Does being bold make a good leader or does a good leader have to be bold? Karl Falk '98, is leader who knows bold both ways. 

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SUMMARY

But there is much more to leadership than boldness. Join Karl and Long Blue Leadership host, Naviere Walkewicz '99, for a conversation about boldness, the nuanced human spirit and the path to success as a leader.  In this episode, Karl Falk, founder and CEO of Botdoc, shares his journey from the Air Force Academy to entrepreneurship. He discusses the challenges of leading peers and the lessons he learned from playing football. Karl also talks about his transition out of the Air Force and the founding of Botdoc, a tech startup that provides secure data transfer solutions. He emphasizes the importance of taking one step at a time and finding solutions to challenges. Karl encourages listeners to believe that there is always a way to overcome obstacles.

 

OUR PICKS FOR QUOTES

"Probably the hardest thing to do is is is lead your peers, not yell at your peers like some people think that's leadership that's needed sometimes but actually leading your peers and you know, trying to peer into their soul and get them to do something greater and, and that was a lot of fun."

"I learned that I didn't want that to happen again. In fact, I, the the army game this year, when Air Force came over to sing, we were on that we were on that side of the stadium, and I took a picture of it. And I sent it to my son I said, remember this? Because when that season, that's what that's what motivated me. That next season was I didn't want that to happen again."

"I think I learned more about leadership and who I was. And honestly, probably the hardest thing to do, especially when you're that age is, is lead your peers, not yell at your peers, like some people think that's leadership in the locker room, but that's needed sometimes, but actually leading your peers and you know, trying to peer into their soul and get them to, to do something greater and, and that was a lot of fun."

- Karl Falk, Founder '98 and CEO, Botdoc

 

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction and Leading Peers


02:28 Early Life and Upbringing


05:15 Childhood and Sports


06:13 Path to the Air Force Academy


07:08 Leadership Lessons from Football


09:29 Transitioning out of the Air Force


13:47 Entrepreneurship and BotDoc


25:12 The Invention of BotDoc


28:06 Lessons in Entrepreneurship


32:55 Closing Remarks

 

OUR FAVORITE TAKEAWAYS

- Leading peers requires understanding and inspiring them to do something greater.

- Challenges and tough times can shape and prepare individuals for future success.

- Entrepreneurship involves taking risks, making decisions on the fly, and finding solutions to problems.

- Believe that there is always a way to overcome obstacles and achieve success.

 

 

KARL'S BIO

Karl Falk is the Founder and CEO of tech start-up Botdoc. A vision that the movement of data should be easier and more secure. He is helping disrupt the ‘Secure Digital Transport’ industry and pioneering how all data will be transported in the future.

The Botdoc software allows companies to transport data and documents in and out of systems with end-to-end encryption without anyone needing a login, pin, password or app to download. And upon delivery the encrypted container and the contents inside of it evaporate, leaving no residual footprint of data. Botdoc is redefining how companies engage data and is the future of the global consumer experience.

Karl transitioned out of the Air Force in 2004 into emerging technology consulting. Finding innovative ways to expedite low TRL technology from the DoD labs and National labs to the hands of operators and soldiers in an effort to save lives post 9/11.

Using his extensive industry experience in ‘going against the grain’, Karl is a sought-after speaker on innovation, entrepreneurship and efficiency and speaks nationally to help inspire others to spark change.

In 2012, he was named one of the “Top 5 Most Influential Young Professionals” by ColoradoBiz Magazine and was named a “Rising Star” by the Colorado Springs Business Journal in 2013.

Karl is a Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, a Football Alum, an Eagle Scout and has been honored by President Clinton in the Oval Office. He sits on the Executive Board for the Pikes Peak Boy Scout Council and is the President Select. He’s a husband and father of 3 and calls home in Monument, Colorado. In his free time, you can find him at soccer games, coaching football and track, and volunteering as an assistant scout master for Boy Scout Troop 6.

- Image and copy source:  LinkedIn

 

 

ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP

Long Blue Leadership is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network, drops every two weeks on Tuesdays, and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!

 

 

FULL TRANSCRIPT

SPEAKERS

Our guest, Mr. Karl Falk '98, Founder and CEO of Botdoc. |  Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99

 

Karl Falk  00:12

Probably the hardest thing to do is lead your peers, not yell at your peers like some people think that's leadership. That's needed sometimes but actually leading your peers and you know, trying to peer into their soul and get them to do something greater and, and that was a lot of fun.

 

Naviere Walkewicz  00:58

My guest today is Mr. Karl Falk. USAFA class of ‘98, founder and CEO of the Colorado based tech startup Botdoc, husband to April and father of three one (of) whom is a current Air Force Academy cadet in the class of ‘27. Carl transitioned out of the Air Force in 2004 and into the emerging technology consulting space going on after that, in his own words, to use his extensive industry experience, going against the grain to find innovative and industry disruptive ways to move encrypted data, leaving no trail or trace. He is so successful that he has become a nationally known and sought after speaker on innovation, entrepreneurship and efficiency. He has been formally recognized for his work by presidents and peers alike. We'll talk with Carl about his life before and during his days at the Academy, challenges he faced along the way, leadership lessons he learned, and we’ll ask him whether he believes boldness like his makes great leaders, or if leaders need to be bold to be great. Welcome to long leadership.

 

Karl Falk  02:00

Hey, all right. Thanks for having me. This is great.

 

Naviere Walkewicz  02:03

I'm so excited. You know, I think some of the greatest things about these podcasts is we're really learning more about our graduates and some of the paths that they've walked. We share a path right now. We both have boys at the Academy.

 

Karl Falk  02:13

Yes, former preppies now. Now four-degree and on the football team. That's right.

 

Naviere Walkewicz  02:19

That's right. So it's interesting, though, while we were at the Academy, at the same time, we really didn't cross our paths. So, I think that's the beauty of once you graduate, the Long Blue Line really is enduring. Well, today, we're going to learn more about your journey and your path. And we'd love to start just with a little bit of who Karl is, you know, take us back in the day. Tell us about where you grew up, your family.

 

Karl Falk  02:39

Yeah, well, so I grew up, back then I had to say (in) a small rice farming community on the west side of Houston, Katy, but now Katy’s, you know, almost a million people. It's a large extension of Ho