Miscellaneous
Brad Steinfeld left Louisville when he was 16 years old. He wasn’t getting what he wanted or needed there, and he had been bitten by the rock-climbing bug, so he packed his bags and eventually hitchhiked his way to one of the meccas of rock climbing in North America: El Dorado Canyon (11:52) By the time he was 23, his life unfolded like an adventure novel: full of stories of traveling around the world, climbing rocks and mountains, and living a minimalist lifestyle in places like Boulder, Alaska, Washington, and Yosemite ? He remembers being on a trailhead 14 miles away when Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980 (36:39), crossing paths with some of the greatest climbers in the world like Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia (59:04), and then there’s also that time he spent a week living with the Hells Angels (25:58). True story. When he finally decided it was time to begin his ascent into the business world, his life changed again when he was introduced to a guy that sold medical devices (1:04:11)⚕️ He had picked up his EMT certification somewhere along the way, so he spoke enough of the language and was confident he could learn as he went. As he began to find success in his new role, so too, did the company – they went public shortly thereafter and their future was bright ? Then his phone rang (1:10:38). It was the FBI. Unbeknownst to him, the company’s founder had been cooking the books and engaging in fraudulent business practices and was now on the run ?♂️ It made sense to Brad, who had been wondering for months why his company wasn’t paying him the thousands of dollars’ worth of paychecks he was owed! But always one to find multiple routes to the top, he continued his climb ? With the leftover inventory he had, he started his own company (1:16:56), and over the course of his career, he not only raised two beautiful children with the love of his life, he eventually did so well that he sold his company and comfortably “retired” before his 50th birthday. But he wasn’t done. In 2018, he founded Yellow Submarines Inc. (1:33:56), an initiative aimed at connecting musicians/artists with venues seeking fresh talent, and the parent and production company behind his Backporch Concert Series ? You’ve heard of the heroes journey, but this, my friends, is an entrepreneurs epic, and one of my favorite episodes I’ve ever done. If you dig this interview, please let us know by dropping a quick rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts, or by sharing it with someone you know would dig this one, as well ? Credit Statement: Intro music is Outside by Ikson. Outro music is As It Sets by Ikson. Check out his other tracks here ➡️ https://www.iksonmusic.com