Misfortunes To Purpose: The Carnivore Leader with CZ Lopez

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0:44Mick:Upcoming episodes span the globe from protecting our oceans to reimagining food systems and climate justice, all told through deeply human stories that inspire action. In partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, this is Planet Visionaries. Listen or watch on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you're listening to this podcast. All right, this episode, I'm actually talking to a really good friend of mine, Ray CZ Lopez. I met him through Robert Irvine and the Robert Irvine Foundation a couple of years ago, and we've been instant friends. He's like an accountability partner. So this episode, we talk about some personal things, man.

1:22Mick:Like first off, this book, if you're watching, Carnivore Leadership, subtitled, Taking Charge Instead of Taking Shit. Just that alone, you know you're gonna listen to this episode. So we go into his because, we talk about failure and the lessons learned there because most people get that wrong. And then at the end, we talk about the most favorite thing he loves about Robert Irvine, one of our best friends together. So, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, this is my good friend, the carnivore leader himself, Ray CZ Lopez. Buckle up. You're listening to Mick Unplugged, hosted by the one and only Mick Hunt.

2:01Mick:This is where purpose meets power and stories spark transformation. Mick takes you beyond the motivation and into meaning, helping you discover your because and becoming unstoppable. I'm Rudy Rush, and trust me, you're in the right place. Let's get unplugged.

2:20CZ Lopez:CZ, how you doing today, brother? Hey, doing good, Nick. Thank you. Thank you so much for that introduction, man. I really appreciate it.

2:28Mick:Nah, man. I truly love everything about you. You know, we met through Robert Irvine, the Robert Irvine Foundation. And it was like moment one, right? Like we're sharing an adult beverage, right? and just talking about life. And I was like, who is this guy? And then I get to learn your story. I hear so much about you. And like, you've been like a mentor, an accountability partner, a friend, man. So I just owe you so much. So thank you so much for being here, brother.

3:03CZ Lopez:And then some people just come into your life to where you make that immediate connection, and a lot of it is because of the drive and purpose that you have in your life. And that's a common theme that I have seen with the people that we surround ourselves with Robert Irvine and the foundation. But yeah, likewise, man, you know, it didn't take long to figure out. I was like, you know, this dude is part of the pack, man. And let's go ahead and keep on pressing forward.

3:34Mick:Absolutely. Absolutely. And CZ, you know, on this show, I always ask my guests, like, what's your because? What's that thing that keeps you motivated, that keeps you held accountable, like that thing that's deeper than your why? And I know from time to time your because changes. So in the season that you're in right now, what's your because? Why do you keep doing the things that you do, brother?

3:58CZ Lopez:My because is simply because we're temporary. You know, our existence is numbered. We don't know how long we have on this earth to make a difference. So we have to make every second count. You have to make every relationship, every interaction count to ensure that we set up the next generation for success. That's always been my because and it keeps me driving forward, man.

4:25Mick:I love it. I love it. And, you know, I'm going to get into the book in a second, because as I've read it and for all of you that are watching or that are listening, the book is right here. If you're watching, I'm pointing to it. But Carnivore Leadership, go get it now. It's going to change your life. There's a lot of lessons. But before we get into that, man, let's talk about your career. Let's talk about what shaped you to where you are today. So for those that don't know you, right, highly decorated. I've never met a person that's in our circle, that's in our pack, that doesn't just oogle over CZ, right?

5:00Mick:Like, talk to us about your journey a little bit.

5:03CZ Lopez:I think it was a series of misfortunes that actually led to the path that we ended up taking. And when I say we, I have to go ahead and give credit to Janet quite a bit on that. Yeah. But was going to college, going nowhere really fast, decided to enlist in the United States Air Force. Started being stagnant by virtue of the job that I took at the time. And I mentioned job, not duty, because I don't think I really aligned with my initial duty, which was transportation. It wasn't really challenging me, but it wasn't until I became a special operator, specifically an Air Force pararescue man. that I found my purpose in life.

5:48CZ Lopez:From that moment on, every day, every day seemed like it was never work. I was looking forward, regardless of whether the situation was going to be unpleasant or something meaningful. It was the same drive and motivation to show up. And that was because something needed to happen at the time. So I ended up doing the special operations bid for about two decades. And then I got another call to be a senior listed leader, meaning to step away from special operations and become a figurehead for larger organizations. I was not too crazy about that prospect, mainly because I love my tribe. I love being a PGA.

6:30CZ Lopez:I love saving lives. And I love the team that we had around us, operators, support, civilians. It didn't matter. They were just phenomenal people. Um, but the need for leadership in those other echelons, specifically the higher echelons was something that appealed to me. And I thought that I had something to offer. Uh, I thought that I could do it different than the average. And I thought that I will go ahead and give it the same, uh, level effort and rigor that I gave special operations that eventually led to being selected as the highest enlisted ranking member in the entire Department of Defense, Department of War today, the senior listed advisor to the chairman.

7:16CZ Lopez:But it was that that series of misfortunes. And we can talk a little bit bad, a little bit more about what that bad means that eventually put you in a position to where you can make the most difference.

7:30Mick:So let's talk about the bad then. Let's talk about the misfortunes. Like for those that are watching or listening, like break that down a little bit. Yeah.

7:38CZ Lopez:So it begins, obviously, with not having a purpose in Bridgeport, Connecticut and going to Second Heart University. It was a very tough spot to be because as a 19 year old, you're trying to figure out what the hell your life is going to look like. And college, to me, wasn't going to do that at the time. So I just went ahead and went blind into military service. You know, I knew that, hey, you know, there's a purpose in there. You know, you're serving your nation and you're going to get the things that you require the most in your life at this moment, which is independence, discipline and that purpose.

8:15CZ Lopez:Right. Being part of a bigger team, not just an individual. So when I got into service and I was given the duty of a transportation specialist, I was sent to a rockliner station on Greece. And I got into trouble right away just because of my wild ass ways. Got an article 15 that is a nonjudicial punishment for adverse behavior. And I got demoted. I almost got kicked out of service there at that moment. And that was the first wake up call to realize that nothing is owed to you. You have to earn your keep every day. You have to follow the rules and you have to make sure that you exemplify those rules if you want to be a cut above the rest.

9:02CZ Lopez:And I fell grossly short at that moment. So that was wake up call number one. Wake up call number two, in order to fix that one, I needed to find a purpose. And that's when I decided to join the ranks of pararescue. And I didn't make it through the first try. I was 147 pound kid. My legs were not really all that strong. And man, I just couldn't keep up with the finning at times, swimming with those big rocket fins. And I got a setback. I was given an opportunity to come back at a later day. And it was at that moment that I had my second wake up call. It's like, all right, so you really have to work harder than the average in order to make it.

9:44CZ Lopez:Because there were some guys that were just breezing through the program and I was having a tough time. So what did I do? I went ahead and parked my car. I started riding my bicycle everywhere to go ahead and get that leg strength that I needed. And I started swimming at least five days a week just to go ahead and make up for my shortcomings. By the time I got back to the training pipeline, the instructors were like, holy crap, what the hell did you do, man? You must really want this. And that was success story number two out of adversity. Then throughout my tenure as a senior enlisted leader and as a pararescue man, there have been many other failures that ended up becoming synonymous with lessons.

10:27CZ Lopez:I never looked at a failure from then on as something that was going to hold me back. I looked at failures as something that was going to make me stronger, that was going to give me further drive, more motivation, a chip on my shoulder to just go ahead and keep on pressing forward. And that became probably like the greatest lesson learned to where in several bouts of adversity, I found opportunity to go ahead and prove myself that I was better than who I was the day before.

10:57Mick:I agree. And you and I, we've had this conversation, right? Right. Adversity reveals character and failure shows that drive that you have. Right. And I totally believe that a lot of folks don't want to accept the lessons that you learn, not just about yourself. Right. But but just the lessons within the lessons sometimes. You know, I think social media today and we could talk about just media in general, they always highlight the wins. And so I think from a societal standpoint, we just assume that like everybody who wins was born a winner and they never go through anything. But but you were proof that like in order to get there, in order to climb the mountain.

11:43Mick:Right. You got to get pushed back a little bit. Like no one just easily goes up the mountain. No one easily does that track like you learn things. Talk to us about one of the biggest lessons that you've learned and how that's parlayed into leadership. Let me be honest. It's easy to fall into the trap of scrolling fitness content. Everybody has a tip. Everybody has a hack. But most of it is noise. What I needed was structure, something that adapts as I grow. That is where FitBod stepped in. I opened the app before a recent workout. And within seconds, it built a session around my goals, the equipment I had available and what muscle groups needed recovery.

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14:29CZ Lopez:I believe that one of the biggest lessons that I have learned is the value of humility. And I will explain what I mean by that. When you become a special operator, you get put in a certain pedestal, right? So you have a certain standing. You have a specific uniform that is unmistakable. People expect certain things about you because you have gone through one of the most rigorous training pipelines and crucibles that the Department of War has to offer. And you have that aura about you that this is the person when the chips fall that is going to make things happen. Um, sometimes those things can get to your head, specifically when you start ascending through the ranks and people are shyer and shyer about telling you, no, you're doing something wrong.

15:19CZ Lopez:Everybody tends to agree with you. You start getting a lot of yes men around you. And that is very dangerous because if you start believing that hype, you're eventually going to become what many call a victim of your own success. And that is not a victim of your own success because you continue to do good. It is just that you're a victim of success to where your credibility is going to diminish over time because you become an egomaniac and you decide to go ahead and start disregarding the input and the candid feedback. and the criticism of people that matter. So humility is something that always reels you back.

16:00CZ Lopez:And I think that one of the best equalizers that I had in my life when it comes to humility was the presence of Janet. Janet being around me, she was basically the one with that pin to deflate my head when it was clearly starting to go ahead and get blown up and ballooned up. and eventually I started checking myself when it came to it you know if something didn't feel right when I ask input about something I will ask many questions and I will encourage people hey just the emperor's got no clothes just give it to me as it is just candid and honest feedback that is the only way that we're going to progress and if you lack humility you are never going to get there because eventually you're going to believe the hype.

16:49CZ Lopez:You're going to become another egomaniac and you start disregarding people that are actually trying to help you be better than who you were yesterday. Amazing, amazing. Bro, so let's talk about you and your leadership journey.

17:05Mick:And this is going to start to parlay into the book, right? Again, one of the most dynamic leaders that I know is CZ Lopez. And I'd love for you to just talk to us about when you realize that you were a leader and a leader of people, because you've been in some very high state situations, right? Your teams have been in situations that the average everyday human doesn't go through and it's kind of shaped you in the leadership world. So talk to us about when CZ identified, damn it, I'm a leader.

17:38CZ Lopez:I think the first taste of that, and I believe I wrote a letter to my sister, she may still have it, that when I was in basic military training, I could barely speak English, right? And I still keep in touch with my drill instructor, by the way, Hank Herrick. And one of the squad leaders, a squad was basically a row of beds. So all of the beds are properly lined up. And at the head of that row is the leader for that squad. One of my squad leaders got set back, basically got fell out of our BMT class, basic military training. So the opportunity came for the next squad leader. And it was Hank Herrick that made the decision.

18:24CZ Lopez:It's like, hey, Colon Lopez, you're going to be the next squad leader. Now, why did he choose me? And we had these conversations, he and I, years down the road. He was paying close attention to the way that I carried myself. Now, I wasn't perfect, but I had potential. And there's the difference between perfection and potential, because I think potential will always win. At that moment that he made the decision, I struggle a bit with it. Like, OK, fine. So the majority of these guys are making fun of me because I can barely speak English. I got to make up with something to be able to make sure that we are successful.

19:08CZ Lopez:and actions. That's when I started relying more on actions versus words. So I started making sure that they had all the information they needed. I started to make sure that we were in time, that we were passing the inspections, those that were struggling with certain things. I started putting the time to help them out. And it was in that process that I wrote that letter to my sister and I told her, I was like, Hey, you know, wow, I think I'm finding a place to exist here. Especially this thing about being in charge of things, having a responsibility for other than self that I'm really, really gravitating towards.

19:44CZ Lopez:And I believe that that was the first time that I figured out that maybe this leadership thing is something that is in you, that you can grow over time. And by the way, I don't believe that leaders are born or any of that crap. I believe that if you put yourself in certain situations, you either rise above or fall under and it's all about your courage to keep on pressing forward that eventually makes you the leader that you become. And that never changed throughout the years. When I became a power rescue man, it was the same thing. You know, I always decided to take charge. I never took like the subtitle of the book, taking charge instead of taking shit.

20:24CZ Lopez:That's where that comes from. Because I learned early on that when you start taking charge of things, you have control of the actions that actually equate to the outcome. And if those actions and that control is positive and empowering of others, you get to do magnificent things. And that was a constant drum meet all the way throughout my career to where I realized, all right, own it, be responsible, be accountable, and empower people to achieve the goal. Oh, and by the way, the failure, and this is a cliche, But the failure is always yours because you are responsible, but never fail to recognize at certain stages of the project or the mission, the people that made it happen.

21:12CZ Lopez:And it's never about you. It is just about the people that ended up getting the task completed.

21:19Mick:I love it, brother. I love it. And I think that's the perfect segue into the book now. Right. So carnivore leadership, let's talk about one. What does that title and mantra mean to CZ? So for those who are listening and watching, why the name of the title? Talk to us about that principle.

21:36CZ Lopez:This was late 1990s, early 2000s. This is before 9-11 hit. And I was assigned to a SEAL team in Virginia Beach, one of the most elite units in the nation. And I have this great leader, our boat crew leader. So the team was broken down, not into troops, but into boat crews. And I was part of Boku 3, led by one master chief, Jim Henske. And Henske always used to classify people into two buckets, the meat eaters or the grass eaters. Naturally, the meat eaters were the go-getters, the ones that will make things happen. The grass eaters were the lazy, complacent oxygen thieves that never got anything done, that needed consistent guidance and basically hand-holding to get anything out of them.

22:26CZ Lopez:And that stuck with me because I started paying close attention. I've always been a student of human dynamics. I always like to be aware of my surroundings. And I started paying attention. Then I started saying, oh, definitely a meat eater. Oh, bonafide grass eater. So I decided to go ahead and start sharing with other people outside of the command, basically the Joint Special Operations Command. And I use that mantra, you know, to help shape culture, right? All right. This is the price of admission to be an honorable member of this particular club. And if you fall short, you're going to be in this particular bucket.