In this episode, Zack sits down with Kevin Swiss to talk about the calculated risks that shape careers, relationships, and personal growth. Kevin shares pivotal moments from his journey, including the unexpected opportunities that came from stepping outside his comfort zone.
They dive into what it really takes to pivot successfully in your career, why fear holds so many people back, and how to develop confidence in your own decision-making. Plus, Kevin opens up about the lessons he’s learned from failure, the mindset shifts that changed everything, and how to find meaning in the work you do every day.
Chapters:
00:00 – 00:45 | Zack Introduces Kevin Swiss
•Lifelong connection and early career ties
•Kevin’s surprising role in Zack’s start
00:45 – 02:30 | From Prom Photographer to Creative Force
•High school hustle and early creative work
•Building trust and street cred in Orem
02:30 – 05:15 | Culture Architect of D2D
•Kevin’s impact on door-to-door branding
•Why rejection helped Zack pivot to sales
05:15 – 08:36 | Out of the Box from the Start
•Growing up creative in a world of rules
•How skating and hip-hop shaped his lens
08:36 – 11:44 | College vs. Real-World Learning
•Why college mattered—for the right reasons
•Where media and leadership first clicked
11:44 – 15:26 | Art Meets Entrepreneurship
•Building a profitable studio in college
•Early success in creative business
15:26 – 18:24 | Knocking Doors, Meeting Todd
•Kevin’s rookie D2D experience in Minnesota
•How a hallway meeting changed his future
18:24 – 21:08 | The $15K That Started It All
•Todd Peterson’s bet on Kevin’s vision
•Building training media before it was cool
21:08 – 25:56 | Abundance vs. Insecurity
•What true leadership looks like
•Scarcity thinking vs. creative freedom
25:56 – 30:41 | Kevin’s Studio Gets Acquired
•How Atlas bought his company
•Lessons from a crash-and-return journey
30:41 – 33:47 | Becoming Vivint’s Creative Director
•Building an elite media team
•Innovating competitions and internal culture
33:47 – 39:17 | Zack’s Full Circle Moment
•From job rejection to creative admirer
•Lessons in patience, value, and timing
39:17 – 45:17 | Turning Sales Into Sport
•Inside the creation of Vivint competitions
•How stories, rivalries, and trash talk drove volume
45:17 – 48:12 | Culture, Betting & Going Too Far
•Internal competitions and wild wagers
•Why it worked—and where lines were crossed
48:12 – 52:16 | Fired After 16 Years
•The unexpected Monday morning that changed everything
•Processing shock, identity, and what’s next
52:16 – 59:15 | Grief, Fire Pits & Big Offers
•Rebuilding confidence through pitching
•Why Todd was right to push him
59:15 – 01:02:24 | New Sun & Hard Conversations
•Reconnecting with Jordan Benning
•Owning the past, choosing the future
01:02:24 – 01:05:43 | Rebuilding Without Creatives
•A new model: no in-house team
•Why lean, agency-driven media works better
01:05:43 – 01:06:10 | Closing Reflections
•Holding your head high
•What’s next for Kevin Swiss
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
