Meet Zach Rippey

We were lucky to catch up with Zach Rippey recently and have shared our conversation below.

Zach, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I was thriving in Dallas. I was slanging jokes on stage 6 nights a week and I felt like I was living out my dream of being a professional comedian.

I hosted shows at comedy clubs, produced open mics all over the metroplex, and even headlined a casino where I brought my best comic friend to open for me. We got paid, got steak vouchers, and I was hitting on the blackjack table on a cold February night in 2020. I had dates on my calendar and I was making enough money and moves in stand-up to quit my waiter job.

Two weeks after I put my notice in, the world shut down.

All the bookings were wiped off my calendar and my only options to perform were to do cringy ZOOM comedy shows.

My back was against the wall, I moved to Fort Worth Texas to pursue this dream and I had no idea if or when I’d ever be able to perform again.

I needed wisdom, divine wisdom; I opened up the book of Proverbs and asked God to give me some answers. After a few chapters in I was blown away. After some encouragement from my Christian mother-in-law, I found myself in the gospel of John.

This book changed everything for me. I fell in love with the heart of Jesus. He became my best friend as I read each chapter with an open heart, mind, and spirit ready to receive everything God wanted me to receive. I was fifteen chapters in when the Lord whispered to me he wanted me to be a pastor.

I was shooketh. With only having read two books in the bible and being a not-so-holy individual, I was flabbergasted.
I ignored the whisper. Then he spoke to me again about it, and I denied it. He did it again 3 more times in 3 different ways and after God pursued me for his Kingdom, I realized I needed to use the gifts He gave me to glorify Him.

This led me to get the word out about Jesus in the only way I knew how to at the time of intense COVID lockdowns all over the nation… I launched a podcast!

I asked God what to call it and the words “I Like Birds” kept popping in my mind as I was outside talking to God about the pod. He gave me a slogan that fits perfectly with the show concept, “I Like the Bible and I Like Words so therefore, I Like Birds!”

The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove when he was baptized, a dove was the one who let Noah know the water had cleared off the land, and Jesus tells us this, “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?”

I was led to hop on the pod and let people know what I was learning in the word of God. You learn as I learn, and I will 100% mispronounce names but best believe you’re gonna grow in your faith as I grow in mine.

I was unqualified to teach the Bible, but God wasn’t asking me to teach the whole Bible, he was asking me to share what I do know about Him! The book of John was the best reading decision I ever made. I experienced salvation, led my friends to Christ, and have been growing a ministry for the last four years.

I make people laugh when I can but my purpose is not only to give joy, but it’s to give Jesus glory in everything I do. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

In this season, we are focused on booking big guests with powerful testimonies of what God did in their lives. We are praying for more opportunities to travel in 2025 to speak, preach, tell jokes, and lead souls closer to Christ. Our hearts are open to the mission field and are believing God for big things the rest of this year and next!

We are stepping into a new season and are submitted under the spiritual covering of Pastor Troy Brewer and Opendoor Church in Burleson Texas. I’ve been called to help Pastor Troy’s ministry while also continuing to sow into my own. I recently was hired as a producer and have been honored to join the team. Catch me on the Pulse 24 podcast on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 1 pm CT.

I’m also writing a new book about the life and loss of my best friend Armani and I believe this book will be one of the greatest projects I’ve ever done. I’m beyond excited to finish it, publish it, and get it into the hands of people all over the world. This book will honor my friend and give glory to God through his story and mine. It will be about friendship, grief, healing, love, and the promise of eternal life.

Lastly, I’m launching a coffee line called I Like Beans to go along with my podcast “I Like Birds” and my writing business called “I Like Words.”

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Executor- I am an idea man, but ideas are useless if you don’t execute them. God gives me an idea and I find a way to make it happen and see it come to life.

Writing – the podcast would not have reached the amount of people it did in the first few seasons if I hadn’t planned and written the script for each episode.

Authenticity – Vulnerability cultivates connection and the spirit of real is what God has given me to reach people from all walks of life.

ADVICE: Just show up. Nobody is good at riding a bike when they first jump on. Eventually, the training wheels come off and before you know it you’re riding around doing wheelies and taking your hands off the handlebars. Believe in the vision God gave you for your new journey.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Our show has reached over 20 million people in the last 12 months on all our platforms and I believe partnerships with brands will be a game-changer to get to the next level. We have sponsorship opportunities and I’m open to traveling to come speak to people who will have me. I love to collaborate with people who understand this life is given to us to glorify God in everything we do.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Taylor Perkey

Taylor website: https://www.taylorperkey.com/

Taylor IG: https://www.instagram.com/taylorperkey/

Kenneth Clary

Kenneth’s website: https://kcphototx.mypixieset.com/

Ig: https://www.instagram.com/kennethclaryphotography/

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