Problems to Profit

Episode: Faith, Fear, and the Power of Principle

Host: Preston Brown

Guest: Dustin Hillis

Date: October 27, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Preston Brown welcomes serial entrepreneur, business strategist, and AI company president Dustin Hillis. Their conversation dives deep into growth, overcoming adversity, faith’s impact on business, and strategies for sustainable profitability and scale. They discuss the champion mindset, the pitfalls of ego, faith-based leadership, global business development, and highlight actionable principles from Hillis’s upcoming book, "Capacity: Building a Business Bigger Than You".

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Foundation of Success: Faith, Values, and Overcoming Adversity

• Success vs. Failure: Success needs managing just like failure. Fear of success can hold people back just as much as fear of failure (00:00–01:00).
• Early Adversity: Dustin describes formative experiences—his dad’s shift from entrepreneur to corporate VP for family sake, learning to stand up to childhood bullies, sports injuries, and pivotal moments of faith.

  "Life was a series of confidence anchors from becoming, like getting picked on as a kid, becoming a Christian, playing sports." — Dustin Hillis (07:00)

• First Major Setback: A single day marked by being named starter as a college athlete, then suffering a career-ending concussion (07:30–08:30).
• Initial Success: Selling educational books door-to-door led not only to big earnings ($26k first summer, $100k third summer), but early real estate investing—by graduation, Dustin owned four rental properties (09:00–10:00).

2. Professional Trajectory: Scaling, Sabbatical, and Current Ventures

• Career Path: From door-to-door sales, to building and leading a coaching conglomerate at Southwestern Family of Companies (responsible for 2,000+ people), to taking a sabbatical and returning to preside over Safe Space Global AI (10:30–13:00).
• Family & Perspective: Sabbatical involved "road-schooling" his daughter across North America, fostering global perspective and human connection.

  "She’s gonna grow up thinking Russian kids are normal just like her... It’s not the people that are the problem; it’s our governments." — Dustin Hillis (14:00)

• Global Entrepreneurship: Emphasizes the values of cross-cultural understanding, family-first travel, and life-long learning.

3. Identity, Ego, and Principle-Based Leadership

• Identity Beyond Work: The dangers of tying one's identity solely to career (19:54–23:00).

  "If your whole life revolves around your work, there’s so much more to life than just your work... My identity is in Christ." — Dustin Hillis (19:54)

• Faith and Business: Deep dive into Christianity, the example of Christ, and the importance of modeling principles rather than rules-based religion (23:03–32:00).

  "Jesus is the map. God is the destination... the Holy Spirit is the GPS." — Dustin Hillis (27:07)

• Judgment and Grace: Reflections on the parable of the prodigal son, using Tim Keller’s "Prodigal God" and C.S. Lewis’s writing as reference points to explore self-righteousness, grace, and the value of suffering as love (31:08–36:00).

  "The only person that’s going to be left out of the party, which, aka is heaven, is the self-righteous, the judging." — Dustin Hillis (33:02)

4. Entrepreneurial Mindset: Faith, Global Exposure, and Dying to Self

• Diversity of Faiths: Recognizes successful people can have various faiths, but all exhibit faith in something (36:02–37:16).
• Cross-Cultural Spirituality: Both Dustin and Preston share experiences with Indian yogis, Hindu rituals, and the lifestyle/spiritual lessons of yoga (37:31–40:00).
• Facing Death, Ego, and Spiritual Growth:

  "Jesus called it dying to yourself... When you realize you’re just a meat suit with a soul... Death is just an entrance into a higher level." — Dustin Hillis (41:13)

5. The Role and Management of Ego

• The Evolution of Ego: Success demands both construction and the conscious management of ego—pivoting from fear or self-sabotage into using ego for service and impact.

  "There’s an evolution to the ego where it’s a healthy thing and the ego actually drives you... But once you experience [success], you then learn how to not have the ego be what it’s all about." — Dustin Hillis (42:41–45:12)

• Memorable Quote:
  "Never let your ego be bigger than your dick... In business, there will be a moment of truth." — Preston Brown (45:12)

6. Building a Principle-Based Organization

• Principles Over Trends: The downfall of chasing trends vs. building on timeless principles and proven values (47:53–48:35).
• Six Pillars of Capacity: Dustin introduces three foundational pillars of his business-building method.

Breakout Segment: Three of the Six Pillars of Capacity (Book Preview)

1. Executive Strategy (52:00–54:22)

• Key Point: Start by crafting your own CEO and CFO job descriptions and pay plans—even if you are the only executive. Build the systems and roles for the company you want to be, not just the one you are now.

  "If you want to evolve into a CEO, create a job description for yourself and a pay plan for yourself that reflects being a CEO." — Dustin Hillis (53:00)

• Tip: Don’t hire a CEO too soon; act as one first.

2. Marketing Strategy (58:20–62:32)

• Clarity in Branding: Leaders must embody brand identity; vision, mission, and core values must permeate all messaging.

  "The leader of the business personifies the brand... Your company's identity is driven off the leader." — Dustin Hillis (59:00)

• Operationalizing Values: Dustin requires all execs to read core values aloud weekly, cementing cultural alignment.
• Tactical Methods: Move from core values to copy, to data-driven decision-making in all marketing investments.

3. Business Development Strategy (68:11–74:30)

• Go Beyond the Rainmaker Model: Entrepreneurs must transition from being sole rainmakers to building scalable sales and recruiting systems.

  "You have to recruit A+ talent, train A+ talent, and manage A+ talent. Those are three different things." — Dustin Hillis (68:30)

• Global Sales Methodology: Customization is needed by market—what works in Singapore differs from London or the US.
• Complete Selling Cycle: Focuses on consistent lead generation, pre-qualification, presentation, closing, and referrals.

Preston: "If I lived in Tennessee, dude, we'd hang out. You just described in a minute probably the most impactful business framework I've ever seen." (74:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Faith and Leadership: "Jesus is the map, God is the destination, and the Holy Spirit is the GPS." — Dustin Hillis (27:07)
• On Ego: "Success and managing success is just as important, if not more important, than learning how to manage failure." — Dustin Hillis (00:00, 42:41)
• On Building a Scaling Culture: "Having a foundation of principles that you live your life on, you’re going to be more successful than if you’re winging it." — Dustin Hillis (47:53)
• On Business Development: "Until somebody sells something nothing happens." — Dustin Hillis (68:13)
• On Kindness as a Value: "We reserve the right to refuse service to assholes." — Preston Brown (63:51)
• On Book Preorders: "If you buy 100 or more books, that's a day with me in Nashville... 1,000 books is a couple of days with me in Cabo, Mexico." — Dustin Hillis (79:00–80:00)
• Humorous Wisdom: "Never let your ego be bigger than your dick." — Preston Brown (45:12)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Dustin’s Early Story & Bullying Lesson: 03:37–07:00
• Faith Experience & Confidence Anchors: 07:00–09:00
• Door-to-Door Sales & First Investments: 09:00–10:20
• Career Overview & Sabbatical: 10:30–13:00
• Global Perspective & Kids: 13:31–14:26
• Identity Beyond Career & Faith: 19:54–23:00
• Trinity and Parable of the Prodigal Son: 27:06–33:02
• Managing Ego, Success, and Failure: 42:41–45:12
• Six Pillars Introduction: 49:22–62:32 (Highlights: Executive Strategy 51:57, Marketing Strategy 58:20)
• Business Development Strategy: 68:11–74:30
• Book Offer and Connect with Dustin: 78:50–81:51

Where to Learn More & Connect

• Book: Capacity: Building a Business Bigger Than You (pre-orders/dustinhillis.com, Amazon)
• Website: dustinhillis.com
• Instagram & LinkedIn: @dustinhillus (blue check for authenticity)
• Company: Safe Space Global AI, Stock ticker: SSGC

Episode Takeaways

• True growth requires overcoming adversity, with values and faith as anchors.
• Ego is a tool, not an identity—manage it with humility and purpose.
• Principles and values, not trends, build durable business cultures.
• Systematic strategies—not just passion—allow businesses to scale beyond their founders.
• Business frameworks for scaling begin with executive/marketing/business development strategies.
• Memorably, embrace kindness, laugh at your own ego, and root both life and business in service and principle.

For more on Dustin’s frameworks and the remaining pillars of capacity, stay tuned for part two!