A Founder's Life
Join me as I explore the powerful intersection of entrepreneurship, health & wellness, and parenthood. In each episode, I’ll be interviewing inspiring individuals who excel in one or more of these areas, sharing their stories, insights, and lessons. My goal is to provide valuable takeaways that can help you thrive both personally and professionally.
A Founder's Life
What They Don’t Teach You About Wealth and Freedom - Ken Rusk - S2 - E16
What if success isn’t about a degree… but about designing the life you want first?
In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Leo Gestetner sits down with Ken Rusk, best-selling author of Blue Collar Cash and founder of multiple construction companies, to talk about what it means to live with intention—before chasing titles or degrees. From ditch-digging at 15 to running a 200+ person company, Ken shares his unique approach to wealth, health, and time freedom.
🔥 Spoiler: He schedules fun before work—and thinks you should too.
What you’ll learn:
- How Ken turned ditch-digging into a multi-million dollar company
- Why he believes you should plan you before you plan work
- The reason he does blood panels every quarter
- How to become “irrelevant” in your business (and why that’s a good thing)
- Why your kids are “blank computers”—and what that means for parenting
- His take on vision boards, legacy, and balance after 60
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
00:55 – From ditch-digger to CEO
02:40 – How Ken built a 200+ person company
03:48 – Defining success through freedom & family
04:35 – Ken’s health routine (blood tests, peptides, golf)
06:41 – Cooking, cars & family rituals
08:33 – Time-first scheduling & balance
11:30 – Why founders must become “irrelevant”
14:10 – Ken’s vacation analogy for planning life
16:16 – The Blue Collar Cash philosophy
18:30 – How to connect with Ken
Learn more about Ken Rusk:
Connect with Ken:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-rusk-2656a7175/
Website
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