Rick Martinez on Hardcore Entrepreneurial Hustler and Power of BINK
Rick Martinez is a SBA 40 under 40 recipient, leading success coach, and Author of The Power of BINK. Here is our exclusive interview below.
Wow Rick! I am excited for our interview. So many things to ask you, so let’s get started!
You were once a fat kid. How did you go from fat to Ironman, and what was the process like?
I grew up in a fairly traditional Hispanic household so we always had lots of family around. So Erik pretty much we also always had lots of food around and I am not talking lean meats and fresh veggies (hee-hee) but rather homemade tortillas, sweet breads, tamales, you name it and of course it was made with the stuff that is the worst for you.
Also my mom grew up poor so having extra food was a luxury, and being a good kid I ate a LOT of it. The bigger “problem” though Erik was that I didn’t know I was chubby. I didn’t realize I was that fat kid until I started getting teased in school.
So growing up I stayed as active as I could. You see my dad was always a very active athlete and as such he would have me and my bro run. A lot. He was a runner so we always ran BUT I never outran a good Twinkie.
As I got older and self image and yes, girls became a ‘thing’ I took better care of myself and it wasn’t truly until Jr. High that I really dug into sports like soccer and I started to lose some weight.
Soccer led to knee injuries so I took up cycling, then short triathlons in my 20’s and it was that training that kept me “less fat”.
I put on my bucket list to someday do an Ironman and many, MANY years went by but I still kept relatively fit and always worked out PLUS becoming a registered nurse gave me a new view on fitness and health.
Finally in 2013 I felt the pull. It was something very deep…internal if you will…and I knew it was Ironman time.
I was 46 yrs old (I am 52 right now). I hired a coach and trained for a full year. Swim, bike, run became my daily “meals” for a whole year and finally in 2014 (literally TWO YEARS AGO THIS WEEKEND!!) I completed the Arizona Ironman and checked it off.
The process? In a sentence Erik it was grueling BUT I realized the true capacity for physical and mental endurance when we simply CHOOSE and the DECIDE to take MASSIVE action. That it’s all possible.
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How and when did you discover Entrepreneurship and what was the beginning like for you?
I was fresh out of the Army at 21 yrs old and married (my 1st marriage). No education except flunking outta college so I went to work on a sheep ranch in New Mexico. I’m a city boy so it was a radical change for me.
I learned to work the ranch, herd up lambs and take them to a USDA packing plant. I then drove a refrigerated truck all over the state with fresh lamb and sold it door to door and high end restaurants, grocery stores and even some country corner stores that carried our lamb.
The lesson though was simple…the more I sold the more I made. I dreamt of getting a second truck and expanding our ranching operations. Of distribution outside of New Mexico and WOW the possibility was endless. Until my daughter was born and I put that on hold. But I never forgot.
Later after going to nursing school and becoming a “contract RN” I started to contract myself directly to local hospitals.
The sheep herder lessons never faded. The hospitals asked if I knew more nurses so I brought on my girlfriend (just to be clear I was divorced by that time) who is my wife now, and we worked together…but we DOUBLED the size of my little business.
Then 2 more friends…then 2 more and one day we had 50 nurses working for my little startup back in 2001.
I realized on some level I now had a REAL company and paid more attention to operations and how to actually run a company. To this day I am still learning how to lead Erik!
You were one of the San Antonio recipients for the “40 under 40. “ Can you tell us a little more about that?
My company grew to over 600 employees and we worked in 19 different US states. Our largest client was the federal government and we kept on growing.
I also started some other businesses like fitness centers (CrossFit gyms actually) and a t-shirt company so my entrepreneurial chops were growing.
I simply got a call and was asked to submit an application b/c of how our ventures were moving and shaking AND making a positive impact.
So I did and WOWZA I was accepted and honored as one of the city’s recognized entrepreneurs … “40 Under 40”!! From East L.A. fat boy to an award winning entrepreneur!!
I still sit back and smile when I think about it all Erik.
I notice that you befriended Jack Canfield and Ray Higdon. How did you meet Jack and Ray?
Several years ago I had a life changing accident which led to me writing my second book (The Power of BINK) and that moment set me on a path of self discovery.
I took a really deep dive into personal development so I went to several Tony Robbins events to include his Leadership Mastery Course, Landmark Forum, explored my faith, took up writing in a bigger way. It seems “touchy feely” but I actually believe we should all develop ourselves in this way.
So one of the people I wanted to meet was Jack Canfield. He is a famous author and also a self-help “guru”. Once I set my sights on getting to learn more about him, his teachings, his courses, his story, etc…I never let that vision go.
One day I got an email for a special event. Erik I couldn’t tell you exactly WHY I got that email but I clicked. It was an invite to Jack’s house. His ACTUAL house in Santa Barbara and a small group of people were going. I jumped at it and yep…got to not only hang out and have tequila with Jack but became friends.
Ray Higdon was a little later. Early this year actually. One of the decisions I had made was to sell our companies (whole other story). We did.
The next steps of my life journey led to several investments, coaching AND a dive into network marketing so true to who I am I wanted to learn from the best. I read, studied, followed and Ray kept emerging as someone I really resonated with. His aura, story, plans and bulldog tenacity.
So here’s how we became friends.
A writer friend of mine was hosting a small, non-descript event in Portland, Oregon earlier this year (2016). Mainly for writers and she messaged me…”Hey Rick you should come out for this. Lotsa cool writers…” so I clicked the link and there was this cat, Ray Higdon, listed as a speaker to this wicked small event.
I went.
The writers were AWESOME BUT nobody really knew who Ray was b/c this was an event for copywriters. Ray and I hung out. Had beer. Pizza.
Stayed in touch and don’t get me wrong though Erik we don’t like hang out on weekends together or anything but we did catch up, in person just a few weeks ago when he was here in San Antonio.
I think the bigger message here as far as “how I got to meet and be friends with Jack and Ray” is intention.
Visualize the outcome and attack it like a fat kid eats cake.
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When did you discover My Lead System Pro and do you still use it today?
I found it about 7 months ago. Systems are the backbone of ANY well run business and as entrepreneurs we both know that. MLSP provided a simple system that I can implement into my marketing AND also teach others how to do the same. And yep…I use it now!
I was actually introduced to it by another fella in the marketing world my homie Terry Gremaux.
I love your blog! How old is it, how many posts are on it, and what is the daily traffic to it like?
Thanks so much for the kind words Erik! My current blog is REALLY new, like only a few months old but has a distinct flair towards entrepreneurs who want to make a bigger impact in life and biz.
There are probably about a dozen posts BUT we are slowly migrating my last blog into this one. We just didn’t want to overwhelm folks right off the bat. Being that it’s new-er we probably only get a few hundred eyes on it daily but it steadily rising every week!
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You have some great testimonials on your blog. What kind of coaching do you offer?
I work with high achievers and take them to new levels of success. Basically a person who is already passionate, powerful, has a bias towards taking action and is craving greater success.
Most folks sell themselves short and don’t understand that the path to success isn’t a course, a video or a great quote…it’s an UN-Leashing of what’s already inside of each of us. Tapping into the gusher of pent up power, emotion and yes…HUGE success.
So as an example after working with Claire (she’s on the website) she was able to discover her deeper set “WHY” and as a result make some massive pivots in her business and “see” a whole new path to prosperity.
This past week she did her very FIRST live broadcasts and has driven gobs of new traffic to her business, offerings and her website!
You have a great book on Amazon called “The Power of BINK.” Can you tell us what this book is about?
Yes I’d love to.
Several years ago Erik my leg was crushed in a weightlifting accident. As a trained trauma nurse I knew it was bad. It was also during the period in my life where I was searching for more meaning.
As I lay on the ground looking up at the most beautiful clear blue sky in Austin, Texas and JUST BEFORE the intense pain washed over me I suddenly understood. I understood that it wasn’t about me or MY success or MY stuff or MY selfishness.
It was about something much bigger…but at that moment I didn’t know WHAT that meant.
So the reconstructive surgery, rehab, re-learning to simply use that leg again was my ‘physical’ journey. The spiritual journey though is what the book is about.
Mainly how we get to choose what good AND bad things MEAN to us and how we get to create our lives. The book gives a 4 step process to creating a life worth living.
The word BINK came when I first told the story of the accident and my deep spiritual transformation.
My friend and fellow author said “it was like an A-Ha”…and I said to her “No. An A-Ha moment doesn’t do what happened to me justice. It was like a (and at this moment I FLICKED my wine glass—and the sound resonated into the room) BINK moment”.
She looked at me and said “Rick…THAT is your word. The word that changed your life”.
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What is your favorite book right now and why?
The Hobbit. Always has been and always will be.
Erik it is always my #1 because it’s a hero’s journey. A small little Hobbit called upon to essentially save the world (OK its Middle earth I know) who steps up and shows what is possible.
BUT not only what is possible when WE decide but also having the RIGHT team around you. The fellowship.
I have loved this book as a kid, watch the movie ALL the time and re-read the book annually.
We all want to be a hero of our own life.
All of us.
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What are your goals for 2023?
My goal is tactical, more specifically it is to 10x my coaching business. We came out of the gates strong these past few months and hit that “6 figure” mark a few months ago so in 2023 I want to do Ten Times that. 10X my biz.
Personal: spend a week in Europe and a week at the Hotel Erwin on Venice Beach.
Really Personal: for these “trips” to be with my wife and her to be 100% stress free.
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What is your favorite quote and why?
“Success And Rest Don’t Sleep Together” Russian Proverb
Because I am a believer in the hustle. I know I will have tired days and I also know that so will the other guy. I never want to be the other guy.
We are all infinitely capable of more and it is truly our choice to make. As long as we are willing to work, and work hard for it.
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Thanks so much for doing this interview, Rick! This has been one of the best interviews!
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