Matt, welcome to Lockton, man.

Wow, I can't believe the way we met. Like, I had a guest on who introduces me to another law enforcement, ex-law enforcement, who wants to come on the show. But it was like, before I come on, you've got to have this guy. And that's exactly right. Tom called me. He's like, dude, he's like, have you ever heard of Ian Bick? I said, absolutely, 100% I have. He goes, well, you may or may not be getting a phone call from him.

I'm like, come on, Tommy, stop. And so we talked about a little bit. He's like, oh, yeah, he's like, you know, I really want you to get on that show, you know, because of your message and everything that's happening and everything that's going on and, you know, with your book and your life and everything else because I'm still putting things together with my, his own podcast and everything else. And sure enough, like, you called the next day. And I was like, oh, my gosh. And again, like, I put the phone down. I was like, man, this is just, life has just happened in the way it should happen. So, yeah, man, thank you so much for this opportunity. Brother, I really, really, really appreciate it. Yeah, I mean, stories like yours, those are the ones you got to, like, hop on because he gave me the

summary, and I'm like, wow. And so I hopped on you right away. And I'm shocked that you literally have not done any, like, major national podcasts. Yeah. I'll tell you, I mean, 2024, has been was a grind for a year. So like, so the book came out in Thanksgiving Day of 2022.

2023 was 24 is been was a grind for a year. So like, so the book came out in Thanksgiving Day of 2022.

2023 was a good year. I hit the circuit really hard. End of 23 going into 2024 had some

trials and some adversity in my life. And then January of of 2024, I lost my dad. And I decided that when I lost my dad, that I was just going to take a break from things. I was going to let, let God happen the way he wanted to happen. I was going to let my life kind of go and really kind of focus on me. So I kind of let go with some social media, let go on LinkedIn and Facebook and Instagram for a little bit, just to kind of focus on life and it really kind

reset if that makes sense. And again, my dad lived a great life. I mean, he was 86 years old. He had dementia. So, you know, it's a sad thing, but it's not a sad thing if that makes sense. But I got a chance to be with him when he passed. And, you know, and I just really decided that 2024. I wasn't going to I was going to grind so hard on the public speaking circuit.

And I was really going to kind of just focus on me and the things that I was dealing with. And it just seems like there was the best decision that I've made. And really just to kind of come back and really make sure that my message, the things that I wanted to say, number one, that I was living them. but also number two that, that I felt like I was, a lot of the conferences that I was speaking at,

felt like I was leaving people without giving them anything else. And what I mean by that,

like I would talk about, you know, my darkest days and the things that I went through, but I

really wasn't giving everybody the, you know, my tools

of success or my keys to happiness or whatever you want to call it. And I really spent the better

part of the summer of 2024 going into the fall, really kind of honing in what I wanted to say

and how I was able to to be the person that I am today. And not that the person I am today is anything,

you know, great or anything like that,

it's just, but I'm alive.

And how did I get here from writing my suicide?

I know if that makes a little bit of sense.

And so I really just took 2024 to be very introspective

about my life and who I wanted to be

and what I wanted to accomplish.

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