can be the
335
00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:32.000
the person to blame and for me
I'm okay. I can deal with that
336
00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:36.759
pressure. Sure, but that's because
I just have faith in the people that
337
00:28:36.920 --> 00:28:41.269
I hire. It's great. So
yeah, from chant your question that the
338
00:28:41.349 --> 00:28:48.430
mental health aspect towards the end of
Auburn it was it was in check a
339
00:28:48.470 --> 00:28:52.029
little bit more. But so the
funny thing, and I feel like there's
340
00:28:52.109 --> 00:28:56.819
like a there effect, there's a
stigma or something with the word mental health,
341
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where it's almost like it invokes feelings
like unstable or irrational because of anxiety
342
00:29:06.019 --> 00:29:11.289
or imbalance or something like that.
But to me that's that's absolutely not the
343
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case. Is like, for me, mental health is more about living your
344
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life to its fullest potential and it
kind of starts with your health and how
345
00:29:22.089 --> 00:29:29.400
you treat yourself and give yourself the
proper attention it needs so that you can
346
00:29:29.480 --> 00:29:33.799
be the best version of yourself.
and to me, I wasn't the best
347
00:29:33.960 --> 00:29:40.069
version of myself until I could really
give myself the chance to be that,
348
00:29:40.349 --> 00:29:45.269
which is by kind of letting go
of it all and and and focusing on
349
00:29:45.430 --> 00:29:48.869
the things that matter. And so
to me, mental health, for me
350
00:29:49.269 --> 00:29:55.779
is is more about living to the
fullest potential. And I didn't really realize
351
00:29:55.859 --> 00:30:00.980
my fullest potential until later. And
had I realized my fullest potential towards the
352
00:30:00.019 --> 00:30:04.700
end of Auburn, then I would
say my my mental health could have been
353
00:30:04.859 --> 00:30:10.769
so much better than where I thought
it was just okay right, you know,
354
00:30:10.930 --> 00:30:15.529
and I always assumed I had great
mental health because I like the job
355
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I was in, I had money
and I could cope with whatever was thrown
356
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at me. But I think that's
also kind of sad that I associated my
357
00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:30.559
mental health to those things. I
didn't find out I was suffering from from
358
00:30:32.079 --> 00:30:36.750
mental health or my mental health was
suffering, until I focused on the things
359
00:30:36.789 --> 00:30:42.630
in my life that truly mattered,
like living a healthy, balanced lifestyle and
360
00:30:42.710 --> 00:30:48.349
and spending quality time with my wife
and family. And Yeah, it just
361
00:30:48.470 --> 00:30:53.819
took me to kind of fully separate
myself to find, I guess, a
362
00:30:53.940 --> 00:31:00.859
deeper happiness in life which I'll be
able to bring with me no matter what
363
00:31:00.660 --> 00:31:11.410
job or future holds down the road. So you're doing better, you think
364
00:31:11.410 --> 00:31:15.490
you're doing better, your metrics for
mental health are a little different than they
365
00:31:15.490 --> 00:31:21.480
are today. And then you make
the jump right into again. You are
366
00:31:21.480 --> 00:31:26.440
at the Nicle of Sec you win
a championship, you're moving on, you're
367
00:31:26.440 --> 00:31:30.640
building a great team, social media's
exploding. Auburn, Clemson, you all
368
00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:34.869
are crushing it and and in and
then you decide to make the jump into
369
00:31:34.910 --> 00:31:41.990
the NFL. Tell me about that
transition. So the transition was an exciting
370
00:31:41.029 --> 00:31:47.140
time because my dream if anyone asks, and my wife knows this because she
371
00:31:47.180 --> 00:31:51.259
always laughs every time, if anyone
asks what my dream job is, I
372
00:31:51.299 --> 00:31:56.339
always say it's a quarterback for the
Dallas cowboys. I mean that's me.
373
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I was a Dallas cowboys band growing
up my whole life, and so it
374
00:32:00.930 --> 00:32:05.089
like to be in the NFL,
not even you know, I don't have
375
00:32:05.170 --> 00:32:07.609
to be the quarterback, obviously,
but to just make it to the NFL
376
00:32:07.930 --> 00:32:13.289
was was definitely something of passion,
not just a passion but a life goal.
377
00:32:14.609 --> 00:32:22.240
And so when I had asked fortunate
enough to get the position, it
378
00:32:22.480 --> 00:32:27.799
was in a very, very exciting
time for me and I did not take
379
00:32:27.880 --> 00:32:31.029
that lightly. I pretty much went
in it the exact same way I did
380
00:32:31.069 --> 00:32:36.990
it Auburn and there was work to
be done, but there was a team,
381
00:32:37.269 --> 00:32:40.789
there was a team that could handle
the load instead of it just being
382
00:32:40.829 --> 00:32:46.299
a sole designer and and so I
became the the senior designer there, and
383
00:32:46.420 --> 00:32:51.140
at that time it was just senior
designer just to help with the design load
384
00:32:51.220 --> 00:32:55.500
it at the time it wasn't the
position didn't entail like managing the team or
385
00:32:55.740 --> 00:33:02.690
okay, or being having any kind
of right, like ability to make decisions
386
00:33:04.009 --> 00:33:07.329
like on esthetics for the team or
anything like that. So it was just
387
00:33:07.490 --> 00:33:15.680
more about helping design for the demand. Yeah, and and so, yeah,
388
00:33:15.720 --> 00:33:21.519
I just came into that just full
steam and very excited and met some
389
00:33:22.359 --> 00:33:27.470
amazing people which I call my family
now, and it's you know, it
390
00:33:28.029 --> 00:33:34.630
slowly grew into a position where I
would become the leader of the all the
391
00:33:34.710 --> 00:33:38.829
graphic designers and the decisions that we
made as a whole, and it's decisions
392
00:33:38.869 --> 00:33:46.859
that I made, were the decisions
that were kept and eventually brought to life
393
00:33:47.019 --> 00:34:12.599
through Tampa Bay buccaneers. So and
so you would would gone through the struggles
394
00:34:12.639 --> 00:34:16.159
early on in building a team at
Auburn by yourself, the late, late
395
00:34:16.199 --> 00:34:21.880
nights. Then you got to the
blocks. You you you have a team,
396
00:34:21.960 --> 00:34:24.349
you have people there, you got
married eventually in there. Yeah,
397
00:34:24.469 --> 00:34:30.550
and then did you learn your lesson
from from the long nights and weekends before,
398
00:34:30.550 --> 00:34:34.789
or did you did you revert back
and make some of those same mistakes?
399
00:34:35.789 --> 00:34:38.179
This is a great question. I'm
glad you asked. Is that's that's
400
00:34:38.260 --> 00:34:43.780
kind of an area that I failed. I did not learn my lesson.
401
00:34:44.420 --> 00:34:49.659
If anything, at that time I
thought that I was a stronger person for
402
00:34:50.579 --> 00:34:54.530
having gone through what I did at
Auburn, especially in my early in I
403
00:34:54.730 --> 00:35:00.210
and to me I viewed it more
as a strength, which is so backwards.
404
00:35:00.250 --> 00:35:06.210
Yeah, but I did. I
I thought that that being able to
405
00:35:06.610 --> 00:35:14.320
stay in late and finish and be
able to kind of cope with what whatever
406
00:35:14.519 --> 00:35:19.599
was being thrown at me, I
just thought that that was always the right
407
00:35:19.599 --> 00:35:25.389
thing to do and because of it, it definitely was draining. But there
408
00:35:25.510 --> 00:35:30.030
was a specific instance for sure.
I mean my it was it was definitely
409
00:35:30.070 --> 00:35:36.019
draining on me, and choose my
wife now, but at the time we
410
00:35:36.099 --> 00:35:44.059
were just dating and living together and
we had several, several talks about me
411
00:35:44.340 --> 00:35:49.099
working late and it was it was
very draining on our relationship for sure,
412
00:35:49.340 --> 00:35:54.050
but to me it was just something
that I would try to do better at,
413
00:35:55.010 --> 00:36:02.210
but never fully understood how to find
that balance, and I think it.
414
00:36:04.719 --> 00:36:10.079
I absolutely now I have a better
understanding. But what what I thought
415
00:36:10.079 --> 00:36:15.880
I was doing at the time was
okay enough to where there was one night,
416
00:36:16.719 --> 00:36:22.269
my wife's name is Gabby. She
it was another kind of explosion of
417
00:36:22.510 --> 00:36:28.630
you're working way too late or you
came home at ten o'clock like this is
418
00:36:28.750 --> 00:36:34.860
this just can't keep happening, and
I ended up going back into work that
419
00:36:35.019 --> 00:36:39.739
night to finish like four big things
on my list so that I didn't have
420
00:36:39.860 --> 00:36:45.420
to keep doing it throughout the week, and I pulled an all nighter there.
421
00:36:45.659 --> 00:36:49.170
And you know, people found out
that I pulled an all nighter,
422
00:36:49.329 --> 00:36:54.730
my director and and they were definitely
concerned and it. But in my mind
423
00:36:55.610 --> 00:37:00.889
it felt like I was doing the
right thing. And I mean everyone's like
424
00:37:00.440 --> 00:37:06.480
that's the best thing about the buccaneers. Everyone's family enough to to talk to
425
00:37:06.599 --> 00:37:09.360
each other and say, you know
this, you probably shouldn't have done that,
426
00:37:09.559 --> 00:37:13.679
like you need to, you need
to make sure that you're you're doing
427
00:37:13.719 --> 00:37:16.429
okay, which I'm very grateful for, but I'd like you said, I
428
00:37:16.789 --> 00:37:22.070
did not learn my lesson, and
that's kind of the tipping point from me,
429
00:37:22.309 --> 00:37:28.349
is is I started kind of rethinking
what really I valued most, and
430
00:37:28.469 --> 00:37:36.980
that's kind of what what started the
idea of allow like traveling or doing something
431
00:37:37.179 --> 00:37:40.699
other than just sports design, and
that's that's kind of what what triggered it.
432
00:37:42.539 --> 00:37:45.929
You mentioned earlier you had put a
bandaid on things and yeah, and
433
00:37:46.610 --> 00:37:52.489
to me. The band AIDS in
sports creative is I liken it to a
434
00:37:52.489 --> 00:37:58.010
duct tape on a damn and it
never fixes the real issue because there's a
435
00:37:58.050 --> 00:38:02.639
major crack in the foundation. And
and what was the what was the wonderlying
436
00:38:02.800 --> 00:38:07.480
issue here for you? And how
did you really know that it was time
437
00:38:07.679 --> 00:38:16.429
for a drastic change? It was
absolutely that instance. I just remember seeing
438
00:38:16.590 --> 00:38:22.389
my wife's face whenever I told her
I was leaving to go back to work,
439
00:38:22.829 --> 00:38:29.019
and I definitely, at the time
I thought this was the right thing
440
00:38:29.139 --> 00:38:31.139
to do. And looking back at
it now and seeing her face kind of
441
00:38:32.699 --> 00:38:37.219
imprinted in my mind is she was
looking at me how I would look at
442
00:38:37.260 --> 00:38:43.250
her now or look at me now, and it's just like what, what
443
00:38:44.289 --> 00:38:49.889
like, in what mind is this
okay? And I think for me,
444
00:38:50.090 --> 00:38:55.000
you like actually working and going through
it all night and doing exactly what I
445
00:38:55.119 --> 00:39:00.440
was doing in Auburn. It was
I did not feel comfortable. Even when
446
00:39:00.480 --> 00:39:06.599
I was in Auburn I felt like
I was younger and I could handle staying
447
00:39:06.639 --> 00:39:10.789
up late. This I felt drained
and I felt I felt like what I
448
00:39:10.989 --> 00:39:15.389
was doing wasn't even wasn't even helping. I wasn't my best self. I
449
00:39:15.630 --> 00:39:20.630
wasn't designing the best I could.
I was just doing it just to get
450
00:39:20.670 --> 00:39:23.380
ahead so that I wouldn't wouldn't get
in a fight with my wife when I
451
00:39:23.420 --> 00:39:30.579
came home and to me that that's
what the bandaid was, because I was
452
00:39:30.699 --> 00:39:36.260
still like it wasn't going to fix
itself like that. Mentality doesn't fix itself.
453
00:39:36.900 --> 00:39:39.570
What fix itself is is actually talking
to people about it, it's actually
454
00:39:39.570 --> 00:39:46.449
changing, letting people know your feelings
and letting people know this, that this
455
00:39:46.730 --> 00:39:52.440
is an issue and this is what
I'm going through and I need I need
456
00:39:52.679 --> 00:39:57.239
a little bit of time and I
need to be able to find what's going
457
00:39:57.360 --> 00:40:00.880
on so that I can be the
best version of myself. Yeah, I
458
00:40:00.480 --> 00:40:06.159
remember we're first meeting you at MLC, I think it was Chicago, right.
459
00:40:06.199 --> 00:40:10.469
Yeah, and it's sitting at the
bar when night and chatting with you
460
00:40:10.710 --> 00:40:15.869
and and I was in the midst
of my deepest, darkest time during that
461
00:40:15.429 --> 00:40:19.909
conference and in a lot of people
didn't know that at the time, but
462
00:40:20.429 --> 00:40:24.780
you know, Ashley Strouss and I
had a conversation, a breakout with a
463
00:40:24.860 --> 00:40:29.500
group and I just remember kind of
laying into these young kids that I either
464
00:40:29.659 --> 00:40:31.780
that we young kids to me right
and just saying yeah, listen, I
465
00:40:31.900 --> 00:40:37.690
am worried about y'all, like and
I was no holds bar because I was
466
00:40:37.769 --> 00:40:40.409
in the I was in the darkest
point of my entire life at that point,
467
00:40:40.409 --> 00:40:47.530
and but I remember those discussions that
we had and and vaguely, I
468
00:40:47.650 --> 00:40:52.760
guess, because so much of that
I've blocked out. Yeah, probably on
469
00:40:52.880 --> 00:41:00.559
purpose at this point. But but
then then seeing and following your change in
470
00:41:00.880 --> 00:41:05.230
an instant, you went from living
this sports creative grind to, as as
471
00:41:05.269 --> 00:41:08.510
Gabby put it on her instagram,
living wild and free and and you gave
472
00:41:08.590 --> 00:41:14.789
it all up to your guys words
travel the world, discover a new life
473
00:41:14.909 --> 00:41:19.699
and find the true meaning to success
and happiness. Was it? Was It
474
00:41:19.820 --> 00:41:22.699
really that easy to make that change, and did you just instantly feel and
475
00:41:22.980 --> 00:41:30.820
in that sense of freedom inside when
you did? Oh Man, it was.
476
00:41:30.300 --> 00:41:36.010
I'll go into it from the very
beginning, because this, this was
477
00:41:36.130 --> 00:41:40.809
solely Gabby's dream and she talked about
it early when we were when we first
478
00:41:40.809 --> 00:41:45.889
started dating, and it was a
decision that we both made that we would
479
00:41:46.050 --> 00:41:52.599
put money aside from each of our
Hx and just dedicate this this savings account
480
00:41:52.760 --> 00:41:55.400
and with the sole idea that we
were going to use it to travel and
481
00:41:55.639 --> 00:42:00.320
even if we didn't travel, we
still have money saved to do something great
482
00:42:00.360 --> 00:42:06.869
with it, and so we like
it took us three years and we knew
483
00:42:06.909 --> 00:42:12.150
eventually we were going to do it, but when that episode happened where I
484
00:42:12.230 --> 00:42:17.699
stayed late, it kind of started
sparking more and more and kind of invigorating
485
00:42:17.739 --> 00:42:22.900
the thought. And then we took
a trip to Iceland to see some friends
486
00:42:22.940 --> 00:42:30.449
and at that when we realizing how
happy we were just kind of separating ourselves
487
00:42:30.489 --> 00:42:35.809
and just kind of being out and
actually seeing the world or being in nature
488
00:42:36.050 --> 00:42:40.730
just kind of made us realize that
we now that we have the money,
489
00:42:42.289 --> 00:42:46.199
we just need to pull the trigger. Like it was kind of a crazy
490
00:42:46.320 --> 00:42:52.320
moment for us that we shared together
and we came back with a plan to
491
00:42:53.639 --> 00:43:00.789
do it that Spring to we got
married in March, and it was you
492
00:43:00.869 --> 00:43:07.789
know, came up with the plan
to at least give enough time for my
493
00:43:08.269 --> 00:43:15.900
marketing director and the in the Tampa
Bay buccaneers enough time to really find someone
494
00:43:15.980 --> 00:43:22.539
else and and really kind of nourish
the team and give them guidance with we
495
00:43:22.659 --> 00:43:30.969
were going through a draft designing for
the draft, and I I've never told
496
00:43:30.010 --> 00:43:37.369
anyone this actually, but we're going
through draft design and that first night we
497
00:43:37.489 --> 00:43:42.480
went through it and they we had, I think there were three people that
498
00:43:42.639 --> 00:43:47.239
were drafted for in the first round
for us and I didn't realize there was
499
00:43:47.280 --> 00:43:52.800
going to be two extra ones that
first night and but I knew that even
500
00:43:52.840 --> 00:43:55.710
if there was, the team was
going to be able to handle it because
501
00:43:55.710 --> 00:44:00.590
we we were all in on this
one, on our first draft pick,
502
00:44:00.349 --> 00:44:04.230
and we had everything prepared and we
were ready to go. So once we
503
00:44:04.349 --> 00:44:08.110
launched that, and then my dad
was coming into town and so I felt
504
00:44:08.150 --> 00:44:13.139
really confident and I was like,
well, this is kind of, you
505
00:44:13.260 --> 00:44:15.900
know, a test. If we
do get somebody, then then they're going
506
00:44:15.900 --> 00:44:22.019
to be doing it without me in
the next year. So I'm just going
507
00:44:22.059 --> 00:44:24.650
to leave and if anything happens,
then there. I mean, I told
508
00:44:24.730 --> 00:44:30.090
them, obviously, but I left
and we had two other draft picks and
509
00:44:30.170 --> 00:44:37.369
I was just waiting like so nervous
like, but we ended up drafting two
510
00:44:37.449 --> 00:44:42.880
more and everything turned out just fine, and that that's when I knew it.
511
00:44:43.079 --> 00:44:45.719
We were making the right move.
And so a couple weeks later we
512
00:44:46.280 --> 00:44:54.429
told everybody and sure enough, we
actually went through it, and I'll tell
513
00:44:54.429 --> 00:44:59.909
you, man, I'd I almost
I. Every time I tell a story
514
00:44:59.949 --> 00:45:05.590
it gets chills. But the first
day, stepping on the airplane to go
515
00:45:05.670 --> 00:45:15.059
to France, not having any emails, not having anything to deal with,
516
00:45:15.380 --> 00:45:22.730
no, no responsibilities, no.
Well, man, I'm just like even
517
00:45:22.769 --> 00:45:31.090
shaking thinking about it. Our money
was already figured out. So normally,
518
00:45:31.329 --> 00:45:37.480
whenever you don't have any responsibilities,
your mind immediately goes to okay, what
519
00:45:37.719 --> 00:45:39.239
next, how do I do this? How did it? But that was
520
00:45:39.280 --> 00:45:45.239
already figured out. Literally, the
most precious thing to us was time,
521
00:45:45.920 --> 00:45:51.190
and when the most valuable, precious
thing is time, then your whole world
522
00:45:51.510 --> 00:45:55.429
flips upside down, and that's exactly
what happened to us. Is We really
523
00:45:55.510 --> 00:46:04.539
felt like this time is for us, this time is to figure out who
524
00:46:04.900 --> 00:46:07.820
I am as a person, because
the only person I've known is the person
525
00:46:08.059 --> 00:46:15.860
that that constantly has to work or
that that only knows work. And so
526
00:46:15.980 --> 00:46:21.570
what is who? Who is the
Tyler? Who is a Gabby that doesn't
527
00:46:21.650 --> 00:46:24.809
have to focus on this? And
so when, when we were able to
528
00:46:24.889 --> 00:46:30.210
really sit outside ourselves and kind of
figure out who we were as people,
529
00:46:30.329 --> 00:46:36.119
then then everything just started feeling like
filling into place and we found our true
530
00:46:36.159 --> 00:46:42.719
selves and who what are real passions
are, and it's just a life changing
531
00:46:42.840 --> 00:46:49.469
experience, not just seeing other other
countries and cultures and landscape, but just
532
00:46:49.590 --> 00:46:52.750
finding out who you are. And
really to be able to do that,
533
00:46:52.869 --> 00:47:10.619
you just got to give yourself some
time and some balance, and you you
534
00:47:10.980 --> 00:47:15.050
alluded to it there too, because
while many of us transition out of that's
535
00:47:15.210 --> 00:47:21.449
that life, that seven sports,
the hustle, ring mentality, there's there
536
00:47:21.610 --> 00:47:24.610
becomes a sense of guilt and yeah, it. Did you have any of
537
00:47:24.650 --> 00:47:31.760
those, those PTSD moments during your
transition? I thought I would. I
538
00:47:31.920 --> 00:47:38.719
definitely thought I would, but I
think that the hardest part was leaving my
539
00:47:39.480 --> 00:47:43.679
friends and in a why call on
they're not even friends. Honestly, they're
540
00:47:43.800 --> 00:47:50.710
they're more family than anything, and
that was the hard as part because being
541
00:47:50.949 --> 00:47:54.070
like, whenever you have such a
strong relationship with your work friends, then
542
00:47:55.670 --> 00:48:00.300
you see them every day, it
becomes hard not to be entrenched in what
543
00:48:00.420 --> 00:48:07.059
they're going through and their successes and
their struggles. But it was it was
544
00:48:07.219 --> 00:48:14.650
something that like so worth it in
the and is just like looking back and
545
00:48:14.809 --> 00:48:19.849
realizing what a strong decision we made
not for ourselves, but are really the
546
00:48:19.969 --> 00:48:23.449
health, our health, our health. Like I guess I just didn't know
547
00:48:23.570 --> 00:48:29.760
the true potential of the way my
body could feel if I treated it the
548
00:48:29.880 --> 00:48:32.559
way I do now, which I
did not do when I was focused more
549
00:48:32.639 --> 00:48:39.239
on work. Takes a back some
what I thought was mental health. Good,
550
00:48:39.280 --> 00:48:45.750
right, no, yeah, exactly. It's that's it's powerful to know
551
00:48:46.110 --> 00:48:51.829
because because there's so many out there
who are who are probably saying, man,
552
00:48:52.269 --> 00:48:54.070
how do I do this? Or
probably saw, you know, Globe
553
00:48:54.110 --> 00:48:58.260
trotters and said, damn, like
how did they? How did you do
554
00:48:58.420 --> 00:49:00.019
that? Like I asked the question
to like, like how do you do
555
00:49:00.139 --> 00:49:04.460
that? How you did but telling
us that you had a plant, like
556
00:49:04.539 --> 00:49:07.059
it's a three year plan, you
know, while you were working in this
557
00:49:07.179 --> 00:49:09.849
sin and that's important any I think
that the people need to hear that because
558
00:49:10.769 --> 00:49:15.849
there's probably a lot of assumptions that
are made on that and in a lot
559
00:49:15.929 --> 00:49:20.170
of you know, how to Peeple
will live the wander lust life or you
560
00:49:20.250 --> 00:49:22.690
know, the like the the talk
I have with Alex on the last podcasting.
561
00:49:23.480 --> 00:49:28.360
How do you just throw everything away
and move into a van with your
562
00:49:28.559 --> 00:49:32.079
you know, your boyfriend? Yeah, travel the world and and but those
563
00:49:32.119 --> 00:49:36.599
are you know, it's a literally
falling the dreams, putting a plan together
564
00:49:37.000 --> 00:49:42.670
and putting it out into the world
and then listening for those moments where you
565
00:49:42.789 --> 00:49:45.469
say that this is what it's going
to be. I call it the thing
566
00:49:45.670 --> 00:49:51.110
was Sheryl Sandberg, who talks about
your plan Z, because you know your
567
00:49:51.150 --> 00:49:54.340
plan as now and your plan B
is whatever's next. But if you're not
568
00:49:54.420 --> 00:49:58.539
planning for your plan Z, you're
you're doing it wrong, and I think
569
00:49:58.579 --> 00:50:00.260
right, well, well, I
don't know if this is, you know,
570
00:50:01.059 --> 00:50:05.059
if this is the the end for
you guys and you have some more
571
00:50:05.099 --> 00:50:08.969
stuff coming up, but I think
that's that's super important for people to hear
572
00:50:09.010 --> 00:50:16.130
that absolutely unsually and make that,
yeah, our plan Z. When we
573
00:50:16.289 --> 00:50:22.599
told people what we were doing it, the first thing that everyone said was,
574
00:50:22.840 --> 00:50:27.119
what about your job, which is
fine, it's as a normal question,
575
00:50:27.280 --> 00:50:30.159
but at the same time I think
a lot of people just assume that,
576
00:50:30.840 --> 00:50:35.400
you know, you're never once,
once you're in a position like you'll
577
00:50:35.440 --> 00:50:37.750
never be able to get that again. Yeah, and that's just not the
578
00:50:37.829 --> 00:50:42.110
case. You were able to get
it the first time. What's like?
579
00:50:42.349 --> 00:50:45.389
You're still the same person. You
were. You're still creative and for me
580
00:50:45.630 --> 00:50:50.500
this was a chance for me to
focus on other areas of being creative.
581
00:50:50.500 --> 00:50:54.820
I could do video and I could
be a videographer and a photographer and learn
582
00:50:54.980 --> 00:50:59.980
that trait and then come back as
a stronger, more complete creative. Yeah,
583
00:51:00.059 --> 00:51:05.210
and so to me it had all
the all the decisions we were making.
584
00:51:05.570 --> 00:51:08.329
We're completely in the right direction now. Did I give up a position
585
00:51:08.369 --> 00:51:15.610
in my dream job? Absolutely,
and that that's it's tough to even think
586
00:51:15.849 --> 00:51:20.400
that you could do that. But
at the same time I've if I don't
587
00:51:21.320 --> 00:51:29.199
go back into professional sports as a
designer, then the what I've gained as
588
00:51:29.239 --> 00:51:34.590
a person through this whole experience is
so much more worth it to me and
589
00:51:37.269 --> 00:51:40.630
I definitely wouldn't take it back for
anything and if anything, it's going to
590
00:51:42.110 --> 00:51:45.110
in my feelings as it's going to
help me down the road as a as
591
00:51:45.150 --> 00:51:50.460
a designer. If I if going
getting into professional sports as in my future,
592
00:51:50.579 --> 00:51:53.340
then I'd seriously don't think I have
a doubt and in trying to get
593
00:51:53.340 --> 00:51:58.659
back into the industry. Yeah,
I guess this is that's a great lead
594
00:51:58.739 --> 00:52:02.010
into this question. Is Is I've
had this conversation with a lot of people,
595
00:52:02.050 --> 00:52:07.090
a lot of close friends, and
I know where I'm at. But
596
00:52:07.210 --> 00:52:12.170
would you go back if you have
the opportunity? My wife always asked me
597
00:52:12.289 --> 00:52:15.679
that. She's so nervous that mine
to. I would like she stole of
598
00:52:15.800 --> 00:52:20.679
me away from my dream job,
but it's just I would not give it
599
00:52:20.800 --> 00:52:28.400
back. I I honestly think that
everything that we've done has led us to
600
00:52:28.559 --> 00:52:34.070
this path for a reason, and
even our ventures of what we plan to
601
00:52:34.110 --> 00:52:38.989
do down the road, like it
just completely fits, like when everything aligns,
602
00:52:39.150 --> 00:52:43.550
then you start looking at what you've
done in your past and you're like,
603
00:52:43.869 --> 00:52:49.739
Holy Shit, like this is why
I felt like this, which has
604
00:52:49.860 --> 00:52:54.099
made me, made me do this, which is now making me do this,
605
00:52:54.380 --> 00:53:00.050
and you're just like it all like
fits and it finally makes sense,
606
00:53:00.489 --> 00:53:05.650
and so everything needed to happen the
exact way it did for me to realize
607
00:53:05.730 --> 00:53:08.690
this, and it's it's I mean
it's a wild feeling to have to know
608
00:53:08.849 --> 00:53:13.840
that you're just kind of in line
with with what you feel is right.
609
00:53:14.280 --> 00:53:16.440
Yeah, and I would I would
go as far because I talked about the
610
00:53:16.480 --> 00:53:21.440
concept of the dream job and they
always ask people whose dream is it,
611
00:53:22.519 --> 00:53:27.079
because, you know, for for
me it was you know, I think
612
00:53:27.119 --> 00:53:30.869
it was more of my friends dream
job than it was mine. Like my
613
00:53:30.949 --> 00:53:35.230
dream was to be a creative at
some point, but I was not a
614
00:53:35.389 --> 00:53:37.909
sports guy, you know, like
I honestly could have cared less, and
615
00:53:37.949 --> 00:53:40.619
I think that was one of the
reasons that Surf, and I've talked about
616
00:53:40.619 --> 00:53:45.260
that a lot, like don't hire
fans and in being a sports fan and
617
00:53:45.380 --> 00:53:49.380
breaches, you know, enjoying sports
as a different thing or working for the
618
00:53:49.460 --> 00:53:52.219
team that you idolized since growing up. That's a tough thing to do,
619
00:53:52.739 --> 00:53:55.849
you know, to come back in
on a Monday morning after a hundred and
620
00:53:55.929 --> 00:54:00.889
ten lost season and you have to
keep going, you know, and I'm
621
00:54:00.889 --> 00:54:05.010
making a face of teams, is
not easy, especially as a creative.
622
00:54:05.130 --> 00:54:08.769
But you know. So I always
ask that question because it seems like now
623
00:54:09.480 --> 00:54:15.320
like the dream, like like you
really know what your dream is and I
624
00:54:15.360 --> 00:54:16.679
don't know, it's hard to even
call it a job at that point.
625
00:54:16.719 --> 00:54:22.079
Yeah, I know, you're absolutely
right, and for me it I have
626
00:54:22.280 --> 00:54:28.510
the same thought whenever I'm you're talking
about sports, is I was always a
627
00:54:28.949 --> 00:54:34.269
huge fan of playing sports, but
when it came to following a team or
628
00:54:35.030 --> 00:54:37.659
knowing all the players, or really
keeping up with it. I didn't like
629
00:54:37.780 --> 00:54:42.500
I had a favorite team, Dallas
cowboys, but it was I didn't know
630
00:54:43.139 --> 00:54:46.460
all the players on the team and
everyone. You know, they like your
631
00:54:46.500 --> 00:54:50.860
cowboys fan. How about that?
I could care less. Honestly, I
632
00:54:50.940 --> 00:54:55.329
just like watching like an occasional game
here and there, and right either way.
633
00:54:57.690 --> 00:55:01.730
It's to me it was more about
the creative and I realized what's funny
634
00:55:01.769 --> 00:55:06.969
is even through my travel, yes, I want to learn photography and videography,
635
00:55:07.010 --> 00:55:12.360
but to me, the one thing
that kept happening while we were traveling
636
00:55:12.599 --> 00:55:16.599
and we were posting stuff and and
kind of trying to establish an account on
637
00:55:16.639 --> 00:55:24.269
Instagram, I always had a vision
for I mean whenever we were out and
638
00:55:24.389 --> 00:55:30.190
he's like mountain landscapes or waterfalls,
I would always have a vision for wanting
639
00:55:30.230 --> 00:55:35.150
to create. Like I even if
I was sitting there and my wife told
640
00:55:35.190 --> 00:55:37.980
me, you know, we're just
not going to video, we're not going
641
00:55:37.019 --> 00:55:42.059
to do any photo, we're not
doing any of that today, then I
642
00:55:42.179 --> 00:55:45.820
would still in my mind think of
all these ways that this could be done
643
00:55:45.300 --> 00:55:51.369
and get excited about it. And
and that to me spoke volumes because even
644
00:55:51.369 --> 00:55:55.889
when I separate myself and I do
me and I what I'm passionate about and
645
00:55:57.010 --> 00:56:00.170
focus on what I'm passionate about.
It is I'm a creative person. It
646
00:56:00.329 --> 00:56:02.090
is what I'm passionate about. I
want to create things, I want to
647
00:56:02.130 --> 00:56:06.519
make sure, I want things to
I want people to be inspired by things,
648
00:56:06.679 --> 00:56:10.119
and so that's I think that's the
driving force of wanting to create.
649
00:56:12.400 --> 00:56:15.760
And so to me, I found
out absolutely that I am just a creative
650
00:56:16.480 --> 00:56:22.429
I think there's such a distinction between
doing it for work and doing it for
651
00:56:22.909 --> 00:56:25.070
who you are as a yeah,
and you know, for me it was
652
00:56:25.710 --> 00:56:30.389
yeah, any time I go on
vacation and I'll feel it and I'll know
653
00:56:30.710 --> 00:56:34.219
when I'll need my camera out,
or will we need my video camera out,
654
00:56:34.300 --> 00:56:37.739
and I'll feel it and I know
when I just need to be throwing
655
00:56:37.820 --> 00:56:40.739
my kids and backflips in the water, you know, like it's it's it's
656
00:56:40.860 --> 00:56:45.300
different, you know, and I
hear it all the time, whether it
657
00:56:45.659 --> 00:56:47.929
from, you know, my family, our family, their grandparents and things
658
00:56:47.969 --> 00:56:50.889
like that. As I well,
where the pictures of this and I'm like,
659
00:56:51.130 --> 00:56:53.369
well, we enjoyed it, you
know, or exact boord's like wow,
660
00:56:53.489 --> 00:56:55.849
you, my wife, you took
a crap ton of pictures of this,
661
00:56:57.090 --> 00:57:00.690
you know, and you just kind
of have to you know, know
662
00:57:00.969 --> 00:57:04.360
the moment I dragged him out.
We were up in northern and door county
663
00:57:04.760 --> 00:57:07.320
Wisconsin during our vacation. I drug
him up an hour and a half north
664
00:57:07.400 --> 00:57:12.760
to a dark park just so I
could get a pictures of the the Milky
665
00:57:12.800 --> 00:57:16.989
Way. And it was an unbelievable
experience because we all went together, we
666
00:57:17.070 --> 00:57:22.070
all enjoyed it. It's pitch black, he can't have lights, you know,
667
00:57:22.309 --> 00:57:24.989
and we got there, we found
an amazing spot and just for the
668
00:57:25.110 --> 00:57:29.550
boys to be able to look up
in the sky and see the Milky Way
669
00:57:29.630 --> 00:57:32.900
with their you know, they're wise, or to see Jupiter reflecting in the
670
00:57:32.980 --> 00:57:37.260
water. You know, like that
experience. And then I was able to
671
00:57:37.860 --> 00:57:42.059
make a memory that, you know, my oldest is put on his backdrop
672
00:57:42.139 --> 00:57:45.449
on his computer and on his phone
right away and you know, so and
673
00:57:45.570 --> 00:57:46.889
then he's asking me, how are
you doing this, dad? How are
674
00:57:46.889 --> 00:57:51.849
the exposures? And he's trying to
understand, you know. That's that's what
675
00:57:52.050 --> 00:57:54.210
makes it worth it to me,
you know. That's why I absolutely that's
676
00:57:54.210 --> 00:57:58.639
why I agree. You know,
that's awesome. That's such a good story
677
00:57:58.760 --> 00:58:01.039
too. Yeah, yeah, it
was amazing. So I got to ask
678
00:58:01.079 --> 00:58:06.719
you know who who's taking all these
amazing images of you two in these amazing
679
00:58:06.760 --> 00:58:09.000
places, because you didn't call me, you know, to come out.
680
00:58:10.920 --> 00:58:17.070
I'm actually extremely shocked to hear that
you think that that they're amazing, because
681
00:58:17.190 --> 00:58:22.269
they're great. That's a huge compliment
from you, but it was. We
682
00:58:22.750 --> 00:58:28.900
pretty much had kind of talk to
some other people who are traveling and taking
683
00:58:28.940 --> 00:58:34.659
really good photos and and we just
set up a tripod and use our camera
684
00:58:34.739 --> 00:58:40.449
and and I'll I'll just frame Gabby
in the spot that we want and it's
685
00:58:40.530 --> 00:58:44.730
just trial and error for us,
like we started out and we were taking
686
00:58:45.409 --> 00:58:47.090
now I look at them and I'm
thinking, man, we could have done
687
00:58:47.090 --> 00:58:52.570
so much better, but that's just
you. You learn along the way and
688
00:58:52.090 --> 00:58:57.519
and that's exactly what we did and
just having a little bit of a right
689
00:58:57.559 --> 00:59:02.440
equipment and setting it up and and
figuring out the camera. Really I had
690
00:59:02.480 --> 00:59:07.199
it on just automatic. It was
just automatic mode starting out and then slowly
691
00:59:07.559 --> 00:59:12.909
went to yeah, and then slowly
went to aperture mode and then slowly went
692
00:59:12.949 --> 00:59:16.949
to manual mode. So it's just
a gradual, gradual progression and it is
693
00:59:17.070 --> 00:59:21.230
fun to learn, kind of nerve
racking sometimes, especially when, yeah,
694
00:59:21.309 --> 00:59:25.420
you want to catch that moment.
Yep, but I'm definitely not a professional
695
00:59:25.500 --> 00:59:30.139
photographer, but I think I'm a
creative photographer. So I think that's that
696
00:59:30.460 --> 00:59:35.699
I can from a editing standpoint,
that's the hardest part for me. You're
697
00:59:35.820 --> 00:59:38.210
trying to figure out my own,
like I editing style and what I like,
698
00:59:38.329 --> 00:59:42.530
because I like so much. Right, you see so much photography out
699
00:59:42.530 --> 00:59:45.530
there and you're like, oh,
that photo was so good, like how
700
00:59:45.570 --> 00:59:50.610
did you get those tones or how
did she get that like the the bright
701
00:59:50.690 --> 00:59:54.679
and the vibrant? It's it's some
photos just make you feel certain things and
702
00:59:54.800 --> 00:60:00.360
that's exactly what I want in my
photography. And so yeah, it's I'd
703
00:60:00.360 --> 00:60:06.239
definitely say we've had we've had some
fun and I hope that if anyone gets
704
00:60:06.320 --> 00:60:08.829
inspired by anything, and that's our
soul goal with our with our account.
705
00:60:09.150 --> 00:60:13.989
I love it and and and we'll
tell the account at the end after in
706
00:60:14.110 --> 00:60:17.550
my in my follow up. But
your posts certainly are inspiring, to say
707
00:60:17.550 --> 00:60:22.579
the least. In one I read
Gabby who, I assume, since it
708
00:60:22.659 --> 00:60:28.099
was a picture of her, dove
into vulnerability and the importance of vulnerability,
709
00:60:28.179 --> 00:60:31.059
how showing our emotion, you know, has been is still looked on by
710
00:60:31.099 --> 00:60:36.010
society as a sign of weakness.
How did you all learn to, you
711
00:60:36.090 --> 00:60:40.050
know, to get past that,
to become completely vulnerable with people and and,
712
00:60:42.050 --> 00:60:44.809
you know, being comfortable really stepping
out of your comfort zone in this
713
00:60:44.969 --> 00:60:49.170
new this this new endeavor? That's
a great question, because it really takes
714
00:60:49.570 --> 00:60:55.280
conversation to start out, and it's
it's being comfortable enough to talk about it
715
00:60:57.280 --> 00:61:04.510
openly and outward to somebody and then
understand both sides of it. You know,
716
00:61:04.909 --> 00:61:09.110
Gabby and particular has is. She's
it's a shy person, and so
717
00:61:10.710 --> 00:61:15.030
having her step out of her comfort
zone and talk about her emotions or feelings
718
00:61:16.630 --> 00:61:23.179
is a huge step. And me
the same way. I don't I'm one
719
00:61:23.420 --> 00:61:29.659
to to like try and fix.
I want someone to be happy, so
720
00:61:29.699 --> 00:61:34.969
I want to kind of like meet
the way that I view, I guess,
721
00:61:35.090 --> 00:61:37.130
life for me is is, in
order for me to be happy,
722
00:61:37.329 --> 00:61:40.690
I need to make someone else happy, and I've stuck with that quote for
723
00:61:40.769 --> 00:61:45.289
a while and that's kind of been
my motto for a while. So Inn
724
00:61:45.409 --> 00:61:51.920
See, knowing that my wife is
trying to be a little more vulnerable.
725
00:61:52.719 --> 00:61:58.159
I'm just all ears and trying to
help out with ways to communicate, to
726
00:61:58.280 --> 00:62:01.309
get her to show her feelings outward
and and communicate a little bit more so
727
00:62:01.510 --> 00:62:08.110
she feels more comfortable. But you
find that you yourself have some some issues
728
00:62:08.230 --> 00:62:14.550
that you're that need to be resolved
from a vulnerable standpoint or emotional standpoint,
729
00:62:14.670 --> 00:62:20.900
and there's definite instances where she's helped
me and so we've both grown through it
730
00:62:21.059 --> 00:62:24.340
and it only started just because we
talk to each other and you have to
731
00:62:24.500 --> 00:62:31.409
start the conversation in people have to
know your true feelings towards something and not
732
00:62:31.650 --> 00:62:36.570
just, you know, not just
say that everything's okay, because that's that.
733
00:62:37.090 --> 00:62:52.760
It's never okay. How was the
response been? I mean there's,
734
00:62:52.960 --> 00:62:55.239
you know, upwards of Twelvezero people
who are following you on now. I
735
00:62:55.360 --> 00:62:59.789
imagine, you know, those metrics
probably don't matter as much and, you
736
00:62:59.829 --> 00:63:04.110
know, unless there's a monetization aspect
of it. But what's the engagement like?
737
00:63:04.309 --> 00:63:06.949
What are or are people you know, what are the conversations you're having
738
00:63:07.070 --> 00:63:12.150
with your audience? Like, yeah, it's funny because instagram it has its
739
00:63:13.300 --> 00:63:20.019
it's, it has its moments of
forced likeness. You know, and so
740
00:63:20.260 --> 00:63:22.860
but when you brush through all that, you find out who is real and
741
00:63:23.059 --> 00:63:28.929
who is being their complete cells and
those are the people that really respond and
742
00:63:29.610 --> 00:63:32.929
you you can really tell that you're
making a difference which really makes a difference
743
00:63:32.969 --> 00:63:37.090
in your life. And so that's
what we found is to focus on the
744
00:63:37.250 --> 00:63:44.679
ones that we know are are really
affected by the things that we either post
745
00:63:45.000 --> 00:63:49.719
or the things that we talked about, and we've talked to them separately in
746
00:63:50.159 --> 00:63:55.989
messages and we've grown a nice community
of just really just friendships through through traveling
747
00:63:57.269 --> 00:64:00.590
and doing the same thing. And
so yeah, I do think it has
748
00:64:00.630 --> 00:64:05.510
been a success and even like it's
funny because when we started out this account,
749
00:64:06.269 --> 00:64:11.619
we absolutely were not the people that
were. We're like, we're never
750
00:64:11.739 --> 00:64:15.500
going to pose for a shot,
like we're definitely just gonna, you know,
751
00:64:15.980 --> 00:64:20.659
get ourselves in a moment versus versus
like actually pose, and then we
752
00:64:20.780 --> 00:64:28.050
started seeing that we were actually happy
taking these amazing photos with each other in
753
00:64:28.090 --> 00:64:34.610
these crazy landscapes instead of instead of
just trying to like look away or something
754
00:64:34.690 --> 00:64:40.119
like that, like we can be
ourselves and pose and still have fun,
755
00:64:40.800 --> 00:64:45.039
and that's what we found was was
more of our happiness, and so it's
756
00:64:45.320 --> 00:64:49.880
is definitely neat to see that evolution. That's that's awesome. And you,
757
00:64:49.960 --> 00:64:56.469
you know, throughout this as this
as this started, tell us a little
758
00:64:56.469 --> 00:65:02.909
bit about how you know how the
transition was into the COVID era and how
759
00:65:02.949 --> 00:65:08.300
that changed what what you all are
doing and in which ill because I mean
760
00:65:08.340 --> 00:65:10.900
it certainly, if you if you
look at at the pages, you were
761
00:65:10.980 --> 00:65:15.099
still very, very involved. You
were you were at Blm rallies and really
762
00:65:15.260 --> 00:65:19.659
putting you know, yourselves out there
and and speaking that right, there's a
763
00:65:19.699 --> 00:65:25.010
ton of engagement on that post that
you all made, and in a good
764
00:65:25.050 --> 00:65:29.570
way, and it's but how is
this the the current state of the world
765
00:65:29.730 --> 00:65:33.210
changed what you all are doing?
Yeah, it will. We knew it
766
00:65:33.409 --> 00:65:40.239
was going to affect travel. So
we kind of were we were intry Lanka
767
00:65:40.239 --> 00:65:44.199
at the time, and if you
don't know them, where Sri Lanka is,
768
00:65:44.239 --> 00:65:45.920
it's south of India, which we
had no clue. It wasn't a
769
00:65:46.039 --> 00:65:49.590
part of India at the time we
went there. We were thinking that,
770
00:65:49.909 --> 00:65:54.349
you know, we're just going to
India, just an island off of India.
771
00:65:54.429 --> 00:65:57.389
But yeah, it's its own country. Yeah, so we're like,
772
00:65:57.550 --> 00:66:01.750
oh, but anyway, we we
were we know whe're going to be stuck
773
00:66:01.789 --> 00:66:05.500
there for a little while, which
is okay in our minds, but that's
774
00:66:05.539 --> 00:66:14.139
when we ended up really kind of
finding what we really, really were passionate
775
00:66:14.139 --> 00:66:20.929
about and really wanted to do.
But anyways, our our whenever covid happened,
776
00:66:23.610 --> 00:66:27.170
we were in newer Elia and stuck
there for about forty five days.
777
00:66:27.409 --> 00:66:33.159
They had strict, very very strict
policing for everybody, okay, and so
778
00:66:33.360 --> 00:66:39.400
we couldn't do anything. And one
day they would allow you to go get
779
00:66:39.400 --> 00:66:44.400
groceries and that's and then you'd come
back and that would be the groceries that
780
00:66:44.480 --> 00:66:46.909
you get, and then, of
course, they manage it from there.
781
00:66:46.989 --> 00:66:53.269
But then we left that place,
fortunately at the right time to go to
782
00:66:53.429 --> 00:66:57.630
the beach, and that was our
last time being in Sri Lanka. We
783
00:66:57.750 --> 00:67:00.070
were we were at the beach for
a month and which was an amazing,
784
00:67:00.110 --> 00:67:06.579
amazing time. But during that time
was was when black lives matter started started
785
00:67:06.739 --> 00:67:15.250
getting more prominent and everything happening,
and and that's really when I am Gabby
786
00:67:15.369 --> 00:67:19.050
and I really had long, long
talks and discussions and we did a lot
787
00:67:19.130 --> 00:67:26.690
of research and and washed a lot
of documentaries and just learned and just kind
788
00:67:26.690 --> 00:67:31.440
of changed the way that we viewed
like just questioned everything, you know,
789
00:67:31.679 --> 00:67:36.679
it questioned history, questioned the way
our society is run, and so we
790
00:67:36.880 --> 00:67:43.000
just learned a lot, a lot
of information and and just through that we
791
00:67:43.159 --> 00:67:47.309
came home with an invigoration to really
make a difference. And and so we
792
00:67:47.429 --> 00:67:53.309
started as soon as we got home
the next day. We we made some
793
00:67:53.510 --> 00:67:58.699
signs and went out and tried to
be a part of the biggest movement and
794
00:67:59.139 --> 00:68:04.820
in our nation's history since we've been
alive. So it's great. It's such
795
00:68:04.860 --> 00:68:12.659
an important it is not just not
just move but just an ex such an
796
00:68:12.659 --> 00:68:17.810
important moment for for us and it's
something that we're really excited and passionate about.
797
00:68:17.810 --> 00:68:24.930
To keep it going right. It's
good in building a an audience to
798
00:68:25.369 --> 00:68:29.600
talk through that as well. Is
Super Important, because you're not going to
799
00:68:29.640 --> 00:68:31.880
be in an echo chamber, you
know, and you're going to understand what
800
00:68:32.000 --> 00:68:35.880
other people think and you're going to
get comments that are not great, but
801
00:68:36.119 --> 00:68:40.800
but understanding and having those open dialog
just to take it back to, you
802
00:68:40.880 --> 00:68:44.989
know, the conversations you had about
about transitioning out. It's it's that dialog.
803
00:68:45.029 --> 00:68:48.149
It's that openness that that really is
how we will change as a country
804
00:68:48.989 --> 00:68:54.510
and if we can get to that
point. So yeah, and I actually
805
00:68:54.510 --> 00:69:00.260
had someone reach out and you know, it's almost like the the black squares
806
00:69:00.539 --> 00:69:06.619
on instagram. You know, some
people were feeling like this isn't doing anything,
807
00:69:06.939 --> 00:69:13.689
but I had two strong feelings towards
the opposite direction. Is I absolutely
808
00:69:13.770 --> 00:69:15.890
felt like it did. It did
a lot more than you think, because
809
00:69:16.770 --> 00:69:23.970
the like raising that type of awareness
to where someone that wouldn't know what this
810
00:69:24.130 --> 00:69:28.680
black squares, even if they didn't
agree with it, they at least forced
811
00:69:28.800 --> 00:69:31.640
them to to be educated on it. And I really and I think that
812
00:69:31.760 --> 00:69:38.359
that's what the whole idea was,
was I'm going to post this black square
813
00:69:39.109 --> 00:69:45.350
and that's means that I'm a I'm
doing at least not just a posting a
814
00:69:45.430 --> 00:69:49.630
black square, but now you need
to know more about it. Now you
815
00:69:49.750 --> 00:69:54.220
need to be educated more than just
because because you're going to be challenged,
816
00:69:54.260 --> 00:69:58.380
which is great. That's that's what
we want it and this is perfect because
817
00:69:58.420 --> 00:70:02.060
it just invigorated us to want to
learn more. And so that's what's that
818
00:70:02.180 --> 00:70:05.500
I think it did a lot more
than just posting a black square and and
819
00:70:08.649 --> 00:70:13.250
to us this, this is definitely
an eye opening experience for for the whole
820
00:70:13.250 --> 00:70:16.210
world, I feel like, for
and that's a that's another great point.
821
00:70:17.449 --> 00:70:23.760
It's when I say world, is
because we were seeing people from like outside
822
00:70:23.760 --> 00:70:29.520
the United States, all walks of
life, knowing what was going on and
823
00:70:30.119 --> 00:70:34.399
learning about it. And it's crazy
to think that America has such an influence,
824
00:70:34.479 --> 00:70:39.909
such an influence on everybody else,
or that they're just interested enough to
825
00:70:40.390 --> 00:70:44.470
to to want to know history and
everything. I mean, think about it.
826
00:70:45.029 --> 00:70:47.149
When we're in America, something happens
in Sri Lanka. Is Anyone,
827
00:70:47.270 --> 00:70:51.779
if they do a, you know, a different color square and post on
828
00:70:51.859 --> 00:70:57.060
Instagram, is anyone even trying to
figure out in America what that square means
829
00:70:57.300 --> 00:71:04.050
like? So it's people. I
mean it's really fascinating to see that everybody's
830
00:71:04.090 --> 00:71:15.210
watching. Yeah, they are.
We talked about I'm getting to a little
831
00:71:15.210 --> 00:71:18.520
bit of advice section here, as
we used to close things out. I
832
00:71:18.600 --> 00:71:23.960
talked about compassion, fatigue alt on
the show and and so many of us
833
00:71:24.840 --> 00:71:29.760
we get into trouble because we put
others needs before ours. And you know,
834
00:71:29.960 --> 00:71:33.750
I went so far in my move
forty year old midlife crisis to getting
835
00:71:33.750 --> 00:71:38.989
a tattoo on my wrist that says
serve and I really think it's a part
836
00:71:39.029 --> 00:71:42.829
of who I am. It's part
of what my my parents taught me and
837
00:71:43.109 --> 00:71:48.380
servant leadership. But I also think
that it you know, my boundaries became
838
00:71:48.699 --> 00:71:54.899
extremely porous as the more I worked
in sports and we let too many people
839
00:71:54.939 --> 00:71:57.779
inside of our own bubble and people
want to be a part of it and
840
00:71:58.340 --> 00:72:02.050
and that's a safety bubble. What
advice do you have for those who are
841
00:72:02.090 --> 00:72:05.529
struggling to put themselves first? Because
you guys, you know, kind of
842
00:72:05.609 --> 00:72:10.569
had to make that decision to put
yourselves in your health first. Yeah,
843
00:72:11.489 --> 00:72:15.199
I mean that, to me,
is the most important concern, is to
844
00:72:15.359 --> 00:72:21.640
make sure that your health and your
wellbeing is being taken care of first,
845
00:72:21.840 --> 00:72:27.159
whether it's, you know, giving
yourself some time to breathe, meditate,
846
00:72:27.359 --> 00:72:33.310
yoga or or separate yourself from the
noise and the busyness, being at the
847
00:72:33.630 --> 00:72:41.029
ocean or and and really eating,
like concentrating on what you're your hat,
848
00:72:41.189 --> 00:72:45.500
like how your body reacts to different
foods and what makes you happy with with
849
00:72:45.420 --> 00:72:49.539
what you're giving your body and how
you're treating it. Like that that comes
850
00:72:49.619 --> 00:72:55.100
first, because you're not going to
be your true potential, you're not going
851
00:72:55.140 --> 00:73:01.689
to evolve into their real person you're
supposed to be if you're just focused on
852
00:73:02.329 --> 00:73:10.369
work or if fos focused on something
that isn't improving what really matters. And
853
00:73:10.609 --> 00:73:16.680
so to me, like definitely focusing
on yourself is the number one important thing.
854
00:73:17.600 --> 00:73:23.720
It's the most important and you can't
be the best creative without you being
855
00:73:23.760 --> 00:73:27.949
at your top, top of your
game. So that's kind of what I've
856
00:73:27.989 --> 00:73:35.630
definitely gathered and it's what I've found
out through through my travels and through finding
857
00:73:35.710 --> 00:73:40.909
myself a little bit more. Yeah, and it gets deeper for you to
858
00:73:41.109 --> 00:73:44.899
too. As I know, it's
a there's some new projects that you guys
859
00:73:44.899 --> 00:73:46.979
are working on. That a little
come after this is posted. But you're
860
00:73:46.979 --> 00:73:51.260
very outspoken on our planet and making
sure that each and every one of our
861
00:73:51.260 --> 00:73:57.090
actions, you know, have an
awareness and affect our planets health as well.
862
00:73:58.010 --> 00:74:00.409
How important is this for you?
How did this become a passion and
863
00:74:00.850 --> 00:74:05.170
how can others begin to make it
a priority in their lives too? Yeah,
864
00:74:06.130 --> 00:74:13.680
we actually so. Whenever we started
our adventure, we went to a
865
00:74:13.800 --> 00:74:20.000
couple countries and we've seen firsthand and
talk to some people who are well educated
866
00:74:20.239 --> 00:74:27.789
in areas of living a better life
through better sustainability and being more mindful kind
867
00:74:27.789 --> 00:74:30.550
of where your money goes as a
consumer and supporting the right people, and
868
00:74:30.670 --> 00:74:35.430
so that kind of sparked a little
bit of where we are now, because
869
00:74:35.470 --> 00:74:41.380
we are open to seeing these things. And so when we are in Africa
870
00:74:42.140 --> 00:74:45.659
and going through several countries there,
we've we were able to experience firsthand kind
871
00:74:45.699 --> 00:74:56.890
of how happiness can be, can
be given from certain things that aren't associated
872
00:74:56.930 --> 00:75:00.729
with money, and so you'd find
some of the happiest people in Africa that
873
00:75:00.569 --> 00:75:05.930
didn't have anything, but in their
mind they had everything they needed and to
874
00:75:06.010 --> 00:75:10.399
put it in perspective, then that
was just a very powerful moment for us.
875
00:75:11.760 --> 00:75:16.880
And then you fast forward to being
in Bali and seeing trash all on
876
00:75:17.000 --> 00:75:21.989
the ocean and most of it's just
plastic that won't be broken down and for
877
00:75:23.109 --> 00:75:27.510
four hundred years until it gets down
the little microplastics. And then we're eating
878
00:75:27.590 --> 00:75:31.310
it in our daily food and finding
out that, you know, every week
879
00:75:31.350 --> 00:75:40.779
we consume credit cards worth of a
of plastic. And then being in Sri
880
00:75:40.859 --> 00:75:45.979
Lanka and just learning about the way
people live there, what they eat,
881
00:75:47.260 --> 00:75:55.449
how to they're better, what they
the stuff that they consume, or they
882
00:75:55.569 --> 00:76:00.329
just don't have as many things as
you would need to survive. Like I
883
00:76:00.449 --> 00:76:06.760
feel like in America we have a
lot of things and everyone wants all of
884
00:76:06.880 --> 00:76:11.279
it. You know, that's the
goal, is to just if you don't
885
00:76:11.319 --> 00:76:15.399
have something and it looks cool,
then get it and and that to me
886
00:76:15.600 --> 00:76:20.829
is a lifestyle change. That that
I have changed in the less is more,
887
00:76:20.989 --> 00:76:25.710
the minimalist mentality, and you find
out that you don't really need much,
888
00:76:25.710 --> 00:76:30.270
especially when you travel. You kind
of limited to a backpack and what
889
00:76:30.430 --> 00:76:32.779
you fit in there you really can
survive off of. We were proof of
890
00:76:32.899 --> 00:76:39.060
that. And so all these things
together, we learned a lot and want
891
00:76:39.140 --> 00:76:44.659
to to spread that and share that
and make people more aware of these issues.
892
00:76:44.859 --> 00:76:48.609
And so that's kind of where we've
evolved to and now it's time to
893
00:76:48.930 --> 00:76:54.689
for action. Well, I'm excited
to chat with you about that when you
894
00:76:54.729 --> 00:76:58.850
guys launch and see, you know, how that's going. I think there's
895
00:76:59.449 --> 00:77:01.279
some amazing work to be done there
and a ton of work to be done
896
00:77:01.279 --> 00:77:05.680
there. So yeah, yeah,
so we're actually we're starting in a an
897
00:77:05.720 --> 00:77:13.560
account for it. Okay, it'll
start on instagram and then we think the
898
00:77:13.760 --> 00:77:16.270
growth will just happen. Naturally,
of course will use other social media,
899
00:77:16.310 --> 00:77:21.909
but our main platform will be on
instagram and our account is called Joel on
900
00:77:21.989 --> 00:77:28.310
earth. Okay, and there's two
significance as to Joel. The first is
901
00:77:28.510 --> 00:77:32.300
that it's it's a dedication to my
wife's father, who passed away due to
902
00:77:32.380 --> 00:77:38.699
a heart attack while we are traveling, and the other is Joel is an
903
00:77:38.779 --> 00:77:44.850
acronym for journey of everything living,
and so that'll kind of help tell the
904
00:77:44.970 --> 00:77:50.130
story of we're all connected. Everything
we do on this planet serves everybody,
905
00:77:50.289 --> 00:78:00.000
not just people, and really our
goal is pretty much to inspire millions by
906
00:78:00.560 --> 00:78:06.239
showcasing the beauty of our planet and
to empower a more mindful and sustainable way
907
00:78:06.279 --> 00:78:15.229
of living. All right, we'll
be focusing on providing welldesigned content that brings
908
00:78:15.310 --> 00:78:19.989
awareness to health and environmental issues,
like what we said earlier, like plastic
909
00:78:20.189 --> 00:78:28.539
and overconsumption, endangered animals, human
rights, even food, anything that brings
910
00:78:28.579 --> 00:78:32.180
awareness and inspires change for the health
of our planet and everything living on it.
911
00:78:32.260 --> 00:78:36.020
I think that's that's pretty much what
we're about. That's awesome, that's
912
00:78:36.060 --> 00:78:40.539
awesome. I'm excited. Yeah,
we're very, very excited and we hope
913
00:78:40.579 --> 00:78:43.609
to launt the next couple weeks and
you know, we're just just be some
914
00:78:43.770 --> 00:78:49.250
very strong designed and we'll be featuring
people that are doing it right, people
915
00:78:49.369 --> 00:78:57.960
that are strong advocates for all these
things and really just inspire change for the
916
00:78:58.119 --> 00:79:00.039
health of everyone, the planet and
everyone living on it. So yeah,
917
00:79:00.039 --> 00:79:04.319
we're excited. It's great. Well, one last question here that I ask
918
00:79:04.399 --> 00:79:08.640
everybody. If you were to go
back to your younger self, what's the
919
00:79:09.159 --> 00:79:14.430
one thing there you would tell tyler
back then that that could change his outlook
920
00:79:15.109 --> 00:79:23.229
on his future. Who? It
definitely would be to be more educated in
921
00:79:24.619 --> 00:79:29.979
how you consume and where, where, what you put your dollars into,
922
00:79:30.180 --> 00:79:32.899
where that goes and how it's affecting
our planet. I didn't learn that until
923
00:79:33.260 --> 00:79:39.810
recently and it had I known a
little bit earlier than maybe my passions would
924
00:79:39.810 --> 00:79:43.930
have would have shifted a little bit
more. But yeah, I think that
925
00:79:44.170 --> 00:79:47.170
would have would have been the number
one message. But other than that,
926
00:79:47.250 --> 00:79:51.729
I mean I'm a big fan of
of everything happens for a reason, and
927
00:79:54.079 --> 00:80:00.760
so I'm huge message I would definitely
tell myself is just stay the course,
928
00:80:00.840 --> 00:80:08.149
stay as like, stay positive and
always try and share your light with others,
929
00:80:08.390 --> 00:80:14.229
and that's a that's exactly kind of
what I've lived off of, is
930
00:80:15.069 --> 00:80:18.590
try and spread some happiness. Perfect. That's a that's a perfect ending.
931
00:80:18.909 --> 00:80:23.779
Tyler trout, thank you for hopping
on. It's been a long time coming
932
00:80:23.819 --> 00:80:28.180
since we started talking about getting you
on here and me even starting it.
933
00:80:28.579 --> 00:80:31.460
I'm glad we got to catch up
with you back in the states and and
934
00:80:32.340 --> 00:80:35.329
I can't wait to see what you
and Gaby do next. Will be following
935
00:80:35.369 --> 00:80:39.810
you. Thank you so much.
I really appreciate being on the show.
936
00:80:39.970 --> 00:80:44.970
This is been amazing and you're an
amazing person for starting this a really really
937
00:80:45.010 --> 00:80:50.960
want to thank you. It's fascinating
to see what just a simple idea can
938
00:80:51.039 --> 00:80:56.000
turn into, and your living proof
of that. So you inspire us and
939
00:80:56.079 --> 00:81:25.220
I know inspire others around. Hey, thanks for sticking around till the end
940
00:81:25.260 --> 00:81:28.979
here. If you enjoyed this podcast
and want to do me a huge favor,
941
00:81:29.020 --> 00:81:32.130
leave me a view on apple or
spotify and I would greatly appreciate it.
942
00:81:32.649 --> 00:81:34.489
And, as always, if you
want to hit me up on twitter,
943
00:81:34.569 --> 00:81:41.289
it's at creative af or at John
Willie that's Jo n W Illlle why?
944
00:81:41.890 --> 00:81:45.609
You can also find me on instagram
at really art or Jay Willie photo.
945
00:81:46.159 --> 00:81:49.199
I really appreciate you all and please, please, take care of yourselves.
946
00:81:49.600 --> 00:81:50.199
We'll talk to it.
1
00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:07.469
Everybody. Johnny here. Before we
dive into this podcast, I just wanted
2
00:00:07.509 --> 00:00:10.869
to let you know that it's being
developed as a side project for my main
3
00:00:10.949 --> 00:00:15.470
work, which is now heading up
content strategy for an early stage media startup
4
00:00:15.509 --> 00:00:20.190
called better, spelled, betr.
We're a digital media company that creates and
5
00:00:20.309 --> 00:00:25.019
curates uplifting stories to help people move
forward in life with hope, confidence and
6
00:00:25.140 --> 00:00:30.859
acceptance. We offer written, video
and audio content spending categories such as wellness,
7
00:00:31.260 --> 00:00:34.380
mental health, humanity and more.
Is really something for everyone at better,
8
00:00:34.500 --> 00:00:37.850
whether you need to pick me up
content, personal stories about overcoming life
9
00:00:37.969 --> 00:00:41.810
and mental health challenges, story that
gives you the push to start that business
10
00:00:41.850 --> 00:00:45.450
you've always dreamed of, or just
inspiration on bettering yourself as a human.
11
00:00:46.490 --> 00:00:50.960
To simplify its content that makes you
feel better and dream of a more positive
12
00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:55.159
world around you. So check out
better and find your new favorite video series,
13
00:00:55.240 --> 00:01:00.880
podcast or written column. Just go
to live bettercom l I ve betrcom
14
00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:04.989
or, if you like watching videos
on Youtube, subscribe to better on youtubecom
15
00:01:06.030 --> 00:01:10.549
slash betr media and, lastly,
make sure you follow us on instagram and
16
00:01:10.629 --> 00:01:15.790
twitter at Betr for some daily inspiration, Nads and feel good content to your
17
00:01:15.829 --> 00:01:19.060
social media feeds, because who doesn't
need that right now? All, right,
18
00:01:19.140 --> 00:01:36.730
now, here's the show. We
had several, several talks about me
19
00:01:37.010 --> 00:01:41.489
working late, and it was it
was very draining on our relationship, for
20
00:01:41.609 --> 00:01:46.969
sure. But what what I thought
I was doing at the time was okay
21
00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:52.680
enough to where there was one night. My wife's name is Gabby. She
22
00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:59.359
it was another kind of explosion of
you're working way too late or you came
23
00:01:59.400 --> 00:02:05.549
home at ten o'clock like this is
this just can't keep happening, and I
24
00:02:06.109 --> 00:02:10.669
ended up going back into work that
night and I pulled an all nighter there,
25
00:02:15.020 --> 00:02:20.460
but in my mind it felt like
I was doing the right thing.
26
00:02:21.379 --> 00:02:27.979
I just remember seeing my wife's face
whenever I told her I was leaving to
27
00:02:28.460 --> 00:02:34.090
go back to work, and I
definitely, at the time I thought this
28
00:02:34.289 --> 00:02:37.250
was the right thing to do and
looking back at it now and seeing her
29
00:02:37.370 --> 00:02:44.090
face kind of imprinted in my mind
is like, in what mind is this?
30
00:02:44.250 --> 00:03:07.789
Okay everyone, I'm John Willie and
this is creative AF, a podcast
31
00:03:07.870 --> 00:03:12.979
that dives smack DAB into the messy
intersection of creativity and mental health, sharing
32
00:03:13.020 --> 00:03:17.500
stories of your highest highs and your
lowest lows. So with Tyler trout is
33
00:03:17.580 --> 00:03:22.740
a name that many of you listening
are very familiar with, but you'll likely
34
00:03:22.860 --> 00:03:25.580
may not know but tyler's been up
to for the past year or so since
35
00:03:25.620 --> 00:03:30.610
leaving the sports design world. Like
many of us, Tyler grew up with
36
00:03:30.689 --> 00:03:36.129
a love of sports and playing sports. Is Well is this passion and need
37
00:03:36.330 --> 00:03:40.250
to always be creating all the time. A done collegiate discuss and hammer captain
38
00:03:40.330 --> 00:03:45.879
for the University of South Carolina.
That gave him the leadership chops to really
39
00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:49.680
outline where he wanted to go in
life. He got started early, as
40
00:03:49.719 --> 00:03:52.719
you will hear, filling a need
at the University of South Carolina creating some
41
00:03:52.919 --> 00:03:58.270
marketing posters for some of the lesser
supported teams. Tyler would take this newfound
42
00:03:58.270 --> 00:04:01.270
passion and really run with it,
making the right connections and building the right
43
00:04:01.349 --> 00:04:06.349
relationships along the way to land him
some of the most prestigious design jobs in
44
00:04:06.469 --> 00:04:12.780
the country. Yet it's drive and
hunger to do things right also meant months
45
00:04:12.900 --> 00:04:17.579
and months of living the unhealthy grind
life, working till three or four am
46
00:04:17.740 --> 00:04:24.889
consistently for months on end, in
being completely disconnected from all outside life and
47
00:04:25.089 --> 00:04:30.170
relationships, including his marriage at one
point in the not so recent past.
48
00:04:30.970 --> 00:04:33.810
But, like many of us coming
through college with a sense of wonder and
49
00:04:34.009 --> 00:04:40.600
openness to new ideas, tyler would
go through many different paths to eventually end
50
00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:46.279
up really falling in love with design. So I actually change my major probably
51
00:04:46.279 --> 00:04:50.839
about six times while I was at
school, and it was it was something
52
00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:56.310
that I never really found my footing
everywhere. I was trying to figure out
53
00:04:56.389 --> 00:05:00.790
what I want to do for the
rest of my life and I took a
54
00:05:00.949 --> 00:05:08.060
publications class which which then led me
to graphic design. It was a graphic
55
00:05:08.100 --> 00:05:12.300
design one hundred and one and and
that once I took that class, I
56
00:05:12.379 --> 00:05:17.379
knew exactly what my passion was,
and and that was in creating, just
57
00:05:17.660 --> 00:05:23.170
really just creating. I did photography, which was great to learn, but
58
00:05:23.250 --> 00:05:28.490
it still never stood, like stuck
like graphic design did, and so I
59
00:05:28.649 --> 00:05:31.329
just started pursuing it, taking more
classes, like accelerated classes, so that
60
00:05:31.370 --> 00:05:33.930
I could catch up, because I
was a junior at that point. Okay,
61
00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:40.360
and then just me being on the
track and field team, I wanted
62
00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:45.480
to to learn how to at least
put myself on a poster with all the
63
00:05:45.560 --> 00:05:50.350
my other teammates and because I did
that as a senior project and had that
64
00:05:50.550 --> 00:05:56.990
in my portfolio, when one of
the marketing directors, they were looking for
65
00:05:57.470 --> 00:06:00.230
work at the time, I'm or
someone to do something for track and field,
66
00:06:00.910 --> 00:06:04.139
show them what I was capable of, and that's kind of led me
67
00:06:04.819 --> 00:06:11.540
to the opportunity to at least design
their sports posters and that that was a
68
00:06:11.980 --> 00:06:15.459
blessing in disguise, because that's what
led me to Auburn and built the portfolio.
69
00:06:15.540 --> 00:06:18.170
And I'm even realize yeah, it's
yeah, I I a lot of
70
00:06:18.250 --> 00:06:24.889
people they start really early because their
passion is is sports and they want to
71
00:06:25.050 --> 00:06:30.689
get their stuff seen. But for
me I just loved playing sports and then
72
00:06:30.810 --> 00:06:34.240
graphic design was my actual passion,
and then merging the two was was kind
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00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:38.639
of cool. Yeah, it kind
of becomes the dream at that point,
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right, it does. It does. It's neat to be able to to
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see your friends and to see if
people you know on a poster and you
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created that. It's definitely cool.
And then so you graduated, probably wanted
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to stay in sports. You were
doing some work there. It's out COOLINA.
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And then you took a job at
the very prestigious first citizens bank in
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that means you kind of made it
right. Oh, yeah, I can,
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yes, I did. I always
there. I was an art director,
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like an interim art director. They
were there. Art Director had just
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left and this wasn't I I knew
her and so, because of that relationship,
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they pretty much are I was recommended
to be like step in her shoes
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until they were able to find I
guess, as a creative director that point.
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And that was a big decision too, because I had a job opportunity
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with them, but it wasn't it
wasn't full time. It was more of
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a parttime thing, and so I
ended up, just through working with them,
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I ended up realizing that I really
wanted something a little more permanent.
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Yeah, and that's when, that's
when, whenever the job, the opportunity
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to work for Auburn University came then, yeah, that was yeah, I
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wanted to be a part of that. But yeah, it was fun at
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the being in an interim art director
and making some really, really cool graphics
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that you know what they're. Absolutely
you're not. I think I was the
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only designer there right, which you
know your have some freedoms, but at
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the same time you're held back.
But that was my I guess, my
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first taste of having experience in the
real world. Yeah, and it's good
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to get to go right out into
your first job. I mean that's,
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you know, most most folks don't
get the chance to go into something where
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they have that kind of autonomy,
in that freedom. Or even back then
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it was right. You know,
you're going into newspapers, are going in
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magazines and publication and you're the kid
sitting there putting in all the you know,
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ads and in you all that kind
of Shit. So that was a
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that was probably a great thing for
you. Absolutely, I think. I
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think it definitely kind of shapes your
like how you not just view the work
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force, but how you kind of
have a balance between your ego and everyone
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else's and trying to make sure that
everyone's heard and and I think what I'm
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trying to say is is it was
a learning lesson for sure, because I'm
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learning how to become aware of of
what the directors vision is and trying to
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adjust to it for the first time. Sure, you know. Sure,
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yeah, that's a huge lesson because
a lot of times you hear designers like
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getting mad whenever they don't whenever they
can't get their vision fully through and instead
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of using that as a as a
way to overcome it, they it's just
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more of the hindrance and they sometimes
they can't get past that tunnel vision of
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this is this way was so much
better. Ye, you just kind of
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shuts down, and so I think
that's where I really started learning how to
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be more aware. Yeah, I
think it's. I mean there's nothing more
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important that, right, we talked
about in every episode. I mentioned in
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every episode of the Ugly Baby Syndrome
and having our our ideas are the only
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ideas and they're the best ideas.
And and then when you're forced into a
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situation like this where you have to
we have to really kind of evaluate all
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of all of what the clients giving
you or what your bosses are giving you,
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and you have to take a little
bit of that ego out. And
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so, which is an interesting transition, right, because then you go from
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first Citizens Bank to school. It's
coming off of a two thousand and four
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SEC championship. They're building up for
an eventual two thousand and ten BCS championship.
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That was a like talk about a
transition like that was that's big.
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How did that transition happen? How
Didd you just apply for it on a
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whim. Well, it was.
It was wild. How I mean,
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yes, yes, I for it
on a whim, but it was it
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was brought to me by our the
person who gave me the freelance Gig at
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South Carolina shoot. She knew that
I was looking and so she's like,
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you should apply for this job.
and Luckily, like really real luck,
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that I applied for it, because
I had no actually didn't want the job
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at the time because I had a
girlfriend in Columbia and I was like I
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didn't want to leave Columbia and I
already had like a part time job.
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But I knew deep down the right
thing to do was to take a fulltime
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job at Auburn University, and so
I was like, I'm just going to
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apply and see what happens. And
sure enough I go there and I I
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know I did a good job with
the interview and from what I heard,
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the portfolios that they saw had nothing
to do with sports, and so I
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knew I had a good position.
And so it worked out. I ended
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up getting the job at Auburn and
made the difficult choice to just accept it
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and move from Columbia South Carolina.
which ultimately my former girlfriend I broke up.
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But Hey, it all, it
all worked out for a better and
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yeah, it's it was a life
changing decision, for sure, no doubt.
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And in you know, you look
back on these and and you realize
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how certain things in life you know, you think are going to be it
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for you and whether it's worth your
relationships, whether it's with jobs that you're
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in or jobs that you really want, and then you quickly realize how those
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changes, you know, those decisions
that you make, will literally affect every
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single decision. I was actually having
a good chat with with Jeff when today,
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who I know, you know,
and yeah, you know, talking
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about that, like how every transition, every every decisions you make in life
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will affect the next. And there's
no way that I get where I am
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here or in where I got to
in sports without the right relationships and the
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right decisions made. But yeah,
and it's definitely overwhelming to think about every
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decision transforms another decision. But the
way I look at it for sure is
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is it's transforming it in the right, the most correct way for yourself and
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and it's just basically following those instincts
and falling intuitions which will guide you to
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where you need to be, and
that's that's kind of the how I've kind
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of viewed everything moving forward, just
in in general, especially now after traveling.
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I'm my eyes are wide open,
my ears wide Owen and I feel
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like I'm my intuition is just stronger
than ever before. Keep talking about the
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transition, because I think it's important
that a lot of people want to hear,
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you know, how the swint and
how this affected you, because you're
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going from, you know, you
certainly South Carolina and while names, you
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know, big name school and working
in but you're still fairly young graphic designer
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and now you're thrust into this high
profile role. I assume it was,
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you know, fairly easy. How
was that transition? Did they have a
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big team? Was it just you? Yeah, so that transition was a
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really rough one. I came in
as a soul graphic designer and I was
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twenty three years old. There was
A to do list of about, want
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to say, like eightysothing things and
and and front and probably from I think
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there's like seven or eight different sports
and it was some of them were were
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a little bit easier, some of
them were just completely daunting them. And
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this was coming off of the the
end of the football season, regular season,
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so the bowl game was about to
was a couple weeks. I think
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it was a chick fla bowl.
Okay, couple weeks until that started,
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and so they needed a media guide
immediately. So you're thrust into a position
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where the football team of a major
SEC team needs, needs a media guide
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which is going to represent them in
their bowl game. No pressure, and
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so I immediately get working on that
and that just requires so many approvals and
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on top of that, it's every
sport doesn't have a poster. And when
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you get in November and you don't, you don't have a poster for all
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these sports. And I'm twenty three
at the time, and there's really I
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mean there's I mean, I don't
know anyone else that's been thrust into situation
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where it's just constant work, work, work. I knew I had to
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get this stuff done and I wanted
to make sure that I was doing right
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by the people that hired me and
I was doing right by the organization and
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to me at that time, like
working overtime, and extreme overtime, was
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well what I needed to do.
I felt like I had to do this
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and and looking back it there's a
detriment and it's a detriment to the graphic
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design field. But I was up
till two am most nights trying to get
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us back on track and trying to
get go down the list and go down
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the list and check everything off until
it took about three months. Took about
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three months to get to where I
could at least feel like a normal day
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was starting to happen and I could
I could leave at maybe eight o'clock.
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But yeah, that that is really
the start of when I started. I
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didn't even know my mental health suffering, but that's kind of the start of
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where I started feeling panicky or or
just not being able to sleep well.
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And so it's crazy to think back
now and we're not even realize that I
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was going through all that right.
Yeah, I think when we're when we're
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in the midst of it, we
just think it's normal and completely and we
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don't we don't know anything else because
we're not. You're twenty three years old,
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for God sakes. And Yeah,
and did you have a boss?
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Were you the boss? I did
have a boss, is a marketing director.
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was everyone structured differently, but my
boss of the marketing director. So
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it was I mean it's hard because
they are doing the same thing. So
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when you get sucked into that environment
of of everyone else is doing it,
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so you have to do it or
you look down, down, or you
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think at least if you see everyone
else doing it, you just think like
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if I don't do it, I
don't want anybody to to think that I'm
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not a team player, you know. But in the end of the day
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it's all about resources. Like when
you need to be able to look after
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your people, you need to be
able to build a team that can support
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all the demands of what the team
needs. Yeah, and so, and
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I learned about that later in my
career. Unfortunately, it's not talked about
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enough, which I'm it's not so
thankful that this is at least a platform
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to talk about it. Truly believe
you can have the most resources in the
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world, but their systemic problems in
the creative in sports industry, on on
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just the amount of work that goes
into it. We're talking like this is
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still two thousand and six right for
you? Yeah, so its two thousand
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and seven. This was facebook at
just gotten invented it. Literally, Um,
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you had to be in college.
You has probably had it because he
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had email addresses. But it was, you know, slowly rolling out.
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But instagram didn't exist, twitter didn't
exist. It was, you know,
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a different world for us, where
scheduled posters, schedule Magnets, media guides
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and I mean I don't even know, like recruiting graphics. Did they exist
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back then? No, definitely not
recruiting graphics. I mean all it was
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was designed envelopes. Yeah, you
put media guides in, you know,
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wow, wow, and so you're
it was just stationary. So at that
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time that was like that was even
a like the hard thing too, because
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they wanted like ten different colors for
different and different designs for it. So
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yeah, but that was it.
Like, yeah, you don't have to
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do it nearly. It's enough that
they do now for recruiting. God,
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no, and and to still be
working, you know, till two am
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for three months to get caught up
is is crazy. Yeah, it was.
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Ended up actually getting sick. I
forgot and tell you that. I
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ended up getting Salmonilla and working,
working for eleven, eleven days, still
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two am, and I ended up
losing ten pounds and that's what I forgot
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about that. That's when I knew
something was wrong. Right, she's I'd
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say, yeah, exactly. Yeah, it affects us in ways that we
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don't even see you while we're into
it and you're there. Are you single
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at the time? And so you're
just kind of grinding on your own.
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You. Yep, it's just grinding
on my own and not really knowing anybody
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and and not really I mean not
really having a life. Honestly right now,
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I didn't really know Auburn outside of
of my office and my apartment for
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I'd say about four months, and
then the people I work with. It
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was definitely a working relationship, but
it didn't go beyond that until until I
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was able to at least get caught
up on the stuff I was working on.
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Yeah, and I'm I was going
to say, you know, is
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anybody? They're saying, Hey,
tyler, you need to go home,
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you know, but it's also that's
the life in collegiate sports, where you
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may be there with all the coaches
to till two. I am. Yeah,
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and and you know what, there
were people. Definitely. They're like,
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you work in late tonight. Yeah, you shouldn't, like you should
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probably go home soon type stuff,
and and it's nice to hear that for
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sure, but at the same time, like I said, I mean I
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really just felt like I had to
do this for the organization. The wise
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it was it was never going to
get caught up and you'd see a media
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guide for a sport that's halfway done
with there or even at the end of
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their season if I didn't do it. And so and it is like in
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my mind now it's just like it's
saddening to even think about, but it
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is what it is. At that
time. Yeah, it is. Yeah,
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there was were I hate to say
that they were rights of passage because
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because I don't ever feel like anybody
should have to go through that, but
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I went through it. I remember
it well. Yeah, I mean that
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was like we were, you know, we were in the throes of having
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to completely understand print production as well, which is something that not a lot
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of young designers necessarily or totter understand, because what's printing anymore? You know,
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it's everything's digital and and you know
that adds a whole nother element to
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it. Right. So so after
three months, right, how did you
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find balance there, because you worked
there for eight years. Yeah, so
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what I learned real quick is that
I needed help. In order to do
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that, I knew I had to
make relationships and because I knew I wasn't
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going to be granted money for help
right up front, I'm Lee seeing to
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show my worth and possibly the worth
of someone else coming in and what we
278
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as a team could do. And
so what I did was I went to
279
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the head of internships for grabbing design
and at Auburn University and just kind of
280
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sat with her for a little bit
developed a really strong relationship to where we
281
00:23:47.960 --> 00:23:51.319
could call each other, email each
other and we respond immediately. She would
282
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shoot if she had anyone remotely interested
in sports and she'd let me know and
283
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I'd have a, you know,
just application add that I would send out
284
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to her. So she gets into
all of our students and who else was
285
00:24:03.549 --> 00:24:10.140
whoever was needing an internship while still
living in Auburn. And so that was
286
00:24:10.299 --> 00:24:15.299
a really nice get because I was
able to get two interns at the time
287
00:24:15.660 --> 00:24:23.019
and that was in the summer,
which helped, but then that slowly began
288
00:24:23.289 --> 00:24:29.849
to they wanted class. We were
able to establish class credit for it and
289
00:24:30.529 --> 00:24:34.809
because of that we I got a
little bit more people, so that that
290
00:24:36.329 --> 00:24:41.440
was able to help a little bit. But you you're getting different influxes of
291
00:24:41.480 --> 00:24:45.400
people who you're having to reteach,
just design and reteach what what you like
292
00:24:45.720 --> 00:24:49.839
and what your vision is, and
and it ends up taking a lot more
293
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time and even if they do finish
a graphic, it's probably something that you
294
00:24:53.750 --> 00:24:59.390
have to rework, and so or
not rework but kind of show them areas
295
00:24:59.509 --> 00:25:02.670
where they can then improve on it, which is just taking more time.
296
00:25:03.509 --> 00:25:11.140
And so just through there that I
knew that I had like one special person
297
00:25:11.299 --> 00:25:15.859
that I at least wanted to try
and keep, and so talking with marketing
298
00:25:17.140 --> 00:25:25.730
and talking with the director, the
athletics director, or I can't remember exactly,
299
00:25:25.809 --> 00:25:33.130
but basically we established a graduate assistant
ship. So I had an official
300
00:25:33.289 --> 00:25:37.240
GA and that was paid and in
Grad school at the time, and so
301
00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:42.400
that helped out tremendously and that's kind
of what started the the growth of the
302
00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:45.400
team, because then I was able
to still have interns. I had a
303
00:25:45.480 --> 00:25:51.750
graduate assistant and then myself and slowly, just because we were able to show
304
00:25:51.910 --> 00:25:55.630
what we're doing as a team and
how much we can get done and really
305
00:25:55.670 --> 00:26:02.029
the growth, the demand growth that
was continuing. We like, since that
306
00:26:02.269 --> 00:26:06.339
wasn't going to stop, we needed
to keep growing and I think that helped
307
00:26:06.380 --> 00:26:11.859
the cause for sure. But we
slowly growed into a four person all paid
308
00:26:11.019 --> 00:26:17.019
team and I was just leading the
charge and we still had interns working and
309
00:26:17.099 --> 00:26:22.410
and it nothing is ever enough,
you know, like we still were behind
310
00:26:22.609 --> 00:26:27.410
on on some things towards the at
towards the end of my stint at Auburn.
311
00:26:27.450 --> 00:26:32.329
But yeah, it was a it
was a learning, growth learning curve
312
00:26:32.410 --> 00:26:36.400
for sure, trying to build their
own team and then just kind of keep
313
00:26:36.440 --> 00:26:41.200
up with the demand, for sure. Yeah, how was was your mental
314
00:26:41.240 --> 00:26:45.799
health towards the end of it?
Towards the end, well, the way
315
00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:51.390
that I managed everything was, I
feel like, the way that designer would
316
00:26:51.430 --> 00:26:55.789
really like to be managed, and
so my mental health towards the end of
317
00:26:55.869 --> 00:27:02.500
that, I felt like was a
little bit more manageable because I really felt
318
00:27:02.539 --> 00:27:07.140
like the people we had on staff, I held them accountable for their sports
319
00:27:07.420 --> 00:27:12.579
and where I think a lot of
people, a lot of directors or they'll
320
00:27:12.740 --> 00:27:18.650
they might hold one person accountable and
then all of that weight just is sitting
321
00:27:18.769 --> 00:27:26.809
on them versus what I did was
I told them, essentially, you have
322
00:27:26.049 --> 00:27:32.759
three sports and I want you to
design all the content for these three sports,
323
00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:37.200
and so that gives them full ownership
of it, and that's that's essentially
324
00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:42.240
what anybody wants and they can learn
their their trial, through trial and error,
325
00:27:42.440 --> 00:27:47.109
and I can. I can show
them areas they succeeded, show them
326
00:27:47.150 --> 00:27:51.269
areas they they can improve on,
and then they get better and we get
327
00:27:51.309 --> 00:27:56.190
better as a whole. And so
that's kind of the model that was established
328
00:27:56.269 --> 00:28:02.059
and I think it was very successful
and I I only put that model into
329
00:28:02.099 --> 00:28:07.339
play because that's kind of what I
knew that if I were to be managed,
330
00:28:07.420 --> 00:28:11.180
that that's what I would want,
right, and I think that played
331
00:28:11.220 --> 00:28:15.730
to his strength. So really,
if I mean still if a poster or
332
00:28:15.809 --> 00:28:18.569
something look bad or something there was
a mistake, I mean it was still
333
00:28:19.329 --> 00:28:23.970
in my area and I'm the one
in charge of everybody, but I'm okay
334
00:28:25.049 --> 00:28:27.519
with that because I can look over
things and I can I can be the
335
00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:32.000
the person to blame and for me
I'm okay. I can deal with that
336
00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:36.759
pressure. Sure, but that's because
I just have faith in the people that
337
00:28:36.920 --> 00:28:41.269
I hire. It's great. So
yeah, from chant your question that the
338
00:28:41.349 --> 00:28:48.430
mental health aspect towards the end of
Auburn it was it was in check a
339
00:28:48.470 --> 00:28:52.029
little bit more. But so the
funny thing, and I feel like there's
340
00:28:52.109 --> 00:28:56.819
like a there effect, there's a
stigma or something with the word mental health,
341
00:28:57.059 --> 00:29:04.980
where it's almost like it invokes feelings
like unstable or irrational because of anxiety
342
00:29:06.019 --> 00:29:11.289
or imbalance or something like that.
But to me that's that's absolutely not the
343
00:29:11.410 --> 00:29:15.769
case. Is like, for me, mental health is more about living your
344
00:29:15.890 --> 00:29:22.009
life to its fullest potential and it
kind of starts with your health and how
345
00:29:22.089 --> 00:29:29.400
you treat yourself and give yourself the
proper attention it needs so that you can
346
00:29:29.480 --> 00:29:33.799
be the best version of yourself.
and to me, I wasn't the best
347
00:29:33.960 --> 00:29:40.069
version of myself until I could really
give myself the chance to be that,
348
00:29:40.349 --> 00:29:45.269
which is by kind of letting go
of it all and and and focusing on
349
00:29:45.430 --> 00:29:48.869
the things that matter. And so
to me, mental health, for me
350
00:29:49.269 --> 00:29:55.779
is is more about living to the
fullest potential. And I didn't really realize
351
00:29:55.859 --> 00:30:00.980
my fullest potential until later. And
had I realized my fullest potential towards the
352
00:30:00.019 --> 00:30:04.700
end of Auburn, then I would
say my my mental health could have been
353
00:30:04.859 --> 00:30:10.769
so much better than where I thought
it was just okay right, you know,
354
00:30:10.930 --> 00:30:15.529
and I always assumed I had great
mental health because I like the job
355
00:30:15.609 --> 00:30:19.089
I was in, I had money
and I could cope with whatever was thrown
356
00:30:19.130 --> 00:30:23.839
at me. But I think that's
also kind of sad that I associated my
357
00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:30.559
mental health to those things. I
didn't find out I was suffering from from
358
00:30:32.079 --> 00:30:36.750
mental health or my mental health was
suffering, until I focused on the things
359
00:30:36.789 --> 00:30:42.630
in my life that truly mattered,
like living a healthy, balanced lifestyle and
360
00:30:42.710 --> 00:30:48.349
and spending quality time with my wife
and family. And Yeah, it just
361
00:30:48.470 --> 00:30:53.819
took me to kind of fully separate
myself to find, I guess, a
362
00:30:53.940 --> 00:31:00.859
deeper happiness in life which I'll be
able to bring with me no matter what
363
00:31:00.660 --> 00:31:11.410
job or future holds down the road. So you're doing better, you think
364
00:31:11.410 --> 00:31:15.490
you're doing better, your metrics for
mental health are a little different than they
365
00:31:15.490 --> 00:31:21.480
are today. And then you make
the jump right into again. You are
366
00:31:21.480 --> 00:31:26.440
at the Nicle of Sec you win
a championship, you're moving on, you're
367
00:31:26.440 --> 00:31:30.640
building a great team, social media's
exploding. Auburn, Clemson, you all
368
00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:34.869
are crushing it and and in and
then you decide to make the jump into
369
00:31:34.910 --> 00:31:41.990
the NFL. Tell me about that
transition. So the transition was an exciting
370
00:31:41.029 --> 00:31:47.140
time because my dream if anyone asks, and my wife knows this because she
371
00:31:47.180 --> 00:31:51.259
always laughs every time, if anyone
asks what my dream job is, I
372
00:31:51.299 --> 00:31:56.339
always say it's a quarterback for the
Dallas cowboys. I mean that's me.
373
00:31:56.619 --> 00:32:00.490
I was a Dallas cowboys band growing
up my whole life, and so it
374
00:32:00.930 --> 00:32:05.089
like to be in the NFL,
not even you know, I don't have
375
00:32:05.170 --> 00:32:07.609
to be the quarterback, obviously,
but to just make it to the NFL
376
00:32:07.930 --> 00:32:13.289
was was definitely something of passion,
not just a passion but a life goal.
377
00:32:14.609 --> 00:32:22.240
And so when I had asked fortunate
enough to get the position, it
378
00:32:22.480 --> 00:32:27.799
was in a very, very exciting
time for me and I did not take
379
00:32:27.880 --> 00:32:31.029
that lightly. I pretty much went
in it the exact same way I did
380
00:32:31.069 --> 00:32:36.990
it Auburn and there was work to
be done, but there was a team,
381
00:32:37.269 --> 00:32:40.789
there was a team that could handle
the load instead of it just being
382
00:32:40.829 --> 00:32:46.299
a sole designer and and so I
became the the senior designer there, and
383
00:32:46.420 --> 00:32:51.140
at that time it was just senior
designer just to help with the design load
384
00:32:51.220 --> 00:32:55.500
it at the time it wasn't the
position didn't entail like managing the team or
385
00:32:55.740 --> 00:33:02.690
okay, or being having any kind
of right, like ability to make decisions
386
00:33:04.009 --> 00:33:07.329
like on esthetics for the team or
anything like that. So it was just
387
00:33:07.490 --> 00:33:15.680
more about helping design for the demand. Yeah, and and so, yeah,
388
00:33:15.720 --> 00:33:21.519
I just came into that just full
steam and very excited and met some
389
00:33:22.359 --> 00:33:27.470
amazing people which I call my family
now, and it's you know, it
390
00:33:28.029 --> 00:33:34.630
slowly grew into a position where I
would become the leader of the all the
391
00:33:34.710 --> 00:33:38.829
graphic designers and the decisions that we
made as a whole, and it's decisions
392
00:33:38.869 --> 00:33:46.859
that I made, were the decisions
that were kept and eventually brought to life
393
00:33:47.019 --> 00:34:12.599
through Tampa Bay buccaneers. So and
so you would would gone through the struggles
394
00:34:12.639 --> 00:34:16.159
early on in building a team at
Auburn by yourself, the late, late
395
00:34:16.199 --> 00:34:21.880
nights. Then you got to the
blocks. You you you have a team,
396
00:34:21.960 --> 00:34:24.349
you have people there, you got
married eventually in there. Yeah,
397
00:34:24.469 --> 00:34:30.550
and then did you learn your lesson
from from the long nights and weekends before,
398
00:34:30.550 --> 00:34:34.789
or did you did you revert back
and make some of those same mistakes?
399
00:34:35.789 --> 00:34:38.179
This is a great question. I'm
glad you asked. Is that's that's
400
00:34:38.260 --> 00:34:43.780
kind of an area that I failed. I did not learn my lesson.
401
00:34:44.420 --> 00:34:49.659
If anything, at that time I
thought that I was a stronger person for
402
00:34:50.579 --> 00:34:54.530
having gone through what I did at
Auburn, especially in my early in I
403
00:34:54.730 --> 00:35:00.210
and to me I viewed it more
as a strength, which is so backwards.
404
00:35:00.250 --> 00:35:06.210
Yeah, but I did. I
I thought that that being able to
405
00:35:06.610 --> 00:35:14.320
stay in late and finish and be
able to kind of cope with what whatever
406
00:35:14.519 --> 00:35:19.599
was being thrown at me, I
just thought that that was always the right
407
00:35:19.599 --> 00:35:25.389
thing to do and because of it, it definitely was draining. But there
408
00:35:25.510 --> 00:35:30.030
was a specific instance for sure.
I mean my it was it was definitely
409
00:35:30.070 --> 00:35:36.019
draining on me, and choose my
wife now, but at the time we
410
00:35:36.099 --> 00:35:44.059
were just dating and living together and
we had several, several talks about me
411
00:35:44.340 --> 00:35:49.099
working late and it was it was
very draining on our relationship for sure,
412
00:35:49.340 --> 00:35:54.050
but to me it was just something
that I would try to do better at,
413
00:35:55.010 --> 00:36:02.210
but never fully understood how to find
that balance, and I think it.
414
00:36:04.719 --> 00:36:10.079
I absolutely now I have a better
understanding. But what what I thought
415
00:36:10.079 --> 00:36:15.880
I was doing at the time was
okay enough to where there was one night,
416
00:36:16.719 --> 00:36:22.269
my wife's name is Gabby. She
it was another kind of explosion of
417
00:36:22.510 --> 00:36:28.630
you're working way too late or you
came home at ten o'clock like this is
418
00:36:28.750 --> 00:36:34.860
this just can't keep happening, and
I ended up going back into work that
419
00:36:35.019 --> 00:36:39.739
night to finish like four big things
on my list so that I didn't have
420
00:36:39.860 --> 00:36:45.420
to keep doing it throughout the week, and I pulled an all nighter there.
421
00:36:45.659 --> 00:36:49.170
And you know, people found out
that I pulled an all nighter,
422
00:36:49.329 --> 00:36:54.730
my director and and they were definitely
concerned and it. But in my mind
423
00:36:55.610 --> 00:37:00.889
it felt like I was doing the
right thing. And I mean everyone's like
424
00:37:00.440 --> 00:37:06.480
that's the best thing about the buccaneers. Everyone's family enough to to talk to
425
00:37:06.599 --> 00:37:09.360
each other and say, you know
this, you probably shouldn't have done that,
426
00:37:09.559 --> 00:37:13.679
like you need to, you need
to make sure that you're you're doing
427
00:37:13.719 --> 00:37:16.429
okay, which I'm very grateful for, but I'd like you said, I
428
00:37:16.789 --> 00:37:22.070
did not learn my lesson, and
that's kind of the tipping point from me,
429
00:37:22.309 --> 00:37:28.349
is is I started kind of rethinking
what really I valued most, and
430
00:37:28.469 --> 00:37:36.980
that's kind of what what started the
idea of allow like traveling or doing something
431
00:37:37.179 --> 00:37:40.699
other than just sports design, and
that's that's kind of what what triggered it.
432
00:37:42.539 --> 00:37:45.929
You mentioned earlier you had put a
bandaid on things and yeah, and
433
00:37:46.610 --> 00:37:52.489
to me. The band AIDS in
sports creative is I liken it to a
434
00:37:52.489 --> 00:37:58.010
duct tape on a damn and it
never fixes the real issue because there's a
435
00:37:58.050 --> 00:38:02.639
major crack in the foundation. And
and what was the what was the wonderlying
436
00:38:02.800 --> 00:38:07.480
issue here for you? And how
did you really know that it was time
437
00:38:07.679 --> 00:38:16.429
for a drastic change? It was
absolutely that instance. I just remember seeing
438
00:38:16.590 --> 00:38:22.389
my wife's face whenever I told her
I was leaving to go back to work,
439
00:38:22.829 --> 00:38:29.019
and I definitely, at the time
I thought this was the right thing
440
00:38:29.139 --> 00:38:31.139
to do. And looking back at
it now and seeing her face kind of
441
00:38:32.699 --> 00:38:37.219
imprinted in my mind is she was
looking at me how I would look at
442
00:38:37.260 --> 00:38:43.250
her now or look at me now, and it's just like what, what
443
00:38:44.289 --> 00:38:49.889
like, in what mind is this
okay? And I think for me,
444
00:38:50.090 --> 00:38:55.000
you like actually working and going through
it all night and doing exactly what I
445
00:38:55.119 --> 00:39:00.440
was doing in Auburn. It was
I did not feel comfortable. Even when
446
00:39:00.480 --> 00:39:06.599
I was in Auburn I felt like
I was younger and I could handle staying
447
00:39:06.639 --> 00:39:10.789
up late. This I felt drained
and I felt I felt like what I
448
00:39:10.989 --> 00:39:15.389
was doing wasn't even wasn't even helping. I wasn't my best self. I
449
00:39:15.630 --> 00:39:20.630
wasn't designing the best I could.
I was just doing it just to get
450
00:39:20.670 --> 00:39:23.380
ahead so that I wouldn't wouldn't get
in a fight with my wife when I
451
00:39:23.420 --> 00:39:30.579
came home and to me that that's
what the bandaid was, because I was
452
00:39:30.699 --> 00:39:36.260
still like it wasn't going to fix
itself like that. Mentality doesn't fix itself.
453
00:39:36.900 --> 00:39:39.570
What fix itself is is actually talking
to people about it, it's actually
454
00:39:39.570 --> 00:39:46.449
changing, letting people know your feelings
and letting people know this, that this
455
00:39:46.730 --> 00:39:52.440
is an issue and this is what
I'm going through and I need I need
456
00:39:52.679 --> 00:39:57.239
a little bit of time and I
need to be able to find what's going
457
00:39:57.360 --> 00:40:00.880
on so that I can be the
best version of myself. Yeah, I
458
00:40:00.480 --> 00:40:06.159
remember we're first meeting you at MLC, I think it was Chicago, right.
459
00:40:06.199 --> 00:40:10.469
Yeah, and it's sitting at the
bar when night and chatting with you
460
00:40:10.710 --> 00:40:15.869
and and I was in the midst
of my deepest, darkest time during that
461
00:40:15.429 --> 00:40:19.909
conference and in a lot of people
didn't know that at the time, but
462
00:40:20.429 --> 00:40:24.780
you know, Ashley Strouss and I
had a conversation, a breakout with a
463
00:40:24.860 --> 00:40:29.500
group and I just remember kind of
laying into these young kids that I either
464
00:40:29.659 --> 00:40:31.780
that we young kids to me right
and just saying yeah, listen, I
465
00:40:31.900 --> 00:40:37.690
am worried about y'all, like and
I was no holds bar because I was
466
00:40:37.769 --> 00:40:40.409
in the I was in the darkest
point of my entire life at that point,
467
00:40:40.409 --> 00:40:47.530
and but I remember those discussions that
we had and and vaguely, I
468
00:40:47.650 --> 00:40:52.760
guess, because so much of that
I've blocked out. Yeah, probably on
469
00:40:52.880 --> 00:41:00.559
purpose at this point. But but
then then seeing and following your change in
470
00:41:00.880 --> 00:41:05.230
an instant, you went from living
this sports creative grind to, as as
471
00:41:05.269 --> 00:41:08.510
Gabby put it on her instagram,
living wild and free and and you gave
472
00:41:08.590 --> 00:41:14.789
it all up to your guys words
travel the world, discover a new life
473
00:41:14.909 --> 00:41:19.699
and find the true meaning to success
and happiness. Was it? Was It
474
00:41:19.820 --> 00:41:22.699
really that easy to make that change, and did you just instantly feel and
475
00:41:22.980 --> 00:41:30.820
in that sense of freedom inside when
you did? Oh Man, it was.
476
00:41:30.300 --> 00:41:36.010
I'll go into it from the very
beginning, because this, this was
477
00:41:36.130 --> 00:41:40.809
solely Gabby's dream and she talked about
it early when we were when we first
478
00:41:40.809 --> 00:41:45.889
started dating, and it was a
decision that we both made that we would
479
00:41:46.050 --> 00:41:52.599
put money aside from each of our
Hx and just dedicate this this savings account
480
00:41:52.760 --> 00:41:55.400
and with the sole idea that we
were going to use it to travel and
481
00:41:55.639 --> 00:42:00.320
even if we didn't travel, we
still have money saved to do something great
482
00:42:00.360 --> 00:42:06.869
with it, and so we like
it took us three years and we knew
483
00:42:06.909 --> 00:42:12.150
eventually we were going to do it, but when that episode happened where I
484
00:42:12.230 --> 00:42:17.699
stayed late, it kind of started
sparking more and more and kind of invigorating
485
00:42:17.739 --> 00:42:22.900
the thought. And then we took
a trip to Iceland to see some friends
486
00:42:22.940 --> 00:42:30.449
and at that when we realizing how
happy we were just kind of separating ourselves
487
00:42:30.489 --> 00:42:35.809
and just kind of being out and
actually seeing the world or being in nature
488
00:42:36.050 --> 00:42:40.730
just kind of made us realize that
we now that we have the money,
489
00:42:42.289 --> 00:42:46.199
we just need to pull the trigger. Like it was kind of a crazy
490
00:42:46.320 --> 00:42:52.320
moment for us that we shared together
and we came back with a plan to
491
00:42:53.639 --> 00:43:00.789
do it that Spring to we got
married in March, and it was you
492
00:43:00.869 --> 00:43:07.789
know, came up with the plan
to at least give enough time for my
493
00:43:08.269 --> 00:43:15.900
marketing director and the in the Tampa
Bay buccaneers enough time to really find someone
494
00:43:15.980 --> 00:43:22.539
else and and really kind of nourish
the team and give them guidance with we
495
00:43:22.659 --> 00:43:30.969
were going through a draft designing for
the draft, and I I've never told
496
00:43:30.010 --> 00:43:37.369
anyone this actually, but we're going
through draft design and that first night we
497
00:43:37.489 --> 00:43:42.480
went through it and they we had, I think there were three people that
498
00:43:42.639 --> 00:43:47.239
were drafted for in the first round
for us and I didn't realize there was
499
00:43:47.280 --> 00:43:52.800
going to be two extra ones that
first night and but I knew that even
500
00:43:52.840 --> 00:43:55.710
if there was, the team was
going to be able to handle it because
501
00:43:55.710 --> 00:44:00.590
we we were all in on this
one, on our first draft pick,
502
00:44:00.349 --> 00:44:04.230
and we had everything prepared and we
were ready to go. So once we
503
00:44:04.349 --> 00:44:08.110
launched that, and then my dad
was coming into town and so I felt
504
00:44:08.150 --> 00:44:13.139
really confident and I was like,
well, this is kind of, you
505
00:44:13.260 --> 00:44:15.900
know, a test. If we
do get somebody, then then they're going
506
00:44:15.900 --> 00:44:22.019
to be doing it without me in
the next year. So I'm just going
507
00:44:22.059 --> 00:44:24.650
to leave and if anything happens,
then there. I mean, I told
508
00:44:24.730 --> 00:44:30.090
them, obviously, but I left
and we had two other draft picks and
509
00:44:30.170 --> 00:44:37.369
I was just waiting like so nervous
like, but we ended up drafting two
510
00:44:37.449 --> 00:44:42.880
more and everything turned out just fine, and that that's when I knew it.
511
00:44:43.079 --> 00:44:45.719
We were making the right move.
And so a couple weeks later we
512
00:44:46.280 --> 00:44:54.429
told everybody and sure enough, we
actually went through it, and I'll tell
513
00:44:54.429 --> 00:44:59.909
you, man, I'd I almost
I. Every time I tell a story
514
00:44:59.949 --> 00:45:05.590
it gets chills. But the first
day, stepping on the airplane to go
515
00:45:05.670 --> 00:45:15.059
to France, not having any emails, not having anything to deal with,
516
00:45:15.380 --> 00:45:22.730
no, no responsibilities, no.
Well, man, I'm just like even
517
00:45:22.769 --> 00:45:31.090
shaking thinking about it. Our money
was already figured out. So normally,
518
00:45:31.329 --> 00:45:37.480
whenever you don't have any responsibilities,
your mind immediately goes to okay, what
519
00:45:37.719 --> 00:45:39.239
next, how do I do this? How did it? But that was
520
00:45:39.280 --> 00:45:45.239
already figured out. Literally, the
most precious thing to us was time,
521
00:45:45.920 --> 00:45:51.190
and when the most valuable, precious
thing is time, then your whole world
522
00:45:51.510 --> 00:45:55.429
flips upside down, and that's exactly
what happened to us. Is We really
523
00:45:55.510 --> 00:46:04.539
felt like this time is for us, this time is to figure out who
524
00:46:04.900 --> 00:46:07.820
I am as a person, because
the only person I've known is the person
525
00:46:08.059 --> 00:46:15.860
that that constantly has to work or
that that only knows work. And so
526
00:46:15.980 --> 00:46:21.570
what is who? Who is the
Tyler? Who is a Gabby that doesn't
527
00:46:21.650 --> 00:46:24.809
have to focus on this? And
so when, when we were able to
528
00:46:24.889 --> 00:46:30.210
really sit outside ourselves and kind of
figure out who we were as people,
529
00:46:30.329 --> 00:46:36.119
then then everything just started feeling like
filling into place and we found our true
530
00:46:36.159 --> 00:46:42.719
selves and who what are real passions
are, and it's just a life changing
531
00:46:42.840 --> 00:46:49.469
experience, not just seeing other other
countries and cultures and landscape, but just
532
00:46:49.590 --> 00:46:52.750
finding out who you are. And
really to be able to do that,
533
00:46:52.869 --> 00:47:10.619
you just got to give yourself some
time and some balance, and you you
534
00:47:10.980 --> 00:47:15.050
alluded to it there too, because
while many of us transition out of that's
535
00:47:15.210 --> 00:47:21.449
that life, that seven sports,
the hustle, ring mentality, there's there
536
00:47:21.610 --> 00:47:24.610
becomes a sense of guilt and yeah, it. Did you have any of
537
00:47:24.650 --> 00:47:31.760
those, those PTSD moments during your
transition? I thought I would. I
538
00:47:31.920 --> 00:47:38.719
definitely thought I would, but I
think that the hardest part was leaving my
539
00:47:39.480 --> 00:47:43.679
friends and in a why call on
they're not even friends. Honestly, they're
540
00:47:43.800 --> 00:47:50.710
they're more family than anything, and
that was the hard as part because being
541
00:47:50.949 --> 00:47:54.070
like, whenever you have such a
strong relationship with your work friends, then
542
00:47:55.670 --> 00:48:00.300
you see them every day, it
becomes hard not to be entrenched in what
543
00:48:00.420 --> 00:48:07.059
they're going through and their successes and
their struggles. But it was it was
544
00:48:07.219 --> 00:48:14.650
something that like so worth it in
the and is just like looking back and
545
00:48:14.809 --> 00:48:19.849
realizing what a strong decision we made
not for ourselves, but are really the
546
00:48:19.969 --> 00:48:23.449
health, our health, our health. Like I guess I just didn't know
547
00:48:23.570 --> 00:48:29.760
the true potential of the way my
body could feel if I treated it the
548
00:48:29.880 --> 00:48:32.559
way I do now, which I
did not do when I was focused more
549
00:48:32.639 --> 00:48:39.239
on work. Takes a back some
what I thought was mental health. Good,
550
00:48:39.280 --> 00:48:45.750
right, no, yeah, exactly. It's that's it's powerful to know
551
00:48:46.110 --> 00:48:51.829
because because there's so many out there
who are who are probably saying, man,
552
00:48:52.269 --> 00:48:54.070
how do I do this? Or
probably saw, you know, Globe
553
00:48:54.110 --> 00:48:58.260
trotters and said, damn, like
how did they? How did you do
554
00:48:58.420 --> 00:49:00.019
that? Like I asked the question
to like, like how do you do
555
00:49:00.139 --> 00:49:04.460
that? How you did but telling
us that you had a plant, like
556
00:49:04.539 --> 00:49:07.059
it's a three year plan, you
know, while you were working in this
557
00:49:07.179 --> 00:49:09.849
sin and that's important any I think
that the people need to hear that because
558
00:49:10.769 --> 00:49:15.849
there's probably a lot of assumptions that
are made on that and in a lot
559
00:49:15.929 --> 00:49:20.170
of you know, how to Peeple
will live the wander lust life or you
560
00:49:20.250 --> 00:49:22.690
know, the like the the talk
I have with Alex on the last podcasting.
561
00:49:23.480 --> 00:49:28.360
How do you just throw everything away
and move into a van with your
562
00:49:28.559 --> 00:49:32.079
you know, your boyfriend? Yeah, travel the world and and but those
563
00:49:32.119 --> 00:49:36.599
are you know, it's a literally
falling the dreams, putting a plan together
564
00:49:37.000 --> 00:49:42.670
and putting it out into the world
and then listening for those moments where you
565
00:49:42.789 --> 00:49:45.469
say that this is what it's going
to be. I call it the thing
566
00:49:45.670 --> 00:49:51.110
was Sheryl Sandberg, who talks about
your plan Z, because you know your
567
00:49:51.150 --> 00:49:54.340
plan as now and your plan B
is whatever's next. But if you're not
568
00:49:54.420 --> 00:49:58.539
planning for your plan Z, you're
you're doing it wrong, and I think
569
00:49:58.579 --> 00:50:00.260
right, well, well, I
don't know if this is, you know,
570
00:50:01.059 --> 00:50:05.059
if this is the the end for
you guys and you have some more
571
00:50:05.099 --> 00:50:08.969
stuff coming up, but I think
that's that's super important for people to hear
572
00:50:09.010 --> 00:50:16.130
that absolutely unsually and make that,
yeah, our plan Z. When we
573
00:50:16.289 --> 00:50:22.599
told people what we were doing it, the first thing that everyone said was,
574
00:50:22.840 --> 00:50:27.119
what about your job, which is
fine, it's as a normal question,
575
00:50:27.280 --> 00:50:30.159
but at the same time I think
a lot of people just assume that,
576
00:50:30.840 --> 00:50:35.400
you know, you're never once,
once you're in a position like you'll
577
00:50:35.440 --> 00:50:37.750
never be able to get that again. Yeah, and that's just not the
578
00:50:37.829 --> 00:50:42.110
case. You were able to get
it the first time. What's like?
579
00:50:42.349 --> 00:50:45.389
You're still the same person. You
were. You're still creative and for me
580
00:50:45.630 --> 00:50:50.500
this was a chance for me to
focus on other areas of being creative.
581
00:50:50.500 --> 00:50:54.820
I could do video and I could
be a videographer and a photographer and learn
582
00:50:54.980 --> 00:50:59.980
that trait and then come back as
a stronger, more complete creative. Yeah,
583
00:51:00.059 --> 00:51:05.210
and so to me it had all
the all the decisions we were making.
584
00:51:05.570 --> 00:51:08.329
We're completely in the right direction now. Did I give up a position
585
00:51:08.369 --> 00:51:15.610
in my dream job? Absolutely,
and that that's it's tough to even think
586
00:51:15.849 --> 00:51:20.400
that you could do that. But
at the same time I've if I don't
587
00:51:21.320 --> 00:51:29.199
go back into professional sports as a
designer, then the what I've gained as
588
00:51:29.239 --> 00:51:34.590
a person through this whole experience is
so much more worth it to me and
589
00:51:37.269 --> 00:51:40.630
I definitely wouldn't take it back for
anything and if anything, it's going to
590
00:51:42.110 --> 00:51:45.110
in my feelings as it's going to
help me down the road as a as
591
00:51:45.150 --> 00:51:50.460
a designer. If I if going
getting into professional sports as in my future,
592
00:51:50.579 --> 00:51:53.340
then I'd seriously don't think I have
a doubt and in trying to get
593
00:51:53.340 --> 00:51:58.659
back into the industry. Yeah,
I guess this is that's a great lead
594
00:51:58.739 --> 00:52:02.010
into this question. Is Is I've
had this conversation with a lot of people,
595
00:52:02.050 --> 00:52:07.090
a lot of close friends, and
I know where I'm at. But
596
00:52:07.210 --> 00:52:12.170
would you go back if you have
the opportunity? My wife always asked me
597
00:52:12.289 --> 00:52:15.679
that. She's so nervous that mine
to. I would like she stole of
598
00:52:15.800 --> 00:52:20.679
me away from my dream job,
but it's just I would not give it
599
00:52:20.800 --> 00:52:28.400
back. I I honestly think that
everything that we've done has led us to
600
00:52:28.559 --> 00:52:34.070
this path for a reason, and
even our ventures of what we plan to
601
00:52:34.110 --> 00:52:38.989
do down the road, like it
just completely fits, like when everything aligns,
602
00:52:39.150 --> 00:52:43.550
then you start looking at what you've
done in your past and you're like,
603
00:52:43.869 --> 00:52:49.739
Holy Shit, like this is why
I felt like this, which has
604
00:52:49.860 --> 00:52:54.099
made me, made me do this, which is now making me do this,
605
00:52:54.380 --> 00:53:00.050
and you're just like it all like
fits and it finally makes sense,
606
00:53:00.489 --> 00:53:05.650
and so everything needed to happen the
exact way it did for me to realize
607
00:53:05.730 --> 00:53:08.690
this, and it's it's I mean
it's a wild feeling to have to know
608
00:53:08.849 --> 00:53:13.840
that you're just kind of in line
with with what you feel is right.
609
00:53:14.280 --> 00:53:16.440
Yeah, and I would I would
go as far because I talked about the
610
00:53:16.480 --> 00:53:21.440
concept of the dream job and they
always ask people whose dream is it,
611
00:53:22.519 --> 00:53:27.079
because, you know, for for
me it was you know, I think
612
00:53:27.119 --> 00:53:30.869
it was more of my friends dream
job than it was mine. Like my
613
00:53:30.949 --> 00:53:35.230
dream was to be a creative at
some point, but I was not a
614
00:53:35.389 --> 00:53:37.909
sports guy, you know, like
I honestly could have cared less, and
615
00:53:37.949 --> 00:53:40.619
I think that was one of the
reasons that Surf, and I've talked about
616
00:53:40.619 --> 00:53:45.260
that a lot, like don't hire
fans and in being a sports fan and
617
00:53:45.380 --> 00:53:49.380
breaches, you know, enjoying sports
as a different thing or working for the
618
00:53:49.460 --> 00:53:52.219
team that you idolized since growing up. That's a tough thing to do,
619
00:53:52.739 --> 00:53:55.849
you know, to come back in
on a Monday morning after a hundred and
620
00:53:55.929 --> 00:54:00.889
ten lost season and you have to
keep going, you know, and I'm
621
00:54:00.889 --> 00:54:05.010
making a face of teams, is
not easy, especially as a creative.
622
00:54:05.130 --> 00:54:08.769
But you know. So I always
ask that question because it seems like now
623
00:54:09.480 --> 00:54:15.320
like the dream, like like you
really know what your dream is and I
624
00:54:15.360 --> 00:54:16.679
don't know, it's hard to even
call it a job at that point.
625
00:54:16.719 --> 00:54:22.079
Yeah, I know, you're absolutely
right, and for me it I have
626
00:54:22.280 --> 00:54:28.510
the same thought whenever I'm you're talking
about sports, is I was always a
627
00:54:28.949 --> 00:54:34.269
huge fan of playing sports, but
when it came to following a team or
628
00:54:35.030 --> 00:54:37.659
knowing all the players, or really
keeping up with it. I didn't like
629
00:54:37.780 --> 00:54:42.500
I had a favorite team, Dallas
cowboys, but it was I didn't know
630
00:54:43.139 --> 00:54:46.460
all the players on the team and
everyone. You know, they like your
631
00:54:46.500 --> 00:54:50.860
cowboys fan. How about that?
I could care less. Honestly, I
632
00:54:50.940 --> 00:54:55.329
just like watching like an occasional game
here and there, and right either way.
633
00:54:57.690 --> 00:55:01.730
It's to me it was more about
the creative and I realized what's funny
634
00:55:01.769 --> 00:55:06.969
is even through my travel, yes, I want to learn photography and videography,
635
00:55:07.010 --> 00:55:12.360
but to me, the one thing
that kept happening while we were traveling
636
00:55:12.599 --> 00:55:16.599
and we were posting stuff and and
kind of trying to establish an account on
637
00:55:16.639 --> 00:55:24.269
Instagram, I always had a vision
for I mean whenever we were out and
638
00:55:24.389 --> 00:55:30.190
he's like mountain landscapes or waterfalls,
I would always have a vision for wanting
639
00:55:30.230 --> 00:55:35.150
to create. Like I even if
I was sitting there and my wife told
640
00:55:35.190 --> 00:55:37.980
me, you know, we're just
not going to video, we're not going
641
00:55:37.019 --> 00:55:42.059
to do any photo, we're not
doing any of that today, then I
642
00:55:42.179 --> 00:55:45.820
would still in my mind think of
all these ways that this could be done
643
00:55:45.300 --> 00:55:51.369
and get excited about it. And
and that to me spoke volumes because even
644
00:55:51.369 --> 00:55:55.889
when I separate myself and I do
me and I what I'm passionate about and
645
00:55:57.010 --> 00:56:00.170
focus on what I'm passionate about.
It is I'm a creative person. It
646
00:56:00.329 --> 00:56:02.090
is what I'm passionate about. I
want to create things, I want to
647
00:56:02.130 --> 00:56:06.519
make sure, I want things to
I want people to be inspired by things,
648
00:56:06.679 --> 00:56:10.119
and so that's I think that's the
driving force of wanting to create.
649
00:56:12.400 --> 00:56:15.760
And so to me, I found
out absolutely that I am just a creative
650
00:56:16.480 --> 00:56:22.429
I think there's such a distinction between
doing it for work and doing it for
651
00:56:22.909 --> 00:56:25.070
who you are as a yeah,
and you know, for me it was
652
00:56:25.710 --> 00:56:30.389
yeah, any time I go on
vacation and I'll feel it and I'll know
653
00:56:30.710 --> 00:56:34.219
when I'll need my camera out,
or will we need my video camera out,
654
00:56:34.300 --> 00:56:37.739
and I'll feel it and I know
when I just need to be throwing
655
00:56:37.820 --> 00:56:40.739
my kids and backflips in the water, you know, like it's it's it's
656
00:56:40.860 --> 00:56:45.300
different, you know, and I
hear it all the time, whether it
657
00:56:45.659 --> 00:56:47.929
from, you know, my family, our family, their grandparents and things
658
00:56:47.969 --> 00:56:50.889
like that. As I well,
where the pictures of this and I'm like,
659
00:56:51.130 --> 00:56:53.369
well, we enjoyed it, you
know, or exact boord's like wow,
660
00:56:53.489 --> 00:56:55.849
you, my wife, you took
a crap ton of pictures of this,
661
00:56:57.090 --> 00:57:00.690
you know, and you just kind
of have to you know, know
662
00:57:00.969 --> 00:57:04.360
the moment I dragged him out.
We were up in northern and door county
663
00:57:04.760 --> 00:57:07.320
Wisconsin during our vacation. I drug
him up an hour and a half north
664
00:57:07.400 --> 00:57:12.760
to a dark park just so I
could get a pictures of the the Milky
665
00:57:12.800 --> 00:57:16.989
Way. And it was an unbelievable
experience because we all went together, we
666
00:57:17.070 --> 00:57:22.070
all enjoyed it. It's pitch black, he can't have lights, you know,
667
00:57:22.309 --> 00:57:24.989
and we got there, we found
an amazing spot and just for the
668
00:57:25.110 --> 00:57:29.550
boys to be able to look up
in the sky and see the Milky Way
669
00:57:29.630 --> 00:57:32.900
with their you know, they're wise, or to see Jupiter reflecting in the
670
00:57:32.980 --> 00:57:37.260
water. You know, like that
experience. And then I was able to
671
00:57:37.860 --> 00:57:42.059
make a memory that, you know, my oldest is put on his backdrop
672
00:57:42.139 --> 00:57:45.449
on his computer and on his phone
right away and you know, so and
673
00:57:45.570 --> 00:57:46.889
then he's asking me, how are
you doing this, dad? How are
674
00:57:46.889 --> 00:57:51.849
the exposures? And he's trying to
understand, you know. That's that's what
675
00:57:52.050 --> 00:57:54.210
makes it worth it to me,
you know. That's why I absolutely that's
676
00:57:54.210 --> 00:57:58.639
why I agree. You know,
that's awesome. That's such a good story
677
00:57:58.760 --> 00:58:01.039
too. Yeah, yeah, it
was amazing. So I got to ask
678
00:58:01.079 --> 00:58:06.719
you know who who's taking all these
amazing images of you two in these amazing
679
00:58:06.760 --> 00:58:09.000
places, because you didn't call me, you know, to come out.
680
00:58:10.920 --> 00:58:17.070
I'm actually extremely shocked to hear that
you think that that they're amazing, because
681
00:58:17.190 --> 00:58:22.269
they're great. That's a huge compliment
from you, but it was. We
682
00:58:22.750 --> 00:58:28.900
pretty much had kind of talk to
some other people who are traveling and taking
683
00:58:28.940 --> 00:58:34.659
really good photos and and we just
set up a tripod and use our camera
684
00:58:34.739 --> 00:58:40.449
and and I'll I'll just frame Gabby
in the spot that we want and it's
685
00:58:40.530 --> 00:58:44.730
just trial and error for us,
like we started out and we were taking
686
00:58:45.409 --> 00:58:47.090
now I look at them and I'm
thinking, man, we could have done
687
00:58:47.090 --> 00:58:52.570
so much better, but that's just
you. You learn along the way and
688
00:58:52.090 --> 00:58:57.519
and that's exactly what we did and
just having a little bit of a right
689
00:58:57.559 --> 00:59:02.440
equipment and setting it up and and
figuring out the camera. Really I had
690
00:59:02.480 --> 00:59:07.199
it on just automatic. It was
just automatic mode starting out and then slowly
691
00:59:07.559 --> 00:59:12.909
went to yeah, and then slowly
went to aperture mode and then slowly went
692
00:59:12.949 --> 00:59:16.949
to manual mode. So it's just
a gradual, gradual progression and it is
693
00:59:17.070 --> 00:59:21.230
fun to learn, kind of nerve
racking sometimes, especially when, yeah,
694
00:59:21.309 --> 00:59:25.420
you want to catch that moment.
Yep, but I'm definitely not a professional
695
00:59:25.500 --> 00:59:30.139
photographer, but I think I'm a
creative photographer. So I think that's that
696
00:59:30.460 --> 00:59:35.699
I can from a editing standpoint,
that's the hardest part for me. You're
697
00:59:35.820 --> 00:59:38.210
trying to figure out my own,
like I editing style and what I like,
698
00:59:38.329 --> 00:59:42.530
because I like so much. Right, you see so much photography out
699
00:59:42.530 --> 00:59:45.530
there and you're like, oh,
that photo was so good, like how
700
00:59:45.570 --> 00:59:50.610
did you get those tones or how
did she get that like the the bright
701
00:59:50.690 --> 00:59:54.679
and the vibrant? It's it's some
photos just make you feel certain things and
702
00:59:54.800 --> 00:60:00.360
that's exactly what I want in my
photography. And so yeah, it's I'd
703
00:60:00.360 --> 00:60:06.239
definitely say we've had we've had some
fun and I hope that if anyone gets
704
00:60:06.320 --> 00:60:08.829
inspired by anything, and that's our
soul goal with our with our account.
705
00:60:09.150 --> 00:60:13.989
I love it and and and we'll
tell the account at the end after in
706
00:60:14.110 --> 00:60:17.550
my in my follow up. But
your posts certainly are inspiring, to say
707
00:60:17.550 --> 00:60:22.579
the least. In one I read
Gabby who, I assume, since it
708
00:60:22.659 --> 00:60:28.099
was a picture of her, dove
into vulnerability and the importance of vulnerability,
709
00:60:28.179 --> 00:60:31.059
how showing our emotion, you know, has been is still looked on by
710
00:60:31.099 --> 00:60:36.010
society as a sign of weakness.
How did you all learn to, you
711
00:60:36.090 --> 00:60:40.050
know, to get past that,
to become completely vulnerable with people and and,
712
00:60:42.050 --> 00:60:44.809
you know, being comfortable really stepping
out of your comfort zone in this
713
00:60:44.969 --> 00:60:49.170
new this this new endeavor? That's
a great question, because it really takes
714
00:60:49.570 --> 00:60:55.280
conversation to start out, and it's
it's being comfortable enough to talk about it
715
00:60:57.280 --> 00:61:04.510
openly and outward to somebody and then
understand both sides of it. You know,
716
00:61:04.909 --> 00:61:09.110
Gabby and particular has is. She's
it's a shy person, and so
717
00:61:10.710 --> 00:61:15.030
having her step out of her comfort
zone and talk about her emotions or feelings
718
00:61:16.630 --> 00:61:23.179
is a huge step. And me
the same way. I don't I'm one
719
00:61:23.420 --> 00:61:29.659
to to like try and fix.
I want someone to be happy, so
720
00:61:29.699 --> 00:61:34.969
I want to kind of like meet
the way that I view, I guess,
721
00:61:35.090 --> 00:61:37.130
life for me is is, in
order for me to be happy,
722
00:61:37.329 --> 00:61:40.690
I need to make someone else happy, and I've stuck with that quote for
723
00:61:40.769 --> 00:61:45.289
a while and that's kind of been
my motto for a while. So Inn
724
00:61:45.409 --> 00:61:51.920
See, knowing that my wife is
trying to be a little more vulnerable.
725
00:61:52.719 --> 00:61:58.159
I'm just all ears and trying to
help out with ways to communicate, to
726
00:61:58.280 --> 00:62:01.309
get her to show her feelings outward
and and communicate a little bit more so
727
00:62:01.510 --> 00:62:08.110
she feels more comfortable. But you
find that you yourself have some some issues
728
00:62:08.230 --> 00:62:14.550
that you're that need to be resolved
from a vulnerable standpoint or emotional standpoint,
729
00:62:14.670 --> 00:62:20.900
and there's definite instances where she's helped
me and so we've both grown through it
730
00:62:21.059 --> 00:62:24.340
and it only started just because we
talk to each other and you have to
731
00:62:24.500 --> 00:62:31.409
start the conversation in people have to
know your true feelings towards something and not
732
00:62:31.650 --> 00:62:36.570
just, you know, not just
say that everything's okay, because that's that.
733
00:62:37.090 --> 00:62:52.760
It's never okay. How was the
response been? I mean there's,
734
00:62:52.960 --> 00:62:55.239
you know, upwards of Twelvezero people
who are following you on now. I
735
00:62:55.360 --> 00:62:59.789
imagine, you know, those metrics
probably don't matter as much and, you
736
00:62:59.829 --> 00:63:04.110
know, unless there's a monetization aspect
of it. But what's the engagement like?
737
00:63:04.309 --> 00:63:06.949
What are or are people you know, what are the conversations you're having
738
00:63:07.070 --> 00:63:12.150
with your audience? Like, yeah, it's funny because instagram it has its
739
00:63:13.300 --> 00:63:20.019
it's, it has its moments of
forced likeness. You know, and so
740
00:63:20.260 --> 00:63:22.860
but when you brush through all that, you find out who is real and
741
00:63:23.059 --> 00:63:28.929
who is being their complete cells and
those are the people that really respond and
742
00:63:29.610 --> 00:63:32.929
you you can really tell that you're
making a difference which really makes a difference
743
00:63:32.969 --> 00:63:37.090
in your life. And so that's
what we found is to focus on the
744
00:63:37.250 --> 00:63:44.679
ones that we know are are really
affected by the things that we either post
745
00:63:45.000 --> 00:63:49.719
or the things that we talked about, and we've talked to them separately in
746
00:63:50.159 --> 00:63:55.989
messages and we've grown a nice community
of just really just friendships through through traveling
747
00:63:57.269 --> 00:64:00.590
and doing the same thing. And
so yeah, I do think it has
748
00:64:00.630 --> 00:64:05.510
been a success and even like it's
funny because when we started out this account,
749
00:64:06.269 --> 00:64:11.619
we absolutely were not the people that
were. We're like, we're never
750
00:64:11.739 --> 00:64:15.500
going to pose for a shot,
like we're definitely just gonna, you know,
751
00:64:15.980 --> 00:64:20.659
get ourselves in a moment versus versus
like actually pose, and then we
752
00:64:20.780 --> 00:64:28.050
started seeing that we were actually happy
taking these amazing photos with each other in
753
00:64:28.090 --> 00:64:34.610
these crazy landscapes instead of instead of
just trying to like look away or something
754
00:64:34.690 --> 00:64:40.119
like that, like we can be
ourselves and pose and still have fun,
755
00:64:40.800 --> 00:64:45.039
and that's what we found was was
more of our happiness, and so it's
756
00:64:45.320 --> 00:64:49.880
is definitely neat to see that evolution. That's that's awesome. And you,
757
00:64:49.960 --> 00:64:56.469
you know, throughout this as this
as this started, tell us a little
758
00:64:56.469 --> 00:65:02.909
bit about how you know how the
transition was into the COVID era and how
759
00:65:02.949 --> 00:65:08.300
that changed what what you all are
doing and in which ill because I mean
760
00:65:08.340 --> 00:65:10.900
it certainly, if you if you
look at at the pages, you were
761
00:65:10.980 --> 00:65:15.099
still very, very involved. You
were you were at Blm rallies and really
762
00:65:15.260 --> 00:65:19.659
putting you know, yourselves out there
and and speaking that right, there's a
763
00:65:19.699 --> 00:65:25.010
ton of engagement on that post that
you all made, and in a good
764
00:65:25.050 --> 00:65:29.570
way, and it's but how is
this the the current state of the world
765
00:65:29.730 --> 00:65:33.210
changed what you all are doing?
Yeah, it will. We knew it
766
00:65:33.409 --> 00:65:40.239
was going to affect travel. So
we kind of were we were intry Lanka
767
00:65:40.239 --> 00:65:44.199
at the time, and if you
don't know them, where Sri Lanka is,
768
00:65:44.239 --> 00:65:45.920
it's south of India, which we
had no clue. It wasn't a
769
00:65:46.039 --> 00:65:49.590
part of India at the time we
went there. We were thinking that,
770
00:65:49.909 --> 00:65:54.349
you know, we're just going to
India, just an island off of India.
771
00:65:54.429 --> 00:65:57.389
But yeah, it's its own country. Yeah, so we're like,
772
00:65:57.550 --> 00:66:01.750
oh, but anyway, we we
were we know whe're going to be stuck
773
00:66:01.789 --> 00:66:05.500
there for a little while, which
is okay in our minds, but that's
774
00:66:05.539 --> 00:66:14.139
when we ended up really kind of
finding what we really, really were passionate
775
00:66:14.139 --> 00:66:20.929
about and really wanted to do.
But anyways, our our whenever covid happened,
776
00:66:23.610 --> 00:66:27.170
we were in newer Elia and stuck
there for about forty five days.
777
00:66:27.409 --> 00:66:33.159
They had strict, very very strict
policing for everybody, okay, and so
778
00:66:33.360 --> 00:66:39.400
we couldn't do anything. And one
day they would allow you to go get
779
00:66:39.400 --> 00:66:44.400
groceries and that's and then you'd come
back and that would be the groceries that
780
00:66:44.480 --> 00:66:46.909
you get, and then, of
course, they manage it from there.
781
00:66:46.989 --> 00:66:53.269
But then we left that place,
fortunately at the right time to go to
782
00:66:53.429 --> 00:66:57.630
the beach, and that was our
last time being in Sri Lanka. We
783
00:66:57.750 --> 00:67:00.070
were we were at the beach for
a month and which was an amazing,
784
00:67:00.110 --> 00:67:06.579
amazing time. But during that time
was was when black lives matter started started
785
00:67:06.739 --> 00:67:15.250
getting more prominent and everything happening,
and and that's really when I am Gabby
786
00:67:15.369 --> 00:67:19.050
and I really had long, long
talks and discussions and we did a lot
787
00:67:19.130 --> 00:67:26.690
of research and and washed a lot
of documentaries and just learned and just kind
788
00:67:26.690 --> 00:67:31.440
of changed the way that we viewed
like just questioned everything, you know,
789
00:67:31.679 --> 00:67:36.679
it questioned history, questioned the way
our society is run, and so we
790
00:67:36.880 --> 00:67:43.000
just learned a lot, a lot
of information and and just through that we
791
00:67:43.159 --> 00:67:47.309
came home with an invigoration to really
make a difference. And and so we
792
00:67:47.429 --> 00:67:53.309
started as soon as we got home
the next day. We we made some
793
00:67:53.510 --> 00:67:58.699
signs and went out and tried to
be a part of the biggest movement and
794
00:67:59.139 --> 00:68:04.820
in our nation's history since we've been
alive. So it's great. It's such
795
00:68:04.860 --> 00:68:12.659
an important it is not just not
just move but just an ex such an
796
00:68:12.659 --> 00:68:17.810
important moment for for us and it's
something that we're really excited and passionate about.
797
00:68:17.810 --> 00:68:24.930
To keep it going right. It's
good in building a an audience to
798
00:68:25.369 --> 00:68:29.600
talk through that as well. Is
Super Important, because you're not going to
799
00:68:29.640 --> 00:68:31.880
be in an echo chamber, you
know, and you're going to understand what
800
00:68:32.000 --> 00:68:35.880
other people think and you're going to
get comments that are not great, but
801
00:68:36.119 --> 00:68:40.800
but understanding and having those open dialog
just to take it back to, you
802
00:68:40.880 --> 00:68:44.989
know, the conversations you had about
about transitioning out. It's it's that dialog.
803
00:68:45.029 --> 00:68:48.149
It's that openness that that really is
how we will change as a country
804
00:68:48.989 --> 00:68:54.510
and if we can get to that
point. So yeah, and I actually
805
00:68:54.510 --> 00:69:00.260
had someone reach out and you know, it's almost like the the black squares
806
00:69:00.539 --> 00:69:06.619
on instagram. You know, some
people were feeling like this isn't doing anything,
807
00:69:06.939 --> 00:69:13.689
but I had two strong feelings towards
the opposite direction. Is I absolutely
808
00:69:13.770 --> 00:69:15.890
felt like it did. It did
a lot more than you think, because
809
00:69:16.770 --> 00:69:23.970
the like raising that type of awareness
to where someone that wouldn't know what this
810
00:69:24.130 --> 00:69:28.680
black squares, even if they didn't
agree with it, they at least forced
811
00:69:28.800 --> 00:69:31.640
them to to be educated on it. And I really and I think that
812
00:69:31.760 --> 00:69:38.359
that's what the whole idea was,
was I'm going to post this black square
813
00:69:39.109 --> 00:69:45.350
and that's means that I'm a I'm
doing at least not just a posting a
814
00:69:45.430 --> 00:69:49.630
black square, but now you need
to know more about it. Now you
815
00:69:49.750 --> 00:69:54.220
need to be educated more than just
because because you're going to be challenged,
816
00:69:54.260 --> 00:69:58.380
which is great. That's that's what
we want it and this is perfect because
817
00:69:58.420 --> 00:70:02.060
it just invigorated us to want to
learn more. And so that's what's that
818
00:70:02.180 --> 00:70:05.500
I think it did a lot more
than just posting a black square and and
819
00:70:08.649 --> 00:70:13.250
to us this, this is definitely
an eye opening experience for for the whole
820
00:70:13.250 --> 00:70:16.210
world, I feel like, for
and that's a that's another great point.
821
00:70:17.449 --> 00:70:23.760
It's when I say world, is
because we were seeing people from like outside
822
00:70:23.760 --> 00:70:29.520
the United States, all walks of
life, knowing what was going on and
823
00:70:30.119 --> 00:70:34.399
learning about it. And it's crazy
to think that America has such an influence,
824
00:70:34.479 --> 00:70:39.909
such an influence on everybody else,
or that they're just interested enough to
825
00:70:40.390 --> 00:70:44.470
to to want to know history and
everything. I mean, think about it.
826
00:70:45.029 --> 00:70:47.149
When we're in America, something happens
in Sri Lanka. Is Anyone,
827
00:70:47.270 --> 00:70:51.779
if they do a, you know, a different color square and post on
828
00:70:51.859 --> 00:70:57.060
Instagram, is anyone even trying to
figure out in America what that square means
829
00:70:57.300 --> 00:71:04.050
like? So it's people. I
mean it's really fascinating to see that everybody's
830
00:71:04.090 --> 00:71:15.210
watching. Yeah, they are.
We talked about I'm getting to a little
831
00:71:15.210 --> 00:71:18.520
bit of advice section here, as
we used to close things out. I
832
00:71:18.600 --> 00:71:23.960
talked about compassion, fatigue alt on
the show and and so many of us
833
00:71:24.840 --> 00:71:29.760
we get into trouble because we put
others needs before ours. And you know,
834
00:71:29.960 --> 00:71:33.750
I went so far in my move
forty year old midlife crisis to getting
835
00:71:33.750 --> 00:71:38.989
a tattoo on my wrist that says
serve and I really think it's a part
836
00:71:39.029 --> 00:71:42.829
of who I am. It's part
of what my my parents taught me and
837
00:71:43.109 --> 00:71:48.380
servant leadership. But I also think
that it you know, my boundaries became
838
00:71:48.699 --> 00:71:54.899
extremely porous as the more I worked
in sports and we let too many people
839
00:71:54.939 --> 00:71:57.779
inside of our own bubble and people
want to be a part of it and
840
00:71:58.340 --> 00:72:02.050
and that's a safety bubble. What
advice do you have for those who are
841
00:72:02.090 --> 00:72:05.529
struggling to put themselves first? Because
you guys, you know, kind of
842
00:72:05.609 --> 00:72:10.569
had to make that decision to put
yourselves in your health first. Yeah,
843
00:72:11.489 --> 00:72:15.199
I mean that, to me,
is the most important concern, is to
844
00:72:15.359 --> 00:72:21.640
make sure that your health and your
wellbeing is being taken care of first,
845
00:72:21.840 --> 00:72:27.159
whether it's, you know, giving
yourself some time to breathe, meditate,
846
00:72:27.359 --> 00:72:33.310
yoga or or separate yourself from the
noise and the busyness, being at the
847
00:72:33.630 --> 00:72:41.029
ocean or and and really eating,
like concentrating on what you're your hat,
848
00:72:41.189 --> 00:72:45.500
like how your body reacts to different
foods and what makes you happy with with
849
00:72:45.420 --> 00:72:49.539
what you're giving your body and how
you're treating it. Like that that comes
850
00:72:49.619 --> 00:72:55.100
first, because you're not going to
be your true potential, you're not going
851
00:72:55.140 --> 00:73:01.689
to evolve into their real person you're
supposed to be if you're just focused on
852
00:73:02.329 --> 00:73:10.369
work or if fos focused on something
that isn't improving what really matters. And
853
00:73:10.609 --> 00:73:16.680
so to me, like definitely focusing
on yourself is the number one important thing.
854
00:73:17.600 --> 00:73:23.720
It's the most important and you can't
be the best creative without you being
855
00:73:23.760 --> 00:73:27.949
at your top, top of your
game. So that's kind of what I've
856
00:73:27.989 --> 00:73:35.630
definitely gathered and it's what I've found
out through through my travels and through finding
857
00:73:35.710 --> 00:73:40.909
myself a little bit more. Yeah, and it gets deeper for you to
858
00:73:41.109 --> 00:73:44.899
too. As I know, it's
a there's some new projects that you guys
859
00:73:44.899 --> 00:73:46.979
are working on. That a little
come after this is posted. But you're
860
00:73:46.979 --> 00:73:51.260
very outspoken on our planet and making
sure that each and every one of our
861
00:73:51.260 --> 00:73:57.090
actions, you know, have an
awareness and affect our planets health as well.
862
00:73:58.010 --> 00:74:00.409
How important is this for you?
How did this become a passion and
863
00:74:00.850 --> 00:74:05.170
how can others begin to make it
a priority in their lives too? Yeah,
864
00:74:06.130 --> 00:74:13.680
we actually so. Whenever we started
our adventure, we went to a
865
00:74:13.800 --> 00:74:20.000
couple countries and we've seen firsthand and
talk to some people who are well educated
866
00:74:20.239 --> 00:74:27.789
in areas of living a better life
through better sustainability and being more mindful kind
867
00:74:27.789 --> 00:74:30.550
of where your money goes as a
consumer and supporting the right people, and
868
00:74:30.670 --> 00:74:35.430
so that kind of sparked a little
bit of where we are now, because
869
00:74:35.470 --> 00:74:41.380
we are open to seeing these things. And so when we are in Africa
870
00:74:42.140 --> 00:74:45.659
and going through several countries there,
we've we were able to experience firsthand kind
871
00:74:45.699 --> 00:74:56.890
of how happiness can be, can
be given from certain things that aren't associated
872
00:74:56.930 --> 00:75:00.729
with money, and so you'd find
some of the happiest people in Africa that
873
00:75:00.569 --> 00:75:05.930
didn't have anything, but in their
mind they had everything they needed and to
874
00:75:06.010 --> 00:75:10.399
put it in perspective, then that
was just a very powerful moment for us.
875
00:75:11.760 --> 00:75:16.880
And then you fast forward to being
in Bali and seeing trash all on
876
00:75:17.000 --> 00:75:21.989
the ocean and most of it's just
plastic that won't be broken down and for
877
00:75:23.109 --> 00:75:27.510
four hundred years until it gets down
the little microplastics. And then we're eating
878
00:75:27.590 --> 00:75:31.310
it in our daily food and finding
out that, you know, every week
879
00:75:31.350 --> 00:75:40.779
we consume credit cards worth of a
of plastic. And then being in Sri
880
00:75:40.859 --> 00:75:45.979
Lanka and just learning about the way
people live there, what they eat,
881
00:75:47.260 --> 00:75:55.449
how to they're better, what they
the stuff that they consume, or they
882
00:75:55.569 --> 00:76:00.329
just don't have as many things as
you would need to survive. Like I
883
00:76:00.449 --> 00:76:06.760
feel like in America we have a
lot of things and everyone wants all of
884
00:76:06.880 --> 00:76:11.279
it. You know, that's the
goal, is to just if you don't
885
00:76:11.319 --> 00:76:15.399
have something and it looks cool,
then get it and and that to me
886
00:76:15.600 --> 00:76:20.829
is a lifestyle change. That that
I have changed in the less is more,
887
00:76:20.989 --> 00:76:25.710
the minimalist mentality, and you find
out that you don't really need much,
888
00:76:25.710 --> 00:76:30.270
especially when you travel. You kind
of limited to a backpack and what
889
00:76:30.430 --> 00:76:32.779
you fit in there you really can
survive off of. We were proof of
890
00:76:32.899 --> 00:76:39.060
that. And so all these things
together, we learned a lot and want
891
00:76:39.140 --> 00:76:44.659
to to spread that and share that
and make people more aware of these issues.
892
00:76:44.859 --> 00:76:48.609
And so that's kind of where we've
evolved to and now it's time to
893
00:76:48.930 --> 00:76:54.689
for action. Well, I'm excited
to chat with you about that when you
894
00:76:54.729 --> 00:76:58.850
guys launch and see, you know, how that's going. I think there's
895
00:76:59.449 --> 00:77:01.279
some amazing work to be done there
and a ton of work to be done
896
00:77:01.279 --> 00:77:05.680
there. So yeah, yeah,
so we're actually we're starting in a an
897
00:77:05.720 --> 00:77:13.560
account for it. Okay, it'll
start on instagram and then we think the
898
00:77:13.760 --> 00:77:16.270
growth will just happen. Naturally,
of course will use other social media,
899
00:77:16.310 --> 00:77:21.909
but our main platform will be on
instagram and our account is called Joel on
900
00:77:21.989 --> 00:77:28.310
earth. Okay, and there's two
significance as to Joel. The first is
901
00:77:28.510 --> 00:77:32.300
that it's it's a dedication to my
wife's father, who passed away due to
902
00:77:32.380 --> 00:77:38.699
a heart attack while we are traveling, and the other is Joel is an
903
00:77:38.779 --> 00:77:44.850
acronym for journey of everything living,
and so that'll kind of help tell the
904
00:77:44.970 --> 00:77:50.130
story of we're all connected. Everything
we do on this planet serves everybody,
905
00:77:50.289 --> 00:78:00.000
not just people, and really our
goal is pretty much to inspire millions by
906
00:78:00.560 --> 00:78:06.239
showcasing the beauty of our planet and
to empower a more mindful and sustainable way
907
00:78:06.279 --> 00:78:15.229
of living. All right, we'll
be focusing on providing welldesigned content that brings
908
00:78:15.310 --> 00:78:19.989
awareness to health and environmental issues,
like what we said earlier, like plastic
909
00:78:20.189 --> 00:78:28.539
and overconsumption, endangered animals, human
rights, even food, anything that brings
910
00:78:28.579 --> 00:78:32.180
awareness and inspires change for the health
of our planet and everything living on it.
911
00:78:32.260 --> 00:78:36.020
I think that's that's pretty much what
we're about. That's awesome, that's
912
00:78:36.060 --> 00:78:40.539
awesome. I'm excited. Yeah,
we're very, very excited and we hope
913
00:78:40.579 --> 00:78:43.609
to launt the next couple weeks and
you know, we're just just be some
914
00:78:43.770 --> 00:78:49.250
very strong designed and we'll be featuring
people that are doing it right, people
915
00:78:49.369 --> 00:78:57.960
that are strong advocates for all these
things and really just inspire change for the
916
00:78:58.119 --> 00:79:00.039
health of everyone, the planet and
everyone living on it. So yeah,
917
00:79:00.039 --> 00:79:04.319
we're excited. It's great. Well, one last question here that I ask
918
00:79:04.399 --> 00:79:08.640
everybody. If you were to go
back to your younger self, what's the
919
00:79:09.159 --> 00:79:14.430
one thing there you would tell tyler
back then that that could change his outlook
920
00:79:15.109 --> 00:79:23.229
on his future. Who? It
definitely would be to be more educated in
921
00:79:24.619 --> 00:79:29.979
how you consume and where, where, what you put your dollars into,
922
00:79:30.180 --> 00:79:32.899
where that goes and how it's affecting
our planet. I didn't learn that until
923
00:79:33.260 --> 00:79:39.810
recently and it had I known a
little bit earlier than maybe my passions would
924
00:79:39.810 --> 00:79:43.930
have would have shifted a little bit
more. But yeah, I think that
925
00:79:44.170 --> 00:79:47.170
would have would have been the number
one message. But other than that,
926
00:79:47.250 --> 00:79:51.729
I mean I'm a big fan of
of everything happens for a reason, and
927
00:79:54.079 --> 00:80:00.760
so I'm huge message I would definitely
tell myself is just stay the course,
928
00:80:00.840 --> 00:80:08.149
stay as like, stay positive and
always try and share your light with others,
929
00:80:08.390 --> 00:80:14.229
and that's a that's exactly kind of
what I've lived off of, is
930
00:80:15.069 --> 00:80:18.590
try and spread some happiness. Perfect. That's a that's a perfect ending.
931
00:80:18.909 --> 00:80:23.779
Tyler trout, thank you for hopping
on. It's been a long time coming
932
00:80:23.819 --> 00:80:28.180
since we started talking about getting you
on here and me even starting it.
933
00:80:28.579 --> 00:80:31.460
I'm glad we got to catch up
with you back in the states and and
934
00:80:32.340 --> 00:80:35.329
I can't wait to see what you
and Gaby do next. Will be following
935
00:80:35.369 --> 00:80:39.810
you. Thank you so much.
I really appreciate being on the show.
936
00:80:39.970 --> 00:80:44.970
This is been amazing and you're an
amazing person for starting this a really really
937
00:80:45.010 --> 00:80:50.960
want to thank you. It's fascinating
to see what just a simple idea can
938
00:80:51.039 --> 00:80:56.000
turn into, and your living proof
of that. So you inspire us and
939
00:80:56.079 --> 00:81:25.220
I know inspire others around. Hey, thanks for sticking around till the end
940
00:81:25.260 --> 00:81:28.979
here. If you enjoyed this podcast
and want to do me a huge favor,
941
00:81:29.020 --> 00:81:32.130
leave me a view on apple or
spotify and I would greatly appreciate it.
942
00:81:32.649 --> 00:81:34.489
And, as always, if you
want to hit me up on twitter,
943
00:81:34.569 --> 00:81:41.289
it's at creative af or at John
Willie that's Jo n W Illlle why?
944
00:81:41.890 --> 00:81:45.609
You can also find me on instagram
at really art or Jay Willie photo.
945
00:81:46.159 --> 00:81:49.199
I really appreciate you all and please, please, take care of yourselves.
946
00:81:49.600 --> 00:81:50.199
We'll talk to it.
