Everything in life is an investment.
Welcome to builder nuggets hosted by Dwayne Johns and Dave young. Hey, our mission is simple, build freedom. We are a couple of entrepreneurs turned business coaches who have dedicated ourselves to helping our builder remodeler clients create the most rewarding businesses in the industry. My co-host Dwayne has been a successful builder and remodeler for over 30 years. He's seen the highs and the lows. From the beginning though, Dwayne has been on a quest to find a better way to run a contracting business. In 2016, he found that better way. That's how I met Dave, a lifelong entrepreneur and visionary who measures his success by the success of those around him. He reached out one day with a formula on how to transform my business and the rest is history. Since then, we've teamed up to help hundreds of contractors like you build better businesses and better lives. Now we've decided to open up our network and share our secrets so we can start moving the needle with you. It's collaboration over competition. Each week, we bring together industry peers and experts who share their stories so that we can all build freedom together.
(01:07): Buckle up folks today. We've got something special for you. Oftentimes when we bring on a guest, we have a really good idea of where we want to go with the topic. Not this time today, we're going on an entrepreneurial adventure. Our guest
(01:18): Is the best selling author of epic business. A world thought leader on networking and an entrepreneur himself. The PR company that he started in 2017 is on fire. This guy is a mover and a shaker who is on a mission to connect people and create an abundance on an epic level.
(01:35): His articles on mindset and entrepreneurship have been featured in ink and fours magazines, Peter Demond of abundance, 360 to earned him for a seminar on storytelling. He's even been on the today. Show with
(01:46): His wife. There are many more titles. We can be still on this generous guy, but mostly I'm happy to call him a friend Coco collaborator and fellow classmate in the renowned strategic coach program from Chicago. Welcome Justin Breen.
(02:02): Great intro. I mean and we all have our Colby scores in the in our names. , that's pretty rare, pretty rare. That's just how often differentiator . How often does that happen? Really? And, and you know what, we're gonna be talking about Colby a little bit more in the, in the new year. So you know, it's, it's been something that's been really interesting for us and you and I have had many com conversations about that, but that's a topic for a later show, welcome. To the builder nuggets podcast and to our community of listeners out there. I've gotta ask you how the heck did you get on the today show with your wife?
(02:37): Yeah, so you know, my strength finders, there's 34 of 'em gal strength finders. So I'm 30 outta 34 in ideation, almost dead last, but if I have a good idea, which is rare, my top three are activate, maximize achieve. So so in 2018, you know, my wife is she's a pediatrician and we met the day before she started medical school. So if there's anything comparable to entrepreneur life, it's going through medical school. Cuz I literally have watched her, watched her go through that. And we have two young sons, so 2018 at the start, I'm like, you know, we need to spend more time with each other. So I'd like to go out once a week, once a week without the kids. Okay. That was a good, yeah. So activate, maximize achieve. And most people including my wife, didn't think we could do it, but I'm activate, maximize achieve.
(03:25): So if I come up with a good idea, I'd do it. And so we wound up doing it and toward the end of it near the end, near week 52, Mary Schmid she's appealer or was appealed, surprise winning columnist for the Chicago Tribune. So like, Hey, if you get, you know, finish it or get close to the end, I'll do a story on I'm like, oh, okay. That, thank you. You know, I, you know, I'm a journalist for 2020 years. And so she did the story and what happens in, you know, lies with my clients, partners is one outlet, picks it up and then another one sees it. And so today's show saw the people that prize winning journalists, Mary Schmid do a right and like, Hey, we'd love to do a story on you. Here we are. So that's, I've seen that from a firsthand client perspective, certainly over the last four and a half years,
(04:09): It, it's pretty amazing that you're able now with the lifestyle that you've built for yourself and for your family, to be able to spend so much time with your family in our chat earlier, we talked about the time that you get to spend with your boys and you referred to it in, in one spot that I read as, as raising two wild boys, that is the that's the driver. You even pick your clients based on whether they're they're family, people as well. And we'll, we'll dig into a hundred percent dig into what you're doing right now. But it's, it's amazing that you've been able to turn this entre entrepreneurial lifestyle into building the type of freedom where your family can come first. Because so many times we're talking to builders who are sacrificing things around this and, and you're not a builder at all, but you're a business builder that has been in this same boat and your life wasn't like this before. Can you maybe before we get into how you carved out this family time and made it happen, can you maybe share your path to getting there a little bit?
(05:08): Yeah. Well it's an interesting path. And I'm a simplifier. So I take complexity and simplify it into things, but you can't simplify a story like that, a path like that. You can't, I mean, you can't, so I'll do it like this. So at Brandon Vos as a guest on your podcast and Brandon's fathers, Chris Vos, who wrote, never split the difference. And Chris wrote the forward for my book and you were talking about, what was it like, you know, Chris Voss, FBI, terrorist, negotiator, you know, you were asking him, what was that like to have that as your dad? And you know, he's always looking over his shoulder, especially as a teenager. Okay. So that was interesting. One. That was a good question by, and then two. So my father died when I, when I was 13. So I never had, I never had, I wasn't looking over my shoulder I was just getting into, getting into trouble, misdemeanor type trouble, not felony.
(05:57): So there's a big difference. That's what I tell my kids now. This demeanor's okay. Felony fed that's silly. Okay. Stupid not. Okay. So I know what it's like to not to have a dad around. And so I'm a dad who happens to be an entrepreneur. I'm not an entrepreneur who happens to be a dad. There's a very fundamental, fundamental difference. And I will never be an entrepreneur that lets entrepreneur life destroy my family life. I just won't, I'm just not, I talk to so many, really like very, very wealthy people, very wealthy, not all the time, but many times they're, you know, they just don't have a family or don't spend any time with their family and they're, they're just miserable and I'm just not, I'm just not, cause I know it's like not to have dad on, I'm just not gonna be, I'm gonna be around for my son, summer nine and stuff. It's pretty simple.
(06:41): That's very simple but hard to do sometimes. And it's, and it's a choice. So what are the things that you, you know, I know that right before you started your bus or even after you started your business in, in 2017, cause you went from being a journalist to yeah. You know, losing your job and deciding, Hey, I'm going to start a business starting to make the most money you had ever made in your life, but you were miserable. So how does that shift to where you are now? What, what are some of the things that, you know, where you made that discovery to become the person you are now and to have the mindset that you have now?
(07:14): Well, you said a lot of great things there, you know, I guess one of my skill sets or superpowers, it's like I learned something and then I actually do something about it. I don't usually make the same mistake twice. And so end of 2018 actually right after we were on the today show I, and I was a journalist for 20 years. So you don't go into journalism and make money. So end of 2018 made more money than I ever thought. I mean by far, and I've never been more miserable in my life. I'm like, okay, that doesn't make any sense. You know, more money equals more happiness. Right? Isn't that what everyone says though, how they act. Right. So, so that didn't add up. So I started leaning heavily on my mentors started seeing a therapist, talked to my wife. Who's just a human at the highest level.
(08:00): She's again, she's a pediatrician, she's the nicest person I've ever met. Okay. So it's nice to have that as your partner in life. And you know, I learned a lot, the number one thing I learned was one from one of my mentors, his name's Colin, he's a, he's 34 now I'm 44. So he's a, he's been an entre for, I don't know, you know, since he was late or early twenties, maybe late teens even. And you know, he said, oh, Hey, EV every entrepreneur not, you know, even business owner, but every entrepreneur at this level is going through something like that. And so what you need to do is just learn how this feels, know that it's gonna happen again, but it'll be fine. So I learned how it feels that more money doesn't even more happiness and that go into this type of thing again. But I learned from it. Okay. That's entrepreneur life. So I think that's the key is going. I'm glad I went through that. Very grateful for it actually, because I learned how it feels and like, oh, okay. That's just how this life is. There's, you know, ups and downs, ups and downs and
(08:59): Yeah. And, and in the construct industry as well prior to right. Being involved. Exactly. I had a, you know, an idea and a technology, I, a idea and concept that ended up being, you know, not working out the way I wanted. Like you, you could totally call it a, a fail, but you know, we're, there's a bunch of resilient people in this industry. And just because you made a mistake one time doesn't mean you're done, you've stopped thinking of, you know, ideas, or you don't have that passion to go and, and use your skills to, you know, create opportunity for, for other people. But Dwayne, same thing with you. I mean, you had your ups and downs and your own frustrations in this business and we, we overcome them. Yeah. We certainly overcome 'em, that's probably part of that entrepreneur spirit. I mean, you know, you're gonna get kicked around. It's just part of what it is, what you said about you know, dad, first entrepreneur, second, that kind, that really resonated with me. I came from a similar situation. So that's kind of been my, you know, one of the things I strive for is definitely family extremely important to me at the end of the day. That's what it is. I think you've gotta list your priorities out. You're gonna roll with the things that's gonna come down. And that's what ultimately probably forces you to make the right decisions.
(10:06): Sorry, and sorry for the family situation that you've gone through and, you know, the article, the article, or one of them I wrote for Inc entrepreneurs at the highest level to simplify the article. They're very damaged people with the best coping skills. That's what I, at the highest level. I mean, the very, like most of my day is talking to folks running and I don't care about revenue at all, but most of them are running seven to 10 figure businesses. And I haven't met one of them that hasn't overcome. At least one of the following four things most are two or three I'm three. And then I talked to a lot of all fours a lot. So this is entrepreneur life. So the four things are bankruptcy or potential bankruptcy, two depression, three, the highest level of anxiety you can imagine. And four likely and are possible traumatic experiences as child young adult. So, I mean, most people use those excuses, their whole life entrepreneur at the highest level, they just execute, you know, they just figure it out and execute, figure out a way around it. I mean, that's really what entrepreneur life is. And there's a few that have seen all four of those at the same time. Well,
(11:09): That's at the same time. So that's a really interesting simplification and that's one of the highest level things I've ever heard. Cuz I haven't, I haven't heard that before you're simplifier, which I, I respect a great deal. Well, okay. So let's let you know let's extrapolate on that. So Dan Sullivan co-founder of strategic coach, Dan was divorced in bankrupt on the same day. I mean, that's, that is the ultimate. That's the Al I'm only laughing cuz it's like, that's that is entrepreneur life in, in, within a couple hours. That is all for and the same moment really, but that's, you know, okay, so now strategic coach, top entrepreneurial group in the world, but divorce and on the same day, just think about that. And you know, I've overcome three of those things. I've never had to worry about bankruptcy. I never will knock I wood, but I don't think I will. That's nothing compared to most of the people I talk to. That's just, it, that's just how it is.
(12:06): It takes a, a huge measure of courage to be able to run your own business and be, to take on the accountability for other people's wellbeing. That because a lot of, you know, you're, you're responsible for creating that opportunity. And I think one of the reasons that becomes so hard for people to bear is because they think they have to do it alone. They don't realize the other people are that are out there, the other groups. And one of the, that you're a big proponent of Justin is. And I think it's in the Forbes magazine or article where you talk about being a joiner and you don't have to be a lonely entrepreneur. You don't have to be a soul proprietor. Like you wanna lose your soul, be a soul proprietor. like good surround yourself with oth with other people. So share with us what you've experienced as you've gone on you've I've really, I've known you to have go gone on two separate journeys here, one surrounding yourself with other people to share their experiences, but then also to, to seek out knowledge and constant, never ending improvement of yourself as well, plays a huge role.
(13:19): Well, it's every, I mean, all this other stuff takes care of itself when you can, when you invest in yourself, everything else takes care of itself. So, you know, I'm a visionary, I started my first company with zero business background, zero like zero, some would say less than zero, like negative business background. But the you know, now I have a global company, it only works with top people on the planet and then launched a second. One with someone I met has met one time he's in strategic hotel. Also con even from the very beginning of starting first company, I've always invested in myself always. So what does that mean? What does it mean is for first investment was maybe $200 a networking group, $200. No maybe 1% of the folks in that group understood what I was talking about. I was always talking up here and nobody understood it at first.
(14:09): And then there was a $500 group. Then there was a $2,000 group. Then there was a $5,000 group. Then there was the 10,000. So an annual, by the way, annual, now the two groups I spend most of my time in strategic coach, 10 X that's, 25 K us dollars. And then abundance 360. That that's, that's what the hat is, but people can see it. But, and then that's 20 K currently us. Okay. But it didn't start with 25, 20 K year started with 200, but it was never a cost. It was never, it was never, what do you cost or charge? It was, what does this investment look like? And that's how I, I approach myself with that's what I mean, if you invest in yourself first, then you only partner with people that look at things as investments. So someone asks me, what do you cost or charge? That's the disqualifier. See you later. I'm not because those people are transactional scarcity people and transactional scarcity, people hang out with transactional scarcity people. And, and for me that's toxic. It's just, they're not gonna invest. So toxic recently
(15:05): On Dave's recommendation started listening to your book and right outta the case. Oh, thank you. That read with me when our, the whole concept of the investment versus cost I've yeah. Looked at it for years. And even on the, on the building side, building a remodeling side, you know, we would approach clients that way. And if the, you know, if the conversation comes right outta the gate with what's it gonna cost? Exactly. See, later, that's what you're saying there, you know, there's value goes right out the window, investing in yourself. That is huge. And I think it's a big mindset. It's a big gap that people have to get through, especially in your business. And you, I think you had said it in your book. There's a lot of people that don't really think about. They look at everything in their business as some kind of cost. Very rarely do they look at something as an investment in their business?
(15:49): Should shouldn't it be an investment by default? I mean, wouldn't, you look at everything in your business. Everything is an investment. Everything in life is an investment. Okay. So I'll simplify the simplification. So I keep making bigger investments, bigger investments, small room, bigger impacts. So bigger invest, small room people in that room, bigger impact. Okay. So bigger investments, smaller or bigger impact. So that allows me to make biggest investment, smallest room, my family, where I make most impacts. So it's a simple formula, bigger investments, bigger checks, smaller room, bigger impact, biggest investment, smallest room, my family, biggest impact and all, again, all this other stuff takes care of itself. I've never been a business owner. I, again, I don't understand the nuts and bolts of things. I just don't understand them. That's not where my zone of genius is, but I am, you know, very good at connecting people and sharing stories with the world. I, I mean, so it's easy for me and endlessly fun. And then I've always looked at things as an investment. I mean, always my whole life I've looked at things as an investment. I don't know why. That's very interesting to me, you know, to think about that, to think about my thinking strategic coach is probably cuz of my dad,
(17:07): Your dad is quite a bit older than your mom. And he had before, long before he met your mom, he had a whole career in the military and an exceptional and very, very interesting career. And as a result of that, and I'll let you tell the rest of it, but I know that, you know, your prized possession is your dad's military journal and it's something that you refer to often. And so, yeah, I'm not surprised to say that you got it, you got this from your dad because one, you had an unbelievable experience from him up to the age of 13. Yeah. But then as you were an, an older man and getting into to business and you know, had a few misdemeanors under your belt, you discover this journal. It's pretty cool that you take a great deal of your, you know, that, that your data is still a mentor of yours and that you found this, you found this and, you know, tell us about what you've learned about your dad from the book or from these journals.
(18:04): That diary's everything to me. So what is that diary? You know, my dad, I was 61 when I was born, he'd be 105. He was alive now. And he came from nothing. He came from nothing, you know, I, I do a lot of interviews and I'm, I'm always grateful for it. Cause I love talking about my dad. Like I'm guessing Brandon Vos likes talking about his dad. Cause it's pretty cool to have a dad like Chris boss. Right. So it's pretty cool to have a dad like mine. And my father was wonderful. Four, four siblings, four brothers, all of them served in the world war II. I think they all served in Korea as well. Their parents spoke, no English came to El Illinois, which is near Chicago and had a little Taylor shop. My father was a brilliant writer, brilliant writer and actually an Irish mafia guy, Irish, Irish mob guy funded his college education cuz he realized how brilliant my dad was.
(18:58): So anyway then my dad went to he was a soldier first Lieutenant in world war II. And he fought in the battle, the hurricane forest German be border and very deadly battle. And so he kept a diary of that. So I found the diary after he died and I'm world class writer, his diary's a hundred times better than as good as never split the differences. But my dad's, it's a lot better. one of these days I got published, but that he wrote that in a Fox hole. I mean, it's one of the, have you've you've seen some of the clips. I mean, it's, he was shot down nine, eight or nine times in combat many times how a parachute writes about that in detail. I write exactly like exactly like he does just, you know, no fluff and non, just very direct boom boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. That's my dad. I mean that's, I'm not gonna F it up for my dad. That's really what this all comes down to wanna level up, connect with us, to share your stories, ideas, challenges,
(20:07): And successes. The builder nuggets community is built on your experiences. It takes less than a minute to connect with us@buildernuggets.com, Facebook or Instagram want access to the resources that can take you and your team to the next level. One call could change everything.
(20:24): We talk a lot about collaboration over competition, and it's something that we see holds business owners hold entrepreneurs back because they're, they have that mindset that they're giving something away and not realizing what they're actually gaining when they join forces with other like-minded professionals in their industry, where they can share best practices. And it really doesn't. It really doesn't matter if you happen to be located in the, in the same market. What's your take on all
(20:54): That? I understand it on two levels. So one is the competition side on my strength finders. I'm four, four outta 32 in competition. So activate, maximize achieve competition. So four. So I understand competition very well. The entire educational system for the most part is competition. Get the highest grade, get the, you know, into the best schools, beat out someone for the scholarship. I got a full academic scholarship to the university of Illinois. I'm very grateful for that. I'm sure I beat out other people to get that journalism world journalist for 20 years. That's the most competitive field killed a competition, killed a competition, put drive the other paper, TV station out of business destroying ratings. So that is in my entire life from age with exception of talking to my dad who was not, I mean, he was competitive, but he was very collaborative, very cl but age five to, you know, coherent thoughts to age 40 to age 40 to now I'm 44.
(21:49): It's unlearning that entire existence, which by the way, most people never unlearn that they just live in that their whole lives. I mean that's 99% of the population lives in that existence, their whole lives. And so unlearning that entire foundation, which I think is wrong by the way. And then being around collaborators, that partner together. And again, when you make bigger investments smaller and bigger impact, smaller rooms, everybody's collaborating, there's not competing with anyone. Okay. So what does that mean? You knew I was gonna say this, but at the highest level, there is no competition. Only collaboration. There's no, I there's no competition with anyone. So my company's entire process is on the website. No tricks. There's no gimmicks. There's here you go. Step one, step two, step three here. Go ahead. Take it. I haven't done out on sales or gimmicks or Mar like nothing in years because I'm just collaborating with top people on the planet. And then they introduced me to other top people on the planet and then I just introduced them to other top people on planet. It's a fascinating transformation. When you go to your entire life competition, competition competition to just collaborating and it's so much easier. it's just so it's it's much. It's just, it's more fun. It's you don't feel lonely to your earlier point. Lost soul, soul proprietor loss soul. There's no, you're just joining forces with other good souls.
(23:13): I mean, you've been, you've been studying this stuff very sincerely with, with real intention for the last four years. Mm-Hmm you didn't just get to this point for somebody who is in this mindset right now and who feels like cuz we see it in this industry. There's, there's very, there's collaboration at a superficial level through, you know, home builders, associations and stuff like that. We have there's building money groups that will, will collaborate very intimately right down to their financial details, but not if they're in the same market. So they don't see themselves as, as true competitors. And from our chats, I know that you've seen that the most successful people are the ones who are willing to share everything because they get everything back. It, it it's an investment in an investment in collaboration is like an investment in yourself. And what would be your advice for somebody who will wants to explore that or wants to learn more about it? Like your journey took four years to get to where you are now. You've been there for a while, but yeah. What does that look like? How do you, how do you get over it? How do you get over that fear? That scarcity mindset. Yeah. So
(24:19): If you have the right mindset, it attracts the right network, increase the right opportunity. So I just work on my mindset every day. So I strongly believe people are either born like this or they're not, but if you are born like this, you can work on your mindset every single day. I mean, that's what I do every single day, every day, so. Okay. So what does that mean? The first thing I do every day, I do a grateful journal to my wife, nicest, kindest, most person probably I've ever met. So I do a grateful journal to hear what I'm grateful for for her the previous day. Okay. So that's the first thing I do every day, seven days a week, six days a week, I run outside, no matter the weather condition. So we're in the Chicago area. It gets very cold here. It gets very hot here.
(25:02): It gets very rainy here. It gets very windy here. Okay. I've run outside. No matter the weather conditions, I don't know for almost 20 years. And when I do run outside, that's when I get one. That's when I get most of my good ideas when, and I have very few good ideas, but that's when I get most of them too. When I listen to podcasts like these really listen to people like you and then do something about it. I learn and then do something about 'em. So that's and then three on LinkedIn. I didn't used to have it, but now I have 27,000 followers just build, build, build, build. I do a grateful journal on LinkedIn. So what I'm grateful for. Okay. So to simplify all that, when you're constantly grateful, when you have a constantly grateful mindset, it's very hard to be ungrateful. I just build my mindset with those, those habits and patterns and those incremental steps. And to your point, Hey, what advice do you have? You have to start doing it. You can't make excuses. You have to execute and do something about it. And again, that's what separates the point. 1% people like us and the people, everyone else. Cause most people won't do it. You, you can tell 'em anything, but if they don't do anything about it, what's the point
(26:13): Going back to the, to the mindset of, of that collaboration versus competition. I think it boils down to when you're thinking about somebody else's competition or they're, you're viewing them as that in the room, you're worried or you're, you're fearful that you are going to lose something. And the, the fear of loss when you're in a competitive mindset is stronger than the value of the gain that you are going to, that you can get. And you know, Dwayne and I have learned over and over and over again that we have more to gain from our competition than we ever have to lose from them. And when you start to realize that and you become comfortable with that and, and comfortable with who you are, then you become much, much more relaxed and you become much more giving in all aspects. So you call it gratitude. But I know how giving you are of your time as well. This mindset shift that you've gone through, this collaboration and abundance and everything, the things that you're able to do now, in terms of your time, like you don't say no to any entrepreneur, really? Any, you, you almost never say no to somebody who asks for help. Isn't
(27:28): That right? Yeah. Well, that's one of the chapters in my book and again, I, my, my brain simplifies into patterns and so I simplified what happens when you start a company or business, whatever you wanna call it when you become an, okay. So the first step is you get to get, so I reached out to 5,000 people to get five clients. Okay. So you get to get, get to get, then you get to give. So you're mostly getting, you're giving a little bit, but you're mostly getting, okay. So then you, then you give to get, you're mostly giving then to get a little bit back, then you get to the point, you get to the point where I'm at and then all these collaborators that you give to give, but only to the people who get it only give to give to the people who get it. Cuz you're given to someone who doesn't get it. That is a, that's not a good use of your time and is frankly not a good use of their time either cuz they don't get it. They don't. So what's the point of giving to someone who doesn't get it, adjusted
(28:25): It to your point earlier when you said, if, if they lead the conversation off with, well, how much is this gonna cost? why would you give to someone like that? Because then you're giving you're you're you're giving to someone who doesn't get it. But then also you're creating toxicity with the people who are giving to give to people. Get it. You, you don't wanna do that. You don't wanna do that. That's ne negative, negative step backward. I don't, I don't take step backwards. I only go forward. But the you know, when you understand these patterns, I guess that's what I'm best at which I've learned about myself is I can understand these patterns, but then more importantly actually do something about it. I will activate the patterns. I mean, giving time to talk to people like you isn't that's, I mean, that's a joy for me and it's the purpose of my life by the way. But, but it's, I don't, I don't get tired of that as a journalist, most of my day was talking to people like you. I mean, top people on the planet and don't I don't get tired of that. I will never get tired of that. Partnering with people like you just allows me to spend more time with my family cuz people that talk without investment, they just take away time for me and my family, people that talk very little and just make the investment. They just allow me to spend more time with my family and live the purpose of my life, but mostly to spend time with my family. So everybody wins with that. Everyone wins.
(29:51): You've got an exciting new venture that's coming up for you. So for starters, your PR company, I mean it's, it's a really interesting concept. It's been hugely success. Well, you know, if you, if you go to Justin's website, epic, llp.com, you'll see a, a whole list of impressive clients and results and testimonials that what Justin is doing and what, what he's talking about really works. And you're getting ready to take this to another level. So I, through my experience with you and strategic coach and the conversations that we've had, I've felt your ability to make connections. And this is really one of your superpowers. You are ultimately a super connector and you're embarking now. And I hope it's okay that we use this forum to talk about graphic network that you're building. Yeah, of course, because it's a real, it's a really cool, it's a really cool concept. And we always like to ask our guests, what are you excited about? What are you doing? You know, what are you doing in the coming quarter or year that really has you energized and excited. So take a minute to tell us about that
(30:56): One. Thank you. Thank you. My wife taught me how to say thank you. That's the grateful journal to her. so thank you. So the you know, the purpose of my life is to be a connecting superhero for every visionary, abundance investment mindset entrepreneur and share their stories of the world. Not, not their world, not their, the, the fundamental, fundamental difference. Okay. So PR company really what it is, and I'm an entrepreneur who happens to be a journalist. I'm not a PR for firm owner. I don't know what PR firms do. I'm entrepreneur Evans to be journalist, but people know what PR means. So, okay. So all it really is, is a giant incubator geniuses, and we're constantly introducing each other for mutual gain by practice. I'm constantly getting interest to companies around the world that wanna hire my firm. Okay. So that's good.
(31:40): So new company network is just technology for that. It's just a platform for that. It really ties in everything that we're talking about. Everything, because I have a business partner who's in San Francisco. He's also in strategic coach. He's full backstage integrator, building the platform, getting the team to build. I, if I, if I tried to build anything, besides my mindset and experiences with my family or network on a global level, it would be a disaster, a I'm a one implementer. So don't ask me to tie my shoes or anything like that. Be a disaster. So collaborating with mark, mark, Fuji, wars' name and the people that are signing up for this. They're all people like us on a, it's basically LinkedIn without the BS. It's LinkedIn for the 0.1% that's and I like LinkedIn by the, but it's LinkedIn for the 0.1%
(32:30): To take it back a step for your network. One of the things that I think is fascinating about it is Dwayne and I have talked many times, we've had James pecan on here talking about it's a relationship and not a transaction. And when you're a custom home builder or an entrepreneur of in, in any business, it really boils down to your people. It's all about the who's and Justin, you know, this you're a huge fan of and believer in who not how and, and what Dan and Ben taught us through that. So yeah, what it really comes down to is your company. It's the people following a vision within a framework or a structure that you, as the leader implement and keep together or, or get people to hold together for you. That's really what it is that we're doing. It's all is in the construction industry.
(33:17): It's even expanded to include architects. So people be outside of your company who are third party experts, trade partners, this whole group of people. And we know when we've been taught all of our lives that, you know, James bugga taught us too in, in earlier episodes that it's a relationship, not a transaction and the amount of time and energy that we spend on trying to create these relationships, maintain them, all that sort of thing. I think the Genesis of your idea for BR network is what if we could just fast track all of that, right? So how do you fast track all that? How do you take all that time that would've been spent trying to go out and find it really will down to finding the right relationships. That's what you've created with this network. Now it's a network that's specifically for entrepreneurial, the really entrepreneurial mindset, but some of the very basic principles in here apply to businesses at all at all levels, because it's really entrepreneurs look for shortcuts.
(34:19): This is shortcut to finding the right relation. It is. If we can all spend time in our business and look at taking the time to sit down and saying, what are the right relationships that I need to have? What do I need to project in order to get those right relationships? Where can I find them? Who else already has them? These are the questions that builders needs to be tells the problem asking you've been super charging it today. This has been a really fun experience to be just thinking about thinking and sharing, sharing, you know, somebody from a completely different business, an entrepreneur who's having success, knowing the same things that are important to you. You know, getting time with your family, creating freedom in your business, being able to your clients and the people that you work with you that just elevates everybody. So it's been super fun to go through this with you, Dwayne, any takeaways or thoughts from you? One of
(35:13): The big things for me is, again, I go back to what he said about the investment. That just that's what resonates with me from beginning to end is you're, everybody's gonna be a little bit different whether, or it's a Colby score, whether it's where they fall in, in different industries, businesses, but simplifying things at the end of the day, it's business and it's life, where are you gonna choose to invest? That's the big takeaway for me. And I think once you get clear on that,
(35:37): You're gonna get a big return on your investment. Sure. Especially if you start with investing in yourself because you know, you won't have a great vision, you won't have a great mission to follow. You. Won't be a good leader unless you work on these things and that's what you need to attract the other, the other right. People as well, is that mindset and the ability to create opportunity. So we got to these nuggets in a little bit different way than we're used to, to doing, but just wow. A great opportunity to open up the, the genius mind of somebody else from outside the industry and share with us, what's worked for you. And to think that you've done it in four years, I mean, that's gotta give encouragement to others who feel like they've been stuck. Like you've you were in another industry where you felt like, you know, you wanted to kill the competition and you went, you later on said, well, you're either born with it or you're not. Well, you were in that industry and you were in that mindset. You were in that gap state for so many years and it didn't take you long to get out of it. So for a bunch of our listeners out there, you're feeling like that. You just need to surround yourself with positive people that are working on these things and, and reach out. And Justin talked about some of them strategic coach. What are some of the other coaching programs, Justin, that I've had impact on you?
(36:52): Yeah. Thanks for asking that. And again, like builder nuggets, I'm just building my mindset, building work in building companies. So whatever you wanna use build for it, doesn't have to be something physical. I mean, I just don't, I just look at things like the work can be used, however you, I mean, so in building experience in life with my family, that's the number one build, so, okay, great. I'm just building something besides strategic coach is abundance 360 Peter D these are true visionary, futuristic ideators. Like they're floating off in space. Some of them literally actually, but they'll actually activate it. They'll do something
(37:30): About it. Peter's figuring out how to mine asteroids. So that if that tells you anything about the types of projects, he's been trying to figure that for a long time. Yeah. He's been trying right. He's been trying to do that for a long time, but someone will do it. I mean, someone will be someone there they'll figure that. I mean, flying cars technology to allow us to live 300, 400 years, if not forever. I mean, those are the conversations I have with my sons who are seven to nine. When we have these a abundance 360 talks, they just sit on my lap and watch this. They're like, oh, this is pretty cool dad. I'm like, yeah, well, you're actually, you have a good chance of living forever. So like, those are the conversations I've had. Okay. So the other ones I've been in, or I am in I'm in entrepreneurs organization, that's a good bridge to things like strategic coach abundance, 360 also have been in a group visors. If you're an attorney or financial space, there's, you know, that's a good, good bridge. But my point is, and I said this before you have to start somewhere. I started at a $200 chamber of commerce. The most important thing with that is act to get organized. You can't do anything unless you take action and make the investment. Nothing will happen until, until you stop talking and make and make the investment take action period
(38:48): Listeners out there that wanna learn more about what you're doing, connect on some level. How can they find you Justin Green on LinkedIn and Reik is the website re LLC com.
(39:01): Thank you. All right. Thanks buddy. I got to it's into my lucky day. I got to talk to twice today, so not very often, I get to spend two hours with you, so that's pretty cool and appreciate you being so generous with your, with your time with us and just straightforward is always about what you're thinking and how you're feeling. So it's a, it's a gift. It's a, it's a superpower that's for sure. Thank You. And directness weeds out nonsense and attracts greatness.
(39:31): Hey, thanks for listening, Dwayne and I love hearing from you. Your stories are inspiring. Challenges can be overcome. Got a cool tip idea for a show problem that you haven't been able to solve, or maybe just struggling to figure out what you need next and where to get it. We can help hit us up@buildernuggets.com and start building freedom.
