From Drifting to Top 10: Building a 300K Download Podcast | John Gafford Part 2 DSH #968

Summary

Digital Social Hour: From Drifting to Top 10: Building a 300K Download Podcast | John Gafford Part 2 DSH #968

Release Date: December 10, 2024

In Part Two of the engaging conversation between host Sean Kelly and guest John Gafford, listeners are taken on a deep dive into John’s journey from feeling adrift to establishing a highly successful podcast that garners approximately 300,000 downloads monthly. The episode seamlessly intertwines discussions on personal growth, business strategies, the evolving landscape of Las Vegas, and the importance of work-life balance, all enriched with personal anecdotes and insightful reflections.

Introduction and Podcast Success

The episode kicks off with Sean welcoming John back to the show after a year’s hiatus. John shares his excitement about the progress of his podcast, “Escaping the Drift,” which has climbed consistently to the top 15 in the entrepreneurship category, even reaching number nine recently. He proudly states, “It’s averaging right around 300,000 downloads a month, which I’m very proud of” (00:34).

The Birth of "Escaping the Drift"

John elaborates on the inspiration behind his podcast and upcoming book, both titled “Escaping the Drift.” He describes the podcast as a “user’s manual to my dipshit 26-year-old self,” aiming to help listeners break free from merely drifting through life by providing practical advice and featuring high-achieving guests who share their success secrets (00:53). This alignment between his podcast and book underscores John’s commitment to guiding others towards purposeful living and achievement.

Reflections on Early Career and Personal Growth

Diving into his past, John recounts his early ventures in the hospitality industry, including running nightclubs and holding a top-level position at Hooters of America. Despite the allure of these roles, he admits, “I wasn’t achieving any real success. I had a lot of cool jobs, but I wouldn’t say I was building any wealth” (01:43). This honesty sets the stage for his transformation from a drifting mindset to one of strategic growth and entrepreneurial success.

Changing Dynamics in the Hospitality Industry

The conversation shifts to the evolution of the hospitality scene, particularly focusing on Las Vegas. John observes that while traditional establishments like Hooters have declined, Las Vegas continues to thrive with high-earning professionals in the hospitality sector. He states, “There’s a lot people ask me all the time about Vegas... we’re becoming less and less dependent on gaming as our primary revenue driver” (06:35). John highlights the city’s diversification into tech and entertainment, which is reshaping its economic landscape.

Real Estate Insights and Las Vegas Growth

John offers a compelling analysis of the Las Vegas real estate market, emphasizing its resilience compared to national trends. He notes, “Name one other city you can even think of that’s picked up every major sports franchise in an eight-year window” (07:49). This unprecedented growth is attracting significant migration to Las Vegas, bolstered by new sports franchises and the influx of Hollywood productions. John advises investors to focus on midterm rentals catering to professionals involved in these burgeoning industries, demonstrating his strategic approach to real estate.

The Vibrant Las Vegas Entertainment Scene

The discussion transitions to Las Vegas’s dynamic entertainment offerings. John passionately shares his love for live music and sports, recounting experiences at various venues and sporting events. He remarks, “There is literally something you can do every single night of the week” (09:05), highlighting the city’s nonstop entertainment options. This vibrant scene not only enhances the quality of life but also serves as a fertile ground for networking and personal connections.

Balancing Professional Success and Personal Life

A significant portion of the conversation delves into John’s approach to work-life balance, particularly as a parent. Reflecting on the fleeting nature of time with his teenage son, John emphasizes the importance of being present and selective with his commitments. He shares, “I say no to way more things than I say yes” (14:22), illustrating his prioritization of family over endless professional obligations. This introspection underscores a universal theme of finding harmony between career ambitions and personal fulfillment.

Philosophy on Leadership and Delegation

John discusses his leadership philosophy, inspired by mentors like Kent Clothier, focusing on transitioning from a hustler mentality to a CEO mindset. He explains, “How many people here own a business?... what would happen if you left for 90 days” (21:00), advocating for building businesses that can thrive independently of their founders. This approach allows John to maintain a strategic oversight without being bogged down by daily operations, fostering a sustainable and scalable business model.

Future Endeavors and Community Engagement

Looking ahead, John reveals plans for his upcoming book, expected to launch within six months, and outlines his vision for continuing to grow his vertically integrated companies in Las Vegas. He proudly states, “One out of every 17 homes sold in the Valley is sold by us” (25:36), highlighting his significant market presence. Additionally, John emphasizes his commitment to community engagement through hosting epic parties and supporting local events, further solidifying his influence and network within the Las Vegas scene.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Sean wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to connect with John’s podcast, “Escaping the Drift,” and to explore his expansive contributions to the Las Vegas real estate and entertainment industries. The conversation leaves listeners with valuable insights into entrepreneurial resilience, the importance of strategic delegation, and the vital balance between personal life and professional success.

Notable Quotes:

• John Gafford (00:34): "It’s averaging right around 300,000 downloads a month, which I’m very proud of."
• John Gafford (00:53): "Escaping the Drift is kind of like a user's manual to my dipshit 26-year-old self."
• John Gafford (07:49): "Name one other city you can even think of that’s picked up every major sports franchise in an eight-year window."
• John Gafford (09:05): "There is literally something you can do every single night of the week."
• John Gafford (14:22): "I say no to way more things than I say yes."
• John Gafford (21:00): "How many people here own a business?... what would happen if you left for 90 days."
• John Gafford (25:36): "One out of every 17 homes sold in the Valley is sold by us."

---

For more insights and inspiring conversations, visit the Digital Social Hour podcast and follow John Gafford’s journey on “Escaping the Drift.”

Transcript

[A]

Speakeasy vibe is a vibe, dude.

[B]

I was gonna join it. You know, I got I. Because it was cheap to join it. I got approved for the membership and I got it. And then I literally thought I went, I went there with a couple friends. What it made me realize, do I really need a private club membership that I feel like I'm going to be obligated to use? And the only thing we're going to do there is drink and the place is 35 minutes from my house. Yeah, I just decided that's probably a bad plan.

[A]

All right, Part two with John Gafford. It's been a little over a year now. Thanks for coming back on, man.

[B]

Been a minute, man. Been a minute.

[A]

Yeah. You started your own show now?

[B]

Yeah, well, my show's been going for like three years consistently now in the top 15 for entrepreneurship. I think it was number nine yesterday. Yeah, we're doing good, man. Got. It's averaging right around 300, 000 downloads a month, which I'm very proud of. And yeah, we're doing great, man. Escaping the Drift.

[A]

Yeah. What's. What's your goal with that show?

[B]

So, you know, that show is very much like I. I have a book coming out very soon. Yeah, it's actually, I talked to the publisher this morning. Very soon my book will come out with the same name, Escaping the Drift. And the whole idea with that is it's kind of like a user's manual to my dipshit 26 year old self. So many people are just kind of drifting along with the currents of life. And what I try to do is provide, you know, practical advice and bring high level achievers on that, drop their secrets about how to kind of get out of that, just floating along with the currents of life and start achieving at a different level.

[A]

Yeah, so at 26, you were just kind of figuring out, man.

[B]

I mean, dude, I did a lot of really cool stuff, right. I had a lot of super cool jobs as a kid. I mean, I was running nightclubs. I mean, in my early 20s, I was a top level brass for Hooters of America restaurant chain. I own my first, you know, bar when I was 20.

[A]

Damn.

[B]

But, you know, I wasn't achieving any real success. Right. Like, I had a lot of cool jobs that I had, but, you know, I wouldn't say I was building any wealth.

[A]

You were working for someone else.

[B]

Yeah, man, I was just drifting along with the currency wherever life was taking me, man, that's what's happening.

[A]

Hooters fell off, man.

[B]

Yeah, dude, I've not been in a Hooters restaurant. And, you know, it's one of those things when you eat so much of something for six years, which I did, I never want to eat it again, ever.

[A]

That's how I feel with Chipotle, dude.

[B]

I'll tell you this. So back in the day, man, working at Hooters, it was like. It was like a fraternity house.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It was the stuff that we did back in what would have been now the late 90s in those restaurants. I mean, it was sheer insanity compared to what you could get away with in any workplace.

[A]

Oh, I bet. And now all those girls are just making more on only fans.

[B]

So, yeah, I. You know, I cannot imagine how hard it would be to staff one of those restaurants or staff a place that is dependent on female sexuality when those girls can't jump on onlyfans and they want to.

[A]

Yeah. I wonder how the clubs got affected, actually.

[B]

I mean, well, Vegas, I don't think so much because, I mean, you look at those girls in Vegas that are making, you know, $200,000 a year to hold a sparkler up at a sign, carry a bottle to a table. It's insane. And for those of you who don't live in Vegas that hear that. Yeah, that's real.

[A]

That's common.

[B]

That's common. But, yeah, I think when they're making that kind of money in the right clubs, I think it's. I don't think it's affected them.

[A]

Yeah. Do you go out to any clubs?

[B]

No, as rarely as I possibly can anymore, man. You know, I think these days, I like to be in places always. Live music. Well, that's always the thing I'll always do, you know, the club stuff, you know? Dude, you know, I don't. Maybe it's the old man of me now. If I can't hear, I'm just like, dude, I'm miserable.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, bro, I just want to talk to people. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Have you always been big on music?

[B]

Always. You know, back in the day, the nightclub that. That I had in Atlanta, Cobalt Lounge, was. Esquire magazine named it the number one nightclub on the east Coast, United States, and that was in 2000. We had all the super bowl parties there, which were awesome. So. Yeah. But I mean, I came up in that era of when house music and techno and all that stuff was really having a second wind, if you will, through that time of the late 90s, early 2000s. And then house music really took over through that early part of the 2000s. But as far as, like, bands and stuff. I've been playing drums since I was six. Wow. And one of the joys of my life has. For whatever reason, you know, one of the bars I own ran in Atlanta was a live music venue, so I got to meet a lot of really cool people there that. That wound up becoming very, very famous. And, you know, I will say one of the greatest stories of my life is being able to be with the boys in the band. When you can go to a show and you have that all access and you're hanging out in the green room behind it, and there's just. There's just nothing better.

[A]

The camaraderie, right?

[B]

Yeah, dude, it's the closest thing you can. You can be to, like. I don't know. It's pretty special.

[A]

Yeah, no, that Speak vibe is a vibe. Yeah, you know, I like those. I went to the one in fountain blue. Have you been to that one?

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Are you talking about Poodle room? Up top.

[A]

Poodle room? Yeah.

[B]

Dude, I was gonna join it. You know, I got. I. Because it was cheap to join. It was like 8,000 bucks for the membership, and then it was not that much month, not much monthly. And I got approved for the membership, and I got it. And then I literally thought I went. I went there with a couple friends, and we had like, five old fashions. And then two of my guys smoked a cigar and the bill came out. And the bill was egregious, which I kind of knew it would be. But what it made me realize was I didn't do. I really need a private club membership that I feel like I'm going to be obligated to use? And the only thing really to do there is drink. And the place is 35 minutes from my house. Yeah, I just decided that's probably a bad.

[A]

I didn't join either. I went. Water was 10 bucks. And then I loved the live cello music. But other than that, yeah, great.

[B]

Great view. Unbelievable and unbelievable view. Did you see, like, the. You saw the sushi restaurant?

[A]

Yeah. That's like 500 bucks, right?

[B]

That's crazy. And, I mean, it'd be a cool place to do private events, but again, it's just. It's really far from where I live.

[A]

Oh, we definitely have an event there.

[B]

Yeah. I love when people, you know, think because you live in Vegas that you're on the strip every night and it's like, dude, it's getting further every single day. I mean, with traffic, it's literally getting.

[A]

There's actually traffic now in Vegas, bro.

[B]

I was telling you earlier when I came in to get from the Win to your event at Mandalay on Friday, it took us 54 minutes on the Strip. It's crazy.

[A]

Crazy.

[B]

And well, I was, you know, the Uber driver was not doing what I was telling her to do so there would have been a faster way to get there, but yeah, it was. It's a disaster.

[A]

Yeah. No, I remember when I moved here four years ago and I don't remember any traffic that year.

[B]

Yeah, I can get, you know, it's funny, I used to, you know, we have offices on this side of town and on the other side of town and my partner and I, we always meet at the win.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because neither one of us wants to make the traffic officers like.

[A]

Yeah. Because Summerlin starting to get pretty bad.

[B]

It is. I mean we were over there last week and I went to watch football with some friends in the Ridges and. And yeah, man, you don't realize how busy it is getting over there as well.

[A]

Yeah, I'm excited about Vegas though. There's a lot of good things coming.

[B]

There's a lot, man, people ask me all the time about Vegas and especially being doing what we do with the real estate market and talking about the future of the real estate market in Vegas and, And you know, nationally you're seeing a price pullback, you're seeing prices drop and there's going to be probably a correction a lot of areas. But I just don't really see that for Vegas because if you look at the growth that we've had in every direction over the last seven years, name one other city you can even think of that's picked up every major sports franchise in an eight year window. We're going to have basketball probably announced within the year. Yeah. And then we'll have every major franchise playing here within a 10 year period. That doesn't happen. To go from zero to every single team like that just does not happen. And you see with that this massive shift in migration to Vegas because slowly but surely we're becoming less and less dependent on gaming as our primary revenue driver. I mean it will always be a huge revenue driver here. But you know, when I first moved here, that was it. I mean it was, it was gaming was the driver of everything. And now you're starting to see with a lot of tech moving in and different things that are happening on the Valley, we're becoming less and less dependent on what happens.

[A]

Right. Yeah. You're seeing Hollywood coming in too.

[B]

That's going to be huge. You know those studios I, you know, they've announced it. It's there. Did you know that the tax credits that they asked for are greater than what the Raiders asked for? What the A's asked for?

[A]

No way. Well, they'll probably produce more money, right?

[B]

Dude, I don't, I don't know though. But how, how could it Hollywood? I mean, no, you're not selling tickets to, to, to shoot movies. You're shooting with, with localized people.

[A]

Right.

[B]

They're saving moneys because the unions won't necessarily be here effectively. I'm sure they will pretty quickly. But the cost of doing business here will be much different. Which again, I, I think why that affects you. Look at something like that. How does that affect the real estate industry? And I've had this conversation. You know, a year ago I was talking to some, some friends. I was talking to Justin Colby and he's like, what should we buy? And I said, you should buy 1.5 to 2 and a half million dollar midterm rentals is what you should buy and get as many of them as you can. And he's like, why? I'm like, because, dude, if Will Ferrell comes here to shoot a movie for four months, he doesn't want to say at the win, they're going to want a place that they can stay that feels like they're living here. So if you can get those midterm rentals for people that are coming in to work in the movies, you'll be able to bang on them.

[A]

Smart.

[B]

They're going to do very, very well. But stuff like that is what, you know. Obviously now you got that segment being gobbled up and it just. All these little things trickle down into our local economy.

[A]

Yeah, dude, there's so much taken off comedians. Yeah. The ovan Andrew Schultz had a show the night of my event. Concerts are blowing up here.

[B]

There is not, you know, people talk about living other places and they say, you know, New York, you know, the city never sleeps. Dude, if you live in Las Vegas, there is literally something you can do every single night of the week. You know, it's funny. Case in point, randomly, my. We were dinner on Sunday night and my wife was talking about comedians and was talking about how my son who is 16 would love carrot Top, which is ridiculous. It's a ridiculous show. It's not highbrow comedy. It's just nonsense. But it is pretty funny. And literally, like I made one call and we're going to take my son to see Carrot Top tonight because. Every night of the year. Yeah, tonight, because it's just. I thought of it two days ago and then it's. And then tonight we're going and there's something. Every night. Every night. Which. The only thing that makes it hard is if you have season tickets to all this stuff, like, especially sports, which you do. It's a lot. It's a lot, man. Hockey's a lot. Football's a lot. There's a lot.

[A]

You might be one of the biggest Golden Knights fans in the the. In the world, dude.

[B]

I love it, man. You know, we sit right behind the penalty boxes, which is great. We go to almost every single game.

[A]

I will say the one game I went to was good networking.

[B]

Yeah. Dude, that section. That section where I sit in those club seats is awesome.

[A]

Yeah. I met Sean Whalen was there. There's. I think Grant Cardone might have been there.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. Dude, we see. You see so many people in that club right there. It's crazy. Like, the football games are too big. Right. There's too many places for people to disseminate to. But in the nights games, it's really kind of local, intimate. Yeah. It's really localized of a couple.

[A]

Yeah. Because when you go to the bar every period at the end, meet some people.

[B]

Yeah. You see everybody. It's great. Great network.

[A]

Yeah. Shout out to the Knights. Are they good this year? I haven't been keeping up.

[B]

They're going to be, though. They haven't started playing this year, but they're probably going to be dreadful. Traded away. Pretty much the heart and soul of our team got traded away, so we'll see, man. Jonathan Marcelo got traded away, but we'll see. We'll see what happens.

[A]

He took the bag.

[B]

Nah, dude. I think they just didn't want to pay him. I think they thought he was getting too old and they want to pay him anymore. Damn. So off he went. Who knows?

[A]

Who knows? Have you had any of those guys on your pod players?

[B]

No. You know what? Honestly, I've never tried.

[A]

That's surprising. Yeah.

[B]

You know, it's one of those things where I have met a bunch of those guys. They all buy. They all buy cars from Nick Dosa. Yeah. Vegas Auto Gallery. So I've met a couple of them. You know, obviously they're. They were hanging around there a lot when. When I was spend a lot of time over there at Nick's place, I would meet a lot of those guys. But yeah, I've never even asked any of them again with my show, we really lean towards, you know, heavy entrepreneur stuff, really. Business building stuff. Is what we try to do. I've had some athletes through. I mean, we had Al. Jermaine Sterling, who Aljo is great. Awesome. And that was really just about his story of overcoming and persistence, which is great because to do what he does in the ufc, you've got to have that mindset.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

That was a mindset. Talk all day.

[A]

Oh, yeah. I was looking at your top episodes. Ryan Sirhant was up there, sir.

[B]

And was great. You know, obviously we, what we do is very similar, so we had a lot of stuff to talk about. It was funny. I, I accused him of. Of ruining real estate, which was funny.

[A]

Social media. Yeah.

[B]

Well, no, no, not so much him. It was more Million dollar listing. The way that they get on the phone and, and, you know, argue over deals and transactions on the phone when that's not at all really how this works because you've got, you know, everything's got to be on paper and go back and forth contracts. But I asked him about that and he was essentially like no man in Manhattan. That's really how this is. I mean, that's really how it gets done. There's no question.

[A]

So handshake deals out there, right?

[B]

Well, no, it's just they're able to massage and manufacture things on verbal offers because the contracts go to attorneys to be drafted.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So they have to kind of massage out the terms. That's how it is. I mean, New York's crazy for real estate. There's no MLS in New York. A lot of people don't know there's.

[A]

How do you find a house?

[B]

Well, that's why they go do all these open houses and go to all this stuff and do all. Because they have to kind of know this inventory, there's so much that's off market. It's crazy.

[A]

Holy crap. I wonder why they don't have one.

[B]

It's just how it's always been and it's wild. There's so much off market stuff and so much new. You know, you've got to. You got to be in the know. So it's a much more. You know, we're blessed in these markets because we have the MLS and we can just kind of. What are you looking for? And go find it. Whereas those guys, you're really paid for what you know out there. So mad respect to Ryan.

[A]

Yeah. It's based off connections. Yeah. Matters back. Shout out to Ryan. Did you watch his new show?

[B]

Have not watched his new show, man. Have not done that. I don't, I don't watch a lot of tv.

[A]

I don't.

[B]

It's not something I do. It's the only time I watch TV is if I'm on the treadmill. That's it. And I'll binge watch one thing. Like I'll just start on something and binge watch it, and then when it's done, I'll start something else.

[A]

100.

[B]

So I'm literally watching one thing at one time.

[A]

Yeah, no, these days in the car, I'm just listening to pods.

[B]

Yeah, man. It's one of those things where you know and shout out to you for doing that because, you know, when I, when I was your age and young, you know, you think you have all the time in the world and you think time is this infinite resource that goes on forever. And then when you get a little older, you start to realize, or more or less more. When you start watching your kids grow up and the speed at which your kids grow up is what's kind of crazy. You start to realize how finite that time is and you start to get real selective with how you spend your time, I bet. And what you do. And I'm very particular about. I say no to way more things than I say yes. Like, no offense, but if you see me at one of your events, you're welcome, brother. And I come to almost all of them. I do because I. Because I find value in what you do. But yeah, I say no to a lot of people and ask me to a lot.

[A]

No, I appreciate that. For real, because I know you're one of the top guys at my event, obviously. So the fact that you're showing up means a lot.

[B]

I show up for you, my man. I always will.

[A]

Appreciate it. Dude. Did you have like a quarter life or midlife crisis where you started realizing this?

[B]

No, dude, I don't think, I don't. I don't. I don't think so. Because I've always. One of the things about me is I've always done what I want to do. I have a very understanding wife that understands that if I'm going to do something, it's just what's going to happen. And you know, sometimes. Well, I'd say more, more times than not, that works out. Uh, sometimes that results in seven figure losses, but. But it's always kind of what I want to do at the time of the direction I want to go. And she trusts me to do that stuff. But I think again, I think the thing that hit me the most that I heard somebody say was, you know, you get 18 summers with your kids And I think it was. I saw Jesse Itzler say that, and when I saw that, it really hit me. I was like, man, you know, this is going fast. And my son, who is 16, is a junior in high school. I got this summer, next summer, and he's gone.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

He's off to college. You know, when you have K95 of the time that you spend with them in their entire life is before the age 18.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

So from now until the day I die or, you know, it's only 5% of time left and, and that makes me very hyper aware of what I'm doing and where I spend my time.

[A]

That's deep, man. Because a lot of parents are just grinding while they have kids.

[B]

It's time you can't get back. And I think that, I think that one of the advantages that I had of having kids later in life instead of, you know, you know, there's a give and take. Right. I have friends that had kids when they were like 22 years old. Now those kids are adults and they're great adults and those people are the same age as I am and they have 27, 26, 28 year old kids and they're like hanging out together like friends. Right. So that would be awesome. Right? That would be awesome to have your kids like adults that you can hang out with while you're still young enough to like hang out with them like that. But on the flip side of that coin, you know, I think my kids have kept me young at heart for a lot longer than you would. I mean, we didn't have kids, so I was 33. And by doing that, it is definitely, definitely without a shadow of a doubt, kept me young.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know when you show up at the, you show up at the school and you're by far the oldest dad, you're like, okay, cool. Yeah. And not that old, bro. I'm not that old. Right. But you know, when you're in there and you know this dad is 22 and you're 36, it's a, it's a little bit of a gap to deal with. But I like that, I like that they've kept me young. And yeah. In the fact that I was more financially stable with them when they were born made me able to choose my, you know, I've never, I've never had, I've never worked for somebody else.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

I haven't worked for, I haven't worked for another human being as far as punching a clock since I was 28 years old. I think was probably the last time that happened. 29 years old, maybe. No, no, no, no, no, no. Just. I've had. I had other jobs that I did and things that I did. But. But. Yeah, but the fact that I've always worked for myself in those times.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Has it given me that freedom to be able to spend as much time as I want it with them?

[A]

I see both sides of it because I have friends now that are living paycheck to paycheck. And, dude, it's just stressful, man.

[B]

With kids, you know, I can't imagine. You know, it's like I think about it all the time and. And I wonder. I mean, my wife's awesome, and we have a great relationship, but I wonder how much different that would be if we had to sit down and have conversations like, well, we can't pay this. We got to put this off, and blah, blah, that undue stress on a relationship. I would think that that stress of money probably undoes way more relationships than you would think.

[A]

Right?

[B]

That's why.

[A]

No, I'm the same way. That's why I'm building a safety net before I have kids. Because you never know, man.

[B]

Yeah, no, no, no. For sure you don't. And then. And then, like, you know, you start having some weird health stuff happen, and all of a sudden you're like, holy, are they set up for forever? And then you start kind of grinding again and scrambling for that. So you're never as prepared as you think. And. And life has levels. I mean, there are people out there in the world that, you know, could walk in and look at, you know, and this is not a flex. It's not that much money. Don't. But I'm saying they could walk in and look at my active checking account, and they would be like, I could retire on that. Right? Yeah. Because they just could live well within their means. It is what it is. And then there's people that, you know, then there's. There's levels to this. So the more you get, the more you have to make. And everybody has a number of what they have to have to retire. Like, okay, I can. I can plan this out, and then I can do that. Yeah, I'll get there at 50. I'll get there by 55. I'm not working anymore after 55.

[A]

Well, you got to be careful with retirement because they're doing new studies on brain health.

[B]

I know. Well, okay, here's the thing. Okay, let's talk about that. So when I say. When I say retire, I don't mean I'm going to sit around and play golf every day. That's not what I mean. I mean that even in this business, right? You know, we have 600 agents at work here. And between this and then the mortgage company and then the title company, everything else that we own, I feel the need to have to be here every day. Not that I have to do anything other than direct traffic a little bit, but I feel like if I'm not here, I'm setting the wrong example of leadership for the level of effort that you need to put out to do what needs to be done.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

And I feel like, especially with our agents who come in and, you know, they all. They cycle in and cycle out, right? They might. There might be a month where I don't see one of our people because they're just not coming in the office or working from home. But I always feel. I also feel like this responsibility that when people walk in, they need to see me. Like, I need to be here on that one day a month that they might walk in. I need to be here. And so my definition of retiring and retirement is not ceasing to work projects. It's not ceasing to chase your passion, is ceasing to have to feel that, to have the need to feel like you have to be anywhere at any given time.

[A]

Interesting.

[B]

That's what I want to get away from. That's what I want to leave.

[A]

Okay, so you would just be more like behind the scenes.

[B]

Yeah, dude. I mean, look at that point. You know, I sit on the board for a couple different things and, you know, a couple paid board chips. I was talking to, to my buddy Joshua this weekend, and it's kind of the same plan. Just a couple paid board, board seats, advisory seats, no equity, no fiduciary. Just. Just straight up, easy peasy and give me something to think about and something to do and something to mold and help that next generation up as we go along. I plan on being fully involved in that stuff, but again, it's that I need to be somewhere on Monday at 9:00am that's what I got to get away from. Yeah, that's the thing. And we have. And I think we're going to get there.

[A]

You're there already.

[B]

Just yes and no. Yes and no.

[A]

Yeah, I feel that. Did you pick that up from Trump, that leadership style?

[B]

No, you know, honestly, I picked that up. If I had to say anything, probably from Kent Clothier, who is. I'll see him tomorrow. Kent's a good friend. And. And Kent's whole Philosophy of time is now, you know, and. And going from hustler to CEO. And, you know, one of the most profound things I ever heard him, anybody say was he said, how many. You know, he's talking. It wasn't. Where was he speaking? I don't remember what it was, but he was like, how many people here own a business? A bunch of hands went up. He's like, okay, cool. What would happen if you left for 90 days, didn't call in, didn't do anything, left for 90 days, didn't show up? What would happen? Would you come back to a business? And people were like, well, no, she'll be. You know, stuff will be hitting the walls. He's like, well, then you don't have a business. You have a job, a business, something you can leave and still just prints money for you. And that's how you make that jump from that hustler mentality to the CEO mentality, which so many people fail to do. And, you know, we. I, like. I don't have to work. Like, I have great people that can handle every single task on a daily basis that I can do. Other than the vision of the direction of the companies, that's the one thing that. That is dependent on me right now. And as we develop within our companies, that next generation of leaders, you know, part of that development of them is teaching them to have that same level of vision, to see what's coming down, see what's coming in, the direction the company needs to go.

[A]

I love that you're going to Kent's mastermind tomorrow. First time in Boston.

[B]

Yeah. For. Never been to Boston, man. Never been there. Shockingly enough, I've literally been all over the globe, and I've never been to Boston. It occurred to me when I saw that, I was like, I've never been here. How's that possible?

[A]

That is wild. Will you be trying a lobster roll?

[B]

I'm sure I will be trying a lobster roll. I think. I. How do you go and not eat a lobster roll?

[A]

That's what they're known for, man.

[B]

Yeah, dude. You got to do it.

[A]

I just had a viral clip for. I asked this guest, where do you rank Vegas in terms of food?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

In America. He said, number one, it is.

[B]

What is number one for one? It's number one for one simple reason. Every single great restaurant around the country, their second location is here. I mean, my favorite restaurant in Vegas. My favorite restaurant is Bavettes Solid Steakhouse, which is a Chicago steakhouse with their second location.

[A]

Oh, I didn't know they were Chicago.

[B]

That's from Chicago. It's absolutely just.

[A]

It's the best bone marrow in Vegas.

[B]

It's the best. And it's just. It's just a carbon copy of the restaurant there. You look at the other restaurants, I figured Joe's Crab or Joe Stone Crab. Sorry, not Joe Scratch. Joe Stone Crab from Miami. I mean every great restaurant now. I mean, I love Komodo at Fountain Blue. I think it's great. These are all restaurants from other places. So if there is a foods, if there's a something that is really wonderful in an area, it gets recreated here. The only thing I will say the reception to that is, is I don't think there's a great New Orleans restaurant in Vegas.

[A]

I haven't seen any.

[B]

I don't think there is at all. I think I. I think there's no great New Orleans restaurant. Like, I think when I first moved here 20 something years, 20 years ago. I want to say that a Commander's palace in the casino at Orleans. I want to say that's true, but I don't know that that's true. But they just. No great New Orleans restaurant has ever, ever tried out here. Shocking to me.

[A]

What do you think about Hot and Juicy?

[B]

I think Hot and Juicy is good, but I don't think New Orleans. When I think that I think, I think, I think, I think, I think Asia.

[A]

Oh, really?

[B]

Yeah, that's what I think.

[A]

I thought that was like Southern, like.

[B]

No, I mean the way they, they kind of do it, but. But it's not the same. There's just. It's just not the same.

[A]

You still go to New Orleans every year?

[B]

I'm there so many times a year. It's crazy. We're there. We'll be gearing up obviously with Marty Gr coming up in the spring. We'll be going again this year.

[A]

It's on my bucket list. I've never been.

[B]

Dude, best time ever. If you ever want to go, let me know. I'll definitely take care of you.

[A]

Okay. When you go.

[B]

I think this year it's in March. It changes.

[A]

So next year then, right?

[B]

Yeah. I want to say, but to give you a little taste though, because you know, I have like an epic mar. Party at my house every year.

[A]

I'm going this time.

[B]

Yes. We fly food in from New Orleans. It is an epic, epic event.

[A]

Definitely gone. Couldn't make the last one. I was actually really bummed, dude.

[B]

It's a great. It's a great party. I throw literally one party at my house. A year. And that's the party.

[A]

That's why I love that, man.

[B]

And it's an epic party.

[A]

Let's go. What's. What's next for you, my man?

[B]

So, yeah, like I said, the. The book is. Is coming out. Publisher this morning had some notes on. Against the final manuscript. So that'll be done. And as soon as that finishes, it's probably in the next six months. Actually, no, I'm gonna say it's in the next six months. I've been saying probably six months, but after the conversation, it'll be within the next six months. It should hit. Yeah. Excited about that. What's next with this is we just continue to grow the companies that we have, obviously being fully vertically integrated, we continue to continue to grab market share in Vegas. Happy to say now that one out of every 17 homes sold in the Valley is sold by us.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Which I like that. That's a great number. And. And we continue to do that with the same agent count. So we've. We continue to gain great agents. Is. Is, you know, once as others retire and step out of the business, we gain better and better agents with, you know, we have the highest average price point of any large brokerage in Las Vegas because we gear towards luxury, which is awesome. And. And, yeah, I mean, just keep doing what we do.

[A]

Love it, man. We'll link your stuff below. Check out the pod as well, guys. Escaping the drift, right?

[B]

Escaping the drift, man. Link anywhere you can hear podcasts.

[A]

Boom. Thanks for coming on, man.

[B]

All right, brother.

[A]

Thanks for watching, guys. See you next time. Peace.