For Profit Podcast
Bringing accessible business education to Louisiana youth.
For Profit Podcast
From Construction to Purpose: Jeff Raybon on Business, Faith & Doing the Right Thing
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Find out more about the For Profit Podcast at: matthewpearce.biz
Jeff Raybon of Raybon Construction joins Matthew Pierce on The For Profit Podcast to talk about entrepreneurship, construction, faith, sobriety, leadership, and what it really means to build a business the right way.
From kitchen and bath remodeling to custom homes, outdoor spaces, and business ownership, Jeff shares the lessons that shaped his career and the values that helped him build trust with clients across Louisiana.
This episode is for entrepreneurs, contractors, business owners, and anyone who wants to build success with purpose.
00:00 Intro: The For Profit Podcast with Jeff Raybon
01:04 Meeting Through Triathlons and Baton Rouge Cycling
03:05 Jeff Raybon’s Early Life and Family Story
04:20 Learning Responsibility at 9 Years Old
05:18 Working in the Family Business and Handling Payroll
07:05 The Pet Cemetery Business and Early Entrepreneurship
09:57 Learning Trade Work, Plants, and Construction
12:15 Turning Work Ethic Into Business Opportunity
14:00 Why the Raybon Name Carried Weight
15:35 Growing Pains in Construction and Customer Service
18:00 Dependability, Respect, and Figuring It Out
19:40 Overcoming Drug and Alcohol Struggles
22:30 How Addiction Affected Family, Habits, and Business
24:00 Matthew’s Story of Quitting Alcohol
26:30 Faith, Fitness, and Building Better Habits
27:30 Starting the God Squad Bible Study
29:45 Why You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Start
31:45 The Business Lesson Most People Miss: Get Started
34:10 Advice to Young Entrepreneurs
35:10 Protecting Your Word in Business
36:00 Why All Money Isn’t Good Money
38:00 Income-Producing Assets vs. Buying More Things
41:30 Why Jeff Pays His People First
43:30 Building a Business Culture Around Doing the Right Thing
45:20 The Flood, Giving Back, and Helping Others
46:30 The Remodel Story That Explains Jeff’s Business Philosophy
49:30 What Jeff Is Working on Next
51:00 What Profit Really Means
52:15 Final Thoughts: The Profit Is in the People
Hey guys, before we get started, I've got a quick favor to ask. I need you to like, subscribe, and share this podcast if you feel you're getting value from it. That's how we're going to get these conversations in front of more people. And just as important, if not more important, is your feedback. The good, the bad, the ugly. I want the critical information on how we can make this podcast better for you and deliver value every time. And if you know somebody in Louisiana who's doing big things in their field, industry, or business, please drop their name in the comments. We'd love to have the opportunity to bring them on the show. At the end of the day, this is all about the youth of Louisiana and putting local leaders in front of them and giving them something real to learn from. Now let's get it. What's up, everybody? This is your host, Matthew Pierce, for the For-Profit Podcast, and we've got our amazing second guest, Mr. Jeff Rabon. Jeff is with Ray Bon Construction. He is what I'd like to call a serial entrepreneur, as you were here today. He has a variety of different businesses. He was recently voted uh 225 Award's best uh kitchen and bath remodel for 2025. So uh excited to have Jeff on the on the show today. Jeff, why don't you introduce yourself?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I'm Jeff Raven. Uh thanks for having me on, Matthew. Um I am turning 56 in about uh a week or so.
SPEAKER_0356 and it's still in such great shape. That's such great shape, Jeff. What what are you doing nowadays to keep in shape?
SPEAKER_00Nowadays, um, of course, you and I met on the road. Uh we met we met on bicycles uh out on uh uh out at the casino.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00That's actually where we met uh riding bikes on on River Road at the casino. Um so I've done triathlons since 2019. Um did a few uh virtual half iron men, uh got um got stopped in my in my latest uh latest try at we were at uh Waco together last year. Yeah, we were freaked out about the the wetsuit, no wetsuit, let wetsuit legal. I don't know what I forget it was not let wetsuit legal, right? That's right, that's right. So I went with a wetsuit anyway. I shouldn't have. Um and I went as slow as I could, you know. They was just like, just take your time because it was so hot that day. And I was like, It was and my knee was hurting. I was like, man, I'm gonna die on the run. So I'm saving it all for the run because I knew I was I'm a natural on the bike. I could I could roll the bike with no problem, you know? So I was just going as slow as I could go.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_0019 seconds too slow.
SPEAKER_0319 seconds too slow. It'd be like that sometimes.
SPEAKER_00Just qualify.
SPEAKER_03That's crazy. Yeah, we met last year when uh I was training for my first ever Iron Man event. I started in January and probably midway through the year, I think maybe spring or summertime is when I came across you. Yeah and uh we started hanging out, uh, went to some after ride lunches and things like that. Definitely a great group of guys here at a cycle with in Baton Rouge. Um so I want to give the audience a little bit uh about your background and kind of your origin story, your upbringing, where you come from. Um, you know, something that comes to mind, one of my old uh college football coaches, shout out Dan Augustine. Dan, if you're watching, I I did take some of those things that you instilled in me and apply them to life. So uh he always had the saying, he was like, you know, if you can get off to a good start and you know how to finish, everything in the middle can be fucked up. It doesn't matter what goes on in the middle, if you get off to a good start, you give yourself a chance to finish strong. Yeah. And I want to talk about that about your foundation and your upbringing. So I think you had a great upbringing and a dad who empowered you at an early age, put responsibility in your hands at a very young age. So why don't you tell us a little bit about that and and where you come from and how you got started?
SPEAKER_00Well, you know, it didn't it didn't feel like that at the time. You know, that's not how it happened. It wasn't like uh, son, I'm about to set you up. Yeah, you know, it wasn't like that at all. It was uh my mom passed away uh when I was nine years old on Easter Sunday, man. It was a sad time. Um and she had been sick with bone cancer my my entire life. Like they discovered it whenever I was an infant, and I like kicked her in the side and she doubled over, and that's when they discovered she had bone cancer. So my entire nine years uh was my mom in wheelchairs and hospitals and yeah, yeah, yeah, trying trying to fight the bone cancer. And of course, they didn't have technology back then like they do today, so it was a tough ride, man. It was a tough ride. Um, and my mom passed, and it was just me and my dad. And uh he was like, All right, son, I gotta work all day. Uh when you get home from school, you got business to handle every day.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so you had to grow up quite fast.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so that was in that was that was on Easter, right? So so summer was right around the corner. So I worked that whole first summer, right? I didn't turn 10 until November. That's why I say my birthday's coming back up. Yeah. So I was nine years old, man, and we were building a mobile home park in Prairieville. Yeah. Um, that's what we were building at the time. We made a lot out of that place, but um it's a really, really nice mobile home park. Uh, and I say mobile home park to distinguish it from trailer park, nothing of the same. This is like a retirement community, you know.
SPEAKER_03This is this is fine dining for those who got the mobile home, right?
SPEAKER_00Yes, sir. Oh, yes, sir. Yes, sir. You're fortunate to get in that spot.
SPEAKER_03So that summer you worked at nine years old, turning 10 later that fall. Uh, what were some of the things you were doing at that young age? I know, you know, could you drive at that age? No.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I did. You drove. Yeah, I drove at that age. At that age.
SPEAKER_03That's that's insane.
SPEAKER_00Uh, we kept a cigar box. I still have this a cigar box, it's not the one. Um, we went through many of them. Um, we kept a cigar box full of money. My daddy kept a stack full of money, and I had to pay everybody. Um, because we had a bunch of different people working who worked for like uh the parish and different, uh, you know, they worked, they worked at different places, but they would work at our place in the evenings and on the weekends and stuff, and my dad would be working. So I would go out and pay them. My dad worked nights at the plant a lot, you know, and so I would go out and pay these guys. I would go to the store, get what was needed from the store, um, which would be beer and sandwich. Lunch, sandwich meat, all that stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All that stuff. I would, I would, I would take care of all that um and get everybody taken care of, man. Just handled the business. I had to have a receipt or a handwritten um um note of every dollar that went everywhere. You know, my daddy kept a kept a balance on it.
SPEAKER_03He would be like, you were learning balancing the checkbook and accounting in nine and ten years old. That's right. That's right. Goodness gracious. So y'all were building the infrastructure of writing, electrical, all that stuff.
SPEAKER_00That's correct. All the underground stuff, which was the the sewer, the electrical, the water.
SPEAKER_03That must have taken several years leading you through middle school, or I guess elementary to middle school.
SPEAKER_00Um we went uh, you know, we had like four, we have uh there's four uh there's two roads, a circle, and four lanes. There's forty-one mobile homes in there. So yeah, 41 stub-ups of of to it.
SPEAKER_03Your daddy's doing his afterwork counting on his 10-year-old son to handle business. That's correct. So you learned work ethic at a young age. What uh leading into high school, what what were you doing for your daddy's businesses um or were you working for others at that by that time?
SPEAKER_00So lead into high school, we built, we built uh, we have uh, we also have in actually in high school, we then formed the pet cemetery. Um we we have a pet cemetery. Pet cemetery. The pet cemetery.
SPEAKER_03I think there's a scary movie named Pet Cemetery, but do tell.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes, yes. The Pet Cemetery. Um so we poured sidewalks and all for the pet cemetery. We plotted it all out and uh mapped it all out for I think 3,000 sites is what we have there. Um and I think we might have uh three to five hundred buried in there now.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00A lot of that business has turned to um cremations. Okay. A lot of people do the cremations, they can keep the urns, they keep, you know, and we do the cremations as well. So we've been in the pet cemetery business since I know I did uh an interview with Pat Shingleton when I was in high school. Uh in like 88. Old Weatherman, Pat Shingleton. Yeah, old weatherman Pat Shingleton. That's correct. He interviewed me one night like it, like there was something at 10 o'clock, like a 10 o'clock talk or something like that.
SPEAKER_03The 10 o'clock scaries with the Pet Cemetery with Jeff Ray Month, goodness gracious.
SPEAKER_00That's right.
SPEAKER_03So uh so tell me a little bit about high school. Did you play bald? You know, what um you know kind of things that shaped you at that time of your life?
SPEAKER_00I played basketball and I played football. Um, played some baseball, Dixie Youth, and leading up, but uh more on my upper years. I uh I played uh football and basketball both. Okay. I graduated from Christian Life Academy in 1988.
SPEAKER_03Okay, Christian Life. We played against them when I was in high school in our district. Uh are there any memorable coaches or or mentors that you can think back to that time?
SPEAKER_00Anybody who made some Coach Bill Smith was my was my biggest uh coach and mentor back in back in the days.
SPEAKER_03What would you say you carry with you today from from Coach Bill?
SPEAKER_00Man, um I would say it would be a um it would be from Coach Bill. That's tough to remember, man. That was in 10th grade, but that's a long time ago. Um Yeah. Yeah, but he was a huge part of my life, a huge part of my um just a positive force force in your life. Yeah, yeah. He's a very Christian man. Um So I would I would think I I learned my relationship from Christ with with watching him back then, even though I couldn't carry it out back then. Um But that was that was somewhat of a Yeah, that was that was probably the first real real man that I'd gotten real close with that had a relationship with God and and that talked about it a lot and made it real for me, you know.
SPEAKER_03I gotcha. So got you start very early in business, running your dad's place, you know, collecting rent, invoicing, paying, paying out laborers, things like that. When you finished high school, did you go on to go to college or what was your schooling after high school? So straight to work, straight to work. That's right. Okay, tell tell me a little bit about that.
SPEAKER_00So I did uh um I did instrumentation work in the plant was my biggest thing that I did outside of um um working for our own business. Uh I did instrumentation work because it was the easiest looking. Uh it was complicated, it paid good, and it was, you know, they had to carry the little smile screwdrivers and stuff. You know, it was it was uh it looked like it was gonna be the lightest labor end of the deal, you know.
SPEAKER_03So I uh you already think about working smarter, not harder back then, huh?
SPEAKER_00That's right, that's right.
SPEAKER_03When you start off hard at nine, nine and ten years old, you try to let me use my brain a little bit here later in life.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, let me not use the shovel. Let me figure it out.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, the little screwdriver, the instrument tech screwdriver. That's hilarious. So uh I know you're a chair with me. You were um you were asked to do some work. Was it flooring or something? You had some side projects and you saw opportunity there.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so uh the way I got into the flooring business was my my was my first uh owning my own business venture. Um, and the way I got into that was uh I had a friend of mine um who's past now, Randy Jenkins, he owned uh Jenkins Granite and Marble. And um he was telling me, um, we were buddies, we hung out all the time, and and he told me, you know, that uh he said, You good at reading the tape, Mash? I said, very good at it, man. I lay stuff out. You know, that's what I do. I do design type stuff and this and that. And he said, Man, I pay these uh tile installers and uh guys that build these tubs and showers and stuff a lot of money. I said, Really? He said, Yeah. I said, uh, okay. So I went and that same afternoon I went and found somebody I knew that had quit high school to go lay tile and um hired him. So yeah, he worked for me, but I was the helper.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_00So I learned how to do that.
SPEAKER_03So you went find somebody with the knowledge and know-how. That's right. You provided the opportunity from Mr. Randy. Yes right. That's right. So he was giving you the work, right? You didn't have the know-how, but you had the connection. That's right. And that's what we call leveraging time and opportunity, ladies and gentlemen.
SPEAKER_00Sure is.
SPEAKER_03So uh so you brought your buddy on, so you're well, y'all were working in the business together. I'm sure you weren't just pointing fingers and making him measure and cut. You were probably getting your hands dirty.
SPEAKER_00I was, yeah, yeah, yeah. I was the helper, you know. He was he was he was laying it out, you know. Actually, he didn't know how to read a tape measure quite as good as I did. He knew uh, you know, 24 and two marks, you know what I'm saying? I knew that was one eighth. Yeah, you know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_0324 and two marks. That's one eighth, ladies and gentlemen.
SPEAKER_00Twenty-four and eighth. So, you know, um, and I knew how to split that in half and stuff, you know. He'd have to he'd have to go back, turn the tape around a bunch of different times.
SPEAKER_03You know, not so let me let me speed this process up for you. I can read the tape.
SPEAKER_00Let me do a little mathematics. I was I learned the mathematics back in the in the in the cigar box, you know?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, the mathematics, the math counting up money and don't come home short.
SPEAKER_00That's right. That's right.
SPEAKER_03So um, yeah, so what led you to success in that business? I think you said there's the reputation of contractors and what that is today.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Um, and you knew how to stand or set yourself apart. So why don't you talk to the craftsmanship and and how you do things and you learn that in that business first, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yep, yep, yep. So um, yeah, contractors in general have a bad reputation, have a bad reputation of uh as bad as taking people's money and never showing back up, you know, um, as bad as putting down uh products that that aren't good and that uh won't last and disappearing, you know. Um when I went into it from the beginning, I knew that I was gonna be in business forever, you know, like like uh our family business in down in Prairieville, you know, that that you know we're we're gonna be here forever. So we everything is hinged on our name. That's why I have Ray-Bon on everything that I have. My wife has Salon Ray Bon. I have Jeffrey construction, everything's Ray Bon, you know, Swamp Road, everything's Ray-Bon, you know. And that that that name carries some weight. That name carries weight. And uh so everything I did, I did with with with my dad and my and my and my family name tied to it, you know.
SPEAKER_03So uh you weren't putting no half-ass efforts in anything. You were you were measuring twice, cutting once, you were using quality materials, that's right, fair pricing. And uh I know you've got uh an excellent saying I love love to hear. Why don't you say it? He'll say it a few times over this podcast, but go ahead with it.
SPEAKER_00I say we do what we say we're gonna do, when we say we're gonna do it, how we say we're gonna do it.
SPEAKER_03And I always say every time.
SPEAKER_00Every time, right? That's my little tagline.
SPEAKER_03You guys are coaching. So uh so yeah, so you you started in the floor growing business.
SPEAKER_00Yep, and and it and it just led on, you know. People were, you know, with with being someone that was showing up and doing what you were supposed to be doing, people would ask, hey man, my electrician didn't show up. You know electrician, you know? You do you know a plumber? Do you know a, you know, that and um you know my funniest thing saying about plumbers is like they like Santa Claus, you know, like they always coming like Christmas, you know what I'm saying? Like the plumber's coming, the plumber's coming. I'm like, I don't care. You know what I'm saying? Where's the where is he at? Yeah, he's not here today. The plumber's coming, the plumber's coming, you gotta hurry up and finish everything because the plumber's coming. Okay.
SPEAKER_03So you you started to get opportunity. People would see the quality in your craftsmanship, the reliability, the consistency. That's right. You are dependable, just like your slogan. So uh so that just morphed in from tile and bathrooms to I mean, now today you do full-on construction business, uh full-on custom homes build from the ground up to remodels, both residential, commercial.
SPEAKER_00Um pools, outdoor kitchens, uh yeah.
SPEAKER_03What let's talk a little bit about some of the lessons that you learned along the way, some of the things that we can give to to our audience who who are listening to us. So let's talk about um what were some of the difficult things that you had to learn? Like the the problems that you had to solve. You know, you knew how to provide good work, but was it dealing with uh subcontractors? Was it dealing with the the client themselves? Like what what were some of the things that were growing pains for you over the years?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's been uh it's it's been some of all of that, right? It's it's uh it's even dealing with the permit department. There's there's a uh you know, um I think I don't think I know that personality, um, manners, approaching people the right way will get you so much further in life. You know, um I've always been able to do what people say you cannot do. People tell me you can't do that. That's not how that works. I've always been able to achieve what you what's what's impossible. And I've always done that by really turning on the charm and being super nice um and being um just high character, high, high integrity. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And being dependable. You know, the people at the permit office and everything, this it's it's a big deal. And and they know who's who's dependable and who's not, you know. And I would uh I would I would uh always use you I've always used that to to my strength and and and like you said, having the um the 10 out of 10 confidence in yourself, you know, having the confidence in yourself is a big deal. Um one of the stories we I think we missed along the way was my dad, you know, um telling me sending me to the store and stuff and sending me to different places and telling me to go get stuff. And I'd call him back and tell him, Daddy, that uh you can't, I can't, they don't have that here. I can't get it. And he'd say, Son, don't come home without it. Click. That's back when you had a rotary phone on a wall, not a cell phone. He'd tell me, Don't come home without it, boy.
SPEAKER_03So you learned problem solving, like you said, you you made the impossible possible. You are a problem solver, a solutions-based person. I know you've mentioned that you are willing to do right by the customer, which you live a saying that I love is you're about getting it right, not being right, uh, and working with that client uh by all means necessary. And and how am I gonna get this done? And your daddy taught you that. He said, Hey, don't come home without it, figure it out, click. That's right. So being dependable will get you a long way. And I think I think our young audience, they don't understand the uh value of being consistent and showing up, right? Even when the job is going haywire, even when the client is difficult, is just doing your best every time and how much of a differentiator that is uh versus you and your competition. And that goes just as a understandable and respectful.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Might be a different way to what I said of um manners. Yeah. Being respectful.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Down at when when you're when you're dealing with with people who are holding the paper that you need in your hand, yeah, and you can't get that paper. Not allowing the emotions to get the best of you. Right. Right. Being respectful and being understanding that they're going through something that day or whatever. You know, you can't you can't just um flash out on them or whatever. You know, you gotta you gotta you gotta deal with it and don't come back without it. You know what I'm saying? Don't come home without that, boy. That's right.
SPEAKER_03So uh there's a lot in that.
SPEAKER_00There's a lot in that in all the way around in in the constru in in all of my businesses, right?
SPEAKER_03Um So we know success is not linear, it's not a straight upwards trending line, you know, it it's more like a yo-yo on an escalator, right? There's ups and downs along this journey, but hopefully over time, like a good stock, we're going up. You know, there's gonna be, you know, peaks and valleys. Um do you care to share any valleys that you went through during during your building phase of your life? You know, something, anything troubling that you had to overcome that was not allowing Jeff to be the best Jeff he could be?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, so you know, I uh I got caught up in the uh working all the time mentality phase of my life, and working all the time spilled over into me entertaining um clients, me entertaining co-workers, guys who's working for me, and this and that in the evening times, and I developed a drug and alcohol problem. Yeah. Um and just from consistently doing it, you know, and it it it seemed normal and it seemed regular until I wanted to stop and I couldn't. And I was like, wait, why can't I why can't I stop this, you know? And uh I went to rehab um in 2008 to and when I did, man, when I went there and and I went all on my own, right? Nobody asked me to go, nobody anything. I just came home one morning um and started digging through the yellow pages. I used to have a phone book with some yellow pages in it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. I remember that. I'm not too I'm not too young, Jeff.
SPEAKER_00I started digging through them yellow pages uh and I found me a uh uh treatment center or drug dependency, whatever it was back then. Um and uh I went and uh had to get myself assessed because I didn't want to go through um what they call detox at the time. So I went and had myself assessed, drove up, had my wife drop me off uh two and a half hours away from here, and dropped me off there, and I stayed there for 28 days um and really learned what my problem was, you know. Um and it was eye-opening to me from day one all the way through. It was really blew my mind that that other people were dealing with the same thing I was dealing with, you know. Yeah, yeah. Yep.
SPEAKER_03So um you think you had like a it was you said it maybe led from from entertaining clients, you know, I'm sure dinners, like, you know, happy hours and things like that, building those relationships.
SPEAKER_00It started with the with the with back with the cigar box.
SPEAKER_03Started back with the cigar box.
SPEAKER_00It was entertaining them guys, right?
SPEAKER_03Nine and ten years old. That's right. Is that when you had your first drink?
SPEAKER_00I don't know when I had my first drink, right? But you know, early teens. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Early teens, I was for sure drinking.
SPEAKER_03So, and but that was kind of that thing with your dad, you know, right a lot of responsibility and a lot of pressure on a young kid in early age.
SPEAKER_00They drank all the time, you know. They um when they they they drank and parted and you know, and I and it's hard for me to to uh you know, that's that's different for different folks. Some folks do that and they fine with that, and then some folks, you know, whenever you decide you can you're gonna quit, you can't quit.
SPEAKER_03It's like yeah, and I think there are people who are high functioning, like it did this affect any of your business at that time as far as um ability to deliver product or service. I wouldn't know no.
SPEAKER_00Um I think it did, I think it did somewhat with some of my crews and stuff, you know, because I would have those guys out drinking and stuff too, yeah, a lot of times.
SPEAKER_03But Jeff would always show up doing the right things every time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Jeff showed up. Jeff would Jeff would be there at seven in the morning for sure. And and then I would go, by the time lunch came, I'd go home and take a nap, and then I'd start over, right?
SPEAKER_03So it wasn't per se affecting your business, but was it affecting a relationship uh outside of business? What was that with family? Yeah, like what really made you have that aha moment, like, hey, I need to do something about this. It's not affecting my financials. I'm able to still perform with business. We we're offering a great service. Uh, what was the kind of that turning point for you?
SPEAKER_00Um it would it would it would have been uh my wife and and and kids, you know. I uh like a you know, so I would drink all the time when I wasn't at work. Yeah, you know, um and it wouldn't matter if it was at the skating rink party, I would have to have, you know, have have me at Dacri or something. I just it's just what we did. That's how my daddy didn't rolled their whole life, you know.
SPEAKER_03So had a cold one with you at all time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah. You always kept that on deck. Where whatever you was doing, you had an ice chest in the truck, whatever you had always had it all figured out and mapped out. And uh, and now I see all the time and all the effort and all the money I put into always having that prepared, you know. And that and you know have that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no.
SPEAKER_03You know, I did a lot of drinking in my day too, uh Jeff. A lot of uh a lot of extracurriculars, as I like to call it. And uh, you know, what caused me to stop? I you know, alcohol is not good in in any amount, I don't think. Uh it doesn't do anything to positively improve any area of your life. It may give you false confidence, right? That liquid courage. Right. But um I noticed it would always lead to me overeating, you know, sleeping in, missing workouts, things of that nature. And when I started to train for Iron Man uh back in 2024, I started early 2024, I committed December 31st, 2023. I said, I've gotta have my habits aligned with my goals. And I decided on that New Year's Eve night, I said, I'm gonna stop drinking. I went out and I got fucked up, had a good time with my wife, came home and had a good time. Right next morning I was cold turkey. It it had never gotten to the point where maybe I needed to go to a facility, but I mean, I definitely think it caused problems in my relationship with, you know, emotional control, self-discipline, things like that. And my wife, you know, she could tell I I could do more if this wasn't distracting or being something that I had to overcome.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I made the decision on my own to stop drinking and uh, you know, I trained that whole year, didn't touch alcohol, stopped the nicotine, you know, the smoking, the vapes, things like that. And it was hard for a while. So if anybody out there is thinking, you know, you have to do it socially, I'm what everybody calls a fun guy. I've always been the life of the party everywhere I've gone, from college uh to you know, high school and post-college. So I've always loved to entertain people. And one of the hardest things for me was am I still gonna be that same fun guy without the alcohol? And the answer is yes. And I was actually, it took about three to six months for me to realize how much sharper I was in those social settings by not drinking, how how quicker I was with my wit, the ability to c connect dots and crack jokes. Right. And then it almost became like a superpower. It's and I have nothing against anybody who drinks, it's just it doesn't add to my life. You know, I was able to do something so spectacular last year uh with just 10 months of training, right? Completing a full Iron Man. And uh I believe had I not stopped drinking, it would have led to me missing workouts, it would have led to me not losing the amount of weight that I wanted to lose. And so uh I know it seems very socially acceptable, except especially for our young audience, that that's kind of what you gotta do to fit in, but it can really be something that separates you to make you stand out and really keep you sharp and above your competition. So the world's a very competitive place, and I think any edge you can give yourself is a is a good thing. So um, so we talked about you know in the beginning of this podcast, if you can get off to a good start, shit can happen all you know, every which way in the middle, and and in finishing strong. Um, you know, we talked about the recent award with 225, you know, number one kitchen and bathroom model uh construction company. Um you do a lot nowadays to help others, you pour into others. Um one thing that I've thoroughly enjoyed here lately is joining your your uh Bible study, the the God squad. So um tell us a little bit about that shift and and when you started that and how how you see that affecting your life today.
SPEAKER_00Cool. All right, so uh I started that back in 2018. I had gone to a men's retreat, um, which I've been to several different types of men's uh deals. I've been to Garrett White's uh Warrior Week and stuff like that in California, but I went to it to a men's retreat and I went there and I um met some fellows there, and um within a couple of weeks of that, I believe, we came back to my place. Um and my place was a party house back in the day. That's what I'd built it out for, you know. That's what I that was my full intention. I was gonna party the rest of my life.
SPEAKER_03Um you love Cancun so much. He, ladies and gentlemen, he built his backyard to look like a cancun poolside bar. It's ridiculous. You've got like a what, a 30-foot bar?
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_03Wraparound bar with the tiki hut style and everything.
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Doesn't get much use nowadays.
SPEAKER_00It did back in the day. Um, but yeah, um, where was I at on that now?
SPEAKER_03Talking about the Bible study, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So they came over to my house and they was like, man, it's a killer place to have a men's Bible study. And I was like, really? Huh. Never thought of that. Yeah. So anyway, we uh we started the guy squad then. Um when I first started, I actually hired uh a guy to come in and speak. Uh yeah, yeah, yeah. And that went on for a few little sessions, and I was like, hmm, no, he was he he literally was speaking the whole time, you know, and then be like, okay, you know, so after a few visits or whatever, you know, he was like, What you think? Give me some feedback. I said, Well, I kind of want to let everybody else do a little talking too, you know. Um he's like, Oh, we're getting to that. And then the next time he talked for about two hours or something, I was like, Yeah, no, we ain't getting to that. Yeah, no, no. So anyway, I started then, and um when I first started, we were watching videos and things and then having a discussion afterwards, you know, and uh just a chance to to to form a brotherhood and have some some friends talking about some positive things, you know. I had uh I had been around church all my life, um, but never really been in it. You know, I uh I actually ran into two pastors today at lunch. Um and um and anyway, they uh you know, I just I had tried it a bunch of different times. I had I had it all backwards in my mind from the way I think about it today though. Uh what I had back then in my mind was that I wasn't good enough for God, you know. Um and I thought that I needed to clean myself up and act right for God, you know? Yeah I needed I needed to clean up the Jeff that there was then and and all of alcohol, all of everything I was doing, and to be presentable to God, you know. And uh and then I I found out from there, you know, that that, you know No, he wants you to come dirty because he's gonna clean it up. That's right, that's right.
SPEAKER_03You ain't gotta be perfect to start.
SPEAKER_00That's right. And you're not gonna get it perfect along the way. So every time that I I attempted it before, it just it was a it was just a failure every time, you know, uh, because I was I was really counting on myself that I needed to be disciplined enough, that I needed to to correct myself enough, and then I needed to not have these desires and all this diff these different things, you know. And then whenever I let God, this time when I came back, I let God do the work. And what I did was every time I felt like I failed, um, which was probably long after God knew I was failing, um, I I would just go back to God. You know, like I just didn't quit. Like the only way you lose this is not quit.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think we said that. I mean, that's life and business and faith is just never give up, the concept pursuit. That's right.
unknownThat's right.
SPEAKER_03And if if you're doing that, you will eventually figure it out. And so I I one thing that I like about your Bible study so much is is the sharing aspect of it. Um, just like with this podcast, I mean, just sharing the different stories to success in business and letting people know that it doesn't have to look perfect. You can have a good start, you can have an okay start, things can happen in the middle, but finishing strong, the constant pursuit of once again getting it right, not having to be right.
SPEAKER_00You know, I've ran across a lot of people in my life who um were much more prepared than me, but never started.
SPEAKER_03Say that again, looking at a camera and say that, Jeff.
SPEAKER_00They were so much more prepared for than me, but they never got started. They knew more about the business than I did, but they never got started. You know? So you gotta start right.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00To end right.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But you got to get started. So you know, and the thing is, the earlier you get started, I'm not saying don't be prepared. I'm not saying that one bit. I'm saying be prepared the most you can, but get started. Get started going right. If you got your your intentions are pure and you have the the you know, you you you count your your your your you you looked into it, you're mentally prepared, your intentions is right, you got the right, whatever you if you if you need a crew around you, whatever you need, and get started, you know, and and put your faith in God, man, and and and and your faith in your in yourself and what you're gonna do and get it working. I think you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_03I think if you lean on that so much in life and in business, the the just getting started, knowing that you you have a big why, right? You're in business, we're we're really here to serve people, we're here to solve people's problems. There's things that people can't get done by themselves, right? And that's what our product and service is really offering. Right. Um, and so when you put when you put others first and you have those good intentions, if if you are always striving to do the right thing every time, how you say you're gonna do it, when you're gonna say when you say you're gonna do it, um, you really can't lose unless you quit. Right. And so I know God, He, He's gonna honor that when you put him first and when you are looking to do the right things in business.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. God's gonna honor it even when you don't put him first. Oh, yeah. He's you know, when you when you're trying to help your fellow, help your neighbor, heard that before. Help your neighbor and you're trying to to to and you have pure intentions and you and you're doing great, man, it's it's perfection is uh is what what we strive for, you know, but um it it's not always obtainable along the way, you know. And whenever you're real with people and you and you're you're you're you're being transparent with everything, you know, you're not you're not hiding anything, effective communication, right? It's gonna all work out, you know.
SPEAKER_03What um what are some of the lessons that maybe it it took you longer to learn than you had wished? And what would you impress on a young audience listening today? So I don't know, take some time if if if you've got to to think about that. What what's something you would like to tell the Jeff's younger self?
SPEAKER_00Man, I think we were just talking about it. You know, get started, man. Get started young.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_00Don't wait until you get older to get started.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_00Get started young. It's gonna give you more experience. You get started young, like I'm I'm big into the to the rental properties, right? Yeah, and you gotta start young to get those things paid off, bro. You know, you know, I'm I'm semi-retired now, you know, because I got started young, you know.
SPEAKER_03Um What's another thing that you wish? So get started. Get started. Don't be afraid to start and start as early as possible. There's no better day than today. Don't put off today. That's right. Or tomorrow, what you can do today. So, what would be something else that you would like to give your younger self or that younger audience member?
SPEAKER_00Definitely don't quit, man. Don't quit. Don't quit. All right, don't quit. And and do what you say you're gonna do, when you say you're gonna do it, how you say you're gonna do it. So, what's the first part of that? Watching what you say. Don't say you're gonna do it.
SPEAKER_03I like that. If you ain't gonna do it, you gotta protect your word.
SPEAKER_00That's right. Before you say it, think about it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Can I and am I gonna do that?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know, don't just say it. That's what I tell different people to work with me. You know, I tell them, I say, what you so the way you the way we do what we say we're gonna do, when we say we're gonna do it, how we say we're doing it, we watch what we say up front.
SPEAKER_03Tell me a little bit about that, because I know you've coached some of your guys when they're going into homes to not set unrealistic expectations and to make sure you're working with somebody who who's reasonable, who who you can work with and you can deliver what their expectations are. So talk talk a little bit about that, you know, when delivering a product or service.
SPEAKER_00You know, I gotta say all money ain't good money, you know. Right. All money ain't good money, man. And and look, um not everybody's a perfect fit for you.
SPEAKER_03That's right.
SPEAKER_00A lot of personalities don't fit, you know. Um, so just just um jumping out and trying to make money um when it don't feel right on the front ends, not not a good way to do it, you know. So I I tell my guys, I just tell them, you know, hey, listen, we don't want every job. Yeah, every job ain't for us. We're looking for the perfect customer, just like they're looking for the perfect contractor. You know, I consider ourselves a premium contractor. You know, I'm not the cheapest. Absolutely. I don't look for the cheapest materials, I don't look for the cheapest tradesmen, I don't look for the cheapest of anything. I'm looking for the best.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know, um, so you want to provide true quality. So we're looking for customers. We need to have customers looking for the best. Yeah. If they're looking for the cheapest, we're wasting our time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I'm not the cheapest. I love that, man. Yeah.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03I mean, and and you know knowing who your ideal customer is and what your abilities are and how you can deliver that product and service is is absolutely key.
SPEAKER_00Well, but because, you know, um I'm a customer who I want the best, you know, um, and I'm willing to pay for it.
SPEAKER_03Ladies and gentlemen, I've seen this man's road bike and he has the best.
SPEAKER_02He might not have the skills like Matt, but that boy got the bike to ride with me.
SPEAKER_00I got several of them.
SPEAKER_02Jesus, they don't know about cycling fifteen, twenty thousand dollar bicycles. Mine was seven thousand.
SPEAKER_03I'm just You got two of them too, don't you? I got I got a few, I got a little over 10 grand in bicycles. Right.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03But uh yeah, wanting the best, you know, high quality products, high quality services in in looking for that.
SPEAKER_00But I'm saying, well, you know, once once so, so let me just say it this also, it might be off subject. I don't know. But when I first started and I first started accumulating things, I was successful when I was young, right? So I started accumulating toys. Yeah. Um, one of them was a camp on the river on the diversion. So it was an asset too, right? Yeah. But you know, after a year or two of having that thing, I was like, wait, hold on. This thing needs painting and this thing needs this, this thing, I gotta maintain this too, you know what I'm saying? And I won had a place I hunted up in St. Francisville, and up there, and everything needed something at the same time. And I was what, like, hold on, hold on. I might not want everything in the world like I thought I did. Yeah, you know, because somebody's gotta maintain all this stuff, you know? And so having all these things ain't the best idea in the world either. Um, that's something I I could have told my younger self for sure. That um, you know, really and truly um, you know, having income-producing assets, I'll 100% two thumbs up, go for that any, any, anytime, jump on them, start paying them off early. But having things to to to make yourself feel better or to add to your um pleasure of life, that just gets a little a little uh dirty down that road, you know? Because you got to maintain all your stuff. If you don't maintain your stuff, it's gonna fall to pieces on you and you're not gonna have anything.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. So so knowing what you're working for, not not working for anything and everything.
SPEAKER_00That's right, that's right. I mean, I wanted it all back then, you know?
SPEAKER_03So okay, so that's one thing. That's another thing. I think those are very valuable lessons for our young audience. Yeah, I think they are too. Definitely. So, Jeff, I'd like to ask you, um, where do you draw inspiration from or motivation? You know, when you're going through difficult times in business uh or in life, like what are some of the things that keep you on track? I know faith is is a big thing, but you what other things are you incorporating outside of faith?
SPEAKER_00Man, it's my uh it's my faith, it's my legacy what I leave behind. It's my children and grandchildren that I that I keep striving for. Because like a, you know, I'm I'm at the point now I can shut it down, you know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, and I'm still acquiring things. I'm still I'm buying another house, just just waiting to write the check, you know? Um that kind of thing. And um, you know, um, like I said, like I was talking about earlier, you know, I've got past the the owning things, right? Because at first you think you need to own all these different things. I'm past that point now, so I'm I'm I'm more lean, I'm more leaning into to uh only only asset uh uh producing income producing assets.
SPEAKER_03That's what I meant to say. Thank you, sir. You're welcome, sir. And so you you think about legacy uh because I know that Ray Bon name means everything to you. It does. Um and so one thing that keeps you motivated is is really thinking about your family and the decisions you make. And you ain't got time to be down. You ain't got time to do that.
SPEAKER_00She works eight days a week, 36 hours a day. You know what I'm saying? Great.
SPEAKER_03Tanya.
SPEAKER_02Shout out Salon Ray Bon.
SPEAKER_03Maybe we could get her to sponsor this episode.
SPEAKER_00You should have you should have her come in. Definitely gonna have her come in. She is she is uh she's gangbusters, bro. And far as you know, from the women's women's side of things, you know, she absolutely she's a she's a boss, bro.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, we're gonna have so many types of different people, different walks of life, different industries on this podcast. I'm so excited about it.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_03Um, so you know, let's let's talk about company culture. I know you say loyalty. You are big on loyalty.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_03How do you operate as a leader to build a strong and positive culture in your businesses?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Um so I might not do the the uh the uh I know I don't do the best job in the world at it, but I live it, right? Um I do do what I say I'm gonna do when I say I'm gonna do it, how I say I'm gonna do it. Um I pay everybody every week on time, just like I'm supposed to. Yeah. Um that's that's unheard of in my in my industry, you know.
SPEAKER_03Contractors are normally waiting to get that check before paying their guys.
SPEAKER_00Remember, I was the subcontractor at first, you know, so I was chasing, it was a whole nother job just to chase contractors around just to get my money every week, you know, um, even my own buddy. Yes, it got me started. That's gracious. It really is, you know, it's uh it's all these, they they build all these natural stories into it, you know, like oh, waiting to get a draw, um, waiting on, you know, we're coming up on our next uh, you know, whatever it is, closing, whatever, you know what I'm saying? And and so they're always telling you these types of things, and so they pay you a little piece of money, you right? A little portion of your money. And um, I just took a hard stand again stance against that and said, you know, I'm you pay everybody. You put your guys ahead of you. That's right. And you believe that's what I'm saying. I grow my business. I don't, I don't, I don't know.
SPEAKER_03So so that is led that has led to your your workers, hey, we're gonna do right by Jeff. Yeah. Because he puts us first. That's right. That's right. Definitely builds a strong uh culture.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and they know they can come to me for anything, right? That I mean, I have family bonds. I just took pictures of one of the one of the the the one of my right-hand man um's wife this week that has been in the hospital with many, many, many complications. And I've had to help them out a lot, you know, and um, and that's no, no, um that's my that's my honor to do that. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? It's my honor to be the go-to. I I I I look at that as an honor and a privilege to be the man that they come to when their family's down and in need, and that, and that that I've I've stewarded my money well enough to better write a check. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03I was gonna ask the next question I was gonna ask is is what are some of the things you do that you feel set you apart as a leader? But I mean I think you just answered that one. Goodness gracious. You read my mind, Jeffrey? That's right. So what uh do you have any unpopular opinions about business or entrepreneurship? So like maybe something that you do that not everybody jobs with.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah. I don't I don't believe in uh, you know, I am old school, man, just like my dad was, bro. I'm gonna do the right thing every time. I'm not gonna make what they call, I'm not gonna screw somebody for a business decision.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00People say, oh, that was just business. That was just a business decision. Yeah. No problem.
SPEAKER_03I'm not That's not the framework that you don't roll like that.
SPEAKER_00No. Never have. And look, I know I'm not the best businessman when it comes to those types of business decisions.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I make business decisions based on people, not on profit. And my heart. You know what I'm saying? When when my heart says give, I give. I don't I'm just not I'm not a ruthless businessman.
SPEAKER_03I know you had you'd you had shared a story that uh I think you were doing a remodel for a little old lady, and you c you kind of constantly had to come back and rework something. You said you even lost money on that job, like truly lost money. Like you might have paid her to remodel her home.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, oh yeah. But yeah, you we actually just did a uh a photo shoot at her place the other day. So Jay did. It paid you back. That's an advertising. That's what I was doing.
SPEAKER_03But and and that's not to say you're allowing people to take advantage of you, but that was an opportunity where this woman, she was kind of struggling with some things.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And you were able to help her.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I've done that many times, man. I did that a lot during the flood too, bro. And I and I know that's what comes back to me. You know what I'm saying? I I I I um I uh I put the the uh the God um giving theory to test when I was a young man, bruh, about you know, giving and and doing for others, bruh, and watch it come back to me tenfold, you know? And I have and I do, and I think that's why I'm successful as successful as I am today. Um it's it's not because I've done all the business savvy decisions, like I say, it's just that I'm solid and good to people, you know. But let's go ahead and talk about that story though. That lady, uh Travis had a baby that week, remember?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Travis's wife had a baby that week. Uh not Travis himself, but Travis's wife had a baby that week. So I got called on to the job. So I go there. I'd never met the lady before, right? And she's got she's going down a list. She got 10 different things. Well, I I talked to Travis somewhere, maybe the next day or something, because he was out and I wasn't bothering him, you know. And he was like, Oh yeah, that the those things aren't even on the on the on the proposal, you know. Like she just wants us to do all these extra things. And I I told her we could put that together. I said, Well, I'm just gonna go ahead and make her happy. It ain't that big of a deal. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm just gonna go ahead and do whatever she wants she's got here. We're gonna go ahead and take care of it. Uh and um, you know, I took her over to my house and I showed her what under cabinet lights look like. She was wanting to get some from Dollar General or something, plug them underneath the thing, and they come on and I was like, let me come show you, come let me show you what some undercounter LED strips look like, you know. And I took her over there, I put her in my kitchen. You've been in there many times, and I turned that dimmer up, and you know, I undimmed those lights, however, you say that. Yeah, raised the lighting up. She was like, Oh, that's what I want. I said, Yeah, I think that's what you wanted. Yeah, I'm gonna take, I'm gonna put that in there for you. Um so anyway, um she told me then, she said, Jeff, I just want to tell you something. And I said, No, she said, Can I tell you something? I said, Yes, ma'am, you can tell me something. She said, Travis has been so good to me. She said, you know, I probably went through 20 different contractors, and I believe, and I believe it wasn't all 20 contractors' fault. This lady was tough to deal with, right? Um, I was giving her what she wanted. That's why she was nice to me at the end, you know. But she said, I just want to let you know, your guys have been so good and so nice and so sweet to me the whole time. And Travis has been so good to me, and I just wanted to let you know that. I said, Okay. I said, You mind if I send a video crew over to your house and shoot shoot a video of your kitchen? Because it was beautiful, man. When I went over there, I was like, wow, this thing looks good, you know?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And um she said, no, I'll do that. So I so I had to do that, you know. And so me and Travis was talking a few days later, after, well, you know, maybe a couple weeks later, I actually had the baby and this and that. And um, you know, I said, Travis, I said, you uh you know that what that was was all about? Because he was a little upset that I wasn't charging her for everything extra. And I said, You know what all that's about, Travis? He said, No what? I said, Man, think if your grandma was somewhere. This lady's 83 years old or something like that. If your grandma was somewhere and she was having a uh remodel done at her house, I think it started off with an insurance claim on a on a hot water heater or something like that, you know, but she done been through everybody in town. I said, wouldn't you want to know that, you know, first of all, we stuck with her all the way through the end, bro. You know what I'm saying? Like she she I can tell she ran some people off. Yeah. I said, we stuck with her all the way through the end, bro. And we did the right thing. Now, wouldn't you want you to know that your grandma had been treated like that, bro? And he was like, Yeah. I said, that's what it's all about, bro. That's what it's all about. That's what it's all about, baby. I love that.
SPEAKER_03We're gonna get this thing wrapped up. I got two for you. Are there any crap? You got two more hours in you?
SPEAKER_00That's why I don't start until about 6 30.
SPEAKER_03Look, Jeff, I gotta go run six miles. I gotta race in March that I'm trying to run at about 45 minutes, bro. I'm trying to PR, you know. Um so I want to know, do you have anything that you're currently working on? I know you got several businesses. Is there anything new that's happening, or are you taking one of the businesses to a new level? Like what are you currently working on and focusing your your energy, effort, and time on?
SPEAKER_00So we have two uh huge uh well, not that huge, uh two two two backyard makeovers that we're doing right now, you know. Um one of them is uh is one of Tanya's um uh colleagues, another salon owner in town who owns probably the biggest salon in town. We're doing in their backyard, an outdoor kitchen, pool, um uh those kind of things, you know. I hate to do like an insurance deal, right? Where you put stuff back like it was. I always hate spending that money to to fix my truck, you know, like it already like it already was. Now, today I put a new in in in in uh dash stereo system, you know, Tesla stereo thing. I like to improve, yeah, right? I'm all about that. You know, I think we were gonna talk also about my vision and stuff on those types of improvements and knocking out walls and redoing areas. I love that. I don't like to have to put something back together together the same way it was. As a matter of fact, I tell people I don't do those jobs. So it's just a bummer, you know what I'm saying? When you're just trying to go right back to what you started with, you know, a repair job, basically. You know, I don't I don't like that at all. But but to do uh these two uh backyards and you know, I know there's people are gonna gonna enjoy and love that the rest of the day.
SPEAKER_03You love that creative, that creative side side of things.
SPEAKER_00Just like my backyard, you know, you walk into that and you and you it's a cabana, huh? Yeah, yeah, it sets you in a different mood, you know what I mean? Like and I I just I know we're fixing to add that flair to their to their backyard, you know.
SPEAKER_03So I like that. I like that. So that's the big project's going on. What um lastly to wrap up the show, we you know, the show is called for profit podcasts, and profit can mean a lot of different things. I mean, obviously, when it comes to finances, it's what's left over. I think of profit as abundance, success, different things. Like, what would you say profit means to you?
SPEAKER_00All right.
SPEAKER_03And it doesn't have to be the technical business sense word, right?
SPEAKER_00It probably is to me. Like I said, I'm really not that businessman. Yeah, you know, I didn't I never wanted to be a super wealthy person. I wound up doing really well. Probably could have done better, but you know, it's the happiness and the peace and the success in the middle of all of it. And all the businesses I own, I don't have to hide. I don't have to hide at all. A lot of people are hiding. Yeah, you know, and um so success and profit is together with in my eyes, you know. If yeah, I I don't want no profit if I hadn't been successful in making people happy and turning l changing lives, and that's that's that's the profit to me. The profit is in the in the people, man. I love it. Yeah. Turn around and get getting the the um the the profit really don't matter, man. It really doesn't. Yeah. It's it's you gotta have it, you gotta you gotta have money to operate, but but it's all about the lives you touch. The lives you touch and and and affect.
SPEAKER_03Just kind of goes back to doing the right thing every time. And and you know, money follows value, right? Excess and abundance follows those who give and provide to others in excess and abundance. Right. So that man, that's beautiful. Look, I want to thank you for your time here today. I know certainly we're gonna have you on for more episodes. This is more of a uh a business, a more serious episode. We they don't even know my nickname. That's right. That's right, we missed it out. We we we didn't touch on everything, so we're definitely gonna have you on for another episode.
SPEAKER_00We save some in the tank.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, we're gonna we're gonna save some stuff, maybe go in more in depth, you know, based on our audience's feedback. I know they're gonna love this episode. So just once again, thank you for everything. Thank you for being a friend, and thank you for doing the show with me today, my man. Same here, brother. I appreciate you having me on.