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Fitzwater launching ‘The Big Risk Podcast’ to share stories of risk and success in the business world

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Rep. Travis Fitzwater is a man of many talents, but his latest project signals yet another one that many might not have known about.

The Holts Summit state representative has been putting together some of the topics he is most passionate about, with one of the mediums he loves: podcasting.

Fitzwater is launching a brand new podcast where he will highlight entrepreneurs and founders of businesses. It’s called “The Risk Big Podcast,” which will feature entrepreneurs and leaders sharing their stories of how they took a shot and made it big.

“I’ve been talking to my wife and my friends about doing this for awhile,” Fitzwater said. “I finally started recording in October, with some friends and mentors who were inspiring to me, and maybe we can inspire some people who don’t have the gumption yet. And that’s the premise behind: to inspire people to do what they’re passionate about.”

Fitzwater will be the first to tell you that he’s no expert in starting a business, having started a few of his own which, as he puts it, “haven’t lasted.”

“I did some consulting, but I wasn’t focused enough to keep it going during other life pursuits… big risk life pursuits,” Fitzwater wrote. “If you’re like me, you can’t stop thinking about opportunities. You’re thrilled with the idea of creating something that will provide value to a market of people. You’re even more thrilled with the idea of doing something you’re passionate about. All the possibilities make you ecstatic.”

And this podcast marks any opportunity that Fitzwater is ecstatic about. Through it, he gets to explore the world of podcasting as well as that of business and entrepreneurship, while at the same time working with some of his family members to follow a passion.

Fitzwater doesn’t have much experience actually producing a podcast, but to undertake this latest venture, he has enlisted his brother to help record and edit the podcasts as his audio engineer, and his brother’s stepson to take show notes and provide timestamps for each subject.

He says that he hopes the podcast will help people take the leap to do what they love with five steps:

  1. Boost your confidence to start
  2. Learn the skills it takes to get off the ground
  3. Avoid mistakes learned by founders
  4. Hear about success and failure
  5. Be encouraged by the results of risk takers

Fitzwater says that he hopes to publish a new episode every Monday, but his goal right now is to publish at least a season of 15 episodes, which he says he believes he has roughly eight ready to release.

As for guests, he says it’s about whomever he can get through networking, someone with a story to tell. In the first three episodes, which have already been released in iTunes, the podcast features Clyde Lear of Learfield Communications, Shawn Burcham of Pro Food Systems, and Gabriel Hulsey of Redwood Financial Group. He says he has some more already coming down the pipeline, including a PGA golfer and a female venture capitalist, which he’s very excited to share.

“It’s fun to do, and to talk with these people about how they have found success in their own way, to do what they love,” he said. “I just hope that hearing these stories of normal people finding ways to be successful will encourage them to go out and do the same.”

The podcast takes up a good portion of his free time, which is obviously limited due to the legislative session returning next week and young daughters at home, but Fitzwater says it’s simply something he enjoys doing and is passionate about.

“It’s kind of messy to do what you love, but it’s worth it,” Fitzwater said. “It’s really kind of a labor of love.”

You can find the new podcast in the iTunes store (click here) or at www.riskbigpodcast.com.