How to Build a Business Partnership with Your Best Friend Without Ruining the Relationship, the Mission, or the Money | Jana & Jordan

Summary

Podcast Title: Problems to Profit
Host: Preston Brown
Episode Title: How to Build a Business Partnership with Your Best Friend Without Ruining the Relationship, the Mission, or the Money | Jana & Jordan
Release Date: August 7, 2025

---

Introduction

In this engaging episode of the Problems to Profit podcast, host Preston Brown welcomes Jana and Jordan, the dynamic duo behind IVitamin IV Lounge in Austin. Brown expresses his excitement about having such vibrant and genuine partners on the show, setting the stage for a deep dive into building and maintaining successful business partnerships without compromising personal relationships or business objectives.

Preston Brown [00:00]: "If your business feels more like a job you can’t quit, then welcome to the podcast aimed at finally solving that problem."

Guests' Background and Journey

Jordan’s Story:

Jordan shares her early life experiences growing up in a large, entrepreneurial family. Being one of five children, she developed a strong work ethic from a young age, frequently starting her own businesses, such as hiring her sisters to run a day camp when she was just 11 years old. Despite financial instability and constant moving, Jordan’s mother provided a halo of love and support, fostering creativity and resilience in her children.

Jordan [07:11]: "I had a day camp at my house where people would bring their children over. I was 11 years old, I hired my two younger sisters and people actually dropped their children off at my house."

Jenna’s Story:

Jenna complements Jordan’s entrepreneurial spirit with her clinical expertise. Growing up in a family of pharmacists, Jenna was immersed in the world of personalized medicine from a young age. Her father’s shift from traditional pharmacy to compounding pharmacy inspired her dedication to customized healthcare solutions. This background laid the foundation for her role as the "clinical brains" behind IVitamin IV Lounge.

Jenna [14:24]: "I grew up in a pharmacy and saw from a young age what dedication and work ethic took to run a successful business."

Building a Successful Partnership

Preston Brown emphasizes the uniqueness of Jana and Jordan’s partnership, highlighting how their friendship and mutual respect have contributed to their business success. Unlike many business partnerships that strain personal relationships, Jana and Jordan have maintained a harmonious relationship by prioritizing friendship and effective communication.

Preston Brown [21:37]: "There’s no partnership without problems. And if there’s anyone that ever tells you there is, then that, I mean, that’s just a liar."

Key Principles Shared by Jana and Jordan:

1. Ego Checks: Regularly assessing and managing individual egos to ensure decisions are made for the partnership's benefit rather than personal pride.

2. Partners Before Profits: Prioritizing the relationship and partnership over financial gains to maintain a healthy business and personal connection.

   Jenna [27:29]: "Friendship first. The friendship comes first."

3. Clear Expectations and Intentions: Establishing and communicating roles, responsibilities, and financial arrangements from the outset to prevent misunderstandings.

4. Stay in Your Lane: Focusing on each partner’s strengths and skill sets, allowing each to contribute effectively without overstepping boundaries.

5. Create Space for Friendship: Ensuring that the personal relationship remains strong by setting aside time separate from business interactions.

6. Give Grace: Providing each other with understanding and forgiveness during challenging times to sustain both the relationship and the business.

   Jordan [26:23]: "The last and most important is give grace. We've seen each other through every aspect of life."

Handling Conflicts and Challenges

When discussing conflict resolution, Jana and Jordan emphasize the importance of honest communication without blaming each other. They advocate for addressing issues collaboratively, focusing on solutions rather than assigning fault.

Jenna [35:37]: "Don't blame. Make the problem the problem, not the person."

Preston Brown adds to this by introducing the concept of "effective blame," where circumstances are addressed without making an individual the target.

Preston Brown [36:47]: "Effective blame, where you’re following the partnership dues of give grace, create space... Make the problem the problem."

Capital Management and Financial Strategies

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around capital management within partnerships. Brown outlines three primary ways to compensate partners:

1. Salary or Hourly: Payment for specific roles and functions within the business.
2. Draws: Distributions based on ownership percentages, typically drawn from profits.
3. Commission and Bonuses: Incentives linked to performance and growth metrics.

Jana and Jordan share their approach to capital management, highlighting the importance of setting a financial "zero line" to ensure the business remains sustainable during downturns. They advocate for periodic reviews and maintaining open communication to navigate financial challenges effectively.

Jordan [56:47]: "Having just two of us and having that two-way communication, understanding and same alignment was everything."

Choosing the Right Partner

Jana and Jordan stress the importance of selecting partners with complementary skills and shared values. They warn against partnering with friends or acquaintances who may lack the entrepreneurial drive or share conflicting visions, which can jeopardize both the business and personal relationships.

Jenna [53:44]: "Different skills... our skill sets is definitely critical."

Preston adds that partners should have common visions and not just common values to ensure alignment in business goals and strategies.

Preston Brown [54:15]: "Common values is beautiful but common vision I think is key."

Adapting to Change and Setting Terms

The hosts discuss the necessity of setting terms for business partnerships, similar to marriage agreements, to navigate evolving business landscapes and personal circumstances. Regular meetings to reassess the partnership's terms and ensuring flexibility to adapt to industry shifts are crucial for long-term success.

Preston Brown [64:45]: "Set the intention from the beginning and set the expectation from the beginning and then you're in alignment."

Maintaining Balance Between Business and Personal Life

Jana and Jordan highlight the importance of separating business interactions from personal relationships. They suggest scheduling "friendship time" to preserve the personal bond outside of business dealings, ensuring that the partnership remains strong and enjoyable.

Preston Brown [32:57]: "Schedule space for the friendship. If they’re not, they’re just dumping it out and you’re sitting there, like, holding up this trash can."

Conclusion and Takeaways

The episode concludes with actionable advice for listeners on establishing and maintaining healthy business partnerships. Jana and Jordan’s experiences underscore the importance of clear communication, mutual respect, and strategic financial planning in building a successful and enduring partnership.

Preston Brown wraps up by reiterating the key do's and don'ts of partnerships:

Do's:

• Ego Checks
• Partners Before Profits
• Clear Expectations and Intentions
• Stay in Your Lane
• Create Space for Friendship
• Give Grace

Don'ts:

• Don't Blame Ineffectively: Focus on circumstances, not individuals.
• Don't Block Someone's Genius: Allow partners to operate within their strengths.
• Don't Hold It In: Address issues promptly to prevent festering problems.
• Don't Forget How to Apologize: Maintain humility and willingness to forgive.

Jordan [34:09]: "Give grace. We’ve seen each other through every aspect of life."

Final Words and Promotions

Jana and Jordan promote their IVitamin IV Lounge locations in Austin, encouraging listeners to visit their lounges or book their services for corporate events and festivals. Preston Brown also shares information about his own business offerings, emphasizing the importance of entrepreneurship in the evolving economic landscape.

Preston Brown [76:47]: "You can find us @ivitamintherapy.com that's our website and of course we're on Instagram and Facebook and all the social channels as well."

---

Key Takeaways:

• Prioritize friendship and mutual respect in business partnerships.
• Maintain clear and honest communication to navigate conflicts.
• Implement strategic financial management to sustain and grow the business.
• Choose partners with complementary skills and aligned visions.
• Regularly reassess partnership terms to adapt to changing circumstances.

This episode provides invaluable insights for entrepreneurs seeking to transform their business challenges into profitable and fulfilling ventures without sacrificing personal relationships or business integrity.

Transcript

[Preston Brown]

Are you tired of complicated business advice that rarely delivers any real results? I'm Preston Brown and I've built a nine figure portfolio by following simple business formulas that anyone can use. In my new book, you, First Million Made Easy, I reveal the exact system that I've used to generate hundreds of millions in revenue. And it's frankly a system that works in any industry, with any business and yes, in any market. The good news, it's not about hustle, it's about. It's not about running or working or struggling and what it is about creating money instead of just earning it. Because earning money is slavery while creating is freedom. It's about stopping the cycle of managing by crisis and building a business that doesn't depend on you. Transforming your business from a high paying job to an asset that generates money even when you're not there. Whether you're a startup or an established company, this formula will transform your business into a profit driven machine that gives you the time and freedom to focus on what truly matters. Grab your first million Made Easy now and let's start the journey of financial freedom together. I look forward to being a part of your story. Hi all and welcome back to Problems to Profit Today. I have a sneaking hunch, I mean, I don't know yet because we haven't done it yet and I'm not really that future paced. I'm not one of these, oh, I visualize this and that and the other and can kind of see it all perfectly. But I have a sneaking hunch we are about to have the most fun podcast we've ever done.

[Jordan]

Done.

[Preston Brown]

Like these girls that I'm bringing on, like, yes, this is a threesome podcast are maybe some of the funniest people that I've ever met. Okay, I was at a mastermind. We had like a weird circumstance, actually a bad circumstance. There was this crazy wicked witch of the west, like flew in on her broomstick. I stored it by shoving it up around so she would walk around like a complete and like, like, like just wanted to judge everybody, talk to everybody. What made it better was she was like quoting herself as I am an energy healer. And it's like you need to learn about energy. And like it was stressful, it was toxic, it was nasty. And then there was these two beautiful women that I have the opportunity to interview today. I knew nothing about them, like literally nothing about them. And by the end of like day one, day two, I think I had abs because they took this amazingly bad situation that was just awkward and rude and toxic and they Made jokes about it nonstop. Like, we laughed, we had fun. I had no idea who they were. I'd kind of, like, interacted with them a little bit as part of the mastermind. I actually thought they might be the same person because, like, one of them sat in my class. I was like, oh, cute blonde listening to me. And the next day, she's like, cute, blonde, listen to me. Both of them were like, oh, I own an IV lounge. I'm like, oh, I own an IV lounge. And when you're, like, inter interacting, I was like, did you come back for more? Like, like, no, no, no, that's my partner. And then I was like, oh, but you guys have this, like, vibrant grace, this amazing energy. Like, not like most partnerships you ever see. Like, this was a partnership where they're. There was a care about one another first. The conversation wasn't all business. The way they interacted was, like, genuine, kind, loving. They brought fun into the situation. You guys are also, like, probably have missed your calling as standup comedians. But, like, they were just rock stars. And so I'm so excited to get into it with Jenna and Jordan with IVitamin IV Lounge in Austin. Like, and I want to talk today partnerships. But before we do, I'd love to hear. And I know you guys are wildly successful entrepreneurs, and you're helping everybody in the health space, and you're, like, you're literally jabbing people, like, not the way Fauci did. Like, we shouldn't say jab, but, like, you're giving people, like, hydration and all these other things. But more importantly than that, at least for the context of this show, is you're doing so in a way that most entrepreneurs try and fail at. You're doing so in a partnership, but in kind of the way that we do this, I'd like to hear your stories just kind of. Because you've been fast friends for a while from the beginning to now. What were the problems that taught you the lessons that made you into these amazing human beings that. That just, like, became this energy, this light, this fun and. And frankly, this comedy that drops you on your ass and gives everybody abs in the best way. Like, Jenna, Jordan, thank you so much for being on the show. Like, I'm so glad you're here.

[Jenna]

It's wonderful to be here.

[Jordan]

And we're going to take all those comments as compliments.

[Preston Brown]

I meant them all as comments and compliments. Compliments first. Yeah. Give us some of your story. Give us some of your background. Like, like. Like, who are you guys? How'd you turn something that sometimes is a toxic word in the business frame partnership into something so beautiful, so fun and so awesome.

[Jenna]

You want to go.

[Jordan]

So for me, who am I and where did all that begin? I would have to say from an early age, I'm one of five children. And so that hustle and grind has been necessary to be heard in a household that large. I was fortunate to be raised with the beliefs that I shall have anything that I believe, I shall receive it. And no dream is too big and it really, I can do whatever I want with regards to what life I want to live and I can create that. And so I was lucky to be instilled that as an early child. But it was volatile. My dad is who taught me that. And the interesting thing is he was volatile when his highs were his highs and his lows were his lows and he was in sales and he was an entrepreneur and he was always trying to make it work and it didn't always work right. The low, you know, up and down the roller coaster. And my mom, you know, raised the five of us. We're all two years apart. So it was just, can you imagine? I know you talk about your businesses like children. Imagine two years apart, you know, and five of them. And so it was crazy. We didn't have any money. We were, you know, sometimes didn't know where we were going to live the next day. And she moved us 23 times in 25 years. Being married to my father, five children. And so, you know, looking back at that, I just look at that human being as just our guardian angel because I didn't look back at that time of insecurity or fear or lack, which is pretty incredible considering that's what was happening. We just were not experiencing that. So she created this halo of love and support and you know, helped us really express our creativity. And as a child, I was always a leader entrepreneur. I mean, I started more businesses than I can count. I mean we had, I had a, a day camp at my house where people would bring their children over. I was 11 years old, I hired my two younger sisters and people actually dropped their children off at my house. My mom just let us do it, you know, she had too many other things going on.

[Preston Brown]

It's like five kids wasn't enough. Bring yours too.

[Jordan]

Well, I wanted to get, you know, it was a, was a business so they would pay me. You know, as an 11 year old I was always. The hustle and grind was always there. But anyways, so putting myself through college and you Know, going through that when I graduated, I knew what I wanted to do and it was find that safety, that security, and know where the paycheck was coming. Because growing up that way, I never had that. Never had that. And so I got into pharmaceutical sales. And while I was in college.

[Preston Brown]

You were a drug dealer.

[Jordan]

Yes. Now I'm a different kind of drug dealer.

[Preston Brown]

I love it. Now you're a drug healer?

[Jordan]

Natural drug dealer. So for me it was, I knew I wanted to be in the wellness space. And Jana and I have been best friends from, since college. We just hit it off. Very like minded, clearly. And, and so going through that, you know, she, she comes to me and she. And from pharmaceutical sales, I got into medical device sales and in the operating room and she came to me and she's like, you know, we really need to start an IV lounge in Austin. And I was like, well, I don't know what that is, so I need to figure that out first. This was like in 2014 and, and I went to my husband and at the time, who I've, you know, been married my college sweetheart, been with him for 26 years and had been, you know, in this corporate driven culture and had my second child. Not business, real child. They're 20 months apart.

[Preston Brown]

And you know, pause, pause. She's making fun of me because when I teach, I always, I, I talk about like businesses as people. She's, she's, she's soft talking right now because we've had a few other conversations. I had a real baby mother is what she just said.

[Jordan]

Thanks. I mean, got it pretty much. And then I had two of them because they were 20 months apart. So I had a one year old and a two year old and, you know, was waking up and working for the man every day. And so when I bring this idea to my husband, he's like, he's always been my biggest cheerleader, my biggest supporter. I mean, I've been with him since I was 19, you know, and just this amazing human being, always encouraging. And I was like, okay, this is what I want to do now. And he's like, you should do it. That's great. And I'm like, okay, so I'm going to quit my job and leave all of that and go start this business that I still need to figure out what it is with Jana. And, and he said, yes, you know, go for it. So at my national sales meeting, I went and experienced the IV for the first time because, you know, you're up all day, up all night and all day and the morning starts super early, and we go to Ivy Lounge. And it just totally changed my world. I mean, my energy levels were like they were on day one. You know, I felt great, I slept great, I woke up early. I was like, ready to rock it the next day for, you know, all the trainings and conference pieces of it. And I was like, okay, yes. And if you, you now know me, but I am a very passionate person, and anything that I love, I have to share it with people. I have to tell everybody about it. And so that's, this was born for me. So I said, yeah, let's do it. And Austin's a perfect place to, to bring it to. We were the first Ivy brick and mortar lounge in Austin, and.

[Preston Brown]

Really?

[Jordan]

Yeah.

[Preston Brown]

Oh, you all were. You started it.

[Jordan]

Yeah. There was one other mobile place, but we were the first brick and mortar to prove out that concept in Austin.

[Preston Brown]

Well, look, the mobile places are kind of great. Like, I mean, I, I, I, I, I can't knock them. We don't have the sustainability where I'm from in El Paso for a brick and mortar. Brick and mortar lounge, like, for just doesn't see the value.

[Jordan]

Yeah, it's hard. It's hard to prove out.

[Preston Brown]

But the mobile places survive. You know why? Because they sell it as a hangover cure. And El Paso love to drink. Yeah, it's the better, the better way is like getting with folks like yourselves and doing it for the health benefits. Although the hangover relief is a real thing.

[Jordan]

Yeah, well, and we made the mission and from the very beginning that we did not just want to be the hangover cure that we really wanted to come in and redefine wellness and help people understand that our bodies are always talking to us. And if you're not sleeping as well or you don't have that energy at 3pm or you've got brain fog, it's your body going, hey, I need something. And so our mission is to really tell people that by listening to what their body's trying to tell them, that through vitamins and nutrients and giving your body what it needs and that supplementation, you can feel good as you age.

[Preston Brown]

And it's cool. I mean, that when you're, you guys are doing it with IVs, you're doing it with the process of hydration. Like, the body's like, what, 70% fluids or it's supposed to be. It's not necessarily in most people because they're radically dehydrated. The earth is 70% water. Like, there's some kind of correlation There. And we'll get into this. I'd love to hear maybe a little bit about it at the end and why IVs, even though that's not necessarily the premise, but it could be something good for people to understand. I got lectured by some of my health coaches on, oh, all the vitamins you're taking aren't helping if you're dehydrated.

[Jordan]

Oh, wow.

[Preston Brown]

And so when you're giving vitamins through an iv, it's sort of like the lube that helps them get in.

[Jordan]

You know, it floods it.

[Preston Brown]

Yep.

[Jordan]

Straight to the bloodstream. Straight into the bloodstream. So you're getting all the absorption, 100% absorption of all those vitamins and nutrients. It's wonderful.

[Preston Brown]

I love it. Thank you so much for sharing that. That makes so much sense. I mean, you almost had to fight for attention. You probably did have to fight for attention in a family. Five kids, two parents, seven people. And then, like, the ability to deal with stress. 23 moves in 25 years. A mother that understood, like, maintaining grace despite stress. I mean, you had good teachers, good mentors, good lessons around, like, how to deal with people. That. That story right there, I love it because it actually shows maybe some of what was necessary to build that endurance for working with a partner. Because working with a partner is stressful. And. And like, you know, I. You guys are technically a small business. Most of the folks that have come on this show are very large companies. But I can tell you, I have never, ever, ever seen a partnership like yours. I have never seen people that have been in business for as long as you getting along famously the way you do. So, like, I love the backdrop because I think a lot of folks need that to understand. Like, if you're going to go into partnership and we can get into the. In some of the show later, why people do go into partnerships and then maybe why they should or shouldn't go into partnerships. But if you're going to get into a partnership, those stories and, like, kind of your life background answer and maybe even present a lot of the right questions for people on do I have what it takes to exist within one? So, Jordan, that was Rockstar. You rock. And Jenna, like, like, dive us in, girl. Like, show us. Like, what, What. What's your backdrop?

[Jenna]

Like, so I'm the clinical brains behind our vitamin. I created all of our different cocktails, and it's because I have a pharmacy background. So we joke about being a drug dealer. I'm the daughter of a drug dealer. I'm a daughter of a Drug dealer in a very small town in northeast Texas. I have two older sisters who are.

[Preston Brown]

Also pharma or a real drug dealer.

[Jenna]

Also pharmacists. Oh yeah, a family of pharmacists. My mother's a nurse. And so when I was a child, I remember growing up in, in a pharmacy. I remember sitting on the floor after school and raking all the colorful pills off the floor, like put them in a jar. And I grew up in a pharmacy. And so my dad was an entrepreneur. He opened his own pharmacy right out of pharmacy school at a very young age. And that's what I grew up around. My mom's an entrepreneur at heart too. She' a nurse and she started a DME or medical equipment portion of our family business. And now, I mean, they have a, you know, relatively nice empire in Longview, Texas of a compounding pharmacy and a durable medical equipment business. My mom is 77 years old and is still going to work every day. So these were my role models. My dad, you know, wasn't. Was a, I guess a troubadour, I guess you could say in the pharmacy world. He went from our traditional standard pharmacy practices to compounding pharmacy. And back in the 80s, that was kind of a, you know, kind of a new thing. He went back to his roots where the pharmacy business started and started compounding and customized medication specifically for people's needs. Like maybe what's available commercially, it isn't one size fits all. And so he took the approach of really taking personalized customized care and pharmacy to the next level. And so that is still in existence today. And that's what again what I was born into and raised around. And I really saw from a young age what dedication and work ethic took to run a successful business.

[Preston Brown]

I love that and that, that I could see where this marriage works. Like this partnership is like a marriage, it's like a business marriage. And I love the background and kind of the, the pharmacist drug dealer world. I, I was reading a news article about a guy I've known for a while and he got arrested for, for like, like selling drugs, right? And he's, he's, he's a local dentist and I mean I'd been seeing him for the last three years and when I saw the news article, this is like last week, I was, I was shocked. I was like, I cannot believe that guy was a dentist.

[Jenna]

Wow, wow, wow.

[Preston Brown]

Sorry. I love throw type of shade. Stupid joking. Pardon my jokes. Total fake story.

[Jenna]

Well, mine is legit. I legitimately sell the legal ones.

[Preston Brown]

I know, I know, but it's, it, it's, it's fun to cross pollinate. I mean, like, look, I mean there's, there's. I love calling pharmacists drug dealers. It's one of my favorite drug dealer.

[Jenna]

I like to see people's face when I say it.

[Preston Brown]

It's so great. So let's, let's dive in to just working together. And then like what, what were the reasons that you guys decided to do this together? Because both of you were successful, both of you had careers. Both of you, I mean, arguably probably had the money to launch it on your own. I mean, maybe there's some mitigation of financial risk to do a partnership and that was one of the reasons. But like, it sounds like you both had good careers, good backdrops, like good educations, like, like stable families at the time you launched. What was the reason you decided to do it together?

[Jordan]

I mean, we have lived very parallel lives since college and being kind of both got in the health and wellness industry as drug reps at the beginning and then evolved and Janet got her pharmacy license. And I think we were just at that time in our lives where, I mean, Jana was my, the girl on my couch for a long time too. Like she would back and forth from Houston from. To Austin. And so we've just always maintained this really tight best friendship. And, and since I've been with my husband as well since college, you know, he. She's been in our lives for that long for 25 years. So it, you know, together we, at that time, you know, her expertise. But the other caveat was we had little ones. She had just had a baby. I had a one year old, I had a two year old. So there's no way we could do it by ourselves to start with that, you know, and, and then we just knew how we operate together. And I think the most important part of our relationship is that we give each other grace. And when we're going through something, there's just this level of understanding because you're not the first person that's commented on just the uniqueness of our partnership. And I feel like just being able to give one another grace because we recognize each other for being one in the same. Going through things together is what's really allowed us to have this partnership where we still have this friendship outside. I mean, we travel together, our kids are best friends and our husbands are best friends. And it really is kind of a dream, you know, when we think about.

[Preston Brown]

It in a mastermind together, you, when you're around other people, you still hang out together. Like, you genuinely actually like each other.

[Jenna]

And, like, absolutely.

[Preston Brown]

Meeting you all, like, I. I know lots of folks that are partners. I don't know lots of folks that are partners that still hang out years later. I consider my. Or considered maybe is a better word. Before I met you myself, an expert in partnership, I knew how to get into partnerships, but more importantly, I knew how to get out of partnerships. I'm like. I'm like a divorce attorney for partnerships. Like, I knew how to break them up. Now, you guys have a skill set that I'd love to dive into, because a fact I'm aware of is there's no partnership without problems. And if there's anyone that ever tells you there is, then that, I mean, that's just a liar. You guys have a better skill set than mine in being able to break up partnerships equitably and fairly. Like, I don't like cheating anyone. But, like, sometimes, like, at least in my history, I got into deals with people to mitigate risk, or I got in deals because we both had a role that we were going to play. And then later, at some point, like, the other party wasn't playing their role. And so it's just like, I don't want to be in anymore. Like, I'm not here to retire you. I'm not here to do the work. Like, or maybe the other party made financial decisions that were terrible and dragged things. I mean, partnerships have problems, and you can get into them for all the best reasons. It's great to have the skill to get out of them, but it's probably better to have the skill to fix them and keep them. And I'd love to hear, if you guys don't mind sharing, what are some of the issues you've had and how have you come back from them?

[Jenna]

I think one of the things we joke do, we joke about this, but it's true. She's the gas. She's full throttle. Go, go, go. And I'm more of the brakes. I'm more. Let's step back. Let's think through this. It's really analyze, you know, everything on the table here before moving forward. And so I think when it comes to overcoming some of those things, like, you know, maybe I'm holding the bottleneck sometimes, just being right up honest. I mean, that the core of our friendship and our relationship is. All right, let's sit down. Let's talk. This is how we're feeling. And let's talk through this, because without that upfront Honesty and just getting it out on the table, it's. It's not going to work.

[Jordan]

And I think also there's no ego here. So it's not as if going through this, even though I'm the gas, it has to be done or else I'm going to feel less than if it's not done. It truly is a working relationship with the vision in sight that is this shared vision of where we're trying to go as a team. So even do. Even though we disagree on those. Those things, it's not a who's right or wrong, it's a okay, I recognize you. I hear you. How can we work through this? And I also add that there's just. You have to choose the right person, too. You know, I think our work ethic is very similar. Neither one of us wonder if each other is doing their job and we never have. And that's a big part of the problems in partnerships, is you're wondering if I'm doing more, who's doing less, and are they and aren't they and all those things. And we actually started the business with two other partners who are not with us anymore. And I think one of the reasons.

[Preston Brown]

You know, killed them.

[Jordan]

Well, no, but we're no longer friends with them in that sense because, you know, of the way that things ended. And it, it's sad when that happens and you start off with friends. And so it is a truly unique thing. But not everybody is built to be an entrepreneur. And so the stress of that, not everybody can handle. And then, you know, just things that happen that you're not living simpler lifestyles, you know, so one of the most.

[Preston Brown]

Permanent ways to end a friendship is to become a business partner or get married to the person. I mean, I mean, 50% of marriages or more end in divorce, right? Well, partnerships that end is way higher. Like the divorce rate in business is way higher than. Than 50% or they just shut it down or it's a death of the company. And I mean, that's interesting. You guys actually started it with four and wound up at two. Like, but you all were able to. To mitigate the issues and see the value in each other's behaviors. Like, you, like, even where you were talking about, like, a lot of times I'm the bottleneck, you know, that you're taking responsibility for that, but you're also saying, I need her to push me, but I need her to respect me while I'm analyzing things so we don't go too fast. Because where you might be the Risk of going too slow, she might push too fast and get you guys out ahead of where you should be and then there's too much risk.

[Jenna]

Right.

[Preston Brown]

Like, and I love that you can see that, like seeing one another's benefits. It's. I wonder if men could say there's no ego. I, I don't, I don't know that I've ever seen men say, well, there's no ego here because they'd be lying. Yeah, I can never say there's no ego because I mean, I have an ego right now. Like, it's just, it's just a part of who I am. And I mean, I like my ego. I don't want to get rid of my ego. I might make him shut up sometimes, but he's valuable to men. I wonder if women can do the no ego thing.

[Jordan]

I mean, I think, you know, it takes work. It's not like it happens overnight and it takes some soul searching and just, you know, definitely work on just being aware. And we do check ins with each other too. You know, if I could see that she's going through something really challenging and you know there's friction or vice versa, you know, we can do check ins and just say, hey, are you okay? Are you okay today? You know, I'm here if you need me. I know we have our separate roles within the company and our separate responsibilities, but, you know, sometimes hers are overflowing and sometimes mine are overflowing. And so that check in and just that grace that I spoke of earlier, I think has been really helpful for us.

[Jenna]

I think another key thing too is when we're stuck and we don't know, we really outsource and rely on coaches and mentors to help us kind of keep pushing through. So I think we can also admit when we're in a place where we need advice and input from external sources. So that's been another big key component.

[Jordan]

To it that you can also relate to. Ego. Right. Because if you think you could do it all, you're not going to ask for help.

[Preston Brown]

Sure, yeah. No, 100%. Like, I do believe that I can do anything, but I don't think I can necessarily do anything on my own. Like, I know that there needs to be a team, there needs to be a dream. Maybe I need to find the person for it. Like, it might not be my. Like, I do believe God said anything's possible and so it is. But that doesn't mean I'm like, it's a spectator sport. It's got to be a team. Sport somewhere. Like I'll tell you what, on my tech company, you know what? I'm not doing coding. Like there's no good way you're going to get this Bobby's world looking nerd mother to coach. I'm sorry, it ain't happening. So, so I want to like, like, like selfishly for our listeners and viewers use and abuse you and create like a framework of the do's and don'ts of partnership like right here on the show. And you know I, I wrote down kind of a number one is just ego checks. But it sounds like somewhere hidden in the meat and potatoes what you're saying, there's this number two which could also be number one. I'm not putting them in order of relevance. I was kind of feeling like care more about one another than for the business.

[Jenna]

I mean we had the deal from the get go. Friendship first. The friendship comes first. And that's what we've gotta work through first before we can work through the business stuff.

[Preston Brown]

So partner, I'm gonna call that partner before profits.

[Jordan]

Love it.

[Jenna]

Yep.

[Preston Brown]

Problems to profits. Partners before profits. I mean we're gonna make you guys a fucking tagline. So what are some other do's that are like? Are there, Are there?

[Jordan]

Yes. Set the intention from the beginning and set the expectation from the beginning and then you're in alignment. I think you get out of alignment when you all have different ideas of what the end goal is and where you need to start and where you need to finish. And what's most important for us it was no matter what, we're going to work through things. Even though we're building this business, we are first.

[Jenna]

I think another one is us really focusing, staying focused and staying on our lane. Staying in our Zane of our zone of genius saying what hat we are wearing. And when we start crossing over is when it starts getting okay, stay focused and stay in your lane.

[Jordan]

And just having the respect for one another to do that. I mean as women, as mothers, we get out of our lanes all the time. You know, we call them yards. Janet and I, we call them yards. We're like stay in your yard. Even my kids would be like, stay in your own garden. You know, and they're trying to tell somebody what to do and you can't control it and then it makes you crazy. So.

[Jenna]

Well, and with that comes trusting that they're going to stay in their lane and do the right thing. In their lane. Yeah, is trusting that process.

[Preston Brown]

I, I mean I, I like that I, I'm going to throw that as trust but verify. You know, I mean, I think not all partners will have the background of being best friends first. And. And actually, some that do have the background of being best friends first. Like, your best friend might be a lazy ass. I mean, I have a wonderful best friend. I don't know that I would partner with him. I probably wouldn't. He's a great guy, but he's not entrepreneurial at all. I could maybe employ him, but I could not partner with him. Does that make sense? There has to be some entrepreneurial bug that's sparked in both people for I think that to work. So let's say trust and verify. So I got ego checks. I got partner before profits. Like, prioritize. Partner before profits is number two. I got clear expectations and intentions. There's gotta be communication. Update timelines, though, on that. Like, I mean, from the beginning, I love. But how often do you guys sit and re. Communicate? Because in business, there's pivots all the time.

[Jordan]

Well, it's funny because people think that we. We talk all the time and we hang out all the time, and we do, but it. We go without weeks without even touching base on personal stuff because it's all focused on the business, and people are like, oh, y' all see each other all the day, all the time. Like, what do you mean? You're just out catching up? And so that's the running joke is, yeah, we really needed that. Like, when we have a night and we go out and we, you know, have sitters and stuff, then, you know, we hang out again. We're, you know, friends where it starts. And so it's. It's kind of the running joke was.

[Jenna]

We really needed that after every time we go out. Oh, we really needed that. We really needed that.

[Jordan]

So communication all the time, but more so it's usually about the business.

[Preston Brown]

Hold on. There was. There was. I. I want to. I want to squeeze that gold out. Like, if. If it's a. I mean, and. And maybe this is a caveat to friendship first. If it's a partnership, it's friendship first. Because some of the best partnerships that have worked for me have been competitors that I've been at war with that later. We've partnered. It wasn't with friends. Like, friends actually, like, went downhill real fast. Which is why you guys are fascinating. Like, when there's respect because you've each seen each other's strength in a battle before. That actually, in my experience, makes the partnership a little easier because they don't want to Friends like family can take advantage a little bit. And you guys just gave a gold nugget that you create space for both the business and the friendship. Like, I think there needs to be a space that you create. Like get the sitters, go out on the town, not all business. Like, let's make fun of the crazy spiritual. That's not spiritual. And like laugh for four hours. You know, give Preston some abdominal muscles. Right.

[Jenna]

Like, exactly.

[Jordan]

Do our ABS class.

[Preston Brown]

You have a new business opportunity. I mean comedy with IVs. Like abs class. Like so, so creating space and, and at least for the people that were friends first. And, and I would say like intentional space creation. This is relevant. But like, like maybe off topic, but it's the same. Like my, my wife and I were in business together for a long time. She since like personally exited the business. She doesn't work there anymore. But when you work together all the time, like, yeah, we had a coach that was like kind of a relationship driven coach. And, and she was like, you need to schedule time for you. Like, and we're like, there's no time. It was an early part of the business. There is no time. They're like, you need to schedule sex. Like schedule sex, schedule dates, schedule conversation. I was like, really?

[Jenna]

Really?

[Preston Brown]

Like, you gotta schedule that. Like, but it makes sense. And it's the same in a friendship. You gotta schedule space for the area that was there first. I love that. Okay, so we have some dues in a partnership and I'd love for you to tell me if I'm missing any ego checks. Trust but verify partner before profits. Clear expectations and intentions. Stay in your lane, stay in your yard.

[Jordan]

Yeah.

[Preston Brown]

And then create space for the, if you were friends first, create space for the friendship. And even if you weren't like, you partner with the person for a reason, you probably should create some space to get to know them as a human being. Am I missing anything on kind of the do's, the, like the, the clickbait do's.

[Jordan]

I mean, I would just. The last and most important is give grace. So we've seen each other through every aspect of life over the last 26 years. Being best friends and been there for one another. Jana says, you know, likes to say we helped raise each other as we went through our twenties and just giving one another grace when things are not good and things are tough and hard and just having that space where you let them, you know, let them go through that and the expectations are just giving them love during that process.

[Preston Brown]

I, I, I like that I, I, I hear the word Forgive. Like in my home building company, like we're in El Paso, Texas. And it's funny how everybody always puts this expectation of, you better be perfect.

[Jordan]

Yeah.

[Preston Brown]

You know that home you built for me, you know that last thing manufactured in America, not in a factory out on a dirt job site, like 20 miles from the nearest manufacturer. That was made by human hands that had a thousand people. Perfect mother. Perfect. And I always look at every one of the buyers and I'm like, hey, dude. You know, like, just so you know, the last perfect person was Jesus. He does not work here. Jesus does, though. You know, like, I got Jesus. I got like 20 Jesus coming to build your house. Ain't perfect. Didn't walk on water. If he did, it was a really not deep puddle. So, like, let's. Let's forgive each other up front. Like, I'm asking everybody for that because, like, hey, I'll take care of you if something does go wrong. But, like, give me some grace. Let me give you some grace. I. I love that. Give grace. That's beautiful. Let's go into the don'ts. Let's go into the. What could this up? Like, where can you go wrong? How bad can it get? Because that's where I thought I was an expert at ending partnerships. Let's hear some of the expertise on how to give grace when up. And, and, and let's hear what are the don'ts that do up that you have to give grace for?

[Jenna]

Well, don't blame. Don't point fingers and blame that if something goes awry or something's not on track or something's not being accomplished, that it's one person.

[Jordan]

It's more of, what can we do together to turn this around? How can I help? I see you in this space that is really, really tough, and you need help. How can I help?

[Preston Brown]

You know what? I'm gonna. I wanna discuss that. Don't blame. I love the word blame. Blame to me is an acronym, okay? It's being lazy and making excuses. Okay? That's what I hear when I hear the word blame. But I actually really like blaming. If it's effective, intentional and honest. Like, you can blame a circumstance for being. But very rarely is there a person that wants a circumstance for you. Most of the time it's not the person. So, like, if you're going to say, hey, this circumstance sucks, and, and look, maybe you had some part in creating it. I don't think you intended the outcome. But here's how we correct it together. I don't want to say don't blame. I want to say effective blame. Effective blame, where, where you're following the partnership dues of give grace, create space, all that, like, effective blame. Like, we can talk about the problem, but don't make the person the problem.

[Jenna]

Yeah, make the problem. I love that.

[Preston Brown]

What else is, is a huge don't. Where. Where you have to give grace.

[Jordan]

I mean, but don't, don't put parameters around me. Let me be me. Let me be in that zone of genius and let me run my own show. Essentially because that's why we're entrepreneurs and building this business is because we have created this space for ourselves to truly be in that zone of genius. So don't limit that.

[Preston Brown]

I love that because that actually balances. There's a polarity there to the one of like, stay in your lane, stay in your yard. Like it. And it's true. Like, we naturally do that. Like, I, I naturally will place expectations on my wife.

[Jordan]

Yeah.

[Preston Brown]

I will naturally place expectations on my partners. And if you place the expectations and you don't discuss the expectations, like, you're gonna have a really rough time. I've had a few really rough times that I've had to. I' at apologizing. Thank God. That's how I stay married. I'm like, I've learned, I've learned the magic words. It's. It's not pleasant. Thank you. Like, it's a. I'm sorry.

[Jordan]

I'll try to never do it again.

[Preston Brown]

Look, I know. I'll. I'm sorry in the future too. Did you know I love you? Like, I'm so sorry. Like, I, I like that. Don't block. Genius is what I'm going to call that, which is kind of the opposite of stay in your lane. But, but it's, it's the way to stay in your lane. Like, your style's not her style. You need her style. Her style's not your style. You need her style. Like, I got a CEO that I work with and I'm telling you, like, Viviana, if you're watching this, I'm sorry, but I'm diming you out. Bitch is a space alien, okay? Like, she is from outer space. And I say that lovingly because the word bitch means babe in total control of herself. Okay? So she is an absolute bitch. It's an acronym. Everything for me is an acronym. I was military, but she's a space alien. When I met her, I didn't think she had emotions. She could sit there like this Indian chief, how. And I'm like, like I'd tell a joke, and she'd be like, you ever got, like, that uncomfortable person? But the woman's a computer. Like, I like to joke that I taught her how to smile because now she's, like, this vibrant light, but she still has that mode she goes into. And without her, we would be nowhere near where we are today. She's a computer. She's a genius. Like, she can remember that. I can't remember. Everything is a process. Everything is a system. She can Everything in line. Like, I can light the fire. I can innovate, I can push. But she's my channel.

[Jordan]

Yeah.

[Preston Brown]

Like, now I hired her, and I even gave her a percentage of the company, and I make fun of her. I can show you text her a text last night, and she's like, the answer is this. I'm like, you linear robot. And she's like, thank you, you. I'm like, what the.

[Jordan]

You know, I need more.

[Preston Brown]

Like, and. And she is. But she thinks I'm crazy as. Like, I love her like a sister. Her kids are in my will. Okay. Like, but she's so different, and so there's truth in that. I love it. Don't prevent them from being them.

[Jenna]

Right.

[Preston Brown]

All right. What. What. What are some other don'ts? Jenna, what are some don'ts? Like, like, you've got a totally different perspective. Quiet one over there. I kind of want to pull some. Some gold out of you. Like, what are some. Some don'ts that, like, maybe pretend Jordan's not here. We can, like, put a. Put a wall between you. Like, she's not here. What are some don't.

[Jenna]

I think don't hold it in when it's.

[Jordan]

Don't let.

[Jenna]

Don't hold it in. Don't let it fester.

[Preston Brown]

I'm like, dime out, Jordan. You dime out yourself.

[Jenna]

Yeah.

[Preston Brown]

You're like, I should talk more.

[Jordan]

I encourage her to. I'm like, tell me what's going on there.

[Jenna]

Yeah. No, when there is an issue, the longer it festers, the worse it's going to get. So it's getting out. Getting it all out when it's.

[Preston Brown]

It.

[Jenna]

Before it starts boiling.

[Preston Brown]

Okay. Don't hold it in.

[Jordan]

It's a really good one.

[Preston Brown]

I love that. So we have effective blame. We have don't block genius by preventing somebody from being who they are, which is why you partnered with them. We have don't hold it in. Like, emotions matter, and if you're feeling something, there's probably something there. Now, to be fair. And this is something else I'd like to talk to you about because it's totally like. And we're going to get a little bit into the working with women thing, so we might trigger some people.

[Jordan]

Let's hear it.

[Preston Brown]

We're going to talk about women. And I'm outnumbered. They're, like, looking at me like, we come in peace, but we can have you surrounded, motherfucker. What are you gonna say next? And, and, and, you know, may. Maybe you'll relate to this with your husbands, but sometimes I'll come home at night and my wife will be mad as hell. It's been a beautiful day. Nothing has happened. I've said nothing that I know of, done nothing that I know of. But she's sitting there with this look on her face like, I'm like, you. You just eat a spoonful. It. And you know what? It's not just my wife. Sometimes I walk into my office, it's been a beautiful day, Everything's great. I've said nothing or done nothing that I know of to create pain. And there's Viviana, like a spoonful of like. And, and it, it, it's, it's, there's an emotion there that is correlated to something that was said or done, which goes back to the. Give grace. And these are two women that I just like. I love them, I adore them. If I knew something was going to hurt them, I would not only not say it, I would block anyone around me from saying it. But it doesn't mean that I know them that, or that I know that about them or that that word is going to hurt them or it's going to relate to something that might trigger them from something that happened when I wasn't in their life. They're gonna be like, what you? And, and, and it's this kind of amazing thing. And, you know, actually, I should probably give credit. Allison Armstrong taught it to me and she was like, do you know how to get makeup sex? And I was like, huh, I don't. You know, makeup sex, by the way, guys, is not relevant in partnerships. It's relevant in marriages. But I'd love to hear also partnerships, which are partnerships. But like, but I think it's relevant to, like, even, even without the sex bringing back that feeling of love. So I'm going to kind of share the process with you that Allison taught me for my wife, which I now go to the office and I use on Viviana. And I'd love to hear your context, your thoughts and, and, and, and see if in some way you guys do this too, because, like, Working with women is different, okay? Like, you guys, you, you feel something. And so when I get that, like, look that they tasted a spoonful of, I used to like, walk up and like, you know, go up and like, try to like, hug my wife or something. Like, at the moment I would touch her, it was like this radical, crazy beast, animal came out of her, said words that would flay the skin off my bone. And I'm like, what happened? Why are we doing this? Why do you hate me? Like, and, and she's even admitted she's like, oh, man. In the heat of the moment, I'm like in the back of my head listening, thinking why I say that. I don't even mean that, but she's just attacking. Viviana hasn't admitted that, but I know she thinks that too. And so, like, Allison told me, you don't walk up and touch them. You walk up and you, like, literally. And I think this is going to be another bullet point of things to do in a partnership often. But Allison told me you got to go master the V. And I was like, well, the vagina is complicated. What do you mean, master of the V? And she's like, not that voice. The vent, mother. You gotta master the vent. Like, you gotta be able to hold a trash can. And, and so now I just walk up and I'm like, hey, babe, I am pretty sure that there's maybe something I said or something I did today or at some point in the future, and I'm so, so sorry. I want you to know, like, whatever I said or did, I would never intend to hurt you. I love you and I, I absolutely want to understand what, what happened. That way I can learn from it. Like, if you're okay to talk now or later, whenever you're comfortable, I would love to hear about it. Because, I mean, one, I want to make amends, and two, I want to show you I love you. And, and, and, and three, I, I just want you to know I'm sorry, whatever it was. And then I sit there and I just like, wait and stand there and I'm like holding up this trash can like, like, like getting ready for her to push, put in it, and she starts putting in it and she goes and she talks and she talks and there's some talking and there's some more talking and then, like some talking and she's telling me stories and, and there's relevant that I apparently said that had nothing to do with her. I might have been talking about somebody at work that I was mad at and she. She got triggered or something. And then after that, she stops. And Allison told me, wait, you need to do the most unconventional thing a man will ever do. Man, I'm telling the story for you, especially if you partner with a woman, because I think they're probably gonna agree with me, but I don't know, we'll see what they say at the end. We have not pre programmed it. So Allison told me, you wait, and you wait about 10 to 30 seconds. She may start talking again on her own, but if she doesn't, you say, there's more, isn't there? And you just shut up. And you're like holding that trash can up again, just right up. And she will start again and she will put more in it. And then you repeat process, repeat process. You just keep doing that same again until the following tears come in, or she leans into you and touches you and hugs you. And at that point, the emotions have expressed, the pain is gone. There's love again. This is actually why all my companies are run by women. I can't work with men. Their egos are too women. I know the trash can. Does this work with you all too? Is it, like, resonate?

[Jenna]

It's being heard and seen is what it ultimately comes down to. Heard and seen.

[Jordan]

I mean, and for me, I. Obviously it's a. It's a growing process. Right? You didn't start off there, and you've learned how to deal with holding. Holding the container for her. And I mean, I think, you know, there's a lot of truth in what you're saying. I mean, for my husband and I, we get along really good because he's a great listener. Wonderful listener, wonderful. 26 years we've been together, and finally he was like, okay, but, you know, we got to get to the point where I'm going to hold the container and I'm a good listener. But then we've got to get to that place where I understand. I see. I hear you. I'll try to. You know, it's literally. He tells me, I hear you. I will do whatever I can not to do that again, but I'm not perfect, but I will try. And then he's like, but then I need you to come around and go, okay, all that matters here is I love you and you love me, and I've got. You've gotten to express yourself, and now let's move on. And so then I had to come around to go, okay, let's get through this faster. Like, let's not draw this out. Because I was A big, you know, I wanted to draw things out and he was a good listener, so. But tended to go longer than usual. And so we, you know, over the, you know, it's been two decades, you know, that we've come to very similar resolution for stuff like that. Yeah.

[Preston Brown]

So do y' all work this in the partnership together at times where you guys just need to hear each other out? Like when. When. When the. Hits the fan?

[Jordan]

Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, absolutely.

[Jenna]

We were.

[Jordan]

It's easy because we're women.

[Preston Brown]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

We wanna. We wanna hold containers. We wanna give this to each other.

[Jenna]

We were doing it yesterday. We're like, okay, so that. So. So, yeah, this.

[Preston Brown]

So that's kind of a natural process that women can do naturally when partnered together.

[Jordan]

Yep.

[Preston Brown]

But if a man and a woman are partnered, then this is where the man might need to understand some things. Because where you're going to get the benefits of being partnered with a woman, you're going to get the benefits of her diffused awareness. You're going to get the benefits of her being able to kind of understand and create a culture and build almost a family dynamic without within a company. You're going to be maybe this productive, masculine mother, focused. I'm going. We're gonna get this, like, visionary leader, all that. And you're gonna lose everybody around you because they're not going to feel like they can bond with you because they're not in that mission. And they might have kids, they might be married. They don't want to work 24 hours a day. And when you partner with that woman, what is she going to do? She's gonna sell the vision of the team, the dream, the community, our values, our mission, our goals. She's going to create a culture. She's going to do all that. But if you can't hear her out, she's going to divorce you. In business or marriage, by the way, guys, we're talking business or marriage, I think.

[Jordan]

Yeah.

[Preston Brown]

So, okay, so, like, I'm going to put another. Don't forget how to apologize. I love that. I want to hit these and just go over them with you and see if there's any that you're feeling. Because we're going to, like, put a little, like, graphic together. I'll have my girls do this. We're just going to put it in the show notes, like do's and don'ts. I like it. Of partnership. Okay. And I've got for don'ts. Make sure you don't blame ineffectively. You need to give effective blame. There's no problem with a person. The problem is with the circumstance. The person might be involved, but they're not bad. We don't need bad guys. We need to be mature enough not to have a bad guy. 2. Don't block somebody's genius. They are not like you. That's why you met them. Like, if a man needs somebody to be just like him in a marriage, well, that's okay. But you are gay. Don't block genius. You need to have the counterpart. The polarity matters. Don't hold it in. And if somebody's not holding it in. Yeah. And she's just dumping it out and you're sitting there, like, with that trash can, like, go word, babe. I'm with you.

[Jenna]

Holding your face.

[Preston Brown]

Forget how to apologize.

[Jenna]

Yeah.

[Preston Brown]

What else? I mean, these are gold.

[Jordan]

Yeah.

[Preston Brown]

And I'm loving, like, what we're getting because, like, like, it's like we're pulling some genius out that we're gonna, like, make a document for that we could.

[Jenna]

Just share more dump don'ts.

[Preston Brown]

I mean, if there are more, don't say, if you're feeling another one, throw it. And if you're not, like, we can just move on to some other fun.

[Jordan]

Choose wisely. Because when you go into partnerships and you don't truly think through who that person is and where they are in their life, that's a big part of it. If somebody's in a completely different space time in their life and you partner with them, you can't have the same expectations that you're going to have for yourself and for us. That was very true because at that time we had little children and babies. And so carrying each other through that too, while starting a business needed a whole different level of understanding that someone might not have had if they weren't in those shoes.

[Preston Brown]

Okay, I'm gonna hit that because that's gold. And. And I'm gonna take us from there into forming a partnership because a lot of people that don't have the means, like, you guys didn't have the time means. You may have had the financial means, but you didn't have the time means to form a partnership because you just had kids. So there was a natural benefit in the time that you had, but you also chose unwisely with two and wisely with one. And a partnership before turned into two, which is very often. It happens all the time. But it's also, it's a weight that slows down. I mean, you, you guys might have had a larger company or another second or third or fifth location. Or whatever, right. If, if you hadn't had to go through that stress of getting a divorce in the process, like, right. We used to joke, you can measure a man's net worth by how many ex wives.

[Jenna]

Right.

[Preston Brown]

We had another joke that we tell the young man, you know, you can lose a lot of money chasing, but you won't lose a lot of chasing money.

[Jenna]

Oh my God.

[Preston Brown]

It's weird. They'll throw some that at you. Sorry, I gotta put clickbait in here, you know. But on choose wisely. Like, let's look at things. You choose. I think you want someone with different skills than you when you're forming a partnership.

[Jenna]

So different skills, I would say definitely that's been a big contributor to where we're at, is just our skill sets. And maybe it's not the gas and brake skill set, it's the, the clinical brains and what goes into the thought processes when it comes to the clinical stuff. But then also sales and marketing. I don't have a sales and marketing brain like she does. And so the skill set is definitely critical.

[Preston Brown]

But while different skills are critical, it's not. Everything should be different. You need to have common values.

[Jenna]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Preston Brown]

So different skills, common values. Another thing that I think you need to do when forming a partnership, and we can dive more into choose wisely, but we can also dive into the expectations is we need to discuss pay structures. How are you getting paid?

[Jordan]

God.

[Preston Brown]

And, and, and I think a lot of people lose track of that. Like, they. Everybody's in this race to get into business because they have this idea that when you get into business, you're rich. Like, it's like a light switch. If you flip the switch, it's on. Like if you open a company, you're rich. And that is so nice. Not case. Like, I mean, it's one step in a very long process worth of steps. But what I've seen is people don't know how to pay. Like, there's, there's, there's three ways to pay. Like, you can collect draws, but when you start, like two of your partners were like, wait, there's no draws. Huh? Well, I don't know if that's what happened, but I'll bet you that's part of what happened. Okay. Like, I, I actually don't know the story of your partners. You've never told me. I don't know what their circumstances were. I don't know who they are, what happened. But I'll bet you a large part of the issue with them was, was around money. Right.

[Jordan]

Well, I mean, I think with, with anybody like what you're saying and having those expectations, money is something that people have, do not have the clear expectations on. Right. It's exactly what you're saying. You think it's going to be six months or 12 months and then you know, I mean it turns out to.

[Jenna]

Be 18 and then 24 and then.

[Jordan]

And we both left our jobs and very well paying jobs to do this. And again the mindset and the same similar values and vision. We didn't get paid for two and a half years and we worked our butts off and didn't get paid. And, and that was just something that we knew we were building. We knew the purpose and the why. And then when we decided on how we were going to get paid, that was a whole nother conversation that we came together on and decided how that going to happen. And then when Covid happened and things go up and down, then you decide, okay, well maybe we're not going to get paid again. And so having just two of us and having that two way communication, understanding and same alignment was everything. Because if during COVID she was like, oh well I, I have to or I didn't and having very similar parallel lifestyles and lives also help with that, then that probably would have been a problem and friction.

[Preston Brown]

So let's discuss pay because I want to give the little hack to the listeners. You can pay three ways, just three. There is salary or hourly, which is what you get as doing a function for the business. Like secretary makes some money, like the CEO makes some money, like the accountant makes some money. If you are performing a function, you need to be paid for the function in the business. So if you're working a job in the business, you perform that function, okay. And you get paid for that. Like, like if you're being the secretary but you're a partner, you don't get the same salary as a partner that's running the shop, but you're the secretary. If you're a partner that, hey, you know, I started it with you, but I'm not going to show up to work. You don't get a salary. Like that's stupid. Why would you get a salary if you're not doing that? Your pay comes from a different type of pay which is draws. Draws and bonuses come as a function of how you discuss capital management, which we'll get into in a minute. But like generally like you get a draw when there's profits. Okay. And we can go into capital management and there's a lot of strategies for it. But like that's when a partner that just owns a piece but doesn't show up to work gets paid. So then there's the third way to get paid and that's like commission bonus structures and that's for like growing the company or, or, or like preventing shrinkage of the company. Like I mean you're gonna have a million different types of commission structures. But if you have somebody selling a product, they should get a commission. They might get small salary and commission. They might be only commission, whatever. But so there's growth oriented which is commission and bonus. There's ownership oriented which is draws K1s or bonuses of that type. Like all bonus C suites at the same time as there's a draw. And then there's salary hourly which is you're, you perform a function. And so when you're opening a partnership and you're opening the door, you need to have that conversation. It's critical if you don't. You're. When you open a partnership like a lot of people open a partnership and they're like hey, we're all coming together because we're all going to put in a certain amount of money, right? Like we're going to have less risk and we're going to have more money because we got 10 of us, 20 of us. But you know what, if there's 20 of you, 18 or 19 are going to be really disenfranchised at a very fast pace. If you don't discuss capital management. Capital management and I'll give you my hack, but then I want to hear yours. My hack for capital management is. And capital management is critical because when you launch partnership like say four partners put in money you might discuss. Nobody gets a salary until there's revenue coming into the company.

[Jordan]

You're right.

[Preston Brown]

Like we're not just going to put, put 200 grand of the company and pay each other all 50 grand a year and take 200 grand back out. That's stupid. Like that needs to go to marketing. Maybe hiring a clerical person, that's going to do. We're not willing to do all these other things. And then when the company has reoccurring revenue coming in month over month revenue, that's when like salaries should start. When either at this benchmark or this benchmark. And then draws happen when we've got all these things, you know, in place, the company is spending whatever 100,000amonth and bringing back 150 and there's excess cash flow and we will not take a draw the way I handle it at my companies is we assess a value in our bank account as the zero line. Many of my company, like some, we have over a million. And, and our, our zero line is over a million dollars because that's the operating cash we require to be in the company.

[Jenna]

Right.

[Preston Brown]

Anything over that number gets drawn out per the ownership percentages. We have companies where it's 50,000. Hey, you know what? 50,000 is our capital zero line. And that's just what's gonna. That's what the company needs to exist for three to six months if no business came in. Right. And over that, we'll review once a month on a specific day and draw. We do not draw at your need. Another capital management conversation might be if there's a crisis. If you're saying they partnered on a hard money lending company. I have two hard money lending companies and I love them both. But one, I have a partner, and he's a wonderful man. And another, I don't. Well, the one I don't, I take millions of my own cash into and I make loans. And if there's an issue and we foreclose on something, lenders also borrow. So we borrow from the bank. But I'll go and pay that off and I won't have additional carry on the foreclosure. I'll let that sell. And there's no additional carry. It mitigates losses. But there's cash. I have a reinvestment principle that was discussed. My other one, good business makes money every year. We never set that up. We never discussed that. Oh, it's been an ongoing company forever. The partner has a different idea on draws and cash flow than me. The company has no cash. I mean, it's a very highly profitable company because we have good systems. But every time we have a foreclosure, there's this like, stress of we can't pay off the bank. He doesn't want to put in his cash. And, and I guess it we didn't set the expectation. Now it's funny because I have two kids that do the same.

[Jenna]

Yeah.

[Preston Brown]

To go back to our kids. Right. And, and, and I, I really do like one of the kids better. Like I have a favorite child.

[Jenna]

Oh my gosh.

[Preston Brown]

We're talking businesses right now, not actual children. So let's talk capital management because that's a big stress point for many partners. And pay me. Would you guys mind sharing some stories? We don't need names of people, but I'd love for you to share some stories of crisis as you had you might have even tried to give grace but it didn't work well.

[Jordan]

And I think it's what you're saying, just getting started without a plan and the plan that you think is going to be come to fruition doesn't and.

[Jenna]

Then what do you do or as quickly as you hoped? Yeah, yeah, I would say, oh man, that's one lane we're both in is the financial management of the business. That's we're in the same lane there. We communicate frequently on that and anytime there's ups and downs we, we know what we need to do and it's just all through that foresight and planning of how to handle that. I mean if we, if we can't talk about it on frequently then it's going to, you know, once again fall into that fester bucket. But again too if we're stuck, we reach out for to our resources. We have a close knit bookkeeping team that helps us manage that. And I think, I don't know, just communicating.

[Jordan]

I mean I think that expectation too was set from the beginning for us. We were in it to win it. We were not going anywhere. And so if that really is your vision, it might not be somebody else's. Right. They might have a breaking point that was different than ours and they couldn't wait that long or didn't want to wait that long or didn't want the stress of waiting that long. For us, we, you know, we were in it to win it. We had the vision, we knew what we wanted to do. If that meant that we didn't take distributions at times because we were trying to build the company and keep that money in there invested in the company so we could grow. We decided and we're in alignment to do that. And so you have to also have that right partner that has the same vision as you.

[Preston Brown]

Okay, so I'm going to add that to choose wisely because common values is beautiful but common vision I think is key. I mean it's equally on point. Like if you have the right vision and the wrong values, you're screwed. But if you have the right values and the wrong vision, you're also screwed. That's a brilliant point. And I would say like I now it's funny because I gave up a company with out taking a great exit. It, I mean I guess I got the exit I wanted, I got out. But I didn't go get out with cash and capital and all this because I broke one of the rules that I trained and coached people on for years. And it Was so dumb. Like, I actually partnered with a mentor who coached me on this rule. And then I trained and coached people on this rule.

[Jenna]

Oh, my gosh.

[Preston Brown]

And later it broke up. But I, I just, I assumed he'd coach me on the rule. Rule. I'd coach people on the rule. So the rules didn't matter to me because I was a genius and he was a genius, too. Talk about big egos. And I just, I walked away from a company. This is a few years ago now, but it was a fun company. Like, we traveled the world, we did all sorts of crazy. And I did not set up the partnership with a specific, for a term or with terms. Now this is with regards to a business. And the reason I say this is because if you go buy an apartment complex, you don't want to set it for a term. Like, the bank might have a term on your note, but the market, three to five years later, you might be able to refi. You might want to sell. Like, the market's going to have a lot of dictating to do with that. But that's an investment. There's a difference between partnering in an investment and partnering in a business. A business is an actively managed investment, whereas an investment is a passively management invested, passively managed investment. The way I look at it, and in a business, you need to set a term for. We're going to do this with a standardized process for valuation, a prenuptial agreement. How do we get married? How do we stay happy? How do we solve problems, give grace. But maybe most importantly, if and when we're not, how do we get divorced safely where nobody's getting hurt? So you said it with a term or with terms or for a term or both. Like, we. I now, in all of my partnerships have a annual meeting. And like, if it's a business partnership, I want to meet with the partners every year to discuss whether it's worth doing well.

[Jordan]

That's what I was going to ask you is do the terms change once you set that from the get go? How does that evolve for you?

[Preston Brown]

So with terms, for a term, okay, every year the terms are as follows. But if I'm in a business model where the industry is dying, like, there's a reason why Warren Buffett and what's the guy that runs Keller Williams? I can't. Gary Keller, Gary Keller are both like, let's take some chips off the table. Warren Buffett's like, I don't want to be in Berkshire Hathaway as much as I was as a Real estate brokerage. And Gary Keller is saying, you know what, I'm gonna, I'm gonna exit part of Keller Williams. Read the writing on the wall, guys. That industry is shifting, okay? Like, I know we all love candles. I know like, you know, we all appreciate the way that they smell. Now they have scents. There's all these people V. But let's remember guys, those used to be used for lighting. And what do you think AI, Quantum computing, robotics and all these things are going to replace first really expensive players whose jobs could be done with a simple AI system and checklist. Kind of sounds like a realtor, right? Like what, what, what do they need you for? And I'm not attacking realtors. I love realtors. I started as one. But when you walk in and you're like, this is the bathroom, dude. It has a toilet. I have seen one before. I've actually used one a couple times a day. I kind of thinking about one right now. I may want to take a break. Like, what? Don't tell me where the bathroom is, dude. Like, let me walk down the hall. Like, there's not so many surprises regarding a home. Like bedroom, wow. Bathroom, wow. Kitchen, wow. Living space. Wow. You got something with the like panic room. I'm curious. Show me that. Maybe I haven't seen it. You, oh, you got a library, you got a gym. Like, like, show me the Cool. But you don't need to tell me what the bathroom is. And like, let's be real. Like we got lock boxes and camera systems that can be done with battery and wi fi right now that are replacing real estate agents and a lot of property management companies. And you think that's not coming for you. And all the trillionaires are exiting there. So when I'm looking at an industry shift, I'm sitting there thinking, huh, what does this mean with terms for term every year I'm going to look at that and I'm going to say the, the with terms might be like, hey, you guys have to do these roles and, and, and, and that's what we all agree to. And you're going to get paid X for it. Like partners sometimes if they're working within the company, want a salary increase too. Like most of my companies, I don't work in, in I'm, I'm money bags behind it. Well, employees, I mean they, they go through the HR system. You're going to send your partner to your HR manager. Hey, yeah, yeah, go talk to the HR manager.

[Jordan]

We'll, we'll do a review.

[Preston Brown]

You gotta talk to Them, like, you partner with them, you married them, maybe talk to them. So with terms for a term, depending on what their role is, right? Yeah. Like at some point, like, what happens if you're in a tech company and you have a partner in the tech company and you hire a CTO that's better than the partner. Partner. Shut up. Sit down. Get out of the way. And if they're not willing to do that, then you execute on the buy, sell for their shares. Does this make sense?

[Jordan]

Of course.

[Preston Brown]

So it's with terms for a term where there's a scheduled meeting. Like, you got to schedule sex in your marriage. You got to schedule with terms for a term in your business.

[Jordan]

Yeah, I love. I love that.

[Jenna]

Yeah.

[Preston Brown]

Because the sex part of the business part.

[Jordan]

I mean, all of it.

[Preston Brown]

Okay, cool. But your husband's gonna watch this and.

[Jordan]

Be like, yes, that. But the set it and forget it thing is what people do, Right? And so that's where, you know, when lives evolve and visions change. Yeah, I love that.

[Preston Brown]

I like that. Visions change. That, that, that, that.

[Jenna]

Well, that means the terms change.

[Preston Brown]

Yeah.

[Jordan]

And what's important might shift too, you know, if you start off in your place in life and then that evolves.

[Preston Brown]

You know, my wife. This is several years ago now, but when we. When we got married, like, there was this advertising. Oh, yeah, I'm not jealous. I don't care about this. I don't care about that. You know? Yeah, you go out with your friends to your. To a strip club or whatever, and I was never a big guy to do that or anything, but, like, that was kind of. Some things she said, right? Not kind of. That was. She said, yeah, there's a sales pitch for marriage, too. And I was like, yeah, cool. I got the coolest chick in the world, whatever. And. And. And she is five, six, seven years ago. I don't remember the exact date. You know, I'm going out with some friends, and it's a bachelor party, and we wind up at, like, a strip club. Like. Like, I'm not thinking anything of it. I. I don't go to those places. I don't frequent. I don't care. Like, but we go. There's a bachelor party, and I come home, and, like, I'm, like, showing her, like, some pictures and, like a dumbass, and I'm very transparent. And she's like, I really. We don't want you going to those places. And I'm like, huh? And. And I'm like. And she's like, look, I get. I said, but, like, I'M setting new expectations. Like, we're married, I have new values. And, and, and, and this is a no for me. And I didn't know that she was like, I, I didn't know that this was a no for me.

[Jordan]

Maybe she didn't know either.

[Preston Brown]

That's what she said. Yeah, that's what she was saying until.

[Jenna]

She was in the situation.

[Preston Brown]

It was a no for me. Yeah. And I hadn't gone and tested the theory, but now it's a no for me. She's like, I'm not mad that you went because I created that, but you went. And I'm feeling something that, where I'm at in my life, I'm not willing to feel. And look, if that's a must for you. And she went really hard. And I was like, like, I was already like, okay, cool. But like she went really hard. She was like, if that's a must for you, I understand. But that's a, that's a must not for me. We're doing all this Tony Robbins work at the time. That's a must. Not for me. And I'm like, calm down, woman. I agree. I love you. Like, I, I'm already said yes. I already said yes. Stop it. Don't up. Like, I didn't know it was a bachelor party. You guys go to bachelorette parties? Do you know how many dicks are at those? Hey, all I did was see some tits. Well, like your straw that you drink out of is a penis. And a bachelorette party. Judge me.

[Jenna]

Like, the way I handle that situation with my husband was, well, how would you. Let's flip it. Let's flip the switch. As. Are you going to feel good? If I'm in the situation that you were in at this bachelor party, is that where you would want me? And he was like, oh, I don't think so. So flip flipping the switch.

[Preston Brown]

And yeah, that worked well for us and it did. But I guess the point I was going for, maybe I didn't clearly communicate it, is I actually appreciated her saying that.

[Jenna]

Yeah.

[Preston Brown]

Because the 19 year old girl that I married doesn't have to be exactly the same as the 25 year old or the 35 year old.

[Jordan]

They're not going to be.

[Preston Brown]

I mean, yeah, we change over time and just like a marriage, partnerships do too. Maybe the 19 year old didn't give it. Well, you're married, you have multiple kids. Like it's okay to shift. Yeah, maybe she didn't give it and she didn't know it. It. People are watching the podcast Business strip clubs, schedule sex. Is this how you talk to two women in America on a podcast? It's being aired live on Apple. Huh? Yes, because it's real and we talk real. And if you're not real, you're fake. Doesn't work fake until you make it. This is so fun. I know, guys, I. I love your energy. I. I, like, I just want to honor you for coming on the show. Like, I mean, you obviously had no idea what you were getting into. Like, we met, we laughed, and I'm like, hey, let's go on the show and let's. Let's give some value to entrepreneurs. And like, I'm so excited because I'm literally going to turn this into a document that I think is going to be gold for so many entrepreneurs. We will post it in the show notes, but I'd love to maybe give some back to you guys as well. I mean, we're getting a lot of viewers, we're getting a lot of listeners. I think we have a pretty good group in Austin that's watching the show. You guys got a cool entrepreneur community here. Can. Can we plug your IV lounge? Where can. Where can people come get, like, the comedy tour of Jenna and Jordan and like, like, get an iv? Like, be the first person to get an IV and two arms and two legs at the same time. Somebody can set a world record. You can get four at a time. I don't know if that's a world record, but somebody can go and be there first. So, like, where can people get a dose of you? Where can people, like, find a little more of this? Come hang out, get the health benefits, get an iv, like, get a. Is there a social media, like, would you guys like to, like, give anyone, like, a little. A little hook and, you know, come in and your first IV is 50% off if you sign up. Like, where can people get a doctor?

[Jordan]

Well, we have two brick and mortar hydration lounges here in Austin. Our. Our OG that's on South Congress of Riverside and SoCo. It's been almost nine years since we opened that one. And then our north locations off West Anderson Lane. And then we do also do mobiles and large corporate events and festivals and any type of event that needs IVs and elevate it by adding the element of wellness. We have a fantastic team that will come to you. And I mean, I think the most amount of IVs that we've done in one day was 200. 230 IVs in one day. And our team rocked it out. I mean they had done 150 by lunchtime and it started at 8:30 that morning.

[Jenna]

Yeah, that, that is one thing is our, we take a lot of pride in how well our teams are well oiled or well oiled machines, especially when it comes to bigger events like that. And that can be a doozy and sometimes hard to handle. But our team are rock stars.

[Jordan]

Yep.

[Preston Brown]

Well, and I, I mean I think we're going to go right after this and. And you guys are going to like plug me into something, right?

[Jordan]

Yeah. Yep. Yep. Again, do I have an okay location? And you can find [e-mail] that's our website and of course we're on Instagram and Facebook and all the social channels as well.

[Preston Brown]

Give us Instagram, give us the Facebook. We are going to put it all in the show notes as well. But what is the Instagram, the Facebook.

[Jordan]

Ivitamin, ATX and ivitamin Austin.

[Preston Brown]

Boom. Yeah. Jenna Jordan, thank you so much for coming on. Thank you for honoring our listeners. Thank you for like just your presence, your grace, your fun. Like I love like how you're bubbly and buoyant and just awesome. And this content is gold. I think you're going to save a lot of business marriages, maybe even a few marriage marriages for partnerships that are or entrepreneurs that are like, oh, this might work with my husband or wife. So thank you guys so much for coming on and thank you guys for tuning in as always on problems to profit. Your problems are what gives you the guidance to become the prophet in your space. We have prophets right here that have taught us about partnership, taught us about marriage, taught us about scheduling sex, taught us about a whole lot of things today. And with that there's maybe some health benefits you can plug into. In addition, I'm going to do my own shameless plug. When I was coaching, when I was teaching, I coached four different billionaires. I coached dozens of centimillionaires, a bunch of deca millionaires. And you know what I found Most of the coaching sessions had nothing to do with business. And those are fun. You're dealing with marriage. You're dealing with faith. You're dealing with self confidence. You're dealing with mindset. You're dealing of with all that mindset. Heart set. But the one thing that did have to do with business, the skill set piece was all simple. Check the box boilerplate, bullet point things. It's a checklist. I logged thousands and thousands of coaching calls. Thousands. And you know what I did in logging Them. I categorized them them. There are 15 different videos. You can get access to all of them. I think the fees 99 bucks by going to our website posted in the show notes by going to our social media posted in the show notes. The PrestonBrown.com you can get it for 99 bucks. But my mission, guys, is not to get your 99 bucks. I don't need it. What I do need is for you to become successful. AI, quantum computing, robotics are a real thing. They are a real part of life. They are coming and they are coming for your job. In the next two to 10 years, they will make 60 to 90% of the population obsolete. And as years go, the population that is obsolete will grow. That will decimate and destroy corporate America. That will decimate and destroy a small business that will decimate and destroy anyone who operates on a 5 to 10 point job description. That's not thinking. What does that mean? That means that entrepreneurship's coming back. Entrepreneurship's being democratized. I would love to give you all of my courses for free. Here's how you do it. A you don't want to do this. Pay the 99 bucks. There's always a law of reciprocity and even exchange. You don't have to do anything except 99 bucks. Some of you guys are going to do that. And we love you for it. It's fun. It pays my girls. It pays the people that put this team together. And anything extra, I donate to charity because I'm doing this for you. But for those of you that are like, I don't know this guy yet. I don't trust this guy yet. I'm not sure yet. Or hey, maybe I just don't have the money. Great. Share this show Share a show. Share our social media content, screenshot that and message us and say, please send me your episodes. My team will send it to you for free. All of the business coaching I ever did logged into 15 categories and I have 15 short videos, 30 minutes or less that you can get for free. Or if you're not looking for free, but you like reasonable $99 to change your life today. Guys, log on, click, Take action. Go get a iv Go meet Jenna Jordan. Go get some laughter. Go have some fun. But most importantly, become the person you're supposed to be, the success you're supposed to be, and change your life starting today. Log on, grab my courses, share the content, pay the 99 bucks. We don't care. Get what you need so you can turn your problems into your profit. Have an amazing day on purpose.