EPISODE · Dec 2, 2025 · 53 MIN
Inside FLEX Payment Solutions: How to Win in Specialized Industries, with Rob Zeitler, President and Co-Founder of FLEX Payment Solutions
from T.U.T — The Unwritten Teachings · host Raj Tut
In this episode, we sit down with Rob Zeitler, President and Co-Founder of FLEX Payment Solutions, a family-owned B2B fintech company specializing in payment processing for niche and highly regulated industries. With over 20 years in the electronic payments space, Rob has helped build FLEX into a direct-payment processor serving sectors like consumer lending, CBD/hemp, tribal and native-owned businesses, and emerging cannabis markets, while earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 list for multiple consecutive years.Rob walks Raj through his entrepreneurial journey—from funding legal settlements and building custom software without being a programmer, to exiting that first venture, joining his family’s lending business, and eventually launching FLEX to solve real-world payment pain points. He explains how FLEX built a moat around compliance and regulation in “high-risk” markets, why they’ve leaned into hyper-focused niches like tribal lending and cannabis, and how EOS-style systems have allowed him to stay in the visionary seat instead of doing everything himself. Along the way, Rob shares his philosophy on hiring people smarter than you, preparing the next generation of his family to join the business, the future of compliant cannabis payments, and his “hole in one” advice: don’t be afraid to ask for help, give without expecting something in return, and surround yourself with people who make you better.Connect with the HostTwitter: twitter.com/ItsRajTut LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/ Instagram: instagram.com/ItsRajTut TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtutConnect with the GuestRob’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-z-9524273/Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flex-payment-solutionsEmail: [email protected] Timestamps for Key Segments00:00 Opening & Introduction to Rob Zeitler05:10 Rob’s First Business and Early Entrepreneurial Lessons10:20 Transition to the Family Lending Business15:30 Discovering Payment Innovations & The Spark for FLEX20:40 Entering Regulated & Niche Markets (Lending, CBD, Hemp)25:50 Working With Native American Tribes 1:00 Technical Challenges, Compliance & Operating in High-Risk Industries36:10 Hiring the Right People & Learning Not to Do Everything41:20 Implementing EOS and Stepping Into the Visionary Role46:30 The Future of FLEX & Cannabis Payments51:40 Rob’s “Hole in One” Advice56:50 How to Connect With Rob & Episode ClosingThis podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email [email protected] with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/ LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/
What this episode covers
In this episode, we sit down with Rob Zeitler, President and Co-Founder of FLEX Payment Solutions, a family-owned B2B fintech company specializing in payment processing for niche and highly regulated industries. With over 20 years in the electronic payments space, Rob has helped build FLEX into a direct-payment processor serving sectors like consumer lending, CBD/hemp, tribal and native-owned businesses, and emerging cannabis markets, while earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 list for multiple consecutive years.Rob walks Raj through his entrepreneurial journey—from funding legal settlements and building custom software without being a programmer, to exiting that first venture, joining his family’s lending business, and eventually launching FLEX to solve real-world payment pain points. He explains how FLEX built a moat around compliance and regulation in “high-risk” markets, why they’ve leaned into hyper-focused niches like tribal lending and cannabis, and how EOS-style systems have allowed him to stay in the visionary seat instead of doing everything himself. Along the way, Rob shares his philosophy on hiring people smarter than you, preparing the next generation of his family to join the business, the future of compliant cannabis payments, and his “hole in one” advice: don’t be afraid to ask for help, give without expecting something in return, and surround yourself with people who make you better.Connect with the HostTwitter: twitter.com/ItsRajTut LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/ Instagram: instagram.com/ItsRajTut TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtutConnect with the GuestRob’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-z-9524273/Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flex-payment-solutionsEmail: [email protected] Timestamps for Key Segments00:00 Opening & Introduction to Rob Zeitler05:10 Rob’s First Business and Early Entrepreneurial Lessons10:20 Transition to the Family Lending Business15:30 Discovering Payment Innovations & The Spark for FLEX20:40 Entering Regulated & Niche Markets (Lending, CBD, Hemp)25:50 Working With Native American Tribes 1:00 Technical Challenges, Compliance & Operating in High-Risk Industries36:10 Hiring the Right People & Learning Not to Do Everything41:20 Implementing EOS and Stepping Into the Visionary Role46:30 The Future of FLEX & Cannabis Payments51:40 Rob’s “Hole in One” Advice56:50 How to Connect With Rob & Episode ClosingThis podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email [email protected] with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/ LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/
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Inside FLEX Payment Solutions: How to Win in Specialized Industries, with Rob Zeitler, President and Co-Founder of FLEX Payment Solutions
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