IF 83 - Lessons from a $70,000 Real Estate Mistake with The Lawn Dad TJ Breil

TJ Breil joins the show to share his remarkable career journey from working in the mortgage industry to becoming a celebrated content creator known as The Lawn Dad. TJ discusses the challenges and triumphs he's faced, including his first tumultuous real estate investment in an Airbnb property in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. He opens up about the toxic relationships with real estate agents that ultimately pushed him to leave the mortgage business, and how his passion for lawn care and viral social media success led him to pursue The Lawn Dad full-time. TJ highlights his commitment to family and discusses the importance of time management and creating lasting memories with his children. Additionally, he touches on his future plans for The Lawn Dad brand, focusing on educational content and strategic partnerships.

TJ Breil - LinkedIn

TheLawnDad - Instagram

00:00 Welcome and Catching Up

00:26 Investment Journey in Tennessee

02:27 Challenges with the Property

06:15 Career Beginnings and Mortgage Industry

08:35 Balancing Career and Family

09:52 The Birth of Lawn Dad

13:36 Going Viral and Brand Growth

15:49 Toxic Relationships and Career Burnout

16:10 A Life-Changing Decision: Selling the Dream Home

17:54 Transition to Full-Time Content Creation

18:37 The Future of Lawn Dad

22:05 Balancing Fatherhood and Career

26:17 Challenges and Realizations in Parenting

30:36 Investing for the Future

33:05 Final Thoughts and Farewell

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Transcript

Speaker 8: 0:00

Next started leaking, cause there's a hot tub out back, 8, 000 there. this great opportunity turned into just like a money pit that we weren't expecting. Yes. Then, we rented it out, the biggest one happened. in the property, it went dry.

Speaker 5: 0:19

Oh

Speaker 8: 0:19

my. Yeah, didn't even, I've never owned a well before, I've never, we're at the top of a mountain in East Tennessee. Oh no. Calling a well company to diagnose it or do whatever is like the worst thing in the world. Oh my. come to find out after digging, the previous owner, something had happened with their old pump in it and halfway down. in the well. So the well is supposed be about 1100, 1100 feet deep. There was a pump stuck in there feet down.

Speaker 5: 0:48

Okay.

Speaker 8: 0:48

So water was, we were only pulling half of what we should have been pulling.

Speaker 5: 0:53

Okay.

Speaker 8: 0:54

So it wasn't a dry well. It was an old pump, pump that was stuck. Good news. Easy fix. So this was about a year and a half into our journey, and so we struggled with keeping guests happy. So that was a huge thing was guests would be there, they would run out of water because it just couldn't keep up with them taking showers for 45 minutes and all that stuff. We got a quote for a new well, and it was 70, 000. Oh my. Yeah. So this beautiful investment, property,

Speaker: 1:21

it

Speaker 8: 1:22

over the last three years has has really Cause like a lot of heartache.

Speaker 4: 2:06

T.

Speaker 8: 2:06

J. Brile.

Speaker 4: 2:07

Thank you for being here on the invested father's day, buddy. Thanks for having me We're back in the Johnson basement.

Speaker 8: 2:12

love it.

Speaker 4: 2:13

And we're just catching up about college days Career journey. You've had quite a story with the lawn dad that we'll get

Speaker 2: 2:21

how are you, feeling today?

Speaker 8: 2:22

Good it's like nostalgic. It's like my old best friends like mom's basement. This is like perfect in everything. It's awesome. Yeah

Speaker 2: 2:29

We

Speaker 4: 2:30

Appreciate you making time today. Let's actually just dive right into that. We were just talking about an investment that you did in, is it Tennessee? Tennessee. Okay, we talk a lot about real estate, dadhood, businesses, we got a case study here of something you're you're not even through it yet, so give us a little bit of a high level, what's your latest update on this specific

Speaker 8: 2:48

investment? Boy, I hate being the case study, let

Speaker: 2:51

tell

Speaker 8: 2:51

So back in 2021, so my, my wife and I, we started making money. It's okay, next step is we need to invest in a property, right? Okay. So back in 2021, we wanted our first investment property to be an Airbnb.

Speaker 5: 3:04

Yeah,

Speaker 8: 3:04

so we also wanted Airbnb that we could take our to visit to be as like a second home type thing So we did do a second home loan on it.

Speaker 6: 3:12

Yeah,

Speaker 8: 3:12

so we chose Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Yeah, it's good place.

Speaker: 3:16

What

Speaker 8: 3:18

right? they, do. So back in 2021, this hadn't been released yet, but when we purchased the cabin, so it's a cabin on top of a mountain, views, you can see 200 miles away. It's it is it. When we went there, this was it. A little bit more than what we wanted to spend. We spent 590, 000 on it. Yeah. So pretty stout investment.

Speaker 4: 3:41

Yeah. That's

Speaker 8: 3:43

Yes. But yes, for the first one. so air DNA numbers were coming super hot. Man, we're about 90, 000 on the cabin per year. great investment, Rates were super low. 125 interest rate on it. our mortgage payment with tax and insurance is, just, right around 2, 500 bucks. low. numbers are, like, insane. Yeah. The one thing that I wish I would have dug further, but the one thing that I didn't really look into is owners. They were much older. They never So it had never been a rental property before So it was the second home of theirs. It was shut down six months out of the year months out of the year Should have been a red flag possibly but like I didn't have numbers to go off of so I bought the Did a full renovation on it probably put about sixty thousand dollars in brand new floors Furniture, like fully furnished, turnkey, ready to go. Then the problem started happening. I'll say everything sounds good. Everything sounds great. Yeah, a family. It was awesome. The views were great. the views, right? AC went out. So I don't know if you know anything about the recent air conditioning laws with Freon and all that stuff. basically we hit the mark of, you can't just put Freon into it. You have to get a whole new system because the rules of, Freon had changed. 14, 000, Yeah. we're gonna expect that. Next started leaking, cause there's a hot tub out back, 8, 000 there. this great opportunity turned into just like a money pit that we weren't expecting. Yes. Then, we rented it out, the biggest one happened. in the property, it went dry.

Speaker 5: 5:19

Oh

Speaker 8: 5:19

my. Yeah, didn't even, I've never owned a well before, I've never, we're at the top of a mountain in East Tennessee. Oh no. Calling a well company to diagnose it or do whatever is like the worst thing in the world. Oh my. come to find out after digging, the previous owner, something had happened with their old pump in it and halfway down. in the well. So the well is supposed be about 1100, 1100 feet deep. There was a pump stuck in there feet down.

Speaker 5: 5:48

Okay.

Speaker 8: 5:49

So water was, we were only pulling half of what we should have been pulling.

Speaker 5: 5:54

Okay.

Speaker 8: 5:54

So it wasn't a dry well. It was an old pump, pump that was stuck. Good news. Easy fix. So this was about a year and a half into our journey, and so we struggled with keeping guests happy. So that was a huge thing was guests would be there, they would run out of water because it just couldn't keep up with them taking showers for 45 minutes and all that stuff. We got a quote for a new well, and it was 70, 000. Oh my. Yeah. So this beautiful investment, property,

Speaker: 6:22

it

Speaker 8: 6:22

over the last three years has really Cause like a lot of heartache.

Speaker: 6:28

So

Speaker 8: 6:28

people always joke Oh, when's your next investment property? I'm still dealing with the first one. So to wrap that story up, company is they work regionally. they don't just work in Tennessee. They work in North Carolina, South Carolina. They work regionally like in this area. So they have, they're like number one in the region. They've got the rigs to be able to like. Go down thousands and thousands of feet, like they are the top one. We waited three months for them to even come out and look at the property, but they were it, so actually yesterday I got news that they took the pump and they were able to get it out of the way so it go, went from$70,000 to potentially, now we're just paying them like$3,000 for a diagnose and fix, but it's because they had that huge rig that was able to do what the other. Companies rigs couldn't do. So

Speaker 4: 7:20

what it. I see that big sigh. Okay. we're almost there. We're

Speaker 8: 7:24

almost out of it. Okay. So now we can potentially get this property we're gonna sell it.

Speaker 7: 7:29

And

Speaker 8: 7:30

it. Yeah. are there and Yeah, the numbers are there and we just need to make money on it. So yeah. That's my first and only rental that I've got. Okay. Man. It is just kinda like the worst possible scenario ever. Wow.

Speaker 4: 7:42

That is a There is a bad side

Speaker 8: 7:44

to investing. Yeah, unfortunately,

Speaker 4: 7:46

you had posed the question I don't even know what syndication is off camera.

Speaker 6: 7:50

Yeah,

Speaker 4: 7:51

and so there's a world where you can invest Into

Speaker 2: 7:56

zero

Speaker 4: 7:56

of the I'm sorry, not ownership The management of the site but yet still be an owner. So that means you would still get tax benefits you would still get a percentage of the profit that was made but no, no heavy lifting. So that's been my new, that's the horror story of investing.

Speaker 2: 8:13

The wells and the AC units and the hot tubs. that is. Yeah,

Speaker 4: 8:18

Exactly.

Speaker: 8:20

great.

Speaker 4: 8:21

back, dude. you've, I know we skipped ahead in your career, but. I want to know the T. J. Bryle story, not from babyhood, but more just start the career journey.

Speaker 7: 8:31

Yeah.

Speaker 4: 8:31

we actually, we were joking a little bit. We did a Panera or something up when you were doing mortgage.

Speaker 5: 8:37

Yep.

Speaker 4: 8:37

So maybe let's just start there. how long did you do that? And then tell us about the Lawn Dad. Yeah,

Speaker 8: 8:43

well to start off, I was born at a very young age. okay, so start there.

Speaker: 8:47

that

Speaker 8: 8:48

that was a dad joke. No, that's, you're in safe company. You are in I had to use a dad podcast, right? so yeah, we met up at Panera. That was, man, that was, I don't even know what date. That was probably

Speaker 4: 8:57

10, ago.

Speaker 8: 8:58

Something like that. So yeah, I was in mortgages, for a while. So my dad was in mortgages my whole life. So I from the mortgage background. hit a point in my, young career, like what do I do with my life? And my dad is good career path and sales. You're good at talking with did mortgages. So I was working. In the mortgage industry for I want to say seven or eight years so met a lot of great people. I columbia market While my wife was in med school, and then we moved to the greenville market. So great career hustle career So always, where's the next deal coming from? A lot of coffees a lot of investor talks a lot of panera meetings It was a great career. It was a big grind Financially, it was a great career, as well. So that's where my I guess big boy career started was mortgages. Yeah did top 30 out of 300 mortgage loan officers top 30 for a couple years straight. I just did over 30 million in In closed business, that's, it's a stout number, but especially for somebody my age. Yeah. so that it was just a grind. It was awesome. we had our first kid and that grind turned to man, this is a lot of work. Yes. 2021, 2022 hit. And you remember what Happened with rates and stuff. They dropped. We were busy. we were doing 25, 30 loans a month, and that was just me and my assistant. We didn't have a huge team that was 25 to 30 loans per month for personally doing

Speaker 5: 10:30

Wow.

Speaker 8: 10:30

So it was a grind. it definitely was lopsided on the career Situation. so definitely didn't get the amount of time that I wanted with my wife, but also our first. Child. Um,

Speaker 4: 10:41

let's just pause there. so that was 2020. So this was like four years ago.

Speaker 9: 10:45

Yeah.

Speaker 4: 10:45

because I have a similar story in regards to, three years I was just out working because I felt that was what I needed to do. You need to grind. yeah. And that was right. but our marriage started going amiss. We had a out, a food allergy and I wasn't. Connecting and supporting so similar situation. Yeah, yeah, see start going to miss dinner time?

Speaker 8: 11:10

the thing is too is my wife also has a super full time job And so just connecting with your spouse Is just impossible. She's working. She does 24 hour shifts at the hospital. so sometimes I wouldn't see her for, a day or two. And even then it was in passing. And it's that's not,

Speaker 5: 11:28

that's

Speaker 8: 11:28

not healthy, man. And then, first kid, I've got three now. But having one kid is like crazy. Huge shift. It's a huge shift, going from no kids to one kid. So even just thankfully she didn't have any allergies or anything wrong with her. But It was just a lot to maintain, figuring it out and also having a marriage to figure out. so it was more so just unhealthy.

Speaker 4: 11:46

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We'll continue so you guys, had the first kid, so you have two more eventually. Yeah. So tell us what happened. so

Speaker 8: 11:53

mortgages, so yeah, 2021 2022 was a crazy year. So during the pandemic and this is gonna lead to the end but during the pandemic I got really into taking care of my grass Yeah, you couldn't go out anywhere You're stuck at home so might as well. You're home. It's crazy to think about the pandemic days, right? Like how did that even exist? But I was at home sitting at my home office that I created out of our house and I'm just looking out the windows like Yeah, the grass doesn't look that great. Then you get on YouTube and start watching, how to videos and how to take care of your grass and stuff. So I was already like fascinated with my grass and maintaining it. And I was the guy cutting every single Saturday was like, was a dad before a dad, but I got super heavily involved with and just making it look really good and figuring out how to make it look nice. what's the hack to make it look like a golf course. And then I discovered reel mowing. So reel mowing is a way of mowing to where it's not, you're not using a conventional rotary mower like you'd Depot. You're using a golf course mower that has a reel that spins out front rather than underneath. That's how you get it cut down really low. Once I discovered that, and that Bermuda loves being cut low, I got like we can call it Hyperfixated on it, yeah, just like, how do I make it better? how do I, just make it, the compliments from the UPS driver when he drives up is just man, your grass looks really good, thanks, man, I appreciate that, I started a little bit more, working still a grind, but ultimately, Ultimately, the driving factor of why I even posted on the Lawn Dad channel or created the Lawn Dad persona or brand or whatever it is was, I was, the real estate industry with real estate agents was a very toxic relationship. real estate agents are very, also salespeople too. They're trying to take anything that goes wrong is the lender's fault. a lot of, Not hatred, but a lot of, man, what's the word I'm looking for?

Speaker 4: 13:53

hostility,

Speaker 8: 13:54

toxicness, animosity. So if the in low, it's my fault. If, the closing date gets pushed, Yeah, I'm scapegoat. And if the closing date gets pushed by three days, God forbid we close three days later. the world is ending. it is, my fault, I'm the worst person in the world. imagine doing, at that time when rates were a little bit higher. Imagine doing 10 to 15 loans and half of those you got realtors on the other end calling you names that you don't want to be called. You're already away from your family, you're working with 10 to 15 families on closing on their home or investment property or whatever. It just becomes very toxic. and I haven't shared this really outside of my wife, but Truthfully, real estate agents are the reason why I got out of the mortgage lending business. and that's not every single real estate. I had great real estate partners, but they were partners. Other real estate agents were just real estate agents to me. and they really drove me away from the passion of helping families get into homes. Now it was, how do I just make this realtor just stop calling me? it just wasn't great. So taking care of my lawns while I'm hating life. Yes. In the mortgage industry. Yes. You escape it sounds hey, it

Speaker 4: 15:10

toxic mess, but like I can control and see the fruits of my labor here. Yep. I'm fully

Speaker 8: 15:15

engaged. It looked good. And my grass Yeah. And my grass didn't talk back to me. Yes. It didn't call me at 7:00 PM on a Saturday night things. It was something that like, if I did this, it looked great. And so and. And I don't know what caused me to take a video of it or just do it, but maybe it was just my creative side. I graduated with a graphic design degree. I didn't necessarily create something to be a creator. I just, I was just like, Hey, I'm just going to video me

Speaker: 15:42

I

Speaker 8: 15:43

like it. And the second video that I posted ended up going viral. Wow. Yep. So most people post before their first video goes viral. I don't know what it was, but the algorithm picked it up and within 48 hours, I had almost 5 million views on that I posted.

Speaker 4: 16:03

5 million?

Speaker 8: 16:04

5 million. Oh my goodness. Yeah. Okay. So that was my second video that I posted. I posted another video that did very well. It was a six figure views, a couple hundred thousand views. fourth video that I posted did well, what is going on? contacted by companies. so like fertilizer company reached out and they said, Hey, we love your videos. We want to send you I'm like, that's kinda cool,

Speaker: 16:28

Hey, I'm

Speaker 8: 16:29

I'm paying 60 a bag for fertilizer and it's gonna send it to me for free? oh, I'm cool. Elite. Yeah, I'm like elite. I made it. but all the while, that second video followers and stuff.

Speaker 9: 16:41

And

Speaker 8: 16:41

at that time it was Master's week. So it season, I think timing had a lot play in it. Everybody was like getting into their lawns. it was about April, May. so everybody was getting into their lawns. And it just, I think timing was perfect. But, you see my logo.

Speaker 4: 16:57

Logo.

Speaker 8: 16:58

Yeah, perfect. It looks like the Master's logo. It's

Speaker 4: 17:00

perfect, dude.

Speaker 8: 17:00

So I was sitting there, I was sitting there watching the Master's And the videos are going viral and stuff. And I'm just like, I need a logo. because I'm a graphic designer, I need a logo. so I created the logo for the Lawn Dad, which, by the way, back to the Lawn Dad name, I couldn't believe it was available. Yeah. I just chose, Lawn Dad, oh, everybody calls themselves the Lawn Dad. it had the green check mark next to it when I typed it in, and I'm like, how is this not taken?

Speaker: 17:23

So

Speaker 8: 17:24

Lawn Dad, I didn't know thought into it, know nothing. It was just, it was available. Sweet. So I took it. And then I created the Masters logo on it, and the next, I would say the next year, posting videos, they were doing well, I was getting companies contacting me and then it started to get into paid posts, hey, this and we'll also pay you 500 bucks to post, 500 dollars to post something,

Speaker: 17:49

So.

Speaker 8: 17:50

That kind of led into focusing on it a little bit more making a good amount of money.

Speaker: 17:56

Then

Speaker 8: 17:56

teamed that up with the toxic relationships that I was having with the realtors just It just was not fun anymore. My passion was starting to feel like it was leaning

Speaker: 18:06

a

Speaker 8: 18:06

a stay at home dad taking care of my grass. Sounds pretty great

Speaker 3: 18:08

Sounds

Speaker 8: 18:08

pretty stress free. Yes So that's where it led Into my Yeah, then a big thing

Speaker: 18:15

had a

Speaker 8: 18:17

We had a beautiful custom built home. We were on 12 acres Something happened with our neighbors just a personal scenario happened with our listing their house and selling it that they sold was the same builder same architect. They were also on 12 acres Similar floor plan modern farmhouse type build. They ended up selling it and the price they sold it for our eyes Wide open. wide open. You're like wow that sold for that much. Yep so we were looking at our house no plans on moving no anything, but Me being a mortgage person. I knew the numbers. I saw that and I knew our numbers for what we built it for back in 2019 lumber prices went crazy So I told my wife I said we really need a no joking we need to look at these numbers So we looked at them random and it was close to seven figures that we would make so enough, enough to uproot our dream and change our lives completely.

Speaker 5: 19:15

Yeah.

Speaker 8: 19:16

her agreement was, I will sell this house and we'll do this if you give me a third baby. Wow. Okay. So I felt strongly it because I was set on two kids at that time. We had a, we had our son, he was really young. I think he was. I think it was a couple months old. So we had two kids, and I was set on two kids. And she said, Alright, I see the numbers. If you feel passionately about it, I also want, my passion is to have a third kid. So if we do this, we're having a third kid. I said, let's do it. So we have three kids walked away, paid off all of our debt, except for our real estate. So That ultimately was the catalyst that allowed me to say,

Speaker: 19:59

You

Speaker 8: 19:59

know what? I'm giving up mortgages. I'm focusing full time on Lawn Dad, and we're moving. And that was, that's how I transitioned into the career of being a content creator, and taking care of my lawn full time.

Speaker 4: 20:12

Yeah, if you guys are not checking out The Lawn Dad already, Check it out. TJ amazing videos. and there's just something so fulfilling about watching somebody mow the lawn or go do the stripes and your grass looks just perfect. It looks Yeah, that's what, that's

Speaker 8: 20:27

what I strive for is the satisfaction. I think that's what people get out of my channel. Satisfaction. Also, they learn too. But. That's what I've been focusing on is the satisfaction stuff. Yeah. People love it. Awesome. It's like pressure washing a driveway. Yes.

Speaker 4: 20:41

No, it's so good. It's so like visually appealing.

Speaker 7: 20:44

Yeah.

Speaker 4: 20:44

let's go just even a tiny bit further on Lawndad's future.

Speaker 7: 20:47

Yeah.

Speaker 4: 20:47

Because we were just talking briefly on what is the next step for Lawndad? So mortgages behind you, toxicity you, dadhood is in the thick of it, grass So what's the next step for Lawndad?

Speaker 8: 20:58

So next up is couple things actually, so few irons in the fire. So content creation, especially in the lawn nobody's been there. So in, in other industries, people like call it makeup industries or real estate industries, people are at the very top, who are estate investors. That you would follow. Yeah, Grant Cardone,

Speaker 4: 21:21

Ryan

Speaker 8: 21:22

those people are like crazy high unattainable There's nobody in the lawn like the person that's there Yeah, there's one or two accounts that definitely have a huge amount of following and it's amazing but my goal is to be, since I have the name, the lawn dad and everybody refers themselves, the lawn dad, let's make it the top account. Yeah. so there's couple of things in the works. One is just to continue what I'm doing, solidifying partnerships. So I just signed a really great contract with RYOBI. so RYOBI is going to be one of my main sponsors for the 2025 season. I've got another lawnmower company, Rolex, which they're a real mower company. so I signed a partnership agreement with them. So focusing on solidifying core partnerships where everybody knows mowers, the hoses, the fertilizers, use. so it just solidifies those brands but also grows mine. But then also collaborating with three other creators in the lawn space. and we're

Speaker: 22:21

we're

Speaker 8: 22:22

a content mecca for education. So the first question that everybody asks me is, how do I make my grass better? That question is the most loaded question. Like, where do what kind of grass do you have? that lead up to how to make your grass better. but we're creating a hub for all those questions. do, go to this website. Type in your question and it will give you a YouTube style layout of Wow. it'll say, how to make my grass better. Where do you live? Michigan. Boom. For anybody who lives in Michigan, they'll get fed to them ten videos on how to make your grass better just to start. So it's like a catalyst for someone just to go and just learn how to take care of their grass better. Cool. Also DIY projects and all that stuff, but Yeah. Now That's awesome, dude. It's a big engine to it.

Speaker 4: 23:13

I love that you're not small. You're thinking big with, I want to be number one mom and dad. And it's exciting your journey of This is what I, hated in this certain type walk. Found some success. Some of it's somewhat happenstance with the

Speaker 3: 23:31

but

Speaker 4: 23:32

you know what? I want to, really want to pursue this. That's one of the audience is that, there, there seems like there's shackles to like pursuing your dreams. But forget the dreams. it's the priorities. I think that's what I also heard in your story is some of these things, it's working for the man or realized at 7 o'clock at night when I was getting these phone calls, Why am I doing this? Yep. So I this facade or, drift as dads. Just I guess I just have to do this. This is just part of what it is. And I would say, no.

Speaker 2: 24:02

What is

Speaker 4: 24:03

is it that you want to do? What are your goals? And let's pursue Kudos for all that on, on that. Yeah. Thanks, man. gonna shift. that was the business. home one of the things I want to give my audience is, I'm just curious,

Speaker 2: 24:17

you,

Speaker 4: 24:18

how old are you? I am 34. of years to live. Couple years, hopefully. There's some energy, it's still in the tank. what are some things that maybe have crystal, become clear in the values or these are the like, matter? Through the short time that you've been a dad, but also just maybe Again, something that you've you stood out as something that's really important to you.

Speaker: 24:43

Maybe

Speaker 8: 24:44

this is true for a lot of dads And a lot of new dads and a lot of young dads is I feel like I'm not the best dad out there And that's Hopefully I'm not the only one who thinks that. You're the only one that feels that way. It's a daily thought for me. one is constantly striving to be the best dad that I can. But knowing that I'm, I like, to be a dad in college. Like I didn't study to, to do this. so learning, just like I learned how to Cut my grass and learned how to do mortgages. It's a it's something that I have to keep on learning But one thing that didn't expect people told me but I didn't expect is how fast your kids grow up

Speaker 9: 25:25

My

Speaker 8: 25:26

daughter just the other night. She was having growing pains

Speaker: 25:30

I'm

Speaker 8: 25:31

remember having growing pains like she's at a point now to where she like, she's going to be remembering did, what, what we did during the day, what I said to her, how I reacted to something. it's true. Kids grow up really fast. now. just consciously making time spending time with her.

Speaker: 25:52

realizing

Speaker 8: 25:53

that she's going to remember the times that we hung out what we did So we the backyard and we've got a little playhouse in the backyard So taking her out just letting her play in the river, dude She's gonna remember that like when that she's 30 years old like, playing the river back like that's Crazy. Yeah, it's also very dangerous, but exciting. Yeah, so create better memories and like just be conscious about like

Speaker: 26:19

when I'm

Speaker 8: 26:19

I'm on my phone or when I am working

Speaker: 26:23

she

Speaker 8: 26:23

wants me to come back into the room and kiss her at night Like there's like multiple things just like consciously nope, let's do gonna remember that So I think that's something that I've realized within the past year. It's just yeah kids really do grow fast crazy. She's already four and having growing pains. Yeah, it's crazy.

Speaker 4: 26:41

I know we have

Speaker 2: 26:44

Um,

Speaker 4: 26:44

It's, this little rough with my three year old in regards to just yelling tears and slamming doors and whatnot. So that was one of our mornings. But I, as a dad, you're just like, how do I train for this? There are times I react very poorly to that and then there are times I'm like, you know what, she needs love. She needs to see that, she's safe. And there are some was a victory, more or less, in how I responded to it. But other I yell with her. It's was not, that might have just messed her up. therapy for the next four I get that, really appreciate your answer in regards to time. Time is, I would say a theme on the show in regards to you can't get it back. It's the most valuable resource we have. And what are we doing with our time? And how are we showing our priorities with our time? Because I feel like that's one of the biggest Indicators like what do you care about? what are you spending your time with? even to the degree of like how am I being a better dad? things that we can work on that we'd be intentional about that will still fail But of like value that here have just like I want to be a better dad How can I continue to just keep leveling up? so you three out of four, so because that's your oldest, Yep. let's talk a little bit, let's see, I mean anything, anything jump out at you as,

Speaker 2: 27:58

this

Speaker 4: 27:58

sounds like a, pretty deep question, like biggest struggle you faced being a dad. I think you just said like time being a thing, but. I always feel like it's helpful to know, like you said, I don't know if I'm the only one that feels this way, but

Speaker 2: 28:08

I

Speaker 4: 28:08

don't feel like I'm the best dad. in safe company, understand, but, maybe something that you've, experienced that you're rather in the middle of it now, or you've come out of it hard that I had to, could even be with your wife, anything jump out in that

Speaker 8: 28:21

I, I would say like something that I was I don't like babies. and that's a slap in the face comment. Like I don't like babies. if somebody else brings it, it's just, don't want to hold it. I don't think it's cute. I don't like, I know I don't want to go see the baby that had a baby. no, I don't want to go see it.

Speaker: 28:42

care.

Speaker 8: 28:42

and that, and maybe that's a. Maybe that's like an internal thing that I should care, but but same with my own kids, it's just, it's, I struggle with the first six months of having a baby, it's just because, I don't feel any connection with it, because I'm not breastfeeding it, I'm not, just being like, alright, to show my wife that I love I will love this baby.

Speaker 4: 29:01

Yeah,

Speaker 8: 29:02

you're

Speaker 4: 29:02

not the only person I've heard say that. It's hard. It's

Speaker 8: 29:05

hard to connect. And I think that's a connection. and I just don't connect with a baby because there's no emotions. There's lot Sorry. but you think about it, a baby affects your wife. it affects her sleep, her attitude, her mood, her life, her wellbeing. Like it affects everything. And almost. Maybe internally, she takes her focus off and gives it to the baby.

Speaker: 29:30

So

Speaker 8: 29:31

that's part of it. But, with having our third and final kid coming out of it, I think that's maybe something that I'm

Speaker: 29:38

thankfully

Speaker 8: 29:39

coming out of is the baby phase. Which is nice. But, I think that's something that I definitely did struggle with our first and second. So having that, that third baby is just consciously alright. I need to show my wife that I love this kid. I need to help her out more. I need to like, yeah, like without her being like, can you change the diaper? yeah, I'll change the diaper.

Speaker 5: 30:00

Yeah.

Speaker: 30:00

she

Speaker 8: 30:00

also works 24 hour shifts. So I'm at home with all three kids alone. So I have to take care of the baby. I have to get up at 3 a. m. when she's hungry and stuff. And just just doing it without complaining. Yeah. But trying to learn how to love it. that's something that I've have worked on currently working on coming out of but if it's something like deep internal like Babies are tough for me.

Speaker 4: 30:24

Yeah Thank you for sharing that.

Speaker 8: 30:25

Yeah

Speaker 4: 30:26

Babies are tough. We all have our weak spots. I think in the child rearing phases. Yeah

Speaker 8: 30:33

But the other kids I love them. play soccer They do it and that's where I thrive as a dad. Yeah, so Maybe that's helping me thrive as just just add the baby along,

Speaker 4: 30:42

What's a fun, what's a fun, you mentioned soccer, but what are some fun things that you're enjoying as a dad right now?

Speaker 8: 30:46

You mentioned the creek.

Speaker: 30:48

Yeah,

Speaker 8: 30:49

just Yeah, my son, I'm teaching basketball. So for Christmas, we got him a little Tykes. He's two and a half years old. A little Tykes basketball like plastic thing that we have in and he knows how to shoot now.

Speaker: 31:02

So

Speaker 8: 31:03

basketball, he'll shoot it from a couple feet away, and make it, and we'll be like,

Speaker 5: 31:06

yeah!

Speaker 8: 31:07

And then with taught him, you know how when you score a touchdown, it's typically football people, but you shake your knees back and forth? he does that. So we'll play football, be So he drops the football, and he like, tries do the knee thing, and it's like, all like, funny little Funny little things and then our daughter we're teaching her how to play the piano.

Speaker 6: 31:27

Oh, wow

Speaker 8: 31:28

She's yeah, so she's super young but like just like tinkering around play the piano So

Speaker 9: 31:34

well,

Speaker 8: 31:34

I was just things that are like just like you just you're like seeing them

Speaker 4: 31:38

I love I love the the biggest shift. It sounds and of course like law dad is not You know, free, it takes time to make those videos and go on and, answer questions and collaborate with these people and partnerships, there's time needed for that, what it sounds like is the time, number one, you're thriving in it, you're charged up, I'm sure, when you're doing it, you're enjoying it, and it enables the freedom to have those moments with your kids

Speaker 2: 32:05

you how

Speaker 4: 32:09

how you've been able to position

Speaker 8: 32:10

yourself in a way that you can be there. Yeah, I went for mortgages. we had I was still doing mortgages. I went from about 70 hours a week. Wow. Doing that. Yep. Till, I'm probably doing a week maybe. At best. in the lawn dad space and equally like income wise be. Pretty even yeah, so it's like it's just like what is that a fourth of the time that I'm spending on it, Yeah, that's crazy. That's great, man.

Speaker 4: 32:34

Dude, huge kudos for Lawn Dad we're wrapping up the show here. I've been yeah, we're way past 30. That's okay But

Speaker 2: 32:42

one of the

Speaker 4: 32:42

of the questions I always feel like is helpful for other listeners is how are we investing, financially, because we're talking about the investment in your energy doing what you enjoy doing, right? And like toxicity, and that was helping. but there's the, I think future as you get older, more of that passive investing mindset, that's going to keep coming more and more of like, how can I do something one time or, very limited amount of energy and time. And see benefits over the years for this stuff. has that conversation come up a lot with you and your wife in light of, like, how are we building up wealth for the future? not that, I

Speaker 8: 33:16

mean, yeah, I'll just stop there. Sure. monetary, it's just, we've got a financial investor, investing in the typical stocks and the, kids funds and all that stuff. Cool. TBD on the real estate. Yeah, that's currently other it's currently a negative investment So

Speaker 4: 33:32

that one will we'll have you back on next we'll just get an update of how that was part two coming soon

Speaker 8: 33:37

So on the back burner, but we've got some commercial real estate in downtown Greenville That you know, I didn't really cover it all but see where that goes. So there, there are other investments out there, small businesses, commercial real estate, that are out there that kind of TBD hold longterm play. We'll see if they pan out. Yeah. but yeah, that's it, just spiderweb everywhere. Just see what makes it.

Speaker 4: 34:00

Yeah. one of the, one of the things I've had a lot with my, investors that I'm working with. For my job is, they may be super successful in their insurance agency or, brokerage with, mortgages or whatnot. there's a sense of this is working really well for us. We're but we're getting a lot out of it. And, one of my goals through syndications there'll be a time where potentially and energy into this thing. And let. this deal takes some of the heavy lifting off your plate, or you can, with your kids more. Yeah. Do whatnot. Yeah. The it's all, and Hey, God wants be a good steward of what he's given us. And you have a, it's, I've been very encouraged in this conversation to see. He, you have you've always had I think a sense of not perfection in a negative way But like I want this be very done very well a sense of excellence to your name I mean didn't talk about cutting boards

Speaker 2: 34:53

You've done so many things that I've just seen. This is really good. I was planning on doing it.

Speaker 4: 34:57

But you're using that through the lawn dad now and People are getting value out of it. And it's just neat to see how you're using that innate sense of, excellence to, to, be successful. Yeah. thank you for checking out that, TJ. Absolutely. If, the audience wanted to find out more of what TJ's doing, Lawn Dad, what would be a way you could direct them?

Speaker 8: 35:18

Yeah, really quick, easy search, on any social media platform, the Lawn Dad. either a master's logo or my ugly face on there. but just look for somebody cutting the grass looking like crazy person. that's me.

Speaker 9: 35:30

Okay.

Speaker 8: 35:30

T. J. It sounds great. Thanks so much for joining us today. Absolutely.

Speaker 4: 35:32

Thanks for having me on.