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ICYMI - The CEO is the Bottleneck, Build it to Scale - Rick Martinez
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What happens when the check clears, and you still feel empty?
In this powerful episode, Jerome Myers talks with Rick Martinez, a former ER nurse, Army officer, and founder who scaled a 600-person healthcare company and exited successfully, only to face an identity crisis no one warned him about.
From ER shifts to military deployment to crying in his car after a $500K payday, Rick shares what happens after the win and why fulfillment matters more than freedom.
If you’ve ever asked, “Is this all there is?”, this episode is for you.
[00:00 – 12:00] Still in Scrubs: The Entrepreneur Who Kept Showing Up
- Why Rick still picks up ER shifts decades into success
- His transition from staff nurse to contractor to employer
- How one conversation in a hospital skybridge launched a business
[12:01 – 21:00] Building Something Bigger (Without Realizing It)
- From $8/hour raises to doubling his income overnight
- Creating an agency by accident and growing to 600 employees
- The systems that scaled without needing a business degree
[21:01 – 30:00] Service, Sacrifice, and the Truth About Scaling
- Military activation changes everything
- The moment he realized he was the problem, not the engine
- A brutal but freeing insight: the founder or CEO is often the biggest bottleneck
[30:01 – 38:00] The Check, the Crash, and the Cry
- The wire hits. Rick sits in his Porsche with tears in his eyes
- What no one tells you about the emotional cost of success
- The first signs that the real journey was just beginning
[38:01 – 45:00] Pain, Purpose, and a Spiritual Awakening
- A crushing injury in a CrossFit competition shifts everything
- Rick hears what he’d been ignoring and gets baptized
- Writing, service, and rediscovering what truly matters
[45:01 – End] What’s Next: From Exit to Expression
- Why “never a W2 again” wasn’t enough
- How Rick found meaning in ghostwriting and mentoring
- His ultimate advice for those chasing more than money
Key Quotes:
“The founder, the CEO, is always the biggest bottleneck.” – Rick Martinez
“Find the freedom that's going to fulfill you. Be relentless about it, and when you get there, share it with the world.” – Rick Martinez
Connect with Rick!
Website: https://www.therickmartinez.com/optin1620132235803
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickmartinez
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