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From Corporate Stability to Retail Shelves With a Side Hustle With David Ask · Beyond Expertise

• 0:01
  Eric Dickmann: Welcome to Beyond Expertise, the podcast about what happens when the career identity you've built no longer fully fits, and how you begin creating something that feels more aligned with who you are.
• 0:14
  Eric Dickmann: I'm your host, Eric Dickmann.
• 0:16
  Eric Dickmann: My guest today is David Usk, an entrepreneur, singer, author, and founder of The Usk Experience.
• 0:23
  Eric Dickmann: What stayed with me from our conversation is that reinvention does not always begin with a dramatic exit.
• 0:30
  Eric Dickmann: Sometimes it starts quietly while you are still inside the life you've already built.
• 0:35
  Eric Dickmann: David spent years working at Verizon while continuing to pursue his music and slowly developing a physical product on the side.
• 0:44
  Eric Dickmann: He had no background in manufacturing, supply chains, retail distribution, or running a product company.
• 0:51
  Eric Dickmann: The first attempt went nowhere.
• 0:53
  Eric Dickmann: His original partner moved on, and even after Home Depot initially showed interest, the opportunity stalled for another two years.
• 1:01
  Eric Dickmann: But David kept going.
• 1:03
  Eric Dickmann: Eventually, the product reached more than a thousand Home Depot stores, later expanded into Lowe's and other retailers, and gave him enough momentum to leave corporate life when a voluntary severance opportunity appeared.
• 1:16
  Eric Dickmann: I think there's an important lesson in the way that happened.
• 1:20
  Eric Dickmann: David did not wait until he had perfect clarity before taking action, but he also did not abandon his income and hope inspiration would somehow turn into a business.
• 1:31
  Eric Dickmann: He experimented while he still had stability.
• 1:34
  Eric Dickmann: He learned the unfamiliar parts slowly.
• 1:36
  Eric Dickmann: He relied on relationships to open doors he could not have opened alone.
• 1:41
  Eric Dickmann: And when opportunity finally appeared, he had already done enough groundwork to say yes and figure out the rest.
• 1:49
  Eric Dickmann: At the same time, this is not simply a story about launching a thermostat guard or getting a product into a major retailer.
• 1:56
  Eric Dickmann: What became more interesting to me is how many different identities David has continued to carry: musician, corporate professional, product entrepreneur, father, marketer, author, and a person of faith.
• 2:10
  Eric Dickmann: His next chapter is not about choosing one and discarding the others.
• 2:14
  Eric Dickmann: It's about understanding what connects them.
• 2:17
  Eric Dickmann: For David, that connection is a desire to help people recognize what is already within them, to remove some of the uncertainty around identity, purpose, and the contribution they are capable of making.
• 2:30
  Eric Dickmann: In our conversation, we talk about the patience required to build something before it can support you, the role relationships play in creating opportunity, and why becoming more authentic may not require inventing a completely new self.
• 2:45
  Eric Dickmann: Sometimes it means paying closer attention to the threads that have been present all along.
• 2:51
  Eric Dickmann: Let's get ready to go beyond expertise.
• 2:54
  Eric Dickmann: David, welcome to the podcast.
• 2:56
  Eric Dickmann: I'm so glad to have you on the show today
• 2:58
  David Ask: Hey, I'm really glad to be here.
• 2:59
  David Ask: Thanks for having me
• 3:01
  Eric Dickmann: Absolutely.
• 3:02
  Eric Dickmann: David, one of the things that I do at the start of every episode is I like to turn back the dial of time a bit and ask people their first corporate experience, their first real job out of school, what that was for you, and how it matched what you thought your professional life was gonna look like at the time
• 3:21
  David Ask: Oh man, what a great question.
• 3:22
  David Ask: Interestingly enough, I moved to Nashville, Tennessee from Glenwood, Minnesota, a little town with a, you know, one stoplight.
• 3:29
  David Ask: And, um, and right after high school I, I actually went to a community college in, in Minnesota and just wasn't for me and ended up attending Belmont University here.
• 3:40
  David Ask: And, um, anyway, so besides working at Dillard's, you know, the clothing store in, in Nashville and so on right out of the gate and so on, I ended up getting a job at Vanderbilt University.
• 3:53
  David Ask: And actually let me...
• 3:54
  David Ask: It was actually, it was called the Bill Wilkerson Center.
• 3:58
  David Ask: Um, it's a speech and hearing center and they ended up being purchased by Vanderbilt when I was working there.
• 4:04
  David Ask: And, um, yeah, so that was a, a, I mean, so many great, great memories there.
• 4:08
  David Ask: I was there for, uh, probably three years
• 4:11
  Eric Dickmann: What did you think you wanted to do?
• 4:12
  Eric Dickmann: What was your motivation?
• 4:14
  Eric Dickmann: What was your aspiration when you were, a younger version of you?
• 4:18
  David Ask: Well, at that point I just needed money.
• 4:20
  David Ask: It was, it was survival mode.
• 4:22
  David Ask: But I, you know, I, I ended up moving to Nashville, uh, to do music, so I was a, a vocal major and, you know, it's, it's funny, I, I live in a few different worlds, so a lot of people don't know that, you know, I've got this music s- thread that's been through my, really my whole life.
• 4:36
  David Ask: My mom was a music teacher and, you know, I started singing at a pretty high level when I was in, I don't know, ninth grade.
• 4:43
  David Ask: You know, like national anthem at, at major sporting events and, you know, things like that, and moved to Nashville.
• 4:49
  David Ask: I've recorded three records and I've-- I mean, just a m- a month or so ago, I opened up the, the, uh, Tennessee House of Representatives session with a, a song and a prayer, and I've done concerts at the, the Symphony Center and, I mean, in, you know, several different countries for that matter.
• 5:04
  David Ask: So I, it's a, it's kind of a neat thing.
• 5:06
  David Ask: So to your, to answer your question, I wanted to be a singer, right?
• 5:09
  David Ask: I, I wanted to be, I wanted to be, you know, famous and, and all that kind of stuff.
• 5:13
  David Ask: And I'm, uh, I'm grateful that I, you know, even still I'm, um, in fact, I'm, I'm looking at a non-disclosure agreement.
• 5:19
  David Ask: I had to-- I've done four concerts at a really, uh, I'll just put it this way, a famous golf course, uh, that I can't really, can't mention.
• 5:26
  David Ask: And I, and I, you know, have had moments in my life sharing the stage with people that I've just had to completely pinch myself.
• 5:35
  David Ask: And at the same time, you know, I've, there, there has, uh, really simultaneously been kind of an entrepreneurial thread, you know, right alongside that.
• 5:44
  David Ask: And because growing up, I just admired, you know, I mean, business owners.
• 5:49
  David Ask: I, I'll be honest, I thought an entrepreneur was a business owner.
• 5:52
  David Ask: And, you know, you can create a job for yourself and that's great.
• 5:56
  David Ask: I mean, that's, it's wonderful.
• 5:57
  David Ask: And at the same time, I was always so drawn to people who kinda had multiple revenue streams and they had a bit of, you know, margin in their time and, you know, s- maybe some passive income.
• 6:08
  David Ask: And I'm like,"What in the heck kinda person does that?" You know,"Who gave them permission to do that?" And so, yeah, it was, it was amazing how some of those things started, you know, budding really, really early.
• 6:20
  Eric Dickmann: Well, it's interesting because when you think about a career of singing, right, I think a lot of people associate a successful entertainment career with lucky breaks, right?
• 6:29
  Eric Dickmann: Right place, right time, knowing the right people.
• 6:32
  Eric Dickmann: But an entrepreneur is often very much the opposite.
• 6:35
  Eric Dickmann: It's grit, it's perseverance, it's a lot of failure.
• 6:38
  Eric Dickmann: Try, try again, modify, keep testing different ideas until you see what works.
• 6:44
  Eric Dickmann: So as, you know, you're progressing in this career, and I know you ultimately get to the spot where you really tap into that entrepreneurial, desire that you had, what lessons were you learning along the way that set you up for becoming a true entrepreneur?
• 7:00
  David Ask: Yeah.
• 7:01
  David Ask: You know, I, I, I do think early on I had a lot of misconceptions, well, around everything for that matter.
• 7:07
  David Ask: I'll just put it that way.
• 7:09
  David Ask: And, you know, I thought that, you know, music was, you know, you had to be discovered or you had to be, you know, the chosen one, or you had to be, you know, all this kind of stuff.
• 7:18
  David Ask: And, um, truth of the matter is, I think there is some of that.
• 7:21
  David Ask: I do, I do think that there's mo- there are moments if you're in the right place at the right time, you know, and somebody's like,"Man, I need a really great tenor.
• 7:29
  David Ask: You know, you know, who can-- Hey, uh, you know, David, what are, what are you doing, you know, Saturday night?" Like, you know, that kind of thing.
• 7:35
  David Ask: And I've, I've had moments like that, right?
• 7:37
  David Ask: Where I just happen to be standing there and someone says, you know,"Can you sing backup for, you know, Wynonna on, you know, on Thursday night?" You know, that kind of thing.
• 7:46
  Eric Dickmann: That's kind of the Josh Groban story, right?
• 7:49
  David Ask: Well, totally.
• 7:49
  David Ask: And at the same time, like anything, you gotta just set out, you know, kinda aim at something and start working to build it, right?
• 7:56
  David Ask: What's the, what's the bedrock?
• 7:57
  David Ask: What's the scaffolding?
• 7:58
  David Ask: You know, who do you need on the team?
• 8:00
  David Ask: You know, there's best practices, of course.
• 8:02
  David Ask: Um, and of course, if you, you know, create any product that has value in the marketplace, you know, if people know about it, right, they'll buy it.
• 8:10
  David Ask: You know, so there's, there's not only the creation of something, but the, you know, the marketing end of it, which, you know, you live in.
• 8:16
  David Ask: And I, um, so I think that simultaneously for me, the music thing was such a personal, uh, you know, such something s- really, you know, kinda tied to who I am.
• 8:28
  David Ask: I, I mean, when I-- I'm not, I'm not just an entertainer.
• 8:31
  David Ask: I don't mind going, you know, standing up and, you know, singing some songs and giving some, giving people some goosebumps.
• 8:37
  David Ask: But I remember early in life really, you know, thinking that music was more of a weapon and, and you know, one of the reasons I'm, I'm here with you, like I, I think that there's so much more going on, you know, in life.
• 8:51
  David Ask: Uh, there's a larger story at play, and when people, you know, realize that and, and anchor to those things, um, you know, they're able to live a much more meaningful and joyful and fulfilling life.
• 9:05
  David Ask: And I think that music is, is kind of a can opener to someone's soul.
• 9:10
  Eric Dickmann: Hmm.
• 9:11
  David Ask: and I remember even early on in life, I would sing somewhere or sing even the national anthem or something, and I, and people would make comments to me like,"David, I, you know, I just, I'm so blown away by what just happened there.
• 9:21
  David Ask: Like, thank you for that.
• 9:22
  David Ask: Like, it awakened something in me or reminded me of something." And, and, um, so I realized that, you know what?
• 9:29
  David Ask: God just gave me something, right?
• 9:30
  David Ask: It's a gift, right?
• 9:31
  David Ask: I didn't make me.
• 9:32
  David Ask: So He just said,"Hey, you get to do this." And, and I get to operate in that capacity.
• 9:36
  David Ask: And, and at the same time, you know, the entrepreneurial thing was, um...
• 9:41
  David Ask: Yeah, the misconception, I guess, around that was, you know, that some people have the Midas touch or, you know, everything they touch turns to gold or, you know, things like that.
• 9:50
  David Ask: And truth of the matter is, is I, I do think that there are some people that might have, you know, some more giftings.
• 9:58
  David Ask: They might be mo- a bit more charismatic or, you know, they might be a bit more driven, right?
• 10:02
  David Ask: But it's amazing how-- I forget who said this back in the day, but it was, uh, the more prepared you are, the more lucky you are, right?
• 10:11
  David Ask: And it's-- So, so I do think that this, this idea of, of effort, um, obviously a vision for a product that has value and, and just your, your, um...
• 10:23
  David Ask: How about this?
• 10:23
  David Ask: I mean, really the ability to just not give up.
• 10:26
  David Ask: You know, it sounds so cliche, but truth of the matter is, is, you know, when people say, you know, never ever, ever give up, I think that's, that has more value than most things in life, period.
• 10:40
  David Ask: I don't care if it's, I don't care if it's marriage, uh, you know, or parenting or, you know, running a business.
• 10:46
  David Ask: Just don't give up.
• 10:47
  David Ask: You're probably three feet from gold, you know that and other book, right?
• 10:51
  David Ask: And those who persevere, those who have grit, those who have some steadfastness, and again, those things are-- you've gotta have a lot to develop those things, including support system.
• 11:04
  David Ask: You know, those are the people that end up winning
• 11:07
  Eric Dickmann: It's interesting too, because I've had a couple people on this podcast who are artistic, whether it's musically, they're writers, creative in some form.
• 11:18
  Eric Dickmann: And oftentimes I've found that in my discussions with them, there's this part that they like to keep very personal because it is a gift, it is a creative outlet, and when you turn that into a business where you have to use that talent to then make money, that can somehow, I think in some people's minds, cheapen it or just take some of the passion out of it.
• 11:42
  Eric Dickmann: Where I contrast that with entrepreneurs, they are so focused on getting that product right, getting that product out to market, getting people to see it, to use it, to experience it, that there's a drive there.
• 11:57
  Eric Dickmann: And they're both passions, but one seems to be one that people protect often, and one seems to be something that people really push heavily on.
• 12:06
  Eric Dickmann: Do you find that?
• 12:07
  David Ask: Uh, 100%.
• 12:08
  David Ask: And, and I do think that, you know what?
• 12:11
  David Ask: Um, I, I, I think that is a, you know, a product, right?
• 12:15
  David Ask: It-- Versus music.
• 12:17
  David Ask: One of those is eternal.
• 12:19
  David Ask: You know, one of those is transcendent.
• 12:21
  David Ask: One of those crosses every single boundary in this world.
• 12:25
  David Ask: You know, I manufacture a thermostat guard, right?
• 12:28
  David Ask: And it's-- I'm grateful to have some success in that, but I tell you what, you know, when-- What is going to have more of an impact, right?
• 12:36
  David Ask: When you stand up and, you know, give someone's goosebumps goosebumps or hand them a thermostat card, right?
• 12:43
  David Ask: It's, it, it, it sounds kinda funny or, or kinda silly, but it's at the same time, you c- it's, you're not comparing apples to apples.
• 12:51
  David Ask: And so I think that, that art and creativity and fashioning what, you know, what God has given us into something, you know, else that's beautiful and powerful and, and moving, I mean, those, that's, that's the kinda stuff you, you know, you die for, right?
• 13:05
  David Ask: It's-- So I think that we-- To put those in a much higher category, you know, art as it were, is, is so important to, just to recognize.
• 13:15
  Eric Dickmann: Absolutely, I agree with that.
• 13:17
  Eric Dickmann: Let's, jump ahead a little bit to this entrepreneurial journey.
• 13:20
  Eric Dickmann: So a thermostat guard, not necessarily the first thing that everybody would think about when they said,"I wanna design a product." I know there are challenges with designing a physical product.
• 13:30
  Eric Dickmann: You've gotta, design it, you've gotta get it manufactured, get some store to sell it, right?
• 13:35
  Eric Dickmann: This sounds like this was all new to you.
• 13:37
  Eric Dickmann: How did you go through the process of figuring this all out, and where did the idea come from to begin with?
• 13:43
  David Ask: Yeah.
• 13:44
  David Ask: So I was actually working for Verizon Wireless, um, doing facilities management for many years, and it was, excuse me, just a fantastic, you know, career.
• 13:55
  David Ask: I mean, it was a lo- a long time there.
• 13:57
  David Ask: And it was a, a bit flexible in schedule.
• 14:00
  David Ask: I, I worked from home mainly, but I covered five states and, you know, I don't know, what, close to 100 stores, you know, just to make sure the f- the facilities were looking great and all the maintenance and security and decommissioning old stores and opening new stores and various things.
• 14:16
  David Ask: And, and it afforded me, you know, a, a bit of margin.
• 14:19
  David Ask: And I-- So one day my brother-in-law, uh, called me and he said,"Hey, David, where do I get a thermostat guard with a combination lock?" He said,"I..." You know, he was working for banks down in South Florida that owned foreclosed properties.
• 14:33
  David Ask: And of course, you know, they'd get the properties spit-shined and up, you know, up for sale, and the real estate agents would go in there and turn the temperature down to 62 degrees in July.
• 14:43
  David Ask: And of course, the bank started getting, you know, these big energy bills, so they started using thermostat guards.
• 14:49
  David Ask: Well, there, you know, no one made a thermostat guard with a combination lock.
• 14:54
  David Ask: And so technically it was his idea.
• 14:58
  David Ask: And so anyway, he and I kinda started developing this thing together and, um, you know, a few years into our entrepreneurial journey, which was going nowhere, um, you know, he started a construction company and just did really well with that.
• 15:12
  David Ask: I'm still working at Verizon and, uh, one day I called him up and I just said,"Hey, you're obviously super busy doing what you're doing over there.
• 15:20
  David Ask: Do you mind if I just buy you out and I'm gonna just take a, take another stab at this?"'Cause we'd kinda given up really.
• 15:26
  David Ask: And about, about a year later, I ended up getting into Home Depot.
• 15:30
  David Ask: And, um, and then, you know, about four years ago...
• 15:34
  David Ask: So this was eight years ago w- in Home Depot and, um, about four years ago in Lowe's, um, you know, with a new variation for Lowe's.
• 15:42
  David Ask: And in fact, we just got into Grainger and HD Supply in a few locations, um, last year.
• 15:48
  David Ask: And so, you know, it-- to your point too, I knew nothing about plastics injection molding and prototyping
• 15:57
  Eric Dickmann: Right
• 15:58
  David Ask: sourcing and supply chain management and, you know, I mean, you name it.
• 16:02
  David Ask: I didn't know how to, I didn't know how to use QuickBooks.
• 16:04
  David Ask: I mean, it was just absolutely everything about this was new.
• 16:08
  David Ask: But, um, but by definition, right, that's an entrepreneur.
• 16:12
  David Ask: I mean,
• 16:12
  Eric Dickmann: sure it is, yeah
• 16:13
  David Ask: you, you don't know what you're doing, so figure it out.
• 16:16
  David Ask: And, um, so I learned a lot.
• 16:18
  David Ask: Uh, I think I learned more about me, you know, than I did any technical, you know, ability.
• 16:23
  David Ask: It was, um, you know, because most of the time learning something, you know, anybody can do it.
• 16:30
  David Ask: But, you know, unlearning or overcoming your own internal, you know, fear and insecurity and imposter syndrome and stuff like that was probably the biggest hurdle
• 16:41
  Eric Dickmann: How do you sell something like that to a chain like a Home Depot?
• 16:44
  Eric Dickmann: I can see your mom-and-pop hardware store down the street where they're not so concerned about supply chains and inventories, but to sell something like that to a major retailer where they're gonna wanna know that you can deliver, right?
• 16:57
  Eric Dickmann: I'm sure you don't, just submit a Contact Us form on the website and say,"I have got this product.
• 17:02
  Eric Dickmann: Would you like to buy it?" How did, how'd you figure all that out?
• 17:05
  David Ask: Yeah.
• 17:05
  David Ask: I, I mean, I'll be honest, it's a, it's a really wild story.
• 17:09
  David Ask: I'll, I'll try to make it really fast.
• 17:11
  David Ask: So if you go on, you know, their website, you know, you can go to homedepot.com/vendors.
• 17:18
  David Ask: Well, they want your financials.
• 17:19
  David Ask: Like you said, they want to know can you do it?
• 17:21
  David Ask: We don't really care.
• 17:22
  David Ask: I mean, if you have a great product, great, but we need to know can you stock the shelves one time, and can you keep 20,000 units sitting around, and do you understand supply chain management and the retail space?
• 17:34
  David Ask: Well, of course I knew none of that.
• 17:36
  David Ask: And I didn't, and I had, I didn't have a dime.
• 17:39
  David Ask: You know, I didn't have any money to, you know, stock the shelves.
• 17:41
  David Ask: And so I, I ended up contacting a friend of my dad's who owned some hotels and restaurants and so on, and, you know, at the time was, you know, one of the more successful people I knew, and just to ask some advice.
• 17:53
  David Ask: Well, he introduced me to a friend of his, a guy named Bob, and, you know, so here's the funny thing, right?
• 18:00
  David Ask: You can't even submit a product unless you go through three months of, you know, vetting and, and then you might get a chance to do it, right?
• 18:11
  David Ask: It's not an, it's not like you're, you're just in the door and they got people waiting to look at products all the time.
• 18:16
  David Ask: They typically do something like that at a trade show or once a year,
• 18:18
  Eric Dickmann: Yes
• 18:19
  David Ask: in a while you can set up a meeting.
• 18:21
  David Ask: But it's, I mean, it's, you know, you might as well try to get into the Oval Office for that matter.
• 18:26
  David Ask: And but here's the interesting thing, right?
• 18:28
  David Ask: So, uh, Bob called me one day and I told him about the product and he said,"Well, I'm actually going there for a meeting in a couple of weeks.
• 18:36
  David Ask: I've got three products on the shelf right now." He said,"Let me, uh, show it to the buyer and we'll see what they say." So he walked it in the front door
• 18:43
  Eric Dickmann: Oh, wow.
• 18:43
  David Ask: again,
• 18:44
  Eric Dickmann: What a break.
• 18:45
  David Ask: who not how, right?
• 18:46
  Eric Dickmann: Right
• 18:47
  David Ask: And so he walked it in the front door and they, within five minutes they're like,"Wow, I wish we would've thought of this," you know,"Great idea." And, um, anyway, so just to, you know...
• 18:57
  David Ask: And then it was funny, of course, they called and said...
• 19:01
  David Ask: No, let me back up.
• 19:02
  David Ask: The, the gentleman that said yes ended up, you know, getting promoted or something, moving to a different department.
• 19:09
  David Ask: So I got on homedepot.com and they said,"We're gonna, you know, put you in 100 stores and just trial it out first." Well, of course the new guy was-- He didn't want anything to do with me.
• 19:19
  David Ask: He's just trying to figure out life and learn his job.
• 19:21
  David Ask: So then I had to wait another two years, and I'm literally, I'm sitting on the tarmac, I'm flying out to do a concert somewhere, and the phone rings and he says, you know,"Hey, this is so-and-so at the Home Depot." He said,"David, we love this product and we'd like to put it in 1,300 of our stores.
• 19:38
  David Ask: Can you do this?" Right?
• 19:40
  David Ask: So of course, you know Richard Branson with, you know, Virgin Mobile or whatever, Virgin Atlantic, always says,"Say yes and figure it out." So of course, I'm sitting in the plane.
• 19:50
  David Ask: My wife is...
• 19:51
  David Ask: Actually, we couldn't even sit next to each other.
• 19:52
  David Ask: We didn't get seats next to each other.
• 19:54
  David Ask: She's, like, two rows behind me.
• 19:55
  David Ask: So, you know, I'm kinda coming out of my skin thinking,"I'm talking to the guy now that says 1,300 stores." And, and of course I'm just like,"Yeah, absolutely.
• 20:03
  David Ask: No problem." You know?
• 20:04
  David Ask: And I have no idea how to pull this off.
• 20:07
  David Ask: And but we figured it out, and then I found a partner that I could license it to and, um, you know, here we are eight years later.
• 20:14
  David Ask: It's incredible.
• 20:15
  Eric Dickmann: That's really a great story, and it's, it's the old adage, right?
• 20:18
  Eric Dickmann: It's not always what you know, it's who you know, and being able to leverage those contacts in your network.
• 20:23
  Eric Dickmann: And, I'm repeatedly just, uh, surprised but grateful to hear the stories about how people's networks come through for them, right?
• 20:32
  Eric Dickmann: That's the whole purpose of developing them over time is not only, you know, what you can do for them, but what they can, hopefully offer to you in the future, right?
• 20:41
  Eric Dickmann: As you, work your way through life together and opportunities come about.
• 20:46
  Eric Dickmann: I find it's so fulfilling when somebody p- reaches out to me, asks, asks me a question, and there's something that I can actually do to help them
• 20:53
  David Ask: Oh, boy, isn't, isn't that wonderful?
• 20:55
  David Ask: I mean, I, yeah, I, I wouldn't be anywhere in life without, you know, really fantastic people around me helping me, you know?
• 21:02
  David Ask: I, I mean, personally and professionally.
• 21:04
  David Ask: And yeah, to be able to s- let someone stand on my shoulders is just a joy.
• 21:10
  David Ask: Yeah.
• 21:11
  Eric Dickmann: Well, we're living in this great era of AI and these magical tools that do all this incredible, work on our behalf, but they can't open doors the way that a, a personal contact, can.
• 21:23
  Eric Dickmann: So there's, there are some limitations to even what these tools can do for you.
• 21:27
  Eric Dickmann: So you've had this success, now you've got this product out there, you're in these big box stores.
• 21:33
  Eric Dickmann: Did you say,"Verizon, see you later.
• 21:35
  Eric Dickmann: Now I'm gonna become a full-time entrepreneur"?
• 21:38
  David Ask: Uh, yeah, it was, you know, it was interesting that I was, I was just making enough to kind of pay the bills with my, my side hustle really.
• 21:47
  David Ask: You know,'cause after you...
• 21:49
  David Ask: I mean, I'm selling a$20 chunk of plastic, right?
• 21:51
  David Ask: So there's not much meat on the bone.
• 21:53
  David Ask: It's all volume and, and so on.
• 21:55
  David Ask: And, and again, people need to know that it e- exists, so there's marketing dollars, all kinds of stuff.
• 22:00
  David Ask: And so I remember, um, you know, thinking,"Well, I, I, uh," you know, once they hit the shelf, you don't know what the run rate's gonna be.
• 22:08
  David Ask: I mean, it's just kinda, who knows?
• 22:09
  David Ask: And so I'm super grateful, you know, it was, it was fine, and at the same time, not quite enough to live on.
• 22:15
  David Ask: And then it was funny, one day Verizon was doing some layoffs, uh, and they actually were-- I mean, it was kind of voluntary layoffs.
• 22:23
  David Ask: So they sent an email to certain, you know, gr- bands of people inside the company and just said,"Hey, if, if you want to walk away right now, you know, here's what your severance would look like." And, um, so, you know, I'd been there quite a few years and I'm like,"Wow, you know, this is probably nine months' worth of salary." And I, so I decided to just take it and walk away.
• 22:44
  David Ask: And, um, so, you know, that's been, God, nine, seven, s- eight years now?
• 22:50
  David Ask: I think it's been eight years and, um, seven years.
• 22:53
  David Ask: Anyway, but yeah, I, I'm, I'm super thankful that I was able to launch and, and make it work, you know?
• 22:59
  David Ask: It was, um...
• 23:01
  David Ask: Yeah, so now of course, you know, once you get a win, right, you're like,"Well, what else is possible?" And, you know, you start swinging for the fence and, um, yeah, just getting after it, so.
• 23:12
  Eric Dickmann: I love that story because, the show is titled Beyond Expertise, and really the idea behind it is that people often have a second, sometimes third, fourth chapter, right, in their life as they look to take what they've learned, the knowledge that they've accumulated, that expertise, and say,"Now what can I do with it?" And many times it's leaving a corporate structure and going off on your own.
• 23:34
  Eric Dickmann: Maybe it's pursuing some kind of a passion, you know, writing, singing, painting, whatever it may be, some kind of an artistic endeavor.
• 23:42
  Eric Dickmann: But it's really for, I think a lot of people, it's how they take some of the things that they've learned throughout their previous corporate world life and then apply it to some sort of a new business.
• 23:53
  Eric Dickmann: But the mistake that a lot of people make, if you wanna call it a mistake, is that they don't do what you did.
• 23:59
  Eric Dickmann: They don't start a side hustle.
• 24:00
  David Ask: Yeah
• 24:01
  Eric Dickmann: there's this change, and suddenly they find themselves out of the corporate world and thinking,"Now what?
• 24:08
  Eric Dickmann: What next?" And, you went through, years as you, uh, tell the story before you found the success, with your product.
• 24:17
  Eric Dickmann: And for people who just stop the corporate job cold turkey and then say,"What's next?" Sometimes that's a very uncomfortable period.
• 24:26
  Eric Dickmann: So now you've got this experience.
• 24:28
  Eric Dickmann: You've gone down the entrepreneurial path.
• 24:30
  Eric Dickmann: You know some of the highs and lows.
• 24:32
  Eric Dickmann: You've kind of figured out how to run a business, and now you've got the itch to maybe try something new.
• 24:37
  Eric Dickmann: What's that something new?
• 24:39
  David Ask: Yeah.
• 24:40
  David Ask: Yeah.
• 24:40
  David Ask: So it, it was about a year ago, I, uh, I started working with a data company that, um, was doing, you know, lead generation for a bunch of different industries and so on.
• 24:49
  David Ask: And, um, and anyway, we ended up, um, uh, partnering together and so it's, it's kind of fascinating.
• 24:57
  David Ask: It's a company called Strategy Simple, and, you know, they, they've built out a, I guess a, a, amazing tech stack, but kind of the main, um, offering there is, is intent-based data, meaning, you know, we, we scrub about 160 million, you know, websites a day to find intent signals, right?
• 25:17
  David Ask: People searching for things.
• 25:19
  David Ask: And of course, it's, it's one of those things where if, you know, if somebody, you know, hits a website, we don't necessarily care.
• 25:24
  David Ask: But if you're searching for, um, you know, electrical services or something, and you go to two or three different sites, well, now you're showing more intention, you know.
• 25:34
  David Ask: And it's not-- it's-- you really can't call them a lead, but at least it's a warmer prospect, right?
• 25:39
  David Ask: So it's amazing how, you know, once you have a few bits of information and everybody leaves a trail, you know, whether it's an IP address or cookie or whatever else, you know, wherever they go and, um, you know, we can, you know, retarget those folks.
• 25:52
  David Ask: And it's, it's been fascinating to, you know, to see what's happening.
• 25:55
  David Ask: In fact, my son, you know, here in Nashville, graduated college about a year ago, excuse me, and he started a, a moving, hauling, junk removal business.
• 26:07
  David Ask: and yeah, it's, it's justaskjunk.com.
• 26:09
  David Ask: And of course, we're having some fun with my last name, you know, Ask, A-S-K.
• 26:14
  David Ask: And but it's fascinating to see, you know, we can find people that are searching for moving and, you know, hauling and junk removal in our area and, and retarget them with some ads or, you know, a, a postcard or something like that.
• 26:27
  David Ask: And so it's been great to see how it's been, you know, benefiting Parker's business.
• 26:32
  David Ask: And in fact, we spun up another company now called Rapid Removal IQ for junk removal and moving companies and so on because we're, um, it's just working.
• 26:42
  David Ask: And of course, these guys are, you know, most service businesses, right?
• 26:46
  David Ask: They didn't get into the business to run a business.
• 26:47
  David Ask: They got into it because they were good at their trade, and so we're able to, you know, help them target people that are actively searching and, and then handle a few other things.
• 26:57
  David Ask: We've got some AI agents to help with, you know, so calls don't get missed and, you know, requesting Google reviews and nurture sequences and things like that.
• 27:04
  David Ask: So that's kind of the next chapter, you know, as I'm, as I'm walking these next, you know, steps at 52 years old.
• 27:10
  David Ask: And, um, yeah, it's been great.
• 27:13
  David Ask: I got an amazing team around me, and I, uh, I'm just super thankful for, yeah, some options.
• 27:19
  Eric Dickmann: Oh, that's really exciting.
• 27:20
  Eric Dickmann: It sounds like there's real momentum around this second chapter for you.
• 27:26
  Eric Dickmann: And I know that you're an author as well, right?
• 27:28
  Eric Dickmann: Don't you have a book coming out?
• 27:29
  Eric Dickmann: And you talked, to me, uh, before we started about your guest appearances on podcasts, so you've obviously fully embraced the, uh, the podcast community.
• 27:38
  Eric Dickmann: What are you doing with those other creative endeavors?
• 27:42
  David Ask: Yeah, so I'm, I, I wrote a book, in fact, we're, we're gonna be pitching it here soon to our first publisher, um, called"The Guardians of Grit." And it's, it's really a book for, uh, for fathers and sons, and I'm launching-- I did kind of a soft launch with The Ask Experience, so my last name is Ask.
• 27:59
  David Ask: But, you know, it's really, kind of the mission is, is, uh, let me...
• 28:03
  David Ask: I'll say it this way.
• 28:04
  David Ask: I asked a, a dear friend of mine, Dr.
• 28:05
  David Ask: Andy Garrett, who's a clinical psychologist, I said,"What's the number one job of a father?" And his answer was not something I expected.
• 28:12
  David Ask: He said,"Oh, it's just to remove as much uncertainty as possible."
• 28:16
  Eric Dickmann: Hmm
• 28:17
  David Ask: And I thought,"Tell me more about that." Well, you know, I'll get a bit personal here though, but what, what do children need most of all in this life, right?
• 28:28
  David Ask: You know, from their dad.
• 28:30
  David Ask: And, and, and you know, Dad loves me, right?
• 28:33
  David Ask: What Dad looks at me, Dad sees me, and he loves what he sees, right?
• 28:37
  David Ask: Absolute removal of uncertainty there.
• 28:41
  David Ask: There's no question marks.
• 28:43
  David Ask: And, and, um, I'm safe, right?
• 28:45
  David Ask: Dad, Dad makes me safe in this life, right?
• 28:49
  David Ask: Physically, emotionally, spiritually, whatever, right?
• 28:52
  David Ask: And so when you start to, uh, you know, I guess remove the question marks, right?
• 28:58
  David Ask: I mean, it's amazing, you know, the, the bedrock that a young person starts to stand upon, right?
• 29:04
  David Ask: They build their life on certainty and not on uncertainty.
• 29:09
  David Ask: You know, they don't, you know, we don't have to walk into a day or a life or whatever and make it up, right?
• 29:15
  David Ask: We, uh, you know, God was kind enough to write it down for us, and the science behind every single bit of it, i.e.
• 29:22
  David Ask: my friend Dr.
• 29:22
  David Ask: Andy, you know, validates absolutely everything with regards to this idea that my love for you, you know, I've got two kids, Parker and Kate, I mean, they're 19 and 21, you know, is, is relentless, right?
• 29:37
  David Ask: It is absolutely unconditional.
• 29:39
  David Ask: You can do nothing, you know, to remove the posture of my heart towards you.
• 29:44
  Eric Dickmann: Hmm.
• 29:44
  David Ask: And, and so I, I'm, I, I, I...
• 29:47
  David Ask: The book is, uh, I really, I kinda created these rooms in, in a home to talk about those different chambers of life and chambers in our heart, you know, mind, and, uh, you know, spirit and so on.
• 29:58
  David Ask: And, um, to, to paint a picture that, you know,"Hey, Dad, what does it look like for you to remove as much uncertainty in your own life?" Because you cannot give away something you don't have.
• 30:08
  David Ask: So most dads, right, they're just licking their fingers, sticking it up in the air, and winging it.
• 30:13
  David Ask: And, you know, they're a product of their upbringing.
• 30:16
  David Ask: They're a product of their own choices and conditioning, right?
• 30:19
  David Ask: And, um, I'll, I'll kinda end it with this.
• 30:22
  David Ask: So I, I was standing in front of a, a organization last year down in Jamaica.
• 30:26
  David Ask: They were having...
• 30:27
  David Ask: It's a big trade organization.
• 30:29
  David Ask: And I asked the room, I said,"Hey, does anybody know where we get the word authenticity from?" I mean, this is master's, doctorate level, 26 executives in a room, and they're all staring at the floor
• 30:42
  Eric Dickmann: Hmm
• 30:42
  David Ask: And I said, I said,"Well, I'm not-- I, I don't wanna get, you know, too religious here.
• 30:48
  David Ask: I'm not gonna tell you what you should believe about certain things." But I, I said,"I'm gonna pop a few bubbles, um, so that we can stand on the same ground." So I said,"Brace yourself." You know, the word authenticity comes from the word author.
• 31:01
  David Ask: So you did not make you, right?
• 31:04
  David Ask: So for instance, the popular one, right?
• 31:07
  David Ask: I didn't choose the scu- the color of my skin.
• 31:09
  David Ask: Well, of course not, right?
• 31:11
  David Ask: Well, you don't choose, you know, your eye color.
• 31:13
  David Ask: You don't choose your fingerprint, your DNA, your retina.
• 31:17
  David Ask: You don't choose into what family you're born and what time in history you're born.
• 31:21
  David Ask: But here's something that's really fascinating is, is you, you don't even choose your own personality.
• 31:27
  David Ask: So children, right, ages zero to, I don't know, six or seven, you know, they're not like...
• 31:33
  David Ask: I, I often say this, they're not like us sophisticates, you know, thinking, thinking about identity and authenticity and all the stuff, right?
• 31:40
  David Ask: Kids are just being authentic and being natural and normal and all that kind of
• 31:44
  Eric Dickmann: That's right
• 31:45
  David Ask: until life punches you in the face, and then you start to play a role, right?
• 31:50
  David Ask: Meaning I, I get some applause if I do certain things or I get teased or, teased or punched or whatever, right, if I do certain things.
• 31:58
  David Ask: And but here's the funny thing.
• 32:00
  David Ask: When teenagers hit that, that awkward phase that psychologists call self-actualization, that can get pretty rocky, and they don't even really know what's going on, and parents don't even really know what's going on.
• 32:12
  David Ask: They're just like,"Hey, my kid's acting like a jerk, and I did the same thing, so I guess we'll get through this." Well, guess what?
• 32:18
  David Ask: Th-that is absolutely a pivotal, uh, needed, ordained, if you wanna use that word, time in life where you are, you are Deciding, uh, I guess on some level, who am I?
• 32:33
  David Ask: Where do I start and end, and where does this person start and end?
• 32:36
  David Ask: And you start carving out, you know, your own sense of yourself.
• 32:40
  David Ask: And so what, what's fascinating is, is if you, if you submit to a few things, right?
• 32:45
  David Ask: Authenticity comes from the word author.
• 32:47
  David Ask: If you start to identify, you know the word identity, right?
• 32:50
  David Ask: Start writing down all of the things that you, the hierarchy of things that rise to the top for you with regards to what do you believe is right and wrong, right?
• 32:59
  David Ask: What, what do you b- what are your values?
• 33:01
  David Ask: Like, what is the decision-making matrix that you're, you're, you know, using in life to make decisions to build your life upon?
• 33:08
  David Ask: What gives you goosebumps, right?
• 33:10
  David Ask: What is, what type of a dent in the universe do you wanna have?
• 33:12
  David Ask: What type of impact?
• 33:13
  David Ask: What k- type of virtue do you wanna have?
• 33:16
  David Ask: And your strengths and how you want to apply those things.
• 33:18
  David Ask: Well, you get a really clear understanding of what the author wrote in you.
• 33:22
  David Ask: And guess what?
• 33:22
  David Ask: If you start to employ those things and act accordingly with who you are and what feels normal and natural, you live with a sense of authority, right?
• 33:31
  David Ask: Author, authenticity, authority.
• 33:33
  David Ask: What's...
• 33:34
  David Ask: How do you know...
• 33:35
  David Ask: And, and Dr.
• 33:35
  David Ask: Andy said one time where he was up on stage talking to a big group of people, and he said,"Guess what?
• 33:40
  David Ask: There are clues here." How do you know you're living in alignment with who God made you to be?
• 33:45
  David Ask: Well, he always starts out with the opposite of that.
• 33:47
  David Ask: Well, how do you know you're not doing it?
• 33:49
  Eric Dickmann: Mm, right
• 33:50
  David Ask: massive clues there, right?
• 33:52
  David Ask: You're gonna feel stuck.
• 33:53
  David Ask: You're gonna feel h- probably really anxious.
• 33:56
  David Ask: You're gonna avoid certain p- people and places because you feel insecurity and imposter syndrome.
• 34:03
  David Ask: And if that goes on too long, you're going to feel horribly depressed.
• 34:06
  Eric Dickmann: Yeah,
• 34:07
  David Ask: How do you know you're living in alignment with the, you know, with the wonderful person God made you to be?
• 34:12
  David Ask: You're gonna feel natural and normal and authentic and resilient and purpose-driven and, you know, all, all those, that, those good things.
• 34:20
  David Ask: So the book, the book is largely a bit clinical, right?
• 34:24
  David Ask: 'Cause I just wanna make sure everybody's kind of, you know, singing from the sh- same sheet of music.
• 34:28
  David Ask: And, and at the same time, I'm not gonna tell somebody what they need to think or believe.
• 34:33
  David Ask: That is for you to discover and identify.
• 34:36
  David Ask: And, and again, what would it look like for a father to look at their son and to say,"I think you're made of awesome.
• 34:46
  David Ask: I think you're made of something so spectacular.
• 34:48
  David Ask: And guess what?
• 34:49
  David Ask: As long as you're breathing air and I'm breathing air, I'm gonna get the shovel out and start digging because, uh, we're gonna mine for gold in you.
• 34:56
  David Ask: You're made in the image of the one who made hurricanes and lightning and tigers and tornadoes, and we're not gonna find the end of that, ever.
• 35:03
  David Ask: And whatever you're into, I'm into." Can you imagine if every father did that?
• 35:07
  Eric Dickmann: Yeah
• 35:08
  David Ask: I mean, it's, uh, even as I say it, I get goosebumps.
• 35:11
  David Ask: And I'm like, so, so my mission is absolutely crystal clear with regards to, you know, identifying the author in everybody and calling it out and riding the sunbeam to the sun.
• 35:23
  David Ask: And, um, so I'm really excited about, you know, just helping dads do that.
• 35:28
  Eric Dickmann: I love that.
• 35:28
  Eric Dickmann: I really do, because I think, you know, when I started this podcast, that was one of the defining characteristics that I really wanted to try to get out of people.
• 35:39
  Eric Dickmann: It's, is this second chapter in your life more authentic to who you really are?
• 35:44
  Eric Dickmann: And I think a lot of people, the reason that they even think about doing something beyond what they were doing before is because they felt that misalignment.
• 35:52
  Eric Dickmann: They felt that they weren't really being authentic to themselves.
• 35:56
  Eric Dickmann: And as you said, the signs are there, but it doesn't mean people really know what that authentic side is.
• 36:02
  Eric Dickmann: They know what's not right, but they are not quite sure what is.
• 36:05
  Eric Dickmann: So I, I think what you're doing there is great.
• 36:07
  Eric Dickmann: Love the fact that you're doing it around, you know, father-son relationships.
• 36:11
  Eric Dickmann: I look forward to hearing when that book is out.
• 36:14
  Eric Dickmann: David, as we kind of wrap up today, let the folks know where they can find out more about you, where they can keep an eye out for that book, and, uh, and anything else you wanna share.
• 36:24
  Eric Dickmann: We'll have it linked up in the show notes
• 36:25
  David Ask: Yeah.
• 36:26
  David Ask: Well, thank you.
• 36:26
  David Ask: And by the way, of course, I'm, I'm being a little funny here, but, I'll speak to the ladies here.
• 36:31
  David Ask: How about this?
• 36:31
  David Ask: If you wanna keep your husband from touching the thermostat, you can go to Home Depot or Lowe's and buy the StatGuard Plus.
• 36:37
  David Ask: Um,
• 36:38
  Eric Dickmann: Perfect.
• 36:39
  David Ask: but, but re- but really, um, yeah, if you go to theaskexperience.com, you can find me there and all the various things that I'm into.
• 36:47
  David Ask: But, um, yeah, again, it's The Ask, not The Osk, and I,'cause I w- I just wanna help people remove question marks
• 36:54
  Eric Dickmann: I love that.
• 36:55
  Eric Dickmann: That's a great mission.
• 36:57
  Eric Dickmann: And, uh, what an interesting story you've got, many different facets of your life I love the momentum that you're building here, in the 50-plus years.
• 37:05
  Eric Dickmann: David, thank you so much for taking the time to be on the podcast.
• 37:07
  Eric Dickmann: I've really enjoyed the conversation today.
• 37:10
  David Ask: Yeah, my pleasure
• 37:11
  Eric Dickmann: Thanks for listening to Beyond Expertise.
• 37:13
  Eric Dickmann: You can find show notes, resources, and links mentioned during this episode at podcast.ericdickman.com.
• 37:22
  Eric Dickmann: If this conversation resonated with you, I hope you'll join me again next time as we continue exploring what it means to reinvent ourselves beyond our careers, titles, and expertise.