EP75: What Does An Epic Life Mean For Dads?

Interview with Justin Breen / Entrepreneur, Lead Dad, Date Night Pro

HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN

Justin Breen is a communications innovator from Chicago and the author of Epic Life: How To Build Collaborative Global Companies While Putting Your Loved Ones First. The book details what makes entrepreneurs not just great but happy and fulfilled. (Hint: it's not more stuff.) He is also a marathon level romantic – having orchestrated 52 dates in 52 weeks with his wife Dr. Sarah Breen - and without their kids. Listen for his insight.

---

Get our free newsletter covering all things fatherhood delivered straight to your inbox: https://thecompanyofdads.com/thedad/

Transcript

00;00;05;03 - 00;00;26;19
Paul Sullivan
Welcome to the Company of Dads podcast, where we explore the sweet, silly, strange and sublime aspects of being a dad in a world where men who are the go to parent aren't always accepted at work, among their friends, or in the community for what they're doing. I'm your host, Paul Sullivan. Our podcast is just one of the many things we produce each week at the company dads.

00;00;26;20 - 00;00;55;24
Paul Sullivan
We have various features, including the lead dad of the week. We have our community both online and in person. We have a new resource library for all fathers. The one stop shop for all of this is our newsletter, The Dad. So sign up at the company of dads backslash the dad. That's the company dads.com backslash. The dad. Today my guest is Justin Breen, a PR pro from Chicago and lead dad, with two sons and one wife.

00;00;55;26 - 00;01;23;08
Paul Sullivan
He's the author of “Epic Life: How To Build Collaborative Global Companies While Putting Your Loved Ones First”. In addition to being a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, he is what I call, marathon level romantic. Having orchestrated something called 52 dates in 52 weeks, a weekly date night. He did with his wife, Doctor Sarah Breen, and without their kids.

00;01;23;10 - 00;01;27;14
Paul Sullivan
Welcome, Justin to the Comfort of Dads podcast.

00;01;27;16 - 00;01;31;26
Justin Breen
It's great to be here. I'm very excited to talk to you and see how we can collaborate.

00;01;31;28 - 00;01;42;26
Paul Sullivan
First question I did some time, in Chicago at the University of Chicago for graduate school, and I got to ask this. Cubs or White Sox?

00;01;42;28 - 00;02;02;11
Justin Breen
White Sox really? Oh, yeah. Yeah. So my bloodline is half North Shore liberal elite and half pure white trash. And, I actually like the pure white trash part of it. The blue collar aspect. I relate far more to White Sox fans. Them and Cubs fans.

00;02;02;14 - 00;02;19;27
Paul Sullivan
Wow. Okay, I married the one White Sox game I went to this year, years ago, and I was at Chicago. I got a home run. Fireworks were set off. I was like, that's pretty good. You know, so I can I get a lot of home runs, a lot of fireworks. So yes, we're going to talk about you as a dad today.

00;02;19;27 - 00;02;40;15
Paul Sullivan
We can talk about you as a PR pro. We're going to talk about your book. But you started in journalism and switched to PR, but not just any PR, PR where you wanted to have some impact. You had to make things happen off camera. You talked about, you know, being a guy of action. Why did you make that switch and have been pretty successful about how to go?

00;02;40;17 - 00;02;59;12
Justin Breen
Well, you're either born top entrepreneur on planet or you're not. I think most people would choose this life, but they, they don't have, you know, the courage or the guts or, you know, just. Oh, I'll just write the check to do it. They live in cost scarcity world, and they make excuses, and I just don't let it.

00;02;59;13 - 00;03;24;07
Justin Breen
That's illogical to me. So my father was 61 when I was born. World War two hero shot down multiple times in combat, many times without a parachute. He got back into a plane. So I'm like, that's you either can do that or you can't. Just endless grit. So, when I was a journalist, had a job, salary cut in half, couldn't find a job, incorporated with zero business background.

00;03;24;09 - 00;03;47;03
Justin Breen
And, for the next six weeks, I was working full time at half salary, reached out to 5000 people to find, first five clients. So one out of a thousand said yes. And less rejection. Thank God for his client. And then resigned the next day. And then Robert Feodor, who at that time was top media columnists in Midwest, had a story and started my own firm.

00;03;47;03 - 00;03;59;05
Justin Breen
So that was February 10th, 2017, to June 5th, 2017. So that's the equivalent of getting shot down in a plane without a parachute. You just get back into another plane.

00;03;59;08 - 00;04;19;29
Paul Sullivan
This maybe adds a whole new depth to your LinkedIn photo, which is you, intentionally, jumping out of a plane, strapped to some guy's belly. And I love this photograph. I studied it first. I looked at it like you have the look on your face that anybody would have on their face being, jumping out of plane.

00;04;20;01 - 00;04;36;06
Paul Sullivan
And the guy who is the pro at this is, of course, looking directly at the camera, smiling as relax, as relaxed could be. Why? After your dad was shot out of the plane many times, as you said, sometimes without a parachute, did you decide that you wanted to do the same thing?

00;04;36;08 - 00;04;45;27
Justin Breen
So, being an entrepreneur is like jumping out of a plane. You don't know if the is going to open. So I wanted to see what that actually felt like. So I did it.

00;04;46;00 - 00;04;47;14
Paul Sullivan
How did it feel.

00;04;47;16 - 00;05;11;04
Justin Breen
Like being an entrepreneur? Yeah, it was exhilarating. Scary. I don't like heights, so. But again, you just do it. So I just, There are two reasons. There are two reasons. My. So most of my day is talking to the world's top entrepreneurs. So not humans, not consultants, not small business owners, just top, top visionaries.

00;05;11;04 - 00;05;28;24
Justin Breen
And then simplifying into patterns. And there's so there's two reasons why people are miserable in life from a work perspective. One is they never find out what they like to do or what they're good at. So 8 to 10 hours a day, five days a week, they're doing something I don't like to do or not good at.

00;05;28;24 - 00;05;48;27
Justin Breen
That's not a good idea. And then two, which I really don't understand, they actually find out what they like to do and what they're good at, and they don't do anything about it. I don't why would you do that? So I just do it. And what separates entrepreneurs from humans? Business consultants, you know, all the small business owners, they just do it.

00;05;49;00 - 00;06;13;19
Justin Breen
They don't make excuses or ask, what do you cost or charge our nickel and dime their way through life. They just take action. And, and I, I just don't understand why you wouldn't do that. And then the people in my network and, the visionaries I talk to every single day, they don't understand it either. But entrepreneurs, most damage people with with best coping skills.

00;06;13;19 - 00;06;19;16
Justin Breen
So the highest IQ, highest seek, most God's most hustle, and then they just don't make excuses.

00;06;19;18 - 00;06;38;15
Paul Sullivan
I love it now, I read something here about you're probably gonna garble this, but I think you said and correct me when I if I screw this up, but that you're not great at coming up with ideas, but you're great. It's shaping stories. So, you know, people can come up with a good jillion ideas, and if they can't act on them, well, it's not really.

00;06;38;17 - 00;06;39;12
Justin Breen
What's the point?

00;06;39;17 - 00;06;49;11
Paul Sullivan
What's the point? Yeah. So talk to me about that. Not great at ideas, but great at shaping stories, which sounds like a, you know, perfect credentials to be a PR pro.

00;06;49;13 - 00;07;05;05
Justin Breen
Well, it's an interesting thing, I guess. Thank you for calling me a PR pro. I don't know what PR firms do. I was a journalist for 20 years and created entire company based on how PR firms annoyed me. So I guess if I'm a PR pro. Thanks. I don't even know what a PR firm is. I'm not kidding.

00;07;05;05 - 00;07;38;05
Justin Breen
So I never know what they do. Or, it's just they bother me. So I've created a solution to that. But, you know, I just, I just look at it. Entrepreneurs as aliens within their own family, community and verticals. The only people that understand us are top entrepreneurs on Planet. And a key distinction, I would say, between most of the entrepreneurs that I talk to in me is that most of them are, ADHD diagnosed or undiagnosed, not not a disorder sign a genius mislabeled by humans.

00;07;38;05 - 00;08;03;16
Justin Breen
And they're so they're endless. Idea, idea, idea, idea of shiny object, shiny object, shiny object, shiny object. And then. So they're the ones that create everything that help everyone else. And then there are 34 Gallup Cliftonstrengths finders. 32 out of 34 and ideation. So almost dead last. But what most humans would think is a weakness is actually a strength, because it's there is a great idea from an idea who's all over the place.

00;08;03;16 - 00;08;26;19
Justin Breen
I'm like, whoa, that's a good one. Most of them are bad, but if it's a great one, my top five strength finders are activate. Maximize. Achieve competition. Responsibility. So. Wow. Great idea. Activate. Maximize. Achieve competition. Responsibility. Result. Result. Result. Result. Result. So it's simplify and then go go go go go go go go. Simplify into a 500 word.

00;08;26;19 - 00;08;42;23
Justin Breen
Sorry. Go go go go and never stop ever. So I'm very endlessly grateful for the ideas and futurists that created everything that helps everyone else. And they're endlessly grateful for me because I can simplify all their blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah into an actionable thing and then never stop doing it.

00;08;42;26 - 00;08;58;20
Paul Sullivan
Yeah, but then you go and marry, somebody who's, you know, a completely normal person. She's a she's a pediatrician. How does that mix, work. Yeah. What are her strengths on that strength? Find her and, oh, them together.

00;08;58;22 - 00;09;22;06
Justin Breen
I level journalism brain there. I love it. So, so again, simplify into patterns. People like me not always, but usually marry stabilizing human. So I always ask people like me. So is your partner, a schoolteacher, a lawyer, an engineer, a nurse, a pediatrician, a social worker. And they're like, how did you know that? I go, well, imagine marrying yourself.

00;09;22;06 - 00;09;50;00
Justin Breen
That would. I wouldn't be a very good idea. That does happen. When that does happen, two things happen. One greatest life imaginable, going all over the world. Endless that more often than not, total disaster. Divorce because there's no, no stabilization. Okay, so that's one and then two. Her top three strength finders are harmony. Relator, achiever. So one, I'm almost disgusted with the fact that she's, one in harmony.

00;09;50;00 - 00;10;09;23
Justin Breen
I'm 31 out of, 34 in harmony. Two. She's a relator. I'm seventh in that. And then we're both three achievers, so we both want to achieve. She just does it with Harmony. I don't know how she does that, but it's amazing. And then. Oh, I'll I'll even double down on that. So unconscious motivators are Enneagram I'm an eight three.

00;10;09;23 - 00;10;27;18
Justin Breen
So that's a doer doer doer doer doer doer doer never that most great entrepreneurs that I talked to, they're eight threes or three eights because there's no overthinking. There's no what do you cost or charge? There's no none of that. You just execute. You jump out of a plane or get back into a plane, and then she's A26.

00;10;27;22 - 00;10;38;01
Justin Breen
So two is to be needed and appreciated. Six is to feel safe and secure. So that's a feeler thinker. And so that would not be the greatest entrepreneur.

00;10;38;01 - 00;10;40;10
Paul Sullivan
But but a pretty good pediatrician. I would ask.

00;10;40;13 - 00;10;47;17
Justin Breen
The best media tradition who believes in harmony, relating and achieving. So that's why it works.

00;10;47;19 - 00;11;11;16
Paul Sullivan
I love it, I love it. Let's talk about why a couple books out there, but I want to talk about, you know, the use the subtitle is, the, the starting off point from epic. Like how to build collaborative Global companies while putting your loved ones first. I mean, the company of dads, came out of, of covet with my belief that people would be working differently.

00;11;11;16 - 00;11;38;26
Paul Sullivan
And they are pretty good people in their 20s and 30s, and people in the 40s and 50s are writing the bullet bit with it. But there are plenty of, top CEOs who going out there and not taking this, collaborative approach, not taking this approach of, putting your family first. So unpack, impact the book and unpack, you know, how it applies to where we are in this present moment.

00;11;38;29 - 00;11;42;24
Justin Breen
You're a deep thinker. Are your parents Ivy League educated now?

00;11;42;24 - 00;11;45;00
Paul Sullivan
They're not. They're not college educated at all.

00;11;45;02 - 00;11;51;16
Justin Breen
It's interesting. So your brain is you have a deep, very high level IQ brain. Did you ever take your IQ?

00;11;51;18 - 00;11;56;17
Paul Sullivan
Never take my IQ financial aid kit. And went to prep school in financial aid. Went to college for financial aid.

00;11;56;18 - 00;12;14;14
Justin Breen
You're over 140. Yeah. So in Chicago, you never do. Yeah. A normal human could never do what you're doing. Yeah. So you're a high level, high level brain. That was not a compliment, by the way. That's just. There's no way you could be, like, where you are without that type. And do you have siblings?

00;12;14;17 - 00;12;17;26
Paul Sullivan
Only job.

00;12;17;28 - 00;12;24;21
Justin Breen
That's even more interesting. So you got your parents put something into you.

00;12;24;23 - 00;12;33;20
Paul Sullivan
It was horrible. Food is like tang and microwave pancakes because they were divorced and I had to let myself in. Oh, I had some good mentors. I had some good mentors as a kid.

00;12;33;21 - 00;13;00;22
Justin Breen
Somewhere along there, like, yeah, because there's not you couldn't of the. Okay, so, so my intuition is like so far off the charts and then I can't, I can barely hold a pencil, right. Like it's not, but I can see things in space. So and then I turn everything into a pattern. So this is what separates entrepreneurs from humans, business owners, whatever that world is, only entrepreneurs get.

00;13;00;24 - 00;13;24;13
Justin Breen
I have them at one. In the last two years, I haven't met one that hasn't been less than three of these things. But these are the four things almost everyone I talk to knows in all four. So the four things that separate entrepreneurs from humans are bankruptcy or potential bankruptcy two. Depression three. Highest level of anxiety that you can imagine four likely and or possible traumatic experiences as a child or young adult.

00;13;24;16 - 00;13;26;07
Justin Breen
So humans you're.

00;13;26;08 - 00;13;28;13
Paul Sullivan
You're really selling this. You're really selling this idea.

00;13;28;14 - 00;13;35;29
Justin Breen
Nothing to sell. There's nothing to sell. There's nothing. Well, you're high into it. I like you and I always.

00;13;35;29 - 00;13;46;19
Paul Sullivan
Say like, I wish sometimes I'd had a better childhood. Because if I had a better childhood, I just would have a normal job. And, I would have been content anywhere along the road before I got to where I am.

00;13;46;21 - 00;14;05;01
Justin Breen
Well, right. That's a human. So? So entrepreneurs are the most damaged people with the best coping skills. That's what they are. So. And then they use those coping skills to create all this stuff. And then many times they torch their family in the process. So I that's why I wrote Epic Life how to build collaborative Global companies while putting your loved ones first.

00;14;05;01 - 00;14;23;02
Justin Breen
People like what? Like how do you do that? Like, well, isn't that what you want to do? So that's why, you know, it's just the so again, formula for creating successful companies. Simple. As you see a problem creates solution problems sell successful global companies. So to me the book is just a successful global company. Sure.

00;14;23;04 - 00;14;30;23
Paul Sullivan
But you know there's so often guys who people form successful companies, global or not, they throw everything into it.

00;14;30;23 - 00;14;35;07
Justin Breen
It's it's most damage with best coping skills. And that's what they use the with the coke.

00;14;35;07 - 00;14;56;09
Paul Sullivan
Right. It's like catnip. And they can't let it go. And and it's all consuming. And the divorce rate is astronomical. And not just one divorce oftentimes two divorces a multiple. Yeah. And then they keep going, which shows, you know, no stand anything. So you don't want to do that. Who wants to build the world's best company and then get divorced and have your kids not talk to you anymore?

00;14;56;09 - 00;15;11;02
Paul Sullivan
So how logical, illogical. Don't do logical things. So the collaborative approach, how do you inject that into it. Not just build the greatest mousetrap of all time, but build the greatest mousetrap and not have it, land on you and cut off your legs while you're trying.

00;15;11;02 - 00;15;30;12
Justin Breen
Okay, so there's two things. Two things. So, all joking aside, and I mean this seriously, most of the people that I've talked to that have done it right have married a stabilizing human. That is. That's one. Hey, don't forget to pick your kids up. Here's a calendar item. Do this today. I'm endlessly. The first thing I do every day is a grateful journal to my wife.

00;15;30;12 - 00;15;55;05
Justin Breen
Without her very bad situation to. And I appreciate the question. The chapter in the book that that, to me, helps answer, or at least gets the thought process going is the winning winning the wrong game chapter. And, I was talking to one of my, genius friends, Jesse Elder. Who is it? He was a genius. I mean, he's full genius.

00;15;55;08 - 00;16;22;24
Justin Breen
And, I was asking him, like, why did this? Entrepreneurs, they care about all the cars and all this house and all this stuff. He's like, oh, they're just winning the winning the wrong game. I'm like, oh, that's a good idea. I'll read a chapter about that. So entrepreneurs without exception again entrepreneur. Very smart, very smart. Like off the charts IQ, IQ like off the charts and asking that one question what game are you actually winning?

00;16;22;27 - 00;16;42;06
Justin Breen
That's the start of getting the thought process going, because most of the time in those cases where it's damage or disaster, one, they did marry stabilizing him. And two, they're not even asking themselves the question that actually matters. So if they can stop and actually think and ask themselves that question, that's the first step.

00;16;42;08 - 00;16;49;27
Paul Sullivan
Okay. Keep going. What's the second step. You can't just say one step. Come on. We know this is all it has to be an odd number. So what's step two.

00;16;50;00 - 00;16;52;14
Justin Breen
One is an odd number. Yeah I mean I know you can't.

00;16;52;14 - 00;16;54;20
Paul Sullivan
You don't just have you never have a book one.

00;16;54;20 - 00;17;00;23
Justin Breen
Well there's 30 years 30 of them. And that's chapter one is that you want me to just not.

00;17;00;23 - 00;17;21;28
Paul Sullivan
Only run through them all, I know come in because I think this is what's going to be interesting to, you know, to lead dads and men to do out there. They're trying to think differently. They want to achieve professional success, but they want to be present for their children. And and ideally, good spouses is as well. And, you know, they don't want any of this to be mutually exclusive.

00;17;21;28 - 00;17;25;04
Paul Sullivan
So how do they. Okay, great. Good that at.

00;17;25;06 - 00;17;47;06
Justin Breen
So I actually said two steps in the first one, but gratitude journal. So the first thing I do every single day, gratitude, gratitude journal toward my, for my wife, Monday through Friday, five days a week, gratitude journal on LinkedIn. I'll include this in that, what I'm grateful for on LinkedIn. Six days a week run outside no matter the weather conditions.

00;17;47;06 - 00;18;11;03
Justin Breen
We live in Chicago. Horrible weather, as you know. Doesn't matter. I've done that for 20 years. And then listen to shows like this. So you're feeding brain, lungs, heart, with gratitude. And so when you're constantly grateful, it's hard to be ungrateful. I was just on a show this week, and, very grateful for the host, because he really made me think about it.

00;18;11;06 - 00;18;34;24
Justin Breen
Gratitude, to me, is the equivalent in a mindset of marrying a stabilizing human. Gratitude is almost a stabilizer. In fact, it is to me. Gratitude is a stabilizer for the entrepreneur life, which is anxiety. Go go go go go go go. The depression, potential bankruptcy, trauma as a child, that gratitude is like a stable it it's like marrying a stabilizing human.

00;18;34;24 - 00;19;08;10
Justin Breen
It's really fascinating to to see that, three one of the chapters or four. I don't even know how many steps are done. So, find your B&Bs or have your B&Bs find you. So, I'm in a entrepreneurial group called, Strategic Coach. Very confident, saying, on top, if not top entrepreneur groups in the world, that is co-founded by Dan Sullivan, who's genius entrepreneur, and co-founder is his wife, business partner Bev Smith, who's backstage integrator, but a visionary.

00;19;08;10 - 00;19;31;10
Justin Breen
So for a second company, I needed to find my BEVs. And my Babbage's, man named Mark Fujiwara, who's also a dad who happens to be an entrepreneur. And he's a pure integrator who has a giant vision. So he's the one that's built our high price point, invite only connectivity platform. He does all that stuff, and then I just get to stay in my unique ability zone of genius at all times.

00;19;31;13 - 00;19;37;19
Paul Sullivan
But that's another thing you see of staying in your own unique abilities. I'll leave aside the fact that you call your partner Babs, because that's a little weird.

00;19;37;25 - 00;19;41;13
Justin Breen
I did the first time. I'm like, oh my God, you're my Babs. I wrote that in the book.

00;19;41;13 - 00;19;59;00
Paul Sullivan
And it's yeah, even. Yeah. And yet he's still you, and yet he's still your partner. So that's saying something. But, you know, too many people think, you know, I knew from the beginning of this that I needed a partner in the company, that who knew all the things they didn't know. And I found this guy and Evan Roosevelt.

00;19;59;00 - 00;20;06;26
Paul Sullivan
And it's worked out great because he knows what I don't know. And a lot of people don't do that. They try to say, okay, I'm going to figure all of this out.

00;20;06;26 - 00;20;08;06
Justin Breen
My bad idea.

00;20;08;09 - 00;20;20;27
Paul Sullivan
Bad idea, illogical, as you would say. And so what do you how do you keep your for doing? Because I also think the same way about, you know, therapy. Why not see a therapist? We have a problem. Why do you think you can figure this out? You know, all on your own, every every.

00;20;21;00 - 00;20;53;28
Justin Breen
Well, every human. I hate using the word should. I really hate using that? But every human should see a therapist, every entrepreneur who doesn't see it there. I mean, that is an essential I mean, that's an essential. I mean, that's I mean, because entrepreneurs most damaged people the most with the best, you know, difference between entrepreneur and a prisoner and offenders, the higher IQ, IQ, that's what that's really and and you know, you you've interviewed top wealth, top athletes, top.

00;20;54;01 - 00;21;20;22
Justin Breen
So and then I was a, journalist, for 20 years, that basically every job you can imagine. So saw interviewed top people. I've only seen to only only to the same traits with the top athlete, the top entrepreneur, the top actor, the top musician, whatever. The top thing is only two commonalities. One, they had the same mindset.

00;21;20;25 - 00;21;43;04
Justin Breen
No excuses. Do whatever it takes. No excuses. No, none. The second one, the second one is that they had at least one person. And you've kind of already told me what was for you if it wasn't your parents, but they had at least one person, whether it was a mentor, a coach, an aunt or uncle, whatever that is.

00;21;43;04 - 00;22;04;26
Justin Breen
Had that genuinely believed or cared about them. I have not met anyone yet at this level that had zero people care about them in that way. That'd be interest. Maybe you have. I haven't yet. I'd like to meet that person. But I think many of the offenders are prisoners. One, they don't have the IQ, but two, they didn't have anyone that cared about or believed in them.

00;22;04;28 - 00;22;21;18
Paul Sullivan
I interviewed a guy years ago when I was at the phone. At times, this is 20 years ago. And, he had gone to jail for committing the largest fraud in Nevada history. And if you think of the state of Nevada, that's saying something, you know, it's like the largest fraud in like, North Dakota history, like. Yeah. Yeah.

00;22;21;18 - 00;22;24;08
Paul Sullivan
And I mean, it's kind of smart, I don't know, but like Nevada.

00;22;24;11 - 00;22;25;08
Justin Breen
Hispanics.

00;22;25;11 - 00;22;44;15
Paul Sullivan
He he could he goes to jail. Of course he organizes all the different prisoners, starts teaching them things. Super smart guy gets out of jail, out of prison, even. And Jag is out of prison. In a halfway house. Starts working at a sporting goods stop shop. He has lower Manhattan. Highest. Nobody's ever sold more.

00;22;44;21 - 00;22;45;20
Paul Sullivan
He was cause.

00;22;45;23 - 00;22;47;27
Justin Breen
Like, whatever, ten quick start. He's a ten.

00;22;47;27 - 00;23;04;20
Paul Sullivan
Quits selling signs. That, of course, gets out down here from the guy every year. Jet back here with them a few years later, back in prison, you know, and he just. But super high IQ guy PhD in marketing. But he didn't have anybody who who cared for him, which is no family.

00;23;04;20 - 00;23;30;28
Justin Breen
Did he have a family. Yeah. Oh yeah. So he okay. So his IQ. Okay. So that's a really good story. Not surprising at all. So, IQ, I like, my wife gets annoyed, but I see the world in numbers, so, IQ 140 and above is genius. That's less than 1% of the population. The lowest IQ of anyone I've talked to in the last two years.

00;23;30;28 - 00;23;59;24
Justin Breen
That where they knew it was 131. Almost everyone I talked to was over 140. When you get over 160, which that guy has, he's definitely over 160. There's no human understanding like those people really struggle. And then I'm, I'm 139. So it's a bridge between genius and human, so can keep up and then I'm barely human. But that person's over 160, maybe over like 180, which I don't say lately.

00;23;59;27 - 00;24;19;29
Paul Sullivan
But when you talk about this, you know, the power of mentors, you know, the company of dads. We're talking about fathers and how we get fathers more involved, but also really how we allow fathers to, to work as, as fathers and not as, you know, we want them to be what we call lead dads. Not all right, event dads, an event that occurs just, you know, ballet recital.

00;24;19;29 - 00;24;38;18
Paul Sullivan
They get to go out lead dad, you're actually actually involved. You're that mentor. And and parent. But how do you when you're working with these top entrepreneurs, how do you have that conversation with them to say that they don't have a life that's balance is a life of imbalance, and that's leading to their success. How do you get them to sort of realize that there needs to be oh, connectivity?

00;24;38;18 - 00;24;41;26
Paul Sullivan
Oh, they're family.

00;24;41;28 - 00;25;10;14
Justin Breen
Well, that's a good that's a good question. So this is how it works in my brain. And again, I think it's the first step because consciously, unconsciously, they're not even aware of what's going on. So I know when it's someone like that, when they talk about all this stuff or they're like, exit or they're they just been a big exit or and then, then I then there's two things that happen when I go.

00;25;10;14 - 00;25;37;13
Justin Breen
I talk about the four things, the four things. And then always I'll hear a story like the like something with the person you just described. I just got off the phone with an eight quick start. Who started? Started a massive company to help entrepreneurial families and then through real estate. And they have hundreds of millions of dollars.

00;25;37;13 - 00;26;04;17
Justin Breen
But she was, her father, incarcerated, beat her and her mom up when she was a child. And, and then, then her previous has been very abusive and then married, her husband now of, 13 years. And then he adopted her two young children at the time. Now they're teenagers. And then they, you know, they hundreds of million dollar company.

00;26;04;17 - 00;26;25;28
Justin Breen
So but they started it because of that. All of that, all that trauma. So there's two things. When it's someone who who hasn't created something like that yet or they're creating something like your, your friend and for different maybe not a friend, but the person you interviewed in Las Vegas. But like so I go, okay, how's your family?

00;26;26;00 - 00;26;42;14
Justin Breen
How's your how's your family when they ramble on for all this stuff that they're up to, how's your family? And then many times they're like, oh, I never I don't see my family or never had a family. And it gets them to to think about that because again, if you can get them to even think about it, because again, most of the world doesn't ask them those questions, right?

00;26;42;15 - 00;27;07;09
Justin Breen
They don't they don't ask that. They talk about, oh, your business is doing so great. Oh, you're you know, oh, wow. Look at all this stuff that you're doing. I don't I don't think like that. And obviously you don't either. And how I think we relate here is because when you're a journalist you don't I mean, I don't think I don't think you did, I didn't you don't get into journalism for employee account revenue office space, finances.

00;27;07;11 - 00;27;30;05
Justin Breen
You interview a lot of really wealthy people. That's not why you, you know. So for me, it's always been about purpose. Extension of extension of purpose. So that's all the all the companies are what I have found. Those the only people that understand what I'm talking about, our top entrepreneurs on the planet. So I'm like, well, I mean, it's pointless conversation if you're talking to someone who doesn't understand you.

00;27;30;11 - 00;27;35;10
Justin Breen
So I just talk to people who understand what I'm talking about, and they're the only ones I can learn anything from.

00;27;35;13 - 00;28;05;04
Paul Sullivan
Yeah. But coming back to the question I asked about, you know, their connection to their their children and their connection to, you know, that needing a life of of purpose, if they're not, it's that's not part of their hardwiring. How do you work with them so it becomes, you know, more important so that they're two, three, four or however many kids, you know, spouse are not just, you know, an adornment no different than, a big yacht or, a fourth house.

00;28;05;07 - 00;28;30;00
Justin Breen
So that's so fascinating in terms of how I personally work with them, what my firm actually does. So and this is this why I like doing this? Because you get me to think about what it actually means. This is how I learn in real time. So my firm, all it does is simplify a story of the trauma or, you know, whatever.

00;28;30;00 - 00;29;07;09
Justin Breen
That is why they what inspires them. It simplifies it. And then they get to talk to other people like us and they get to talk about it. So I really appreciate you asking that, because I think that's how I actually help them, because they get to discuss it of what their entrepreneurial journey actually means. And in the case of they've actually torched their family in the process, they get to think about that and maybe second time around or hey, now, here's a chance to make up for it, because we we don't we just don't partner with people that are strictly business.

00;29;07;10 - 00;29;34;13
Justin Breen
It just doesn't. It would never get through the first meeting process where we'd ever partner with someone like that, who doesn't, who doesn't want to put their family first or build something meaningful. It would just never happen. But I think it genuinely helps these folks, because all I hear is we're tired of being best secret. And I think the secrets of the actual trauma is, I think, what they actually want to talk about, and this allows them to do that.

00;29;34;13 - 00;29;38;04
Justin Breen
So thank you very much for asking that. I really appreciate it.

00;29;38;06 - 00;29;52;00
Paul Sullivan
And so let's talk about you a bit. Let's wrap it up. This has been a good, chat 52 dates in 52 weeks. It was a New Year's resolution version. Where do you go on number 37?

00;29;52;02 - 00;29;53;18
Justin Breen
Why do you ask? 37?

00;29;53;21 - 00;29;58;10
Paul Sullivan
Because you said you like numbers. You think a numbers?

00;29;58;12 - 00;30;17;23
Justin Breen
That's not what I think about. Went on number 52. We went to Oriel, which is I think it's a three star Michelin restaurant. Chicago. And know that my numbers, I look at someone's call me score or their Enneagram or their print and then keywords like strength finders. All right.

00;30;17;25 - 00;30;36;02
Paul Sullivan
When I go back down that rabbit hole, back to the date. This is a romantic idea. And you get your wife to commit to this. You do actually do it. She's a pediatrician. You've got two kids. How do you do that? There have to be nights when you know one of you are sick. You don't want to go out and do this.

00;30;36;05 - 00;30;40;20
Paul Sullivan
How do you pull it off? What was. You know, what was the. How'd you do it?

00;30;40;22 - 00;30;46;01
Justin Breen
You just didn't know. You just there. Entrepreneurs don't make you do it.

00;30;46;01 - 00;30;55;19
Paul Sullivan
This is not being on here. It's about being a husband. What it takes. Are you you. She's sick. And you're like, come on, get in the car. We're going. You can just, you know, sneeze on the far garage.

00;30;55;22 - 00;31;07;18
Justin Breen
I mean, one should we? Neither of us ever are really sick. The bigger issues were like finding a babysitter and yeah, you know, but no, I don't.

00;31;07;20 - 00;31;10;18
Paul Sullivan
Was it always the same night of the week? Did you. Did you move it around?

00;31;10;18 - 00;31;12;29
Justin Breen
No, no, it was moved around here.

00;31;13;02 - 00;31;20;03
Paul Sullivan
A lot of them were in Chicagoland. I looked at the map. But you got out? Yeah. One down in Florida, one a little bar. Miami.

00;31;20;06 - 00;31;21;03
Justin Breen
Jackson, Hawaii.

00;31;21;09 - 00;31;22;13
Paul Sullivan
Yeah.

00;31;22;16 - 00;31;42;14
Justin Breen
I think there might have been one in Wisconsin. I think so, but you live in Chicago, so we weren't flying around the world. We could. That's not a bad idea. Maybe we'll do that next time. But but yeah, we were, but it was always a different restaurant. It was never the same roaster.

00;31;42;16 - 00;31;45;18
Paul Sullivan
So how many of those were in the greater Chicago area? Right.

00;31;45;22 - 00;31;47;18
Justin Breen
So most of them. Most of them.

00;31;47;25 - 00;31;54;29
Paul Sullivan
So you're talking like 45, 48 restaurants in Chicago. Do you ever repeat one or do you know?

00;31;55;01 - 00;31;58;24
Justin Breen
No, never. I always different.

00;31;58;26 - 00;32;03;25
Paul Sullivan
What did you learn from doing it?

00;32;03;28 - 00;32;29;00
Justin Breen
I mean, that's such a simple question, right? But, my wife and I, our first date was the day before she started medical school. So you don't date anyone then? And then, and then we had children and and, I was a journalist and journalist. Hours are terrible, as you know, most many times. So that was the first time we really dated.

00;32;29;02 - 00;32;41;03
Justin Breen
And, I mean, I learned so many things. I learned how much I really like my wife, and love her, but really just enjoy talking to her.

00;32;41;05 - 00;32;46;26
Paul Sullivan
Is there going to be a sequel?

00;32;46;29 - 00;33;12;21
Justin Breen
Well, I mean, we're doing a lot of cool trips together. Really? I know we're going to Necker Island in a couple months. Got invited to do that. That'll be that'll be fun. That's for dead dad printers. Most of us are bringing our spouses or partners and. I just, I'm just so endlessly grateful for. For my wife every single day.

00;33;12;23 - 00;33;15;25
Justin Breen
So that to me, that's my sequel.

00;33;15;28 - 00;33;24;26
Paul Sullivan
I love it. Yeah. Justin Brain, thank you for being my guest today on the Company Dad's podcast.

00;33;24;28 - 00;33;29;14
Justin Breen
I really appreciate your questions. You really got me to think a lot. So thank you so much.

00;33;29;17 - 00;33;58;07
Paul Sullivan
Thank you for listening to the Company of Dad's podcast. I also want to thank the people who make this podcast and everything else that we do. The company that possible, Helder Mira, who is our audio producer Lindsay Decker, handles all of our social media. Terry Brennan, who's helping us with the newsletter and audience acquisition, Emily Servin, who is our web maestro, and of course, Evan Roosevelt, who is working side by side with me on many of the things that we do here at the Company of Dad.

00;33;58;07 - 00;34;12;18
Paul Sullivan
It's a great team. And we're we're just trying to bring you the best in fatherhood. Remember, the one stop shop for everything is our newsletter, the dad. Sign up at the Company of dads.com backslash. The dad. Thank you again for listening.