Always Be Testing Podcast #105
Episode Title: Why Losing the Cowboy Code Is Hurting Modern Business Ethics
Host: Tye DeGrange
Guest: Bob Feist
Date: October 21, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode, Tye DeGrange welcomes rodeo legend and entrepreneur Bob Feist for an insightful conversation about the “cowboy code” – the unwritten set of values and ethics that shaped behavior in the American West – and its relevance (or absence) in today’s world of business, marketing, and particularly affiliate and performance marketing. Drawing from Bob’s decades-long rodeo, media, and entrepreneurial career, the episode explores real-world stories, practical lessons, and hard-won wisdom on living and leading with integrity.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Cowboy Code: Definition & Relevance
- What is the Cowboy Code?
- An unwritten set of ethical rules that guided cowboys in the American West: honesty, sincerity, courage, loyalty, fairness, and pride in one’s work ([03:00]).
- Still embraced in rural communities and visible in classic literature and modern pop culture, e.g., “Lonesome Dove” and “Yellowstone.”
- Why Does It Matter to Business?
- Bob and Tye discuss the loss of trust in business and marketing (“the trust gap”) and how the cowboy code offers a blueprint for ethical conduct and authenticity ([02:30]).
- Affiliate marketing, when done right, can “bridge the gap” by embodying those old-school values ([08:00]).
2. Cowboy Principles & Business Parallels
- Live Each Day with Courage ([05:38])
- Bob credits his generation’s courage to military service and early responsibility; brings this to business by facing uncertainty with bravery and resolve.
- “It’s no different than the Ten Commandments. I mean, it’s basically your commandments in your product and your work and what you do today.” – Bob ([06:11])
- Ride for the Brand ([06:36])
- Loyalty and commitment to the organization’s vision; ties to modern company culture and leadership principles (e.g., Amazon’s “Disagree and Commit”).
- “If you have employees that do things the way you want them, they're riding for the brand and your principles.” – Bob ([06:53])
- Pride in Presentation & Value ([13:40])
- Anecdote: Bob’s experience with food service and the importance of presentation echoes how agencies and marketers must frame and share their work effectively.
- Persistence & Adapting to New Tools ([14:00]; [39:39])
- Bob recounts starting Roper Sports News on a shoestring budget, his transition to employing staff, learning new technologies, and always looking for the “better way.”
3. Notable Career Stories
- Launching Roper Sports News ([15:37]–[18:33])
- On starting the pioneering team roping paper with $300 from his mother and a $100 bet; learning by studying the competition.
- Early refusal to take full-page cigarette/beer ads: “I didn’t want a turn-the-page publication...” ([20:29])
- The Power of Sincerity ([09:10])
- Contrasting the transactional, insincere culture he saw in California with the genuine word-is-bond ethos he found at Oklahoma State.
- Delegation & Leadership ([22:59])
- “You never saw a general driving his own Jeep... He was supposed to be thinking about what he’s going to do when he gets to where that driver’s taking him.” – Bob ([23:01])
- The lesson: delegate low-value tasks so owners can focus on strategy.
- Perseverance in the Face of Adversity ([24:48])
- Weathering storms in business: “There’s no formula how to handle it. You have to kind of create that and handle it because it’s a one-time deal.” – Bob ([25:31])
- Start with Small Wins ([26:10])
- Make your bed: “When you get up, finish what you started. And that's part of the cowboy code too. If you start something, finish it.” – Bob ([26:50])
4. Marketing & Business Lessons from Rodeo
- Product Fit & Honest Selling ([46:49])
- “Be fair in all truthfulness. I just don’t think our product is for you... Don’t be afraid to pass that on and I’ll guarantee you it’ll come back and treat you right.” – Bob ([47:00])
- Balancing Editorial Integrity and Commercial Interests ([22:07])
- Insights into how lasting publications balance integrity with advertiser demands.
- Embracing Competition & Abundance Mindset ([47:37])
- “Your competitors, if they’re in this business, are helping your industry... Learn from them.” – Bob ([48:00])
- Rewarding Employees & Team Loyalty ([38:46])
- “If you have a good product and they’re doing that product justice. reward them... Let them ride for the brand.” – Bob ([39:20])
- Technology Adoption & Lifelong Learning ([39:39], [41:35])
- Importance of typing skills, learning new tech, and staying connected especially for older generations – “If I didn’t do the tech stuff I do, I’d be lost in this world today.” – Bob ([42:00])
5. Colorful Rodeo Anecdotes
- Animal Personalities ([36:05])
- “Some bulls... when they had bucked somebody off, he would go around the fence, nobody’d catch him, and he would just look at the crowd and prance. Look what I did.” – Bob ([36:41])
- Animal Welfare in Modern Rodeo ([37:13])
- Myths vs. truth about how animals are cared for; pride in protecting them.
6. Enduring Advice & Memorable Quotes
- Financial Prudence ([44:55])
- “Stay within your means. I always got that. I’ve talked to you about affording to be poor.” – Bob ([45:03])
- Authenticity & Relatability ([45:40])
- Story of Tex Earnhardt, a wealthy car dealer who drove beat-up trucks to show customers it was OK not to buy new.
- Don’t Oversell, Respect the Customer ([29:50])
- “Life is like fishing... let them look at the bait, let them look at the product, and then do they want it or do they not?”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Core Business Ethics:
“It’s basically your commandments in your product and your work and what you do today.”
— Bob Feist ([06:12]) -
On Authenticity:
“If they told you the sun was shining, you didn’t have to look out the window. It was.”
— Bob Feist on Oklahoma honesty ([09:23]) -
On Leadership:
“You never saw a general driving his own Jeep... he was supposed to be thinking about what he’s going to do when he gets to where that driver’s taking him.”
— Bob Feist ([23:01]) -
On Work Ethic and Small Wins:
“If you start something, finish it. If you get up in the morning, start your day off with making that bed and you are ready for the future.”
— Bob Feist ([26:48]) -
On Business Competition:
“Your competitors, if they’re in this business, are helping your industry...don’t make your competitor your enemy...learn from them.”
— Bob Feist ([47:37]) -
On Financial Wisdom:
“Stay within your means, afford to be poor. If you want to go somewhere in a torn t-shirt and drive an old car, all those are paid for year ahead.”
— Bob Feist ([45:03])
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Introduction to Bob Feist – [00:20]
- Defining the Cowboy Code – [03:15] to [05:38]
- Living Each Day with Courage – [05:38] to [06:46]
- Riding for the Brand (Loyalty & Culture) – [06:46] to [08:20]
- Lessons from California vs. Oklahoma Business Ethics – [09:10] to [10:27]
- Origin Story of Roper Sports News – [15:37] to [18:33]
- Early Business Challenges and Unique Advertising Approaches – [20:29]
- Delegation & Leadership Lessons – [22:59]
- Advice for Hard Times and Resilience – [24:48]
- Building Habits and Small Wins – [26:10]
- Integrating Technology, Lifelong Learning – [39:39]
- Animal Welfare and Memorable Rodeo Stories – [36:05] to [38:23]
- Honesty in Sales, Referring to Competitors – [46:49]
- Abundance Mindset with Competitors – [47:37]
- Affording to Be Poor – [44:55]
- Closing Reflections and How to Get in Touch with Bob – [50:05]
Key Takeaways
- The cowboy code – honesty, pride, sincerity, loyalty, courage – is timeless and needed now more than ever in marketing and business.
- Authenticity and word-is-bond sincerity build trust and lasting relationships.
- Don’t chase money at the expense of editorial or product integrity; rewarding teams, serving customers honestly, and respecting the competition go further in the long run.
- Embracing technology and lifelong learning is crucial—for all ages and especially for business leaders.
- Success often comes from humility, resilience, “affording to be poor,” and staying true to your principles.
Contact Bob Feist:
- Email: bobfeist@bfimail.com
- Keep up with the Bob Feist Invitational online.
“If you have a product that you’re proud of...make it stand out to be something very special.”
– Bob Feist ([19:40])
For those looking to infuse their business with trust, resilience, and character—the cowboy way—this episode is a masterclass in legacy leadership and ethics.
