EP 7 // Taylor Symmank

[00:00:15] Speaker A: What's up, you guys? Michael, straight here from the proper form podcast, excuse me. With the Taylor's to make episode number seven. And I just realized. So you'll hear a little bit here as we get going on this episode. But Taylor and I went to high school together, played football together, and he was actually number seven on the football team. [00:00:31] Speaker B: Right? Yeah. Yes. [00:00:32] Speaker A: Very interesting. [00:00:34] Speaker B: All works out well. [00:00:35] Speaker A: Dude, thank you for being here today. I appreciate it. I'm excited to go over a lot of things. Some exciting news in your life and some new chapters that are coming along that I'm pumped to discuss and share with the audience. But first and foremost, as I kind of start most of our episodes just to get the ball rolling, some things that describe you. You're a man of God, business owner slash entrepreneur, and also, like, business consultant. I'm excited to hear some of that family. Yes. You're not married yet. [00:01:02] Speaker B: Not yet. No kids yet. [00:01:04] Speaker A: But family is very important to you and that's awesome. I'm excited to hear some of it as well. And then newly engaged to your wonderful fiance, Nicole. [00:01:14] Speaker B: Yes. Dude, it's wild even hear the word fiance. [00:01:17] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:01:17] Speaker B: Like, as of literally four, three days ago. Yeah, it's crazy new. [00:01:21] Speaker A: So it's gonna be wife and you're gonna be like, you're my bride. [00:01:25] Speaker B: I know, dude. [00:01:25] Speaker A: This is crazy. [00:01:26] Speaker B: It's crazy. [00:01:27] Speaker A: Well, man, why don't we just. We jump into that. It's fresh on your mind. I'm sure you've had jitters. You've been excited. How long have you guys been together now? [00:01:36] Speaker B: So it'll be a full three years at the end of May. So still basically almost three. Yeah. [00:01:43] Speaker A: And then you proposed. It was in Florida. [00:01:45] Speaker B: Yeah. So Rosemary beach this past Friday. So I'll try to make a short story or a long story short. So I've been planning it for freaking months, and I wanted it to be a surprise, but she's that type of person that's like, asking the questions always, like, she's gonna figure it out before I ever tell her. Anyway, so I had to be, like, super secretive. Couldn't tell anybody, even in my family, till, like, the week of her family. I had to wait till. So she works with her brother and her dad, and so obviously you gotta ask her dad. So I had to wait till, literally the day after she left. So I sent her out on Thursday. I went to ask him on Thursday after she left. [00:02:24] Speaker A: No way. [00:02:25] Speaker B: And then I go there Friday, the next day after you are really believing. [00:02:27] Speaker A: That he was gonna say, oh, I. [00:02:28] Speaker B: Didn'T trust anybody, bro. [00:02:30] Speaker A: Well, I'm saying you were really trusting that he was gonna say yes to Lee. [00:02:33] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. 100%. There's no option at this point. It's like she's already there already things set up. There's gonna be roses on the beach. Like, oh, my gosh, this is it. So, yeah, he said yes, thankfully. And then she said yes, thankfully too. But, yeah, so I've been planning it for so long. And she also said the hard part was she wanted. Her name is Astrid, which was. She's a professional photographer. She wanted her there at the proposal. [00:02:56] Speaker A: Her friend. [00:02:57] Speaker B: Yeah, her friend. So it makes it. It made it a lot harder, because if she's there, it's, like, obvious red flag. Like, hey, like, okay, she's here. It's a cool place. Definitely happening. So I had to make it set up. Like, it wasn't that way to where she still had no clue. And thankfully, we were able to do that. So I had her create a fake little proposal of someone else hiring her to be out there, and Astrid saying, hey, can, you know, I'm gonna be out there a couple days. I'll pay for your flight out here. I just want you to hang out with me and rosemary. I know you've always wanted to go, and so that's what we did. [00:03:28] Speaker A: Nice. [00:03:28] Speaker B: And little does she know, I was, like, literally planning the whole thing out. So it worked out literally. Perfect. I could keep going on, but the scary part. And if American Airlines is watching this, I would like to talk to you. Yeah. [00:03:40] Speaker A: Come on. Reimbursement. [00:03:41] Speaker B: Yeah. So the first flight, I got delayed, and so I'm flying Friday. I'm proposing that Friday night. So I leave about 03:00 the flight on my way to the airport gets delayed by about 40 minutes. And I'm like, all right, this is 40 minutes that I really don't have to play with. And so I thought I was going to. If you get delayed again, I would have missed it. Right? So I was like, okay, cool. They were 40 minutes. Didn't realize an Uber situation was going to be tight out there. Like, they don't get very many Ubers in Rosemary beach, which, thankfully, if she's listening, I can't remember her name, but she literally took me from the airport to drop my bags off, waited for me outside to change, and then took me to the beach. And she didn't charge me for the other half, so I had, like, send her some extra stuff, but it was really cool. [00:04:25] Speaker A: This was an Uber driver. Like, uber driver easily, like, yeah, I'll stay. And then peace out. [00:04:29] Speaker B: Yeah, just piece I've been running. It was a 1.5 miles, but I was like, at least I'm running at least, right? Like, so that whole thing was scary. [00:04:36] Speaker A: Cause I was like, stay in shape, you never know. [00:04:38] Speaker B: That's true. Stay in shape and have strong feet feel to run on the cement. But yeah, it was. So that was Friday, so thankfully American is still there. But thank you for making it a little tight for me. So I was about to roll out my bags and just like throw them in the bushes and then just get them after, but on the way back, so everything was perfect all up until Sunday. We're about to fly back. I had planned a surprise, basically engagement party. So like 40 people there, all the whole thing set up. Well, our flight gets. We're supposed to let fly out at three, get back at five. Flight gets basically delayed till midnight. They get us, cancel it. So we have to stay there an extra day. We missed the whole engagement party and stuff like that. So we're gonna have it in two weeks from now. And that was the only part of the trip that's like, that sucked. Now, Florida was not a bad place to get stuck in. Don't get me wrong, there's worse, but you cut that part out. American. It really sucked. It was terrible. Sort of reimbursed me on something, but. But yeah, that was. It was. [00:05:33] Speaker A: It was awesome. It was. [00:05:36] Speaker B: Yeah, it was. That's hard when you're trying to so many moving parts. [00:05:41] Speaker A: Well, of course, you guys haven't said I do yet, but if that's not just a sobering introduction to better or for worse, you know, like, dude, seriously, that's. Did I hope. And did you have any other family that was in town specifically for the engagement party on that Sunday that like now is not gonna be able to be there for the coming weekend. [00:06:06] Speaker B: Thankfully, they'll still. Most of them are here local or like, can drive. Okay, if that makes sense. Nothing. Nobody flew in, which I'm thankful for. Yeah, but, yeah, I mean, but we can't. They canceled it because the flight's 2 hours. It's like 2 hours before saying, hey, it's not going on. [00:06:22] Speaker A: And yeah, you can still eat all the food and hang out if you want. We won't be there, though. [00:06:26] Speaker B: Just picture us there. [00:06:28] Speaker A: Take a rain check for next weekend. [00:06:29] Speaker B: Facts, dude. So other than that, it was phenomenal. It was awesome. I've always wanted. I know she always wanted on the beach and I've always wanted to kind of do it, like, in a cool way. It's where she remembered. [00:06:39] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:06:40] Speaker B: So. And make it a surprise. Which was the coolest part. The videos and all the pictures kind of help me remember how much of all the stressful or late nights and stuff like that, planning the whole thing and getting the timings right was worth it. [00:06:51] Speaker A: If there's one thing I could definitely encourage. And I did a proposal video that I. The proposal I did with Sophie with some friends from college at a and M. But I. If I could go back, Sophie and I wish, I don't hate using the word like regret, but I deeply regret and wish we would have videoed the wedding. We have a ton of pictures, but, man, it's just, you know, it's such an unbelievable moment of your life and a huge chapter and so many memories and people that are there that you don't always get to see. And yes, we have tons of great pictures, but we have zero video. And I, especially now with my two boys, like, I wish I could show them, like, us dancing together and saying I do together and all of that. And there's some moments where, like, it hurts that we don't have that, but it's awesome that you did that. I would highly encourage, spend the money and the time on videographer and just save as much of that as you can. Because, man, we just. We're forgetful humans and even like, good things, we just. There's a lot in our brains. [00:08:00] Speaker B: 100%. [00:08:01] Speaker A: Yeah. But dude, that's so cool. I'm excited for you guys. Any timelines? I'm sure you already getting asked 5000 times when she found us yet. [00:08:10] Speaker B: I know, right? We're thinking later this year, so maybe sometime in November, early December maybe. But November would be great. We're just trying to get. So we're asking hopefully we're gonna get some people to say yes to what we're having to set up essentially, first. But if we can do it, then that'd be ideal. [00:08:28] Speaker A: Yes. About six months. [00:08:29] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:08:29] Speaker A: Nice. That's what Sophie and I did. [00:08:31] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:08:31] Speaker A: Can do it. If people tell you, oh, my gosh. That's not long enough. It's like, what I would always say is like, why would I want to wait any longer? [00:08:37] Speaker B: Thanks, bro. I don't want to wait. No way. [00:08:39] Speaker A: Be with this woman. Don't hold me back from that. Yeah, for sure. Nothing against people that take longer engagements at all, but. Yeah, that's awesome, dude. It's gonna be great. There's gonna be a little bit of stresses, but it's gonna play out the way it's supposed to play out 100%. [00:08:54] Speaker B: I'm excited for it. [00:08:55] Speaker A: Well, man, kinda tapping off of that just a little bit. Going into kind of family, man. Of course, not married yet, but you will be very, very soon. I know you from a personal level. We went to school, played football together at McKinney Boyd shout out, yo. But, yes, you have. Just from what I've known, I would love for you to share. What has your family meant to you? I know that you. I've always looked up to you and just the. The consistent posture that you've always held as who you are as your person and your character and that you've never really wavered from that. And I think that was enlightened through who you were as a friend, who you were during your football career, and would even say, that's into the chapters of who you are now as a business consultant, business entrepreneur, and soon to be husband. But how has your family helped shape a lot of that, dude? [00:09:44] Speaker B: I mean, I always, especially just in life in general and business stuff like that talks about as well is, like, environment is everything, dude. And some of us are born in harder environments to start, and then you gotta learn it. And some of us are blessed in good environments, and we get a, I think, an upper hand sometimes. And so for me, it was. I believed I had an upper hand on that, and it felt like, in my obligation and my duty to go further than maybe someone that didn't get that, because it's a privilege I had. Right. So I did grow up in a good family. I grew up in just in a great environment. Obviously, there's things I wish we were different. Some things, right? Like, everybody, nothing's perfect, but for the most part, there was great things, right? And so just who I became, what I did, it just gave me a great starting place. And then even all the way through, like, cousins, grandparents, like, all that, too. Like, my grandfather was huge in my life in helping me get to the NFL side of things because he coached for the Cowboys, had, you know, hall of famers. Like, the whole thing. Like, he was strength coach. Like, that was. I just spent so much time training with him and him going through and teach me different things throughout my life that I. I don't know who I would be without it, you know what I mean? And just having that around me and that mindset just made a huge difference as well from the sports side, too. [00:10:59] Speaker A: Yeah. A couple of questions I would love to ask kind of off that is totally understand. And I think I could agree to the point of, like, just the blessing of being dealt a great card on the family side, but also, like, there's a little bit of a choice there to be grateful, which I think you were and have been, of course. But just what I'm trying to kind of get to or ask is, like, how could you encourage anyone that maybe wasn't dealt such a great card there? Or has. Maybe, maybe has some, you know, regret or shame within themselves that maybe they were. They had that in the past, but as they are older, they realize that they didn't appreciate it. How would you encourage someone to kind of get into the right environment that they want to thrive in? [00:11:41] Speaker B: Yeah, 100%. Answer the first one. First. If you didn't get dealt the hand or whatever, I always go to the space because I do the same thing now, but I kind of start a different spot, I guess you'd say is like, go to, like, taking pride in what your name is gonna stand for because of you. Like, make it to the aspect of, like, either it stops with me and I'm gonna carry this thing beyond, or. And that goes for me, too. Like, my family's helped me run so far. Now it's time to hand the baton off, so to speak. It's like, how much further can I take it? I'm still taking that same approach, but someone may need to take it earlier in their life in order to do that for the ones that didn't start there. So, like, that mindset, because you take things different when it's like, when your identity and your pride's involved. And if you can do it in a positive way, you start building it to where, okay, I didn't have it, but I can make sure my son does number one or my daughter does, and then number two. If I didn't have it then, now it's up to me. There just comes a certain age where it's like, now it's your responsibility of what changes. And you have to stop blaming what happened or what cards you were dealt. Now you're dealt like, the cards are in my hand now. I'm either going to turn them in to get a new deck, or I'm going to play what I got. And that choice has to be made. You can only live so long to where you're like, that was their fault. And I think early on, a young age, like, that's just you kind of are. You don't get a choice at that. But then when there does come that time to make a choice, you'd be like, okay, cool. I didn't get it. It sucks, but it's time to go in this particular area. And there's certain areas of my life where I feel that way. It's like, dang. Well, I didn't have that quality or characteristic, which I want now. Let's go do that. And so. But I think that would be the first question to answer there. And then the people that look at it from or had it and look back and regret. And there's moments of that, too, for me as well. Like, looking back when you get to college for the first year and you're like, dang. Like, I didn't realize how much my parents did. You know what I mean? Like, it's that weird first year. And then even when you get back, when I got back from sports and stuff like that, too, there's a lot of things I look back on. I'm like, dang. So many different things that I had that I didn't realize were so vastly different than everybody else. Stuff like that, too. So for that one, I think it's really just. I always. The characteristic I always want to have, and I've even more in business to now, is, like, a characteristic of honor. And so, like, honor the space that you're in. Honor the people that never outshine the master, essentially. There's a book called 48 laws of power. It's a great book, but it talks about that. And I think it goes into the space of what honor truly is. And no matter, you don't have to agree with everything. You don't have to appreciate fully everything and what they do, but you can honor the space that they're in. Right. Because even if your parents were, like, awful, they got you to the point where you are now, to where you're alive and you're okay and you're still surviving. You still have things. Like, you can be appreciative of that because now you're old enough to do your own thing and make a choice and carry on what you want to, so you can be appreciative of something. Because I think, too, in life, if we can't appreciate what we have, we won't appreciate what we'll get either. And then now it cuts off all the blessing of what we could do as well. [00:14:46] Speaker A: That's great. [00:14:47] Speaker B: So that's what I would say to those people. [00:14:48] Speaker A: Yeah, it's kind of just. It's a shift of ownership. [00:14:51] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. [00:14:52] Speaker A: What you said about trading in the deck of cards and getting a new one, like, sooner or later you got to turn the cards over, whether whatever is like, down on the table, you got to flip them over and you got to play them and do that. Yeah, that's really, really good. And, yeah, I think even people that maybe were dealt good cards and going back to maybe not fully appreciating what they had, there can still be some gratitude and thankfulness in the, the current moment of, like, you know, what I'm acknowledging that I maybe didn't take as, you know, as well of a gratitude and, like, joyful heart for that time or that era of those people in my life. But, you know, I going back to the ownership, I can take honor in that now and ownership in that now. And maybe that's picking up a phone and making a phone call and saying, hey, you know what? I just want to thank you for who you are, who you were then to me and just the thankfulness that I didn't really give back to you then, but I can give that to you right now. Yeah. And that goes a long way for sure. And just shows kind of just the growth and the level up of the wisdom and, you know, kind of maturity that you have there that you're growing in. So, man, how has that then kind of shifted into just your work? So you have been with. Well, I would like to backtrack maybe just a little bit first before we get into your work. How did that then shift into your sport career? I don't want to skip over that because I want to chat a little bit. You played high school football. You were a kicker, you were a wide receiver. You went and played ball at Texas Tech and then into the NFL. I did want to shine a little bit and hear a little bit more on your granddad and how that kind of nature helped with your NFL pursuit. Could you share a little bit of that journey? [00:16:39] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. So as far as, like, just the overview, I guess, of that, you can stop me in between if you want to stop there. So obviously went from there from high school, went to a division two school for southern Arkansas because they told me that I could do both right. They told me I could play receiver and they could kick recruiting tactic. They did a phenomenal job because I bought it and I get there and it's like, I totally forgot about that. Yeah, it's freaking sucked. It was the greatest blessing in disguise at the time because I get there and they're like, well, if you get hurt playing receiver, we lose you as a kicker, a punter and a kickoff guy. So you have four positions. I was like, that makes logical sense. But you could told me that before you got me here, you know, because I did not want to come here. I remember the day I signed, and I had to take a picture and, like, send in the signing. Cause I was in Arkansas, and my mom was like, you can smile. I was like, no, I'm pissed. I'm only gonna be here for a year. I'm out of here. Like, I'm just trying to go. I did not want to go d two. Now, I didn't tell them that, but, like, that was my. My spot process. And so I get there, and then I'm thinking, I'm, okay, I'm gonna play receiver. That was the thing I wanted to do. And I kicked because I just kind of could. And I played soccer, and it was the thing I did. And so I get there, and two things happen. Number one, they said I can't play receiver. And number two, they told me I need to learn how to punt because we're not bringing anybody else in. So I'm like, all right, three months to figure out how to punt in front of my resume is my film. So, like, if I suck, no one's gonna recruit me at that point either. So I was like, okay, cool. And this is where I got really close to my grandfather because we spent those three months training and learning how he had, like, high speed, like, slow, like, I don't even know what the decimal. Whatever it would be that you could see. And we would go through each kick and spend, like, 20 minutes on each kick and how he was a sports science guy, so, like, how the body works. Get the most power. [00:18:20] Speaker A: Wow. [00:18:20] Speaker B: We spent literally three months, five days a week, 3 hours outside trying to figure this out. And thankfully, it worked because we ended. Our team sucked. We won one game, punted over 80 times. [00:18:33] Speaker A: Oh, my God. [00:18:34] Speaker B: Which is, like, stupid. Like, in the pros, you punt maybe 20, maybe 40 if you suck in a season. We punted double in my first season, we literally won one game. There's a couple games where I'd punt eight times in a game on six to eight was average. I'm just like, all right, cool. I'm getting great game film. This is incredible. [00:18:51] Speaker A: Yeah, maybe that was the reason we were there. [00:18:54] Speaker B: Not many kickoffs. We had a lot of punts, and, yeah, it was great. Cause I got a lot of practice. Cause then from there, I transferred to Texas tech, and that's kind of what they wanted me to do more of was punt. Cause the setup that a kicker that was already there on scholarship. And so I did kick off some punts mainly, and then that's what ended up doing in the NFL. So it worked out blessing in disguise so much, but it was. It was something else, man. [00:19:21] Speaker A: So then your time with your granddad going through the punt, just that process and the skill and the technique, and then you shared a little bit of thing going into the NFL, how you kind of mentioned earlier, how did he assist with that? How did he help you? How did you kind of network put film out there, scat agents, all of that. [00:19:40] Speaker B: Yeah. So thankfully at tech, we had some. Some big time players at the time. So we had, like, I think, 28 of the 32 NFL scouts at our pro day, which definitely helped because we had, I think 21 guys get drafted that year in that. That class, which was really nice because it helps me. Right. And so we. I mean, we had Pat Mahomes at the time. We had Baker Mayfield. We, like, we had. We had the squads. Yeah. And so that helped with basically getting recruited, if you would use that word, or scouted or whatever from them. So that's kind of was the easy way from there, obviously, you get an agent, they do all that force. That was a whole different ballgame, which my grandfather helped me out a little bit, too, with that connecting me to somebody that connect me to my agent on who I had. And then just that fun process itself is a wild game. I realized how much of a business the NFL is. It is freaking wild, bro. [00:20:34] Speaker A: Wow. [00:20:35] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:20:36] Speaker A: Dang. So what was your extent there about. [00:20:39] Speaker B: So to see 20, 1520. About four years. Yeah, I always forget now. I remember the years, but, yeah, four. [00:20:46] Speaker A: Time flies, dude. [00:20:47] Speaker B: It's crazy. Then tore my hip flexor and that kind of was the end thing for me. So transition of either wait a year or two to get back in the system of things. Cause it's kickers and punters. Most people don't know are not on. Not salary cap. They're not on like, guaranteed contracts. Unless you make it through, like your fourth or fifth year. Then they put you on a contract that's guaranteed. Otherwise it's like, they basically pay you weekly. Essentially how it works. [00:21:12] Speaker A: Wow. [00:21:12] Speaker B: It'll be a yearly salary, but they pay you weekly. And so if they cut you during the week, it's like, all right, cool. You're not getting the rest of that. [00:21:17] Speaker A: Wow. [00:21:18] Speaker B: So it's very cutthroat within the first four years for kicker and punter. And so, yeah, that was, that was a whole business side of thing. I didn't realize either. Yeah. [00:21:27] Speaker A: A little stressful. [00:21:28] Speaker B: Definitely. [00:21:29] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:21:30] Speaker B: You show up for a week, and you're like, all right, cool. Bad day. I wonder if I'm. I'll be here next week. [00:21:35] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:21:35] Speaker B: You know, that kind of deal. Thankfully, wasn't too bad. The coaches really liked what I could do, but at the same time, doesn't mean it's not over your shoulder thinking about it, for sure. [00:21:43] Speaker A: Yeah. It's in your hands, but it's technically not in your hands. Correct, man. So I know after that, you. You moved back here to Dallas area, got into the business world, and they kind of started your journey with Apex. Would love to hear. Kind of how, like, how did just some of that uncertainty and unknown and, like, resilience that you had to build through your. Obviously, your time as an athlete, but especially during the time of the unknown, being in the NFL, how has that helped shape you and grow you into just what you're doing now? [00:22:12] Speaker B: Dude, it's. It's everything, to be honest. The reason being is because the uncertainty of sports, of, like, them having almost a say in what your future looks like. [00:22:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:22:24] Speaker B: Is something I did not like. I didn't like it all. I wanted to do something where, like, I have full control of what I do, and that's kind of why I went the entrepreneur route. I'm just like, all right, if I put in the work, which I know I'll put in the work, then it's up to me, really. And there's certain things I can't control that the government may do in taxes or legalizations or whatever, but for the most part, I have full control of what can happen as long as I put the work in. And so that's what kind of led me into the entrepreneur space. Went into insurance first, get into a couple different businesses there, and then got into the apex side of things because I was looking to get around. I always wanted to get around top 1% of business owners the same way I was top 1% of sports. I knew environment was everything. I just gotta get in the right environment because there's things I don't know, and I don't even know what to ask. I just need to get in the space to figure out. Okay, cool. That's what it's supposed to look like. Those are the conversations you're supposed to have. That's what it's supposed to, you know, that's how you're supposed to operate that. That's what an Sop is supposed to look like. All the little things that you learn from being in the business that you're like, I wouldn't have learned unless I was there. Same thing in sports, right? You're not gonna learn unless you put the pads on what a hit feels like. You know what I mean? Like, you can just. Oh, that part hurts. No, no, it's different when you get hit. You know what I mean? It's completely different. So that kind of thing is what it taught me a lot. Number one there, and then number two is like, I don't know what tomorrow holds. So, like, the entrepreneurship side of thing, that's definitely something that's there. It's like, well, if I don't make a paycheck, there is not one. [00:23:45] Speaker A: Ironic, you know what I mean? [00:23:47] Speaker B: So it's like a weird. It's a weird economy of, like, I wanted to get away from it, but I kind of went right back into it. But I had it because the more control piece. But it definitely helped prepare that entrepreneur side, because getting used to, I think, from not only school, but just in general, even from sports, it's like everything was paid for, everything was good. It's kind of like everything was taken care of, and then now you get out in the real world, it's like, all right, it's up to you to figure all that stuff out now. So it definitely prepared my mindset a little bit there and to be able to handle pressure and stress that entrepreneurship has and just say, I just got to work. The pressure and number one, really, it's not really pressure. I think the definition of pressure that we put in this world is not really what it is. It's a perspective, how we see it. Like, real pressure, in my opinion, is like, a single mom has got literally no bills, no car. That's pressure. Me having to figure out how to make money in an open economy, that's not much pressure, to be honest. You know what I mean? So it's different from there, I think, too. [00:24:46] Speaker A: Yeah. Like you just said, it's just your perception of reality and just the perspective and just you taking the kind of going back to the ownership of the drive. Like, yes, you're driving the car. You're driving the vehicle. There's gonna be all types of different factors and things that are gonna jump into the road, but, like, you're turning the wheel, and you're gonna do your best to do that, man. How has that helped you expand your reach and your growth within apex? Because correct me if I'm wrong, and please share. I would love to hear no one. I think the audience would like to hear more, too, of what you guys do over Apex. I think maybe analogy going off. What you just said is a lot of who you know is how you grow. And you made that initiative to put yourself into a space that you could really get to connect and learn and grow from other guys that know a lot more than you did to gather more wisdom. But now you have kind of full circle come around, and you're offering that to a lot of other guys. So you're kind of like an entrepreneur within a business. And I think probably majority of listeners maybe aren't entrepreneurs, and they might not be happy with where they're at. Like, how could you encourage someone through, based off what you're doing in your drive through Apex, where you've had a lot of success? Yes. Working for a brand and a vision and a mission, but also adding your personal touch that aligns with that brand and that mission. [00:26:07] Speaker B: Yeah. Facts. I think people underestimate the. The capacity of growth you can have within an organization rather than having to be your own. Because, I mean, like, there's plenty of. We call it entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs that are billionaires. Like, I know them. And so, like, it's possible. So if it's been done, it can be done again. But if we don't see it that way, then we will never have the scope to be able to see it. [00:26:33] Speaker A: Grass is greener somewhere else. Right. [00:26:34] Speaker B: And so then we also take on sometimes, and not saying that you couldn't do it on your own, that's not the point. The point is, okay, cool, what am I looking to do? Can I go further, faster? Can I get to my goal? Like, what's my goal? Is my goal to have a CEO next to my name, or is my goal to hit a certain landmark and finances and set my family up? Like, that's what's really the goal here, because you can have. Cool, I'll give you the CEO role. And, I mean, Ryan Stewman always talks about, I'd rather have a piece of a watermelon than a penny. Right? Like, a full penny. I'd rather have a piece of something huge than something of my own that's really small. And so it's just like, that's the concept we have to understand, I think, is, what's the real goal? Like, is it just to be, I'm the guy, or is it to be like, no, my family sees me as the guy because of what I provided. There's a different view there. And so if you can align, as long as the visionary or the person of the company or whatever is big enough, which I think is that's where I push. A lot of owners is, like, make the vision big enough to where everybody can fit underneath their vision, because if it doesn't, then they can't see it. And if they can't see it, then I'm a biblical guy. Like, if you can't see it, you can't achieve it, right? If you can't see it, a dream perishes, right? Like, there's. That's how it happens. And so if we can create a goal or a vision big enough for everyone that can fit in, it's a win win for everyone. And then sometimes it's just about helping those people see the vision and inside that vision. But I think from the standpoint on that and encouraging people is that, number one, it's possible. I've seen it, and I'm walking it with a bunch of other guys doing it, too. And there's so many benefits to it, too, in a lot of ways, especially depending on the setup. But the culture and the environment, you're getting around other a plus players. Like, it's a big. It's a big difference, right? Like, I do believe environment, culture is everything. The older and older I get, I realize that, like, as kids, you're the cliche saying of, like, you know, you are who you surround yourself with, right? And it's like, yeah, I heard that story times. But then the older you get, like, no, that's literally everything. There's a reason people keep saying it. I just don't think people see the depth of that and nor how to do it. And I think that's where it's like, it becomes a cliche saying instead of like a principle of life. And that's where it needs to shift to. Because if you surround yourself with the right people, you get different knowledge, you get different information, you get different thought process, you have different level of friendships. It's a different game. [00:28:54] Speaker A: I want some touch on real quick going back to just maybe the cliche ness, if that's a word, of who you are, the five people you hang around is who you are, is that there's almost like this subconscious, like, manifestation with that phrase or like just surface level kind of like go with the wind and the flow with really. Like, I want to surround myself with five amazing people that are deeply rooted in who they are as a person and confident on the vision, on where they're going. And I want to align with that. Of course, if it's aligning with my mind and my vision stuff. But, yeah, it's like you can surround yourself with amazing people and still create care and touch and reach and create impact on other people's lives. It doesn't have to be this. Just kind of like passive, go with the wind and not have any fruit out of your life. [00:29:45] Speaker B: 100%. [00:29:46] Speaker A: And I think just from what I've seen and what you guys are doing with apex, like, you guys do that from a networking space. Like, you guys are connecting. Like, you just mentioned a player type people that are from different industries. You guys are helping put those types of people in a room. And honestly, maybe in a way, almost like stepping back, like letting just the curation of conversation and friction of sharpening kind of happen. Is that. [00:30:09] Speaker B: Yeah. So basically we have about 32 or 3000 business owners that we work with actively. And we'll have, like, meetups in person. We'll have calls, we'll do all this kind of stuff that they need. But the whole goal is, like, getting around other people that are going through it a high level with you, right? Like, it may be different. And the cool part is it's different industries, right? Because I've countless times now, it's like, all right, you walk. I've talked to people that are like, oh, if you got insurance, I can't really relate to them. Like, no, because I've seen it happen to where a guy that's in roofing gave a guy that's an insurance. An idea that the insurance market has not tapped into yet. And once he applied it, he was new to the market. It was a blue ocean and made millions of dollars. Just put on an industry standard over here. That was not an industry standard over here. So cool things like that happen. But, yeah, just getting around other like minded people, number one, that are constantly wanting to grow. Like, I can't tell you, before I even got to apex, I was looking for that for a long time. And that's when I found that's what I want. Cause I was in insurance, number one. I was around other people who were like, man, I'm good. Making 100 grand. I'm just good. My family's good. Bills are paid. That's awesome. That's great. And nothing against that, but I was like, I want the. I'm hungry for more. And it wasn't the money wasn't the thing. It was like, I'm after creating a legacy and, like, I can't do it by having that mindset. And so I was like, okay, more things. More. Like, I just wanted the more aspect because I wanted to be everything I wanted, like I saw myself being. And so I wanted to get on the people that thought like that. [00:31:41] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:31:41] Speaker B: And then as you know, like when you start getting around the people that think like that, that just, that synergy is something you can't, you can't coach it, you can't teach it. It's just there for sure. And then that too, like in the business context, like referrals, all that starts to synergize itself and cool. Reach out to my buddy here, do this, do this. I tried this. That doesn't work. Do this instead. So it's short changing the success cycle by tenfold, 100 fold for certain people. Like, we had just to use roofers, for example. We had seven roofers last year. Ex with their companies for 40 million individually. All of them. One was 120 just last year. Exit their companies for that cash in their bank. Like in the bank account wasn't just sell. So, like those are type of individuals you're talking to. You're going through like pe firms. Like, you're talking different languages. So then now this next year, we'll probably have even more because it's been done, the race has been done, and you have seven people do it. Like, hey, cool, who do I reach out to? What do I need to do to get them best? Multiple my company. Like, those are conversations that are now being had three years out prior to selling. You're setting yourself up for greatness, right? And so, but if you're not in that environment, you're just like, all right, cool, I want to sell it. What do I do now? And you're two years behind and you got to stay in the business for two more years to get it to that point. [00:32:55] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:32:55] Speaker B: So there's like things like that that happen as well as just, it's just fun to play with winners. It just really is, right? Like, it's fun to be around you. Like seeing what you're doing, like being around the people like you. It's like, I like being around that because as, you know, just since being in sports, you're only as good as your weakest link, you are, right? Like, if your quarterback sucks, your offense is only so good. You know what I mean? And so now as we get older, it's up to us. This was the biggest revelation I had outside of once I left sports and into business. Was sports always taught like, the strategy of the, you have coaching staff, you have trainers, you have like the organization itself as the owner. So you have all those things in place like, it was already preset. You just kind of fell into the system. But when you get out and you get business and entrepreneurship, you have to create that system yourself. [00:33:45] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:33:46] Speaker B: You got to create your board of advisors. You've got to create your. Your team. You've got to create the people that will look over your shoulder and make sure you're doing the right thing. You got to create. You got to create all of that. You're the CEO of your life now, and if you don't have anybody else around you, it's just you. [00:33:59] Speaker A: That's great. [00:34:00] Speaker B: And so now it became, okay, cool. How do I recreate this thing that was super successful for me? It allowed me to be a top 1% in the world. So it's all the same. [00:34:08] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:34:09] Speaker B: And it's just I've got to change the titles and find the people to fit in those spots. Cause the system works. And so that became, like, an aha moment. Like, cool. That's where apex took off. In my head, I was like, that's what I've got to do. I've got to create a board of advisors. I've got to create people that I can do that with, a team of people to get me to where I'm going. Then I'll strategically and intentionally place the people that I need in my life to help me get to my goal. And then usually, the other people get blessed by it, too, so it's a cool synergy. [00:34:39] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. I love that. I think I've never thought about it that way of, like, just kind of falling in the place as an athlete. Yeah, you just. You go to school, you go to practice, but there's so much other layers of the staff, the trainers, the principals, the teachers that add in all these different touches. And, yes, they may not directly have skin in the game or blood in the game. Blood, sweat, tears, or financial, but, like, there's the audience, the noise, the crowd. All of that plays a factor. I love that. And I think it then allows you to do your job of what you're supposed to be really good at and what you have the talents and gifts for within your role of that organization. And I think it's. It can definitely be. And I'm feeling it now. Obviously, as an entrepreneur, it can be hard to have to try to wear a lot of those hats. But, I mean, I'm having. I'm always, like. I'm always saying, like, my cart's before the horse. Like, I'm always having those futuristic conversations kind of going back to what you said about, like, maybe some brands or businesses that you've worked with that realized, like, oh, man, I gotta put another two or three years into this before it's maybe at a place that is sustainable for sale or trade and ownership, whatever that next step for them is. But it's a, to some people, they might, and you could add some light into this. Some may see that as, like, now is never enough. Are you always looking for more? But for me, if I'm, if I could kind of combat that, I would say I'm just, I'm trying to be wise and thoughtful on where I'm going. Keeping that vision really big a, for me to stay positive and hungry and the days that I'm down and in the ditch and it's tired and it's dark, like, to remember my, why, um, what would you say to someone like that? That's like, yeah, I think. [00:36:20] Speaker B: I really do think you, what you said was beautiful, to be honest on how you worded it. I think too, like, obviously, from the standpoint on, I think about it from God's perspective. If God throws me here, there's more for me to do. So having a more mindset and saying I have a more mindset would be like, then why? Why am I here? Then God would just want me just to sit around and exist. [00:36:40] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:36:40] Speaker B: If I did, I was like, I would just, why would I be here? And so it's just like, if I'm gonna be here, then I'm gonna do more. Like, I'm God's hands and feet. I'm not just gonna get lazy and sit here and not use them. He told me to use them. So while I'm here, I've got to use it. So having the more mindset, I think, is viewing it in a way of like, okay, I'm going to be used in some capacity, so I'm not going to not use it, if that makes sense. But I think what you said, too, is, like, it's wise to plan and to do those things and then let God order my steps. Right? Like, I can plan it, I can do it, play the vision, do all those things, and then God, like, order my steps. Where do I need to go? Okay, cool, I'm gonna pivot. Let's pivot. I'm gonna keep planning. I gotta be diligent. Like, that's things that he requires of us. But at the same time, too, we have to be the ones to step. Like, he can create the little, you know, whatever you call those little steps on the water. Where they call those. But you do have to cross the river at some point, right? Like, you do have to put the staff in the ground and the water parts. Like, you do have to do an action. [00:37:36] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:37:37] Speaker B: And so if I'm not doing something, then I can't walk in. Some of the blessing God has for me, you know what I mean? So that's how I'd combat some of that, to be honest, too. [00:37:45] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. I mean, I think this, this past year, you might have known, like, Sophie and I have, we've had a handful of miscarriages. We've got two beautiful little boys, and we've lost four in a row. And that's been really hard. And I feel like God's really shown me that. And there's been a lot of other kind of tragedy around some of our friends and our family. And God's really shown me that there can be joy and mourning at the same time and that you can, like, be grateful for what he's done and what he's going to do and what he's going to continue to do. But you can also be like, man, this is hard. Why is this? It's for us, for me, for you. I know you believe that it's just a reminder that this isn't our final place, but also it's going back into that action of, like, man, I'm just going to keep. I'm going to put the next foot in front of the other. I'm going to keep moving forward. I'm going to keep loving. I'm going to keep caring, keep providing. And I think that can also be brought into kind of the business world, too, is that, like, I can do my best to be present with where I am and the things I need to do. The day to day, I tell the team, is, like, when we're doing our training appointments, that's your, that's our sweat equity. That's the stuff we have to do every day to keep the lights on in the gym, to kind of get us that paycheck. But then the, the other equity is that additional stuff we're doing. We're going to networking. We're asking our clients for referrals, asking them for reviews, and connecting with other small business owners to continue to pursue that bigger vision. And those two can exist at the same time. And that's okay. [00:39:23] Speaker B: Facts. Well, I agree completely. I think that goes back to what you said, too, with, like, if someone looks at that, it's like, well, when's enough enough? I'm like, when God says, I'm done. [00:39:35] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:39:36] Speaker B: And I think that's when it is. That's enough. That's when it's enough. [00:39:38] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:39:39] Speaker B: And I think, but going to your point of, like, all little things, whether it be like, going out to business network, constantly looking to grow that mindset is contagious. And that's why I think environment is important. Because if you get around an environment where it's like, oh, no, you're good, dude. Just enjoy life. I'm like, I'm gonna miss out on so many things. Like, so my thing that gives me, like, the chills that pushes me is this idea and thought process. And Ed Milet put words to it, but it was when I get to heaven and God introduces me to who I could have been and I shake his hand, I'm like, that's who I could have been. I'd be pissed, right? And I'm like, God, you're telling me I could have been that? What in the heck was I? I want to go back. Like, let me go back. I don't want. I want to shake the hand and be like. I want to be eye to eye and I look exactly like that. Like, that's the goal of it. And so, like, that's the thing that keeps me up at night. It's like, okay, cool. Like, what would that version do? Like, if God said that this was all you could be, then I'm like, do I level up to that? And if I haven't, then I do have more to do. [00:40:35] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:40:36] Speaker B: And I'm not there yet. [00:40:37] Speaker A: So, yeah, I'm sure you have a great honor to work with some amazing business owners and guys that are not only older than you, but also possibly wiser than you. That is probably one of my favorite things of being a fitness professional concierge coach is working with unbelievably successful men and women that are way wiser and respectfully older, in their fifties to seventies. And it's such a. It's been such a. As I've become an entrepreneur over the past few years, it's been. My perspective of retirement has really shifted. Like, it's in just. The american culture is like, oh, man, we gotta work till we retire. It's like, what if you die the day after you retire? You don't get any fruitfulness. It's like, I want to, lord willing, be fruitful and meet the needs that my family needs now, but also enjoy the journey, not just that destination, because the proud but nested, that never satisfied logo or motto is always there. Like, that stick is always moving, which is okay. But so many great people I get to work with are planning for retirement. Or also maybe don't want to retire. Because they've realized that they're doing what they love. It's keeping their mind sharp. It's allowing them to still interact with people that they wouldn't interact with. If they were just sitting at their home enjoying their retirement. That's different for everyone, of course. I'm not saying it's not, but, like, where have you seen maybe some guys that you're working with on a day to day. That you could really shed some light on that are really doing that? Well, they're living in the now. They're excited for where they're going, and they're just. They're enjoying the journey. [00:42:13] Speaker B: Yeah, dude. Thankfully, I get to see a lot of it, to be honest. And also to Ryan Stewman is the one that leads Apex and started Apex. And I get to work with CEO of all that. He does a really good job of it, too. Now, in the fact of, like, how to live. Not, say two lives, but almost two lives you're living presently, but you're also living in the space of preparing for retirement. Even though you never retire. But it's more of the aspect of I'm gonna prepare for what if and live like it's now. You know what I mean? And that's kind of like the mindset of I like to have. It's like, okay, cool. If something were to happen, and what if I couldn't work anymore? Well, then I'm set up. I'm good. But I'm gonna live for now, too, just in case that moment never does come. And I think for me, where I'm at now. And obviously being newly engaged, too, I'm like, okay, cool. My first thing is I wanna retire her. Like, that's the thing first, not me. I like working. I like doing it. I'd feel bored out of my mind. I probably don't feel like I have a purpose if I didn't work. But for her, I'd love her. Be like, all right, cool. You can if you want. Like, it's up to you. You be creative. You can do your thing, have fun, whatever. And I'll still have. She probably will still like to do something too. I think all humans should have something that they do. Exactly. But I think, for me, that's my first goal. Okay, cool. I'm viewing retirement. Not for me, but, like, if something happens there, then when kids get involved and it's like, all right, cool. Now, how can I make sure that they're good so they do their passion and don't have to work for money? They get to work for their dream, and it's a different work. You know what I mean? So that's kind of how I see it from that standpoint. And then, obviously, I'll make sure that I'm covered in some regard, too, for whatever. If something were to happen, I'm okay. But I liked what I'm doing. And so that's kind of how I would see that perspective for me. And it'd probably shift over time, obviously, with the more people that get involved in my life, but, yeah. [00:44:04] Speaker A: Yeah. As your wife and possible kids. [00:44:07] Speaker B: Yeah, bro. It's wild to think about, dude. [00:44:09] Speaker A: Well, man, I think I recently just saw, too, that you've leveled up within your role at apex. Um, yeah, I would love to hear a little bit of that. And. And maybe, as we kind of get into concluding here, like, what kind of growth, if you're able and willing to share, do you guys kind of have plan within apex and your personal growth of growth within Apex? What does that look like for you guys over these next chapters as you get into marriage and in a different family life? [00:44:33] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. So, cool things as far as apex, it's happened. Um, two big, huge, like, milestones when I first got there, um, were one. I realized that. So Ryan got Apex. He had bought a Rolex for somebody who had produced a lot of income in the company. [00:44:51] Speaker A: Nice. [00:44:51] Speaker B: And I always wanted a Rolex. I'm actually not wearing it to the office today. I wish I was sorry. But it was once I realized that he had done it, I never wanted to buy one. I wanted to earn one. And so that was my thing. I was like, I want to earn a Rolex. So, as of last month, we had a whole little event that we had, and he basically gifted it to me on the stage. And I was like, it was awesome, bro. And so that was one off the list. And then literally, like, three days later, I also wanted. There's a corner office in the office. Right? Nice, big, all that kind of stuff. That was another one on my list. And then got the bigger office and the corner office part, which was amazing, too, all within, like, a week. And then, obviously, in the same month, I'm getting engaged. Like, it was just a massive month last month. [00:45:35] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:45:35] Speaker B: And a lot of cool things, too. From just the way we're growing at Apex. There's huge vision now for what we've got. And it's huge. Like, our goal is to get headquarters in a bunch of different places as well. And whether what that looks like here in the next couple of years, I mean, it's going to be sick, right? And so I'm pumped for the vision of what we can do and where we can go and if there is other locations to go and do. But, man, it's exciting for sure for that. And then also, too, just within, like, I love being around a ton of different business opportunities, whether it be from an investment standpoint that I can invest in or two just been like, all right, cool. That's a great business model. Boom, boom, boom. How can we, like, it's just fun being creative and finding ways to. To grow businesses, number one, because that's a skill that I can use forever. You know what I mean? And so, like, if I have proof of it being over and over, I'm like, no. Like, I can tell you for certain this works. Cause I've done it with four or five different people, and I took from this number to this number. That's the thing that you can't. You can't buy a course on that. You can't buy a training on that. Like, it's just something you did or you didn't do. And so that's one of those things where it's like, that's the fun part right now is I'm in that season. [00:46:49] Speaker A: The same people say is like, you became a overnight success over ten years. [00:46:54] Speaker B: So true, bro. [00:46:55] Speaker A: People always say, like, oh, you got a Rolex now. That's nice. You got a nice office. That's nice. But, like, you've also been working there for a very long time, and you've been. I see your Instagram Stories. This fool's, like, leaving the office at 08:00 at night, 09:00 at night. And I'm like, may or may not happen when you have kids. I don't know. [00:47:10] Speaker B: I'm getting it in right now. [00:47:11] Speaker A: That's what that was the goal. Communication and understanding. Then maybe that is. That is okay for you guys to do, but just, yeah, you put in the hustle and people see it. Obviously, Ryan and your team has seen it. And, you know, that's. That is you being a part of that collectiveness and that camaraderie in that team, that blessing others and those blessings selling back to you, which is awesome. And it's so cool. But, man, I really appreciate you coming on and joining me here and taking it, especially after seeing that you recently got engaged and, like, man, I'm texting him last week, asking him to come on the podcast. I didn't even know, obviously. Seems like not a lot of other people knew. [00:47:49] Speaker B: No, no one knew for like three days before. Really? [00:47:51] Speaker A: Yeah. But, man, I really do appreciate the time that you've taken to come out here and to do this and to share this time, this conversation with me. I would love to leave the audience with the one that's saying, based off of who you are, where you've been, and where you're going. I know we've touched on a lot, but what are maybe a few last concluding points that you could feel like could add value or motivation to the audience? [00:48:12] Speaker B: Yeah. If I give one thing, I give this to everybody, which we touch on heavily, is you've got to find the right environment. You have to. It's up to your growth. Like, from a. Even from a scientific standpoint, if I've got a. Well, it's not. It's a fake plant, but a succulent. But if you have a plant here that's in this pot and it's only going to grow to the capacity of the pot, but if I put it in a pot that's as big as this table, it has a lot bigger chance of growing. Same thing in our lives. Right. If I'm not putting myself in a space where I can grow, then I'm limited based upon the confines of what I put myself in. And so get around other people that are winning. And that's why I think it's great to be around. I wouldn't say just winners, but like people that are in that mindset, because your capacity just got stretched. And if you're wanting to do more and be more and become the version of yourself you want to be, environment is the first step. Number one, then number two, I would think, is just get yourself uncomfortable, is we only grow in our uncomfortable spaces. Same. Going back to the pot example, as soon as I put this little plant into a bigger pot, it's uncomfortable because not used to all the space and the gap between itself and the edge. But that's. That's the reality of it. And then sooner or later, it turns that tree behind you and it's like, overarching the outside of the plant. Like, so there. That is a part of it. So getting the right environment and that. Which is why I got connected to apex in the first place, because of the environment. And then two, stretch yourself to do things that are uncomfortable. [00:49:32] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:49:33] Speaker B: And then lastly, I would say be intentional with who you let in your inner circle of your life, and that's family as well as, like, close friends. And it should be. Didn't have to be a huge number. It can be five, four, three, whatever the number is. But you do have to have somebody that's not work, that's not business. And I would say even not family that you have in your life that are on that list. Because there's conversations that you can't talk about with family. There's conversations you can't talk about with people at work, but you need to talk about it. And so I would say get the inner circle dialed in. And those things. I think those three things right there would be pivotal to anybody's success. [00:50:11] Speaker A: Totally. I think that's great. I would totally agree with all of those. Well, man, thank you so much. Lastly, where can people find you? Social media contact? Apex. [00:50:20] Speaker B: Yeah, dude, social media. Obviously anywhere. Instagram. It's at Tsim Tsymm. And then Facebook, obviously. Type my name in. Taylor smaik. And then if y'all are phone number people, I give you my cell phone. It's force 469-237-6329 just shoot me a text. I respond to all of them. It's actually me, the one my mom texts me on. But also, that being said, don't blow me up with random crap. [00:50:44] Speaker A: It's not an AI bot. [00:50:45] Speaker B: No, it's not AI bot. So treat it as a real person, please. But, yeah, anytime. Anyway, I can connect. [00:50:51] Speaker A: Awesome, man. Well, yeah, I appreciate you coming on. And for this guy is who he says he is known for over a decade now. And it's been great to be friends and see our new chapters of life. But thank you guys for listening to episode seven with number seven, football player Taylor Simek. We'll see you guys on the next one. Thanks so much.