#159: How to Build a Business Without Losing the People You Love // Daryl Kelly // Next Level Podcast

Summary

Next Level Pros Podcast Episode #159: How to Build a Business Without Losing the People You Love featuring Daryl Kelly and Evelyn Kelly

Release Date: August 7, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode #159 of Next Level Pros, host Chris Lee sits down with entrepreneur Daryl Kelly and his eldest daughter, Evelyn Kelly, to delve into the intricate balance between building a successful business and maintaining meaningful family relationships. This heartfelt conversation offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs striving to achieve their business goals without sacrificing personal connections.

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Understanding the Entrepreneurial Mindset

Evelyn opens the discussion by reflecting on her childhood, highlighting her father's inherent problem-solving abilities which she identifies as the cornerstone of his entrepreneurial spirit.

[00:37] Evelyn Kelly: "Before even thinking about what my dad does for work, I knew he was the best problem solver I've ever met. He’s always innovative, always thinking of ways to solve problems."

Evelyn recalls recognizing her father's unique mindset around the age of nine or ten, differentiating him from other dads who may have more conventional jobs.

[03:18] Evelyn Kelly: "I realized that for my dad, it's never just a problem—it’s a time we can find a solution."

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Quality Over Quantity in Family Time

The conversation shifts to the dynamics of family life, emphasizing the importance of the quality of time spent together over the sheer amount of time.

Evelyn praises her father for prioritizing quality interactions despite his demanding entrepreneurial schedule.

[05:57] Evelyn Kelly: "When Dad comes home, his whole focus is on his family. He never lets work impact our time together."

Daryl elaborates on his philosophy of leaving work stress at the door, ensuring he brings positive energy into the home.

[07:14] Daryl Kelly: "When I walk into the house, I come in with the most excited energy, regardless of how exhausted I am."

Their approach fosters a nurturing environment where family members feel valued and connected.

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Navigating Challenges Together

The episode delves into the challenges faced when Daryl had to be away for extended periods, particularly when Evelyn and her siblings had to take on more responsibilities.

[10:31] Chris Lee: "What were you experiencing in real time, Evelyn?"

[11:07] Evelyn Kelly: "When Dad was gone for a month, it was like having another baby. I felt like I had to step up and help take care of my younger sister."

Despite these challenges, Evelyn attributes the strength of their family bond to mutual support and clear communication.

[12:39] Evelyn Kelly: "I never felt bad towards Dad because I knew he was doing his best to provide for our family."

Daryl and Joanna (his wife) maintained a positive front, ensuring their children never heard negativity about his business endeavors.

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Defining Success Beyond Money

A pivotal moment in the episode centers on redefining what success means beyond financial achievements. Evelyn shares her perspective, emphasizing a holistic view of success that includes personal growth, relationships, and well-being.

[19:15] Evelyn Kelly: "Success isn't just one thing. It’s making money, getting married, having kids, growing your relationship with God and your spouse. It's a combination of all these things."

Daryl reinforces this by focusing on family as the true measure of success rather than material wealth.

[40:46] Daryl Kelly: "I'm not chasing money, but building a family. That's my drive, my why."

This philosophy underscores the episode's central theme: achieving business excellence without compromising personal relationships.

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Evelyn’s Entrepreneurial Journey

Evelyn provides an inspiring account of her own entrepreneurial ventures, showcasing her ability to blend academic pursuits with business initiatives seamlessly.

She recounts launching and managing high school dances, successfully generating significant revenue and demonstrating acute business acumen at a young age.

[28:55] Evelyn Kelly: "I sold about 500 tickets per dance, often bringing in between $8,000 to $20,000 per event."

Balancing multiple jobs and academic responsibilities, Evelyn exemplifies how determination and strategic thinking lead to substantial accomplishments.

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Advice for Entrepreneurial Families

As the conversation winds down, both Daryl and Evelyn offer heartfelt advice to entrepreneurs striving to balance business and family life.

Evelyn emphasizes the importance of supporting entrepreneurial parents and fostering strong family bonds.

[42:22] Evelyn Kelly: "Support your dads in any way you can. Success isn't just about money; it's about creating a happy and loving family."

Daryl highlights the significance of being actively involved in children's lives, encouraging entrepreneurs to engage with their children's social circles and interests.

[45:44] Daryl Kelly: "Get to know your kid's friends, be a part of their lives. It opens up meaningful conversations and strengthens your bond."

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Conclusion

Episode #159 of Next Level Pros masterfully intertwines the narratives of entrepreneurship and family life, offering listeners a blueprint for achieving business success without sacrificing personal relationships. Through the heartfelt experiences of Daryl and Evelyn Kelly, the episode underscores that true success lies in balancing professional ambitions with nurturing and maintaining strong familial connections.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Evelyn Kelly on recognizing her father's problem-solving skills:

  "[03:18] 'I realized that for my dad, it's never just a problem—it’s a time we can find a solution.'"

• Daryl Kelly on maintaining positive energy at home:

  "[07:14] 'When I walk into the house, I come in with the most excited energy, regardless of how exhausted I am.'"

• Evelyn Kelly on her holistic view of success:

  "[19:15] 'Success isn't just one thing. It’s making money, getting married, having kids, growing your relationship with God and your spouse. It's a combination of all these things.'"

• Daryl Kelly on his definition of success:

  "[40:46] 'I'm not chasing money, but building a family. That's my drive, my why.'"

• Evelyn Kelly advising support for entrepreneurial parents:

  "[42:22] 'Support your dads in any way you can. Success isn't just about money; it's about creating a happy and loving family.'"

• Daryl Kelly on engaging with children's lives:

  "[45:44] 'Get to know your kid's friends, be a part of their lives. It opens up meaningful conversations and strengthens your bond.'"

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Final Thoughts

This episode serves as a poignant reminder that the pursuit of professional excellence need not come at the expense of personal happiness and familial bonds. Through the Kelly family's experiences, listeners are encouraged to redefine their own measures of success, ensuring that their entrepreneurial journeys enrich both their businesses and their lives at home.

Transcript

[Daryl Kelly]

Being an entrepreneur isn't just about building a business. It's about carrying the weight of providing while trying to be present at home. And honestly, there's a pull between the two, and it's real. This is an honest conversation about what it's like growing up in a house where the drive to build never really turns off the times I showed up and the times I didn't. This episode is for every parent out there who is trying to chase big goals without losing connection with the people who matter most, and for every kid who's watching the journey up close. Let's dive in.

[Chris]

Daryl, today we've got a extremely special guest. I think maybe even more special to you more than me, huh?

[Daryl Kelly]

Yes, it is. It's the infamous Evelyn Kelly with us. Welcome, Evelyn.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Thank you.

[Chris]

Evelyn, how are you related to this idiot right here?

[Evelyn Kelly]

This is my father. Dad, Daryl Kelly.

[Daryl Kelly]

Yes. So it's interesting. I wanted Evelyn on. She's leaving the house soon. So she's my oldest daughter, and she is going to be going to college. And Evelyn is a unique individual, and so I wanted to have her on because I think there's a lot of things that we can talk about that really apply to, you know, people who are out there raising kids, business owners. And I think she has a good perspective to share.

[Chris]

Ellen, let's just start at the beginning, okay? Okay. So you just graduated high school just a month ago, right?

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And what's special about that is you kind of graduated twice in, like, the same week or something.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah.

[Chris]

You. You graduated with a high school degree and an associate's degree.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah. There's a program where we live called Running Start where you can. The last two years of high school, you only take college courses, and it makes it able. Makes you able to graduate with an AA and a high school diploma.

[Chris]

And you just turned 18.

[Evelyn Kelly]

I'm still 17.

[Chris]

Still 17. And you've got a college degree in a. And a high school degree.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Wow. Smart woman.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Congrats. But the real reason you're here is we want to figure out what it was like for you as a young child growing up with an entrepreneur father, because I think a lot of our listeners can relate where they're starting businesses or even have multiple businesses, but they're trying to figure out this way to balance their. Their livelihood with their business, but also how that can integrate and affect their personal life. So at a very young age, were you aware of your father being super entrepreneurial? And if not, when did you start to understand what he was doing and he didn't have just, like, a job like other dads?

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah. I would say before even, like, thinking about what my dad does for work, he's a very. He's the best problem solver I've ever met. He. He's always. He's very innovative and always thinks of ways to solve problems. And I think that's a very entrepreneur mindset, is to have a business have problems and figure out how to solve them. Um, so I think before I knew he was an entrepreneur, created these businesses himself, I knew that he was someone that could solve problems quickly. And I think that was my first realization. Like, okay, like, dad's different. He has a different mindset than most.

[Chris]

How old do you think you were when you understood that, when you started to realize that?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I would say probably like 9 or 10, when I kind of started thinking of problems. But my dad wouldn't think of it a problem. We think of it as something to solve. I think was when I was like, okay, like, he thinks differently. This isn't a problem. It's a. It's a time we can find a solution.

[Chris]

Did you feel like as a child that your dad was different than other dads? Obviously, you're a little biased, but, yeah. What? The problem solving was one thing, but how did you know that your dad seemed different than other dads?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I think most kids could come to school and see what their dad does for work, but I don't think I was ever able to do that in elementary school. If someone says, what, what does your dad do for work? It'd be like, well, we're talking about this week or next week. It could change depending on the weather. So I think that was definitely big, is I knew my dad was different from others. When my kid. My friends could be like, oh, like, my dad's a doctor, or he does this or that. But I was like, I have no idea. And I'd go home, and I think it was always changing. But, yeah, I would say that was.

[Daryl Kelly]

When I realized, let's just ask, what does your dad do?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I don't know. I still don't know. I mean, I'm on a podcast right now, but I still don't know exactly what Darryl Kelly does.

[Daryl Kelly]

So, you know, it's interesting as an entrepreneur, like, you're gone a lot, you're traveling, and, you know, you. I don't know if you realize. I mean, it was a normal thing for you, but when I was gone a lot, I think the thing that matters most is the relationship between me and my wife. Because that's really what you guys see when I am home is like, that relationship play out. Right. How would you think that's impacted all our relationship?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I would say that if I were to compare you to, not necessarily. Not necessarily saying a normal dad, but a father figure that maybe isn't traveling and goes from work to work from like nine to five every day and has that, like, more of a consistent routine compared to how you have with traveling. I would say you spent more quality over quantity when it came to time. I think it's easy for anyone to come home and just be done with the day. You've lived your day. But I think a lot of times when the dad comes home is right when the kid's ready to live their day and experience things with their dad. And I would say that because you would come home and spend that quality time with us, I feel like that really. And mom, that really showed us, like, he's here for us, not just for work. And I think a lot of times when you're an entrepreneur, you're just there for work, and that's all you can think about. But I definitely feel like you were there for us. Quality over quantity.

[Chris]

We always talk about the P's and impacting time. It's not about having a balanced amount of time to spend on your physical and economics and associations and spirituality, but making sure that we have an impact amount of time in all of those four sections of life. Evelyn, what was it like for you on your dad trying to spend quality time? Like, what did that look like for you? Like, what was he doing to make sure that the time he did spend, whether it's five minutes or five hours, how was that impactful for you? What was he doing?

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah, I would say something I learned from him was when he comes home from work, it's almost impossible for anyone in the house to tell you, like, look at him or talk to him and be like, okay, today was a terrible day at work, or, today was the best day he's ever had, just because when he comes home, his whole focus is family. Like, work is left at the workplace, that energy is left there. It shifts on the way back, and the whole focus is on his family. And. And I think that's really big when it comes to spending quality time is like, okay, you could be running around with your kid, but, like, are you still in the back of your mind thinking about something? Which I'm sure he is, but he's never shown it to us. And I think that was a big impact on Our family, especially through the times where I'm sure you were struggling. But we would never know because he never showed that to us. Not because he was trying to keep it a secret, because he wanted to genuinely spend time with us each day.

[Daryl Kelly]

Well, I read a book earlier on in my career where it talks about a doctor. When he show up for work, for. When he show up from work, he would always figuratively take off his jacket and hang it outside of his house. And when he took that off, he would take off all the stress, all the work, everything, and hang it outside of his house. And then when he walked in his house, none of his day would impact him. And so that's always stuck with me. And so you know that. And then Tony Robbins teaches a lot about maintaining your state. And so when I walk in the house, I come in with, like, the most excited energy, regardless of how exhausted I am. Because truthfully, like, being exhausted is a choice. There's always more in the tank. There's always more we can offer. And I really do think we can show up energetically and emotionally for our family right when we walk in the door. And so, you know, like, when I come home, like, I get hugs from my kids. They're excited to see me because they know I'm always going to be excited to see them. I don't come in with like, oh, this is exhausting, because there's a few times where it's like, you can't hide it and it's sucks and that just is what it is. But that's pretty rare. And most of the time, I come in with the most excitement I can in any given day. And I know my kids expect that. And so that's been. I think that's been an important lesson I've learned.

[Evelyn Kelly]

I agree. And I think it's funny because when I started working at the physical therapy office, I realized how hard it is to take off that coat and even just like, be like, physically active after work, like, you are exhausted. But I think even as like a young kid, I remember, like, dad comes home, we go outside, we throw a baseball, or we go ride a dirt bike. Like, I can't name many people that have that, especially myself, have that much energy after work to come home and genuinely want to see your kids have a good time and, like, use like, like physically go hang out with them, because you could come home any day and just like, talk to them at dinner, then go to bed. But he physically comes, talks to us.

[Daryl Kelly]

And so I have. I have four girls, so I'M like, my girls are gonna do whatever they want to do. I like riding their bikes. I'm like, I'll introduce them to their bikes, so they ride their bikes. But then like the whole throwing the baseball, I'm like, my girls can throw. So I bought mitts and baseball. No, no one plays baseball. But it's just so we could learn to throw or softball. But anyways, yeah, we've. Especially Evelyn. There's times where I would just throw the ball to her and she talked to me for like an hour. And I don't think I say anything in return, but I just listen. Remember that?

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah, he has. It's a lot of girls, so it's a lot of listening. But. But it always. It always. It helps to have someone listen. But yeah, and I mean, like, even like later in life, just like those little things, like throwing the baseball. Like the other day I was throwing a football and I was like, who am I? Like, I perfect spiral. I was like, throwing it over our house. I was like, I have never liked what is going on, but just like those little moments I hangs out, like, hangs out and talks to us really make an impact in like five years randomly throwing a football.

[Daryl Kelly]

And it's official. My girls can all throw a football better than me.

[Chris]

You damn, damn sure can't.

[Daryl Kelly]

Hey, guys, it's Chris. If you're finding value in what you're hearing, go ahead and like, and subscribe. That way people just like, you can find this content for free here on YouTube. Now let's dive back into.

[Chris]

Was there. Was there ever a time that you felt his presence gone?

[Evelyn Kelly]

Not necessarily. I think one time you did go to Rhode island when we needed some money and you were gone for like a month, I think.

[Daryl Kelly]

Yep.

[Evelyn Kelly]

That was hard just because our youngest sister was just born. But I think that was the only time, just because Mary was so little, that it was like, whoa. That was the craziest month of my life. I literally felt like I had given birth to a baby too, because you were gone. I was like, I'm like, bringing this baby to bed. Like, it was.

[Chris]

That was crazy because you had a lot to burn. You're the oldest child of all of your siblings, correct?

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And so your dad's gone for X amount of time, and maybe you don't even know how much time he's actually going to be gone. What are you experiencing in real time? Like, take me back. Like, if I could be there with you. I'm your younger sister. I'm Jane, and I see you kind of also helping taking care of your youngest sister, now just recently born. Like, what am I seeing? What am I feeling?

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah. I would say I think that honestly helped me in a way. Like, I am the oldest, so I do have a lot of, like, leadership, like, roles that I take on in the family. And especially with my dad being gone, I think I, like, really took that on, which is funny now, because my dad is home more than he was, I feel like, at that stage. So now it's like all these leaders in the family, like, figuring out how to work with each other. But I guess in Jane's eyes, she'd see, like. I mean, Mary literally shared a bed. Like, her crib was three feet away from mine until she was, I think, four months old. And so I was the one. Here's a pacifier. Here's a bottle. So I think that was a very interesting experience, but it was, like, the best way I could help my mom at that stage.

[Chris]

Did you? I want to be super honest, because I think your story can relate to a lot of entrepreneurs that are listening to this that might have kids that could. Could be in your shoes right now. When you were taking care of your siblings as almost like a secondary parent stepping up, did you ever have any angst or. Or anger or resentment towards your dad during that time? Obviously, now it's much different. But in real time, are you experiencing those feelings?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I don't think I. I think I felt, like, bad for my mom at certain times, but I never felt anything. I knew my dad was doing what he was supposed to, and he was providing for our family. So it didn't really bring up any, like, hard feelings because I knew he was trying his best to do what he could, but at the same time, quality over quantity. When I did see him, it was very valuable time where he'd tell me he loved me, or he would write me notes or he'd send me something. So I think knowing that I just knew my dad was doing his best.

[Daryl Kelly]

I think, too, if I think I was very clear, me and Joanna, like, we've always had to talk about these. These when I'm out of town and what's going on. And I think she was one. She was always supportive. So I don't think the girls ever heard anything negative from her about me. I'm sure she would get stressed out and there'd be a lot of work or just she'd want to break, and so they would feel that, But I don't think they ever heard negativity directed at me. And so I think that was also a huge thing, because I know when I'd come home, I'd never experience or hear, like, those things being said. And I think that was pretty. Pretty important.

[Evelyn Kelly]

I agree. And I think that's a huge role played by mom at that point is something my mom's always told me. She's like, even if I'm with all my best friends in, like, a room, she's like, I'll never talk bad about your dad, even if I'm mad at him. Because it's like, at the end of the day, if I have a conversation with your dad, we're going to figure it out, and it's going to be fine. So why throw that negativity everywhere when it's, like, not worth your time? So I agree. I think mom had a big role in, like, not throwing any negative shade at you or anything. And also kind of what you brought up is there were times where my parents would sit me down and be like, okay, Dad's gonna be gone for a couple weeks. And so I think that helped, too, is knowing kind of, like, what the plan was. So my dad never just left. I was always, like, aware of the plan, the situation, even at a young age. And I feel like that helps.

[Chris]

How. How what? You as a child and your parents would sit you down, like, hey, Dad's gonna be gone for a couple weeks. It's gonna be hard. What. What did you hear? Like, what it. What are they saying to you, at least from your perspective?

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah, I think they obviously told me the situation. I didn't know, like, everything, but I think with Rhode island, he just told me, like, he was gonna be gone. I think it was the winter, so winter season. And the biggest thing was just, like, understanding, like, we'll just need you to help mom with the kids. But I don't know. I never felt like I needed, like, a whole explanation. I just kind of, like, understood, like, that's just how we are. Like, we just have to help each other out in the family. So I don't think there was ever, like, a, oh, this is happening, this is happening. Like, you have to help in this way. I feel like I just knew, like, that was just what we were supposed to do.

[Chris]

I want to. I want to bring this up because I think it's important what you two just highlighted, like, the support you and Joanna, your wife, have for each other, you know, Like, I'll never say something bad about my spouse, even around my friends or things like that. I think sometimes we get caught up though in withholding information to give to our spouse in fear of like, ah, like things are actually not great in the business right now or things are tough, can't figure out in order to try to protect that person. Evelyn, did you ever experience as a child because your guys's story is crazy. Like you guys went through a lot of hardship and adversity. Did you ever feel like things were struggling? Like that things were bad at least from your perspective as a child?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I look back and I'm like, wow. Like I wouldn't say things were ever bad, but they were definitely different. I would say one time you were thinking about investing in a bee farm and we went and we lived in a, I would say shack. Pretty close to like no, it's a farmhouse. No, it was not. It was not. No. Let me tell you, when I tell you I had like it was not a farmhouse. It was okay in my seven year old mind. I didn't think it was a farmhouse. We had moved from like this city, this townhouse to this like farmhouse where I wore boots everywhere. Like just not like it was, I don't know, it was really different for me. But also that was like the best part of my childhood. Like I never saw it as like a. Oh like things are bad. Like I don't know, I thought it was like the funnest thing I ever did. I like woke up fed goats, went to bed, woke up fed chickens. Like it was like the funnest little like 10 months of my life. But I would say like, I don't think you ever came up to us, any of your kids and was like things are bad by the way. Like I don't think that was ever like told to us. I think it was always like how can it get better than this? But nothing was ever oh, it's bad. Like and I think that's important like to keep your kids mindset of like it'll always get better, it's good or this is like the best thing ever.

[Daryl Kelly]

Yeah, well, I feel like, you know, I already know what my worst case scenario is. And so like I never felt like things were bad. It was always about just figuring out how to make it better.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah.

[Daryl Kelly]

Worst case scenario, I'm living in the basement of my in laws and I.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Mean being a seven year old and living in the basement of your grandma's house, probably the best situation to happen to you. So Yeah, I mean you would say that you're like, well, worst case scenario, we live at grandma's. What's a seven year Old going to say no, like, yeah, of course, let's do it.

[Daryl Kelly]

I think once I understood my worst case scenario, I was like, all right, let's. Let's make. Let's make something great happen. So let's. Let's kind of go into you and how you've developed. I think one of the most important things is, is a lot of people sacrifice family for success. And what are some of the things you feel like, contributed to your. Just who you are today? Like, how have. How has either me or your mom, like, influenced you to be who you are? Or what are some external things that have helped you?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I would say that something that you've taught me when it comes to, like, success, I feel like a lot of people aren't taught is success isn't just one thing. It's a million things combined. And so I think something that, like, as I get older, when I'm like, okay, I want to be successful, it's like, no, like, I don't want to just, like, make a bunch of money, as great as that sounds. Like, I want to make money. I want to get married. I want to have kids. I want to grow my relationship with God and my spouse. Like, I think I want to be the best, like, physically I can be. And I think something that you and mom have taught me is, like, the success in that is way more than any other success by, like, one thing. You know, it's like a bunch of things put together.

[Daryl Kelly]

You're saying instead of choosing your success, it's success is how you live your whole life.

[Evelyn Kelly]

100. Yeah. I don't think a lot of times people think this one thing is like, okay, if I just get this. Sell this business for X amount of money, like, I'm successful. But you could sell a business for this amount of money and, like, not be your best physical self, if that makes sense. And I feel like becoming the best version of yourself would be success to me.

[Daryl Kelly]

You know, something that Alex has told me that really stuck out when he met you was you made the comment that you love your body. Has that always been the case?

[Evelyn Kelly]

Well, backstory, I'm 6:2 and taller than Daryl. For all the viewers wondering, okay, he's actually six one and three quarters and made me think I was six three for, like, three years. But I'm six two. And I think growing up, that's very uncommon. And especially in like, like, sports was very interesting. And I think I, for some reason have always, like, I don't know. Obviously it's like an insecurity of mine, but I think as I've gotten older, it's become more of a superpower of mine. And, Yeah, I don't know. I just, like, have learned to, like, love my body through working out and, like, becoming as fit as I can with the body that I have.

[Daryl Kelly]

I guess I think the reason that's important is. Is how many times have I heard you frustrated about.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Right.

[Daryl Kelly]

Your body or how.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah.

[Daryl Kelly]

Things. So I know there's. I know that's something that a lot of kids go through is really, like, are really frustrated about their body, Whether they're too short or too tall or too fat or too skinny or not strong enough or how do you get to that point?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I would say I definitely had a turning point when I felt that my body was. I was really skinny my sophomore year. I want to say it was my sophomore year, and I was like, okay, like, I play volleyball. Like, I'm active, but I'm not, like, physically in the best shape, and I needed to, like, put on some weight. So I started training, and I had this amazing trainer, and he. I think I gained, like, at the end of everything, I think I gained, like, 30 to 40 pounds, which was crazy. But I was, like, skin and bones beforehand. And because I, like, worked up to, like, fitting into my body, I feel like once I was at the peak of that, I was like, okay, like, I love my body. Like, I fit into it. I felt, like, strong. I didn't just feel, like, weak and tall. So I felt like I kind of saw my body and I was like, okay, what can I do with this? And then I just worked really, really hard. I worked out three days a week, and I became very confident in the body that I helped, like, become the best version of, I would say.

[Daryl Kelly]

So what drives you, like, in? What makes you a driven person? I know you're. You've worked. I know your trainer told me, like, you work harder than a lot of the top athletes he works with. I know you've had three jobs at one point. I know you're. You know, you're. You're doing a college, you're doing school. You're doing a lot of different things. Like, where do you get your drive from? Like, what. What are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to overcompensate for something? Do you feel like you have this vision you're following? Like, what is it that drives you?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I would say. I would say one of, like, my worst fears is having a period in my life where I feel like I don't accomplish Anything. I feel like I just have to like, okay, what's the next thing we're going to accomplish? What's the next thing that's gonna like the next step? I would say if you're not doing it 100%, why do it at all? Because 100% is going to get you way further than anyone just going 90. And I think that's something that's really pushed me is seeing athletes come in and then their reps. I don't know, they have like three sets of 15 and they only do like two sets or something. And I'm like, is it going to kill you to do 15 more reps? No. And, and so I think going 100 has definitely, like been a big thing. I also think though is I don't think I would have done that unless you taught me. One of my favorite things you ever said to me was, you don't have to do it perfect, you just have to get it done. And I feel like there's been a lot of times in my life where it's like, okay, it's not gonna be perfect, but it'll get done. And that, I mean, has goes across everything like sports, working out, business school. And so I think that's a big.

[Chris]

Thing that I've learned when have kind of pivoting a little bit. You guys over. You guys have dealt with a lot since you've been born, dealt with a lot of adversity. And over the last probably five, six years, you guys have been able to finally, at least from my perspective outside in, start to what on paper people would say looks like success. Like, yeah, the house, the book, you know, you know, having a rich ass dad. Yeah, you know, let's just be real, okay? Rich ass dad. How much have you seen with the effort that, you know, that your father's put in over the last, you know, 17 years that you've been alive and now being able to experience life on paper through a new lens. But I imagine your dad hasn't changed for you.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah, I would say I remember like a couple years back I was like, wow. Like, I wish I was like, I have three little sisters. I was like, if I was like one of them, like, I would live this, like my whole childhood would be like this. Like, that would be crazy. But then I remember telling him, I was like, no, like, it's honestly incredible that I was with you through the whole journey and like, saw all like the ups and downs. I think that was really, really interesting to me. And I think wouldn't I wouldn't have become the person I am today if I wouldn't have seen all the lows and all the highs.

[Chris]

And now today, you know, you've seen your father become this awesome entrepreneur. Now you're kind of stepping into this entrepreneurial role yourself. Are you doing that because you feel like you have to follow in your dad's footsteps? Or do you feel. Or has he pushed you in a way? Or are you making this choice and decision to go through this lifestyle for yourself?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I would say that I'm very money driven. And I think, like, even from a young age, I remember we did a. A fundraiser. It's like my first money making, like, opportunity. I'd say. I think I was like six. No, I think I was in first grade. And it was a school fundraiser where you go door to door and you knock. And my dad told me, he's like, okay, just like, go for it. Like, I'll stand behind you. We'll go to the neighbor's house. And I'd knock on the neighbor's house and I would say, hey, I'm doing a fundraiser. If you have any money, we could. We can use it for the fund. Something like that. Like, just.

[Daryl Kelly]

Actually, I can tell you what you.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Said, so go ahead. It was.

[Daryl Kelly]

You first went to your. To your. Your first customer. She paid you 20 bucks, which was a lot.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Mm.

[Daryl Kelly]

And then you went to every other person. You said, hey, I'm doing a fundraiser, so. And so paid $20. You can pay whatever you'd like. And because of that, you got more and more people paying 20 bucks. So you kind of.

[Evelyn Kelly]

And it was a pretty straightforward, like. Yeah, I just remember I would ask the question, but without them saying anything. I would hand them the board and.

[Chris]

I'd be like, soft, close.

[Daryl Kelly]

She was closing hard.

[Evelyn Kelly]

I was like, here you go, you can have this. But yeah, I'd say, did you experience that?

[Chris]

This. I think this is actually really cool.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Okay.

[Chris]

Did you experience that? Like, handing the clipboard and asking the question that you made that you did? Is that internal from you or are you getting that from your dad? Like, is your dad in your ear? Like, hey, here's a play by play? We're gonna run this. We're gonna do that. Or where is that coming from? From you?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I think it's internal. I think I've always agreed. Yeah, I. I think me and my dad have talked about this. Like, a lot of my sisters, like, are. Well, like, are, like the coolest ever, but, like, just not as money driven as me. I feel like I've always been like, okay, what's a little side hustle we can think of right now? So I think it's the best having his support. But I would say that I really do have, like, that drive.

[Daryl Kelly]

So I can remember going on vacation to Cabo, and when she saw bartering, she fell in love. She's like, I want to barter. So I remember spending, like, two hours at the marketplace with $100 in ones and just letting her barter. We had nothing to buy. She just wanted to barter things, and she loved the process. And so I think for her, she's just. I don't know what it is internally that drives her that way, but my other daughters don't have that, at least in the same way she does. And I think it's for. For a parent, it's like identifying what really drives your kid and then just supporting them in that. Because I don't want my other kids to have to act like she is. But I also want her to, like, really learn and grow and with. With where she's driven.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah. And I. I think also I. What's interesting is, out of all the siblings, I think I would be the least to be entrepreneurous, like, have the entrepreneur, like, outlook, just because I've seen how many lows there's been, you know, like, throughout my childhood. But in another way, I think that's, like, the best thing, because I'm like, it's inconsistent, but I almost love that it's inconsistent.

[Chris]

Well, now you. You're not even. You're done with high school. You even have a huge head start on college, but you haven't waited to start your entrepreneurial journey. Like, you've already started. It's been quite. I've been able to watch you grow up, and you've built one of the coolest side hustles I've ever seen. And I think you know what I'm talking about. Share quickly, 30 seconds. The problem that you're solving, what you did and how you made money off of this.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah. So I was going to my senior year, and I hadn't had a job at all through high school. It was just mainly volleyball for me. And I was like, all right, like, got a lot of money to make for college. So I was like, what's the fastest way I could make money? Or what? What. What could I do? So this girl who had been putting on these dances, they're called the Tri City dances, so they're for all the high schools in all the cities where we live and she puts on one big dance. She does homecoming, tolo, winter formal and prom and all. And it, it's nice because everyone from all the high schools here, I'd say, are pretty close. So everyone can come. All your friends are there. She rents out a venue, a dj. And so I, I'd seen that she had done it and I was like, I know she makes a lot of money, I should do this. But I didn't have the following that she did. So I was like, maybe I'll just like DM her and like, just like ask. Which is funny because Levi actually, I remember there was one day where Levi was like. I kept saying it for like a month or two and then Levi was like, like, just do it. Like, he literally was like, you need to do this right now. Like DM her right now. And so that was a big push. So I DM'd her and it was just like worked out perfectly. She's like, yes, perfect. I kind of like negotiated with her because she had the following that I didn't. So I was like, if I can use your following, I'll give you some money from the dances that I make. And she just like kind of passed on her business to me because she had graduated, so she was in college at this point. And then I did those dances my senior year. So that's kind of what the business looked like.

[Chris]

And you know, just to flex on everybody in here. Why don't you just flex a little bit? How many on you? You did four dances on average. How much total money are these dances bringing in?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I would say like on average from all the dances. I would say like, like that I make or just like.

[Chris]

No, the whole, the whole dance. How many, you know, tickets are you selling? How much money?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I would say we, we sold every dance. We'd sell about 500 tickets. And most of the dances we were able to sell out, which was nice, but I'd say we'd bring in like anywhere from like our biggest one was 20 grand and I think our smallest one was like eight. So that was a big.

[Chris]

I don't know if you guys are processing that. She did that four times as like a 16, 17 year old girl in high school. And you're making more than somebody who would work full time, minimum wage. You did that by being the coolest kid, by hosting the coolest parties and making a ton of money off of it.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah, yeah.

[Daryl Kelly]

So I think what's also interesting was that your only job at this time?

[Evelyn Kelly]

No, I remember end of my senior year, I Had three jobs. And I remember I. So I had that job. And. Which is really funny. What's funny about just like a little off topic is a lot of kids, I've never like said those numbers out loud because a lot of kids are like, how much do you make? How much do you make? But if you would look at the flyer and you would see that 500 tickets are sold out, you would times it by how much it is. It's like you can do the math.

[Chris]

You guys can pocket watch.

[Evelyn Kelly]

It's the funniest thing to me. And it's. They always ask him like, well, you could do the math. And they're like, oh, we. Yeah, I don't know. I think that's funny. But obviously I don't tell them how much, like I personally make. Okay. But back to the other jobs. I. So I did the dances and then I did. I worked at a physical therapy clinic for eight months and then I did the social media marketing for Ms. Washington for a couple months.

[Daryl Kelly]

So what did you learn or what was your experience working at the physical therapy?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I think physical therapy was really interesting because being a physical therapist, I would never choose to do, like, it was not like really a path that I was planning on taking or do now, but I think like, it was very like, God given. Like, I think I learned a lot about just loving people and loving everyone from all the different, like, backgrounds people can come from. And so I think that was just really interesting to meet all the people that I did at physical therapy. And something I didn't realize about physical therapy is these patients come in three times a week every week. It's not like, oh, come for an eye appointment once every six months. So you really did build good relationships with these people and get to know them. So I really enjoyed that.

[Daryl Kelly]

Cool. Why did you do that job?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I didn't want to work at fast food and I didn't want to work at a retail store. So I kind of was thinking more medical. And so I. My friend had worked there and so obviously I knew she had the boss's number. She had worked there. So I was like, hey, can you slide me the number? I'll text him. And I walked. I just walked in one day, gave him my resume, walked out, and then I got the job like a week later.

[Daryl Kelly]

But you're making money on dances. Why did you need a second job?

[Evelyn Kelly]

Close. Just kidding. I don't know.

[Chris]

You greedy ass.

[Evelyn Kelly]

I don't know. I just love me. I literally just love making money. And I think it was Good for me to work a job like that and realize, like, yeah, like, I. This is not. I respect everyone, like, in that work field, obviously, but I realized, like, my way of making money is the entrepreneurship way of making money.

[Chris]

What. What is it about making money? Because I. For as long as I've known you haven't been. You're not like a materialistic person. I would say, like, you like things, obviously, but I wouldn't consider you materialistic. What is it about your drive to make money that you love?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I would say. I mean, I wouldn't say I'm very materialistic, but I think that's kind of like. Like, I don't know. Like, I remember, I just never want to be like, oh, like, I can't get that. Which sounds weird, but I just remember, like, I talked to my sister Jane the other day. She's like, oh, I really want these jeans. And I was like, well, I can't get them. She's like, well, I don't have any money. And I was like, what? What do you mean? And she just told me, she's like, I don't have any money. And I was like, whoa. And I just, like, literally the first thing came to mind is like, okay, what are the things she could do? She could babysit this weekend. She could walk. She could maybe like, go walk dogs in the neighborhood. Like, I just, I feel like for me, it's like almost a thing. Like, I just want to be able to have whatever. Like, be open. Have like, whatever choices. Yeah, Choices. Like, keep my choices open, options open.

[Chris]

So did you point at your sister and be like, haha, you're so poor? No, like, wow, that's.

[Evelyn Kelly]

But I did tell her. I was like, you could probably think of a way to make that money in a week.

[Chris]

But okay, so now you know, you've. You've hustled, right? You've had three jobs. One of them, like, you started from the ground up pretty much. And you've also worked a couple jobs and now you're still going off to college. And I think there is like two tropes out there. You've got people who are entrepreneurs that are like, screw the school system. You know, it's a scam. You're in the matrix. Then you have the other side of the coin. Or like, no, I like consistency. I'm going to go to school. I'm going to do the traditional route, X, Y and Z. But somehow you're kind of blending both.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Why? What is your intention with going to school? And what are you trying to do?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I would say if I hadn't gotten my AA already, I think that would have been kind of messy for me, just because school does take quite a few years to finish. But I'm going in to marketing, and I think that I just kind of want to learn, like, the. I don't know, like, what's the dictionary of marketing? Like, let's learn all the vocab terms. Like, I think what's hard about school is a lot of times, like, you're. What you're saying is people are like, okay, well, you can just learn that in a real life situation, which is true. And that's how entrepreneurship is too. You can teach entrepreneurship, but the best way to do it is do it. And so I think I'm going to school to network and to meet people and to understand different people. But I think knowing that I also only have two years of school is very, like, okay, like, we can get through this. But, yeah, I think that for me is kind of why it's like, I'm going down to Utah. Utah is huge, and there's lots of people you can meet and get to know. So I think networking is a really big pull for me.

[Chris]

If you could say what you're proud of the most from your dad.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Mm.

[Chris]

What would you say?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I would say I'm proud of how, like, close our family has been together. Our. Our house especially, has been something. What'd you call it? That one time. You're like, our house is like a sanctuary. And I feel like we really have been able to create a family where if you come in, you feel, like, loved and connected. And I think that's really important to just our families, to feel connected to each other and, like, live in a place that we all feel loved by.

[Chris]

So what have you seen from Evelyn, Daryl, that you are the most proud of, that you want to share to the people in Evelyn?

[Daryl Kelly]

I think I've seen Evelyn come go through a lot of struggles. I've seen her have to endure some challenging times. And what's been so impressive about her is just her ability to stand up and speak for herself. This was something where, like, I was there at any point to step in, but she was always willing to take the lead. And so I was more of a supporting role than I was trying to direct her and push her. It's the same reason why she hasn't worked for me, because I rather her be herself than, like, her try to fit underneath me or fit into what I'm doing. So I would just say Like, I think the proudest thing is, like, she just is driven. She has clarity and vision around who she wants to be. And that's why, like, at this point, she's leaving in a few weeks. I'm super excited for her to leave. Like, I am so excited for her to leave. I would never want her to stay any longer because she's ready to go be someone who she wants to become. And there's just no. It kind of breaks the ties of who she has to be because she grew up in her house and now she can just be who she wants to be.

[Chris]

Well, I can say this from an outside perspective. I've seen, I've known you guys for, I don't know, eight years now or something like that. And I, I've told Daryl this privately. I think I've even told you, Evelyn, like, I'm so inspired by your guys's family, with how you guys interact with each other and how you guys talk to each other and how you've been able to grow as a family. But the money that, you know, the successful exit and all this cool stuff that people see as successful to me isn't really what has made you guys successful as a family. It's how grounded you guys have been and stuck to your principles. And Daryl, you've taught me that money is just an enhancer. All it has done for you guys over the last couple of years is enhanced your guys capabilities to spend more time with your family, be more impactful, help other people. And when we host our masterminds from our experiences that we create every quarter, one of the things we do is we go actually spend time at your house. And what's cool is a lot of people, I think they're like, hey, let's go, let's go to our house. I'll host it at my house. And it's about the pool. It's about this and showing off. But what Daryl is always, I've noticed, is most proud of is showing off his kids and his wife Joanna. And he takes everybody. You'll see him pull people to the side and be like, hey, this is my daughter. Hey, this is my wife. Or this is what my, my kiddo does. Or this is so cool. It's never like, hey, come look at my Porsche in my garage. It's like, hey, come not. It's not, look at my Paragon boat that's sick as hell in my garage or whatever it might be. It's always, look at my family, what I've been able to create. And some of the best feedback we always get from our experience. The outcome is, wow, that time I had with Daryl and his kids and his wife was so impactful. It was so cool. Because, yes, we can teach you all the systems, all of the things, all the formulas to go and make more money in your business, but at the end of the day, as entrepreneurs, your identity is also tied with who you're coming home to.

[Daryl Kelly]

It's true, I think, and you hit on a strong point. I. I don't think I've ever verbalized that. But, like, the reason I want people to be at my house is to see that I'm not chasing money, but I'm building a family. And that's. That's my drive. That's. That's the why. And I think I grew up with. You know, I had my family. There was eight siblings. And, you know, my dad was really driven. He worked on a farm. My mom was driven to, like, build a family. But outside that, we had no uncles or aunts or grandparents that really, like, cared that much about family. I didn't really have good examples of, like, what a family should look like outside of, like, our crazy family that we had. And so for me, it's like, I want other people to see, like, man, like, I really love my daughters. I really love my wife. I see. I get so much joy from it. And I want others to realize, like, that's the possibility for them too. And so that. That drives me a lot. Like, my. My goal is to, you know, when. When we have entrepreneurs come in to build their business, that actually I can help them or inspire them to. To build their families in ways that they. They find a ton of joy and happiness in.

[Chris]

If you were to give. If entrepreneurs that are watching this are showing their kids this interview.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And you could speak directly to the kids of entrepreneurs right now, and you can compile everything that you've experienced in your life with. With being with your dad and your family and seeing what's unfolded and your experience. What would you compress into 30 seconds of advice?

[Evelyn Kelly]

Wow. Okay. For the kids, yeah, I would say definitely support your dads in any way you can. I think that support is, like, definitely what brings our family together. And like I said before, success isn't just defined by money or what you have, but it's about what you're able to make and what you're able to believe in. And I think if you're able to believe and make a happy and, like, successful and a family that loves each other, I think that's like one of the biggest successes you can have.

[Chris]

For entrepreneurs out there that are struggling to connect and even just talk to their teenage daughters. What advice would you give them?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I would say as a teenager, one of your biggest like, things in high school is like, your friends. And I think getting to know your daughter's friends are just like. I think a lot of my friends will come over and they're like, oh, is Daryl gonna be there? Like, is he gonna come play a game with us? He's constantly like trying to like, like get to know him or like be a part of their lives, which I think is cool. I feel like a lot of dads, like, there's always like that meme that you see on Tick Tock where it's like, oh, like I've been best friends with your daughter for 10 years and your dad doesn't even know my name or you don't even know my name or whatever. But I was like, that could be the exact opposite from my dad. And I think being a part of your kids lives means like really getting to know like, who their friend is. What's the drama? Who's the boy and what does it.

[Daryl Kelly]

What does that look like? Though?

[Evelyn Kelly]

I would say, like, in what aspect? I would say like, you. If I have friends over, like, I know you're gonna like call him by name and come hang out with them or you're gonna like, tell. He loves to tell people. Like the most recent thing he's learned, I'd say that's a big thing. Like he'll sit us down, he'll have a chat. And I used to be annoyed by it. I'd be like, dad, like another like business or whatever, chat. But then I realized like, the way I'm parented is very different and vastly different from most kids. And so a lot of kids like eat it up and like, like to learn about it. And I think that that's something that I now like enjoy is like, give an example.

[Daryl Kelly]

Because I think, okay.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Like a couple months ago, some of my friends came over and the boys, they came over and were asking my dad some questions about his business because they saw like, he was successful and like saw our house. And they like, we were just like on the dining room table talking about like business, like what we're doing after high school for a while. And then my dad was like, here, like, here's some books. I think, was it like rich dad, poor dad or.

[Daryl Kelly]

Yeah, so I've got a few, few books, my favorite books to give out to kids. I keep stacks of them in my office. But, like, rich dad, poor dad's a great one. Rhythm of life is a great one. There's a few others, but for me, it's like, if a kid's really interested, the best way to know is, like, give them a book. Sometimes I'll say, hey, if there's enough of them, I'll say, hey, if you guys read this book, I'll pay you 100 bucks or 50 bucks to get them started. Because most kids don't want to read a book. So give them another motivation in order to pay them. They have to come back and tell me about the book. But if I can get a kid to do that, usually our conversations continue on, and we usually have better and better conversations. The flip side of that, though, too, is if enough kids are, like, interested in those things, my daughters are more interested in as well. And so it kind of opens up the conversation not only with her friends, but with my daughters.

[Evelyn Kelly]

And.

[Daryl Kelly]

And I. I stumbled across that as, like, a parenting hack of, like, influence the friends in ways you want to influence your daughter.

[Evelyn Kelly]

Yeah, I'd say the same thing. You taught my church class for a while, and that was kind of the same thing. Like, we'd have, like, separate meetings talking about what we learned in church class, because everyone was so invested in it. I was like, oh, like, if they think my dad's cool, I guess I'll think he's cool too. You know, like, you're just like, okay, yeah, like, he is pretty cool. And so I think getting to really know, like, your kid's life is really important and who they hang out with.

[Chris]

My wife and I talk about all the time, how we are so inspired by you guys and want to design our family dynamic with when we have children exactly like yours. We love your daughters. We love you and Joanna, and I encourage you guys. I invite you guys, if you're not already in the community and you're struggling with trying to figure out how to balance this relationship with building this business and trying to grow and scale it. But you're also interested in growing and scaling your relationship with your spouse and your children and want to learn how to design a life that really impacts the world. All I do is invite you to join a strategy session with one of us, and we'll chat with you guys and see if you guys can come to one of our experiences, roasting our next one in September, third and fourth. And they are so much fun. But not only will you learn everything you need to know about business and how to grow and scale, but also how to grow and scale your relationship with your with your family. So thanks for joining us, Evelyn and Daryl, thanks. And until next time.