How This Ex-Alabama Player Built a 7-Figure Marketing Empire | Mac Hereford DSH #951

How did you balance your ego at Alabama?

Because I'm sure everywhere you went, you were the man.

It wasn't hard for me because I didn't play as much as most guys.

You know, the fans pump you up.

Football in Alabama is literally a religion.

You can go anywhere in the state of Alabama.

Football is life.

Yeah, it really is.

Like, it's at a different level.

I don't know if there's anywhere else in the country that's compared.

All right, guys, Digital Social Hour in Nashville.

We got Mac here for here today.

Thanks for having me, man.

Dude, I'm excited to be here in Nashville with you and glad you can make it out here.

Dude, I can see why you live here now, too, after being here for a day.

It's pretty, look, it's pretty lit.

I tell people all the time, Nashville is a great city.

Yeah.

And I know you're big on sports and you got a crazy sports background, which we'll get into, but you're still really active training.

Yeah.

So I train all the time.

I train four times a week with a guy named Justin Todd at a gym called Athlos.

Talk to you a little bit about it before the pod, but he has a unique training.

style always gamifies stuff makes it competitive and train with a bunch of pro guys and it's like I don't know it's I feel like I'm in better shape and my body feels better now than it did like four or five years ago.

Wow.

So you were playing football at Alabama four or five years ago, right?

Yeah.

I was playing in Alabama and, you know, we were lifting every single, you know, three times a week and also doing practice.

And it's like, I felt great then, don't get me wrong, but I just think there's like a change in the way I've been working out now from then.

Like originally in college football, you know, it's a lot of heavy lifting, a lot of Olympic lifts and a lot of weight you're moving along with, you know, as well, just

the training like of practices.

And so now moving towards today, the training I do, you know, we do about 45 minutes of some kind of competitive game, some kind of competitive movement and mobility.

And then we get into the gym and it's like, I don't know, I don't even know how to describe the lifting.

We had so many like hands-on deck at Alabama that like after I graduated, I didn't even know how to lift because they had just always told us what to do.

Wow.

So they were really hands-on with you, like personally or in group settings?

In group settings.

So we we would have, you know, the way it worked at Alabama, we would have lifting groups.

And I can't

tell you the exact number of guys that would be in each lifting group, but maybe it's around, you know, 20, 30 guys.

We'd split up into groups around like, you know, sometimes two to four.

And we would have like a strength intern or strength coach at our rack in the weight room with every single group.

So they were super hands-on.

Alabama had amazing resources, obviously, but the ability just like to have someone say, hey, you're supposed to lift this much weight.

They tracked all of our data, how much we're supposed to be lifting so that we could see our improve or see our improvement and increase in strength.

Yeah, um, but it was, it was pretty crazy.

Like, they're like helping change the weights, and you're moving from one station to the next.

It's it's a process.

I mean, it was under Coach Nick Sabin, so you can only imagine like the process part of it, but yeah, it was really cool.

How did you balance your ego at Alabama?

Because I'm sure everywhere you went, you were the man,

dude.

I, it wasn't hard for me because I didn't play as much as most guys, um, but there definitely was a lot of that.

You know, the fans pump you up.

And obviously, football in Alabama is literally a religion.

I don't think people get it when I talk about it.

You can go anywhere in the state of Alabama and you're going to see an Alabama flag or an Auburn flag waving in the front yard and kids wearing those jerseys to school.

Football is everything.

Football's life.

Yeah, it really is.

Like, it's at a different level.

I don't know if there's anywhere else in the country that compares to the game.

I don't think so, dude.

Dude, those games probably had, what, 20 million viewers for the like the super the title game?

I mean, I don't know the exact numbers, but it had a shit ton.

Yeah.

Was your goal to make it to the NFL?

Was that number one goal for you?

So honestly, my goal, it, when I was a young little, like when I was a little kid, we had like books in elementary school that was writing about what you wanted to be.

And I can, I still have a book that's from like kindergarten or first grade or whatnot that says, I want to be an Alabama football player.

So it wasn't the NFL.

It wasn't some other thing.

It was literally just an Alabama football player.

That's all I wanted to do and all I wanted to be.

And so when I got there, it was like, okay, you know, like, what do I do next?

But yeah, I was never to be in the NFL just to play at Alabama.

Okay.

So that was like the pinnacle for you.

Yeah.

Like

getting there.

That was it.

It was huge.

And I think like, that's why I love still talking about it today.

It's like, dude, if you imagine having a goal and a dream your whole entire life and then achieving it, like.

It's massive.

The feeling is awesome.

Yeah.

You know?

So once you achieved it, was there a moment where you were like, what's next?

Yeah, I would say once I got there freshman year, it was like, okay, these are some of the top players in the country.

And like, I don't even know if I can compete with them.

But then after a short period of time, I'm like, dude, I'm not, you know, too far off from these guys.

And so it's then, what's the next step?

And that was to play.

Like, I really, really wanted to play.

So I worked my tail off, did everything in my power to play

and didn't play as much as I wanted to, but I really, really loved the experience.

Nice.

How many strings are there on that team?

Dude, there's, I mean,

first string, second string, third string.

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Fourth string.

I mean, there's even fifth string guys, maybe even more than that.

And the thing I would tell people that's crazy about the University of Alabama, and I'll stand on this, is that guys who are fifth, like fourth, fifth string in Alabama could start at almost any other Division I school.

Wow, it's that deep.

I think it's that deep.

I really crap.

So were you fifth string at first?

Yeah, I was, I would say just bat, like, wouldn't even consider myself a string, just in the mix.

Whoa.

Uh, and then as time went on, I mean, the furthest I got was the spring game.

So we have a spring game leading up to the next season, the next year.

And I started in that spring game.

My quarterback was Mac Jones.

And I played the most reps, I think, on my team out of anyone.

And that was the next year.

Then they brought in other guys like Jalen Waddell and, you know, Jerry Judy, Henry Roggs,

et cetera.

I can go down the list of Alabama wide receivers.

But it was a powerhouse.

I think that was just one of the biggest differences that I saw at the University of Alabama is like most teams, you know, they've got great first and second string guys.

Alabama, you know, you're going to have a five-star who's sitting until his last year of college.

Crazy.

It's crazy.

And it was easy.

My dad always was fascinated with the fact that these guys could stay.

Like, why would anyone want to stay?

You know, if they're a five-star, they know they can start somewhere else, but they're here at the University of Alabama and they know they may have to sit three or four years.

Well, you have guys like Kenyon Drake, who's a running back who didn't play too much throughout his career and had a huge kicker turn against Clemson in his national championship and gets picked up in the second round.

Wow.

Like you have guys like Josh Jacobs, who played for the Raiders, now plays for the Packers.

Like Josh wasn't a like true full-year starter his whole career at Alabama and then was drafted first round.

So you can, it's, you know, if you put in the time and the effort at the University of Alabama, like you're going to make it, you know, eventually when you get your chance, like you're going to go to the league if that's your goal.

Absolutely.

How high was the turnover every year?

Were you in a new locker room every single year?

I would say like, you know.

They did a good job of keeping guys there throughout my time, and the transfer rules have changed a bit now, but most of the time we'd see the same, you know, same teammates.

The biggest turnover was in coaches.

I had, I think, four or five different offensive coordinators and wide receiver coaches in my tenure at Alabama.

So that was nuts to me because you build a relationship with these guys and you grow to love them and respect them.

And then, like, oh, gosh, they're out.

And you can't really blame them because most of Saban's staff, most of the guys under Saban, are getting head coaching jobs at other schools.

They're getting crazy offers.

Yes.

I mean, you have Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss right now.

You have Kirby Smart at Georgia.

You have Billy Napier at Florida.

All those guys were like under Saban at one point.

And there's a lot more that I didn't even speak on, but like, that's the crazy thing to me.

If you want to become a head coach, like you just come to Alabama and learn from Coach Sabin, and then boom, like you're competing with him in the next couple of years.

It's like working with Belichick, right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

They compare Belichick to Coach Sabin all the time.

I mean, both of them are very similar.

I haven't personally met Belichick, but Sabin is just one of a kind, best college football coach to ever do it.

A lot of people say he's the GOAT, right?

Yeah.

College football.

I mean, I think there's, you know, very, very high percentage.

There's a very few people who don't think Coach Sabin is the goat.

Why do you, did you you ever ask him why he didn't want to coach NFL?

No, he obviously coached NFL for a little bit.

I think that the way he coaches his system works better at the college level.

I think it's a little bit harder now when you throw in this NIL money and players being able to get paid so much like they are.

But, you know, the NFL level, these guys are, it's a job for them.

It's strictly a job.

And so they come in, they're doing their thing, and most of them are doing whatever they're on their own, their personal life away from the stadium.

And college football compared to high school, like high school, you got this brotherhood, this bond.

It's not exactly the same in college.

Like, guys aren't hanging out as much.

I mean, I did because I really took, you know, was intentional with trying to spend time with my teammates outside of the locker room.

But you still have that feel in college, and you still, as a coach, you can still get and demand respect from players that are younger and they're still developing.

And so I think that's why the college system works so well for him because you know, he was like a business manager at the end of the day.

100%.

Like he's up here, and then you have the assistant coaches, coordinators, and then below them is like the position coaches and then us.

And so if there was something that needed to be translated down to us, most of the time it came from the OC to the like position coach to us rather than directly from Coach Sabin.

Now, if you're getting just an ass chewing on the field, like a lot of times, yeah, it's coming from Coach Sabin, but it's a really cool system.

I mean, I think he would be successful with anything and everything he would do.

I think he could be a great businessman.

Honestly, I would love to see him run for president.

I can see that.

Yeah, it'd be dope.

What was his coaching style?

Because I know a lot of football coaches rule by fear, right?

They want the players to be a little scared, intimidated by them.

Was he like that?

Yeah, I would say it's, it's, he was a coach where I tell people that he was

loved but respected.

So, and this, or feared and loved at the same time, you know, or I think it's the, I'm trying to think of the right term.

Is it you'd rather be feared than loved?

Yeah, I think he went off of that because there was a presence that he had to players.

He kept a distance.

So there's a lot of coaches who are called players' coaches.

And those guys, I would, you know, say is like a Dabo Sweeney who is very like hands-on with his players, knows every guy, really talks to them and gets to know them.

Coach Saban knew who we all were, but he kept distance so that he would have that respect.

Wow, so he wouldn't build a personal bond with any players.

It would be, there were very few players that he would really build a very personal bond with in my time.

Like, I can think of Jalen Hurts and Minka Fitzpatrick and you know, Tua.

He built really good relationships with those guys and was talking to those guys outside of practice a good bit.

With the rest of us, you know, I believe he loved all of us and wanted us to succeed.

But again, he kept a distance because with that distance came respect.

Right.

And when he walked into a room, you know, it would go silent like that.

Like, it was crazy.

Like, everyone's talking to the team meeting room.

Saban walks in.

This is our coach.

You know what I'm saying?

And it's like dead silence.

Dude, there's

not many guys that can do that.

I'd say Trump is one, but there's not many.

Yeah, it was pretty unbelievable.

That's crazy.

That's smart, though, because sometimes when I get close with, you know, people like my employees, it kind of affects my decision making.

Yep.

100% leeway.

Yeah.

And his kind of style was, you know, he demanded a standard of excellence to each and every single person in the facility, whether it was a nutritionist, whether it was an assistant coach, a GA, you know, even to the janitors.

Like he had a standard of excellence and every single person had to follow that.

And the cool thing was like, if they didn't follow that standard, well, then you're not supposed to be at Alabama.

You're out.

You know, you're out.

And it was nothing personal.

At the end of the day, it's just.

his system and how it works, his process.

Yeah, he treated it like a business.

Yep.

That's cool, man.

It was very successful, too.

yeah what are some other what's another big takeaway you had from him i would say just really on the on the personal thing you know i used to take everything personally and i think there's power in taking things personally you know and and oh that let that drive you let that motivate you but his ability to help people understand look this is not about just you or you or you individually This is a lot bigger than every single, you know, than each and every one of you.

It's a team.

And I think that's one of the biggest things in life is like a lot of times, even in business, like you take things personal sometimes.

It's not going to work out well for you.

You got to realize at the end of the day, it's work, it's business, and there's things that need to happen and you got to get them done.

You know, and if you're not going to get them done, then, you know, it's not going to be successful.

Absolutely.

Any big football memories from high school or before college?

Dude, I had one amazing, I have a lot of great, you know, memories from all levels of football.

I love the sport of football just because of the relationships that I've been able to build has been amazing with some guys that, you know, completely different backgrounds.

But in particular, one great high school football memory.

There's nothing like high school football, and I've been seeing this like little trend on TikTok that has this music and stuff.

It gets me going, it gets me fired up.

But I'll never forget one of my teammates, Evans River.

So I played at a boarding school.

So we had guys from all over, but my teammate Evans River was the running back at the time, guy from Queens, New York, cousins with one of my roommates in high school, one of my best friends, Ledgie Portugal.

But there was a game my senior year that I have like videos of it where we're playing one of our rivals.

I come out and I have this great block for him and he takes it up the sideline, runs it, you know, tons of yards, was crushing it.

And it was like, I felt great about it.

He gave me, he was like, dude, thanks for the block.

But on the next drive, when we got the ball, we're going down on the other teams.

I think like we're on like the 30-yard line or something going in.

And I run an in-route, you know, cut in.

Our quarterback, Lyndell Stone, who's still one of the best quarterbacks that I've ever thrown with my opinion to this day.

Wow.

Throws me a ball to the middle.

I catch it, break like one tackle, and then I'm running down and evading some tacklers, and I get all the way down to the one-yard line.

My legs were like giving out.

I was so tired, but I tried to reach the ball over, and they didn't call it a touchdown.

And I was like, dude,

I had an opportunity to get this touchdown right here and didn't get it.

And I was kind of, you know, one is I was happy because I made a good play, but at the same time, I was like, damn.

And we come over to the sidelines.

And I remember just like standing back on the sidelines like, dang, what's the next play call going to be?

And Evans, our running back, looks over at our coach and says, coach, I want Mac to have this touchdown.

And I was like, at that moment, I was like, damn, like, that is the epitome of a great teammate, but also an awesome high school football experience.

When you have a guy who, you know, he would love to have a touchdown, you know, and that's who they were going to go to.

So they put me in at running back.

And our, you know, one of our, all of our offensive line was like, we're going to do this.

And we had a guy who was going to pull around the side and block named Clark Yarbrough, who was a stud in high school, like four or five-star guy ended up going to Stanford.

And he looks at me and he just says, just follow me in, Hereford.

He's like, just follow me in.

So on that play, I got the handoff, got a touchdown.

I love it.

And it was just awesome.

Like I said, like the fact that you can play with guys that are willing to do that at a school and a program that are that selfless.

That's one of my best.

That's so cool.

And was that the first time running the ball ever, too?

No, I'd run the ball.

I'd played early on in my high school career running back.

I'd play running back, fullback, tight end, and wide receiver.

So it wasn't the first time I ran the ball, but it was just one of the times, like it definitely was different since I was playing wide receiver that year year and they put me in at running back.

It was a really good feeling.

What's the hardest position, in your opinion?

Ooh, honestly, dude, I would say, I would say the hardest position in football, from my opinion, just from my experience, because I haven't played all of them, but I've competed against them, is probably defensive back.

Really?

Because of the fact that the wide receiver, you know, at the wide receiver position, we have the ability to create and make what's going to happen.

We know going up to the line, okay, I'm going to jab this way, jab that way, get around this guy, and make a play.

Well, the DB has no clue.

He's a reactor.

So we're getting to make the play he's having to react to what we're doing and so that's why i think it's one of the most challenging positions because you're set up in a stance you know a defensive back stance you're having to back pedal you're having to move right you're having to twist your you know move left and do a turn and it's like then you have to almost kind of just guess what they're going to do and i just always that always fascinated me and when i tried to play db for fun after practice or something with my buddies i was like okay this is got to be the hardest if not the hardest position in football it's almost like a chess battle battle because you got to think what they're thinking.

Yep.

100%.

Like, seriously, dude,

you're lining up and as a wide receiver, I know what moves I'm going to make.

I can change it up again.

You can create.

And the defensive back just has to read that.

And while reading that, react so fast that he's going to be able to stop you from getting the ball.

Wow.

Yeah, because if you react maybe half a second too late, touchdown, right?

Yep.

100%.

And you look terrible.

Yeah.

I heard the lifespan on those is three years, really short.

I think so.

I think for the majority majority of guys in the NFL, it's like a three to five year lifespan.

Wow.

Yeah.

So short.

That must be the lowest compared to all other sports.

Yeah, I would assume so.

It's just because your body's going through so much like beating.

You know, you're out there, you're working out.

You're also training, practicing all the time, and you're in pads and taking hits that are like getting hit by a car.

Did you ever worry about the long-term damage of football?

I didn't learn about it.

I mean, I didn't worry about the long-term damage.

at the time but now sometimes i'm like damn like all those times where i got hit like i can remember one time I got a concussion and was like running sideways during practice and when you get a concussion you can't really think clearly and so I'm like no no no I'm not going out like you're not taking me out I remember going in the locker room and saying something like I would die for this team and tears are going down my face and I'm like now I look back and I'm like dude what was I thinking I had so much CTE I woke up the next morning could hardly walk to my bathroom

so I worry about it now but there's really not much I think I can do about it.

Maybe there is.

No, you could get in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.

I could do that, I guess.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I got a brain scan and I had some TBI.

What is that?

Traumatic brain injury.

Okay.

Yeah.

So I must have had concussions growing up that I didn't know about too.

And it was able to solve it or what?

Yeah.

If you do it 30 times, they said to come back and scan it and it should improve.

Okay.

Cool.

Yeah.

Cool.

Any other biohacking or health things you do other than working out?

Yeah, I'll take some of that.

What is it called?

Like NAD or whatever.

I'll take some of that occasionally.

I also will do IVs occasionally.

And then just make sure I'm hydrating and drinking electrolytes.

I'm pretty, you know, I've done it.

Now the thing about it, actually, I've done one thing that I thought was really cool and fascinating recently.

Have you ever heard of a float tank?

Yeah.

So that was crazy.

I used to do that, dude.

Really?

Did you find them helpful?

Dude, I would hallucinate sometimes, but it definitely relaxed me.

No way.

Okay, you're the first.

I mean, I haven't told

too many people about the experience, but it makes me laugh that you say hallucinate because the first time I walk in there, I'm like, I don't know what I'm getting into.

Someone gave me a little free trial pass.

So I go in there and I'm like, yeah, I would love to do the tang for like an hour, I believe, was the time.

You know, and they're like, take a shower, whatever.

And then you see this tube.

And I'm like, holy, like, I'm getting in this shit.

It was like a goddamn spaceship.

And I get in there and they were telling me the options.

Like, you can turn off the lights if you want it to be the whole experience.

And then there's like different sounds.

And I, I did the highest level of everything possible, you know, that you could potentially do.

And I remember getting in there and like closing my eyes, bro, it felt like for a second, if you've ever imagined Jimmy Neutron's brain, like neuron shooting off, like I felt like I could see thoughts and memories and visions like

flying through my freaking brain.

I don't know.

It was wild.

I don't know know if most people have that experience or if i was just like psyching myself out but all that to say that was one of those things that i've done recently that was pretty nuts and i felt good you know you're an hour away from your phone you're an hour away from thoughts and thinking and like i feel like that's something that you know maybe i should do again um

but you know i'm into cold bat or ice tubs and cryro i do a little bit of all that but to be honest i'm a pretty you know whatever just natural just out there not saying that stuff's not natural but uh keep my body healthy by just exercising all the time, drinking enough water, eating somewhat healthy.

Which is like 90% of it.

You know, that other stuff is like for fun, biohacking.

That's like some 1% stuff.

100%.

Yeah.

Jimmy Neutron, though, that dude's the GOAT.

I used to love that show.

Dude, it's crazy how it's going through my head.

I'm swear I was like hallucinating.

It literally was like, like I could see these lines like firing off like stars or something.

It was that's what I was seeing.

Dude, stars and planets and stuff.

Dude, yeah.

And everyone thought I was crazy.

Well, now you know, you're not crazy.

Maybe we're just both crazy.

We might be.

We might be, man.

Yeah.

Do you you party a lot?

Drink a lot?

I would say not as much as I used to.

I've never been a person who's had a problem with overindulgence.

I've always been a person that moderation, everything in moderation.

Excuse me, birthed a little bit.

I like to go out, though.

I like to go out.

I think it's fun to socialize.

I think it's part of, you know, having a healthy mindset is going out and meeting people.

And sometimes that, for me, that does come with drinking.

And, you know, I love to throw back a couple of drinks.

I only do

tequila.

So I only drink tequila for alcohol.

Rarely will you see me with a beer or some kind of other alcohol.

I'll drink it occasionally, depending on the vibe and the moment.

That's how I'll figure out if I want to drink it or not.

But for the most part, I just do tequila because tequila burns fat.

You know, it's, I say to people, it's healthy for you if you're going to drink.

No, it actually is the healthiest one.

It is.

And I do it with water.

So tequila water with a little bit of lime juice, throw that in there, and you're getting hydrated while getting a little bit of buzz at the same time.

There we go.

And you've done phenomenal at fostering relationships.

Yeah, I would say I've done a, first of all, I appreciate that, but I'd say I've done a good job.

Yeah, I mean, was that from the football team and you kind of just expanded from that?

I have to give a lot of that credit.

One, to like, you know, I'm a believer, so I'd say in God in general.

Like, I don't want to take credit for that because I think that like that gift of mine of being able to communicate and build relationships.

is all him really but i would say also a lot of credit to my family um and especially to my mom because she was the kind of person that is just like people compare her to the to the lady in the blind side at times uh the movie version I don't know how the real mom was but my mom was always someone who always wanted to have more family you know not in the sense of she didn't love the family she had she absolutely loves our family and and loves us more than the whole world but she would she has a gift and a skill at communicating with others that could be completely from different backgrounds that she could be and find a way to make them feel like we're family and that our home is their home nice and um you know you could see it in in relationships like i have a brother that i say is adopted brother not legally adopted, but that's been a part of our family that I call my brother Kevin from Cameroon, Africa.

And so he's been a part of our family for years.

And then there was other relationships that, you know, you're like, how did, how does the Hereford family know these people?

And it's thankfully to my mom.

So I'll attribute a lot of that to her and my faith and just, you know, God being able to work the, you know.

work relationships in the best way possible.

And I also think that when it comes to relationship building, I think a lot of people, it's, they have a purpose behind it.

Whether that's like, hey, that's business or that's for this or that.

For me, it's, it's really, I'm attracted to people who are high achievers in any sort of shape or fashion.

And, you know, I go into

building relationships with completely wanting to know someone for who they are and build a friendship because that's what I love.

And I feel like that's what, you know, a lot of people ask is my intentions aren't to get anything out of it.

My intentions are to literally become someone's friend if we, if we vibe and relate.

And, you know, I, I just love walking in random places wherever it could be.

It could be a gas station.

It could be, you know, um, at the local gym, whatever it may be, just really like going up to someone and getting to know them and learn about them.

And it's just fascinating to me.

And it's, it's really fun.

I'm really passionate about building relationships

and having good friends all the time.

Nice.

I bet people love that because a lot of these, you know, influencers, they get people trying to use them for money or for fame and they, they hate that yeah a hundred percent i think it's uh it's fun because at the same time you know it's it's been something that i've had to to balance and manage is like look i do have some great relationships and i want to help some of these people make money but i also want to make money as well yeah and it's finding a way to like okay how can we all win together and that's been a challenge for me but i think like you know we're starting to come upon um starting to figure that out a little bit because i want to help my friends win and i think absolutely they're undervalued in tons of situations whether it comes with brand deals or other things and i think i may come in and disrupt the system a little bit with that.

I love it.

Dude, that was the biggest challenge for me before the podcast.

I had all these great connections because I was just providing value for years and I didn't know how to monetize it.

But this show really helped me, dude.

Yeah, dude, this is awesome.

The show is awesome.

I love what you do.

I think that one of the coolest things is the group message.

Oh, the WhatsApp message.

I don't know if everybody wants to talk about that or not, but your WhatsApp message.

I mean, I check it in there and it's, you know, I'm like, dang, there's too much to catch up on sometimes.

It's a lot of different stuff.

But it's cool that you're developing a community not only are you speaking to the individuals and getting to meet people but at the same time you're really like connecting them and you're making a community from from ground up which i think is like very impressive yeah i'm impressed just the way you move dude thank you you're getting

you know you're getting these things done dude like i i've always wanted to start a pod and i've always wanted to do this kind of stuff and i remember telling one of my buddies like dude You just get it.

Like you really do.

Like you're ripping these things out.

You're obviously driven and it's a good trait to have thank you dude i see it in you too and community is everything for me dude and that's why i'm going to other cities and filming now to learn more about other communities and i want to bring them all together in a chat or whatever in events that's my goal dude 100 we got to get you uh got to stay longer next time yeah and uh let me bring you into the nashville community a little bit more in some of the the communities that i'm in because there's some great groups here and great people absolutely no dude community is so important and i think people get lost in social media these days and they don't actually like value community like they should

a

Yeah.

People don't understand, you know, how nice it is to have people who are willing to fight with you for you and be there when you need them.

You have a unique way of marketing and entrepreneurship that is unlike any other I've seen.

Yeah,

I appreciate that as well, dude.

Yeah, I would say it's a cool way.

Like I said, it's been a challenge.

Like you have to make money at the end of the day.

Now, money is not the most important thing to me at all, but you do have to find a way to make money.

And I think the way that I've kind of marketed or do things a little little bit differently is, you know, I started out, I loved social media when I got to college.

I realized the power of branding because of the fact that when I was a young kid, you know, I tell people I could go up to an Alabama football player.

It doesn't matter who this Alabama football player is, what he's done on the field, anything.

If he's just wearing that crimson jersey, when I was a kid, if he would have told me something, I would have hold on to that my whole entire life, you know?

And so it's like, wow, there's this power that you can.

impacts people.

And I think the most important part of marketing is in-person marketing and how you treat people and how the way you make them feel.

That goes way beyond anything else.

But if you can take that idea and push it out to more people using social media in a positive light, it's fascinating the work that can be done and the things and the people that you can inspire and change.

And so I held on to that and developed like a little bit of learned how to do graphics on my own, you know, starting in high school for my high school teammates for graphic edits.

And I was using like Microsoft Word and Pages.

And then I did after that, like I had found a way to, you know, connect with rappers and artists and other people who loved Alabama football.

And what I would do for them is find ways, hey, okay, like on social media, this is before TikTok.

This is before all that other stuff.

I was getting their music and I was learning, self-teaching myself how to make highlight tapes for guys.

And so the players, my teammates loved it because I would make them a highlight tape.

But then the artists would love it as well.

And so this idea where music is really popular on social media, I was kind of, I would say, in front of that wave because I was finding a way to get these guys' music out there organically that people would like it.

And a a lot of times my teammates like these guys' music.

And so it was connecting people.

I love that.

Dude, those YouTube highlight reels used to be popping back in your day.

Yeah, they used to be big.

And it was always fun doing it because the people I was doing it for, one, you know, a lot of times the artist would be cool to put their music on the back of it and they would love to see these guys post it.

But two, just like.

It's fun, dude.

I'm getting to create something and I'm, I'm like working at it that my teammates will really enjoy and cherish and love.

And it's like the drive that I had.

I can remember making Josh Jacobs a highlight tape and we're sitting in his room room while I'm making it.

And I'm like, this is so much fun.

You know what I'm saying?

Get to putting together something that he's going to get to go look at back in the day.

Yeah, you're creating win-win opportunities.

And that's something I, my whole philosophy is that if I feel like something's one-sided, I won't partake in it.

Oh, 100%.

Yeah,

it's just not worth it.

You know, at the end of the day, the relationship is, to me, is like.

up here on the list.

And it's like, how, if it's not a beneficial win for both sides, and usually I like it to be where it's a bigger win for the other person than myself, then it's not worth it for me.

And I would say I transitioned.

So I learned how to do TikTok.

I learned how to do Instagram and I would learn how to, you know, I just knew kind of what people wanted to hear, but also it was still being myself and would be able to display that in a way that would get me a following.

And I started to experiment in all kind of niches.

I was never just football.

I love like a little bit of comedy, you know, I wanted to do pranks.

I wanted to try.

everything possible and every sport possible so that okay now i can take this and any brand out there that wants to work with me well, dude, I've done a pickleball company.

Well, I've done pickleball videos that have done well.

You know, it's a food company.

I've done food videos that have done well.

There's every single niche I've tried to learn and be able to really do myself so that I have a process that I can show to other groups and help them grow.

And I've leveraged my social media side to build those relationships with brands or companies that I've worked with.

And then in return, we'll do like usually an equity deal and a retainer deal

for consulting and advising.

So I maintain my own work hours and my flexibility because I love my freedom

while also helping them build and helping them learn using strategy or connecting them to the right people.

So

it's been really, really fun.

You're playing the long game, man.

Some people want that upfront cost, but you're like, nah, give me some equity, man.

Yep.

100%.

And it's fun to see how it's evolved over time because originally it's like, okay, is it just an equity piece?

You know, I'm just learning about this.

Now it's an equity and retainer piece.

Now is this company in a position where I can just do an equity piece?

And through each,

through each relationship and through each company I've worked with, I've learned a ton and thankful for all the groups that I've had an opportunity to do that with.

Yeah, and you've gone viral in so many niches, man.

Like some people struggle to just go viral in one.

So do you have like a formula that you follow?

Dude, I'm not like most people who have a good formula.

You know, if my brother was always really good at math, but he'd never teach it to me.

I'm one of those guys that I really feel like.

The formula is in my head in a sense.

Like it's it's hard to really I wish I could sometimes pull it out and put it on paper, but there's not a specific way I do things.

I like to just, I'm trial by error.

And the way that I've been able to go viral in a couple of different niches is just like picking up on information.

Like when I scroll, I'm not aimlessly scrolling.

You know, I'm scrolling with intent.

Like, if there's something that is, that is bringing out like emotion in me.

What is this making me feel like?

How are they doing this?

Okay.

And there's a method I tell people called the blueprint model, which is there, the blueprint method, which is essentially this worked for somebody.

How can I make this work for me and do it in my own way?

That's an original piece of content.

And that's done really well for me, taking, you know, other ideas I've seen and polishing them and putting my own touch on them.

Love it.

Yeah.

When I'm scrolling, dude, I'm studying the guest.

I'm studying how long the video is, you know, all these things that people are just scrolling on.

Yeah.

You know,

I'm telling you, people just scroll.

A lot of these women, they say silent scrolling is the term.

They'll just sit there and just, you know, go on their phone, which if that's healthy for them, great.

But I'm always on there with intention for the most part.

100%.

You have to be, man.

I mean, if you look at my screen time it looks bad but i'm actually working you know yeah 100 i'm into dms that's how i get a lot of my guests that's how we met right yeah i think so yeah a while ago dude when you were doing the jersey are you jersey jersey kings no i'm not but that was a great um networking tool for me because i was able to make jerseys for all sorts of people and then i had that rollodeck so when i started the podcast because i gave so many free jerseys out to people they were like yeah i'll come on yeah 100 it was a cool i always remember being like dude this is sick like yeah how how old were you at that time dude i was young it was freshman in college so so 21 20.

dang i mean that's when you know that's the vision you need though you need to think long-term like you like i could have um just charged people for the jerseys and then they wouldn't have come on the podcast 100 so yeah dude i love that play and i remember i think you hooked me up and it was awesome because i got to wear it and then like rep it throw it up and then look we're sitting

yeah

yeah um what's next for you are you potentially launching a product so i am going to launch a product i thought before this that i would have more information to be able to give out on it just just know that I'm going to look into the consumer product space because the idea is that I've done this advising and strategy and consulting in the marketing and media world especially for these companies and it's like all right I'm doing this and helping them grow or succeed you know how can I do this because sometimes I don't want to connect someone to a company whether I'm advising for them or not like I believe maybe in their product but do I believe in every single thing about the people that are working there right you know do I think it's a win-win for the other guy like maybe they're like hey we want to offer so-and-so that you know this deal and it might not be a deal that I think think is a win for my buddy or friend.

And so I'm like, all right, how can I make something instead of constantly going back and forth with someone?

How can I make something where I have control of the deals?

I have control of the marketing or at least a big hand in it.

And so decided of working with a couple of guys and going to come out with a consumer product in probably the next year and a half.

Nice.

I would say.

And then on the other side of things, I showed you that you took a little bit of it, but

have to shamelessly plug boost, right?

Electrolyte.

Electrolyte boost um and i couldn't believe you could just swallow the powder like that it's pretty phenomenal so they're the first i believe electrolyte company to be able to take straight to the dome is how i say it so you can just tear it off like you did and just rip it back it's a little bit sour for some people i love it because you're able to get instead of putting it you can put this in a water as well but instead of having to do that like especially if you're going on a flight or if you're about to go to bed like and you want electrolytes you it's packed with vitamins packed with cognizant as well which is what joe rogan has in his alpha brain um it's able to naturally just like make you feel better.

And then if I'm, again, like before a flight or before going to the movies, I do it and it's like, don't have to pee.

So you're wired for the movie.

I mean, dude, like, I always have to pee drinking so much water.

And it's like, we need a lot of water as humans, but I don't think we need as much as a lot of people are drinking today.

It's become this new trend to carry on like these Stanleys and stuff.

So yeah, I'm going to be an advisor for Electrolyte Boost.

Excited because I think we'll do some really cool things with them as well.

I love it, man.

Yeah, I'm excited for your CPG brand, especially seeing guys like Jake Paul launch his brand and in in 45 days it's in Walmart and it's worth nine figures.

Dude, I have so much respect for the Paul's, both the Paul's ability to market, but also just their ability to think differently than the crowd and be in front of the curve on so many different things.

But yeah, I'm excited about it.

I don't think it'll be as focused.

His is very attached to him.

I think that I'll have a similar model, a similar model, but I think we'll use some strategic partners and we'll have guys come in who love the product and want to support it.

And, you know, hopefully we'll boom.

Absolutely.

Dude, it's been a blast.

Any closing messages for the audience here?

No, I've just really enjoyed it, man.

It's been great.

Uh, appreciate you having me on and uh, excited to keep continue to learn and hear about what you're doing.

Think of cushing it with the pod, getting on as many people as you do, and having the insightful conversation that you do.

And, you know, looking forward to either one hopping back on at some point or maybe I'll start my own podcast and have you on too.

I'd love to be on there, man.

Let's go.

Appreciate you, man.

Thanks for watching, guys.

See you next time.