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.