Refreshing Perspectives on Entrepreneurship with Middle Road Energy Founder Kevin Touch
In this episode, we kick off our series with Kevin Touch, the Founder of Middle Road Energy, and explore his journey into entrepreneurship at a young age. We discuss his refreshing and balanced approach to running a business, the importance of pursuing passions, and a positive mindset. For those turned off by the extreme version of entrepreneurship often portrayed on social media, Kevin's perspective will provide a refreshing take on how to approach the world of business. Tune in and don't forget to subscribe for more insightful conversations with entrepreneurs.
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FULL VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
INTERVIEW WITH Kevin Touch
gboyega_adebayo:
All right today, I have Kevin Touch. He's an entrepreneur. He's the founder of Middle Road Energy, which is the energy drink that is intended to be exactly what it's called. It's Middle of the road. T's trying to combat the extremes that you see in the market place and in the world today, Kevin. How's it going?
kevin:
Good
kevin:
man, thank you for giving me an opportunity here. Found you guys out through another energy drain company. In a way, running lights bed. So I want to pop on. See what be helpful. Is all bad. We'll go from there.
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah, man, that's also well, you know, like we talked in our recall, you know. this podcast is intended to demestify Entrepreneur Ship. The goal is to talk about what it's really like and talk about the experience. so let's get started with a fun question. What did you want to be when you were growing
kevin:
Yeahweli
gboyega_adebayo:
up?
kevin:
was growing up and I honestly had no idea. Like many people, I was just a young kid. run to round. Love sports. Really something in that area, but you know at the end that they, not everyone's built six, two to fifty, you know, Ver a football basketball. So I'm only a five foot eight kind of guy, So I figured it's not for me, but after really, after the pandemic at, I wanted to do something that was very health conscious. I've always been a. I think I was not advocate, but just keeping your body in shape, keeping Your wits a batch in the health industry and nowadays you see everything like we're just tossed on the top of the show is extreme and I said you know, let's try somethin different. Let's try to do. a little bit of an energy drink is cleaner for you and it's also not going to be too crazy right down the middle of the road. And not just that, I also do lot of things as well, you know, just health. neighbors cook whatever clean. You put me in a position. I just got to learn the depth right because that's the great thing about life. You don't have to just pick One thing I think is to sell about four or five different things you can do. That's kind of how I am bad, Jack of all trades. Kind of you know, Maybe it's something way out and left, Feel like architecture, but I still like to pick up on it and see if I can put myself in that position to help out. But now this is what I mainly do now is energy drinks, but it's fun. We just went to a next ball last week. It was really easy. in terms of just getting people to come. They come to you. You got samples and buy the spot, Good opportunity with the community, But
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
that's it an answer. Your question really didn't have anything concrete when I was younger, and I think life isn't meant to be. You know, In place, it's now a day. it's very hard to be in place. There's there's multiple avenues. there's multiple runways, and age really doesn't mean you can start anything at twenty five ten Th. there's no. there's no balance and limits in modern days society for sure.
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah, no, I appreciate that mind setting and you know, like I said to our pop call, you know you're relatively young and so I'm fascinated about how you've explored these interests of yours and how entrepreneurship is what you landed on. I know you dabbled into constant creation, and now you're in to energy. You know, energy drinks like talking a little bit through. Why Entrepreneur Ship just kind of fit the mole For
kevin:
Well,
gboyega_adebayo:
you.
kevin:
I think I think the one thing is you get that flexibility, but you really don't And that's the one thing people think. Oh, it's all about flexibility, but that's a. that's a park. but really, I think the fact that you can be creative through entreprenership and you make it fun right. having fun in the process is important. It's not just about. Oh, it's twenty four seven. You know business business. You can't
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
do that. You're going to find yourself not integrating any other things in your life. And you'll you'll find yourself more at the end of the road, you know, Burnt out and I wanted to say what. Well, let's let's find. Let's find fun things within the process, And I think this is one of those industries. Were you can do things in the process. It's nice to have some where you can present to people. It's nice to go to events. Sure, but that's like that's part of it. It's just finding like five and six different things. It doesn't have to be just drinks. Right drinks is fun. Like selling them is great. You know, meeting new people is incredible. A lot of all that, but you also have to think about yourself and so well else Can you do in the process of having fun enjoying life? If it's just if it's just business tenting or seven, Then you're not going to get the results Twenty seven. You're just going to find yourself, I say, a cross road, and when you're at a cross roads, you have no integration or no balance and just like a balance been just starts healthy one way and obviously you're falling over. so in that instant I wanted to be very calculated, very analytical on what I wanted to do. not just drinks, but I do other things with community members just going. Just go on to my town. Even across the world, Right, The United States, Just mean people on line geting know what they're doing Just having those simple conversations. It keeps it fun keeps me going and I go to bed it saying, No matter what I did the job I did, I did what I'm supposed to do for that day, and we'll move on to the next day, and when new adventures are lie ahead, Because you, now, not every two days at the same in this world. That's one thing I've learned for sure, especially entre preniptioo world. I mean, one day could be nothing. the next day could be packed. The next day could be nothing.
gboyega_adebayo:
M,
kevin:
It's this right,
gboyega_adebayo:
hm,
kevin:
the old roller coaster. but you just have to Brace. Even when
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
those days are nothing. You accept it. And now there's twenty four hours tomorrow to make make sure you can make it happen.
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah, no, I really like that mine. I really like that that thought process because it makes me think of entrevenourship as this adventurous journey. Um, like you're just kind of hiking,
kevin:
Yeah,
gboyega_adebayo:
right? You don't really know what you're going a going to encounter, but you know it's It's a fun ride and I never really thought about it that way, especially coming from. You know, I took, I guess the most well beaten path,
kevin:
Hm,
gboyega_adebayo:
which is you know, you go up, you go to college, you go to get a job On Corporate America for a little bit, you have an idea and then use you go into entrepreneurship. So it is very interesting. you know. hearing from you, you know, this exploration of passion and this exploration of. I just want to help people, so I want to help people in my community. Um, I want to help people in their health and being conscious with the energy drinks that it is a M. It is very inspiring and I really like the approach that you take
kevin:
Sure,
gboyega_adebayo:
with it.
kevin:
sure, and if that, that's it right, if you help the old sayings, If you help others win through subtle things, that you're just not asking for anything in return. That's kind of how you don't ask for anything Return. just go out there. Go to the people, go to the places with no intentions of improving yourself, but better in them. Just clear cut like that.
gboyega_adebayo:
Hm.
kevin:
It'll come back around in a couple settings right, but doesn't have a bet. To Morrow. it could be ten years, but he'll come back around where one day they're goin t e. Ike. Well, I still remember that guy doing it when he was x y z,
gboyega_adebayo:
M.
kevin:
And
gboyega_adebayo:
M.
kevin:
you'll be surprised. It makes a difference that makes impact and it puts people on. not really a playing feel that puts people in a different minds like you know, maybe I should change the way I'm doing it. not not so much
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
all the time, but just a little bit right. Just one, two, three tenths of a second right. just that one percent better. every day mentality is another thing. If you just do one thing a little bit better in one area, that's all you need. You don't have to search for twenty five different areas. Just one.
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
and that's kind of how I view it now. I might, And twenty five different things, for example. But you take those twenty five things and you calculate and simplify down to one or two things that you're passionate about, and then when you have some fun, then you use those twenty twenty plus things that you thought they were fun. You still try to incorporate them, but you don't make that the main course. You make the one or two things your main course and then use the rest of that Apply that. D. That's how you create your energy levels to be higher, but also you. You're dedication and passion will naturally rise because you're doing fun stuff. you're creating stuff, and the Art of creativities is going to be flowing. The there's There's a book called The Art of where I never read it, but a lot of people say it's It's a really good book because it talks about creativity like this. It really is an ocean, and sometimes it's it can come in in a senami where it's just like Oh my God, I got all the create even in the world and then it just call that right. Sometimes
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
it just a call of day. I don't. I don't feel
gboyega_adebayo:
yeah,
kevin:
it, but you know what tomorrow can be the Senami. you don't know. you just don't know. so you have to. You have to be very aware. I think self awareness is very key. Anything but entrepreneurship, especially to know
gboyega_adebayo:
M.
kevin:
where your limits and bounds are, and that cross those limits and bounds to where you start getting in trouble.
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah. so I want to dive a little bit more into that. Because of this, it's a topic that I'm really interested in and I deal with every day, which is that self awareness, but then also keeping yourself. M. What's the word I say? meeting your emotions
kevin:
Crowded
gboyega_adebayo:
to to a certain extent, Because every day can be highs and lows, and there are some days where you feel like you're overwhelmed and you want to do a thousand different things, And there are some days where you feel like you can't find enough things to do, so I'm very curious in your mindset of how do you take the twenty five things that you're in and simplify to? Okay today is Tuesday. This is what I'm going to focus on tomorrow's Wednesday. That's what I'm going to focus on. How do you break it out for yourself and kind of keep yourself saying,
kevin:
You, just, you just feel like whatever you feel like you're goin a do that day, you just do it really simple as clash sounds. You feel like you want to do this today. You do it now, the keys. let's say I have the business right, the energy dream business. The only way it's going to grow up. For example is if you meet people, so people always be the common denominate. Where am doing? Let's say I have something. let's say I don't know. I have a unotorment coming up right, Let's commentary session. Those are not every day material right. That's just once in a while, but you still Find a way to incorporate that right just to know that. Hey, that's an end goal for a fun thing. It's a fun thing at the end of the day To do. so you still have that in play and you don't lose focus of what the main goal is, But the twenty five things you you learn through the processes, right if you, I don't not a big believer in just passively trying to do it, Big believer, and just seeing, seeing what you can do and then actually apply. You just pass. It's okay and do I pass the beginning, But as you start to get experience passively doing things, it works but eventually It's going to become too complacent, so it's okay to be passed in the beginning, but eventual you got to start executing on it. Give it a couple. I would say, a couple of weeks to do passive and then throw like one or two weeks. You fee like it's time to go. You go. But some people have
gboyega_adebayo:
M.
kevin:
a different window. It, some people might say I need. I had no choice. I have to wait six months. Then it's okay. Six months is fun, You. that's your. That's your. We're all Differen marathon. That's your marathon. I have a different marathon. This
gboyega_adebayo:
M.
kevin:
person a different marathon. He as different. It's okay, we're all different, But to say twenty five things and say five things, but it's not. I think the biggest thing you can do is you start over over. Come come partmentalize. Excuse me to where you think I got to get everything done in one day, And then if you start thinking about getting everything down one day, it's just not possible. even if you think you can. The
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
problem is if you do that, you're probably going to sacrifice something right. So you sacrifice your health or your nutrition or your work, your work. You're fitting this example, so you can't do twenty five things in one day. All you can, I take a little bit of what you've done and those twenty five things leading up to that one day and apply right. Maybe those, maybe twenty, maybe twenty of those things require having fun, or twenty of those things require a little bit of research and development Are in D. You take twenty of those things, let's say the obscure, but you can still apply it back to your main thing, because you have twenty other areas. Just give yourself options to know that Even if you can't get to those twenty other things, you still have options. There's always good to have
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
play in a B, C. D, of course, But it's always good to have option A and B. And then if you have c d F right there on the door, it's just now working at A and B. You still have options, but you don't want to express yourself too far. Three or four is all you need for one day. If you have other things better than that, you just enjoy it, man, that's it. You just enjoy it. Have fun
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
and respect it right. because that's the. That's the game of entrepreneurship. It's very. It's very level. If you think about it, you just have to think that it's a level game. Don't want to get too high too Well. I'll just stay grounded and you can start In the right direction because you start getting your emotions the best you. Then it just doesn't work. You realize that? hey,
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
you know what? Maybe there's something that I'm missing because I'm going. I'm length. Extremes get too high and I think every day is like that or it's too low. I just get everything go like that. You stay ground, and no matter what the news is, maybe tell a close friend a family or two. But that's it. You just keep it small. keep it private and eventually your actions will lead to greater things and heights. When it does become pumble,
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah, I'm I'm appreciative of your perspective because it's very positive mindset and I can see how that can be very helpful even on my own day today, where I feel like I have a ton of different things that I'm trying to do and I'm trying to squeeze them in. You know, and I'm not following the instructions of the book. The one thing which I'm re reading because I think it is a powerful book in terms of staying focused in A prioritize on the things that matter, But I'm curious just because I'm trying to kind of let this infectious positive mind set see
kevin:
Hm,
gboyega_adebayo:
in when you're having a day where you do pick one of those two things that you want to do. Maybe it's one thing or two things and you don't get it done. What's the conversation with yourself?
kevin:
Conversation is he? We didn't get it done today. It's going to sound weird. We didn't get it done today, but there's always the growth aspect of it. Maybe we didn't get it done for one reason,
gboyega_adebayo:
M
kevin:
but we maybe saw something in that one thing that we can apply tomorrow. Yes, is it a little bit weird Per spent, because I am self, am young. I do have a little bit more time. Yes, but at the same time it's like if we didn't get it done today, but we got close. we got sixty percent. We didn't get the hunter percent We. I have sixty per cent more than when we first got out of it. You have to respect me when I was younger. Even younger. I mean, I was very similar to that, but my age ten and twelve. I started to get out of that man young. but I started, really said, You know, it's impossible. It's just there's too many thoughts that go through a person's brain through a day. I believe it's twenty five thousand thoughts per day, and I think the average human brain is about ninety two per cent. I believe they're not negative. Only eight percent are positive thoughts. So if you can just wire it the fifth Fifty, then you're good. you know. Like S. if it's you can't also just say a hundred percent. It just doesn't work. It's impossible to say
gboyega_adebayo:
Right,
kevin:
well, one hundred percent pizitrwanto percent, trying to be even as possible, stay around and take the small wins in the day right. Even if you don't get it done, Maybe you got that work out done and it didn't really lead to anything. Doesn't maybe lead to compensation, but it leads to better mind set for to morrow, knowing you can still get things done because you got one thing done, so the power of one is possible, like you were saying with the book, And let's I'm not a big believer, not a big guy to talk about myself. I will say, Let's just kind of usual reverse psychology. Let's say someone in this situation, maybe one of your audience members is going through. Well, what would? What would be the most unbiased way to do it? Just do the simple things. Maybe you like writing, for example, right, maybe writing is a big habit of yours. Well, that's journal right, so people might say, writers block, but journal. If you can journal something once a day twice a day. Consistency, you keep showing up at the door, right. Oh, you keep showing up with that door every single day Hand. that's nine percent of the battle. You'll probably figure out the last ten per cent. You know, that's the great thing. If you just keep showing
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
up being consistent, no matter what are or priority in life, you'll figure the last ten per cent out. And and that's that's kind of how life is if you show up every day or else show up at least nine times out of ten, nine times out, ten done, and the last one out of ten is just on you to understand that it's not
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
always going to be literal. Later. it's going to be like this. But you know what? That last ten percent you still can go rely on that ninety per cent because the ninety percent got you hear. Whereas if you don't show up, you're probably back to square zero. You can't really do anything with a showing up at the door, So you start showing Pen the door more more times than that, you'll realize that Hey, you know, maybe there is something at that door, and then at that point or something, you can knock and have that conversation or that activity. Insert whatever here, and you'll move on Nd. you'll have. you'll have a good understanding And that's just experience. You just build on that experience. It doesn't have to be run down every day. But if you just you know, take it's funny because like social media is one of the biggest things everyone says. We kind of get so used to
gboyega_adebayo:
Hm,
kevin:
it to where everything is on your phone. That's all information. All the storage
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
is on your phone, and every time you you tap those apps or tap a website, it's getting built up, and here it's become an experience. In there you can get lost in the shelf. It's the same thing we like, though, sometimes when you disconnect from that, You do the same thing with life just through your vision. and when you start seeing those things through vision and storage, it's a little different type of storage. You have your your instant gratification, which is like a social app. For example, things you can get done instantly on a click of a tap versus the vision, which is a long term. You're seeing it without any screens,
gboyega_adebayo:
Hm,
kevin:
without anything with any publicity nuances that accept you, and maybe a small percentage of people. That's the visions that will last more if you Make it last more instead instant gratification. because we live in such an instant, gratifying world can find that there's a little bit inter gratification, delayed a little bit, but still balance out that you still need a little instant gratification. Of course, every now and then as a boost, you can start showing up more consistently For sure. That's that's how I would approach it if I just didn't complete one thing in a day. Just note's always utter avenues that you could compromise for and still create your success value. For sure.
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah, I know that I really like. I really like what you said. There Two things that ring true as I think about my own experience in my own life is intentional rest,
kevin:
M. hm,
gboyega_adebayo:
and in that consistency with intentional rest, you know it wasn't until I like playing video games, and, but I'm also kind of maniacal about working and being productive.
kevin:
Okay,
gboyega_adebayo:
And so what what happened is? I'd be playing video games on Saturday, and the whole time I'm playing video games, I'm thinking I should be doing this other thing. I should be doing this other thing. I should be doing this other thing And it wasn't until I started thinking about video games in a more positive way and saying, Hey, the reason why I'm playing video games is because I need to break. I need rest and so the value that I'm getting from playing this video game is actually being able to recharge the
kevin:
Yes,
gboyega_adebayo:
system, because when I can recharge the system, I can be More productive And so it was just that slight switch on my mind set to say Okay, I'm going to the T V to play video games because my body is telling me I need a little bit of a break. Let's give it that break and then let's go back to work. And I have found that that has given me a lot more clarity and a lot less guilt. And then, in addition, like you said about the consistency, I think about a big comedy fan and I think Jerry Sanfeldand, this whole thing is, I write a joke every single day. I've been writing a joke every single day ever since I started this thing, and they're not always good, but it's the act of just sitting down, getting a piece of paper and a pen and writing down a joke that allows me to flex that muscle and not let that muscle atrophy. And so I really really like that mindset and that I probably needed to hear that
kevin:
Yeah,
gboyega_adebayo:
Because I kicked myself on the days where man I had those. If I had just gotten this one thing done was like, Yeah, but you've got it twenty percent to. so tomorrow is going t be a little bit easier. I think that, Um, for Entrepreneur, you've got to give yourself a little bit of a break because you're not going A. you're not going to always hit home runs. You know, sometimes you just got to take the singles and
kevin:
It's
gboyega_adebayo:
the doubles.
kevin:
I. Single Devils will always get into the triple right. That's I believe, even taking a walk right in baseball turn
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
taking a
gboyega_adebayo:
yeah,
kevin:
walk like you say that those outlets with video games will help everyone has their own escape. I guess just to kind of my escape would be just playing basketball or play a sport like I try to play
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
or working. I try to. I don't do crazy with the with the workout. Work outside pretty simple. Thus push ups and high climber. That's it. A couple airrepsthat's. I don't. I'm not the biggest guy. Here's no point of me doing three hundred pounds rep. So there's no point. My best thing
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
is just going outside right outside is an escape. It's different. The air is different out there and something. I can just cleanse my mind. Take a walk or play basketball. bodies or what. That's my biggest outlet. But those are. Those are once Get helping. Because it's recharging my system, like you were saying, but it's giving me a little chance to do both right. in this case, since I can,
gboyega_adebayo:
Hm,
kevin:
I could always bring a drink down there and they can question me about that which has great. That helps mess
gboyega_adebayo:
Hm,
kevin:
it. also, It also allows me to connect with a younger generation or an older generation, whoever is down there at the court or x y Z field, and I can learn from them right And that's just learning. It's just connecting through having fun is create. You're killing three birds of one. The connecting maybe got a business inquiry and you're having and you're having a great time, So it's that's the best thing if you can get those triples, and eventually that could lead to home run, even if it doesn't. even if it's just having a good time, and just only in the single, Just one singular thing.
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
It can make a difference between a good day and just feel like a bad day. So that's that's kind of how I view it And and even if it is a good day, like going back to just practicing when preaching you? Still you kind of you goin an play a little character, but you're happy in the moment. Absolutely, when you get back home, reflect on. so that's great, but let's stay around right. because because not every day is going to be
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
like that, you
gboyega_adebayo:
yeah,
kevin:
can't. just you can't. One day was great, and then the next day is not, and then you have another day. It's just kind of. it doesn't work. You need to. no matter what
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
comes at you, just be happy and be present. Of course, it's important to be present in. but when you get back home in private hour, private time, reflect still, ground. Still still remember your still grounded. You're still just one person. No matter what happens at the end of the day, you still got to respect that, Because the game would want you to respect that right. The universe would want you to respect that
gboyega_adebayo:
Hm,
kevin:
and say he, you know what this person really is ground, not thinking about the X, the macro, which is thinking about Themselves in a good way, positive way, but also still staying present in the moment, giving people attention in time that maybe someone else couldn't so never know what people are going through as well, but going back to what we're saying just to kind of wrap this little segment up. It's important. take those breaks, man, you know, take take that one day
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
video game in whatever it is to the audience that whatever you feel like as an outlet your escape. use it. use it. Use that all that sheet card right at'swhatheye saying the use
gboyega_adebayo:
M.
kevin:
that sheet card
gboyega_adebayo:
M.
kevin:
Take one or two days and refresh, because at one or two days can really be ten steps forward. Because if you don't, if you just keep going and you on't have one of those days could be. Yeah, you might have went twenty steps for, but you could be taken twenty steps back in another area of your life, and the biggest one would be
gboyega_adebayo:
Right,
kevin:
most likely if you're not stopping is your health or to your mental health, just physical mental health, and that that could lead a toll on that you. You don't want to go down this dark roads, So take those. take those steps back. Sometimes take those steps forward. For sure.