From Tent Life to CEO: Kyle Freebairn’s Wild Ride to the Top

I mean, I’m not I’m not, you know, I’m 41 right now, so I’m I’m
too young to pontificate. But life’s too short to not do stuff with people
you love being with. I mean, what else what else is there? Like, what is it?
Is it relationship? Of course, it’s relationships. And it doesn’t matter what
we’re doing. I’ve told the team, we we you know, I love I love the slush
business. It’s fun. It’s a fun category. You know, uh uh kids love it. Adults
love it. Truck drivers love it. Moms love it. So, it’s great. But but and I
told the team I told the whole frazzled we could we could build ball bearings
together and we would have a great time. You know we we could we could
manufacturing a sighting on a house and we we would love doing it together.
So it’s the people that’s the nucleus of what the magic is. Welcome to the
Know Your Ship podcast presented by EHUB. I’m your host Frank Dolce. Welcome
back to Know Your Ship. The one and only Kyle Free Baron. What kind of name
is Freebar? Scottish. Oh, yeah. I was thinking it was more like Germanic. No.
No. Yeah. Scottish. Yeah. Brick layers. Is that brick layers? Yeah. Is that
what you know? Are you familiar with the word berserk? Berserk. Berserk.
Yeah. Have you heard about the that? Yeah. Interesting thing. It’s like the
coat of a bear or something. Uhhuh. And this Yeah. fanatical. Yes. Fanatical.
Yeah. But it comes from it’s Germanic in origin and this Yeah. fanatical.
Yeah. Kind of this crazed warrior. Yeah. You got it. And that’s where popped
up on who knows what. Like you were wearing the coat of a bear. Yeah.
Berserk. Yeah. I think I got that right. Nailed it. I don’t know. Something
like that. Well, thanks for thanks for being here. Thanks for taking the
time. Yeah, we’re really excited to hear about the story of Frazzle, but I
think we want to talk about all the stuff leading up to that. How did you end
up at Frazzle? And I know you have a really interesting background. Yeah. Is
is that is that fair to say? I I think so. Yeah. I mean, it’s funny because at
the time uh you know, when you’re growing up, you know, you’re just like, I’m
just growing up. So you don’t think, “Oh, this is kind of this is kind
of a different upbringing than a lot of kids have.” Yeah. And then and
then like, you know, you go through life and you get further along and you’re
like, “Oh, hey, that was a little different, you know.” You know,
but in a good way for me, I think. Yeah. You know, so that’s and that’s been
kind of interesting as people have known kind of, you know, some of the
details of of how I grew up. They’re like, “Oh, man. Are are you
okay?” I’m like, “What are you talking about, man? I’m great. This
is great.” Yeah. you know. So, it’s kind of an interesting to see, you
know, how how people respond to, you know, some of that. Well, can we can we
talk about that? Like, why why would people say why would people look at your
background and and your upbringing and say that’s really interesting? Yeah.
Well, my you know, we we were talking before um so my dad, he’s in industrial
construction, so done that since the day I was born. So big big industrial
projects, electrician by trade. Um and so he’s mainly wor mainly worked on um
a lot of power plants uh and a lot of mines, gold mines, various Yeah. mining
projects. And so so growing up we moved around a lot like pretty much every
year. You were just heading job to job. Job to job. Yeah. And is that
domestically or is that domestic? Yeah. Yeah. Western part of the US. And so
and so it was uh I was actually born in American Fork, spent like a year in
Utah. Was he building a project? Uh that was that was No, that was right
before he joined the company he was he was with. And then and then it was
just boom boom boom. You know, so so Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico,
California, a bunch of jobs in California. I mean just back and forth kind of
crisscross along, you know. So when I was younger, it was pretty much every
year some new spot. uh you know usually in you know I mean if you’re moving
around you’re not going to be like oh I’m going to get a house because I got
this project in you know bar bars stow for who knows how long and like when
they say hey when the job’s done you’re done and sometimes it’s extended
sometimes it’s shortened so you know so it so we were mainly living in you
know younger living in a in a trailer you know trailer around yeah pull it
around boom there we go and then uh we moved to Tucson when I was pretty
young you know kind kind of second, third grade. Um, and then and so my dad,
so we’re kind of it was hub and spoke at the time. So we were in Tucson. I’m
I’m the oldest of three. And so my dad’s kind of like working, you know,
within a seven-hour driving radius from Tucson and home on the weekend, which
is, you know, which is, you know, how it went. And then my mom ended up
getting sick and like something, you know, something was going on. And so it
was hard for her to like like, you know, she just wasn’t well. Uh and they’re
trying to figure out what was going on. But like, hey, my dad’s living in,
you know, some other spot working. And then my mom’s like, “Hey, I’m
like I’m having horrible migraine, like debilitating migraines and like I
can’t I can’t do this.” So it finally got so bad where um this was third
grade. Uh we’re like, “Okay, well, my dad’s on a job in Silver City, New
Mexico, bustling metropolis of Silver City.” And and he’s uh living in a
he’s actually living in a van at the time just to, you know, cuz it’s like, “Hey,
it’s a trailer park, but it’s like, hey, we had this this van and it’s like,
hey, you know, save some money, you know, for the family. Throw a mattress in
the back.” Yeah. You know, it’s like, hey, we’re good. And then I’m back
on the I’m back home on the weekend anyway. So, like, you know, I don’t need
to spend a lot of money on like this lap of luxury, you know, trailer. Wow.
Yeah. Well, I mean, people kind of glorifi glorify the van life these days.
Well, I know. See, we were we were decades ahead. You were so far ahead of
your time. So, we So, we end up So, it’s like, hey, mom’s sick. So, we just
go straight to Silver City with dad. And now there’s, you know, mom and dad
and three kids in a in a van. Yeah. In a trailer park in Silver City. Oh my
gosh. Yeah. Yeah. So it was an adventure, you know. I was like, “Oh, oh
my goodness.” You know, so so my mom was a teacher. So, so, you know, in
in kind of this interim period, it was kind of like, hey, I can just, you
know, we can just do homeschooling for, you know, while we’re kind of
figuring out what we’re doing here, you know, Silver City. So, we ended up
going to one of the schools there. But, you know, in the interim, I was like,
hey, I just keep it going myself. So, we’re in the van and then you’re like,
hey, it’s kind of cramped as you can imagine. Well, there’s three kids,
right? Three kids. Yeah. And how old are you at this point? I would have been
oh geez nine or nine eight or nine. Okay. And you have two younger two
younger siblings. Yeah. Sister and a brother. Okay. And mom and dad all in
the van. All in the van. Yeah. And so we’re in So the kids are in sleeping
bags under the you know cuz he’s got like you know cardboard. Not cardboard
but plywood with the bed. And then we got like sleeping bags underneath until
until we’re like, “Hey, it’s a bit cramped, so we’ll just get some
twoman tents and the kids move out.” And we’re like, “Hey, I’m
moving out.” Like, “Hey, you know, I’m moving out. I need my own
space.” This is the typical story like you you have to tell your kids,
“Hey, it’s time. Spread your wings and fly. You got to You’ve got to be
your own person.” Absolutely. So So we’re literally by in this in this
van down by the river, you know. So me and my brother uh we got our own
twoman tent and then my sister got her own, you know, I mean as as favorite
children do. Yeah. You know. Yep. Yeah. So that So is she still not to get
sidetracked. Yeah. Is she still the favorite? I mean there’s there’s reason
for her to be the favorite. I mean because she’s fantastic. Is that a path we
should go? Should we talk about that? I’m sure I’m sure everyone would point
to different different kids. No, wait. No, you’re the favorite. No, no, it’s
it’s great. And do you have kids? I have five kids. Five kids. Five kids.
Yeah. Do you have a favorite? Oh, man. I mean, it depends on the day, Frank.
You know, you know what Charles Barkley says? Charles Barkley says, “If
you’re a parent and you say you don’t have a favorite child, you’re lying.
Every parent has a favorite child. They just won’t admit it. They just won’t
admit it.” Is that true? Yeah. Well, it depends on depends on the
snowboarding conditions as to who you know. Oh, you know, it’s like, oh, hey,
favorite child today. Well, I don’t know. It’s a foot of powder. Okay. Yeah.
And then we know and then someone Yeah. Someone might creep up the list, you
know. You know, that’s a fascinating jump. You went from the van to now your
own twoman tent with your brother and your sister and then now you’re
snowboarding. Like this is I’m really looking forward to this story. Okay,
let’s go back to the you’re living in the tent at the at the time when that
was occurring. What kind of job was your dad working? I it was a s I think it
was a silver mine in Silver City. Yeah. Well, makes sense. Okay. And and then
when you moved out into the tent, did you think of it as Whoa, I get to live
in a tent. This is amazing. Coolest thing ever. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Cool. We had
Yeah. Amazing. me and my brother are in this tent, you know, we’re like
living the high life and my dad I one of my, you know, one of my vivid
memories of my childhood. So, Silver City, we’re at this trailer park and there’s
this there’s this little creek just down right there like adjacent to the uh
trailer park and my dad climbs up this massive massive tree like you know I
mean probably 40 50 feet and and he and he ties this rope swing this
incredible rope swing and now and so there’s this like there’s this like I
don’t know what was in the pipe but this massive pipe and so we’d we’d pull
the rope up to this rope to this uh rope swing up to this pipe and we just
you You’re just jump. So, we’re in Silver City living in a tent and we’ve
got, you know, a pocketk knife and a rope swing and you’re like, “Oh my
goodness. This is like life doesn’t get incredible.” Yeah. So, so
amazing. Yeah. It’s great. Let me ask you this question. I’m like there’s not
a kitchenet in the van. No, there’s a hot plate. Okay. You got a hot plate. I
was I’m just curious like and a microwave. So, is that what is that how you
sustained yourselves? I mean, is that for the Yeah. For that for that period
for that period of time. Yeah, it was a hot plate. Hot plate and microwave.
Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, the truth is you could get a lot done with a hot
plate and a microwave. Yeah. Yeah. I basically it’s like it’s like college
prep, you know, it’s like, hey, maybe Yeah. teach you the essentials. Maybe
even better. Yeah. So then, so you know, so from that and that was kind of
like a hey, when it was unexpected when we moved to Silver City and then, you
know, and then so we’d, you know, we’d move. So is it was you know San Jose,
California project and then it was up to Aiden and then you know I mean a lot
of other spots just just moving around. So I ended up going to living in
Hawaii for a year. This is uh fifth grade uh northshore northshore of Aahu.
Same thing doing a project. Uh yeah. Yeah. That one was uh yeah electrical on
the commercial side not industrial in Hawaii. So commercial there uh which is
which is where I learned how to surf. Uh we were in in Kahuku uh Sunset Beach
uh and Kahuku. Yeah. Great great high school football players come out of
Kahuku. Oh yeah. Yeah. Well and and we were only there for a year. Otherwise
I would have been poised, you know. I mean I was I know I was cut short. I
could have been you could what you could what could have been. Yeah. Yeah.
And look what look where you ended up. Yeah. I know. I know. So tough. That
was Yeah. No, I mean so dream dreams were you know had to pivot from there
after after we moved. Um but uh yeah uh Gillette, Wyoming uh for sixth grade.
Yeah, you you’re hitting all the spots. Could there be anything more
diametrically opposed than Gillette, Wyoming and the Northshore of Hawaii? I
know. No, it was uh I think that was a coal, you know, Gillette was uh they
do a lot of coal. I think it was a coal power plant if I remember correctly.
And so we were when we moved to Hawaii, so my grandparents on my dad’s side
were actually living in a sailboat uh close to Wik Ki. Uh yeah, it was a 35
foot Tahiti catch with a fishing with a fishing boat that they built. My
grandfather built boats. So we moved to Hawaii and while we’re getting
settled to get, you know, to get settled on the Northshore, uh we lived for a
summer on my grandparents boat. They’re on the mainland and so we are in just
you know this Tahiti catch and and so so the kids slept on the 35 foot Tahiti
catch in this harbor and my parents slept in the fishing boat kind of tied to
the Tahiti catch. So if we needed something in the middle of the night, you
you got to get go to the go to the fishing boat next next door to, you know,
wake up mom and dad. Oh my gosh. So this is like like like Swiss Family
Robinson. Robinson Cruso like swinging from the ropes, you know, kind of
thing. It’s very much like that. And so from from this point on, are you now
all you’re all together? So you you were kind of seeing like the hub and
spoke from Tucson, but mom mom got Yeah. sick and then you then you kind of
combined. Yeah. And and so we were together. Yeah. Through all of that.
Gotcha. Yeah. and and and thankfully my mom her health condition was taken
care of, but by then we’re kind of like, “Hey, well, we’re all
together.” Yeah. Let’s just keep it keep it going. So, it was kind of
trailers and tents and vans and then and then apartments and town homes and
boats and, you know, it’s like, did you have a favorite and all of those
experiences? I mean, the the boat the summer on the on the boat, you know,
it’s just pretty pretty awesome. I mean, you got to take this little dinghy
in and you know, like when we’d go to church, it’s like, “Hey, let’s all
get dressed.” Uh, and then we have to take the little dinghy with like a
with a h half horsepower British Seagull engine into, you know, Yeah. into
the marina, but then go to You’re not docked. You’re We’re not docked, but
we’re anchored. We’re anchored in Yeah. in the bay. I mean, you’re anchored
in the bay and you’re taking the British seagull, you know, lit literally,
it’s like a half horsepower engine. I mean, you’d see people rowing past us,
you know? I mean, it’s just this little tiny you and your brother, sister,
brother and sister, dad. Oh my gosh, that’s such a great visual. But this I
mean, these experiences, by the way, did you have to stay in a tent in
Gillette? Why? Because that place gets Oh, we were in a town home in
Gillette. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, the the the van tent um that was really
just out of expediency like we’re here. I don’t know. Like, you know, Yeah.
like you guys got to move in. So, yeah. I mean, here I’m in the van. You guys
are in the van. Talk about a diversity of of backgrounds and growing up. I
mean, you got to experience how how many different cultures and ways of life
and everything else. I mean, you’re in Wyoming, you’re in New Mexico, and
you’re living in the desert, and then you’re learning to surf in Hawaii. How
did that come about, by the way? Was that just like we’re in Hawaii,
everybody’s doing it? No, my my greatuncle. So, my dad went to to work with
him uh in an commercial electrical business and he was a phenomenal surfer. I
mean, he grew up on the Northshore and so my my great uncles were all
surfers. I mean, they knew like local shapers from like the 60s and he so he
kind of taught us the ways. I mean, I’m not I never even got remotely close
to you. His uncle Craig is is my He was a waterman. Oh, yeah. Yeah. The whole
Free Baron The whole Free Baron side. I mean, my my grandfather built boats
and airplanes. So, it’s like, hey, I mean, they lived on the water. I mean,
both both my grandparents. When you say he built boats and airplanes, did he
work for a company that built boats and airplanes? No, he just he just No, he
was just like a self like a self-employed boat maker. I he like the boat we
were living on, the 35 foot Tahiti catch, he just he built it. Yeah. Yeah.
Would he build for like people would contract him to build them a boat? You I
don’t know if there if there were commercial projects. I I mean I know there
were several boats that he built and airplanes that he built. So what? Yeah,
I know. Who has that? Like you’re not a right brother. Who has that in their
in their history? I don’t know. Yeah, that’s unbelievable. Would we be able
to look back in the history books anywhere and see significant surfing accomp
accomplishments from the Free Baron family, from your uncle? No. No. Just
good enough and established enough not to get booted from the lineup, you
know, like you’re on the Northshore. It’s like, hey, okay, it’s, you know,
it’s the best of the best. It’s like Top Gun. Yeah. Well, and and now it’s
completely different. I mean, you know, now the last, you know, really 10, 15
years, surfing’s just exploded, you know, and Instagram and like, oh my
goodness, all the, you know, before it was more local, more I don’t want to
say pure, but just, you know, I think there’s something to it, though. Yeah.
It’s just, you know, you had you had your your buddies, local shaper, and
just you knew you knew the guys. It wasn’t like, oh, I’m, you know, oh, hey,
uh, you know, the swell’s coming in, I’m flying in, bring in the bros, and
then like, boom, we’re going to muscle out, you know, it was different. Yeah.
Yeah. Did you ever experience any of the territorial aspect of surfing in I
mean, the local sports? Well, no, I mean, I was I was in fifth grade, so for
me it was just like, you know, we’re just like we’re hitting up like hooko
and and we’re hitting log cabins and and sunset on a on a small day. Like
this isn’t like pipeline. I mean there are a couple times, you know, where
you know I thought I was gonna die, you know, and those waves. Yeah. They’re
ridiculous. Oh, yeah. Crazy. Crazy. Yeah. It’s crazy that people go out and
and do that. Oh, it’s cra Yeah. I mean, it’s such a such a rush. Such a
thrill. Yeah. It’s just What do you think the biggest wave that you ever
successfully surfed? I’m I’m not I’m not like a incredible surfer. probably,
you know, little overheads are probably 8 foot. 6 to 8 foot. It’s like uh I’m
feeling good. I know you say 6 to 8 foot, but when you’re in the water Oh, it
looks like Yes. It looks like a wall. Like Yeah. Like Mount Everest, you’re
like this is this has got to be Yeah. a a 50ft wave and you look and then you
look at the footage and you’re like that was that was barely overhead. I’m
like oh shoot. Some guy’s watching you on the shore and he’s like yeah did
you did you see that monster? You know I’m like Lar Hamilton. and you’re
like, “Well, I mean, I saw Wait, did I miss a wave? Did I miss a
wave?” Yeah. So, that’s hilarious. So, yeah. No, my dad’s side, a lot of
them were in Northshore for for decades. Really? Yeah. And they go over to
Bali and such. This is before Bali, you know, this is like again, they’re
like in the 60s7s kind of thing. Yeah. So, you know about all of the Hawaii
Hawaiian surf legends and the Yeah. Eddie would go and I mean, is that all
during your experience? you know, for us I we were there for we were there
for over you know a little over a year. So it was kind of like a you know it
was really fifth grade like we’re there before the summer on the boat and
then hey Northshore uh you know while while dad’s working and then and then
one more summer and then beginning of the next school year Gillette Wyoming.
So it’s kind of like you know Yeah. Yeah. So, and so to go from Hawaii to
Gillette, Waming was a unique experience because uh you know, all of a sudden
I’m Hawaii boy, you know, like that was my nickname, you know. So, it’s like,
hey, instant cool factor, you know, but then with that, you get the counter
of that when you move from Gillette, Wyoming because now you’re not like,
“Oh, hey, you’re from Hawaii.” Like, hey, oh, hey, oh, it’s the guy
from Gillette, Wyoming. The hick. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, when did you Okay.
So, in all of this experience, when did you was there a point when you kind
of settled in somewhere where you weren’t necessarily moving around? Yeah. I
mean, Tucson, we moved back to Tucson for it would have been seventh grade.
So, we’re back. So, after moving around, moving around, moving around, um
back back to Tucson, seventh grade, and we’re kind of back to the hub and
spoke. Okay. Model at that point. Yeah. It’s kind of like let’s get grounded,
you know, we’re kind of heading into the, you know, the high school year, so
let’s just kind of get locked in. And then, you know, yeah, so that was
seventh uh seventh and eighth grade. Okay. Back in Tucson and then and then
high school in Tucson and then, you know, and then U of A because like hey,
I’m in Tucson. So, yeah. Were you were you a UFA fan? University of Arizona.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um I wouldn’t say a fan. I mean, you know, it was local
local university. So, you kind of your hometown like, you know, Yeah. go, you
know, go wild cats bear down kind of thing. But yes, you know, absolutely.
You know, but not like a, oh my goodness, like, oh, I’ve been, oh yeah, I’ve
been I was raised here and we went to I was like, no, it’s like, yeah, I, you
know, hey, cool. When you talk about when you talk about the the school
colors, what do you call them at Arizona? Because it’s like red, white, and
blue, isn’t it? Is it the red, white, and blue? What do Okay. Yeah. Yeah. But
but it’s more just you’re you’re more just like go wild down. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. So as you look back, okay, go ahead. I think I So when I when we went
back to Tucson, seventh, eighth grade, seventh grade, I was, you know, I was
in in middle school and just really really bored. You know, the school was
pretty uninteresting and and I was like, man, this is such a waste of time.
So, you know, talking to to my parents, talking to my mom, and uh you know,
my aunt tells us about these correspondence courses you can do through BYU
for high school. I’m like, “Oh, that’s I’ll just do that.” So
instead of eighth grade at the middle school, I just do a year of
correspondence courses through BYU’s, you know, correspondence high school
courses. Uh, so I get a I get a year of high school done. So when I go into
high school, I already have freshman year done, so I go in as a sophomore, 14
years old, and and probably like this. So in high school in Tucson. Yeah.
Wow. Yeah. So I skip I skip a grade going into high school. sophomore,
junior, senior, and then while I’m a senior, I’m taking night classes at the
community college just because why not get a jump start. This is before like
concurrent enrollment and all that. So, so I end up doing that and then
transferring to the UOVA and then graduating when I’m 19 before I go on a
mission for the LDS church. your life experience and moving around. It feels
like there’s a great opportunity for education to get lost somewhere. Like
maybe just it wasn’t it wouldn’t be important because you’re all over the
place. You’re probably in different schools at one point. You’re
homeschooling. Like how why was that why was that important to you? Was that
something your parents talk to I know your mom was a teacher. She’s a
teacher. Yeah. Monosur monastery school teacher. So she was, you know,
absolutely prioritized education and and the quality of the education. So it
was very much a theme, you know, throughout our childhood even. But that’s a
great point. I mean, moving around like that, very easy to be like, hold on,
you’re you’re going to Silver City Elementary School for like three months
and now you’re in San Jose and then you’re like, wait, okay. Like, are you
learning anything? You know? Yeah. Is that something you just took to
naturally or Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I just, you know, came came easily,
you know, so it’s like, hey, yeah, I mean, let’s just let’s just crank it
out, you know, why not? Rustin tells me that you’re one of the most
intelligent and insightful people that he knows. Well, he’s very nice to say
that. I know. He’s very generous to say that. I I I said, well, I’m going to
really test that. Yeah. I’m going to see. I think you might be like you might
be proving that to be true. Wow. I don’t know about that. But we there’s
still a lot of the story to go. I want to ask you about all of that
experience. Okay. So So now you’re kind of settled in Tucson and you and your
your educa your education is miraculously like right on track and even
exceeding. As you look back on that experience, what were the lessons that
you learned? How do you think that molded you? Did you feel you you mentioned
earlier it didn’t feel like you had an awkward childhood, but that is a
different way of life. What how did that impact you? I I moving forward.
Yeah. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I think there’s this emotional
resilience because it’s like, you know, I mean, like we’re you’re moving
around, things are happening. Hey, yeah, I’m in Hawaii one year, Gillette,
Wyoming the next year, you know, we’re in a trailer park in the middle of
Arizona for the summer on this job. And it’s like I think there I think
there’s two things. Number one is is how central family is. You know, it’s it
was a complete dream in the best possible way because we were we were a
family and we were together. That’s it. I mean, so when I think about, you know,
it’s funny cuz I I hear about people who like, “Oh man, I’ I’ve lived
here my whole I couldn’t imagine moving.” And for me, it like the the
geography of it was never part of the equation. Like who what is a place?
Like you’re together, you’re a family. So I So for me it was how close is
your family and and you know how you’re close with your siblings and you got
each other’s back and you know that’s it like that’s it that’s your
foundation you know so when I think about what did I learn it’s just you know
if if the family’s strong everything is great you’re you’re so resilient and
then just coming like just dealing with the things that come the adventure
that is life just roll with it it’s you’re fine it’s like hey yeah what we
can go wherever it’s f everything’s going to be great you know so I I think
there was a a flexibility that came that I didn’t realize which was like man
we could I mean life’s an adventure. So enjoy it. Don’t be scared of it and
just roll with it because it’s going to be awesome and just just have your
family close and taken care of. I think that’s so amazing and in many ways
I’m fascinated on the education side like that your parents made that a
priority and that and that you took to that. I think that’s unbelievable. And
and then there’s lots of opportunity in situations like that for families to
be stressed. Yeah. And to face difficulties. And it sounds like your parents,
the family unit was central and really focused on making that your life
experience. It’s it’s such a it’s such a great story and it’s such a it’s
such a great lesson. And so you’ve incorporated that into your into your own
life like those all of those foundational lessons are core to to what you do.
Yeah, absolutely. Have you taken the opportunity We’re jumping around here a
little bit, but have you taken the opportunity to give your family that kind
of experience? Yeah, we have. We’ve done some moving for sure ourselves.
Yeah. Yeah. It’s funny. When my wife and I were were first when we first were
married, she you know, she’d grown up in Tempe, Arizona, so she’s, you know,
ASU, which is fine. I Which is fine. She’s Sunundevil. Yeah, she’s a
Sunundevil. Yeah. And she went to She went to She went to ASU. Yeah. But she
grew up in Tempee and and you know, had lived in two houses her entire life.
There was the first house and there’s the second house. So when we were move
when we got married, she was like, “Oh, well, well, we’re going to
obviously live in Tempe our whole lives.” And I was like, you know, like
the record scratches and like uh I don’t know if that’s going to happen
because that’s all she’d known. But she’s jumped into the adventure whole
wholeheartedly as well, you know. So we’d moved around decent amount. When we
were first married, we were in Tempe and then BYU for my MBA. So we’re up to
Provo and then Rodondo Beach in consulting and then and then China. Uh so
China was obviously a pretty pretty big move. Yeah. You know, so yeah. So
it’s been plenty plenty of moving around. Yeah. Yeah. And she’s jumped on
board. Families jumped on board. Both both feet all in. That’s awesome. Is it
true that Arizona State fans and alums think of Arizona fans and alums as
like the lesser quality human? I’m sure. I’m sure. Yeah. There’s There’s like
the big brother and the terrible little brother. Yeah. I mean, go, you know,
it’s like Utah and BYU. Yeah. There’s there’s some there’s definitely some
rivalry going on there. Yeah. Something like that. Yeah. Does it does it come
out anytime? I mean, is it like No, I mean, I I think for us, you know,
especially kind of being a bit a bit transient, it’s like, hey, I’m in
Tucson, so I go to U of A, you know, you grow up in Tempee, but it’s not
like, oh my good, oh, the oh, the head coach, I’ve got my his tattoo on my
shoulder blade. It’s like like, you know, it’s it’s good, you know. Yes, it’s
nice to get that instate instate tuition break. No kidding. That is very
nice. Okay. When in all of this experience, were you developing a thought
about what you wanted to do? I mean, clearly, well, maybe not clearly, did
you think that you wanted to become a master electrician like your dad and
have that life experience or were you thinking of doing something else? I was
as a young child that was like, yeah, I’m going to be an electrician like my
dad, you know, that’s a very normal normal thing. Uh and then you know maybe
from the Hawaii thing maybe you know but you know marine biologist was kind
of like on the list and but then I go and um you know going through college
so quickly you know I wanted something that was fascinating and interesting
but also flexible because I knew I was young. I was like hey you know I may
not know what I want to do you know I’m 16 going to going to college going to
you know university. So uh so I studied psychology uh worked in a research
lab a social psychology lab and was planning on being a uh a research
psychologist PhD was the plan. Yeah. Yeah. When I was you know kind of in
that my later teenage years that was the plan. Any did you have any specific
area of interest? you know, probably something similar to I mean, you know,
social psychology, you know, the psychology of influence, you know, kind of
like a like a like a Bob Chaldini, you know, which funny enough, he’s ASU, so
you know, don’t bring that up, but you know, there’s a lot of u just
fascinating things around cognitive dissonance that I thought were
fascinating. Just the human condition is so so deep. So, so that was that was
my plan. And so I I graduate at 19 and then I go and serve a a mission for
for the LDS church in Taiwan. And in Taiwan, I’ve got two mission presidents.
My second mission president was uh uh the founder co-founder of Icon Health
and Fitness, uh Scott Wat, um you know, up in Logan, um a Nordic Track and
ProForm and all that. Absolutely. So, so I got to work with Scott Wat as my
mission president and and observing how he tackled problems was fascinating.
I’m like, “Oh my goodness, this is, you know, like he comes in and and
um he’s like putting fax machines in every zone leader and district leaders
offices and like this reporting structure.” I’m like, and I got to work
firsthand with him and I’m just like, “Oh my goodness, this is just the
way that he thinks about tackling problems was so interesting.” And so
that that pivoted uh pivoted my interest and I’m speaking Chinese by the way.
I’m like, well that’s not that’s not a bad language to know for business.
Sure. So working with President Wat at the time pivoted my interest into
business and that really was a you know kind of a complete pivot for me
because I was thinking you know it’s either either research psychology or
maybe it’s like oh law or something I could pivot i