What If It Did Work?
What If It Did Work?
Sleeping in Cars to Scaling Businesses: Tim Rexius's Journey
What transforms someone from sleeping in their car eating ketchup packets into the founder of international brands spanning 14 countries? Tim Rexius shares his remarkable journey with raw honesty and practical wisdom that cuts through typical entrepreneurial hype.
Tim's story illuminates how the same discipline required for fitness success directly translates to business achievement. After building successful nutrition stores and gyms, he stumbled into creating protein popcorn as a solution for his own family – six kids who wouldn't eat protein bars and aging parents who needed better nutrition despite their retirement lifestyle. What began as kitchen experimentation turned into Omaha Protein Popcorn, now experiencing explosive international growth after Tim made a crucial pivot: "I was marketing to meatheads like me, but I should have marketed to my wife."
This conversation explores how anger can become productive fuel rather than destructive emotion. When kicked out of a gym for selling supplements, Tim didn't complain – he built his own 38,000 square foot facility. When nutritional products disappointed him, he created better ones. Throughout each venture, Tim maintained his authenticity, refusing to compromise quality or become just another influencer chasing trends.
Most refreshingly, Tim dismisses the concept of work-life balance, instead advocating for integration – involving family in quarterly business meetings and viewing employees as potential business partners rather than temporary labor. His approach creates alignment and purpose that transcends typical workplace boundaries.
Whether you're an established entrepreneur or just beginning your journey, Tim's practical insights on scaling businesses, overcoming setbacks, and maintaining authenticity provide a blueprint for success that emphasizes substance over hype. As he puts it: "The struggle is the journey – that is the whole fricking point."
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I never told no one that my whole life I've been holding back. Every time I load my gun up so I can shoot for the star, I hear a voice like all right, everybody.
Speaker 2:Another day, another dollar, one of another. One of my favorite episodes of my favorite podcast and, like all my guests, I know this is gonna be one of my favorites Tim Rexius. Tim, he's just proof that grit beats privilege. Every time he's not one of those hashtag influencers the man once sleeping in his car eating ketchup packets for soup, tomato soup brother. The entrepreneur special, an international brand Now sold in over 6,000 retailers across 13 countries.
Speaker 2:Tim is a serial entrepreneur, cracked the code on scaling with zero outside investment, self-made powerhouse behind four companies, including the booming Omaha Protein Popcorn Company, as Snack Brown created for industry, kids, parents and people who just want to eat better, without sacrifice and taste. With 20 plus years of experience in health and nutrition, international sales and brick and mortar retail, tim now brings in passion to stages across the country, delivering 30 plus keynotes a year to students, entrepreneurs, business leaders hungry for real world. No bs advice. Talk about scaling. Talk about friggin dude. When it comes to scaling, you don't scale those workouts, man so thank you for being on this show man man Absolutely.
Speaker 3:Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2:Dude, when I read that you're getting ready to because usually it's I've had plenty of people in the health industry, but not the brick and mortar type. Not the struggle, not the sense, because people don't understand. Especially it gets harder and harder. I mean you and I when we were growing up man, gnc, gnc, yeah, can you even find a GNC?
Speaker 3:these days there's a few still struggling, yeah, but not like before.
Speaker 2:They're like the gold's gem of nutrition. I mean, it was a go-to shop. Now, man, amazon. When it comes to brick and mortar, people don't understand. You have to have it's a Cajun word lag hat. You have to do a little extra. You have to because if it's about price, there's no way you can compete with the Walmarts, the big boxes, there's no way you can compete with Amazon. Oh my gosh, I saw this, I saw this VPX, I saw this brand, I saw this way cheaper and it's and people don't understand.
Speaker 3:Well, uh, yes, those are called right. Well, I've seen it for 20 some years. I mean, I started nutrition and retail in the late 90s, which for some of you folks, yes, there was a century that you're you know cause you're in your twenties, but yeah, I mean, I was doing this back in nineties, you know, and GNC was the standard back then and you know, I saw the transition. People realize like it's transitioned so much. I saw thecoms and then they came out and that was the biggest thing their bodybuildingcom was was like the gig, right. Well, they filed bankruptcy twice, like they're almost out. I mean, and you know the price matching thing I had in the early 2000s, you know 2010s, 2015, and I don't think somebody's asked me to price match something in a decade. It's just, it's just transitioned so much.
Speaker 3:And you know the reason, like, why did you start rexie's nutrition back in 2010? Well, it's simple, I mean it. I saw that the big corporate in health especially, was dead. It was dead because this cookie cutter fit in a box doesn't work. You can't price compete against the internet but, like you know, if you had the ability to solve problems and have that personal relationship which is what health is right, like people coming into a store and they have real health problems. They have real issues. They really can't lose weight. The cookie cutter. You know, p90x didn't work whatever and they want somebody to come in and fix a problem. And I figured out pretty quick if you can personalize approach and fix a problem, you'll have loyalty that advertising can't buy. And so you know, I worked in.
Speaker 3:I left the health field from like 04 to 2010,. Killer, paying job, right, and I left it all. I worked in Washington DC and that was enough to like maybe want to eat my soul, um, and I hated it, bro, like it was. I made a lot of money, but I found out something pretty quick that all that money didn't do anything because my job didn't bring me joy at all. Like zero, it was just a paycheck, and if your job doesn't bring you purpose, you'll spend all that money you make buying things outside of your work to try to bring that joy.
Speaker 3:You don't get from it and you still end up broke. I bought houses, I bought cars and then I put all my money in real estate. Never remember what 2008, 2009 was like. Yeah, yeah, that sucked. I lost everything, and so now I'm broke and I hate my job, and so I was just young enough and dumb enough to quit my job, to pay myself 15 bucks an hour and start a nutrition store and start back over being completely broke again. But man, I fricking loved it and I don't regret a day since and, you know, as we've scaled and took that into other brands, I figured out that solving people's problems is honorable, like it really is, like I enjoy the hell out of it.
Speaker 2:Well, and then there's always that issue that with weight loss man, there's no everybody wants to look at at an easy fix man, and it's always been there. Before it was the fan fan, right, let's let's pop.
Speaker 3:Remember that Fedra fen fen, the let's pop fen-fen. Remember Fedra fen-fen, the whole. I mean, how cracked out can we get you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly To now. You know well, the magic here is Ozempic, and what people don't realize is it's a process, it's just about creating daily habits, man. It's all about consistency. Man, Once you got off the ephedra, once you got got off the fenvent, once you get off this magic shot, all hell breaks loose because you're back to zero, man, and you didn't build. You didn't build that base. You didn't build, you didn't have to struggle in the sense, hey, man, maybe will eat clean and while everybody else is eating like a slob.
Speaker 3:Well, it's the same exact habits that is required to be healthy and in fitness is the same exact habits you need to create in business. That's why it was so easy for multiple companies is. It's not the magic cure, it's the discipline to do the things you don't want to do on a daily basis because they're required. And that's what it is. And I've always told people I'm like you got to change your mindset and your perception when it comes to health and fitness. The same with business. Are you willing to do a bunch of crap that sucks for a long period of time and get yourself in your mindset to say that I need this and I like it, because looking good and feeling good, it is worth more to me than that cookie tonight. And that's really what it is.
Speaker 3:And as I've gotten older I mean I started my twenties, my forties it's a lot different now. It's like now my diet and my habits have to be different because I'm I'm older, you know, and it just changed and you know it's um, I mean meeting my now wife, cause I'm divorced and and and now happily remarried, is she's way better looking than me, which is, you know, kind of the goal, right, but she was in a bodybuilding fit. Well, you know, that's the goal, bro.
Speaker 3:And I'm like well, now I'm like I got to get in better shape because I don't want people to think she's with me because they think I'm rich or something you know, cause she's like you know, way out of my league I'll kick was different, and now I'm in this post you know, era of that Cause it's not really a great sport to do in your forties, not competitively at least. And now I do fasting, which everybody's like how do you do that? I'm like well, mind over matter. Yeah, I mean I. I travel a lot for work. We're in 14 countries and expanding, so I have to go globally. Sometimes I don't know, and still try to be a dad and a husband and obviously look the part. I can't be hustling protein popcorn and be overweight because everyone's going to think I'm a fraud.
Speaker 2:When you look like you're selling protein popcorn but you look like you're really eating the crunch and much Well okay.
Speaker 3:We got the Olympia coming up in October and it's in Vegas.
Speaker 1:Awesome.
Speaker 3:Love me some Vegas and you'll have all the international customers and I get to meet them all. But you'll be surprised when I'm in these rooms of CEOs of other nutrition stores and 90 or nutrition brands or whatever. 90 out of a hundred of them are grossly overweight and out of shape. They're just there for the dollar. And I'm like you, really, you're just here to make money. You really don't understand it yourself. So how can you? If you can't live it, how are you going to sell it? And that's just me. It's. It's like you're if you're not a true representation of your brand.
Speaker 3:It's hard and I get it, man, I tore both my biceps off the bone. I own three gyms. My office here is in one of my fitness facilities and it's hard to you know when you you know to not to do what you're, what you represent, and and some people just do it willingly, but for me it's the same discipline. To be successful in health is the same discipline it takes to be successful in business. There's a lot of crap I don't want to do. You think I want to do accounting every morning? No, but I got no or?
Speaker 2:or oh my God, tim, do you have to work on your birthday? Or, oh my gosh, weekends no, I'm not. Saturdays are for me, or no, I'm not going to work past five. And it's like. But you said you wanted to be an entrepreneur.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, there's no days off. I haven't had a day off in 16 years. Even when I'm on vacation, my wife and I have an agreement because I have six kids. So when we have a trip, there's a show in Palo Alto, carmen, mexico, that we're doing in December. So I'm like, all right, we'll fly everybody down, we'll do the thing and the deal is two of those days I'm working. But usually the deal on vacation, if we have a vacation when you have kids, it's not a vacation, it's a trip for you, it's a vacation for them. But I'll get up two hours before anybody else does and I'll work for two straight hours on my computer getting all my stuff done. So the kids are unaware that dad's still technically working, but you know that's just what it takes to be successful in business and you know, as an entrepreneur, like man, I look forward to Monday morning. Let's go. The banks are open, let's see what's rolling in. It's a chance.
Speaker 2:It's the start of a new week To me. I always tell people that hate on Mondays, man. New week, new opportunities, new short-term goals. What's not to love about Monday? It's to me. I call it money making Mondays because if you have to be hungry on Monday to make sure you're not eating cat food, sometimes literally on Friday.
Speaker 3:Well, that's it. Like today's a Thursday, right, I got up at 2 am because it's 3 pm in China and I have to negotiate with China and trying to get some things into customs because we're selling into Hong Kong and getting things out, knowing I have a podcast at 6 pm tonight. It's what you and I are doing and everybody's like. You understand that, the craziness that is my schedule now, with five companies and doing this. This is what I prayed for 15 years ago and what kind of a-hole would I be to complain about it now? Like I wanted this, I dreamed about this and what am I going to complain? Oh, there's just too much business. I'm tired, shut up. Like younger me would kick my own butt if I even began to complain about the opportunity I am in now, especially the 19 year old me who was sleeping in a car and eating ketchup packets for soup. I would absolutely kick my own tail if I even complained about the opportunity I have right now.
Speaker 2:Oh I, that's my mindset now is because people ask me, because sometimes I do these back to back and I'm like so a successful person wants to share their story with me, when I didn't have a clue. Every time I had to pick my ass back up from zero, because you know ebb and flow of life. You know it's a gift too that God gives us when we have to hit rock bottom and start over. Man, these are people that man.
Speaker 2:I was a super introvert. I was like socially awkward to the bone. So for me, oh my gosh, I'd be like, oh, tim Rex is like, oh my, he owns a new, I'm not going to talk to him. And it was even like that I own five smoothie kings back in the and we sold nutraceuticals. I'd be like, even the first couple of years I'd be like, oh my God, he wouldn't want to talk to me. I mean, heck, we only have five locations. Oh my gosh. Compared, oh, so many people sell a lot more. He's not even going to give me the time of day Because, you know, our limiting beliefs always creep in like that.
Speaker 2:That's why the self-destructive patterns on, why people do the yo-yo or people lie to themselves. Because, you know, when it comes to working out, I'm disciplined to the bone, but sometimes, with my nutrition, I forget that I'm like 52 and sometimes I'm like, oh, fuck it, you know what I'm, I'm my 20 year old self. And then you know I. I hide the mirror and I'm like, oh, no, my clay must be the dryer, and yeah. And then I'm like, oh, you know what? But holy shit, I'm lifting so much more. It's like, yeah, you idiot, you're weighing more. No shit, yeah, yeah, well, you know what? Holy shit, I'm lifting so much more. It's like, yeah, you idiot, you're weighing more.
Speaker 3:No shit. Yeah, well, you know it's, it's for me it's. You know it's been such a transition from like I was, you know, my, my kid, my night, my 19 year old son and we have a son that age that kind of reminds you of where you were at at that point in the arrogant, egotistical work where you were at. He's like man. Remember when you were just like shredded? Yeah, a-hole. I do. You remember when you had your baby brother? Yeah, that kind of went to hell, you know just. But I'm like you still take me Hell. Yes, I do you know. And then all of a sudden I'm lifting a little heavier, you know, but it's it's. I surrounded myself in this atmosphere of nutraceuticals and health and nutrition brands and I'm like God, I just never want to be a hypocrite, you know what I mean. Like it's a huge motivation.
Speaker 2:Dude, it's funny because you said that I remember like going to the Olympia with my ex and I wanted to be on point because I'm like, you know, here I am, I'm in all these special rooms because, quote, unquote, you know I'm, I'm in all these special rooms because, quote, unquote, you know I, I'm a. I'm there with the vendor and it's like, do I want to look like I'm part of the pie eating contest? Or because, even if even it's one of those things that it's the opposite of comic-con, because I I've been to one of those.
Speaker 2:They dated a woman a million years ago with a kid. You know, guys, that that look like they've never even been to a gym while while you, you go to the olympia and yeah, there's, there's people out there. They're not delusional because I don't think everybody's like, okay, one day I'm going to be, you know, know, the next Ronnie Coleman, I'm going to be the next Jay Cutler, but they're still there. And you know they lift heavy. They look good, they got the spray tan and you don't want to be there looking like you're Garth Brooks shoving.
Speaker 2:You know your jeans. You know you should be a size 40. And you're like, well, smoothie king convention once in the year and there was either those that looked the part yeah, you know high, high protein, low calorie. And then there's some people that you know, um, they were carbo backloading. Well, they must have been heavy, heavy lifters, or maybe they just lifted, you know, the spoon or the fork to their, their mouth and that was the only lifting that they did. But you do want to be aligned. It's like those people that you're gonna laugh but they pitch you hey, I can be your life coach and you're like, shit, this guy's like 22 what life right what life experience can this mf fucking teach me?
Speaker 3:oh, it's, it's, it's. I get hit up daily like we can help you scale your brand. I'm like did you even do any homework prior to that? And now it's ai doing it for half these guys I don't even get I don't even get the opportunity to tell them they're an idiot before I find out it's a computer I.
Speaker 2:I quit LinkedIn because every time I would post everything, I would get every person telling me that they could make me super famous on my podcast or this, and that I'm like, if that was the case, and these people are all Mediterranean and Indian people, wouldn't they be like super famous? Yeah, oh no, I'm going to help you. I'm going to help you, but you know.
Speaker 2:I, I, I decided I don't want to have my own podcast and be so, got that. And then Instagram it's like you're right, it's like guys like pitching me on, do I have a website? And it's like man, are you that sloppy? Just use Google, man, use. Oh, I can be a ghost writer for you, because you know, I'm just being nice, I'm like at times, I'm like here I'm going to give you advice on how to sell, cause you know, I did write a book on how to sell. I did before I was an entrepreneur and after, and you know, they're closed mind, they know everything, you know. If only it was that easy, tim, why don't you and I just create a business? We'll follow random people, start liking like two or three posts and just hound them. Yeah, wow.
Speaker 3:That's if Zig Ziglar was alive, that would have been next book on on how to sell. Now, zig and brian tracy, I, I had them all. And like I explained to him like, well, how'd you learn how to sell? I'm like, well, you know, I one I had some great mentors taught me some basic stuff. But I was on the road for six and a half years and I listened to every zig, ziglar, brian tracy, uh, tom hopkins, internet, every sales in there, what, what do you mean? Sales CDs? I'm like, oh my God, you're all too young.
Speaker 3:I had a tape player in my car back in the day and you just did it repetitively until it became part of my speech. I mean, I did a short internship for Tony Robbins 24 years ago and for like a month it was kind of part of a college thing and I got thrown in front of a crowd of 10,000 people. For some of you, I did not like public speaking. I was scared, scared to death of it. Now I do it for a living. I didn't go go warm them up. I'm like oh God. And then basically I got told they're like hey, they don't know who you are. They'll forget who you are 10 minutes later. So if you screw up, who cares?
Speaker 3:And that's mentor was like listen, the same skills it takes to do public speaking or do sales are the same skill it takes to go try to attract somebody the opposite sex. I go what do you mean? They go well, there's a pretty girl over there, probably out of your league. Are you going to meet her? You're not going to take the chance? I'm like, oh God, this is exactly the same thing, cause it is and it is, and you don't be genuine, be funny, have a little fun.
Speaker 3:I make fun of myself, I mean purposely all the time cause it just lowers people's. You know inhibitions towards you and you know I got to give a speech next week in front of 1200 high school students, which I do for free and I love it. And the good thing for you and me we had talked about this earlier is five years ago, 10 years ago. I'm giving these speeches and number one thing 900 room hands up in a room I want to be an influencer. Now it's about five out of a thousand. They realize that I'm like and which thank God, because I hate the term.
Speaker 3:I deal with influencers all the time but it's, you know. A lot of people realize they work at it. You know the ones who are good or work at it. I hate it Nut nutraceuticals, because half the time they're promoting things they don't even understand and it's just for a dollar. But you know it is what it is and and it's if I have one I'm dying for every time a 25 year old wanted to be my life coach, I'd be rich as shit, more than oh, dude, and then that you're gonna laugh at this story.
Speaker 2:Influencer joined a new gym. Hot chick about 10 years older or younger younger, not, I'm older and you know we're talking and I'm like hitting it off and she's like I know what you do. So I'm like thinking I'm like, oh shit, maybe she knows I I was retired already, so from being an entrepreneur. Maybe she knows, you know she's went, visited one of my stores, or maybe she saw one of my videos or my podcast, or maybe maybe she bought a book. But instead she's like you're one of those influencers on youtube and I I. It was like, not that I'm homophobic or anything, but it was like she was like not that.
Speaker 2:I'm homophobic or anything but it was like. She was like yeah, I used to be a dude, my name's Bill.
Speaker 2:After that conversation, I you know it's a structured, it was like a four o'clock class, it was CrossFit. I decided after that day never to go back at that time and I've seen her like maybe twice three years later, but it yes. So if anybody calls me an influencer or anything you can call me I, I would rather have somebody tell me I'm an asshole than to use that term influencer, because to me, no, I. I work hard, I've worked hard, I've, I've, I've, I've put my into everything. I'm not some fucking idiot telling you. I'm not saying hey, tim, you know what, I can get you from zero to hero. I see what you've done right now, but within three weeks of coaching.
Speaker 2:I can get you from and people hear that all the time, man, and it's crazy because, if you see, I mean logic, dude, if nobody you can do personal power. And I've got a tony robbins story, a funny one, because I'm a graduate, I've done all that with my ex and we we used to do the. After you graduate you can come back and and you can do free, but you, it's like you intern the event. Well, I can't dance for shit. So you know how, at the very beginning, everybody's in a suit and they're like out there, like dancing, yeah, and doing all that shit, so like, oh well, we need you to go up there on stage.
Speaker 2:I'm, I'm still not the public speaker, I'm not that I I can ask out chicks, I can sell, but I'm like shit People, if people seem they might think I'm having an epileptic seizure or they think I'm dancing so bad that I'm trying to get attention. So I'm like sweating, I'm like Patrick Ewing sweating up there on stage doing the, doing the dancing routine. But yeah, no, but, dude, congratulations on just the popcorn, because you and I grew up at a time when it was just like power bars and shit like that, that looked like MREs and that were just. I still have flashbacks of the 90s of eating that crap because I wanted to get shredded the metrics 100 bars.
Speaker 2:Oh, my God.
Speaker 3:You burned a hundred calories trying to eat the bar If you didn't break your teeth, you know, and and I'm and I've done around this and the popcorn was just kind of a, it was a gag brother. It was more or less like okay, I have six kids and and as I got older and my younger kids, you know, I'm trying to convince them to meet protein that didn't come in the form of a chicken nugget or chocolate milk. And as I've gotten older, I'm probably more lack with my kids. Just because my older kids were younger, I was like you're going to eat this, got to get the gains, you know, cause I was totally into it. And I'm getting older, I'm a little softer and probably a little easier on my kids, and so my youngest one especially, I'm like just eat whatever, you know.
Speaker 3:And so we started goofing around in my kitchen and then it's not just my kids but it's my parents. My parents hit that retired age and if you don't, and if you have parents, you're lucky enough to have them when they're in their seventies and eighties. They're basically like fraternity, sorority kids. They kind of forget all about health. They're retired, All they do is golf and drink and I'm like good God, people, you still got to have some protein, but they just, you know, they're just, which is great. So I'm like, okay, well, what's the one snack my whole family? Well, candy coated corn, like caramel corn. It's Nebraska, and you know, that's where I live.
Speaker 3:600 batches over a year about just goofing around and we finally hit pay dirt. We're like God, that's really good. And I became hyper obsessed with it because popcorn is the number one confectionery snack item in the world. And I figured out the math of doing this for so many years that only 5% of the population will eat a protein bar and that's it. Yeah, 5%, that's it. 5% will eat protein bars consistently. You'll have another five to 8% that will eat them temporarily, trying to get to a goal, Like most of our friend group, probably bro where they're like okay, I got to lose 10 pounds because I have a reunion coming up or a family wedding, and and then then they quit doing it.
Speaker 3:And the elderly? They just won't eat them at all and the kids won't eat them at all at all. So like, okay, well, let's, let's expand outside that 5% nutraceutical which I've spent most of my career targeting, and let's target the rest of the population. You know the people who don't like people my age who think that life's already over, they're already there's out of shape, it's too late, we're late forties, I'm just not going to get there. Let's get the kids who you can't convince to eat a protein snack. So let's get a snack so good they couldn't tell it's healthy and that's something my parents would actually want to eat amidst their margaritas while they're on the golf course all day. So we got going forward and we launched it at the Mr Olympia.
Speaker 3:It's a funny thing that you brought it. We talked about that because that's my field right, Like crazy. Everybody loved it. But then I realized that for the vast majority, bodybuilders are broke and I also realized it with six kids, I haven't gone grocery shopping in 10 years. My wife will let me go, I'll buy the cheapest stuff and I'll buy it by the pallet, because I'm always balling on a budget. No matter how much money I make, I will always be a cheap ass, because I was broke half my life, Because you remember, yeah, you just can't shake it. You can't shake that, not knowing if there's going gonna be a next meal. You know what I mean and I you're gonna laugh.
Speaker 2:I still have sleepless nights, even though I sold all my, all the businesses. I will wake up thinking about my, about rent, oh yeah, and it's. It's after 20 years. It's like p, it's like ptsd. You, you can't turn it off, or you? I still look at the weather because you know my industry, or, oh, my god, it's summer, it's raining and I'm like I I have to remind myself who gives a shit. Yeah, that's a slow day for retail but I'm not in it anymore.
Speaker 3:It's my, it's my wife, she's she, and I thank god she's. She goes. Hey, bro, we're not broke. I'm like, all right, you're right, know, and so last weekend you'll make fun of me. I'm redoing this whole backyard thing. She wants this outdoor kitchen. I'm like, all right, all right, so I'm going to do this myself. We poured nine and a half yards of concrete for a patio and she's like you doing, okay, I'm like, get outside, grab a shovel. Like I don't remember, I haven't done this shit since I was in my 20s and she looked at me. She goes listen, from now on, you're cheap ass. You need to bring out the card and this is a younger man's game. I'm like, all right, all right, I should have hired. In hindsight, I should have hired that shit out. It wasn't like it was going to break my bank, but I was like nine grand, kiss my ass, I can do that for three. Well, I I would have gladly paid nine grand. I've been so sore for the last five years.
Speaker 2:But but you know, entrepreneur, I can't help it too right it's in my dna.
Speaker 3:I can't help it.
Speaker 2:You know I mean outsource, because I tell people the best, just outsource your weakness. And it's like, well, maybe I, I should be coaching myself because there is times that, oh, outsource, no, I, I didn't pay, that you know. If I do that enough times, you know, and then in the back of your mind you say something real crazy like you know, before you know it, you could go like to, to fiji, or you know you could go on a mediterranean cruise if you do this enough, it's like no, not really, but and it, but it's funny, it goes both ways, cause right.
Speaker 3:So, like I start the popcorn and it's going great, and it just didn't work. I had a lot of nutrition stores and gyms that would sell it, because they know me and I've been around forever. It used to be called optimal performance popcorn. It was an ugly sticker on a bag, proud of it, and I I just kept beating the dead horse, you know. So we're on 2020 and my wife's like all right, dude, we've wasted enough money, it's great, but we just can't seem to make it go and I'm like all right, well, yeah, I'm going to keep going.
Speaker 3:And a buddy of mine brought up like you should get a business coach that's dealt with direct to consumer and grocery, cause it really wasn't my field, and so I got one, really highly recommended it was like $50,000 for a year. I was like you're out of your fricking mind and because it's the market, even back then in five, over the last five years, is so oversaturated with these fake wannabe business coaches who are going to tell you how to pull a couple levers and you're immediately going to be a million, I just didn't give it any thought, hindsight being 2020. I should have just researched and interviewed a bunch of coaches. The half a million dollars I lost on popcorn doing it wrong, I probably would you know I should have paid the 50,000. I would have saved probably a half a million bucks. But it's so oversaturated right now with these different coaches even some ones who are very successful, if they use the term folks for everyone listening. We're going to pull a couple levers, run the other fricking direction and get to somebody who is're going to pull a couple levers, run the other freaking direction and get to somebody who is actually going to give you some concrete shit and, like you're interviewing the coach as much as the coach is interviewing you, but nonetheless, fast forward all the way to 2022.
Speaker 3:And I've lost my ass on this popcorn, but I'm just. I love it, my kids like it, my parents will eat it, but I just can't make a go of it. Um, and I ended up becoming the chamber of the president, the president of the chamber of commerce. Don't ask me how I got voluntold into this crap wagon, but I did.
Speaker 3:And a grocery chain in my area called Hy-Vee foods is in my area and one of the guys in the health market section of this big grocery chain was like hey, let us carry the popcorn. And I'm and, bro, I kid you not, I go, let's not, it's not going to work. He's like, well, I go, I've been trying to do this for five years, it's just not rolling. He goes, well, I go well, let's, okay, let's do this, we'll do a consignment. Don't pay me, so I don't have to return any money. They outsold my own nutrition stores, brother 50 to one in.
Speaker 3:So I sent my bubbly, blonde hair, blue eyed daughter down there who does not work out at all, and to go check out what was going on. And she goes it's all the old ladies and the little kids. They're buying the hell out of your popcorn. And so I went down to the grocery store and the dietician said it was the only snack they could get their, the kids and the elderly patients to actually eat, really, yeah, so I went to. So then I started selling to like 10 of these grocery stores in this chain and I get to talk to their boss and he goes hey, if you're serious about this, you should go to Sweets and Snacks Convention, and I'm like they have snack conventions. I'm around the bodybuilding world, olympia, arnold, they have every type of convention that you can think of.
Speaker 3:Bro, I thought I knew big, but I went to Sweets and Snacks in Chicago in June of 22. 200,000 people, all qualified buyers. Hershey's chocolate has a 60 foot tall chocolate fountain. I wanted to jump in and get type three diabetes you just call it.
Speaker 3:You wanted to get that fat kid, and um yeah yeah, I was going to be really wild, I'm going to float away. And so I bought, you know, I got 5,000 samples. I got a staff of four, brand new backdrop tablecloth. I'm like we're about to get rich and nobody stops my, my, my booth day one and I'm pissed and I, my wife's like, what are we going to do? I'm like we're going drinking Screw it, I don't care, I'm mad, I'm pissed. And then finally my wife, she stands back, she goes. You know, bro, it doesn't say healthy or protein anywhere on our label. I'm like, holy shit, it doesn't. I was so stuck in my own dimension of everything I do is healthy gyms, nutrition, nutraceuticals I didn't think of general consumer. So here we are at 10 o'clock at night, middle of Chicago at a Staples, paying them $200 BS, but it was a one hour. Make me a banner. It says protein popcorn on it. We safety pin this to the banner. The my brand new backdrop.
Speaker 3:I have a line of 400 people for two straight days, so much that a guy from Hershey's walks up very nice suit at the end of the convention, goes hey, um, you the owner. I said yes, sir, he goes. I'm going to give you five minutes of free advice. I said, well, why is that? And he goes cause everyone who works at my booth is eating your popcorn at my booth and that's a problem for me. I said, okay, and he goes. Are you easily offended? I go, no, I have six kids. You can't really offend me at this point. Um, he goes. Cool, your bag is ugly, the name is ugly. You need a? Any new color schemes? The only good thing about your products how it tastes. I was like okay. So I finally realized that, like I told you, I haven't gone grocery shopping in 10 years. I don't, I don't do that. Women make 80 of the buying decisions for the household. I was marketing it to guys like you and me. We don't buy shit well, we if it.
Speaker 2:If it's, what are the macros? A lot of times yeah and you know it's not even taste. Yeah, you had that flavored profile which puts it. You know the icing on the cake, but usually we're like, okay, I did it from.
Speaker 3:I did from a science expert. I use hydroxyl way isolate. I use the highest grade protein in the world and most protein snacks are made with bottom barrel garbage that a guy like you and me wouldn't eat. And so I made the macros, just pumped up, just jacked up, right, and it was clean. It was post-workout, pre-workout, so the cheddars are a pre-workout macronutrient. The candy coats are post-workout insulin-mimetic response from the science aspect. But I marketed it to meatheads like me and there's just not that many of us. And so I let my daughters and my wife redesign the bags, rename it to Omaha Protein Popcorn because they're down with OPP you know me for everyone in my age group, and they made a mascot flexing popcorn man. So it's cute for the kids.
Speaker 3:And we relaunched in the basically the beginning of 2024. And I mean 16,000 percent increase, I'm not kidding. And we've launched into 20,000 gas stations, c stores this year in the U S alone. Now we're making it in four languages. All because I marketed it to me and I should have marketed it to my wife. I mean the amount of Amazon packages between my three daughters and my wife that show up in my house for useless crap. I couldn't even begin. I'm like, hey, my daughter, I mean, god, love my daughters. This is not a slam on my daughters, but they seem to think a credit card limit is a challenge. I'm like you're my target market. You guys just buy shit.
Speaker 3:And so, yeah, we just started doing. We actually were in 14 countries before I ever ran an ad. We just started running ads 60 days ago and it's been so much fun and we brought out actually finally we brought on a few investors because I'm like, okay for this to go international market marketing in 14 countries. It's going to take some coin. And I had a bunch of guys reach out who were obsessed with the popcorn Like, hey, can we buy in? Sure, why not? If you're, if you're into this, you believe in what I'm trying to do. We're looking for a huge MMA in a couple of years. Let's see what kind of craziness we can create. And you know it's been fun and it's also because I dropped my ego at the door. Really good entrepreneurs and you know this is if I don't know how to do something cool, I'm going to call around and find out how to fucking do it.
Speaker 2:Pardon my language, but, dude, I've dropped a couple.
Speaker 3:It's okay, we're good. Then I'm usually I'm trying to be on my best behavior on podcasts, cause I never try to, but I'm I'm who's brilliant. He's done five exits. He lives in the Grand Caymans. He's just super smart, just bringing me down. I go, let me talk to your AI. People Like, bring me through, talk to me. Like I'm a four-year-old, I want to understand how it works, so I know what I'm paying for so much. So he's like hey, can I buy into? Heck? Yeah, I mean, now you believe in what I'm doing. I sent him boxes of popcorn and he calls me up. He goes wait, this is really good. I go well, yeah, he goes no, you understand, 99 products out of 100 suck. Yours is really good. That's why I'm doing it, because I believe in it and it's fun and it was funny.
Speaker 3:Everybody's got a family member who's a nonbeliever right, especially in nutraceuticals. I guarantee you do too. Oh, that's witch doctor stuff that. And I had my sister-in-law. She got gestational diabetes and the hospital gave her a bag. I didn't realize the hospital was buying cases from me. They gave her a bag of her white cheddar and said this is an approved snack for nursing moms. And I'm like and now she's the biggest believer I got, so yeah, I hate her.
Speaker 2:I doubt her to a believer. Yeah, the way that trajectory of this company. Pretty soon you can have Nani by nature, like sing you down with OPP. That's the goal.
Speaker 3:That's the goal for the ones who are still left. I think 16 people own parts of that song because I already have my assistant look it up. I'm like really, oh yeah, I'm like I gotta have that beat because everyone who's like 37 and up is gonna know it instantly. Right, because we were jamming to that stuff, you know, 25 years ago, 30 years ago, whatever I was, uh at the house.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's on my playlist.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, I mean it's. You know I hit that age where I like all the music I like. I don't really want to like anything new and that's still on my playlist. So, um, but you know it's. It's fun. For me. It's like the nutrition stores that you talked about selling, and what I did was I sold all my corporate locations to my staff, because they earned it, and turned them all into franchises, and so we've got franchises rolling in seven States right now and I still get to coach them and I'm having as much fun coaching from the business aspect as I did actually doing it, and that way I can put my focus on new stuff. And you know, all my business partners are former employees, cause I look at employing people as a long-term job interview for a future business partner and if that's my way of paying it forward, and it's been fun doing it too.
Speaker 2:But you see, you had a vision to begin with, because usually people when they see an employee, they see them temporary. They don't even want to train an employee, because I'm sure you've heard of this why am I going to train that guy? He's going to leave eventually.
Speaker 3:And so I look at it and I'm like, all right, this kid's good, this guy's good, that girl's good. Like, how do I capitalize? How do I lock them down? Like, you know, how do I, how do I keep that, if I'm going to pour this time and energy into you? And and not from an, you know, a selfish standpoint, but also from a business standpoint it's like, how do I reap the rewards on this investment long-term? Well, let me give you an opportunity I didn't have. Let me be the financier, let me be the one that gets you, and let me take the financial brunt now that I've earned it and give you an opportunity to do it. And now we partnered up. Um, and this is how I do a lot of it. It's the same reason why.
Speaker 3:So I go speak at high schools. Right, I told you I was going to speak in front of 1200 kids. I will get those three kids in the audience that come up and be like I want a job. I'm like cool, you were me 35 years ago and I, so I make a deal with them. I come work in my retail store, come work in one of my fitness facilities and I'll tell you what you do a kick killer job for me for the next three months. I want you to list the top three things you want to learn, whether it's involved with this job or not, and I will bend over backwards and go out of my way to teach you those three things. It's videography, it's podcasting, it's social media, it's event planning, it's social media, it's event planning, it's marketing, it's web design, whatever it might be, because we're big enough now, and then I go out of my way to teach those kids those things and I get this. And so I don't have employees, I have interns who are all trying to get an opportunity to do something else, even the high schoolers, and it's fun, because then I don't get run of the mill, I'm just clocking in and clocking out, uh, type of. In fact, I just one of my managers.
Speaker 3:We came to a mutual decision. It was time for her to leave and we met there in the morning before the store and I don't fire people. While I hate it, I just I suck at it. I finally decided I go. You hate coming here on Monday morning, don't you? She says, yes, I go.
Speaker 3:Cool, what's going to make your hands? Going to make your hands, your hair, stand on the back of your neck. What's going to make you get up and be the first one to want to want to be the first one there on Monday morning? Cause life is short, honey, and there's a million ways to make a million bucks. So once you find something that makes you passionate, it turns the fire on. Go learn the job, love the job and then own the job, cause that's what entrepreneurship is you got to learn it, love it so much. You should own it and be in charge of it. And if you haven't found that yet, shit, go find something else to do. Money is money. It's going to come and go. I mean, no matter how successful you are, you're going to lose it and make it back. But if it doesn't make it the hair on the back of your neck stand up then shit go set your pants on fire. Go find out what it is.
Speaker 2:You said it perfectly because there is and you heard me there is an ebb and flow. We entrepreneurs money does come and go, we do hit rock bottom, but we had the several times. We had the muscles within us that everybody else is oh fuck, this is it, man. No, you guys panic, we'll get back to where we were and then we'll we'll break that ceiling it's like riding a bike.
Speaker 3:I've said like I haven't ridden a bike in five years, but if somebody put a bike out in front of me to go ride this again, I guarantee that I I'll be back on that bike in 10, 10 seconds notice.
Speaker 2:I never said, oh my gosh, were you all these new businesses, were you there's risk involved in and you started something you like, selling popcorn? How, how about? How about if that failed? You're like and it would have failed if you never. You never went out, you never did it.
Speaker 3:Well, that was a. It was a Colin Powell general. Colin Powell said this once. I loved it. It said more money is wasted by indecision than wrong decisions. Nothing gets better by sitting on your hands and just hoping, and so I think most entrepreneurs really good ones like we've been broke, and so I'm not scared of it because it's not unknown. I've already been there and if it happened again, I know how to go back. I mean, the simple fact is the 23 and 24 economy. That was some of the worst shit. That was worse than 08, 09. That was worse than Y2K. It was horrible, and the reason why you call them, I say well, you have these ebbs and flows and business entrepreneur, and what it reminds you is your focus on the shit that's in front of your face.
Speaker 3:I can handle Monday, I'll handle Tuesday and I'll handle Wednesday and I'm going to kick its ass. I'm going to do it 150 miles an hour at 150%, and I'll go into the next thing. It's next Thursday's workout. I'm worried about getting this one done today, kicking its ass, and then I'll worry about tomorrow and that's. You know, I have to have foresight and plan, don't get me wrong. But I mean you don't go to Thursday's workout, thinking about Mondays. No, you're going to kick today in the ass.
Speaker 2:Well, it's because people think of you know crazy bullshit. You're going to laugh at this, crazy bullshit. You're going to laugh at this. It's like what less than 1% of the people out there will ever bench 225? Which is insane. But here's the reason why, tim, you look at it and you just start. You get DOMS, delayed onset, muscle soreness. You're doing 45 pounds, 65 pounds Person goes up maybe 95 pounds, and then he's like, instead of saying because you know fitness, it's like one of those things, if you think it's like entrepreneurship, it takes forever to finally hit. You know it. Yeah, from 45 to 100 pounds, holy smokes, that's like you know, that's awesome, but everything else it's very, it's very incremental, small.
Speaker 2:So people quit, not because the 225 is heavy, but they quit because they're like okay, I'm only at 135. They're not like okay, well, let me hit these eight at 135. Keep on doing it, maybe I'll be able to do 155, 175 and the rest is history. What happens is like in business. The reason why there's such a failure is because people get discouraged. They're like I thought it was going to be easy, let me throw in the towel, I can do something else, like I can work on someone else's dreams and and hate it because I don't have the mental fortitude and it's the same thing. That's why I love seeing that and reading that, because less than 1% of the people, 1% of people at a global gym can do that and you're like it sounds like why?
Speaker 2:But it's because of that if you have if you think it, you can do it, man, but you have to have the. It's the same thing my buddy cody's.
Speaker 3:He was an employee. Now he's a franchisee of mine, been a partner. He said the same thing yeah, it took me 15 years to become an overnight success and that's the. You know that and that's, and that's the same crap. It, it's, and that's why I laugh at all these 20-year-olds with their videos and Instagram. I'm going to make you a million. You haven't even made yourself shit yet. So shut up, because we all know it doesn't exist. The only overnight success you have is if you hit the Powerball.
Speaker 3:Other than that, like, and they lose it because they didn't build the muscle and they have no discipline for it. Yeah, of course, and I and they didn't and they had no discipline for it, and that's and that's, and I I've said it several ways. I said I don't, and I had this with high school speeches and colleges Don't you want it easier? I go hell. No, I mean yeah, when you're in the process and you're struggling and you're, you're in the trenches and you're grinding, you're like God, I wish this was a little easier. But and, and you know what, I'm going to stay up here as king of the mountain because I busted my ass to get here. I don't want it easier because I can't find out who's really got it, what it's, what it's worth it got, what it's made of.
Speaker 3:If you don't do the struggle, the struggle is the journey. That is the whole fricking point. Same thing with the gym. It's everyone quits. I own three gyms. I see it every year. They all, they all come in January, then they quit. Then they come back in in March Cause they realized that spring is going to happen there. Oh shit. And then they come in and you see who's actually here come May or June, you know. And then and I've watched it happen it's just, it's like all you have to do is just keep coming, that's it. You don't have to break records every day. Just keep trying to do some shit and people are like, well, that's easy for you to say, go, no, I got six kids. You don't think I've had these conversations with my kids. I have the same conversations.
Speaker 3:My son, tyler, who I'm pretty sure probably can take me at this point, which really sucks as a dad. You know cause you want your son to beat you, but, like in business, not literally be able to kick your ass, but he can. He's 19, he's going to be 20. And when he was a sophomore in this kid's. My hero Kid had a stroke when he was a baby. His right hand and his right foot don't function the same.
Speaker 3:Here he was 15 years old, as a sophomore in high school and he can't walk up steps without two-stepping every step because he just doesn't have the strength on the right side of his body. He comes home one day and he's upset. I'm sure he'll be fine me telling the story. But he, he came on one day and he's like you know, being anorexia sucks, I go the hell. Is that supposed to mean? I mean, anorexia is kick ass, is what we do. He goes.
Speaker 3:Well, everybody expects, because I'm your kid, that I should be able to lift all these weights and I can't even bench the bar. I said just go train. Do you want to go train? Sure, we went and trained at the gym. I hired Eric here in my gym to train him, just so that it wasn't a dad Like I want somebody else to coach him up other than me. He was 135 that year as a sophomore. By a junior he was 220 pounds and at this point, brother, he can out squat me. Most people don't know that he's got a handicap because he won't tell him he doesn't use it as an excuse.
Speaker 3:Same kid who had the option to get a handicap uh placard on his car.
Speaker 3:He's like no I'm good, I have, while while other people who are just fat, get one and just don't want to walk and and here's a kid that legitimately has a left accelerator in his car because he's not legally allowed to use his right, but he won't take an excuse. He goes, I can walk just fine, and nobody even knows. Until I tell him now that the kid's got a handicap because I said like listen, kid, I can sit here and make an excuse for you, or you can be the champion of this and kick it right in the square in the teeth and you know, and sure shit, like the kid's my hero, because he did it. I don't like, you know, I don't have physical disabilities, so to watch somebody just kick it right in the teeth and say, you know what, you're right, I'm going to beat the shit out of this. He did it and so I know that because he had the fortitude to do that with it.
Speaker 3:You know an obvious handicap that I go, you're going to kick ass at whatever you do because you you had it already harder and you already beat people who are perfectly healthy, perfectly capable of going to the gym, who won't do it, and you had to overcome just all of that. And then some you're going to kick ass and whatever you do, because you've already proven you can, and I do this with my own kids, or I'm like. They're like well, I want to do this. I'm like so figure out how to fucking do it yeah, but you gave him the discipline you you were the foundation.
Speaker 1:Think about it.
Speaker 2:You know how many people he would have been a victim because you would have taught him how to be a victim and then he would. He would have been the same like the majority of people out there. I've got a story. It's like we all have fucking stories, man.
Speaker 3:I say the same thing to my staff. I said, yes, you see on social media that everyone does this drama thing. They do this, this clickbait like, oh, I've had such a bad day. And then they don't say shit because, well, what happened, crystal? Oh, hugs and kisses.
Speaker 1:I just all this attention, Cyber hugs.
Speaker 3:Cyber hugs and I'm like and it's all crap, people just want attention, I said. But as much as people are attracted to that drama, what they're truly wanting is some. They want to be part of a winner, they want to be part of winning. So go freaking win. My entire life mantra is about winning. You know why? Because a loss is only one way. You learn how it didn't work until you found a way to win. I like winning. It makes me get up in the morning, it makes me smile in my face. I smile when I go to bed because I'm going to freaking win. Whatever it takes, I'm going to figure out how to win. And I told them all the same thing. So just because you fail, that one thing doesn't mean shit.
Speaker 3:Find might be, you know, and and I'm not a traditional parent Like I I keep shit very real with my kids and but they know that my, their mom and I have we busted our ass. My wife is clean, 22 years. I mean she, um, she's a champion. She had, she had a baby in the middle of her senior year of high school and ended up having to. You know. Then got addicted to drugs. She got clean, got her GED, put herself through night school with a single mom to get her degree. And how I met her was she's my first female sponsored athlete, you know, as a you know a mom trying to work out and be in shape in her thirties. And I was like, wow, you're way better looking than me. I should marry you. But that's, that's not. It was a lot more complicated than that, but you get it, you know, but that's.
Speaker 3:They've seen us do it and I'm, like, you know, want to come at me, come at me with ideas, don't come at me with excuses, because I'm not interested in hearing excuses. So I do the same thing with my employees. All my employees are like my kids, like if you got an idea, cool, let's just rap.
Speaker 2:If you come to me to bitch, it ain't gonna happen, I'm not gonna listen to it, I'll just walk away well, people love the victories, people love the story, the david over goliath, they love the rocky, but the thing is they don't understand. You can be your own damn hero in your own damn story.
Speaker 2:Man, oh 100. I mean, do you want to be the person that's posting my relationship is complicated and the dysfunction, the toxicity, the bullshit out there, or do you want to show people? Do you want to show people? Do you want to inspire people? Do you want to motivate people to be more? I mean shit, dude. Your story, your bio, is about overcoming. Now there's two things. Do we follow Tim Rexius? Do we at least listen to him? Do we at least do that, because it's going to take the same amount of time? Can I listen to you on a podcast? Can I listen to you do a speech? Can I listen to any words of wisdom from you? Or can I watch a brand new episode of some bullshit that's on Netflix, because that's what most people do, that. I don't have time, tim, to go work out at your gym, but I do have time to watch three hours a day of Netflix.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, and it's all about, it's all priorities, it's simple. Fact is everybody else has six kids and five companies, and then you go in the gym Like how do you have time? Like cause I make time. I just figured it out.
Speaker 2:You time people ask me. They're like what, when do you work out? I'm like, well, I wake up at five like, oh, that's that, fuck that. I'm like, well, exactly, look at you, fuck that that. That that's, that's your motto and it shows up everywhere in your life. You can't be disciplined in one aspect of your life and everything else is shit because it bleeds at all. Every aspect, aspect of your life is it's. It's like. It's like the person that you've never heard the story story. The guy's a hoarder at home and should be on the biography channel, but everywhere else you know, organized, clean, successful, no man. His car looks like that, his office looks like that it's the same thing.
Speaker 3:I've told clients back when I was working in the retail stores and I say this all the time I go. Motivation really comes after results. At first you just got to be disciplined to kind of lie to yourself Like I'm going to do this and whatever, because you're really not there yet. Like even on weight loss, all of a sudden they lose 10 pounds. The pants feel a little better now. Shit. Now they're excited to be there. It's the same thing. And entrepreneurship is the same thing.
Speaker 3:Motivation comes after results. So just keep telling yourself it's going to happen. It's going to happen, I'm going to get, I'm going to keep doing this shit, no matter what, until it happens. And then, when it does, you're like oh my God, it's like for entrepreneurship. It was like why five companies? I go, why not 50? You know what's fun, this shit. And everybody tells me I'm going in industries where these huge giants, you're never going to make it. There's no way you can compete against that. And there they go. And then all that does is stoke the fire for me because tell me I can't do some shit.
Speaker 2:Okay, well tim, have you ever noticed? I was never like, oh my gosh, and all these ultra competitive businesses, you're, you're in snacks and and, and you own gyms. But what about the globo gyms? But what about the Globo gyms? And what about the Wii? And what about people that just go to parks and go to all these boot camps? And there's, like you know, all the other franchises are folded. Where's the curves? I haven't seen one in years. It's because people always focus on why they can't do something. I never said. Well, man, all these businesses, how, how can you sell nutraceuticals? How can you do this? How can you not? Well, that's just it, right there.
Speaker 3:And it was it's funny Cause it was. I had a high school and the kids were asking me questions and it was fun hands and I kind of like when they get involved and they know they can ask me anything and I'll answer it. And one kid goes what's the real reason why you started the gyms and the stores? Like, like, not like the, not the one you put on your bio, like, what's the real reason? I go. I got really pissed off and he looked at me. He's like what'd I go? I got kicked out of globo gym. I did because I sell supplements and the gym wanted to sell supplements, so they kicked me out. A week later I signed a lease on a 7,000 square foot building. That was just supposed to be enough to just my big middle finger to the global gym and I hit capacity. So I opened a second one and I expanded and I expanded. I was the same one we're in right now is now 38,000 square feet of nothing but gym.
Speaker 3:And just because I got mad and I started Rex's cause, I got pissed off at GNC for selling garbage to my little brother. I was like you know what? There's a business here where people actually give a shit. And the protein snack brands is all the snack brands. Other are absolute garbage, but the average person doesn't know any better. And I'm like you know, I'm gonna make one that actually tastes good. I'm going to kick you all in the teeth. I got pissed and that's it. And when I get mad and I get motivated, I'm like I'm going to fit. I not winning. I will keep going, to my own detriment at times, and I don't mind if I go broke, because I've already done it three times.
Speaker 2:It doesn't scare me Because you see, the positive, you're the definition of my book and the podcast. What if it did work? You never said, and you know what Anger is a great, that's jet fuel, dude. The reason why we're all streaming Netflix was was the guy got reed hastings got pissed off because blockbuster gave him like a like a 30 late fee on like one movie and oh, yeah, yeah. So that when whenever somebody says oh, I'm angry, it's like well, there's two options you're gonna sulk there like a little bitch or fucking prove them wrong, man, and make them regret giving you that anger, because that's a gift. Anger is a gift, just like being rock bottom.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, and it's being broke. That was like, okay, well, this sucks and I'm pissed. I don't want to ever feel this again in my life, ever, like just ever. So I'm going to keep grinding and you know it's funny things for me is that I got that from one label. What about work-life balance? I go that doesn't freaking exist. Quit killing. I mean well, this influencer. Quit listening to influencers and quit listening to 20 year old kids who have on life experience. Work-life balance doesn't exist.
Speaker 3:My work is my life, and so my kids and my family. They are part of my work. I involve everything into one. I have family meetings once a quarter with all of my kids. There are significant others. My oldest daughter is married to my wonderful son-in-law. He's a boss, he gets it. I have a meeting. Here's what I'm doing. Here's what mom and I are doing. Here's the crazy shit we're planning on. Everyone's on board. Jump on the crazy train. We're doing this. The point that when I have to work and do crazy stuff, my kids aren't mad at me, they're cheering it on, and so I know it was like I had to go to school last year for my, my 12 year old, 13 year old. He's basically my clone. So whenever he gets in trouble I know it's my fault and cause he's me. He's going to fight the system and the teacher goes. He talks too much in class. It goes, so he has the ability to chat people up. That's a skillset, honey.
Speaker 2:I go.
Speaker 3:I can't get half your kids to talk at all, so my kid knows how to sell.
Speaker 3:I'm like that's a skillset. She goes we need him. And he can't question the teacher. I go why can't he question the teacher? I mean, I see doing it after class, respectfully, but when did education not become about challenging the norm? She's like well, we like this, I go no, honey, what you're trying to raise is worker drones. I'm raising CEOs. There's a difference. So he's going to keep bucking the system to find a better way, because if people didn't do that, we wouldn't have things like Apple and Google, we wouldn't have Kentucky fried chicken.
Speaker 2:Colonel Sanders is my favorite story that's ever existed 65 years old, 60, yeah, 1,009 no's before he got his first yes and the man lived in the back of his car and the only way he would eat would be to drive to the other restaurant, whichever, and go hey. I got this great recipe for chicken, and that's how the man would eat for the day.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and that's all my freaking heroes. I'm like so you know, I go. Don't call me with this bullshit, I go. Is he hurting anyone else? She goes, no. Is he putting anyone else down? Well, no, I go. So you don't like the fact that a 12 or 13 year old's got a better gift to gab than you do and wants to challenge the system? Don't call me again.
Speaker 3:And I had it with my one of my high schoolers. You're like well, they have some homework? I go. No, they don't. They go. I they get that shut down during the day. There ain't no homework done at my house. They go. They have work to do. They're part of the family business. And they go well, that's very old school. I said no, it should be new school. They go. Why I go? Let's put it this way If I ask all my employees to take all their work home with them and I don't pay them or compensate them for said work, I don't have employees system. I said we are not the same. And they all, and they all know me at this point. And now they all, and now they all asked me to guest speak at the high schools. It's funny from how many years ago telling me I'm an asshole to now. Hey, will you come?
Speaker 1:speak to our whole auditorium.
Speaker 3:I'm like you got it. You know what I mean and it's. It's like right now I have to go give a speech and I already know it's going to hate me and that's fine. This whole not bringing cell phones into school, shit I go. This might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life. Well, let's make.
Speaker 3:One more way your kids aren't prepared to work in the real world is by pretending like it's 1985 and not 2025. I go, they don't know how to balance their work-life balance in school. How are they going to do it when they come work for me? I go like you know, I mean it. It's part of society. I expect my staff to be able to handle this little device while they're working for me and use it as a tool to embellish the business and and do whatever I mean. You want to pretend like they don't exist? Well, they don't pay attention. They're in class. I go. That's called cause and consequence kitten. They need to learn that if they do something stupid and don't do their work, they fail, because if the it, they can be successful in business. Amen.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man, my great minds think alike. Now, I know how to find you, I know how to cyber sock you, I know how to buy your products. But how do people buy your stuff? How do people look up your nutraceuticals? Because you do sell nutraceuticals, it's not just a popcorn, you're. You're a man that has many businesses. And also, how do people get in contact with you Just just to hear your story, to hear, hear you? You speak.
Speaker 3:Best ways. If you go to my the main website, timrexiuscom, that's T I M R E X I U Scom, and it links to all the different companies the Rex's nutrition, iron heaven, gyms, vhi nutraceuticals, omaha protein popcorn speaking engagements. Different companies the Rex's Nutrition, iron Heaven, gyms, vhi Nutraceuticals, omaha Protein Popcorn Speaking Engagements, keynotes, it all goes there and if you email in, it goes to my assistant. So no, I'm not me putting you on red Like she. Actually she's worth a million dollars and so I try to get to all of them that I can and my wife also helps jump in and answer the messages and you know, like it comes to high schools and universities, I'll speak anywhere. I do that for free because, man, we need people like you and me out there telling these kids don't listen to this bullshit. Here's how to do it. So I do those for free.
Speaker 2:You can't fault the school system, because it's been the same for over 100 years and all the school system is it's to train people how to clock in, clock out, Clock out, yeah, At a factory. It was meant to be. How are we going to get these people to work at Ford? Or how are we going to get these the industrial model? You clock in, you don't say a word, speak with, only spoken to.
Speaker 2:Busy work is your work yeah, and that's, and that's it so it's just dude technology is, and it's still the same. It's still the same. Let's train them to hey, okay, see you tomorrow. And that's why people oh, how come it didn't teach me entrepreneurship? How come it didn't teach me to you know to buy stocks brother.
Speaker 3:Back when we were that age, entrepreneurship was almost a four-letter word like it was.
Speaker 2:That meant you were, you were like some fucking bomb that couldn't yeah, they didn't do it.
Speaker 3:I mean you don't have a job, yeah that or sales that yeah sales. You're just a dirty salesman and I'm like yeah man, I'd love being a salesman. I can. Yeah, I don't want to sell. I'll never be poor again in my life. I can sell anything.
Speaker 2:Of course man Sell dude, we're all sell you. Someone had to sell me to have you on the podcast. It's everything sales.
Speaker 3:It doesn't matter what, it is Someone had to sell you that.
Speaker 2:Hey, this guy has a great show. Oh yeah, you had to solve your wife to go out on a date with you. Plain and simple. You had to solve people to buy the popcorn you do and everything is sales.
Speaker 3:I don't care what job it is, if you're selling yourself to a prospective employer, to a loan officer, to whatever my investors you're selling. And the second that we now don't demonic, that we actually say, hey, that's a great trait. And so, yeah, I do in the schools, but I go to timrexistcom and get links to everything. Throw in a message, throw me. I love doing this. This is for me. It's so much fun and I thank you so much for having me on the show. Man, I'm truly honored.
Speaker 2:I appreciate it For sure, brother, hey thank you for giving me the hour, thank you for just being you, thank you for being in service because, believe it or not, you could have been the other way when. Why am I going to help out these kids and all that? Nobody helped me out, but you weren't that way. You're in service, you're a giver, brother. Big things are going to be in store. They're, they're going to be. People are going to be like why am I going to buy from first form when I can buy from rex's nutrition? Uh, can you hide it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you weren't expecting that one no, and it's uh.
Speaker 3:I was uh sal for cellos. One of sal for cellos first sales calls at my nutrition store when he started with first form actually, and um, I love those guys like I'm. You know, andy started out, I left to go work in nutrition or in the field because I couldn't come with and he did and uh, we've had a mutual beneficial relationship. We're like I don't go in their area where supplement superstore is, they don't come in mine. I sell their brand. Some of their stores sell my brand and I have a huge respect. My wife just went to a women's business conference with Emily for Sella.
Speaker 3:Um and uh, emily was putting the popcorn up on social media, so um well there you go, man.
Speaker 2:Synergy, hey you, you, I love you more because you know, and Andy has never been on my podcast four years running, but you never know, I, I'm going to make it happen and you, brother, you're, you're, you're there, man. You're there, I'm trying there man, you're getting there one day at a time. It's like working out brother. You're just like you never thought popcorn was going to explode and it's going to be like that. And, like I said, you better get merged, man, so we can all wear Rexius, I got to holler.
Speaker 3:I got to. I love it. Heck yeah.
Speaker 2:All right brother, have an amazing night with your family.
Speaker 3:You too. Thanks, brother, appreciate you, buddy.
Speaker 1:What if you took action and made it happen and started living inside of your purpose? What if it did work? Right now you can make the choice to never listen to that negative voice no more. The hardest prison to escape is our own mind. I was trapped inside that prison all for a long time. To make it happen, you gotta take action. Just imagine what if it did work.