In this episode of the Kick Your Boots Up podcast, we sit down with Justin Boots Territory Manager David King. Join us as David shares fascinating stories from his time as a sales rep for Justin Boots, his journey through the rodeo world, and what it was like to work his way up in the Western industry. But that’s not all—David also gives us an inside look at his experience at Tight End University, where he met NFL stars like Travis Kelce and George Kittle. Plus, hear about his unforgettable conversation with Dak Prescott. This episode is packed with great stories and Western wisdom, so tune in for an exciting chat you won’t want to miss!
Taylor McAdams: Taylor McAdams, Hey everybody, thanks for listening to the Kick Your Boots Up podcast. I'm your host, Taylor McAdams, and we are here in Dallas at the Dallas Market Center, celebrating and working WESA, which is the Western and English Sales Association show. If you're not familiar with it, it's where brands and customers come to beg, buy, borrow, steal, trade. This is where they're conducting business, and this show happens to be taking place in August, so we're we're here. Our studio looks a little bit different, but we're so excited to speak with our next guest on the podcast. And really, if you don't know him, buckle up. You're about to be in for a treat. This man has been through it all, done it all, lived to tell the tales, and we're so excited to hear his stories. Without further ado, I've got to introduce you guys to our Justin Brands Territory Manager, David King. Thank you for being on the podcast. I've got to give you a special shout-out, because a lot of people come on this podcast with, like, a story or something, and your stories are cool, but you are the number one kick your boots up podcast listener. So I just want you to know I should have had a trophy. Here's your trophy, a rope, or boot. No, but. But really, it means a lot to have your support as a sales rep. So thank you.
David King: I really enjoyed listening to them when my oldest daughter was going to grad school University of Missouri, from there to Mississippi's about an eight, nine-hour drive. So she started listening to podcasts. And so she kind of turned me on to em. And so, you know, when you're driving a lot, then after a while, the music even on, even on, you know, satellite radio, you hear the same stuff, yeah. And so I've got some of Rod Harley's. I got some motorcycle podcast. I listened to Rodeo podcast, NASCAR. Love NASCAR. You know, the a lot of Western Lifestyle Podcast, our podcast, I just find them a way to really pass the time and and just take some monotony out.
Taylor McAdams: So well, is this your first time being on a podcast? Yes, yes. I'm so excited that you're here. This is gonna be awesome. And podcasts, as you know, are all about stories and entertaining and telling the story. And so for you, I'm so excited for the rest of the world to get to hear your story, because you've been in the industry for your whole life. Basically. Let's back up a little bit. Tell us about how you got to where you are today, everything in between your dad, everything, yeah,
David King: Well, of course, my family, we grew up in the horse and cow business. We had, you know, I started showing 4H horses. High School, rodeoed. My brother and my dad, showed registered horses. We had mama cows on leased land. And so we, we've always been involved in the lifestyle. And so in 1971 or 72 my dad bought a saddle shop in Jackson, Mississippi, and that evolved. He had a partner, and didn't really kind of work out well, and involved in some other, you know, stores, but I started working back in the saddle shop. And I'd always like made belts and did a little leather stuff, but I learned how to, how to, how to really work leather. Built a couple of saddles. We just did all kind of stuff like that, you know. And so then it evolved into a store that we were, had a big saddle shop carried Circle Y saddles. We were big Circle Y dealer. We had a period of feed dealership, and I ran the saddle shop. And so, you know, Urban Cowboy rolls around, and we went from just, you know, doing decent business, to just insane, you know, it was just pretty crazy. And so my dad ends up going on the road for Circle Y, and I ran the store, and, you know, and you had these peaks and valleys for the Urban Cowboy boom, and it was a great peak, but it was a deep valley, and so, and we had a tragedy in our family. My little brother drowned when he was 18, and so I was just ready to get out of the store, you know. And and we closed it up, like two, two years later, the highway was expanding, and would have got the property anyway, so it kind of ended up being a blessing. Wow, but I moved home with my mom, and I set up a shop in her backyard, and I made rodeo chaps, and I did some horse show chaps and some bat wings up, and mostly rodeo chaps, pickup men, chaps too, pick up in chaps and so rodeo equipment and stuff. I kept account with Barstow, and I think somebody else and so. And I learned how to set up a bareback a glove for bareback rigging, and I did some of that. And just, you know, had a good time in rodeo. Now, I couldn't make a living rodeoing, but I could sell enough rodeo chaps and stuff to keep going. Yeah, and I had met my wife, Karen. All we dated for five years, been married 38 years.
Taylor McAdams: Congratulations.
David King: Uh huh. Thank you. But she, uh. Well, her mom wasn't too crazy. Somebody said, What does David do? He said, Well, he, you know, he rodeos, and she couldn't tell somebody that I did a job, you know, making dang good money home. Didn't have a bill or care in the world, so I hurt my knee at Memphis. I had a pro rodeo bed. I had a horse throw me up into the wall and hit my knee, and I was little few pounds lighter back then, so, but I didn't go the doctor, you know, because back, you know, with way insurance was and stuff, and I feel to be a height. And a few weeks later, it swelling went down, and, you know, felt better, but I had torn a ligament in there, and it kept getting worse and getting worse, and I tried to tape it and ride and put a brace, and that just didn't work. But when it, when it started coming out of joint, when I'd roll over in my sleep, I had to get something done. July 4 of 85 Well, I think July 2. I had surgery on it, okay. And they put me in a, it was a posterior cruciate tear. They put me in a long leg test and and then I had to, I was in that thing for like, four months, and then a brace. Of course, they don't do anything like that now, but that's how, that's how you recover from that stuff back then. So I wasn't really doing anything. So my dad called me one day, and he was living in Missouri at the time, and he said, I have a market in Nashville, and he had some show boards that he used they hang, hung tack and stuff like it on there he's and they were in Mississippi. He said, Why don't you bring those to Nashville? And I said, Yeah, you know, because when we got in the western store business, I thought all these sales reps would be a cool job. It's really a neat deal. Yeah. So I go up there, and I met Cheryl Farrago with Miller Western wear, and I basically, kind of little did a mini interview. Now I'm on crutches, and, you know, we're covering from from knee surgery. And so she set it up with for me to fly to Denver to interview, interview. And Hank Hibbard was the VP of Sales then, and Hank told me. He said, I decided to hire you when I saw you on crutches and carrying a briefcase. Because he said, Oh, you were serious, pretty stupid trying to get to the airport. But he knew I meant business. They hired me in 80 in the fall of 85 but I told him I couldn't go to work until I finished rehabbing my knee so that I basically started in January of 86 at the Denver market. Just Green is a gourd. Didn't you know, I'm sales reps, but not sold at retail, but I was fortunate with like I worked for them and also carried American hats and every company I've ever worked for, I listened to the old reps, and I paid attention, and I learned what to do, and then I, you know, I had my dad to bounce stuff off, off so, so I worked for them for a few years. I go to work for I work for Panhandle slim for a couple of years. I go to Stetson and resist all and then in December of nine, well, actually, in November of 92 I'm at the North American livestock show shaping hats for new way boot store. Great customer up there. And Billy averyt, who was the Justin rep in Mississippi and Alabama at the time, who was a dear friend of mine, Billy, and Billy's gone now. He called my brother and said, Hey, where's David? Because this is pre cell phone, yeah, and he told him, he said, Well, he said, I need to talk to him. Justin is creating some more territories in Texas. I'm going to get to go back home, and I want to recommend him for my territory. And so Ernie called my wife, Karen. And of course, that night I checked in the hotel, she tells me so. And I had a contact. I called Billy, and he gave me the contact number of the sales manager at the time, who was Dennis high. And so I kept trying to call and trying to go to pay phone and shape hats and everything, it's kind of hard to do. So finally, Alan Brock was her own new way. And I told Alan what was going on. And he said, Look, if you need to leave right now, I said, No, no, I don't need to leave. I just need to be able to get on the phone for a little while, get a hold of dentist. So I did. I told him what I was doing, and he said, Oh, that's a good Justin customer. Just stay up there when you get back home, just we'll set something up. And so, hey, I got it all set up with Dennis to come to Fort Worth. And so, you know, I go in the office, I remember Joe Baca picked me up. Joe ended up being a sales manager. But Joe- Not Michael Baca’s Dad?
David King: No, Joe Baca.
Taylor McAdams: bacon, okay, okay,
David King: He picked me up at the airport, and neat guy, and Joe went up working retirement. Was there a long time. So I go in there, and I'm sitting in Mr. Justin's office, which is crazy to think about. Yeah, yeah, it really was. So Dennis comes in and, you know, introduced himself, and we sit down, and he told me that Mr. Justin was tied up, and he might be able to join us, but he might not, you know, when I said, Well, this, you know, I couldn't even hardly speak there at that point. So we got to talking, and Dennis said, you know. Said, I know a king. You haven't been you can to earnest King. I said, Well, I said, a little, you know, it's my dad. And he was like, I said, If I don't know that, I wouldn't even brought you out here to interview. I'd have just given you the job, which I do.
Taylor McAdams: I'm gonna interrupt you just for something, because I love the nature of the industry. That's kind of how it is, if you know somebody's name, especially even back then, he didn't shake deals.
David King: Well, every position I got, it was because I was recommended by but they wouldn't recommend me if I couldn't done the job.
Taylor McAdams: Yeah. Okay, so the story gets better, though. Tell us more about getting to Justin.
David King: Yeah.So little while later, Mr. Justin comes in, you know, when he introduced Well, like you need to introduce himself, and so, so he tells me, he said, he said, Well, you sure come highly recommended. You know? He said, I'm thinking maybe you may have robbed some of these guys, and I found out it was so many of these reps recommended me. Of course, I knew Ken Nixon, and I kind of knew Milton Beal, who was in Florida, Georgia, Kenny was in the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Danny Woodson, Louisiana, who Danny's gone now. Then Billy, and then Billy had told some of the other guys, Dan elder, who was just, I mean, Dan was in Missouri, in Kansas for years, and he knew my dad. And so there must have been about 10 or 12 guys that had told Mr. Justin to hire me. So that was, that was pretty cool. So, so Mr. Justin, we talked a little bit and and he told me. He said, Look, he said, you know, y'all want the job. And I said, Yes, sir. And he had something else to go do, and but out. So me and Dennis and Gary Liggett, who was president, then went and had lunch. And so we come back, and Dennis said, Now, look, we've got some other people. We're interviewing for some of these other jobs. So we're not ready to announce this yet, but it will, you know, it's a done deal. I said, That's just awesome. So I fly, I didn't even meet an airplane to fly back home. I could have just floated on the clouds. I was just so pumped. Wow. So, you know, I guess it was maybe about a week or so later, they called me and, you know, and thanked me and everything, made it official. Made official, yeah, and I knew there was an orientation because they hired 13 reps, new reps one time, and there was gonna be an orientation, like, in a week or so, a couple weeks in December, and they, you know, really out there? Well, Karen was pregnant with my youngest daughter, Hannah, and we decided that I was going to Texas if I missed the birth of her. I just did, but that Job was too important. I mean, Karen, I mean it was just, it was the chance of a lifetime. So the phone rings one day, and it was Mr. Justin. He said, David. He said, I got he said, Gary on the phone and with me. And just want to welcome you. You know, Justin, Boo company, and he said, We just won't let you know that you don't have to come out here for the orientation. And I said, Well, sir, that's okay, Karen, I kind of worked it out. He said, No. He said, You know, you come out of this orientation, I'm firing your ass. He said, family is more important than anything. He said, you know how to sell. It's just a matter of you come out here learning how we do things, and there's plenty of time for that. So wow, I go back the week between Christmas and New Year's Okay, and basically all I did was sit in Eddie Kelly's office and look at pictures of all these guys, and to see some of some of those reps with froze and every color leisure suit you can imagine, gold change from that, that 70s, you know, disco area, they look like Western pimps with, you know, With high dollar boots on. It was just crazy. And I know Nancie Thomas talked about, you know,
Taylor McAdams: See proof he listens to the podcast we just had Nancie on, just released.
David King: Yeah, the archives are just unbelievable with with everything that's in there. Yeah. So my first market for Justin was in January of ‘93.
Taylor McAdams: Oh, my goodness. And so you were able to be there for the birth of your second child. Yes. So wow, you didn't miss a beat. And then it all worked out. And the coolest, coolest part about that, as Mr. Justin himself called you to tell you about it, yeah, yeah. What was it like then? Because, also, speaking of listening to the podcast, we've had Tom and Darla, who have been able to talk about it, Nancie now to have been able to talk about what Mr. Justin was like, but what was he like, especially because you were on the sell side of things.
David King: Well, one of the coolest things that I've probably ever dealt experienced was Billy had told me that one thing I did during January for the you know, Dallas market was I took a customer to the Fort Worth rodeo, and sat in the Justin box, and it was Mike and Lisa Knight at boos and Moore in Jackson, Mississippi, and Mike's gone now, okay, so we that first rodeo, we had parking passes where you park, you know, right up behind there, and we go in there, and it's Mike and Lisa myself, Mr. And Mrs. Justin and Gary Lovett and his wife. So they sit up there and just talk. And I sat back with Mr. Justin and just listen to stories. I bet he's told me stories about about about traveling parts of our territory, and things like that, just, I mean, it was just truly unbelievable, because he was such a cool person. You know, didn't meet a stranger. Love cowboys and rodeo. I mean, that's why we're involved in everything we are, yeah. So it was just so cool working for a legend.
Taylor McAdams: And that's really cool to hear, I think, too personally, as someone who works here, even to hear how passionate he was about cowboys and cowgirls. And it wasn't just like, Oh, we're going to create the Justin cowboy crisis fund or the Justin sports medicine team just to look good. No, he truly had a heart for cowboys, cowboys, anyone competing rodeo. I mean, in general, they're very, very philanthropic. You know, they did a lot for the community of Fort Worth. He was even the mayor when he was the mayor, that was probably before you Okay, so anyways, that's still so cool to hear that you're so just, like passionate about it. And I think that helped you guys feel like you were equipped and you could do your job as salesman too, right?
David King: Well, yeah, I grew up with posters of Larry Mahan and Jim's shoulders on my wall. That was, that was my heroes, you know. And that was the thing with Mr. Justin. It wasn't just to sell boots. It was like, you know, I want to take care of cowboys, you know, we could, we could take all that money that we put in the sports medicine program. We could go sponsor something in NASCAR. We could go just do it in advertising. I mean, it's millions of dollars, but we don't. We do it in in tape and and medical care. And I've, you know, I've been fortunate to at the diction national rodeo in Jackson. Spent a lot of time in the healer trailer, okay? And with Zig. Zig was on a podcast recently. He was involved in sports medicine. I've met Don Andrews, all these guys. I had a conversation with Liesl Harris in the healer trailer in Jackson a year before he passed. So that was another plus for me. I was still able to be involved around the rodeo, working for Justin. So
Taylor McAdams: That is a cool part too, because anyone who's done rodeo for a little bit of time, but especially pro rodeo, you become a family. And when that's taken away, like Cody Johnson song, dear rodeo, when you can't do that anymore, it is like a weird so the fact that you've been able to be involved and keep with it and keep up with your buddies that now work at other brands, yeah, that's so cool, too.
David King: It's not a, yeah, it's not the you don't miss getting thrown off, run over, stomped and whatever. But I mean, it's the friends, yeah,
Taylor McAdams: So yeah. Well, and speaking of that, there's so many things that I could ask you around that, but I kind of want to move the conversation a little bit forward, because you mentioned NASCAR. Your passion for NASCAR and stuff, I think another passion you have is sports. And we were just talking about the podcast, sports is like, almost a hot topic in your area, because you're Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, which is like, whoa, yes, but to go a little bit higher to the NFL recently, you got to go to tight end university with Travis Kelsey, George Kittle and so many others. Doc press was doc there, because you're this tall, David, you're not a small guy. And they were,
David King: Well, Taylor Morton, our head of PR, she called me and she said, What are you doing in the first part of June? I said, Well, I don't know. What do you need, you know? And she said, Well, she told me all about being involved with Tight End University. And so she said, We need someone that's not going to go up there and be all goo goo. Yeah. And so, and there's guys are that way. You know, I love sports. My two favorite teams are the New Orleans Saints and whoever is playing Dallas. So I probably make the Cowboy fan mad, but that's just, but she told me about the whole thing, you know, when I was somewhat familiar. So immediately I Google, get on Instagram, and it's Travis Kelsey, George Kittle and Greg Olsen. Greg Olson, okay, and it's a, basically a fraternity for tight ends in the NFL. Wow. They started doing this in Nashville. I think this was the fourth year George Kittle and his wife lived in Nashville on the off season. And. And that's why they have it there. So they bring them up there and they they do drills, they give them gift bags, they have a concert, they do all kind of stuff. It was even like a charity aspect. They go out some of the local schools and let the kids run drills and everything with these NFL superstars. Oh, my God, the cool deal, yeah, but, you know, they're, they're NFL superstars, you know, you see stuff in the media in good and bad, and you just didn't know what to expect, right? You know, I kind of expected some prima donnas or some attitude. You just never know, yeah, those guys couldn't have been more nice. Every one of them was just so neat. And so we put them all in boots, and they had a choice of boots, and they asked questions. A lot of never wore boots before, about the theater and everything. It was just really neat. And it's, uh, there was a lady there from the NFL network that we had to sign a deal to where they could put us on TV, and supposedly we're going to be on some on this special in October.
Taylor McAdams: Okay, well, let's get this podcast out then, before then, so you can hear it. Yeah. So
David King: She said, yeah, these guys are like the they're like the plumbers in the electricity NFL. They they score touchdowns, they run on down, on kickoffs, punt returns block, you know. So they're Yeah. And she was so true. But it was just, it was just truly amazing. How cool all those guys were, yeah. Now, some of them are massive.
Taylor McAdams: I was gonna say, did we have boots big enough for their feet?
David King: Yeah, we did we I think the largest we had was 14 double E, but we were able to pretty much fit everybody. So then we had a boot that bigger. We had a foot that big, I guess both the boot, yeah,
David King: You know, with the athletic shoe, is generally a couple sizes bigger than a boot, true to move and grow and swell and all that.
David King: And then we we met some NFL Network people. We met like, I don't remember this gentleman's name, but he was like, does security for George Kittle and the 40 Niners, just a lot of people behind the scenes. And it was just a really cool experience.
Taylor McAdams: So, oh, I can only imagine it was. And, well, I think that correct me, if I'm wrong, but I think one of the guys had never had cowboy bootsbefore,
David King: But most, I'd say probably half I've never had. So Wow. And there were some, there's a one of the really neediest guys was Dallas Clark, who was the tight end in Indianapolis when Peyton Manning was up there. And he's from Iowa, and he's, I think he's got a farm, but his son was with him. He's had boots and some there's, it was kind of a real tight knit group from Iowa that all went to school up there from the Dakotas. And a lot of those guys are, you know, from that part of the country, and worn boots, and had boots and but there was other guys their first pair, oh my gosh. And they asked a lot of questions about how they're supposed to fit and and how to take care of them and so, and then we put their wives or girlfriend and boots. So,
Taylor McAdams: okay, so they got to kind of have a pair. Yeah, it was really cool deals. That is awesome. And I'm so happy that you got to go, because it seems like, in the pictures, it looked like you were so thankful to be there. And that's really cool too, well.
David King: And we got to go to their opening night party. Whole event was in the Thompson hotel down in the Gulch in Nashville, okay, and they have a bar, like, on the 10th floor, a big, you know, open air bar. We're gonna go that party now that was, that was like something from a TV show. I mean, it was just, everywhere you look, it's people and superstars. And it was really, really cool. So and Kittle and Kelsey and Greg Olson got up and spoke to everybody, and so,
Taylor McAdams: Oh my goodness. That makes me so happy, because I am fairly new to Fantasy Football, and George Kittle carried me. I ended up winning on our team marketing fantasy football. So that makes me feel better. Not only is he good in the in the field, on the field, but he's also good as a person, too, all of them. That's so cool.
David King: I got to talk to Dak, which was, you know, it was pretty cool, because both my daughters went to Mississippi State, and they were up there during, you know, Dak era. And so I told Taylor, I said, Look, I'm gonna have to be a little bit of a fan, yeah. And so I introduced myself, and we, we talked about the Auburn game, when state went to number one after that win. And then we talked about the LSU game, where he goes into Tiger Stadium, comes back with a win. It was so it was cool talking to him. So
Taylor McAdams: That is really cool, thinking of my husband and the way he loves sports and stuff most guys, I guess that seems like an awesome moment for you that you get to cherish forever. Pretty cool. That is, yeah, beyond cool. And I can't help but think too, like for you, you've seen some pretty cool things throughout the decades at Justin. So talk about, like some, some of the cool, prominent things that you've seen as a Justin sales rep. So this is probably a highlight Tight End university. But now you know, we're partners with George Strait. We're partners with Reba. You being in Nashville, tell me about actually, let's just start there. Tell me about some of the things that you see in Nashville as or in Tennessee in general.
David King: What's crazy now, I traveled Nashville 30 years ago, well, 32 years ago for stats and new resist all and panhandles other companies, okay? And then in March of, May of 22 is when we started carrying all the brands, yeah, and I got Tennessee, so I really hadn't been up there, you know, in about 30 years. So Nashville is just insane. It truly is insane. So, and it's exploded with the size and everything. So just going down there on Broadway and seeing all that craziness, with all the restaurants and nightclubs and then the traffic. I mean, it's just, it's just really something.
Taylor McAdams: Oh yeah, and you're doing an exceptional job. I mean, I have so much to learn from you, but even so many of the younger ones you know, Owen Walker, who's fairly new, almost a newer on the sales team, and even some of the guys and gals now, Sarah Feld, is on our sales team as well. Having them come into Justin and you being one of the ones that has been there, and you're able to help them along the way, that means so much too. So I guess, what is your best piece of advice for someone that wants to get into sales or wants to get into the Western industry,
David King: you know, people like buying from people they like, yes, it just, you know, being personable. Yeah, that's my oldest daughter found out how much I liked cold calls, and she couldn't believe that, because she just hates me. Yeah, I just don't meet a stranger. I mean, I I can talk the horns off a billy goat, you know,
Taylor McAdams: I can talk the horns off a billy goat.
David King: My dad was that way. I can remember, we were little going to the state fair and and he'd see all these people who would meet, and we couldn't even get around to ride a ride because he's talking all the time. Well, my daughter's fuss about me, the same thing that all you do is talk, talk, talk, but it's
Taylor McAdams: gotten you pretty far. Yeah. I mean, I even just said in another podcast. But then even earlier today, we're not in the boot business. We're in the people business. Exactly.
David King: You know, it's gotten gift of gab has gotten me in some bad situations and got me out of some bad situations.
Taylor McAdams: The gift of gab has gotten you on this podcast. Whether that's good or bad, will determine I'm just kidding. No, it's been fun getting to have you. And before we go, one last closing question. If you could look back at yourself 35 years ago before you started really into the industry, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
David King: Probably make more timely investments financially. I wish somebody would have sat me down when I was in my 20s and just, you know, you thought money, you know, I just told you, start then, yeah, to start doing things, rather than wait until you get later in life. That's probably one of the biggest things.
Taylor McAdams: So that's solid. Thank you for that. That's good. So many people out there need to. I know my husband and I, we need that advice.
David King: Yeah, I know you. It's easy to think you need this or need that, or need that new truck or that new trailer, and, you know, it's, it's, of course, that's why we sell exotic booths, you know, I mean,
Taylor McAdams: I mean, impulse. Well, David, it's been so good getting to know your story, even just a small portion of it, I feel like we need a whole nother episode to continue this. But I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule, because I know you have a bunch of clients and retailers coming to buy. So thank you, David, and thank you for listening to the Kick Your Boots up podcast all.
David King: The time. The only problem with them is they're not long enough. They're not long enough if I'm traveling, you know, and I have to constantly, you know, run through them like that. So pretty much, I think I'm completely caught up. Wow.
Taylor McAdams: Well, you're definitely caught up, considering we've taken a break a time or two here and there, and you're probably the one that would notice. Nobody else really notices. But anyways, if you liked what you saw, feel free to like, subscribe, share it with your friends. Tell everyone about it, and if you have any questions for David, as always, comment them below. We'll get them to David. And who knows, maybe if you have enough questions, we might even get them to take over our Instagram to answer those now, that is where the unedited content would be. No you guys, thank you for listening. We'll see you the next time you. Kick your boots up. Thanks for joining us on kick your boots up. I'm your host, Taylor McAdams, and we can't wait to share the next story of the West. Until then, feel free to like subscribe and leave us a review. Follow us on social media at Justin boots to keep up with our next episode, and we'll see you the next time you kick your boots up.