Dragon's Gold: The Magic of Mindset

From Burnout to Balance: Kenny Johnson's Journey from Landscaping to Legacy

• Justin Mills • Season 1 • Episode 7

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🎙️ Episode Summary:

In this episode of Dragon's Gold: The Magic of Mindset, Justin Mills speaks with Kenny Johnson, founder of East West Capital and host of The Invested Fathers podcast. Kenny shares his inspiring journey from working 80-hour weeks in landscaping to finding his "thrive zone" in real estate and fatherhood. He opens up about overcoming personal and professional challenges, building a legacy, and the importance of putting family first.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

  • How Kenny transitioned from burnout in landscaping to success in real estate.
  • The value of collaboration and finding your thrive zone.
  • Why family and fatherhood are the ultimate motivators.
  • Lessons learned from balancing risk, resilience, and relationships.

📚 Tools & Weapons:

  • Who Not How by Dan Sullivan
  • Kenny’s mantra: "Every yes is a thousand no's."

🔗 Links & Resources:

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At Gold Dragon Investments, our mission is to bring joy to others by helping them win the game of investing — helping every client become the hero of their financial journey. We believe that wealth is a tool, but joy is the ultimate outcome.
Through meaningful partnerships, we strive to empower our investors to create freedom, and build lasting legacies of purpose, fulfillment, and wealth.

Join Us on the Adventure:

Welcome ladies and gentlemen once again to another episode of Dragon's Gold:

The Magic of Mindset. Today I am honored to have the guest, also a host of an amazing podcast called The Invested Fathers and founder of East West Capital. Kenny Johnson, welcome my friend to Dragon's Gold. Justin, it is so good to be here at Dragon's Gold Man. I came ready. I wasn't sure what I was going to face today, so I wanted to make sure I was fully equipped. I can see that my friend and absolutely without question, you will be able to defend and protect as every good father should, right? And do it with style. So I love it. we get a, so your son Moses was the artist who helped to emboss that shield with such majesty. Would you mind holding it closer to the camera so everyone can see? Yeah, for those that maybe are just listening to the car or working out right now, I've come with a shield and a sword. Thankfully, I was able to borrow these from my eight-year-old son. They were very accessible. And also, this wig that I'm wearing right now resurfaces for most costume parties or Halloweens or anything. This is what I normally choose. I love it my friend, it's amazing. You by far have come with the best style so far in any interview I've done so it's amazing. Well Kenny my friend let's dive in. We're gonna start with the origin story my friend. Take us back to the beginning. Where did the journey start for Kenny Johnson? Yeah, the origin story. I think I want to start where we graduated, I graduated college 2010 and I had a serious lack of direction of what I wanted to do with my life. Some of these, some of my friends, maybe yourself, you you go through your high school years, college years, and you kind of have a path of like where you're going and what you want to do. I thought I wanted to be a creative director and like a graphic design art guy. because that was something I enjoyed growing up and I saw some friends doing it that I thought was pretty cool. And pretty much the day I graduated from college with a bachelor's in graphic design, I realized I do not want to be at a computer all day and this is not what I want to do. So I was what I would call directionless as I ventured into the real world. Thankfully I was not engaged but seriously dating somebody. That was one big takeaway from college and was really just looking for a job doing really anything that I felt like could support a future wife. So after a few just six months sort of hopping around jobs, I ended up working with a friend who did landscaping of all things. Not that I loved landscaping. In fact, I would probably say I hated landscaping to a degree, but he was a good friend of mine and he was looking for some help for a year. He gave me a... know, starting salary and it was $30,000. And that number was enough for me to say, you know what, this is great, we're going for it. This is back in, I don't know, 2011, 2012. So did that job for almost 10 years. And when my son was three, of course I fast forwarded a lot of stuff, but I turned 30 and this lightning bolt moment of what am I doing with my life? finances have actually been, I mean, got steady pay increases almost every year. Like finances were somewhat good and comfortable, but my time was the factor of, no freedom at all. it was very demanding. when I was younger and didn't have as much responsibilities at home, I didn't really care about, kind of enjoyed working, you know, 60 to 80 hours a week, three hour commutes, just working in the evenings with, you know, emailing customers and whatnot. But that was how everything started, where I felt a pain point to find a way to have more freedom of time. And I ended up getting into real estate. So that was what the entry point was, and we can go more into what I've been doing since then, but that's how I started. That's awesome. Thank you for sharing that. And absolutely, I want to go further into pain points. And I know sometimes that's hard to relive, but I think it's so valuable for people to realize that it takes a point where the pain is greater. than the pain of change, right? I.e. it's better to do the change and have to finally find a way to make something different because we realize that things aren't sustainable. so understanding that, and I love how you shared that, I call it the leap of action, right? We're taking action. You found that there was something greater. You had to take that change, right? Your family. What are some of the trials and obstacles that you've experienced along the way, not just through college and through the landscaping, et cetera, but also in your business that you've now founded, what are some of the things that you've had to overcome in that? Okay, I want to touch on that leap of faith, know, final straw moment pain point. I am a believer that you will not make a change in your life if there is not enough pain, like you said, to move. I know I could have stayed at this job for 30 years because financially it was paying the bills. And I did enjoy a level of the customer service. and like the role I was playing in this job, but the values of what I was missing at home far outweighed those comforts and even like coasting of my time. So when we talk about the struggles, the challenges, the obstacles that had to be overcome, starting a new thing, anything, starting real estate investing, I would have never thought that would have been like my next career pivot after being a customer service guy for 10 years. But it was exactly what I needed. it was, maybe it could have been another, maybe not real estate investing, maybe there could have been another business I wouldn't have started, but real estate was what I stumbled into. And the obstacles that I would say were the biggest were at home. My marriage was suffering because I just wasn't around a lot. My son has a dairy allergy that as a new mom, It was sort of a bomb that was dropped on my wife that we couldn't have certain things. And if he did have certain things, he might die, is what the doctor had told her. And just that like EpiPen, just sort of that fear. And as a married couple, you wanna go through these things together. And I wasn't engaged with her on that. I'm the kind of guy who, everything's gonna be fine, very optimistic. You know, there's nothing bad can happen to us. You know, we're kind of invincible and that was not helpful for my wife. So as those things were happening and then I started realizing as you know, my son turned three, I don't, you know, I see him like for an hour or so a day. And then even on the weekends, I occasionally have to work. Those were the obstacles that I had to overcome in regards to like, how can I find a way to be present at home, you know, be able to provide. not just money, but myself into these two people, my wife and my son. So that was the strongest change that I knew had to happen. And maybe the next biggest obstacle was figure out how to do that and using real estate. It was a new hat, a new role. Actually, it was a lot of people work, you know, talking with distressed sellers or bankers, and I love working with people. So in that way I was able to sort of slide the hat of a customer service salesman for a landscaping company to, I'll buy your house and I want to help and let me find a way to get this done. I think it's so important in what you just said about finding skill sets that you have and then how you can align them to whatever you're trying to do, whatever your passion is, whatever your business is, whatever you are growing with and finding that strength and then leading into it. In addition, and I think this is even more powerful, is that you're in everything you were doing, you were trying to add value or to help people. In that customer service aspect, were trying to... The things that you did had these ripples that benefit not just you for the job and getting paid and having to feed your family, which is of course, criteria requirement, but also the value that you brought to other people and what you were able to help them with. Yeah, I mean, think that's one of the things that you think about. What am I supposed to do with my life? What's my calling? What is my thrive zone? I don't know exactly the audience that's, have they already figured out all these things and it's just sort of like reflective to hear me say this, but that's a really big road to cross. And once you can figure out that answer, like what should I be doing? And that self-awareness and knowing your strengths. Then it's just, okay, like you said, how do you use that and can it make money to provide for my family? That was sort of the golden moment for me was figuring out I can use these strengths that I already have and buy these houses and not even use, there's nuts and bolts on how to buy a house with or without your own money. And once you can sort of that out through really experience. Obviously you can read a lot and educate yourself, but it takes you to take action and do it You feel How so powerful you got to be equipped and bring some power to to face the foes I love that and it's so on brand. appreciate it. The thing that I think about what you said is, know, knowledge itself is not power. You can read all the books in the world, but if you don't apply it, right, it doesn't have that power. But applying knowledge, applied knowledge is power and taking the time to learn it, right? To get that, to equip yourself with the right weapons and tools and then, and then going out to use them, right? And I think that's one of the biggest barriers for, mean, other investors out there or people who are wanting to be operators, wanting to pivot, wanting to invest in these syndications or these things that are scary or risky or sort of unknown. You educate, you educate, you educate, and then you act. And the people that aren't acting are the ones that are not reaping the benefits of what it could be. What could be there? Absolutely. So along the journeys that we take, it's not alone. There are people that go with us and we're allies, mentors, right? The fellowship that goes along with us on our journey. Who have you found in your experience has been someone that has been inspirational or helpful along the way? You know, the three people came to my mind, first was my wife. She is my companion, the Samwise to my Frodo in regards to full support. I was doing something pretty risky. I mean, I had already been leaving, you know, for hours throughout the week. She's raising our child. She's making our house at home, you know, and just completing me in so many different ways. And she has been. Obviously my rock through times of uncertainty and the life of an entrepreneur has a ton of uncertainty So from leaving this W2 job with a two-week steady paycheck To we're gonna try this other thing over here And I'm be doing it while I'm still working this paycheck. It was I put her through a lot early on Now we knew what the goals were and we knew why I was doing it So that made it worth it, but she was instrumental in me sort of solopreneur-ing this new venture of buying real estate. The next person I would say back to the family is my son. He's eight now, his name is Moses, and he has been such a driver for me not only providing again financially, but like teaching him values. It's kind of like understanding what does success look like. I think that's a big question that a lot of people get lost in. It sort of maybe starts. in some good values, good motives, like clear vision. And then along the way, it maybe fades and becomes like, rather a rat race or a who's got more money, keeping up with the Joneses, like all sorts of things that I still fall prey to. I still struggle with these things that sort of get me off track. But the more time I'm with my son and I have a daughter now as well, Daphne, who's three. They always bring me back to, I feel like this is matters in life. So those have been instrumental in the motivation and sort of why are you doing what you're doing, especially when it gets hard. Tactically, I think that we need, I have learned about myself, I need collaboration. am not the kind of guy to be the pioneer, to just go up the hill, figure out where we're going. and then bring everyone with me. I'm the support role or the like, hey, let's go together, we're a team. So I've had multiple partners along my journey, a builder, electrician, other investors who I have just pinged and collaborated with and hitched my wagon to theirs to help me get where I'm going. And I fully embrace that and... I think there was a time where I was stubborn and maybe prideful about like, no, I can do this on my own. Like, I'm okay. I can be tough. I can get my teeth and just do this. But the fellowship would never have made it with, you know, just Frodo in the Lord of the Rings. And I know I would be in my bed, watching TV, poor, unhappy without all the people in my life that have helped bring me. you know, bring me along if you want to say that through this real estate investing. So in, and I love the fellowship reference like truly, right? On so many levels, the reference in that regard, something that I love that you said was about how Moses, right? Being an ally in that example, someone, not just that, someone that you want to do. well for and someone that inspires you because you want to be a wonderful father, which with everything that I know about you, there's no doubt my friend, you are an amazing father. Truly a wonderful example for so many men. My thought about enthusiasm is common, but endurance is rare. And to take and find something that inspires you to keep going when that monotony hits or when the trouble hits and you feel weighed down. To find your reason, your why, the thing that pushes you and helps to stoke that flame and push you forward to achieve whatever your desire is, whatever your dream is. And it's not just about you, right? It's bigger than you. The reason that you're doing it for you and your family right your wife your son your daughter They're lucky to have you my friend Thank you. Yeah, and I mean, when I start doing, when I start putting my head down and just saying like, you know, I just got to figure this out. Sort of, you know, there's a book, Who Not How? And that meant how did like, just, you know, how can I get this done? How am I able to push through this? Nine times out of 10, I'm always falling short. Or I'm just really frustrated about it. But when I can connect with people and use the motivations in your core of like, this is who you are, this is your values, these are the people you're doing this for, it's a powerful combination that I feel like just that, least the way I'm wired makes the difference. Totally respect that and I align with it myself the idea about collaboration, right You felt inspired by the people that you worked with that you and you I think frankly also inspired them, right? It's a two-way street and it it's it the fact that you put in that time energy and that you wanted to be Successful, but that you are you recognize other people's strengths you together Right, the quote, a rising tide lifts all boats, right? So in that collaboration by putting your heads together and pushing yourself forward, you are not the only one who benefited from that, right? They did as well. And also the lives that you touched, the things that you were able to do together, right? Those people benefited as well. So I think that that's really something that should be remembered in that. everything that we do there are ripples there are waves that come off of that right and and whose lives you touch you may not always see but you have a huge impact them whether you recognize it or not Justin, let me tell you one of the biggest lessons I learned from my dad growing up was that concept of win-win. Is this a relationship? Is this an agreement where it's win-win? We're both benefiting from the way this is aligned, the goals that we have? Or is this a win-lose where you might end up on top here and I might get less of the pie or less of the returns? That mentality will quickly halt you. And I know people, I can think of people right now that just the way they interact, it just seems win-lose. Like, you know, if this is good for me, I'm gonna do it. And I don't really care about anyone else. And I've never seen success in that. I just love that it's a requirement at any time I do business. It doesn't matter if you're like, I'm buying a house from you or you're the banker and I'm dealing with your terms. If you're another investor, if you're the contractor, if it's not a win-win here, like, what are we doing? It doesn't make sense. It won't last, it may last for a little bit. So that concept of win-win has been something that stuck with me from my dad in regards to how do you do business. Wonderful lesson, absolutely. And in that win-win, when people that do focus on that win-lose mentality, or what's in it for me, and as long as I walk away with the W, like, unfortunately, may benefit them at the time, but the reality is it's not sustainable, and very commonly, you burn bridges in relationships, right? And beyond just end goal, beyond just the victory or the loss, It's the journey. When you operate with an intention of a win-win, when you go forward literally trying to make sure that everyone feels good about that situation and walks away with some benefit of that opportunity, even if it is at the cost of you having a greater piece of that pie, to use the example, the reality is you all enjoy the meal together, you all enjoy the journey, you all enjoy the experience more, right? to follow along that same thought, then ultimately you get invited to more dinners, right? So when you go and you create those situations, those opportunities where everybody's winning, the next time an opportunity is presented, you get invited right along the way. And your journey becomes even more in depth and enriching. Whereas the other people that operate at other people's cost, those are the people that don't get the invitation, right? So I think that that win-win mentality is so valuable and enriching and something that I think everybody should really aspire to. Justin, when I had you on the show, The Invasive Fathers, a month or two ago, you brought such energy and such, you were ready, you had, I don't know, mean, you look ready now. The hair's good, the shirt, everything's great. And I think I just respect that so much about you in the way you present yourself, the way you show up, even to an interaction where I didn't know you at all, more or less, just a few messages before then. That sends a big message and I think that's also part of the give, the experience that we're talking about. It's kind of like, I wanna make sure I'm taking care of you. I'm listening to what you're saying. I'm aware of the feedback I'm receiving from you and you've presented yourself as someone who lives that from the first time I met you. Very grateful for that. Thank you. I'm gonna ask, this may be a hard question and I hope I don't strike too deep on a nerve, but I think we all have a moment in our life, I call it the darkest hour. Something where based on the experiences you've had, you're just, you're done. You wanna throw in the towel, you go back to that basic W-2 or leave a relationship or whatever it may be. What do you think or remember? What would you call as one of your darkest hours and how did you overcome it? my first thought was, life was so hard working on Saturdays, you know, physically taxing myself 60 to 70, 80 hours a week on this job and just physically being, you know, at a hard spot. What I think was harder was... You know again, I turned 30 and I was very unhappy with the trajectory of my relationships with my most closest people my wife and my son It seemed disconnected There was not a rich growing healthy Future I feel like with what I was doing. So if I could say what was the darkest hour for me? I feel like there was such frustration and hurt and disconnect with me and my wife during those hard times of work being my god or my idol or just what I was supposed to do. And that was a self-inflicted thing. That was something that I was choosing. That put me in a position of uncertainty and confusion of like, am I supposed to do? But I just knew I needed to change. So, you we touched a little bit on that. You know, who's been motivational for you and things that my son has also spurred me along, but I don't ever want to go back there. I never want work anything to come between the relationships with the people that I care about most. And I'm a firm believer in you are the one that chooses. Take responsibility for your actions. I do not have a victim mentality. I do not feel like, you know, just this is the cards that were dealt to me. just gotta, I guess, play what's in my hand. If something's not working for you, you need to change it. And you have control to change it. And it may not be an easy adjustment or change that needs to happen, but you've gotta sometimes take risks. And you've gotta... I would tell myself, I'm betting on myself on this one. There are some risks that are about to happen with me leaving this job or borrowing this money or whatever it is, but I'm not gonna let this down because I know how I am wired and I will find a way to make this thing work. That was my mentality on my first few flips. I did three real estate deals in the first six months of me figuring out what I was doing and I felt extreme amount of pressure. to make this work while I was working at that other job. honestly, that was some of the best times of my life, feeling so uncomfortable and so risk, taking those risks lit my fire to like, to make those changes happen. And so thankful that everything worked out. Number one, my wife and my kids, we have a great relationship today, but. Not that all our problems are solved, we still have financial struggles and we still have things that we want to change, but man, the most important things are taken care of. That's amazing. I think that people can resonate with idea of feeling that disconnect in a relationship or between people. And I think that's, there's so much true gold in the power of the relationship, whether it's with family, whether it's with friends, whether it's with professional business associates, right? The relationship is really where those memories are made. And at the end of this journey that we call life here on this planet, the thought is, when you look back, do you think about how much money you made and what you did? Or do you remember the moments and the laughs you had, the hugs that you shared, right? The hard moments, the cries, right? The memories that you have with the people and the experiences that you had, right? Exactly. think that question of what does success look like? Like I said, I had something recently challenged to me from a speaker on my podcast and we were talking about the relationship with our kids and he said, one of the starting points, this was like a dad coach kind of guy, but he said, one of the starting points that I do with a lot of my clients that I coach is I say, I want you to write your eulogy that your son would be reading at your grave, at your death. And what would you want him to say? If he was writing it about you, would be said? And that really shook me, it even gives me shivers a little bit to think about, what are we leaving with those people that matter? And whatever is said of my son, it's not gonna be, he made this much money at year 36, he... invested all these things into this partnership and he has this much assets under management. None of those things will be mentioned. I know they and I don't want them mentioned. Now, you know, we don't want our kids destitute and you know, they're in debt. But you know, it's just those values, the impact that we leave with our most our loved ones that you know, to me is what success looks like. I think it's a perfect segue, my friend, it's perfect because we call it passing the torch, right? That impact, the legacy. And I like to think of it as the hall of heroes people walk through and you're gone and passed, what would it say? And what would you want your son or others to know about you and to recognize about who Kenny Johnson was? I just put out an episode centered around it's a wonderful life. You know, it's Christmas time. We're getting ready for Christmas in our house. We love Christmas. But as I reflected on that, movie and that that theme of it's a wonderful life and for those that haven't seen it, you know, George Bailey has all these aspirations to build these big things big buildings and he ends up getting sort of sidetracked and his life sort of turns a little bit sideways here and he ends up getting raising a family and having these multiple kids and taking care of his dad's business that he doesn't want to do so So I was just reflecting on that story and you know I think there was a time in my life, and maybe it's still there a little bit, of just like, want to have this impact on a lot of people. I want to, you when you go down this capital raising route, marketing route, you want to be an influencer, you want to build followers, you want to make impressions, you want to do all these kind of bigger things. And I don't think any of those things are wrong. I mean, there's a lot of good that can happen from making large impact on a of people. But I think really what, if I could boil down what I would hope. my impact would be, it would be with my neighbors. It would be at my church. It would be in a smaller circle, but a deeper way. I think, know, all kind of, circles of influence, you know, we got our family core, our wife and our children. And then we had sort of, you know, the next family core, our parents and our sisters and their kids. And it kind of ripples out our close friends. But, and I'm 36 now. I think about the friends that I have from college or growing up. There's probably three that I'm still connecting with on a somewhat monthly or so basis. It's a very small number. There's coworkers, like I said, people in my church, but I want the relationships to be deep that I have. And even doing business, I think one... one of my things I'm trying to attract investors into jobs. I don't want to thousands upon thousands of investors that I can't connect with. I want to have a very solid base of people that resonate with who I am, my values, and I want to help them to the nth degree with their families and their values and their things. So I think that's probably the biggest, you know, way I would answer that question is I want to have a very deep impact in a select amount of people. Thank you. I appreciate that, and I agree. I think that having that deep level of impact, that connection, it's so much stronger, the ties that you have, right? And I think that everybody walks away from that interaction or that experience or that relationship stronger for it. You know, another way that I think about this is for years I was working in that company and this company was not the enemy. wasn't like I was, you know, brainwashed or manipulated. I think there was times where I was just kind of going with the flow, didn't really have direction, but constantly I was saying yes to the company or my clients and very directly was saying no to my wife and my kids. And again, that wasn't my company's fault, but I was doing this over and over and over again. And I think there's a level of, we have to be aware of what our yeses are. We have to protect our yeses because our time is our most valuable resource. And if you're going to commit to something or someone, a project, an investment, you know, that is something that you are saying no to other people, other investments. and you need to show up and be and do what you are gonna say you're gonna do. And that lesson was learned, I think, the hard way for me in regards to something I've said before, every yes is a thousand nos. So when a client would ask me, can you come and blow the yard for me or fix this thing or give us this quote, whatever it is that was asking me, if I wasn't protecting my time, and budgeting well, time management, all these things that come into play, I needed to make sure I wasn't leaving my family in lurch. I know I have a struggle with time management and keeping schedules and making sure that if I do say yes to somebody, I'm very good at engaging and connecting and if you're in front of me right now, I am totally locked in. So having those partners or systems or tools that can help systems and processes, organization, hey, you're gonna be late to your next meeting, if you keep talking about this lady's dog, you better wrap it up, you know, kind of stuff. Also, part of the equation for me in regards to like, you know, you are stronger on a team and having coaches and mentors and these tools to be the whole person that you need to be to. perform on all cylinders. Powerful, thank you. Speaking of tools and weapons, what are some resources, some books, some things that you can share with our listeners that they may be able to look into that would help them in their journey. one of the best tools that I have found that's been effective for making a big difference in my life is the tool of being self-aware. What are your strengths? How are you wired? Are you introverted, extroverted? Are you better in the corner with a computer or out at a... golf range or with friends at dinner or whatever. That has been a game changer recently for me. It's the last like three, four months. It's just coming to grips with like, this is something that you are weak at and this is something you're really good at. How can you play the game knowing that? Like, don't give yourself these handicaps. Go for it. With this, the strength. I think there's always power in books and podcasts and YouTubes and ways to learn things. Yet, you have to be careful to not get stuck in there. I know people that have read 50 books a year or 100 books a year, they're just kind of tearing through all this knowledge. But I don't know how that stuff is put into practice to a certain degree and I'm not, know, each his own. But I just know for me, it is surrounding yourself with accountability, partners, togetherness. knowing where your strengths and weaknesses are, and then taking action as much as you can, letting life be your teacher sometimes on getting something done. Fantastic. Thank you, Kenny. My friend, I have two questions left that I want to ask you. The first question is going to be in regards to the future, what's the next quest? The next quest for me really is I've been doing podcasting and marketing pretty consistently, pretty faithfully over the last, let's just say year. And for anyone in that world, it's something you have to invest time into, resources, money, without a quick return. mean, maybe for other people it's different. But I'm so excited about putting different pieces of my business together that the way I say it, it's like completing the circle. I haven't completed the circle yet. I've got lots of pieces that are part of the circle together. But once I feel like I can get this thing completed in where the leads work and the funnel and the lead magnet and the follow up and the webinars and all these things that we have to do, I'm. I'm really excited about having them all work. And I've had just glimpses of success with different people on LinkedIn, different national groups I'm a part of, where my messages are starting to resonate and I'm seeing people reach out to me who I don't know, know, are, they didn't go to college with them or they don't know my parents and whatever else, say, I'm interested in your topics, I'm interested in what you're saying and I'm interested in investing with you. Like that's been. very exciting for me to see that happen. So my next quest is really to continue down this road of, you know, my business is partnering with operators who are doing typically their multifamily deals in the commercial real estate space. I've learned about myself, I very much struggle, I suck at it and I don't like managing projects, renovating houses. It is one of my Drudgery zones. I will do it. I can do it. I just am not good at it and I don't like doing it so In my business, you know, I actually have two active fix and flips happening right now. I am managing those projects I am Developing two duplexes with my dad and I'm going through permits and working with contractors and all of this sludge that I also Strongly dislike but we're doing it. So that stuff is kind of paying the bills but food on the table But the capital raising and marketing has been a thrive zone. love meeting with investors, love getting to know people, understanding their motivations. I'm going through something right now where I'm asking some of my closer investors how they're wired. It's called the ideal clients avatar. And there's like a list of 60 questions. And I tell people, hey, this should take like 15, 20 minutes. It's taken an hour each time with different people. So it's just going deep with understanding people and how they're wired and how they invest and make purchasing decisions and all that stuff. I love that. That to me is what I want to do all the time is just having these conversations with how people are wired. And then if we can align their investment goals with what me and my team is offering, let's sign the docs and wire the money and get the benefits. Fantastic. Being able to find that, I love how you say about making sure that you align, right? It's gotta be a win-win, like you said earlier. You wanna make sure that they feel comfortable and that you're giving them the best opportunity and value, right? And then everybody wins from that experience. other quest at the home front is raising a three-year-old and eight-year-old. So we're talking business and I love talking investing, but that other hat that I wear at home, I absolutely love being a dad. The quest of being a dad never stops. I wouldn't say it's the next quest, it's the current quest, it'll be the quest until I die. But that leveling up would be the aspiration of... being intentional and just enjoying life, enjoying being a dad. It's the best. I could talk about that for another hour. It's such a wonderful experience. It is very difficult in many levels, but it is so rewarding, right? And I love how you say leveling up, because that's exactly it. as your children level up, as they age and go into new moments of their maturity and their life and new stages of their, whether it be in elementary, middle or high school, going to college if they choose to do so, whatever their journey is and as it unfolds, or as they have kids, like all of those things, like each chapter on that is an opportunity for them to grow and learn and for you to inspire and educate, but also you learn and grow. Right, you level up from that experience and you can take those lessons then and you apply the things that you learn to other facets of your life and other pieces of relationship. our kids as much as we teach them, the reality is they teach us too. going back to the idea of the win-win situation, we all grow from that and it's so wonderful when we can help each other, right? And grateful for you sharing that. The fatherhood role, you know, how do you know what to do other than, you you are a recipient of being a son from your dad, but it is constant learning, constant adapting, constant forgiveness. And you're absolutely right. They do teach us things. And we just hope that we are teaching them the right things. But it is a life of asking for forgiveness and grace. But like you just, mean, win-wins, enjoying where you're at, and being able to accept, hey, I'm not perfect, I have so much to learn, I'm in it though, I'm trying. This is what I'm setting out to do, and I'm gonna just keep doing it the best I can. All right, brother, I got one more question for you. have to tell you, this is my favorite question of the bunch. If you could be any mythical creature, what would you be and why? I get asked this question on a pretty much weekly basis or every other week basis from my son who's eight. So I have the advantage, maybe other guests on this one. So those are the kind of topics that my son and I like to talk about all the time. So I'm gonna go with Phoenix on this one. I love the Phoenix, the way it looks. It's the bird that burns up and can rise from its own ashes. In X-Men, there's like the Dark Phoenix who is a Jean Grey, just like super powerful. I just feel like the Phoenix is such a cool, it's a cool creature. think there's powers in the teardrops. It's a red bird that, you know, has fire associated with it. And if it ever gets burned up, it regrows from the ashes, which is just amazing. I feel like the Phoenix would definitely be my choice. There's a lot of other stronger. creatures out there with claws and snakes and whatever powers, but I feel like it's friendly enough that it's elegant and beauty, beautiful when it's not on fire, but it also has that ability to tort somebody. Awesome. Kenny, thank you for sharing that, my friend. Grateful for that too. So much gratitude I have over this entire interview. It's been great to have this conversation with you and hear your insight and share your story. Justin, thanks for having me on. I respect you so much and what you're doing. I feel like when I talk to different people, especially through podcasting where we're not face to face, there's such a level of respect I have toward intentionality and... just being so focused with what you're trying to do, but also letting the person that you're talking to feel your engagement and your presence. So I think you bring that every time I've talked with you and I know your other partners and investors and family, your kids, they feel that It was my pleasure and thank you for joining us. Well, my friends, thank you for joining us once again on our quest to inspire, educate, and empower you to turn your dreams into reality, one mindset shift at a time. We'll see you next time.

People on this episode

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Justin Mills

Host
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Aaron Iler

Producer
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Kenny Johnson

Guest