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Built For The Thrill – BLK FLG – Jake Shaw
210 Plays1 month ago
This week Drew has Jake Shaw from Black Flag on the Tricer Podcast to talk about the new company and brand. Built for the thrill, BLK FLG is developing a new supplement company with some true pros from the field. BLK FLG is using better ingredients to develop supplements for all types of outdoor athletes from mountain crushing hunters to wave riding surfers, with BLK FLG you will get your revenge on whatever your challenge is.
JAKE SHAW – BLK FLG
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/blkflg_official/
Website - https://blkflg.com
TRICER USA
Website – https://tricerusa.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tricerusa/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/tricerusa/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@tricer6985
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Transcript
Introduction and Faith
00:00:01
Speaker
You are listening to the Tricer Podcast, where we talk all things hunting, gear, and the great outdoors. Before we begin, let's start things out right and put God first. Lord Jesus, I thank you for Tricer, and I ask that you can use this podcast as a way to bring joy to all of our listeners. We lay Tricer and this podcast at your feet. Amen.
00:00:22
Speaker
um I did a whole podcast for
Jake Shaw and Black Flag
00:00:24
Speaker
saving started. I got a Jake Shaw on today from Black Flag, and I've got them all fired up right now to talk about this new supplement brand coming out that is just creating some really good products. These guys have been in the industry for a long time with another company, ah built a giant company in that space, and now they're doing another company called Black Flag, and I'm excited for what they're doing. So Jake, what's up, dude? How's it going, Drew? Thanks for the intro.
00:00:53
Speaker
Yeah, man, I'm excited. You got me all excited, dude. I get another entrepreneur on here and we just start going. and and We did 30 minutes before something even started, kind of talking brands and kind of going kicking back and forth, you know, ideas. and I was like, we got a fresh record. We did like three really good pods just before it even started. so Yeah, dude, what what is Black Flag? Now I hope I can get back into the flow. so I think you'll get it. Right on, man. what What's Black Flag, man? What are you guys doing?
Career Journey to Web Development
00:01:20
Speaker
Well, shoot, we've got a lot of things going on right now. Um, I think maybe we do a little bit of justice and like do a little bit of backstory on everything. Maybe, uh, is that okay with you guys? So, so me personally, um, I, my background is in sales, uh, which is weird, uh, because I am a web developer. So that's strange. I was definitely an extrovert turned into an introvert. And that was just because.
00:01:47
Speaker
Way back in the day, as a sales guy for a company called ATM Equipment, i I sold ATMs and I wanted to go to school. ah like The literal ATM cash machines? Yep. Yeah, that's my that's my background. so When I was 20 or so, when I started kind of my career,
00:02:08
Speaker
and That's what I did. I sold ATMs. I was the sales guy over the Western US from the Mississippi to the West. I spent most of my time in California, your home state, yeah just traveling around slinging machines. So I did that for quite a while and I got to a point where I did not have the opportunity to finish school. So I wanted to go back to school. I wanted to get a degree. I thought that was important. Now I think back and it's like, I didn't need to get it. but when you're twenty This is the debate my wife and I are having right now with all of our kids. Like, is it important? But we'll go into that in a little bit. Yeah. I mean, I'm glad I did it because it kind of taught me how to study and to be willing to put the effort into learning something new, even though
00:03:00
Speaker
At the time, I didn't really love the things I was learning. I wanted to make sure that I saw it all the way through. so I'm glad I did it. Still in pain for it, actually. but So that's fun. But that's my background. um I wasn't able to go to school unless I quit my job. They wouldn't let me ah they wouldn't let me stop you know working during the day so I could go and finish. But that gets me to like my skill set in web development. um I was learning through design, Photoshop, Illustrator,
00:03:34
Speaker
ah developing websites for my brother, actually, that's what got me through school because I quit my job um in order for me to to make a living while I was in school. That's what I did. And so that's my main skill set is web development.
00:03:50
Speaker
I definitely don't look like a web developer. I don't talk like a web developer. ah Don't fit that stereotype, but I'm kind of a nerd. I love tech. I love building things. um I've actually listened to some of your podcasts, Drew, and you and I are very similar. like I want to just build a better, like you say, a mousetrap, right? Better mousetrap, yep. Better mousetrap, your tripods. so Um, same thing with me, like for, for web development, I just want to make things better. I want to make a better experience for people and shorten that sales cycle. I still am kind of in sales marketing and sales are paralleled with each other. If I can shorten that sales cycle and make somebody convert that is my job. So yeah, that's my background. Um, I worked at mountain ops for.
00:04:41
Speaker
eight years started in 2016, which ironically, that's the same year that I started big game hunting. um You and I are similar. I've only been hunting for eight, what is that? Eight, yeah nine eight nine years. ah Yeah, that was when I first got a bow. That was actually one of the sign-on bonuses that I made sure that I got a bow when I signed on at Mount Ops because I had that interest. Like you, I and loved upland hunting. I loved duck hunting. I was introduced to that by a really close friend of mine that I still hunt with regularly, but started in 2009 doing that.
00:05:24
Speaker
But that's my that's my background, was a mountain ops, did the web thing, was the creative director for them for quite a while. Worked hand in hand with some incredible people, Harbertsons, Farnes, Matt Davis, Final Rise, Rihanna, Kerry, now Stark. She got married, but anyways. just not like Not married to like the guy who like Stark, Var, dirt bikes, right?
00:05:53
Speaker
I don't think so, no. He's from, what's the coffee company? The big coffee company. Black Rifle? Black Rifle, there you go. He's one of those guys. I think his name's Logan, but yeah, she married Logan a couple of years ago, has a baby now. Anyways, so been in the industry for quite a while, it feels like, even though it's only been what, nine, 10 years.
00:06:17
Speaker
and I've had a lot of really good partnerships with people. I've done stuff, obviously my main job was mountain ops. In the meantime, I did side work all the time. So I was doing Total Archery Challenges website. They still have that website. I did that one. I currently work and do stuff for Canvas Cutter, Seth and Shafer over there, Sheep Feet, Caleb, Allin. I've done that. Final Rise did some stuff with Matt Davis.
00:06:47
Speaker
Brian Cole, his website. I mean, dude, where were you at when I just pay, I just spent like 25 G's on a website. So whatever you had this year, it's already done now. I know, but we'd love to work for with you in the future. But, uh, yeah, I've been in the industry and love it just enters everything that I love to do intersects with the hunting industry. There's so much that I love about it.
Leaving Mountain Ops and Launching Black Flag
00:07:13
Speaker
There's things that we talked about just before this that I don't love about it, but ah As far as answering your question black flag, so getting to that Last year I left mountain ops Which was a kind of a sad day that that place was amazing Really cool culture. I Rub shouldered with some incredible people there still incredible people there ah but I did leave and that was because they did eventually sell to a private equity company and
00:07:45
Speaker
The culture suffered from that. There was some hires there, no not saying they're bad people, but there was some things in the direction that the company was going that didn't align with some of the personal things that I wanted to do and didn't see the full potential anymore there. And that's just natural. That's like a normal thing for a growing company. they We were very successful. But personally, I left everything there that I was going to earn. I just left it.
00:08:15
Speaker
I full on abandoned my little equity that I had in the company and jumped over and started this company with Casey and Jordan called Black Flag. So that's that's kind of the backstory of how it was born. um They have a whole other story that they can tell.
00:08:33
Speaker
about that transition, but mine was pretty, it was a tough one um just because I, again, I love mountain ops and the mission there, improving lives, individuals and families. Like we created that and we were super and instrumental in that. So definitely believe in that still. But ah it's funny, I actually talk with people over there still.
00:08:56
Speaker
and there's not a whole lot of people that hunt there anymore. Yeah, that's one of the things people don't understand. like um So let's say like in the hunting space, mount ops, big fish.
00:09:10
Speaker
In the private equity space, mountain nops, small fish. And you get gobbled up, you very small, right? Like you get gobbled up and they just look at you as a number and that's it, right? And you lose that, it's really hard to keep that culture. And you see it a bunch of times in the hunting industry, but I've also seen it like, and then friends companies and locally in town, I have a lot, I'm friends with a lot of entrepreneurs, right? And they they you know they they exit a business, get a payday, whatever, um but almost always goes this way.
00:09:40
Speaker
A lot of times what happens is is people will... These private equity firms are buying a company for a short... It's almost like a flip. right They're buying this company. They have a three to five year plan to get that company to another size and sell again, and sell again, and sell again. and All they see is numbers and you you really lose that culture. and It's hard to keep that culture there once it's been bought up by ah by a PE. um You just see it a lot. i mean
00:10:05
Speaker
Yeah, that that's like a normal, sorry, I'm trying to hear, that's that's like a normal transition with the company that gets sold. So I was part of that. I was the collateral damage in that. And I had to make a decision to jump ship, right? Black flag and pirate terms, but you got definitely jump ship there.
00:10:28
Speaker
and came over here and we have some really cool things that are in the works and I'm super excited about but definitely definitely have a rich history with this community, the outdoor industry and loved my time at Mount Ops and my tenure there but bringing all that skill set and fire and that passion into this new venture Black Flag and I guess to answer your question, Drew, is we are an energy
Black Flag's Lifestyle and Products
00:11:02
Speaker
company. Energy, number one, we have a product called Revenge that we came out with last year last month, new and improved formulation for energy, focus, and clarity. ah Our kind of tagline, everything we do is kind of and everything we do is intentional, actually. um the The way we named the company, the the product itself called Revenge, like there's there's meaning behind that.
00:11:29
Speaker
Some might say it's a negative context. Revenge, the sound of it is like a negative context to it, but I can easily flip that into a positive direction. Everybody has a revenge story.
00:11:41
Speaker
And and that's that's where I like to focus is on that positive energy, right? Oh, dude, middle of the day, you've been getting your freaking butt kicked and you're out in the mountains, dude. When I crack one of those ah energies and I put them into my in my bottle, all I can think about is, it I'm going to kill you. I like it i get it, dude. like every film Every film we did this year, like you'll see me putting my powder in and I'm just like, time to get serious, dude. I get it. like it's it's It's cool. I like it.
00:12:09
Speaker
Yeah. The, the, the kind of meaning behind revenge itself. Like we, we created that product and our tagline is kind of what I was getting at is with mountain ops, it was conquer more here at black flag. It's built for the thrill. And yes, we are in the outdoor industry. It's a big industry. There's a lot of categories in here. Um, I personally, my category that I'm responsible for,
00:12:34
Speaker
is hunting, outdoors, hunt, fish, tack. and Those align with my passions. That's where I spend most of my time, um is hunting and fishing. so ah but As far as Black flag in general, it's not just for hunters. It's for people that have passions that crossover into other categories like snowmobiling, wake surfing, ah fitness. There's so many different categories that we want to run this in.
00:13:05
Speaker
and take this energy, not only the drink, but also the energy that we want to impart and to help infuse a positive energy into people's lives so that they can live their life to the fullest. Yeah, I really like that. I like the idea of you guys being um a lifestyle brand versus a hunting brand. Because for me personally, like and I feel like it transcends like if Most people who are in the hunting space are also doing other outdoor activities right and doing things. For me personally, like my life, um spent a ton of time in the hills. right But I also go to the gym almost every single day. right i I drink an energy drink every freaking day. I drink a monster right or a ghost. like i'm just like you know and which i I know it's probably not good for me.
00:13:49
Speaker
um so But I do every single day. And then I ride Modo. I'm going to leave today and I'm going to ride Modo. And I think that like it's kind of cool not to be pigeonholed. right And like we're seeing that with Tricer right now. We're trying to um breaking into the shooting industry. right which kind of like It kind of aligns with what you're doing. like You're not leaving what you're doing. You're still going after the same people.
00:14:08
Speaker
but it's a different realm, right? And then there's also like the photography space, the outdoor photography space kind of fits into what we're doing. Like we're at the core, we're a hunting brand, right? But there's but our brand also, the people who use our stuff do other things. And I think that's important for you guys not to be like,
00:14:24
Speaker
we only pack out elk, right? Cause that's not the case. Like a lot of people do other things. Actually more people do other things, right? Like you said, the snowmobiling, the dirt bikes, the downhill mountain i mountain bike, right? I love downhill mountain biking, like all that stuff. And there's a lot of dudes in the industry that do the same things I do. Yeah, absolutely. I have so many other passions. In fact, we've talked about this recently here is my time, like when I'm actually hunting, I,
00:14:50
Speaker
I mean, there's other people like maybe you are spending way more time in the field than I am, yeah but I probably am out. I'm probably out realistically because of the family. Like I have two small boys that I and my wife, like were we're out camping. I mean, we're outdoors, but actually hunting.
00:15:08
Speaker
me and my buddies and and getting after it, I'm probably in the field maybe three weeks. Yeah, 15 to 20. I think i mean that's probably a lot. So I would say 14 days is probably an average. Most dudes are getting out for like one to two weeks a year or weekends, right? So like to only be like, we only only drink my stuff when you're hunting.
00:15:30
Speaker
That's not going to sell your product, right? But I can tell you like throughout the year, I ride mountain bikes or or bicycles almost every single day, right? And then I do all these other things. um That's where you know you really need to get into that.
00:15:43
Speaker
yeah so like those three weeks, maybe four weeks, some some some years i've I've done a lot more, and my wife will tell me about that. but by the i I have so many other passions and hobbies that I want to do. like We have that same interest, single track riding. I ride a KTM 350, and that thing is so... 302 stroke. I love it. see that I mean, if I could do it all over, I'd probably pick that bike. But I absolutely love it. I mean, that is a huge passion.
00:16:15
Speaker
My, I think back on like the most, almost like spiritual experience that I've had in the outdoors. It wasn't even hunting. It wasn't single track riding. It was actually snowmobiling. I remember, oh gosh, I was probably 24 when I first got my first snowmobile and I shouldn't have bought it. It was very irresponsible for me to buy a snowmobile. You gotta to make mistakes, dude. I tell my wife this all the time about my 18 year old. You gotta make mistakes. Let them do it.
00:16:44
Speaker
Yeah. So I remember, in fact, I hit on this, like I got a bonus from, uh, ATM equipment and I used that entire check on buying a old 2000, I think it was 2003 RMK 800. And I took that thing and it was a big freaking weight. I mean, but I got up on the top of this mountain. It was in Utah up in cash Valley area.
00:17:11
Speaker
And it was one of the most surreal moments. Like the feeling of floating on powder was so amazing. But then I stopped at the top and was looking across. And I mean, I'm an emotional guy. I'm not gonna apologize for it. It's just who I am. I feel like I'm connected spiritually with with my my being and and all that. But I remember looking out across like the landscape and I just started crying. And I'll never forget that moment. And it's like, it made me feel like there was something out there and I was created. We were all created for a better purpose, a greater purpose. yeah and Those moments are what connect me and I'm so grateful for those. and Anyways, that was snowmobiling that gave me that. Yeah, no I get it, dude. like i
00:18:01
Speaker
anything outdoors for me, like I am way more comfortable sleeping in, like I'm putting one of those toppers on my truck or nice body truck and put one of those toppers that pops up on it, like an overland topper. Like that's where I want to be. Like where I want to be is sleeping in the back of my truck or sleeping in a tent, backpacking. Like that's where I feel like I hate to say like it's the most connected to God. I do a bunch of ministries and I go to church every single week. But like when I'm out there, it's just like,
00:18:26
Speaker
This is where I want it. This is what I was created for. I want to be out here. When I got on my dirt bike, there is no option for Instagram because if you crash, you die. I almost died that week. I was freaking going to send him out. I was probably hit a rock, blew my rim out, up over the bars. This Superman came back down. That's living for me. I love that side of it. That's something that is so lacking in society today. We live in this world where everyone's just at a desk,
00:18:55
Speaker
And they're not getting out and doing anything, right? And it's like, yeah you get out there and you experience what God made for you. And you're just like, Oh my gosh, this is incredible. This is, this is awesome. Oh, for sure.
Outdoor Experiences and Personal Growth
00:19:05
Speaker
There's a scene in a movie that I saw, um, trying to think of the greatest showman. You remember that show? Yeah. watch that show yeah yeah So he's sitting in a desk and he looks out, pans across into the windows of the office building next to him.
00:19:19
Speaker
And it's all these people that are just sitting there working, right? And like that moment he realized like, there's so much more to this life. And I feel like each one of us needs to have that moment in our lives that like, yes, we have to do the day to day things in order to create a living and provide for ourselves and our families. And we should all do that as well as we can.
00:19:42
Speaker
ah But we do need those experiences outside and that we connect to something greater. and It's spiritual, whatever you want to call it. We're made for way more than just being robots and working at a desk all day. 100%. And that's what you're trying to tap into at Black Flag. Yeah. Yeah. So built for the thrill. I mean, when you're out there,
00:20:07
Speaker
whatever passion you're involved in, if it's wake surf, hunting, fishing, tactical, there's so many different things, but all of us and have the the same thing in common as we all need energy.
00:20:20
Speaker
and natural energy. The product was tailored for that. We do have 100 milligrams of natural caffeine, um also with a synthetic blend that helps just make sure that it like lasts longer and doesn't tell off and give you that crash that canned energy drinks do. and Believe me, Drew, I do that same thing. I'll i'll run the Maverick or any gas station and Still consume energy that way, right? But what we've created is is a better cleaner energy for you. there's There's some really good ingredients in there. Check out our website. There's there's a list of really good ingredients in there. It's a lot healthier alternative.
00:21:07
Speaker
No, no, I'm actually that's like a new thing for me. My wife is so into it right now, dude, like so and she's like, you know, that can is my everything, everything is micro plastics, apparently everything that I drink. it's's She's like, you got plastic, there's plastic and now we're not doing K cups anymore. We're freaking French press in we're just like, it's making my life very difficult.
00:21:27
Speaker
Tell you what. yeah Yeah, for sure. You have to have a certain type of cat plastic container that doesn't let that, but I actually listened on Instagram some lady that was talking about this. I think it was uberman or humor Huberman that was talking about it on his podcast is these micro plastics that are everywhere.
00:21:47
Speaker
And she was talking about how like all these people you know nuke their food and it's getting into the food. And that's like the worst way that people are consuming their food and getting all these microplastics. Well, with revenge in our product, it's best served cold, man. Revenge is best served cold. So we're not heating this up. It's not a hot drink. That's pretty good that's like good. I like that. That's pretty good. Revenge is best served cold. Are you guys going to do a canned drink?
00:22:15
Speaker
So yeah, that as far as product runway, that's one thing that we are working towards. That's a whole nightmare of a ah to navigate through that just because you have to have certain distributions um set up as far as like direct to consumer, which is kind of the typical model in our playbook with mountain ops and the things that we other places that we've helped and companies direct to consumer is the way to go. but with that ready, ready to drink canned energy. You can't, you can't do that. You have to find it's two evolution channels. Yeah. It's just, it's not feasible. So that's definitely like when you talk about where black flag is going, I'm just going to tell you my personal dream is I want to become a Red Bull. I want,
00:23:04
Speaker
Uh, my dream is Red Bull basically to be a competitor with Red Bull. You say monster ghosts. Like these are great, huge, cool companies. And I want the black flag name to be there as one of those. Um, that's my dream and my aspiration, uh, energy will get us there. Uh, we are going to do a pre-workout as well, specifically for fitness and then a hydration. Not everybody wants caffeinated, um, but everybody that's out there grinding and whatever you' like you like to do, there's there's the hydration that you definitely need in order to do it. So we'll create a hydration drink maybe ah with with some salt in there, right? Like sodium recovery type stuff. So that's kind of where we're going and then ready to drink for sure.
00:23:54
Speaker
What's ready to drink? Oh, ready to drink. I already done the cans and stuff. Sorry, yeah, can't can energy. Yeah, I like that. see as well So like for me, honestly, like that's pretty much all I use. I really don't do the pre-workout so much anymore, but sometimes I do. But definitely I always do an energy powder and I'll do a um hydration as well. What would be dope is if you guys made a hydration energy combo.
00:24:16
Speaker
because i don because like I literally do that. So what I'll do is like, cause with me with water, so like this is, this was a year of the heat wave, right? Like I literally had one hunt with snow. Every single hunt this year was like 70 to eight to 90 degrees. It was miserable from September through November.
00:24:32
Speaker
And I was just ... You can just see the salt. My back was just covered. It's just white. My hats were all ruined. like It was just hot. Every freaking hunt, dude. I hunted in like five states. Every hunt was hot. And what I would do is, because like especially when you're pumping water, like I don't want to use two Nalgines full of water when I'm only bringing three Nalgines for a day. So what I would do is do an energy powder and and a hydration powder in the same thing, shake it up and drink that thing. It's a strong concoction. But man, I wish there was a combo hydration energy thing.
00:25:04
Speaker
So, yeah so the way that we'll go about it is that for sure. Like that's the way we'll tackle it. Um, we'll, we'll, there's base ingredients that we will for sure make sure that they get into that hydration drink. Uh, L-Arginine, L-Citraline, there's some ways in order to, to do that. That doesn't necessarily mean there's, there's caffeine in it.
00:25:25
Speaker
Uh, but definitely we'll, we'll focus on that for sure. Yeah. I mean, there is nothing better. Cause like, I obviously look what I, because what I'm using right for my hydration. Like do when you just like, just chug a liquid IV at the end of the day and you're like, oh cramp, like it just feels good. Like you feel. Yeah. Oh, that hydration. is like that's i excited for that I'm excited for those products because that's kind of like really all I need in the backcountry. I don't need a ton of supplements, but I definitely need an energy thing in the middle of the day. um I don't do a ton of coffee. like I know like coffees a lot of guys like to do coffee in the morning. I just feel like it takes so much time and you and it's like you're trying to warm it up. and yeah yeah so I kind of liked i kind of like the energy powder more and then I like the... um But you get more water right and I like the the the hydration. so That's cool. I'm excited for that.
00:26:09
Speaker
Yeah, so as far as my want for that um and something that I experienced this year. I actually, we're in December, right? Like we're at the end of the year and we're thinking back on those moments in 2024 that were like our highlights. And if you were to ask me that, I'll ask you that, ah but I'll tell mine first is, uh, I actually had an opportunity to run the Grand Canyon this year. So I think it was at the end of March, uh, we dropped into the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
00:26:46
Speaker
And I did that with, the the coolest thing about it is I did that with my two brothers. And that was the first time that we've kind of had like that type of an experience together. We love trail running.
00:26:59
Speaker
And so that was a big feat for us. Uh, we did rim to rim to rim. So started on the South side, went all the way to the North. I personally, me and my brother JJ, I'll be honest, we did not finish the whole thing. We did about 36 miles. I want to say, um, my other brother Jared, who's a freaking workhorse, he did the whole thing, which is 44 43 or something like that. But that by far.
00:27:27
Speaker
was the coolest moment of my 2024 experience. like I think back on that and to your point, I absolutely needed hydration. I want to create a product that I can take down because we're going to do it again in 2025, that I can take down there and it'll help me because I absolutely experienced cramps. but yeah like My legs were seasoned up. i've I've hiked that before. I can never imagine running it.
00:27:58
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it's definitely like there's guys that are insane. I mean, I think the record holder for rim to rim to rim who lives in Arizona really close and trains there. It was like four four hours, under five hours, he did that whole thing. So 44 miles. It's so gnarly hiking out of that. It's just literally uphill. It's just uphill. Hey, you need to come out whatever it is, 3,000 feet, but you it's straight up a hill. It's gnarly. Yeah. and all those The thing is, is like I think you just put one foot in front of the other. right like It's like anything. You'll get out of it eventually, but the way that
00:28:36
Speaker
the Grand Canyon is structured with those steps. It's just so different. It's it's not something and I feel like you can train for unless you're just sitting at the gym and doing the stair stepper for what would probably took me four hours to get out of it from the bottom. you know I'm not going to go and and train on the stair stepper at the gym for four hours. yeah so the Those steps though, there's uneven um It's hard to train for that. We we did it actually with um Cam Haynes' brother. His name's T. Spike, Taylor Spike. Not sure if you know him or, but he is a giant man. Like he's he's out there running with Cam, you know, and doing those a hundred mile, 250 mile, kokadonna races. um I mean, this was a,
00:29:30
Speaker
easy thing for him and was the hardest thing I've personally done in my entire life. So looking forward to doing it again with them in 2025 for sure.
00:29:42
Speaker
dude Not only that, like dodging freaking like tourists and donkeys like all the way up. How the heck do you navigate that? I went and it's like 6,000 Asians in high heels with like one bottle. It's like hot out. like One bottle of water is dehydrated. It was gnarly. like You're just running past people the whole time or what? so Yeah. i mean We were just having to pass people the whole time down. I was looking at people that are like, why are you even down here?
00:30:11
Speaker
like How are you even doing this physically, that your appearance? and I have such a dick for thinking that, but like there are some very overweight people down there. I'm like, how are you going to get out of here without a helicopter? Yeah, yeah i've seen it I understand. it I understand this 100% because I remember having to like give water to like this Asian couple because they brought one little bottle of water and it's whatever it is, September, the Grand Canyon, so it's freaking hot as balls, and they're just dying halfway down.
00:30:39
Speaker
I was just like, dude, what are you doing? Yeah. Anybody that's dropped down there and experienced it, I'm glad you have because that makes this conversation easier. Yeah, it's gnarly. It is next level stuff. I actually did it with my kids when they were like 10, nine and 10, and we dropped down in the North Rim and they came back up and we stayed the night down there, whatever, starlight flash, something like that, and then hike back up next time. The Phantom Ranch? Did you make it a Phantom?
00:31:04
Speaker
I don't know what it was. It was like right over the river. So you hike down, then we hiked in... I always remember so much wildlife. I was like, there's a lot of deer down there and stuff. It was really surprising, the deer we saw. And then we kind of camped over the river down there and then we hiked back out the next morning. I mean, they were little, but it was cool to do with them. It was tough. Yeah, that's really cool at 10 years old. That's the thing. I've listened to a couple of your podcasts through and the way that you have talked about your kids and Integrating them into the passions and things that you like to do is really inspiring for me because I've kind of had a different mentality and I'm going to say this and regret that I said it on your podcast, but like I have been selfish. Like honestly, I thought my approach with getting my kids involved in my passions as far as hunting goes is like my oldest just turned 10 yesterday.
00:31:56
Speaker
And I'm realizing this more and more is like, I've done a bad job at kind of giving them that experience. Now granted this year, I did take both of them. I have a 10 year old and a seven year old now, and I did take them on their first, uh, rifle antelope hunt this year. Wasn't my tag. It was my buddies, but I wanted them to experience kind of a easier hunt, basically a road hunt. Right.
00:32:25
Speaker
Um, just here in Utah, but I've done a bad job at like introducing them. And and the reason why is like, I'm like, okay, I only get, I started in 2026, my big game hunting. And the reason why is like, I only have a certain amount of time to kind of be selfish and do this for me. And towing a four or five, six year old along with you is very difficult.
00:32:52
Speaker
Yeah, dude, so you get like like dude the best hunting partners in the world when they get older like when they get it like I my 18 year old I don't know that dogs gonna hunt for us his life. We'll see like my 16 year old is a killer like he's outclassing me He's crushing it. But like what I found like with my what I've done with my family's we have five kids, right? the homeschool of our kids is rather than like base our life around their hobbies. We kind of base their life around ours. And like they became passionate, right? So like we love camping, so they love camping, right? So we can do that with them. like I love Moto. All my kids ride dirt bikes. Dude, like my 5-year-old, and my 5' 11 and
00:33:33
Speaker
16-year-old all day long. Dude, 6 a.m. tomorrow morning, we're in the desert tonight. They'll be up and they'll be riding dirt bikes all day long. That is so fun to do with them. It opens up to where I can have more days in the field if that makes any sense. It's cheating. You get more days in the field. You get to a certain point with hunting where you don't really have to kill everything all the time. But if your kids have tags, you can go out and do these hunts with them and you get more days in the field. It's really hard for your wife to say, this is a a hack for marriages here. It's really hard for your wife to say, no, you can't take our son on a five or six day backpack hunt. You know what I mean? Like where that's the most formative time of his life, right? Like you take him up to those mountains, those cash mountains or everywhere, and you're out there backpacking with them. Like I did on my kid's hunt this year and you're just sitting there talking to him about God and relationships and you know, girls and college and what he's going to do with his life. You know what I mean? Like that's like, you can't beat that, you know? Yeah.
00:34:31
Speaker
No, I definitely agree. I definitely need to change my mentality about that and introducing them into my personal hobbies. I mean, I am doing that in a way, just not necessarily with hunting specifically. like yeah with with With my a passion for snowmobiling, that's a little bit harder. That's more like an individual thing, but there'll be days that we take them out.
00:34:54
Speaker
um As far as motorcycle riding, I did buy them some some little KTM dirt bikes, so that that's been fun. um One of them, my younger boy, is the one that ah kind of gravitates to it a little bit more. He's a little more outdoorsy active that way.
00:35:11
Speaker
um My older boy, he's more of the sensitive one. I've got to navigate that. I've got the whole spectrum, dude. like My 11-year-old is like, I'm going fast, but he's going like so slow. my My five-year-old, psychopath, does not know like the limit. He has no limit. so like he's much more like I say me and him are probably more more aligned in like our styles of writing, but like they're all having fun though. right like It's just, yeah yeah, they're doing it.
00:35:40
Speaker
Yeah, my my youngest is the crazy one. like he has He just goes and goes. The first time my oldest one hopped on a motorcycle, I was there next to him. I'm like, hey, you ready to go? you know he had the the little this was He was probably about four at the time. He had like those train wheels on him. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We were out we werere out in the West Desert of Utah out there, and he takes off. And I'm like i'm telling him, like hey,
00:36:08
Speaker
make sure you break, right? Like if you ever feel like you need to, just let go. You don't you have to like touch anything, just let go. Well, you know how that goes. Like he whiskey fills it and yeah, he just whiskey throws it and keeps going and runs right into a sagebrush and into a hole. And like cries the rest of the trip and ruins, ruins his experience. And so I'm like crap, you know, and but my youngest, holy cow, he rips and That's all he wants to do. We, we bought him little go-karts like to ride around the the neighborhood and it goes maybe 12, 13 miles an hour. And first time around the thing, he's like, is this only how fast it goes? its This rev limiter the whole time, dude. Rev limiter, it's It's fun to watch them though. yeah and and it's like The thing for me, like with and I get what you're saying, because like I do do hunts by myself as well. and like I feel like I need time away. I think it's good for my marriage to be away. like you know and i mean like It's good for me to spend time away from my wife to be out on in the field by myself. But having the kids out there, man, there really is, like especially for someone like me from San Diego, so I'm always traveling. right so You're going to get 10 hours in the car with your kid.
00:37:23
Speaker
right? At least minimum. I mean, some of these hundreds are 16 hours away from me in the car with them talking to them, doing your thing, right? Or even now they're both driving. So they're driving me. I'm talking listening to the podcast. Like it's real formative in their life. And man, like I'm telling you right now, like my son is leaving to go to, um, Hawaii on January 8th. We're doing this like a Christian missionary school. Um, he's going to go and spend three months doing missionary training in Hawaii, then go spend three months in like an unreached people's group somewhere. Right. And, uh,
00:37:53
Speaker
Dude, he's going to be gone. like You only have so much time with your kids. and like Anyone listening to this, like I know like it's so cliche. like It goes fast, but dude, like it goes so fast, man. like It's like you're not going to get these years back with them and like they're going to be gone. and like He's going to go off to school. He wants to be a lawyer. He's looking at going to freaking all these crazy schools and like he's probably not going to come back. like He's probably going to move away and like I'm going to see him a few times a year. You know what I mean? like Man, like you for sure you could always make more
Balancing Career and Family
00:38:24
Speaker
money. You can't get this time with your kids back. And this isn't me talking, it's like me talking to the audience, right? Like, dude, take the time to do it. Freaking, who cares about making money, take time off work, go out with your kids, do something with them, because like, they are going to grow up, and they are going to be gone before you know it. Like, we're we're actually at a point now, like, I'm only, I'm almost 40, but like, dude, like, i'm go to I'm starting to lose kids out of my house, which is crazy, which is weird.
00:38:48
Speaker
Like we're going to be on to like, you know, within two years, my other son's gonna be gone, right? And it's gonna be like, I'm only gonna have three kids. Like it's just like, it's a strange dynamic, man. And like, especially these hunts this year, like my, the hunt I just went with my kid, my mule deer hunt, I think it's coming out in January or something on on our YouTube channel. My 18 year old, it was probably our last hunt for a long time. Like it's like, he's knocking on next year, he's going to school.
00:39:11
Speaker
right? He's going to go to school for six years minimum, right? And then who knows where he's going to be? Like who knows where he can get another a big call like that together. Like that's, that's pretty crazy, man. Like it's hard to get that back. You can't get it back. You cannot get time back. That's, I get like emotional thinking about it, right? Like the, the time span that you have with your kids. Like I just went through this. I mentioned my, my boy's birthday was yesterday, 10 years old, a decade. And,
00:39:40
Speaker
it feels like it was three years. you know yeah It went by so quick and I'm super grateful because we we have spent some really good quality time together as a family. We get out, we have a travel trailer.
00:39:54
Speaker
Every year we do the same, pretty much the same experiences together. We'll go up to like Island Park in in Idaho and ah we'll go out West desert. We'll, we'll, we have these certain trips that we do, not only with my immediate family, but with my extended family as well. yeah And it's, it's always fun, but it's just crazy how time flies by. And I couldn't agree with you more. It's like, we have to.
00:40:23
Speaker
Sometimes it's hard to to spend the money on certain experiences. like But at the end of the day, those are the things that your kids are going to remember, the experiences. I've i've had this conversation multiple times with people. It's like, if at the end of the if at the end of my life, all I've given my kids are experiences and no money, I would rather do that.
00:40:48
Speaker
100%. And honestly, it's not even a money thing. Like, people get so caught up in like, I need to get the most bitchin' wakeboard boat and do all these things. And it's like, dude, like, if you go and rent an aluminum boat, and instead of having to, you know, work way more and take overtime, like a rental aluminum boat and go fishing with your kid, just as formative.
00:41:09
Speaker
like your kid will have just as much fun catching bluegills out of some freaking pond behind a golf course as he would going on some exotic trip to the Amazon to go fishing. like Just go out with your kid and do something. right Just get out and do something with them. Go ride a bicycle with them. like Whatever it is. like it doesn't have to be You just can't get this time back, man. and I feel like we get so caught up in And like trust me, I'm guilty of this. like This is the first time in my life where I've had some freedom. like I spent 25 years working six to seven days a week, 10, 12 hours a day. like I just show up, just beat my head against the wall. And like the last, I quit that company in in May, my dad's company, which people still think I'm crazy, right? Biggest female companies in in Southern California, I quit to go do a hunting company. But man, having this freedom to be with my kids, right and like we're going to get off this call right now, I'm going to go drive them to
00:42:00
Speaker
North County, San Diego to go to ice skating for three hours. like I never got to do that with my kids. right like i like I'm going to go to the desert on a Wednesday afternoon today and go be with them. and like that is just like It's mind-blowing how important it is and how much I love it versus like just beating my head against the wall and working. I understand I'm in a really neat situation right now with Tricer. I'm going to do that stuff.
00:42:20
Speaker
But I wish that I would have not done what I did for the last 25 years and did what I did to my oldest kids. My oldest kids but all kid didn't get me. They got tired me. They got me coming home, dude. and like but like I was getting up at 3.30 in the morning.
00:42:35
Speaker
Driving an hour to work working and getting home at four or five and like falling asleep at seven couldn't even I couldn't even Communicate cuz I'm working so hard to provide for my family What you have to do as a man is a man you have to provide for your family but um there's nothing better way for me to do it than I did and I definitely neglected my kids with um like the small stuff that makes any sense, right? Like, yeah, yes, I would take I want hunts every year to do stuff like that. But like, dude, like the that's the one on one communication stuff, right? Like me and my daughter now. um She's 13. Every single boy at church loves her. Every single boy likes her. It's trying to be the most beautiful thing in the world.
00:43:14
Speaker
We're going to date every single week. down and going We go goll get breakfast together, sit down, have breakfast together, and just talk. and She just never shuts up. and I'm like, dude, like I've been missing this for 13 years of your life. like You just want to talk to me. right like Rather than just like, I have to work because I can get her to go do whatever gymnastics or whatever she want. It's just those those that 30 minutes with your kid is so formative. right like and A couple of my kids are that way. right like this one like Few of them just want to go riding and do something like that. A couple of them just want to talk. right like My 11-year-old just wants to talk.
00:43:44
Speaker
about the stupidest crap, like Fortnite and like the stupidest stuff I've ever tried not, right? I know what you mean. But it means so much to him, right? And I never, like that stuff is just as important as the experiences in my opinion and maybe more, right? Like right now, like my goal with my daughter is like, I want to be the first guy she dates, right? She's not going to date her. She's like probably 16, 18.
00:44:06
Speaker
But I want to be the guy there talking to her so she can understand what a man looks like, understand what a husband looks like. So she goes into a relationship, she's like a secure woman. right like I don't want her going into this thing, like lacking this fatherly relationship. I want her to have this relationship with me. This is way off of a hunting podcast right now. but No, this is great. This is real life stuff. I'm just giving you like my this is my freaking kid's rate. I think I'm 18 years old going off to college and this is my regrets from it and this is what I want to change. Well, I mean, I'm glad to turn this way because real life stuff is the most important to me. I mean, I, you mentioned you're almost 40. So does that mean you're 39? 39, 38, 39. Yeah. Okay. So I just turned 39. Did you know we're in the same boat and, uh, I'm a little, it sounds like you have obviously older kids. Uh, these are good lessons even for me, right? Like I need to do a better job. I've been clear about that. It's like just.
00:45:02
Speaker
a better job at integrating them into my passions. And I know those little moments that you're talking about is like, I have been fortunate to work very close to my house. So like at Mount Ops and even here at Black Flag, I'm within five to 10 minutes from my house. And that's been really nice because it's really easy for me to to be at home quickly. So I'm not, I don't have like a commute. I can spend more time, quality time with my kids. But again, it's a good reminder always like you're talking about is even though I do have that proximity and can leave it a moment's notice,
00:45:42
Speaker
if my mind's not there when I'm there and not being present and and really giving them and listening. giving them my attention and and my time, it's it's for naught. You might as well just be at work. right so to To make that intentional decision, to listen to your kids, to to be there, I need to do a better job of that. I think all those that are listening can do a better job at it. right There's always something to learn and be better at.
00:46:13
Speaker
so And when I'm tired as heck for a long day like that, I come home, I take out one of these things called revenge, pour it in a cup, what's it doing for me? Let's circle this thing back, bro. That's right. What is in this thing that makes it so much better? I know you told me that it is better than where you were working before. It has better stuff and it's healthier. What's in this thing? What's it going to do for me outside of just making me like wake up for 20 minutes? Yeah, so we actually partnered with a guy named Jose.
00:46:44
Speaker
He was the formulator and one of the founders of Bucked Up, if you've heard of them. yeah Kind of a big company. yeah But he he also is part of this with us. He's just a brilliant mind, brilliant guy. It's really the science behind everything that we're doing. I personally like, yes, I want something clean.
00:47:09
Speaker
I'm not the guy that's like sitting there and like, well,
Benefits of Revenge Energy Drink
00:47:12
Speaker
what's actually in it? you know i'm not being either i'm not I'm not that guy. I'm fine with going and get a ghost energy, but obviously there are better ways to get your energy. And so that's what he's been tasked or was tasked with. And in these other products that we'll be coming out with, he's tasked with getting the best ingredients, top of the shelf.
00:47:33
Speaker
and and integrating into into our products. so He's done that with this revenge product. It's a better formulation. um You can go on our website and check out all of those ingredients. The list is pretty long. It's awesome. ah When we formulated Ignite 10 years ago for Mountain Ops, that was 10 years ago. like Things have changed just like everything else. That lot that formula hasn't changed?
00:47:59
Speaker
I'm saying the ingredients inside of there, they have not changed. So 10 years. Oh yeah. So things have way changed where you in the health space well the and yeah, a hundred percent things have changed. Well, and you, and you think about that, like they are, I can see why you'd be scared to do that. When you have a conglomerate and people that love your product, you change one thing, it could change the taste of it. And so then that consumer is like, well, what the heck, you know?
00:48:25
Speaker
even though it may be a better ingredient for somebody, it might not taste the same way and have the same experience. so it's always It's scary to change product, but I think it's definitely necessary. Like you were talking about, it's like making a better mousetrap. It's always about progression and finding ways to improve. and That's in our product and obviously our personal lives as well.
00:48:50
Speaker
so So you're getting, are you getting more sustained energy from this versus like a spike? Uh, yeah. So I've, I've been taking the product for this whole year. Um, I personally like, I have to be careful because I've consumed so much caffeine that like, I, I don't feel it anymore necessarily, you know? So I have to kind of binge.
00:49:17
Speaker
ah i'll I'll get off of it and then for a while i'll I'll binge it and experience it but then I have to like wean off of it. so Me personally, that's just how I am. I could take caffeine at 6.30 at night and still sleep just fine. so um But there are other ingredients in there that help me focus. like It's not just, oh, i know I have caffeine and I have ah energy. It's cognitive function. That's what I wanted to hear about, that kind of stuff. yeah Yep. So those are the benefits that I feel like I feel. Yes, I might be yawning at work while I'm at my desk. but
00:49:55
Speaker
my brain is still firing and functioning. And for what I do, and that's web development, my specific tasks here at at Black Flag, I'm so used to saying Mountain Ops, at Black Flag is web. And so there are always things changing experiences that I want to improve on. And so this product helps me continually stay focused on the task at hand in my personal day-to-day life.
00:50:24
Speaker
I'm excited to try it because like I guess said, I ran a different kind of energy powder all year and I do one every single day, 50 days in the field this year. like I'm going to drink the snot out of the stuff and try it out. I'm excited to support another brand in the industry doing it. We'll definitely send you one of each flavor and that We have tubs right now, so the quantity of the, like as far as serving size is 50 in there. ah That's a little bit more than what we typically did. Oh, so you can have tubs right now, not not the ah individuals? Sample. Yeah, so we have sample packs as well. I can send you some of those, but we are
00:51:03
Speaker
The sample packs that we had that we did samplings through like Total Archery Challenges, that's how we did our soft launch was through all the Total total Archery Challenge stops. we were At some of those, we actually gave people like a sample, which was ah just you know the one serving.
00:51:20
Speaker
But we do have the the tubs, which are 50 servings, scoop powder. and But we will be creating a better ah packaging for like the single servings. like The one that we have is a little bit fatter and was a little bit harder to get into like a water bottle. So we're changing that packaging in order to to make that experience better. So you'll have them for like next season. have out i'll I'll get like up throw. Because I do bags, right?
00:51:48
Speaker
Okay, six days in the field, six, six, one gallon bags, one, one, uh, revenge and every single bag you'll have those next year. Yes. Yep. Yeah. We've been talking about it. We're just trying to find the right packaging that makes the most sense for us. But yeah, we, for sure we'll have, we call them trail packs back in the day, sample packs, whatever you want to call them.
00:52:07
Speaker
I'm excited for that. I'm excited to try it out and I'm actually excited to like put that tub on my desk and start using those maybe instead of the monster I'm drinking every single day and just try it out and see how it is. Because like I said, it is kind of like you drink those monsters and you're like, this can't be good for me. Even though I only do zero sugars, but I'm like, this can't be this can't be good for me. there's like no I can't pronounce the words.
00:52:27
Speaker
Yeah, there's definitely a better way, like definitely more sustained energy actually too, the way that it's formulated. But I am with you dude, like I'll stop at a gas station and the way of consuming energy through like a cold can, just hearing it pop open, experiencing it that way, there's nothing better.
00:52:46
Speaker
There really isn't. There's nothing better. I feel bad like my Melder Hunter just did. like Every the video, like every single day, I'm carrying a monster around because it was a hunt that we didn't backpack on. I'm just like, dude, I drink a lot of monster. Watch these videos, I'm like, I drink a lot of monster. so Dude, we're we're getting close at our mark. We always like to wrap up with a hunting story. You got a hunting story for us? Heck yeah, always. so I was actually going to ask you as far as like your highlight of the 2024, we never got to it.
00:53:14
Speaker
Oh, dude, my highlight for sure is my kid killing that big buck over there in Utah. That has to be. Oh, I didn't hear that strike. I'll send you a video. Yeah, he he shot a good buck. They've all heard the story on here, but yeah, he ended up shooting like a 170 something, seven by five, non-typical, like day four. We were out there seven days, like 380 yards. My kid just freaking... Oh, that's my highlight for sure. that was That's a moment that I'm...
00:53:37
Speaker
that you you're never going to get back. It's just awesome. it says Yeah, for sure that's a highlight of the year. It goes well with what we're talking about on this podcast, but that's awesome. Dude, 100% goes well. that's the Hands down, like everything I did, I've been all over the world this year, traveled more than I've ever traveled in my life, and that by far. like That's been in that like a backpack style hunt with my son. With him, the first year he's actually out glassing me. like It's like he is a killer. He is a hunter.
00:54:04
Speaker
So proud of him. That's the highlight level of my hot year. Hands down. Hands down. And he's that way because you've taught him. So that's awesome. so As far as mine, my highlight this year, as far as hunting goes, I ah had an archery, just a general season archery tag for a mule deer here in Utah. and I, a little bit of backstory is like the last three animals. I hate to admit this, but the last three animals that I've arrowed, I've wounded and I've never found. So, um, that was two last year and it just sucks. That's just part of bow hunting. I feel like I'm pretty proficient at, uh, with my bow and shooting.
00:54:48
Speaker
put the work in time and effort to make sure that I'm top of my game with the best equipment. I feel like I owe that to every animal that I'm pursuing. So that's just my personal ethos on hunting. If I'm going to do it, I need to do it really well and make sure that that animal doesn't suffer. Unfortunately, that's just the the flip side of hunting. There is those horror stories. but This year I was able to kill a deer here in Utah ah with my, I'll send you a picture, it's a pretty sweet buck. He has really cool eye guards that like hook eye guards. But the cool thing about it was I watched this buck for weeks. And it's the first time that I've actually killed an animal that like I was scouting and targeting. every Every animal I've killed with my bow,
00:55:41
Speaker
or I've just you know happened upon them and did spot and stock and was able to kill something. But this one in particular, it took me like, I think it was three weeks to finally arrow. And I just studied it, figured out where it liked to transition, where I found it bedded. And I don't know if you've ever used one of those tree saddles. Yeah, dude, I got a tethered one, yeah. Yeah, so I had one of those. And so I'm like, hey, this,
00:56:11
Speaker
This tree, if if he comes back here, this is the tree that I'm going to set up in. And so like I actually took the time to make like a trail so I could be super quiet like in the dirt. So like there was nothing that made sound. So at the end of the workday, I could slip up in there, get on this trail, get up into this tree that I i knew was kind of over where he was. And that's exactly what I did. One evening, like getting close to last light, I got up in there and that buck was bedded, came up, um got up and I had about like 30 minutes of shooting light left and he took the wrong turn around the tree. So I actually had to get down out and I ran up the hillside on one side of you know this this draw.
00:57:03
Speaker
And I got within about 35 yards of it and I was able to arrow it. And it was just one of the coolest experiences to be able to like pattern this and target this buck and to get it and to kill it clean and you know break that streak of wounding animals. Yeah, for sure. You start questioning you start questioning everything.
00:57:24
Speaker
Oh man. yeah i wound i haven't I don't think I've lost... I was i lost animals on film this year. I shot a wild boar and I ended up gut shooting. it The filmer couldn't find him and i and I was like, it's the one on the right. And he's like, I was just talking and it wasn't the film. It was my fault and muzzleloader. I ended up shooting a little far back and I couldn't find this pig. So I was in New Mexico and I was on video and I'm like, dude, like,
00:57:48
Speaker
It just, even as a freaking pig, it just sucks. When you win something, like you want to kill it. You want to get it done. like You don't want to do that to an animal. like You just don't want to suffer. Yeah, it's it's the worst feeling ever. It makes me question everything.
00:58:01
Speaker
Don't don't miss it'll haunt your dreams same thing with don't wound your dreams. You know what I mean? It does it but uh Yeah, dude, that's awesome. I'm super stoked for black flag super stoked. You try this stuff out You guys will probably see me I'll hold on some of my videos and stuff on YouTube and on Instagram stuff because I'm gonna try this stuff out I'm excited to use it.
Where to Find Black Flag Products and Future Plans
00:58:18
Speaker
I use it. I use a powder every day and I'm curious how this one works compared to what I'm using and excited for it dude, so Jake where can we find black flag you guys are D to see only right? Yeah, right now I it's just online. So if you go BLKFLG.com, BLKFLG.com. So you can go buy revenge on there. We have some apparel items as well, but we'll definitely be ramping up and getting some even cooler gear here in 2025. I'm excited. Let's do it again, bro. I'll see you soon. Thanks for the time, man. Appreciate it.
00:58:53
Speaker
Thank you for listening to the Tricer Podcast. Do us a favor and like and subscribe on whatever platform you are listening on. Give us a follow on Instagram and Facebook at TricerUSA and go and check out all of our innovative gear at www.tricerusa.com. Until next time, shoot straight, have fun, and always put God first.