How Underdogs Can Become Champions with Zachary Babcock, Ep #40

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All of us have a backstory, the history of how we got to where we are today. While every challenge and victory is significant, some of us start from a place that’s more conducive to self-destruction than success. Zachary Babcock’s story is one of those.

Zach grew up without a Dad in the home, aligned himself with the wrong crowd, and you know the rest of the story. It was all downhill from there. By 17 he was an addict and on his way to prison. But today, you wouldn’t know he is the same person.

Today he’s a raging entrepreneurial success, running a successful podcast and a podcasting service for high-level entrepreneurs called Podcast Penthouse. I’m always curious to know, “How did this person make such an amazing turnaround?” That’s what our conversation on this episode is all about! Join us!

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

  • The path Zachary has taken to his current inspirational role [1:01]

  • Zach’s prison time, drug addiction, and the way out [13:01]

  • The challenges faced after prison and the steps he took to adjust to a new life [24:26]

  • How Zach gets big-name celebrities to be on his podcast [35:57]

  • Advice for kids who are struggling that could change their lives [45:53]

  • The power of Zach’s daily habits [50:04]

  • Why you need to be very clear about exactly what you want from life [57:24]

Sick and tired of the life you’re living? How badly do you want it to change?

People who have turned their lives around are usually very clear about how it happened. That’s because it was intentional, a choice they made to go down a better path. When I asked Zachary how he began his transformation, he said it started with him becoming tired of the life he was living. Drug addiction, 5 years in prison, and all the baggage that comes with it were indications of a deeper problem: he had no vision for who he could become. Then, one day in prison he walked through the following steps:

1 - He recognized the great pain of his life so far and admitted it was all his fault

2 - He chose to get clear on what he wanted instead

3 - He built strong reasons for why he needed to get there

4 - He committed himself to staying hungry for those goals

Listen to hear exactly how he stumbled and fought through these steps to change his life and the lives of his family forever.

Feeling sorry for yourself doesn’t take you very far

The first time Zachary got out of prison (yes, he was incarcerated more than once), he made mistakes that cost him the job he’d landed — and it was impossible to find another. That led to a negative mindset and self-destructive behavior that landed him back in prison. As you can see, the path of self-pity didn’t lead very far.

In his prison cell, after missing the birth of his twin boys, he finally took ownership of everything — especially the mistakes and bad choices he’d made. He owned up to all of it and realized that only he could change the way his life was going. That shift was the start of something amazing. He felt liberated and realized that from that point forward everything was within his control. He could make choices to respond rightly and powerfully to everything that happened in his life or to feel sorry for himself and go dark.

So coming out of prison he had to adjust to a life outside prison walls. The first thing he realized was that he had to change the NOUNS in his life, the people, places, and things he surrounded himself with. Avoiding the associations that had been a snare for him in the past, he worked his way forward by trial and error. 

As you hear Zachary’s story, I want you to consider: What’s your story? What do you need to take responsibility for? What difference might it make if you did?

Aligning with already successful brands: A key to further success

Fast forward to Zachary’s first attempts at establishing his own business. Collaborations were next to impossible to find. People who had attained success seemed to write him off because of his background. But when he started his podcast, all that changed. The podcast was the avenue through which he was able to circumvent the barriers others erected and connect with high profile individuals. He found himself interviewing celebrities in a matter of weeks.

He immediately had a voice that drew attention to him and what he was doing. It was a move that essentially borrowed the credibility of others to make himself top of mind for anyone who heard his interviews or saw his podcast episodes. It’s a positioning play every entrepreneur should consider, putting yourself above all the scammers and idiots who make the entrepreneurial space so noisy and hard to navigate. But more importantly, podcasting’s relational benefit is massive. Zachary is now on a first-name basis with many high profile individuals who know and believe in what he’s doing.

Be sure to listen. Zachary’s story is worth hearing and can help you evaluate your own life and make changes that move you forward.

Resources & People Mentioned

Connect with Zachary Babcock

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Joseph Ortega