Steve Muth is a co-founder of ZEM Life device. He was the father of Zachary Ernest Muth, from which the company name derives. Prior to the start of ZEM Life, he spent 17 years in the business development, fundraising, finance, hardware and software worlds. This background has given him the wisdom, experience and skills to launch the ZEM Life product and company to help save the lives of others.
His career has included incredible accomplishments, including raising over $1 billion in completed offerings for UPS, Unisys, and Continental Airlines, and the financing of Frontier Airlines, Good Times Restaurants, and other well-known companies. Mr. Muth also worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland in the regional sales of banking network with hardware and software. For the last three years, he has helped people through devastation as the Executive Director of the Board for Palms 23 Foundation.
Mr. Muth possesses a deep desire and will to prevent another child from dying alone from a drug overdose or preventable death. He firmly believes that no parent should have to go through what he did when he lost his only child to an overdose. The development of ZEM Life’s wearable auto-injecting device is the result of his determination and fortitude.
Company: Zem Life
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company
Steve Muth: I am no longer who I was in my twenties. When I made my first million, I was filled with arrogance and confidence for the future, even in the midst of incredible injustice and losses. The world was my oyster as money seemed easy even though I was part of a modest family. However, on February 1, 2021 both my Achilles’ heels were severed and all my goals and desires in the world changed in a big way, as if I was a new person transformed with a new purpose for others. My best friend, partner and only child, Zachary E. Muth, was relocated out of this world due to an accidental fentanyl overdose. Each day I live with the hourly pain of missing my best friend and son. When this happened, it changed my very soul as it filled me with an overwhelming anxiety to give Zachary value for his life. This new mission helped to give me comfort as I am doing something for Zach and to remember him, but MOST of all to create something to STOP this kind of pain that others may have to endure.
Do you believe in a one in a million happening many times in a row? That has been the story of ZEM Life.
A string of unbelievable events took place after Zach left, one of which was meeting Joanna Sawyer, MD. Joanna, an anesthesiologist, and I had a dinner meeting of chance. It was during this dinner that we discussed my son’s passing and invented the idea of ZEM Life Device, named in honor of Zachary E. Muth.
ZEM Life is the world’s first personalized, patent pending critical care medication delivery device in a high-end smart watch design. However, ZEM Life does so much more than your typical smart watch. It can read vitals, inject life-saving medication for your personal needs (like Narcan to counter overdoses) and call 911 while sharing GPS coordinates. This watch was developed to prevent opioids and fentanyl overdoses, but it has so many more abilities in this world when it comes to preventable deaths. Our plan with ZEM Life’s capabilities is to mitigate, if not stop, preventable deaths from medical situations including sudden heart attacks, anaphylactic shock, seizures and much more. We even have plans to be part of the fertility vertical which will help to create life.
If you were in an elevator with Warren Buffett, how would you describe your company, your services or products? What makes your company different from others? What is your company’s biggest strength?
Steve Muth: We believe ZEM Life can change the world! Our company is comprised of four very essential ingredients, created by love and chance that is not found anywhere else in the world.
Our first and special ingredient is our upper management. This incredibly special group of people is committed to creating the highest level of quality and an aesthetically desired product in the marketplace. Their mission is to save lives first, before their financial reward is received. Our management works at a much greater level of motivation than just financial gain, they work for the purpose of changing the world. Each operational board member is currently compensated at minimum wage.
Secondly, we are the leader of a NEW industry which is the automatic death prevention devices. In a world filled with automation, now there is hope for automation to stop preventable deaths with ZEM Life.
Third, there is no competition or other products available in the world today that can accomplish what ZEM Life can. We believe we have secured a strong presence in many pages of patent filings for the world’s first personalized interchangeable automatic critical care medication delivery system, our planned attractive, daily used tool is to be worn daily for life-saving prevention.
Lastly, ZEM Life’s margin model is UNMATCHED in the industry as the desired watch could be paid for by insurance for preventive care. Our watch, unlike others, has a residual as all replacement cartridges are sold with high margins for the customer’s medical needs.
Quiet quitting, The Great Resignation, is an ongoing trend causing many businesses to struggle to keep talent engaged and motivated. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued, and misunderstood in the workplace. In your experience, what keeps employees happy? And how are you adapting to the current shift we see?
Steve Muth: It is our belief that all members of our team need to be involved and a part of something greater. At ZEM Life, the culture is about giving people a sense of value and purpose for a greater cause. We truly value each person, regardless of title or degrees. It is ZEM Life’s belief that there are no two same snowflakes or leaves on a tree, just as all of us were formed unique and special in our own way, each team member has their own perception. We are implementing a company and planned investor chat to identify any non-confidential simple questions and answers for all to be involved with. This is one of the creative new approaches for our team to express value for each team member’s voice and identify all in our network.
Online business keeps on surging higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for the year to come and how are you capitalizing on the tidal wave?
Steve Muth: We believe there is a trend that will continue to grow within the online/digital space in the years to come. As a technology company, we plan to implement all we can to enhance our employees’ and customers’ convenience and efficiency. However, what is TOP of our list with NO compromise is to create the “Rolls Royce” model of our device to this new industry. It is good to have a great technological presence but much better when clients look for only your brand as you have the quality of what they desire.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as THE real challenge right now?
Steve Muth: Time, time and time! We are a small company and need the support and help from many as we build our team. Bureaucracy with the FDA is another challenge.
But most of all, the hardest thing for us currently is to feel the pain as we read each day about deaths that could have been prevented with ZEM Life delivering the right medication at the right moment. We are continuing to stay focused on our plan of creating quality first, however, we hope to close a planned offering soon which will decrease some of our obstacles of time and employment help.
In your experience, what tends to be the most underestimated part of running a company? Can you share an example?
Steve Muth: Time and money. As an example, our hope was to have the Narcan cartridges near FDA requirements by the end of 2024. However, due to our complicated and unique device capabilities, our FDA counsel did not know the best course of action in one of ZEM Life’s FDA applications. This complication ended up costing additional time and money. However, our team learned through this process and strategized for the FDA’s needs to be able to move forward and progress.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Steve Muth: A superpower that would be extremely helpful would be the ability to endlessly collaborate with those you admire. There are two brands that we really respect and would love to emulate: Rolex and Apple. Rolex has done an incredible job at becoming an investment piece that only appreciates in value. Their quality and reputation is unmatched. Additionally, Apple has mastered user friendly innovation and attraction. To be able to collaborate at any time with those who we feel could help elevate our brand would be priceless.
What does “success” in 2024 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision
Steve Muth: To the ZEM Life team, success would be to completely prove and verify our concept and technology using our first signature Narcan cartridge. Additionally, we would love to secure capital offering along with our three completed grant applications for three more cartridges. These cartridges would be used for fertility, heart attack and septic shock. To see our technology being worn by individuals in the real world is the ultimate feeling of success. With ZEM Life, success is to change the world and eliminate preventable deaths.
