Meet Rod Kuntz | Author, Teacher, Speaker, Network Marketer, Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rod Kuntz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rod, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I am one of six kids who grew up in a small town in south eastern Montana. I learned a work ethic and discipline from hard working and industrious parents. My mother was a hospital nurse who also worked a second job at the nursing home. My father worked in construction but also drove school buses, and sold encyclopedias and vacuum cleaners on the side. By the time I was in high school I had worked on construction sites setting foundation forms, hanging insulation and sheet rock, shingled roofs, had a paper route, mowed lawns, bucked hay, cleaned stalls, drove tractor, and moved irrigation pipe on local farms.

I learned early that delayed gratification wasn’t something you waited for, it was something you earned. I also learned the importance of attention to detail and the personal satisfaction of grit, sweat, and blisters. I studied hard but hated being in school. I much preferred hunting, fishing, riding motorcycles, exploring caves, cliff diving or water skiing. I worked over 30 hours a week while in high school and still managed to be on the wrestling team, get top grades, and made time for the things I enjoyed.

I have had blue collar jobs that led to white collar careers, and a no-collar lifestyle. The work ethic, calculated risks, and appreciation for future rewards that I learned as a youth are as strong in me today as they were then.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The Young Entrepreneur Syndicate (Y.E.S.) excites me because it is the off-shoot and culmination of my personal mission statement which is “To empower ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.”

I was fortunate enough to find a partner whose values aligned with mine and whose passion to reach our youth matched my own. We brainstormed, researched, refined, retooled, and ultimately launched a unique on-line training program designed to help anyone succeed in entrepreneurship, especially those who were not focused on college.

We designed our curriculum based on all the things we wish we had learned in school, plus what we had learned in the business trenches. We teach on a topic focused on one of our core values of TRAIN, COACH,DEVELOP, and INSPIRE. Each session is followed by 30 minutes of Q & A where we offer private coaching on any aspect of business.

We quickly realized that there were many people besides youth who needed the tools and support that we were offering, and our members soon included people who were changing careers as well as those wanting to excel within a current corporate structure (intrapreneurs). This led to the launch of a corporate program where a company offers Y.E.S. membership as an employee benefit. In its first year, Young Entrepreneur Syndicate is in discussion with an international corporation and national franchises.

After publication of a business profile a local private school reached out and asked if we would teach a high school course as adjunct professors. The Young Entrepreneur Syndicate not only stepped up, but we are now preparing our curriculum for publication.

Y.E.S. has adapted to match our members demands and to fill a void in the market in true entrepreneurial fashion. It is clear that youth is not just age related but part of a mindset–we are never too old to learn new skills or to chart a new path. Being part of this process is both empowering and humbling.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When in Rome…if you are ever fortunate enough to escape to Montana, especially the northwest corner, you better prepare not only for a week–you might need a realtor and a moving truck.

Flathead County, Montana is one of the fastest growing areas in the state and in today’s world, if you haven’t tried telecommuting, you might want to talk with your boss. Fresh air, mountain lakes, rushing streams, Hiking, boating, skiing, hunting, fishing, spelunking, gold panning, rodeos, line dancing, relaxing by the river or kayaking the rapids can be followed by world class cuisine or hometown diner fare. Refuel your soul, refresh your spirit, or find new inspiration. Chances are you will run into some of your friends from Los Angeles as Kalispell is fast becoming known as North LA.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have always said, “I never had a mentor.” The truth is, I have had hundreds and if you add in all the books that have shaped or changed my thinking it is probably thousands!

I learned from every employer I ever had. Many times, how NOT to be.
In construction I learned hard work.
On farms and ranches I learned delayed gratification.
In hunting coyotes I learned the value of partnerships and risk assessment.
In the military, I gained an appreciation for systems, structure, and maximum utilization of available resources.
In retail and wholesale business, I learned the value of relationships with suppliers, business partners and customers.
In network marketing I learned the value of thinking big and helping people dream.
In teaching, I learned not to let anyone settle for mediocrity.
In corporate management I learned the necessity and pitfalls of human resources.
In commission sales I learned how to overcome adversity.
As an author I realized the importance of telling your story.
In my political career I learned to compromise and seek workable solutions.

I think my biggest mentor, and strongest asset is my wife who taught me unconditional love, unending support, true stamina, and the importance of serving others before ourselves, especially my family.

Website: www.youngentrepreneursyndicate.com

Instagram: the_youngentrepreneursyndicate

Facebook: Young Entrepreneur Syndicate

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@youngentrepreneursyndicate/videos

Other: You can find our recently launched PODCAST on The Answer is YES Podcast