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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