RSWC #207, Jake Wiskerchen, Walk The Talk America

Riding Shotgun With Charlie
#207
Jake Wiskerchen
Walk The Talk America

While out and about filming shows around the country, it’s a fantastic coincidence to connect someone who also has their own stagecoach that we can use. Jake Wiskerchen, from Walk The Talk America, drove down from Reno to SHOT Show in Las Vegas. I’ve wanted to have Jake on the show and we were able to make it happen this year.

Growing up with a family that were gun owners and police officers, Jake wasn’t a stranger to firearms. He admits to not knowing about the “gun culture” but he did learn quickly! His first interaction with Michael Sodini (RSWC #067) was on Jake’s podcast, Noggin Notes. He and Michael were talking pre-show, and Jake mentioned he had a carry permit but didn’t want to bring it up during the recording. He said that everything comes up dealing with mental health issues, but it was taboo to talk about owning and using firearms. This was the opening for Jake and Walk The Talk America (WTTA).

Even though he admits to being a novice gun owner, he wanted to learn more about getting into this space in his career. He attended Gun Rights Policy Conference in 2019 and started making connections with people in the 2A community. He realized that we’re a diverse bunch. Going to SHOT Show in 2020, it clicked for him that gun folks are regular people. Jake is a home brewer and likened that community to the gun community. Both groups like to share and help each other with things that are working.

Jake is licensed to practice as a marriage and family therapist. He says he had several “false start” careers. His major in college changed a time or two. Eventually, he decided he liked working with people and found public relations. He was let down when he found out it had more to do with writing than with people. He spent several years doing banking, food service and restaurant management,some private security, and insurance sales. Somehow he ended up back at college doing educational leadership. Taking some classes, he got bit by the therapist bug and took that path.

After connecting with Dr. Christian Conte and getting some guidance, he eventually decided that he needed to open his own practice and make agency work desirable. Opening an agency with some partners, he ended up buying them out after a couple years. One of the things he’s proudest about is shepherding new people into the profession. He is trying to remove some of the stigma of getting help by making it normal. He was told that he shouldn’t talk to or acknowledge clients at the store, but he believes that is even weirder to ignore someone you know.

He was discouraged from being on social media or having a podcast. The old way of thinking says this is ‘treatment without consent.” But it is no different than writing a book to help people then turning and selling it. Not only does he have the Noggin Notes podcast, but he’s also got a YouTube channel.

We cover a lot about why people seek out some professional help and to have someone to talk to. It led to WTTA partnering with several companies in the gun community. WTTA now has their fliers put into the cases of purchases. Their website offers a free and anonymous mental health screening test, which everyone should take to see how you’re holding up.

The conversation with Jake was very enjoyable. He covered lots of ways to look at things in a new light and explained a bit about therapy. I like the episodes where I don’t have to get the passengers to come out of their shell to talk. He’s a very interesting man to listen to, very smart and thoughtful. Hope you enjoy it, oo.

Favorite quotes:
“Sometimes you don’t really appreciate what you’re doing when you’re in the middle of it until somebody pulls you aside at an afterparty and says “You guys’ stuff saved my life.”
“People like to help others. They like to improve other folk’s understanding and ability of what they’re doing.”
“I would love to turn that into a coffee house and a brew pub.”
“Bring your work-self to work.”

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Noggin Notes

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Zephyr Wellness

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