On today's episode of Gathering the Kings. This is a real conversation. So this is for the listener right now. I hope that you're paying attention because it doesn't mean just because you do a 1,000,000 in revenue. Justin's already done over a 1,000,000 this year, and we're recording in May. The reality here is that you can be a successful business owner and still make mistakes. What's up, everybody? I'm Chaz Wolfe gathering the Kings podcast today. I've got a special guest.
This is actually the first time Where we've had a guest from over a year ago, come back to the King stage. And so Justin Dawson, welcome back, my friend. How are you? I'm fine. Thank you. Thanks for having me again. Yeah, man. I it's so funny. Each time we talked, the last time you were in the midst of it was, like, your home, but it was a job site. You were in the process of flipping this beautiful condo in San Francisco, and now you're out on the out on the road.
I've done lots of these with the special contractors out on the road or in in project mode. Every time I've talked with you, you're in project mode. You're getting stuff done. I love it. Appreciate you being here, man. Things have changed, in the last year since we talked? Yeah. Yeah. It's definitely a roller coaster to a certain extension. Yeah. We had got to mention more sitting down. It's always a change. It's always changing. I mean, like, nothing ever tastes the same.
Yeah. The they say that cliche statement of the only constants is change. Right? And so I remember years ago, I embraced that myself, and When you just hold on to that and own it, sleep with it, tight, like a little blanket at night, then at least in those moments of constant change, it feels like Like, okay. This is normal. I have something to hold on to. I can I'll be okay. Right. Yeah. So were just talking before we hit the record button.
And last year, you said, although still a successful year Chaz far as business is concerned, it wasn't what you wanted it to be. And then this year, so far, you've done double the revenue that you've that you did all of last year. And so this this is gonna be an interesting conversation because we we've gone through some of your the ways of thinking a little over a year ago, and and now we get to look back and go, okay. Well, what what worked? What didn't work? You know what I mean?
So In the last 12 to 14 months since you and I talked, I've I know you've been doing projects. I know you've you've been doing a couple of your own projects as well, but before we get to the nitty gritty of it all, have you changed the insides of you, your burning desire, like, what you want out of light Chaz that changed? Is that the same? What is that? Well, I stopped going to the job site like 2 months ago. My son took over the day to day.
I just realized how useless I was on the job site hauling hauling trash and telling my guys what they need to do when they already know what they need to do. So I've been focusing on paperwork and invoicing and and different projects I have and building permits, and that's been super helpful. Like, that's that's really that's really shot me up. I mean, that's been super big. Yeah. So that's pretty helpful.
And then the other thing that I've changed is that I've actually started, like, talking to people more instead of being such a hermit on figuring stuff out on my own, which I was like, I can do it on my own. It's not my subconscious. Okay. It is, but, you know, it needs a little bit of fire, you know, need a little agitation. It's called the match for us.
So I've actually been I've actually been, like, I have a couple couple of people, couple of friends that are in construction or they're in real estate, and they know me well enough to where I've been talking stuff through with. So That's been a big change. That's been helpful. That's cool, man. And that's basically it. And I moved to Seattle, like, 2 months ago. Yeah. Well, that's a big difference because you were not in Seattle before.
So we can we can definitely talk about the environment maybe being different, but I I don't wanna move too fast here because you made you made something that it not only makes a lot of sense. I think a lot of people skip over. And so first off, you said, well, I got all the answers in my subconscious, Michael. First off, I love Chaz, right, because we do. Everything, every solution to every problem exists already. We just we just haven't put it together yet if it doesn't exist. Right?
If it doesn't quote unquote exist. I was listening to something even this past weekend. It it's a mindset training, and we were talking about the subconscious mind and how things are already here. And it's like, okay. Well, even, like, the cure for cancer, right, cure for cancer exists. We just have it put the pieces together in a format that Chaz works yet. Well, depends on what you believe there, but it's regardless of all that and and a conspiracy, the the reality is is that you're right.
We have it. However, what you said, as far as, like, getting other people to kinda, like, meddle in there a little bit and bring those things in our subconscious to consciousness is the definition that Napoleon Hill talks about in his mastermind principle. So in thinking to a rich literally one of the chapters is on the mastermind principle. This is exactly why I started gathering the Kings because For me, there are so many groups that are just group coaching. And it's okay.
Like, those are those are fine. I've been a part of those groups, and I got tons of value from them, actually. But it was not a mastermind. The the definition of a mastermind per Napoleon Hill is when 2 or more people are working in harmony towards a definite goal. And so what happens inside of that is mind agitation.
That's that's Chaz Wolf's definition is the agitation of the mind when you get together with your real estate folks or when you get together with your other contractors or when gathering the Kings gets together, as a mastermind group, There are situations and experiences and things happening in our conversation that are agitating the way that I think, whether it's a challenge, whether it's a new idea, whether it's a connection, Whatever
those things are, and then it's like, oh, it either spurs for things that I already knew that were in my subconscious mind, or It was a brand new thought to me. And I'm like, woah. That's impactful. It changes my perspective. Therefore, I can change. Do you agree with this? Am I just a crazy man over here? What do you think? I think that's yeah. I mean, it's good because I've always definitely been, like, Like, I can do it. I can do it. I I just didn't want anybody to mess up my flow. Right?
So I'm opening. And plus I'm I'm gonna be 50 in, like, 2 weeks. So I'm kinda like, I don't really wanna work as much as I have been. And, like, it's just Other people have good ideas and and then there's nothing like a there's nothing like somebody that's that knows you well enough and knows your business Wolfe enough of, like, a outsider looking in. They and they see things completely different, you know, than, like, what you're seeing. I'm not completely well, yeah, It's obviously yeah.
It's like completely different. So, yeah, I mean, it's just to get a, I guess, a bird's eye view, like a full rounded view of what you're doing, Yeah. Because you can always see, like, you somewhat I think people have somewhat have blinders on. Yeah. And they can only see, like, right in front of them, but they can't see, right in front of him on the somebody else is looking at him, like, you should be.
So I I've actually been giving up the reins and listening and taking opinions from other people and just holding my tongue like, okay. I think that's okay. Let's just go with it. Yeah. Well, I think I like you said, holding your tongue, taking a big big gulp and swallowing and just being quiet for a minute and Mhmm. Maybe maybe heeding to someone else's expertise. I wanna go back to something that you said as far as your son. So I'm gonna go a little bit more practical now.
But you said your son's in the business now and he's starting to run job sites stuff. And what that's enabled you to do is maybe work a little bit more on the business in in the you you called a paperwork and and some invoicing and such, but still some of that could be working in the business really, your your mindset has been able to go to other things because you trust him. He's on the job site. Your guys have been around for a long time. So forth and so on.
So my question to you, because this is part of, I mean, you're a contractor. So this is unique language to contracting, but The idea of moving to working on the business as opposed to in the business is not unique to contracting. It's it happens like this in all businesses. And inside, again, in the Kings, we can use it as this, like, this warrior to King transition where it's not just about you doing everything or you being in the battle, but to operating on or facilitating all the pieces.
Right? So my question inside of that for you is what's been the challenge? What's been the hardest part of kinda letting go to your son or to your guys. Because like you said, you had a flow. You've started to listen to some other people. What's been, like, the daily, like, oh, this is really hard for me to do. What is that at this point for you? The hardest thing is just like I know nothing. Honestly, they've been doing such a good job. Like, they've really been handling business.
Like, I'll come back and I'll check the jobs a week. 2 weeks later, I left where I I'll I'll fly back in from Seattle because I'm I'm still based in California by living in Seattle. So I'll fly back again in a couple weeks and It's real it's going really well. I mean, the clients love my son. My guys know what they're doing. Like, the hardest thing because this is, like, my second or third time trying to accomplish this.
So Yeah. The hardest thing was not worrying about every little thing that could go wrong and Right. Let things go a little bit. So Yeah. I'm actually good. Like, I'm not I'm really the first time I came back, I was pissed off because there was this stuff done. The second time I came back, I was a little bit more calm. Okay. It's getting better. And this is the third time he's coming back since I left Chaz, like, been this week. And I'm like, Holy shit. Everything's going really well. I'm good.
They don't need me looking at them every day. Yeah. And and that's that's right. They don't because they've they've they're experts or they've been around for a while. They know what they're doing or you train them. Whatever the the reason is Chaz they don't need you, but the realization, I think, that you said you you didn't say it, but I'm gonna pull it out of here is is the hardest part was just doing it. Like, the first time leaving or not going not being there. Right?
And Right. I've I've had this story happen so many times, especially with contractors or even specific guys in the mastermind group, They're like, man, I I toiled with this idea of giving this responsibility to this guy or this gal for, like, 3 months and, like, did can he can he do it? Will he do it well? Like, what, like, what, like, oh, it's the worst case scenario. Like, I'll just keep doing it.
Like, And then eventually, they give it away, and it's like, right away, they're like, he's freaking killing it. Why did I wait so long? Oh my goodness. This is working out really great. Everything that you just said. Nope. It doesn't always work like that because you said this is your 3rd attempt. At building a team doing it this way, working on. And so you have to be prepared for it. Maybe not not to not work, but you just gotta make sure it's the right person.
That they know what they're doing, that they're competent, that they that you give them space, like, some actual runway with some training. But, like, if it's the right person and they're smart and they know what they're doing and you give them, like, an on ramp of what success looks like. Give it to him. Right? And that what you said? Yeah. Yeah. I mean and the worst thing that could be due is You'll get a break for a couple weeks.
Like, I had a break for a couple weeks at 3 weeks, like, 2 or 3 times. And then I'm like, oh, I have to go back in and do it. So, I mean, so like, worst case scenario, you'll get, like, a break, and then you'll have to go in and clean stuff up again. Right. Right. But you get the breaks done, then you have a challenge and It's all good. Yeah. I'm I'm thinking of a guy specifically.
We were just in Georgia for our one of our in person events, and he's got 3 companies and 1,000,000 and 1,000,000 of dollars in sales, and he got a great team and a great business. He's a great guy. And he was given this example of this this one particular person on his team has been with him for a couple years. He really trusts him. He doesn't he personally, though, has the problem giving stuff away, which is so right for entrepreneurs. Like, that's just what we do. Right?
We we struggle giving stuff away. Okay. Fine. And so, anyway, he he finally gave it his task away. And so we were meeting in Georgia, and we were out on this hike. And we were just chatting about this. And he's like, dude. I just can't believe I waited so long. Like, what was I doing? What was I thinking?
And and hindsight's always 2020, but I'm I'm saying this out loud, not only taking your example live right now, but then using this other Wolfe, for the listener's sake right now because we might have a listener who's building a business, maybe brand new. Shoot. Maybe they're doing a couple 1000000, maybe 3, 4, 5000000, and they're running around like, a chicken with their head cut off, and they don't have they're they haven't given away any anything, which is just as much as a problem.
And so this person needs to hear her. It's okay. Give it away. Give it Yeah. Just give it away and let things I Wolfe listen to this podcast the day. I forgot the guy's name, but He's like something to the effect to where they had just give something away and just if you have that constant thought of like, oh, this is gonna be bad, and this is gonna be bad, then it's gonna, like, It's gonna stress you out.
So just don't always think of like the end game is gonna be I'm trying to think I was playing it, but, basically, you're just really pessimistic about the whole situation. And instead of thinking like, oh, this is gonna end bad thinking, okay. It might be rough right now, but it's gonna end good. Right? And just keep the way you're looking at it, like, it's gonna end good. It may get bad. It may get rocky, but it's gonna end good.
Yeah. Well, there's practicality to Chaz, right, where where you can't just optimistically look at everything, and everything's gonna be roses and and ignore things. And I know that's not what you're saying, but But what does that look like on the day to day? Well, it looks like saying, okay. Well, what's the worst case scenario? And I and I put together a little scaffolding or a little skeleton of what that plan looks like. Okay. Well, what's the worst case scenario?
Here's what I would do in that situation. Okay. But then, like, all my attention comes over here to when it goes exactly to my plan. It's not gonna go exactly to my plan, but when things go in this direction, when I start winning, when the project is going towards what I'm looking for, These are the things that I'm gonna be doing. And to your point around the subconscious earlier, it's like we are either feeding ourselves what we want or what we don't want. Right?
You're talking about pessimism, but and it's the same. It's like, well, if I'm gonna think about all the bad things that could possibly be going wrong, it doesn't mean that I don't plan for the worst case scenario. It means that if I'm constantly obsessing and worrying over all the possible things that possibly could go wrong that maybe Wolfe, maybe won't. And I don't even have a control over half of them. What am I gonna get? What's the result of that? You said stress, anxiety.
Probably some of those things happening. Right? Right. Yeah. Well, I mean, I have a perfect example right now. Like, I had one job that subcontractor who I swore off. I'd never deal with again. I've had 3 bad experience with them, like, over the last 10 years. And so I saw him, and he's like, Dude, I'm really sorry how I was. I got a truck now. I got my license. Everything's great. Everything's dandy. I'm like, I probably still shouldn't hire you.
And then a job comes up that I don't really wanna do. And I'm like, hey. Do you wanna go do this job? He's like, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I got it. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do that. I'm like, okay. Okay. He's really gonna come through. Like, it's gonna be great. Oh my god. He's got he's not following the payment schedule ask he's asking for money like at a time. He's not responding. He's not passing inspections and the client's already vote. Particularly fussy client. And I'm like yep.
And I'm like, honestly, honestly, I can't even be mad at him. I can't even be mad at me. He already literally I'm trying not swear as much as I was before, but he already kinda like he screwed me, like, three times already. It's your fault. And I mean no. It it is. It's 100% my my my fault. But the thing is going in, I mean, I knew this was a strong possibility of this happenings. It's not a client that I'm afraid of losing, which sounds terrible.
But it but, I mean, but it's not like, oh my gosh. She's gonna kill us over. So I put him on some of the relatively low risk. Something that I could fix if I had to fix it when he fucked up. Right. So I'm gonna go out there and sneak up on him tomorrow and see if he's doing anything. I hope that he is. I mean, I hope he's got the foundation in. Inspections are past easy, and he's just not like communicating with me. So I'm hoping for the best. I highly doubt it, but I Wolfe so to bet.
But in the meantime, I do have another one of my other subs said, yeah, Justin. I you should have gave him that money, and I'll come in. I'll finish it. Just let me know when you're ready. So are you now a solution? I'm still hoping for the best, but in reality, I'm gonna go out there, and it's gonna be string lines of piles of dirt and pissed off clients. That's probably what I'm gonna see.
Yeah. Yeah. But Well, I I love the realness of what you just described because not only is it a real situation, actually, but it it's something that the listeners can can here. Like, even if they're light years ahead and doing 100 of 1,000,000 of dollars, they remember situations like this, whether they're contractor or not. They remember situations like this where I was like, oh, I don't know. Like, look this way.
And sometimes those things really work out, and and I actually was on a podcast a couple of days ago, and the guy said it like this. He said, we take the same risk at the beginning But if it if it works, everybody says, oh, like, look what you did and you did a great like, you you gave that guy a chance and you gave him space and you You gave him a third chance and he didn't deserve it, but you did it anyway and how great this whole thing is. And, wow, well done. In same situation, and it fails.
And it's like, oh, how could you? It's your fault. He already gave you a bad sick ratio of a win probability. This is not high chance of of success here, and and it's and it looks like failure. And so it's like, well, it's the same risk at the beginning. Obviously, as entrepreneurs, what we're trying to do is we're trying to, like, navigate that decision and trying to mitigate risk or take calculated risk.
But sometimes things don't work out and sometimes they do, but that same thing can end in 2 different scenarios. Right? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, but this was probably definitely I and I almost call it a act of self sabotage. Well, I can certainly stamp because I knew I mean, I I I I mean Yes. I knew I knew deep deep down. I mean, he looked me in the eye and I got my license. I got my truck, and I've changed, and I'm sorry. And I know I messed you up on the last jobs. I'll go finish this one.
I started 7 years ago. If I'm like, I'm like, okay. Okay. I was like, you already paid me. I can finish it. It's been 5 years. I wanna go up. That was really nice of him. And I doubt that he would actually come and do it, but still so but it's just It Yeah. But it's like I know better, and I still did it. So that's like Yeah. That that's like definitely a classification of self sabotage. Like, you're just potentially fuck yourself up. I'm trying not to swear as much.
I'm just saying it's like I had to I mean, what I mean, what is almost like I had to do it to see what would happen. I was like Right. It's so stupid. Well, here here's what happens. And this is for the listener too because what you're what you're talking we've all done. And we still continue to do to a degree. Obviously, you now know, like, this is, like, you're never gonna do that with this guy again, but maybe with another guy, you will, possibly.
And it's, like, you you still are gonna repeat sometimes this bad decision. I'm not saying that you need to, but in that moment, here's what we do as people who care because what's coming through the screen and through the mic right now is that Justin cares. And he's trying to, like, go, okay. Well, dude, if you have gotten it together, I like, I wanna be able to see that in you. I wanna be able to see your potential.
Now what you're describing now is the distortion of you know, caring for somebody and when it crosses the line to, like, where you care too much about it, or when you care more than they do, Yeah. This this is actually the second time I've done this, though, in the last year. Yeah. Wolfe, so so this is a public declaration of of no more. Look. This is a real conversation So this is for the listener right now.
I just I hope that you're paying attention because it doesn't mean just because you do a 1,000,000 in revenue. Justin's already done over a 1,000,000 this year. And we're recording in May. So it's like, the reality here is that you can be a successful business owner and still make mistakes. In fact, you will be still making mistakes.
And the idea is that we get better and better, and I guarantee you from here going forward, or at least I hope, Justin, that when you are in situation again, you're gonna think about it a little bit differently. You're gonna think, you know what? I don't I don't need to put up with x, y, and z afterwards. I'm just gonna say no and move on.
And here's what it will and ultimately come down for you, Justin, but also for the listener as we as we hit our head against the, like, the brick wall so many times, right, is that we we we eventually value ourselves. We value our time.
We value us and what we can go produce via work or another project or working with a client or helping somebody pouring into our family, whatever those other things that we can do, because you saying yes to that guy was also saying yes to the cleanup and the frustration and the stress and then the extra work we're dealing with the client. It was all these other yeses Chaz are taking away from you. And the the thing that killed you most is the loss of time.
Yes. I mean, I'm supposed to be on a flight back to Seattle tonight, but I have to stay tomorrow to go look at his boat that he left me. Yep. You know, when I need to be going back or have appointments on Wednesday, I need to be getting ready for in Seattle. It's like, you're taking, like, Okay. Okay. I I probably gonna end up breaking even. I might lose a little bit of money. Okay. Fine. Whatever. But you're taking my time away from me. Like, I I got like, and, like, I have Right.
To go deal with my dog. I have to go deal with the IRS often. It was on Wednesday. I have real stuff that I need to do to keep this whole big Massive construction, Justin's life. Everybody else involved paying their bills because I'm bringing menu. Guy, you're not allowed to take time away from me because that effect. That's right. 30 other people that I need to do stuff for because you're just being a selfish idiot and you can't get your life together. And why do I have to suffer?
It's it's I mean, it that's what I mean, that's it's not about the job. It's not about the money. It's just like, dude. Like, you're taking time away from me. And I and and that's, like, the worst thing that anybody could do. Yeah. I I love the conviction in your in your tone. Everything that you're saying is a realization.
And I know this is not the first time you've had it, but the conviction that you're speaking in right now for your value and then they'll those other thirty people is what will propel you in the future in that decision where you go, nope. Well, I I've changed. I'll be I I love you, brother, and I hope the best for you. Yeah. But no. And it's not because you don't love him in that moment. It's because you love all the other things that you just mentioned more.
And it's not necessarily that you love them more. It's that You have a duty today, the thirty people, you, yourself, you have a duty to those people before this guy. He's gotta go take care of himself. Right? And you saying yes to him is actually saying no to all the other people, which is not how it should be done. Then that's that's the realization that respect everybody. I mean, even, like, I'm pissed off because I gave him $6000 to start the job.
And I assume it'd be done in a certain time when I have another $6000 that I need to spend on another client's job like tomorrow, and then I got another $6000 bill that I gotta pay on Friday. Chaz fine. I'm gonna pay them all, and I'm losing days. It's, like, it's just the amount of frustration because of me not being able to serve it. He doesn't understand. He just thinks he just thinks, oh, the joke's fine. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I'm glad that you now understand.
And and we got to give it to the listeners. So I think it's double value. You got to pour out to other business owners just like you here today with with the real of the real. And so appreciate that. Hey, Charles Wolf here. As many of you know, I have been on an absolute mission to help entrepreneurs from all across the country in many different industries level up their game and grow their business and intentionally connect with other entrepreneurs.
We do that obviously through the podcast, but we also have a peer to peer mastermind group specifically for 7 to 9 figure business owners. We are bringing some of the best and most successful entrepreneurs and minds together in a regular and a super intentional way to not only grow our network, but to be able to leverage. And at a certain point in business, success becomes about leverage, leveraging time, leveraging resources, leveraging key relationships.
This is exactly what we're doing inside of peer to peer Mastermind group called Gathering the Kings, specifically for 7 to 9 figure business owners. So if that's you, if you're ready to level up your 7 to 9 figure business even to the next level and get around other big hitters just like you. I want you to go to gathering the king's dot com, flood a short application, And, it'll come to an application call with me, and I wanna chat with you to see if it might be a good fit. Talk soon.
I wanna know of It's been a year, a little over a year. You made a move. What's been I already asked you what was hard. What's been the best part? Over the last year. I know you said you moved your son in. It wasn't moving away. Was it giving things away? Like, what's been the best part of the last up and down of the last year? Well, I basically had to, like, like, like, the weather was really, really bad in the Bay Area this year.
So I I literally stop we stopped working about a week before Christmas and couldn't go back to work until the end of January, essentially. So my baby ran out of money. It's like it was, like, so frustrated. And I'm like, the guides can't work. I can't make any money. Finished up pretty much earlier they were doing. I was so, so frustrated. So, typically, what I would do in that circumstances, I would be very Reactive. I take jobs because I need money.
I would just like completely make my life worse. So I got a few calls for jobs during that time, but I'm like, I'm doubling my prices. So I had no jobs. I ran out of money, and I doubled my prices. And I'm like, the job that I did get, I made money off of and I had to sell my house, which took forever to sell. I finally sold it. With IPs just trying to put together, like, $6,000,000 to cover everything that I needed to do. So I really focused on, like, putting myself together when I got so slow.
Like, I updated my resume. I really started hammering hard on my LinkedIn pro file and my advertising and stuff every day. And I just really and and instead of freaking out and thinking the whole world's gonna end, I just jumped in there and really focused and used my talents and just focused on what I haven't made myself more of what he had to be and raise my prices. So I really went through a really strong change then.
That's probably the best thing was getting almost zeroed out and then coming back up from there without doing anything crazy, but just improving myself and improving my person and focusing on my skills and raising my prices. You know? So Yeah. You do give some practicals as far as raising prices, and I I hear that a lot of times actually with several of the folks I've talked to in the last couple of years, they haven't been able to keep up. Right?
So by the time that they bid a project and then they finished the project, the prices of material and labor have gone up, and they end up losing money on the project. And I don't think anybody's in business to lose money. And so there's no nothing wrong with adjusting pricing accordingly so that you are a profitable company. I think that there's there's a realization in that. I'm like, no. No. No. I I'm in business. I'm in a profitable business. Yeah. I know.
Yeah. Yeah. So I really just and and the best thing was getting low enough to really focus on myself, I guess. Yeah. Do you it it's almost like a little, like, of a black blessing in disguise of go going to that place where you kinda Didn't have anything else to do or you were forced really to level up. Does Yeah. Yeah. So that was probably the best thing was his lashes when I had a thirty foot tree fall on my house and take my porch out and right in the middle of construction.
It was just a wild winter. It was a wild winter. Yeah. Love it. Well, I think that's it's it's real. Again, you it's not like adjusting comes with, a pretty re a pretty ribbon. Like, everything that he's given to you is is really honest. And so that perspective is obviously appreciated, but there's, like, real things in there. So the other things that you said were that you leveled up, you you freshened up on your skills. What were some of those skills that you freshened up?
Well, I mean, one thing that, like, I've and I've always made a ton of money. I've always had my own finances, but I lose track of stuff And then I get, like, late fees and I miss stuff. And it's just like it's not that I don't have the money. I just can't do everything myself is what I'm learning. So My system's been offering for years. So, basically, I got my first $20,000 check of the year, the 1st week of January, and I sent it to her. And I sent her all my bills.
And I and I changed all my address to her. I'm like I'm like here. And she was like, okay. Okay. You see, I you have a lot of stuff need to deal with. I'm like, oh, no. I know. I know. So, like, I actually ended up the month of January to where I still every month since she's been helping me, I've had money at the end of the month. Oh, yeah. So that one's one thing. I'm sorry. That's not that's that's not a little thing.
Like, there's a whole well of information there, but So you have a more organized person that you trust who is taking care of certain things that you didn't actually believe beforehand, you could give away. But yet another example of how you've trusted someone else, giving it away, and on top of that, skill set that you don't even actually have. I am you're saying I'm not very organized. I'm below the ball over the place. It's hard for me to keep track of things.
I got a lot of stuff to keep track. Give it to somebody who can keep keep track of it. Right? Right. That's so simple, though. Why did you have done it sooner? Something like asking people for stuff, and I'm kinda like, I can do it myself. And she's married and she Chaz well. She's been offering to help me for years, like, probably about the last 3 the last 3 years, and I keep telling her no. And I'm like, I'll do it. I'll do it. I'll do it.
It's just I didn't want a burden or something, but it got to your point to where, like, I cannot I mean, I got, like, It was so bad in December. It was so bad in December Chaz house I was trying to sell for 1,700,000 in the last podcast actually went into foreclosure. Because it wouldn't sell. It wouldn't sell. It wouldn't sell. Finally, I went in there and I repainted it again. I got the tenant out. I rented him an apartment. I did sell it.
And I sold it 1 month before the fore 6 weeks before the foreclosure date, and I was able to detect whatever And I and I and I only got 1.1 instead of 1.7, which was not very good, but that went a 100% towards debt. I had a 1 okay. This is this is how bad it is. I had a $1,100,000 sale. I I sold my house for $1,100,000.
By the time I got through the foreclosure fees and all my investors because of the time that it took to get done, I walked away with 400 and $39, but that was the best 40 or $39 that I got because I literally paid one point. And I paid over a $1,000,000 worth of debt. Like Right. And and I paid the commission everything else when when with the debt. So that was actually a really good move. It's just it's, like, from December to March, I don't know what happened.
I was like rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling, and then I don't know what happened. That's what I had to just get a wake up call. It was literally a wake up call. It was like it was like, how can you make $900,000 and still have no money? Like, Justin, what the fuck is going on here. Right? And somebody else over the same thing is like, you make so much money, but you never have anything. I don't understand. And I'm like, and you don't either. You didn't understand either.
Like, I'm it's not like you knew. I don't know either. So that's when I, like, started like I said, I focused on my advertising building on my LinkedIn profile, trying to raise capital for other projects. I I was finishing my job, but I could organize. I gave my money situation to my sister I still worked in my business, like, up until March Chaz to get stuff caught caught up and get stuff more or or or gets more stuff more organized and then April 1st. It was out. I was out.
Yeah. I I just really appreciate the the ups and downs. You've given us a great story here. I think that it's it'll be used for a specifically contractor, but really any business owners, but but cont there's there are thousands, tens of thousands of contractors across the country who have this exact feeling of I don't know what I'm doing. They know how to build. Right? They know how to do the work, but they don't know how to do the business thing. Away from them.
They get disorganized or disoriented, or they have no idea where the money comes from or how it flows, or it's just it's it is real. Is what it is. I mean, I mean, I mean, my main problem is that that I've been fighting. This is not a new problem. It's not a new problem. This is the old problem to where even when I was selling real estate, when I feel like I'm getting overwhelmed and I'll shut down. And I won't look at bills. I won't do what I need to do. Like, I'll do the bare minimum.
Just exceed the light a day, but I let so much stuff pile up and go and put in boxes and just like I'll deal with it later. I'll deal with later. It's like too much to deal with. So it's it's it was like, that's been the hardest thing for me. I mean, just kinda pushing through this shutdown. Yeah. I mean, Chaz doesn't help anybody. Right? Like, putting it in a box, whatever it is, and and moving it over here where I can't see it doesn't solve the problem. No. I mean, and even on a daily basis.
I mean, it's I still do it now. I mean, like, I got I got a few projects that I had to do over over the weekend. I did get one of them done yesterday, but just I had to go down and deal with some more tax papers and send them in and fill them out. And I did get through Chaz. No. But it's like, I still got stuff to do, but I'll write stuff on my list. Yeah. And then I I still It's like I still get stuck in my head and I, like, can't get to them, but it's not like I'm doing anything else.
It's just it just the the it's just the pushing through and getting stuff done, but then I realized that was like I think I kinda forgot what it is to why I do to why I do Chaz. And I think it's like to a certain point to where I think I mentioned this in my last show is that I'm so used to living in the the hustle in this is the struggle to a certain extent. I'm almost trying to reiterate that for myself even though I don't have to.
And my not doing stuff that I know I need to be doing, it recurates that struggle and gives me that same sort of Chaz same sort of rush of I'm gonna go and get this done, which is completely stupid. And then the second part of that is Okay. So I'm gonna get everything done, and then I'm gonna feel relaxed, and then I'm gonna feel happy, then I'm gonna have time to do other stuff. And then what am I gonna do with myself?
Oh, so it's just like it's I'm just going through a lot of changes right now of, like, like, I can be okay with being accomplished and, like, happy and having things done and having extra time to do what I wanna do. Like, I can be okay with Chaz. And that's really what I'm working through right now. If that Yeah. That's where I'm at right now. It's good, man. I appreciate you, Sharon.
I think that to summarize all this for the listener is that there are there are practical things in the business. And then there are practical things inside of us, individually, as the owners that we have to go through. Some of those things for you have been putting systems in place and people. Getting more organized, understanding the flow of money, getting off the job site. These are all some of the things that you've said here today.
Making sure they understand the value of a yes and a no and understanding when you say yes to somebody, it possibly most likely is saying no to someone else, So, therefore, a lot of times, actually, when you get to a certain point, you end up saying no more often because it really means yes to the things that you already identify that you want. And so as far as, like, an individual play, but there's skill sets. There's mindset that you've grown in.
You even like what you just said, I'm still working through Like, if I if I make all these great moves, then what am I gonna do? It's like, well, you gotta work through what's the next level for Justin or for the listener for you. Because you're made for more. That's what I believe is that you're not just in business to just skate by or get just enough, but that there's an abundance and that you have a plan and a purpose and that there's that there's more out there.
You have a potential and you haven't reached it. And, and if you do it right, you never do. And there's then now there's this game. There's this excitement and and this ignition of, wow, I like, every level that I go to, I realize that there's yet another place for me to go to another version of Chaz that I can meet. And if I don't go there and meet him, I'll never know. I'll have this empty, like, man, I missed out on meeting that guy. Right? The future the future Justin, the future Chaz.
I wanna ask you one last question here as we wrap up this this, like, recap or what what what's what's changed or or not changed since the last time we talked, And I wanna know if I'm spinning a a new question that I ask. I'm gonna I'm gonna do it like this. If you could whisper, in your ear 1 year ago. So you just got off a podcast with this guy named Chaz and Gathering the Kings, we just recorded.
You were in your house there that you're talking about selling, and the recording button stops, and you jump and you and you shut down your laptop. And you're able to whisper something into that guy's ear. What do you say? I mean, I don't think I don't think I do it. I don't think I shit. I don't think So what do you say to that guy? I would say Get ready. You got a wild ride coming in front of you from all your wild decisions. I mean, but I worked through it.
I mean, it's like it would I mean, from that time in my bedroom in that house that I was trying to sell for 1,700,000 Chaz didn't sell for that much money. I definitely realized later on in that year. A lot of the a lot of the stuff I was doing there was just spinning my wheels. I'm just spinning my wheels with because those bathrooms are great for a Wolfe, and then they kept lowering their prices. And it was Right. More and became more of a grind.
So it's just just be flexible and I mean, I've been so stubborn, like, not wanting to change my ways. I really had to open up the last year, whatever it's been, almost a year, or more than a year. To really let more people in and trust more people to do more stuff. So yeah. I would've just been tell that guy, hey. Let more people in let more people in.
The majority of people that I still deal with after all these years are not gonna do anything to alert them, and they're here for me and just kinda Yeah. Really look at the resources that I have, not only resources of money, but resources of people, resources of property, and just really look at what I have. I would have told me a year ago, really, really look at what you have. And by the way, your house is gonna sell for 1,700,000. We'll get your shit together.
Yeah. I think that that's super, super great. An message to put a bow on this, there's there is an openness or a open mindedness or a willingness to grow and change that we have to have in order to grow and change. And so some of that's for you has been getting things in order, like, process or or just being more more organized. Some of that's been people. I love how you talked about just calculating your resources.
A lot of times in a sticky situation, we just got I I just went through this with one of my Masterman members. He was in quite the sticky situation. And I'm like, okay. Well, what's this? And he's like, well, I don't know. I'm like, okay. No. No. I need the detail.
Like, all the way down, to the penny of its numbers and to the person, if it's people, the situation, and, like, when is it due, when is it not due, how much, and how many people, and, like, when does this project, like, Like, I need I need it in detail so that we can figure out how to use it. And if you don't know your resources or take a good look, it's tough to facilitate resources.
So I think everything that you've given, especially as Chaz little sign off message to the you last year, think it's a great message for the listener here today, so I appreciate you giving that. Justin, again, I'm gonna give you the opportunity here just to share how people can reach you. If they're in construction and they haven't hit the $1,000,000 mark yet, or maybe they're just right around Chaz, and they're dealing with some of these problems. And they just wanna pick your brain.
How can they find you? Email's good. Just j r, k as in kite, d as in dog, 206jrkd206@gmail.com. My phone number is area code 510-821-2319. And my Instagram is Dawson Family Farms, one word. And then my LinkedIn is also Justin Dawson. So I'm pretty easy to get a hold of. I'm definitely down for, like, and I got some new virtual real estate ideas that I've been playing with Chaz, literally, you can flip houses from your bedroom I mean, and I got some really good ideas that I'm I'm I'm working on.
So, I mean, I could literally I got I got like, the best idea that, literally, you could not lead your bedroom and flip real estate and never build anything. Well, I I look forward to you using the new skill set and people and process to execute on that idea. So that way, when I talk to you again in the future, you can give me the success that you've had on that. So Justin, I just appreciate your time, man. Thanks for being here with us again here on Gavin, the Kings. Alright. Thank you, sir.
Thank you for listening to Gathering the Kings today. I hope that you were able to pull out a few nuggets to go apply into your business right away. More importantly, though, I hope that you're realizing that it takes more to be successful than just being by yourself, doing it all on your own, carrying the weight all by yourself. What I have realized, not only in my own journey from multiple businesses and multiple different industries, and now interviewing literally over 2 or 300.
Other very successful 7, 8, and 9 figure business owners is that it's tough to do it alone. And so gathering the king's literally exists to bring together successful entrepreneurs. In fact, we are putting together 1000 kings, specifically who are grateful, but not done. We're intentionally assembling kings who fight tooth and nail for their business, family, and communities, and here's what we believe.
That in the pursuit of excellence in those areas, that it ignites within us the responsibility to govern power and forge a lasting legacy. So if that relates and and resonates with you and you know that you need people around you sharp qualified other very successful business owners. I want you to go to gathering the king's dot com. I want you to take a look at what we're doing and see if it makes sense for you to be part of our pursuit to 1000 kings. Talk soon.