Sometimes we assume entrepreneurship always involves going all in. They say we have to cut the ties, burn the ships, and build the parachute on the way down - but there are many different paths to a successful vision. Today we dive into time management strategies, mindset shifts, and other experiences used to launch a successful startup business in addition to working a full-time job. And even more impressive to successfully doing this is to maintain personal life boundaries and not sacrificing what matters most. Learn how Dakota did all of that on this episode.
Looking to get the coaching, community, and accountability you need to level up your life and business? Join other like minded men in our L3 Group Coaching Community. Check out all the details at https://www.menmadeformore.com/l3-group-coaching and apply for one of our limited spots available for the month of May.
Connect with Dakota on Instagram @comforttactical or learn more about his business Comfort Tactical
Sometimes we assume entrepreneurship always involves going all in. They say we have to cut the ties, burn the ships, and build the parachute on the way down - but there are many different paths to a successful vision. Today we dive into time management strategies, mindset shifts, and other experiences used to launch a successful startup business in addition to working a full-time job. And even more impressive to successfully doing this is to maintain personal life boundaries and not sacrificing what matters most. Learn how Dakota did all of that on this episode.
Looking to get the coaching, community, and accountability you need to level up your life and business? Join other like minded men in our L3 Group Coaching Community. Check out all the details at https://www.menmadeformore.com/l3-group-coaching and apply for one of our limited spots available for the month of May.
Connect with Dakota on Instagram @comforttactical or learn more about his business Comfort Tactical
Launching a Successful Side Hustle with a Full-Time Job - Dakota Ennis
Sometimes we assume entrepreneurship always involves going all in. They say we have to cut the ties, burn the ships, and build the parachute on the way down - but there are many different paths to a successful vision. Today we dive into time management strategies, mindset shifts, and other experiences used to launch a successful startup business in addition to working a full-time job. And even more impressive to successfully doing this is to maintain personal life boundaries and not sacrificing what matters most. Learn how Dakota did all of that on this episode.
Looking to get the coaching, community, and accountability you need to level up your life and business? Join other like minded men in our L3 Group Coaching Community. Check out all the details at https://www.menmadeformore.com/l3-group-coaching and apply for one of our limited spots available for the month of May.
Connect with Dakota on Instagram @comforttactical or learn more about his business Comfort Tactical
Men Made For More Podcast Episode 148 : Launching a Successful Side Hustle with a Full-Time Job - Dakota Ennis
[00:00:00] Dave: [00:00:00] Hey there mighty man. I'm your host, Dr. Dave Paczkowski founder of Men Made for more coaching, our business helps husbands level up their life. Their leadership and their legacy in marriage and in business. The purpose of this podcast is to bring together like-minded men that feel destined for big things in their life to provide you the resources and community that you need to lead yourself, your family and your business.
[00:00:27] If you've ever felt overwhelmed, frustrated, lost, or alone on your journey to a better and more purposeful life, you're in the right spot. You weren't designed to be average. So it's time to quit living that way today. I'm giving you permission to unlock your true potential and step into all that you were made for.
[00:00:45]All right guys. Welcome to today's guest episode of the men made from our podcast, joined with a good friend of mine, special guest, uh, Dakota, Ennis Dakota. Thanks so much for coming on the show. Thanks for being out here today. Dave. Thanks for having me, [00:01:00] man. I I've been listening to the show for a while.
[00:01:01] I'm super excited that you had me on here, man. I know we were in talks for a little bit, for a final time and it got, you know, we were talking maybe a month ago, so I'm glad we finally got to lock in this date and get a time where our schedules can align. So man, I'm excited for, I know it's going to be a good one coming today with some of the things you have going on and let's just help listeners out by, uh, you know, giving just a brief overview of your, your background.
[00:01:23] Maybe not the whole life story, but you know, a few minutes or like where, you know, which. How you're raised, what, you're, what you're up to now in, in business and the new launch you have, and then kind of what, what stage you're at at this point in life. Totally. Yeah. So, um, I grew up in Iowa. I was, uh, I was the oldest of five kids.
[00:01:41] I don't know if anybody can relate to that, but yeah. Grew up in Iowa. Oldest of five had two wonderful parents, uh, you know, normal, uh, Christian upbringing, I guess you would say, you know, I've always been involved. And church. And, um, you know, when I was younger, football was my big thing. Right. So, um, always wanted to play college [00:02:00] football and, and so that's kind of what I transitioned into.
[00:02:03] Um, you know, when I was younger, I, I played football at Evangel university, uh, down in Springfield, Missouri. And that led into, you know, what I thought was going to be a police officer, you know, career, uh, studying criminal justice. Um, you know, I took a turn, ended up being a firefighter for four years, which is a big part of my story and my growth.
[00:02:26] Um, so yeah, I was a firefighter for four years and man, that's really where I'd say I started to develop, you know, Personally and started to grow and had the ideas to like, I wanted to own my own business and, um, you know, started reading those self-help books. I, you know, I think I was 20, 21 years old and I was like, I want to own a business, but I'm just not sure what in yet.
[00:02:48] Um, and th the first step was growing yourself. Right. So really invested in myself and started growing. And I, and I still do, but I would say that's really where it really started. Um, you know, coming [00:03:00] present day I'm 25 now married, uh, just had my first baby girl, she's seven months old and. I, uh, yeah, I'm just super thankful for where I'm at.
[00:03:13] I work, uh, I work a full-time job, so I'm a commercial security consultant by day. And just two weeks ago, we launched comfort tactical, uh, which are, is our tactical apparel brand. Um, you know, and yeah, just super blessed and thankful that. To be on the podcast today, man. Yeah, that's great, man. It's going to be a nice transition to what we want to talk about because I'm curious, because I come from Midwest, Midwest, family too, like salad, uh, you know, really solid upbringing and those things too, but entrepreneurship wasn't necessarily something that was in, in our family.
[00:03:48] You come from a family of a lot of teachers and it sounds like same thing, you know, where you get into something like firefighting and I don't, I don't know for sure you can correct me if I'm wrong on this, but. Firefighting doesn't seem like it's not like [00:04:00] that's a natural step to an entrepreneur journey.
[00:04:02] Like firefighting seems very much like a, you know, you're, you're in it and it's, it's a tough thing to get into, but you want to stay in that. And I don't know, maybe, maybe more guys than I know are, are branching off into their own business things with that. But what was that? Was there a flip in your mind that, uh, You know, cause you, when you say around that 20, 21 March, you start reading those self-help books being like, Hey, this is something I want to do.
[00:04:22] Like, what was the, was it, Hey, I have this need I can fill. Or is it just like, Hey, I know I'm like, I, I know this is something that's in my future. Something I was, I was made for. How did that kind of play out for you? So funny you asked because I'm asked that question all the time, so I appreciate you asking it.
[00:04:38] And I say that because a lot of people are like, you are a firefighter, you know, like a lot of people want to be firefighters, even when they're 30, 40, 50, like you have this pension and you have all these great benefits. And like, why would you ever leave that, leave that, you know, you were so set up and, um, I was.
[00:04:55] But what I like always wanted for my life, from like what I wanted to do [00:05:00] financially. Wasn't at the fire department. That was one reason, a couple other reasons, um, you know, without getting into the details. And you know, another reason is that about 80% of the fire department is EMS. Right? So you're, um, you know, Basically a glorified EMT, you're running all of the, the heart attacks, the strokes, you know, things like that and love the fireside.
[00:05:22] But what, you know, the EMS side wasn't really for me. Um, but with that being said, the biggest piece would probably financial, you know, I looked at where I would be in 30 years, um, you know, making 70, $80,000 a year, like as a chief. And I'm just like, Hmm. I can see my whole pay structure, like out in front of me.
[00:05:41] And like there's just limits. I just felt the glass ceiling and just decided that. This isn't what this isn't where I wanted to be. And I know that other firefighters make more, depending on the area, but in the Midwest, you know, I mean $80,000. It's pretty good salary. But, um, yeah, I just felt like I was made for more.
[00:05:59] Yeah, [00:06:00] love it. Good, good, good plug there. And I, I felt the same thing too with that, you know, people, people think you finish our degree was in my wife and I and doctorate of physical therapy. And it's like, Oh, like, doctor, you get this huge big salary when you come out. And you're like making these big bucks and it's like, Realistically.
[00:06:16] No, it's, we're, we're pretty middle considering how much we pay into schooling, like pretty middle of the road and same thing. There's, there's very much a glass ceiling on there. And when you start to look at it, you're like, I don't want to work. 30 years and, you know, make a, make a, you know, 2% raise year over year to get to the point where it's still not to the lifestyle that we want to be living.
[00:06:35] So I can, I can totally relate with that. And I think a lot of people listening can relate to that, but, you know, identifying that and doing something about it are. Are two totally different things. So what was, what was that like of actually, you know, maybe conversations you had with, with your wife, with, with friends?
[00:06:50] Like, was your, was your wife supportive? Cause I know a lot of resistance for people is like, family can be resistant to it when you have this, this good thing, the stable, safe thing set [00:07:00] up. Uh, was there, did you meet any resistance or how did you shift from, Hey, I see this isn't where I want to go and actually taking action on it.
[00:07:09] Yeah. So the road I took, um, I believe it was the correct road. It wasn't exactly like quitting cold Turkey. Like I was like, I'm going to leave the fire department. I think Alex Miller talked a little bit about this in your last podcast that I listened to, um, where you just either cut it off or, you know, you kind of maintain something and kind of the transition for me was.
[00:07:31] And a lot of the books that I was reading that I mentioned before, um, you know, a lot of them started in sales. A lot of people that, that ran big businesses or did really well in business, they started in sales at some point and there was a common theme. And I noticed that as I would read books, And so I was like, man, I don't know anything about sales.
[00:07:48] I'm going to jump into a sales job just to learn. Like I was like, it's not really about the money. Um, so one thing led to the next, you know, I went through a bunch of sales training and I had a entry level sales job [00:08:00] while I was at the fire department. So I'd actually go with the fire department for two days and then sales for four days.
[00:08:06] And I did that for about a year and a half. Um, And when I finally decided that, like I was going to transition out of the fire department, I actually didn't go right into comfort tactical. I went into a higher ticket sales job because now I have the skill. Now we might as well make a foundation of money, right.
[00:08:26] Where that will allow me to launch my business. So that's kind of in the phase that I'm in right now. And it has allowed me to launch the business and I'll probably continue, you know, to work my day job. Um, But it's just kind of the foundation was sales transitioning into launching it. If that answered your question.
[00:08:45] Yeah, I definitely did. And I like you clearing that up because a lot of people, and we've talked about this in previous episodes, but it's like, it doesn't have to be that that burned the boats type mentality. Uh, there, there's plenty of ways to do it. Where if you have this dream, it's like, Hey, let's just, let's test [00:09:00] the waters a little bit and do that.
[00:09:01] But, uh, I know there's a lot that goes into. You know, a day job on its own. It takes a lot of energy, a lot of time. And then, uh, can you talk through like what went into the comfort tactical launch? Like how much, how much time, how much energy and maybe how did you manage some of your time to get? Cause it's a lot of people want it, they liked this idea of getting the side business off the ground, but like that takes some really good time management strategies and those things too.
[00:09:24] So can you speak on, on either one of those? Yeah, I can kind of speak on like how it started and kind of where we're at right now. When we, when we started. Um, you know, I would say that there wasn't even. I mean, you could always keep yourself busy, but I don't know that there was enough work because what I do in the apparel industry, uh, there's a lot of communicating and waiting on other people to get, you know, information back from manufacturers and getting fabric samples.
[00:09:52] And like, so I would say like, I don't even know that I would have enough work for a full-time job to start out with. So it actually paired really well with what I was [00:10:00] doing. Um, cause I was working, you know, late in the evening, um, early in the morning type of thing to start out, you know, because let's see, we started last January.
[00:10:11] So it's been about a year that we've been working on comfort, tactical, leading up to this. Um, and just so anybody knows comfort, tactical, a tactical apparel brand, um, where we made one of the first pair of concealed carry sweatpants. So we actually took sweatpants reinforced, um, the waistband added belt loops so that you could actually carry your firearm.
[00:10:33] I'm not sure what the rules are in California. Maybe you can't even do that. I'm not sure. Well, good thing. Good thing. People listen all over the country. California is not the, uh, not the best state for that problem. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. So, um, just with that being said a little background, so I'm working with manufacturers, I'm doing all this stuff.
[00:10:51] So really, as far as the time management piece, I would say I did the best I could without a lot of knowledge on how to manage my time. Uh, it was [00:11:00] just, you know, Doing what a lot of people do. If they're starting a business, I worked during the day and then that evening I would just get home. I would talk to manufacturers and stuff like that, building prototypes and, um, you know, up to this recent launch, I would say, um, in.
[00:11:17] In January was when things really changed. And I started to implement, I think you're familiar with Al Hammets four quarter structure. Yep. Yeah. Why don't you give people yeah. Give people a background on how you use it, uh, can help with that. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. So, um, I I've really implemented Al's four quarter structure.
[00:11:36] It, it, it served me in a lot of different ways, but it boils down to having a vision and breaking it down on. Okay. This is your goal. This is. This is what you want to do now. How do you get there? And you just, you get really granular, you break it down into four quarters of the year, then you break it down into, you know, um, basically on a monthly [00:12:00] daily, all the way down to an hourly basis, right.
[00:12:02] And how you structure your day to complete and to get to that, that goal task, whatever it is. So like as an example, um, my quarter one in the morning is from. It's from five 30 to nine 30. It's my Q1. It's my personal development time. It's when I work on me to D Q2 is my super focus. That's when I got a lot of the things done that require a lot of my brain power and attention.
[00:12:24] It's where, you know, I feel that I have the most brain power in the morning. Um, my, my Q3 is from one 30 to five 30. Uh, that's kind of my it's my action time. It's when I'm getting the things done that don't necessarily require a lot of brain power. But require a lot of action where I just do things. And then the biggest piece for me is, is five 30 to nine 30, which is my Q4, my family time.
[00:12:48] So I'm able to. Run my business in the morning, work my day job and be with my family in the evening with that four quarter structure, hopefully that did it justice. Good. Yeah. Well, we, uh, we were talking before, [00:13:00] we'll have to get Alan here for, uh, for a future one for a really deep, deep dive on it. But yeah, I use the same thing and I have a similar structure to you where it's, it's a, you know, fight.
[00:13:08] Five to nine. Is that like me time of personal growth of, uh, reading prayer, like breath work, some of those things working out and then, uh, my most productive times in the morning too. So that nine to one block is super valuable for being able to just do some of that, like on the business type stuff and then one to five in the business and then the, uh, the family time at the, at the end.
[00:13:29] So it's a, it's a powerful, powerful system. Yeah. It's a great, it's a great way for those listening that need to find those extra hours in the day to. You know, to get that side business up off the ground, like, it's a, it's a good way to do that. And in that sense, where you doing it then in the, so that like initial five to nine, five 30 to nine 30 block, is that when you were doing a lot of your, uh, building comfort tactical.
[00:13:52] Yeah, definitely. That's when I do it now, for sure. It's, you know, what I love about the four quarter structure is it's always evolving and it's always [00:14:00] changing and I'm always like, how can I fit all this time and all this stuff to do? And right now, yeah, it looks like five 30 in the morning. I'm doing my devotionals and, uh, going to the gym and doing my workout and really from like six 30 to.
[00:14:12] To seven 38 o'clock is when I'm shipping shipments, when I'm, you know, moving the needle for comfort tactical, and it's been super, super helpful, super blessed to really know that, um, for quarter structures so I can implement it every day. Yeah. Ask you that's a really, really good thing on time management.
[00:14:29] And as we get into, so launching of, of comfort, tactical, what. For those that are maybe, you know, looking to get into a launch. Like, I feel like a launch is overwhelming. I haven't, I haven't done a launch, like, like you've done it of an apparel thing. I can imagine what goes into that. We do, we have a lot of, I guess, mini launches going into, we have mindset, mastery challenges.
[00:14:47] We have different coaching groups. We launch, we have, you know, different one-on-one pushes we have of, of getting. Of, uh, you know, working with working with new clients, but those are like digitally, and those are our, uh, I guess on a micro scale [00:15:00] versus launching a full new brands. So can you, uh, can you speak a little on, on, uh, what that looks like?
[00:15:06] Like energy-wise, time-wise what the, what the process was leading up to the actual launch piece and how it, how it felt when you actually did to get that up and launched. Totally. Yeah. And I will say, um, you know, although it's different, it doesn't mean one's harder than the other, cause I'm sure, you know, it's really, how familiar are you with these different areas?
[00:15:28] And I knew nothing about apparel, so, you know, I didn't even know the difference between a woven and a knit and that's like very common language industry. And, um, so I would just say like where it started was. Super new. I was like, I know the end goal. I had the vision. I was like, how do I get there? Right.
[00:15:46] I want to make these concealed carry sweatpants. Do I, you know, starting out, we were like, do we just sew on a waistband on some existing sweatpants? Like, did we just wholesale sweatpants? And then, and then we tried that and we were like, this is [00:16:00] looks horrible. Um, so then, you know, we started from scratch and found out that there's actually contract manufacturers that you can hire, um, that you actually send all your materials.
[00:16:10] Um, so your fabric and your elastic and all this stuff, and they actually take it to the Sowers and then they take it, you know, to all these different places. So say, um, you know, to kind of answer your question, a lot of work, as far as like communication, um, you're dealing with time zones that's that was new to me, you know, calling people in the East coast, you know, cause you know, Pacific time you call somebody at five o'clock here.
[00:16:35] They're almost going to bed over there. So it's like, you know, you've missed the Mark. So I would say there was a lot of patients that I had to build up in myself, just waiting on other people like, Hey, you know, waiting on your pattern, waiting on, you know, samples to be made and, and prototyping, you know, we went through it.
[00:16:55] Two months prototyping phase, where, um, we had just 10 [00:17:00] people wear sweats for two months and there's really, you know, there's other things you can do behind the scenes, but there's really, you're just waiting for feedback, like on what do you like? And then when they don't like something or they do, you're making changes.
[00:17:11] Right. So a lot of patients, um, and a lot of anticipation I think is kind of what, you know, you wanted me to talk about was. As we approached the launch, it was almost like, Oh wait, are we ready? You know, like we have all this inventory, like, are we ready to launch? And the best advice I can give anybody is that you're never really, again, it'd be a hundred percent ready.
[00:17:35] You're just going to have to ready, fire aim type of thing, you know? And, and we launched and. Put a lot into the launching. It was super exciting. And launch went super well. You know, we, we had really good sales just in the first week of our sweat pants and our other, you know, uh, merge and, um, but I would say, yeah, that biggest step was just launching, you know, just getting it off the ground.
[00:17:59] We could've made a [00:18:00] hundred other excuses of why we needed to wait another three months, four months, but we were just. We're a launched and now we're officially, you know, comfort, tactical, and we have been for the past few weeks. So hopefully that answered your question first off. Congrats on that, man. I know that's I know how much work goes into that and especially, uh, Working working another job and doing these other things.
[00:18:22] Like that's, that's long, long hours of, of being able, being able to do that. But I love the patients you had with it too. Of it's it's easy to get impatient, and this is always a delicate balance for entrepreneurs because it's like, you know, there's. There's certain things. Sometimes we're not, we're not actually enough.
[00:18:39] Like there's more we can be doing. There's more times we can pick up the phone and do these things. But sometimes it is like playing the long innocence balance of long game, short game of, of how to manage that. So, uh, first off, just congrats on that. I mean, a launch of any kind is a, is a big thing. And like we were talking about a little bit before we hit record though, too, is, is that the a hundred excuses you talk about is why a lot of people [00:19:00] don't.
[00:19:01] Don't take that, that first step and don't, uh, they have this dream or they have this vision of whether it's. Filling a need of, of what their product or service can do, or if it's like, Hey, like I want to make more money. So my family can live a different life than the one I grew up with. And like, whatever that vision is, letting those excuses get in the way of it, letting those excuses, Rob, that is just one of the most hurtful things to see from my point of the people that, uh, you can't step into that, that bigger thing that, uh, you know, that bigger thing, that bigger thing in their heart that they're trying to work towards.
[00:19:32] And did those, did those excuses ever, you know, seriously get. Getting, uh, getting the way of, of, uh, derailing your dream at all, or how did you manage those excuses if they did come in? How'd you get past those?
[00:19:47] Yeah, I would say that. Not really. I mean, there was nothing, I had the vision that I wanted to launch my own business, and I think it goes back to the fire department that I spoke about earlier. Like that's where it started [00:20:00] and I've been on a mission ever since, you know, so there wasn't necessarily excuses, I think the biggest, um, I mean the big, best thing that can kind of hold you back is yourself.
[00:20:13] And I think. When I would get in my own head, like people aren't going to buy this, nobody's actually going to wear this. Maybe you're the only one that likes this, you know, all this negative stuff that goes through your head and, you know, I just never let it hold me, hold me down. I just clear it, but I've done a lot of training to like, be able to do that.
[00:20:36] You know, like it, hasn't always been second nature to, uh, when you have self limiting beliefs just to shut it off, you know, it's taken a lot of practice and a lot of time. Um, so I'd say there's not a lot that that helped me out, but I would say people can do the same thing. You know, I don't know about your experience, but make sure that who's in your circle.
[00:20:55] You know that they always say that the five people you hang out with is as soon as you're most [00:21:00] likely to become. And so true. I mean, I'm not hanging out with the same people that I was hanging out with five years ago. You know, not that I don't love those people, but where I'm at right now, you know, moving into entrepreneurship, you know, Launching my own business.
[00:21:16] I'm I'm with a lot of other people that launch businesses or own their own business. And I think that's been a huge piece to my success. Yeah. So good. I love, I love bringing it back to what you talked about the beginning to when you started reading those books, the realization that there's so much of working on yourself, and that's what people don't realize as they go into business.
[00:21:35] It's so much of like, well, what are the skills I need to learn? How do I, you know, how do I. Form these sweatpants, what are, how do I set up a website? How do I do this and this? And it's like, sure, those are things that just need to get done. Like those are essential to what you're doing, but at the same time, people neglect to surround themselves with the right people that are, uh, elevating their mindset and that are.
[00:21:55] Building up, building up yourself to be able to respond to those things is not that people don't [00:22:00] have those limiting thoughts. You have those often I have those all the time, like where we're the first to admit those are, those are always present, but we learn how to better deal with them. We learn which ones, you know, certain of them do get certain ones do get removed, but certain ones just have to get like tamed.
[00:22:15] If you will, of you, you learn how to better control those things. Identify them for what they are and then say, Hey, not like I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna associate with that. With that thought or with that, with that belief. So I think that's, uh, I think that's awesome. And speaking of mindset, I would love to hear, you know, see, and I know it's still fairly new, but leading up to launch, I think there's a certain mindset of like, Hey, where this, where this new business.
[00:22:37] And we're like about to launch we're about to launch and. There's something that switches though, when you're live and when you're actually like, Hey, we, like you said, we are comfort tactical. We are this business. We have we're ready to like ready to sell, ready to get out our product to the right people.
[00:22:51] What's uh, what's the mindset shift that goes from like launch phase to, Hey now we're we had a few successful weeks. How do we start to go into that growth mode? [00:23:00] Yeah, totally. And I guess there's a lot of anticipation. Approaching the launch. There's a lot of like, is it the right time and things like that.
[00:23:10] And, um, I think I had just mentioned that there's never a good time, you know, like you just have to do it, take the step, take the leap of faith launch. Um, and, and where the mindset shifts is like, now it's real. Now you own a business. How do you sell the people that you don't know? You know, how do you market to your target?
[00:23:31] You know, there's a market for, for. Launch for how do you reach those people? You know, what's the best marketing way, you know? Like how are people going to respond to your ad? And I out my business partner too, and that he has really helped me with just the marketing aspect, because I mean, for creativity and the cameras and things like that.
[00:23:51] So, um, but I would say the biggest mindset is once you launch super exciting and then all of a sudden, Oh crap, now we're here now, what do we [00:24:00] do? You know, like, well now let's make it happen. This is when the real work. You know, kicks in and starts, I would say. Yeah, that's really good. I think it's really cool.
[00:24:09] You intentionally got into the sales background cause that's where a lot of entrepreneurs have this passion. They have this thing, they, this, they see this need. They're like, I can solve that. I can do that. You spend all the time doing the tactical things. If you will, of putting together the, the, like the ideal apparel for people, but then it gets time to sell.
[00:24:27] Like you get that initial uptick of people who are just anticipating it, but then there's going to be a point where it's like, okay, they. The, the initial people, they were all excited about the launch of bot at this point. Like, sure, they're going to, like, if they like it, they'll, there'll be lifetime customers, but at the same time, it's like, Oh boy, now we need to learn how to market and we need to learn how to, how to sell this thing.
[00:24:46] And, uh, is that something, do you have more of that role as your business partner? Do you guys collaborate with that? Uh, in terms of how to, because I know a lot entrepreneurs run into that same problem.
[00:24:55]Yeah, totally. So I actually, um, my business partner and I got together when we were starting this [00:25:00] thing and. We started the partnership because he's definitely got skills that I don't have, and I have skills that he doesn't have with sales and things like that. And so that was one of the biggest reasons that we paired so well.
[00:25:13] And so I would say he definitely takes care of a lot of the ads, a lot of the marketing website design and all that stuff on the backend. And then. Yeah. I mean, where I'm good with sales is on the phone, you know, um, we have our first trade show coming up this weekend and that's where I feel like I'm going to be able to shine and like, I'll be able to rip through our pairs because you know, the communication skills that I've built and things like that.
[00:25:36] Um, but yeah, I would say that's, that's where we pair really well as a team. And I guess the phase we're in right now, isn't how do you market, or how do you spell it's. Um, what are the avenues and what data we can collect from the people we're selling to. To, to mimic that for future ads and marketing campaigns and things like that.
[00:25:59] That's good. Yeah. [00:26:00] No, I love that. And it's, uh, you know, it's going to be unique to the specific market, but that's, uh, that's where a lot of people, I think get deer in the headlights when they're like, I have this great service or this great product, but like, Okay. The initial people bought and now it's like, okay, now what, how do I, how do I go find a new person?
[00:26:15] But I love, uh, having a good partnership like that is, is a super beneficial way, but don't, uh, don't sleep on those sales or marketing skills. Cause that's the lifeblood of, of any kind of businesses is the ability to do that. And uh, now I'm, so I'm so excited for your, for this journey you're, you're on and getting up to the launch and doing that.
[00:26:34] And as, as we kind of start to wrap up here, I wanna, I kinda want to hear what, uh, You know, other, I guess, other parting words for someone who's on the fence with entrepreneurship, maybe they're, you know, they're, they're not sure if it's, if it's for them or they have this big dream and they don't want to do it, uh, would love to hear any advice you have and, you know, kind of wrapped up in that advice.
[00:26:55] Like how do you, how do you keep the main thing? The main thing too, because you do such a good job. I just want to [00:27:00] applaud you for the way you like invest in your family. And I know you're strong root in your faith and there's. Like your fitness is important to you. And some of these things, like how do you keep the main thing, the main thing and work this full-time job and get this business off the ground.
[00:27:12] Cause you got a lot of stuff going on. I think that should give encouragement to people that are, you know, looking to go a similar route as, as you. Yeah, totally. And the first thing that comes to mind, like when you say that is. Have a vision, like have the goals and take the first step. Right? That was the biggest thing for me.
[00:27:32] If I would have known ever, like back when I just knew I wanted to launch a business, but I wasn't sure what end, if I didn't start developing it in my S like developing myself five years ago, I would not be where I'm at today. And I think something you just said with the sales, like the sales skill is great, but all the other skills I learned in sales.
[00:27:52] The communication, the public speaking, the confidence, you know, when speaking to people like all these different things [00:28:00] are like, I'm a different human, like before I was in sales for four years. And I think that you can't skip over the personal development piece is what I want to say to that. And then, you know, I give again all my credit to the four quarter structure for, uh, you know, helping me get through, Because, you know, as Al and in the King council, you know, we always say like living in the world of an, or has been huge for me because I, I see no purpose in getting to this point where I run a super successful business, but I don't have anybody to share it with, you know, so having my family there every step of the way, super important for me, like for Dave from day one, Yeah, I love that.
[00:28:43] And that's a, that's such a great place to, to wrap up because I know so many people that think they have to choose, choose the, or it's like, well, I'm going to sacrifice my family for now because I'm working this full-time job to help support them. And I'm trying to get the side hustle business off, or we'll put off [00:29:00] the side hustle business, because I don't want to give up this hobby or I'm afraid of losing family time.
[00:29:04] And it's like, You might have to adjust the timeline a little bit like that target might move a little bit, but the end vision, like lock that envision and you'll find a path that doesn't look the way that you draw it up. That's that's going to get there if you keep working towards it and keep those, those priorities, the main thing.
[00:29:18] So to go to man, I love, I love that, bro. I appreciate you coming on and sharing your journey. I know it's going to be encouraging for any of those, uh, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs to be listening. Where can I, where can people find a comfort Tesco and where can they, uh, work in? They get their hands on your, uh, You're good swag there.
[00:29:36] Yeah, man. Um, you can find us at comfort, tactical.com. We have a website or, um, you know, find us on Instagram. You'll. Find some pictures of, uh, the comfort tactical, the off duty sweats and things, more information, uh, at comfort tactical. So at comfort, tactical, uncomfort, tactical.com. And, and I just want to, man, just thank you for having me on here and letting me share with everybody.
[00:29:58] And, and I think what you're doing [00:30:00] here is like so important. Like the men made for more podcasts is, is so important for people to hear and grow and just take that next step. Because we are truly made for more and I'm not, you know, shameless plug there, but we really are. And you know, there, we can do more too, you know, like we can live in the world of and, and do more.
[00:30:19] And that's super important to me. So thank you for having me on here, man. Yeah, I appreciate those words. And I agree with what you said earlier with that glass ceiling. Sometimes it's actually there in our career or something. Sometimes there's a financial cap, but I do think we put too often, we put glass ceilings on ourselves.
[00:30:34] So thinking that, well, this is what my family did. This is what I did. So this is, this is where I'm going to have to be. But, uh, w. When you get around the right people, uh, that's what I'm thankful for. People like yourself and, uh, other people in my life that can pour into myself. And I know you have the same thing to help raise that perceived ceiling into, into some greater, so Dakota Brown.
[00:30:53] I appreciate you. Thanks for coming on. And, uh, I'm looking forward for this going live for, for our listeners. Yeah, [00:31:00] man. Thank you very much.
[00:31:01]
[00:31:01] Thanks for listening today, guys, unbelieving that even if you apply one thing from today's show, you're taking one step closer to living as the man you were made to be meaningful change doesn't happen overnight. So keep showing up and keep consistent every single day until good things start to happen.
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