June 4, 2025 • 29 mins
Jason Sfire’s entrepreneurial journey, Founder of multiple family-owned businesses defies the odds. At 25, after a devastating 35-foot fall that led to 54 surgeries over 25 years, he refused to let physical challenges stop his drive. Despite shattered bones and ongoing recovery, Jason built a real estate empire of 18 companies and 1.8 million square feet.
Joining Marc as guest co-host is Sari Greene, a cybersecurity entrepreneur, author, educator, investor, and community activist, adding her perspective to this powerful conversation.
Early in the episode, Jason reflects on social media’s impact on identity, setting the stage for his story of resilience. From teenage carpenter to business leader and father of four, he shares candid insights on balancing ambition with personal limits, warning about the dangers of an unchecked "achiever mentality" and how it affected his health. His straightforward business approach reveals the grit behind his success.
Key Takeaways:
- Resilience in overcoming life-altering injuries and building a business.
- Growing and managing a real estate empire despite personal challenges.
- Balancing drive with self-care to sustain success.
- Pursuing passion and purpose beyond physical limits.
Part two will be released next week, where we’ll explore how Jason continues to thrive—competing nationally in golf from a wheelchair.
About Jason A. Sfire:
I have had a 33-year career in our family-owned Real-Estate Development business. Since I was 16 years old, I have held virtually every possible role in our family companies. My initial offering to the company was running our construction arm, named Fidelity Construction Co. Inc. In my years running the construction arm of our business, we completed hundreds of projects, from one-room remodels to 450,000-square-foot shopping centers built from the ground up. It has been an incredible journey that now has me leading all 18 companies and managing the family’s 1.8 million-square-foot real-estate portfolio as President/COO. Thankfully, God has blessed our family and business at levels that I never dreamed possible.
Connect:
Website www.fgltd.net
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/jason-sfire-a6652716b/
Instagram instagram.com/jaswheels/?hl=en
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Announcer (00:00):
The following programming is sponsored by Marc
J Bernstein.
The views expressed do not Sarireflect the views of this
station, its management orBeasley Media Group.
Entrepreneur, founder, authorand financial advisor, Marc
Bernstein helps high-performingbusiness owners turn their
visions into reality.
Through his innovative work andthe Forward Focus Forums, Marc
(00:20):
connects entrepreneurs toresources that fuel their
success.
Founders' Forum is a radio showand podcast where entrepreneurs
share their journeys, revealingthe lessons they've learned and
the stories behind theirsuccess.
Join Marc and his guests for amix of inspiration, valuable
insights and a little fun.
Now let's dive in.
Marc Bernstein (00:40):
Good morning America.
How are you?
We're back on Founders' Forumand we have two guests that
we've had on already.
I may as well introduce them atthe beginning.
I don't usually do that, but wehave Sari Greene, who is the
founder of her former company,sage Data.
Sari Greene (01:00):
Security.
Marc Bernstein (01:00):
Security, security.
And she's an entrepreneur,author, educator, investor,
community activist, serves onmany boards.
You've heard her story.
And we have Jason Sfire, who Ididn't give his whole
introduction before, so I willnow.
(01:20):
He's president and owner andfounder of multiple family-owned
businesses under the umbrellaof Fidelity Group Limited.
He's had a 33-year career infamily-owned businesses in
suburban Chicago in the realestate development business.
Since he was 16 years old.
He's had virtually everypossible role that you can have
in the family companies.
(01:41):
His initial offering to thecompany was to run the
construction arm.
He was already running his ownconstruction business and that
was called Fidelity ConstructionCompany.
And in his years of running theconstruction arm of the
business he's completed hundredsof projects, from one-room
remodels to 450,000 square footshopping centers.
Should help Babcock Ranch outthere.
(02:02):
No.
Jason A. Sfire (02:03):
I think I'm good , you're good, I'm in Florida to
relax there.
No, I think.
I'm good, you're good, I'm inFlorida to relax, buddy, yeah, I
understand.
Marc Bernstein (02:07):
From the ground up.
It's been an incredible journeythat now has him leading all 18
companies and managing families.
Like you need something else todo right.
Very nice of me.
It's a 1.8 million square footreal estate portfolio and he's
president and COO today.
He also, in his free time, isboard of three nonprofit boards
(02:31):
and a coach and an athleteadvocate, which will make a lot
more sense once we're continuingas you hear our conversation
and he says thankfully, god hasblessed our family and
businesses at levels that younever dreamed possible and he is
.
I'm going to tell you thatyou're going to hear a story of
(02:53):
courage, resilience and love andhumanity at its best.
Thank you, really excited tohave you here today.
Sari Greene (03:00):
Jason Excited to be here too, man Excited to have
you back as well, Sari.
Thank you, and I can't wait tohear the story.
Marc Bernstein (03:05):
It's quite a story.
So where do we start?
That's the, that's the hard.
Oh, we have a topic of the daybefore.
Jason A. Sfire (03:12):
Yeah, let's do that first.
Yeah, yeah, we'll keep you ontrack, don't worry about it.
Usually I go right from theintro.
Marc Bernstein (03:16):
We're switching it all up because of how we're
structuring these shows.
But there is a new documentaryout coming out that I just heard
about today.
It's called can't look away thecase against social media.
So my initial reaction wassocial media like linkedin's,
like the greatest thing sincesliced bread, right doing
(03:37):
business that way.
You know, we're all us oldpeople are on facebook and all
that.
But I also know the other sideof social media and that's what
they're talking about and that'sthe harm to teenagers and, and,
and you know, and, and, andmental and health crisis that we
have as a result of it, I'mgoing to actually start with
(03:57):
Sari first as
Sari Greene (03:58):
our as our technology expert on on our
panel today yeah, you know, Iagree, I mean it is a
double-edged sword.
But I also divide it betweenadults and children, right.
So you know from an adultperspective, right, it's almost
a subversive way we cancommunicate.
I've become a huge fan ofSubstack, particularly now that
you know there's been some mediashutdown and some other issues.
(04:19):
But you know from kids, youknow, I worry not just that it
sort of gives them thisunrealistic view of life, but
also what it's doing to diminishtheir attention span.
Right, looking at short videosor yeah, and it makes it much
more difficult to sit down andread a book, right, or have a
long in-depth conversation.
(04:40):
So to me that's the concern,but I think that's something we
can deal with, because it'sreally just not putting devices
into the hands of littlechildren.
We shouldn't be putting iPadsinto a three-year-old's hands.
We shouldn't be letting kidstake their phones to school.
Marc Bernstein (04:54):
I don't want to answer this Sari, but one of the
things they said is they havetheir computers at school.
They can work, but you canlimit that right.
Sari Greene (05:03):
You can limit access on that.
To me me it's more the personaldevices and as parents, it's
really our responsibility tolimit those personal devices
what they're talking about.
Marc Bernstein (05:12):
It's not just the devices themselves, it's not
the technology, it's thesubversiveness comes from the
people that are trying to sendthe messages to these kids and
get in their heads and createaddicts out of them for
information addicts.
Yeah and I think to both ofthat.
Jason A. Sfire (05:29):
I think Sarah brought up a great point.
I think that what it's doing tothe identity of America is a
bigger problem, because it'salmost.
You don't post something onsocial media because you don't
want a response.
You put it out there becauseyou want that response, you want
that validation.
They want the validation, youwant the affirmation that what
you're doing is right and Ithink it's creating a false
(05:49):
narrative in people's mindsabout their identity, about who
they really are and where theyfind themselves, especially in
our young children, I thinkadults, I think, hopefully, we
surround ourselves in circle ofpeople that can inform who we
are and our identity, but theseyoung kids, that's what they're
using it for.
That's what I find my kids, Ihave four kids and so that's my
bigger concern is that how it isimpacting identity for, for
(06:11):
especially the youngergeneration.
Marc Bernstein (06:12):
Yeah, but also, I also think, for adults.
We know the politicalpolarization in our country and
in the world, and that's allbecause people are choosing
their news sources based onwhat's fed to them and which way
they choose to look at the news, and therefore nobody can hear
the other side of things.
Sari Greene (06:29):
But that would be true even without social media.
You just chose.
Are you going to listen to NPRor Fox News?
Jason A. Sfire (06:34):
Even though there was no social media right.
It's definitely a dangeroustool out there.
Sari Greene (06:40):
It's just the accessibility.
Marc Bernstein (06:43):
So anyway, interesting conversation.
We're doing a two-part show.
Actually I should, it's justthe accessibility.
So anyway, interestingconversation.
It is, we're doing a two-partshow.
Actually I should say for Jason, because it's a long show.
Jason A. Sfire (06:52):
So we'll start the next show with continue,
yeah to be, continued To becontinued.
Marc Bernstein (06:54):
There you go.
So, Jason, so let's talk about.
I think your story reallystarts with your education,
coming out of college, decidingwhat you want to do, so let's
start with that.
Jason A. Sfire (07:05):
Yeah, and as you'd mentioned in my bio, you
know, it kind of starts from theage of 16, when I started
working in the family businessand kind of had this inkling
that I wasn't sure if collegewas for me.
But I was an athlete and youknow, when you're an athlete and
a good athlete, that's thething you do is you try and like
excel the college.
Um, so I'm working at 16 as acarpenter and things like that
(07:26):
in the family business and Istarted thinking, you know, like
okay, do I want to go to school?
So I did go to school, I wentto college for a year and I
played athletics.
But to your point, Marc, thestory really begins kind of when
I get out of college for thatyear.
Um, so I went to EasternIllinois.
Uh, after a junior college, Iwent to Eastern Illinois for a
year.
I was going to be playingfootball there, got injured and
(07:47):
came home and that's where mylife kind of began and that's
where the story kind of began,met, as you said, my wife Nettie
, beautiful lady that you've met, and she introduced us back at
Babcock Ranch.
Marc Bernstein (07:59):
First of all, you can't help but meet.
Jason A. Sfire (08:01):
Nettie, yeah, she's a vibrant character, yeah,
she um.
But yeah, when when I came homefrom that year after injury and
met her, I uh immediately saidyou know what?
I don't, I don't know thatschool's for me.
So I decided to go to workbecause that entrepreneur spirit
that that siri shared in hershow, it's just kind of it
bleeds out of you and it's hardnot to want to just go ahead and
chase something you know andachieve.
(08:22):
So I kind, so I kind of I justdecided, all right, what can I
do?
And I said, well, I knowcarpentry, cause I did that when
I was 16.
So I kind of jumped into thatum and had a really supportive
father who started our familycompany, went 35 years ago and
I've been now with him for 32,but or 33 years.
Marc Bernstein (08:37):
Um, he's a true gentleman.
Jason A. Sfire (08:45):
I just had the opportunity to meet him.
Excellent, yeah, yeah, he's agreat dude, but yeah, so I he
had.
He had said to me he said hey,listen, he goes.
The way I started was when Iwas 18 years old.
My father passed away andnobody gave me anything and I
had to earn it.
And he said a similar story tome and he said but I'm going to
help you get your start.
So I went to him and said Iwant to, I want to get into
construction, and he had saidthat'd be a great idea because
you could really help the familybusinesses which we'll get to
and you kind of share it downthe road.
(09:05):
So he gave me $10,000, said gobuy a truck and buy whatever you
need.
So I bought a truck, boughttools, paid my dad back in the
first six months because I wasreally successful at what I was
doing.
And that's kind of how thestory starts, of how I got into
the family business and it justkind of built from there.
Unfortunately, you know, a fewyears later, tragedy kind of
(09:31):
happened and I don't know if wewant to get into that now or
where you want to take it, but Ican keep rolling.
Marc Bernstein (09:34):
Okay, I want you to tell the story the way you
tell it.
Jason A. Sfire (09:35):
Okay, beautiful.
So you know that two years,that two years goes by and I'm
working in construction andeverything and I'm doing a
bigger job now.
You know, because you said theone room remodels to the 450,000
square foot shopping centersand it's not giant but it's
where we're modeling an oldEagle.
I don't know if anybody knowsEagle Foods they're up in the.
I'm going to be really, I'mgoing to make sure and be really
(10:00):
specific to tell both the fallsthat I had and I'll say falls
because I had two accidents.
I always forget the first oneEvery time I tell it.
My wife will be like you hadtwo falls, because I literally,
when you go through this muchtrauma, you literally forget
these moments in your life thathave happened.
Maybe God protects you from Idon't know, but I don't remember
(10:20):
the first fall.
But I've been told so manytimes about it I actually can
now tell the story.
So the first fall was the EagleFood Store.
We were taking down a concretemezzanine and I shared with you,
Marc, when we prepped for thisand there was an expansion joint
that we didn't know about.
And right after lunch, beforeeverybody was getting their
(10:59):
harnesses on and, like Sari, I'm, I'm a really good, boss, and I
was out there telling everybodywhat to do and I wasn't really
worried about you.
Know anything except what'snext and how do we get the job
done?
Um, unfortunately, the expansionjoint that wasn't on the
as-built drawings was behind us.
We had already disassembled ortaken out, caused that platform
of concrete to shear and itactually catapulted me.
As it started to flip, thefront piece went under.
I was standing on the very end.
It catapulted me about 30 feetonto a pile of concrete.
God chose to save me.
(11:22):
There was a piece of rebar threefeet to the me.
There was a piece of rebarthree feet to the right of me, a
piece of rebar two feet, and ifanybody doesn't know what rebar
is, it's steel that comes upout of the concrete Could have
impaled me and killed meinstantly.
In that fall I shattered bothmy wrists, broke both my elbows
and broke my right pelvis, whichare no small injuries which are
no small injuries, but no smallinjuries.
But recovered from those and uhwas doing really well.
(11:45):
At that time we had our firstchild, um netty and I had our
first child.
All while going through all ofthese traumatic surgeries and
figuring out how to, you know,navigate all that, but you know
since we first talked about.
Marc Bernstein (11:58):
I've thought about that many times yeah how
do you, how do you, how do youdo all that?
How do you manage?
Jason A. Sfire (12:02):
Yeah, I mean, but God, that's what I say, and
you know we just and a greatfamily and a great wife.
So that's my first accident.
And the second accident cameBack to work.
Yeah, back to work and doinglife and being a dad.
And at this time I'll just kindof tease out some of the things
that we've done in our company.
You know, at this time westarted the construction arm
(12:24):
that rolled into the Fidelitycompanies, the family companies,
and since we've talked Irealized how many other
companies we've founded in thattime.
And it's been interestingbecause when you're an
entrepreneur and someone whojust kind of creates, you just
create things and you don'treally think about it.
But we started a paving company, so we do all of our own
asphalt work.
Now we started a landscapingcompany and we do all of our own
(12:46):
landscaping, we do all of ourown snow plowing and we do it
only for our account, meaningour portfolio properties.
You were the impetus behind alot of this, yeah, and with a
great dad who just encouragedthe heck out of me to be like,
hey, if that's something thatyou think can save us money, I
believe in, you go do it.
So we just kept creating andgenerating and really just to
(13:07):
kind of keep things in-house.
The way I describe it toeverybody is we're vertically
integrated.
So it starts at the bottom witha piece of land that we develop
with our development company,we build with our construction
company and we manage with ourmanagement company, and then we
maintain with all of theseancillary companies that I just
described to you.
So we just take the money outof the left pocket, put it in
the right pocket, take it out ofthe right pocket and put it in
(13:28):
the bank.
Marc Bernstein (13:29):
Yeah, pretty amazing.
So we just have a minute leftbefore our break, so do we go to
the next fall?
Jason A. Sfire (13:37):
I think we need to wait till after the break so
we can get in because wait tillafter the break.
So we can get in, because thenext fall is actually the one
that's kind of really the lifechanger, right, yeah, and the
next one that was in 2000.
No, the the next fall actuallyhappened two years after the
first.
Oh right, and then it was along journey of recovery.
Marc Bernstein (13:55):
Yeah, right, okay, you know what?
Let's take a break right nowand let's come back and we'll
we'll talk about.
Sounds great.
Unfortunately, the next fall.
Okay, thank you.
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Marc Bernstein (15:21):
All right, we're back on Founders' Forum and we
teased you a little bit withwanting to know what happens
next in regard to Jason, butthere was a second fall.
Jason A. Sfire (15:30):
Tell us about it .
Yeah, so, as I had mentionedpreviously, it was kind of two
years after that first fall hadhappened, and I'll probably get
the dates wrong, so we don'teven need to go to that.
I'm somewhere around in thistime and again it's hard to
remember it all.
But I'm somewhere around inthis time and again it's hard to
remember it all.
I think I'm about 23.
I am 23 at that time becauseour first boy was just about to
be born after this Just to putit in perspective you're 50
(15:51):
today.
Yeah.
Marc Bernstein (15:52):
And we're going to take this show and you'll
have to wait for part two.
It's going to go out to 2013.
Jason A. Sfire (15:58):
Yeah, because, to your point, Marc, the story
it's been a journey.
It's not like a moment in timeof challenge, it's been a
journey.
So the fall was as I wasbuilding.
Marc Bernstein (16:08):
By the way, we're not usually focused on
timelines and all that.
Yeah, yeah, but it's kind ofnecessary in this case.
Jason A. Sfire (16:13):
Yeah, no, and I'll try and just kind of tell
the general story without beingtoo focused on the time.
But I fell 35 feet onto aconcrete driveway and it's
important that I tell kind ofhow that happened, because it's
kind of shaped who I am and it'sshaped who I am as a business
(16:38):
leader, because that tragedy andthe reason the tragedy happened
was a lot of self-pride andarrogance on my part.
I was I'll describe it briefly.
We were building a home.
I've only built two houses inmy life.
One of them was for my parentsand this was the house I was.
I'll describe it briefly.
We were building a home.
I've only built two houses in mylife, um, one of them was for
my parents and this was thehouse I was building for my
parents, uh, and it was a 16,000square foot English castle and
it had a three, three storystair turret that the top of the
roof was about 70 feet high, sothe gutter line was at about 35
feet.
(16:58):
So I was climbing a 40 footextension ladder, um, and our
roofer, who was actually upthere, um hadn't shown up for a
week and wasn't returning mycalls and I was really angry at
him.
So I decided that I'm going togo up there onto that roof and
I'm going to grab him, I'm goingto pull him down and we're
going to have a conversation.
I mean, I just described howtall this is up there.
(17:20):
That's never.
But unfortunately, what happenedis kind of running up this
ladder in rage, the wind hit mein the chest and knocked me off
the ladder and I fell backwards,kind of going down backwards my
head first.
I kind of flipped my bodyaround, but I landed with my
left foot touching my rightshoulder behind my back, both my
(17:41):
arms behind my back, whichcaused both my collarbones to
come out of my skin and brokeboth my wrists again and
shattered my left pelvis, brokemy spine in nine to 10 places,
bit down so hard that I knockedout 10 of my teeth.
My orbital bone was comingthrough the roof of my mouth.
Enough gore for the show,because that's not the focus.
But that's what caused me tojust go on this long journey.
(18:03):
I'm 25 years old now, I think.
Yeah, I was 25.
23 first fall, 25 second fall,and it's been now a 25-year
journey of.
There wasn't a year that wentby in my life for 20 years that
I didn't have multiple surgeriesin recovery from this Right.
How many surgeries total 54surgeries in my life.
(18:25):
Yeah, 54 surgeries.
Marc Bernstein (18:27):
Yeah, so then what happened?
Jason A. Sfire (18:31):
Yeah, so you know, and I'm going through this
fall and as a entrepreneur anda business leader and, you know,
kind of like key component ofthe family business, I never
really took any time off.
I just kind of kept workingthrough this process as business
.
I never really took any timeoff.
I just kind of kept workingthrough this process as we're
continuing to have all thesesurgeries, um having more kids
we, you know, had three morekids through this whole process
(18:52):
Um, you know, and and it'sinteresting because everybody
thinks you have this fall andinitially there's a lot of
trauma, obviously, and you gothrough an initial couple-year
period where you have a wholebunch of surgeries to get back
to health, a whole bunch of timein the hospital, and then it's
just kind of like a slow burn.
It's almost like an ice cubemelting where your body just
(19:14):
continues to deteriorate.
Marc Bernstein (19:18):
But after this I know your body was starting to
deteriorate, but you were prettyfunctional.
I was.
Jason A. Sfire (19:23):
Yeah, I was, I was, I was completely able, body
, I was, I was walking on my own, had a lot of pain, couldn't
run, you know, couldn't reallylike jump or do any of those
things, but I was, I wascoaching youth football.
I was coaching high schoolfootball, very active still, I
(19:45):
really, um, I had kind of givenup all athletics at that point
which was, you know, really hardfor me because I was an athlete
my whole life, three sportathlete in high school when it's
going to open to play divisionone college athletics.
But I was, I was, I was able,body and you know, now we have
four kids, so sports reallyweren't even a thing because
you're just chasing kidseverywhere and doing all that.
But yeah, I mean, and the way,like I said, I describe it as
(20:06):
that kind of the slow burn orthe ice cube melting, is
unfortunately my body would justkeep giving out.
So every year, whether it wasanother back surgery, you know,
because I had two or threeinitially when the accident, I'd
have another back surgery, I'dhave another wrist surgery and I
just kind of constantly havingall these surgeries which just
(20:26):
added up time, you know, overtime, while still running, you
know, with my dad, the family,businesses and building more and
developing more and you knowand kind of just that achiever
in both of us.
Never, really, I wouldn't letanything really get in the way,
I think, because I wasstruggling so much personally
(20:47):
with my health that I needed toachieve something to make sure
that I was.
That was what I built kind ofmy persona on.
You know what I mean, right,yeah.
Marc Bernstein (20:58):
Right, kind of my persona on, you know what I
mean, right, yeah, right.
So, um, I know we're gonna waittill the next show, till for
2013 on, but, um, we still havea little bit of time.
So, what, what, what, what,where did you find yourself as a
result of this deterioration ofyour body?
Jason A. Sfire (21:14):
I guess is the question yeah, no, and, and I
was, I was doing well, but it'sjust, it's hard, and that's what
I mean.
I describe it as it's reallytough, man to to continue
leading a business, leading afamily and continuing to have
just constant trauma, you know,constant surgeries.
It's like you would, I wouldhave three or four months of
(21:34):
feeling good and I would alwaystell my wife I don't actually
want to feel good and she wouldsay why?
And I'm like because when youfeel good or don't have a ton of
pain or something isn't failing, you know what it's like.
And I never got to experiencethat for very long because then
something else would go wrongand I'd have to.
And a lot of this, to be honest, was kind of self-inflicted,
(21:56):
because I'm still continuing topush myself with this drive,
this internal drive to you know,all right, well, we need a
paving company.
Let's create a paving company.
Maybe it's still a littlearrogance.
Yeah, a little bit, a little bitof that achiever mentality, you
know, and being an entrepreneurand being driven, is awesome,
right, when it's monitored, whenit's held in check, because it
(22:18):
can get you in trouble.
If not and I think some of mystory is absolutely part of that
right is that without beingheld in check or without having
kind of a barometer to sayenough's enough, it can get a
little bit out of control.
Sari Greene (22:33):
I think that lack of balance is really such a
common trait to entrepreneursand needing to have others in
your life or something else inyour life right.
That says okay, here's yourother focus area.
Jason A. Sfire (22:46):
Yeah, I think that's a great point, sarah.
I think you need to have thosepeople that are going to kind of
hold you in check, kind of haveguardrails, like you described
in your show talking about guiderails for AI your show, um,
talking about guide rails for ailike as entrepreneurs, we need
to have guardrails because wecan continue just starting stuff
and doing stuff over and overand over when it's like, wait a
minute, some of this stuff maynot be healthy for us to go and
(23:09):
do and I think it's also anyother interesting things that
you're not that good at that.
Sari Greene (23:12):
You have to focus that.
For me it was sailing.
My husband's a natural sailor,I'm not, so when I was sailing I
had to be a hundred percentfocused on that, not
multitasking, not doing anythingelse and knowing that you're
not always good at stuff, yeah,it's good, so so.
Marc Bernstein (23:26):
So put that all together.
Basically, what was happeningwas you were.
You were in a lot of pain, butyou were focused on what you
were doing yeah, trying to tryto keep just going on was did
you have any emotional reaction?
Jason A. Sfire (23:40):
all this where you're feeling it emotionally,
yet in terms of yeah, I mean,you know that comes a little bit
later, I think, when we get tothe, you know, after 2013.
But through the whole thing, Ithink what thank god?
And I say, but god, because, uh, without our church family
through, you know, this whole 25year process and we've got, uh,
some really good friends thathave been with us through the
(24:01):
whole thing and they've seenevery.
You know, they've seen the goodand the bad.
They've seen what I call,describe, the dark night of the
soul.
I've had some of those whereit's just you've had those
moments where it's like I'm notsure I can continue living
through all of this.
I mean 54 surgeries.
I can't tell you the count ofsome days and nights in the
(24:23):
hospital and you know, and Ilook back on it now and I just
go as the patient, it's actuallyeasier.
As the patient, it's actuallyeasier.
I don't know what my family hadto go through and that's tough,
man, you know to see, to knowthat my wife had to sit there
all those days and nights, thatI was unconscious after surgery.
My kids, you know, and now thatthey're older and we've had a
(24:46):
chance to kind of reconcile allthat, but you had to bring to
your point, there's a lot ofstruggle, a ton of stress on the
family.
Yeah A ton of stress on thewhole family, a ton of stress on
times on the business.
You know, you know some of thecraziest things that happen in
those moments is you know it'slike you're as you own your own
business, like you're worriedabout all this insurance stuff
(25:09):
that's going on.
And how do you get?
You know, do I take thedisability, do I not?
It's like, you know, it's justweird stuff that you don't want
to have to worry about so we youknow we talk a lot on the show
about challenges.
Marc Bernstein (25:22):
Yeah, we talked about it with Sari, we talked
about with everyone that comeson here, and every entrepreneur
has them.
These are not the ones youexpect, though.
These are not.
These are right.
These are things that happen,related to the business, because
they were both right businessrelated accidents, but they were
you know they were.
They were physical andemotional things that outside of
the business that obviouslyaffected the business, affected
(25:45):
your family, affected you and um, it's you know it's it's a Marc
journey.
I mean I don't want to give awayany of the ending of the story,
but you are in a wheelchairtoday, yeah, and you, you're.
You carry on with a lot ofthings and we'll get to talk
about all that.
Um to me.
I told you at the beginning,this is a story I told the
audience is a story aboutresilience, and it really is,
(26:08):
and I know we're going to get tothe hard part in part two, but
this was.
It really is a um, you know, aMarc story when you look at the
whole thing.
And it's your, I know you knowthis because you're helping a
lot of people that you're a rolemodel for others and an
inspiration, I think, to allentrepreneurs, because when you
think of the challenges that wehave, you know nobody's really
(26:31):
had not nobody, I'm sure thereare people, but it's not typical
that you have to deal with allthese other challenges on top of
that.
Jason A. Sfire (26:38):
And that's a great point to say on top of
that, because I can remember,you know, all the through all of
this, while we're dealing withall of my physical challenges as
a family and I'm, you know,when you have a family business,
as most entrepreneurs know,when there's a family business
involved, it's everybodyinvolved.
I mean you're, and it's just myfather and I and my mom and
(27:03):
then my, my family that'sinvolved in the business.
But to that point, we've hadall of our bank challenges being
in the real estate business.
You know we, we would.
We were in business in 2008when you know, things happened
and the whole Marc kind ofcrashed, and so we've lived
through all of those financialchallenges.
Then you put on top all of thephysical challenges that we had
to deal with, you know, with oneof the you know owners at the
(27:24):
time and you know one of themain key people in the operation
of the company.
It really creates a lot oftension and hardship.
Marc Bernstein (27:32):
I'm sure you know, and we haven't even talked
that much about that, but I'msure they exist because I
thought about that.
Yeah, construction businessover the last 25 years.
Right, it's not a smooth rideitself.
So we're just about at the endof part one.
I do want to ask you one youknow we always have fun
questions at the end yourfavorite sports?
Because we'll relate back tothat later on.
Jason A. Sfire (27:54):
But tell us what you like to play Currently.
I'm a big-time golfer, so I'm aseated golfer.
Marc Bernstein (28:00):
To the audience.
That's how I heard about himfirst, not even knowing he was
my next-door neighbor.
Everyone says you've got to seethis guy.
Jason A. Sfire (28:08):
Yeah.
So I have a cart that stands meup and I golf and I'm blessed
enough to compete nationally andshoot pretty much in the high
70s every time I play the gameand play pickleball in a
wheelchair and going to becompeting in the US Open down in
Naples here in the first weekof May and competing in
international field.
That's unbelievable.
Sari Greene (28:26):
That's amazing.
That's amazing, that'sunbelievable.
I've been watching you becausemy home's right on the 11th
green.
I watch you out there, yeah.
Marc Bernstein (28:32):
Oh, how about that?
See me rolling by.
Sari Greene (28:34):
Yeah.
Marc Bernstein (28:34):
You knew Jason without knowing him.
How about that?
So listen, that's a greatjumping off point.
We can end on a up note beforewe get into the rest of the
story on part two.
So please listen next week andyou'll hear Jason fire.
Part two of this story onFounders' Forum.
Thank you all for listeningtoday and have a great one.
Announcer (29:01):
We hope you enjoyed your time with Founders' Forum
and that you found value to takewith you throughout your day.
Join us again next week foranother episode of Founders'
Forum on WXKB 1039 HD2.
The following programming is sponsored by Marc
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The views expressed do not Sarireflect the views of this
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Entrepreneur, founder, authorand financial advisor, Marc
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Through his innovative work andthe Forward Focus Forums, Marc
(00:20):
connects entrepreneurs toresources that fuel their
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Founders' Forum is a radio showand podcast where entrepreneurs
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Join Marc and his guests for amix of inspiration, valuable
insights and a little fun.
Now let's dive in.
Marc Bernstein (00:40):
Good morning America.
How are you?
We're back on Founders' Forumand we have two guests that
we've had on already.
I may as well introduce them atthe beginning.
I don't usually do that, but wehave Sari Greene, who is the
founder of her former company,sage Data.
Sari Greene (01:00):
Security.
Marc Bernstein (01:00):
Security, security.
And she's an entrepreneur,author, educator, investor,
community activist, serves onmany boards.
You've heard her story.
And we have Jason Sfire, who Ididn't give his whole
introduction before, so I willnow.
(01:20):
He's president and owner andfounder of multiple family-owned
businesses under the umbrellaof Fidelity Group Limited.
He's had a 33-year career infamily-owned businesses in
suburban Chicago in the realestate development business.
Since he was 16 years old.
He's had virtually everypossible role that you can have
in the family companies.
(01:41):
His initial offering to thecompany was to run the
construction arm.
He was already running his ownconstruction business and that
was called Fidelity ConstructionCompany.
And in his years of running theconstruction arm of the
business he's completed hundredsof projects, from one-room
remodels to 450,000 square footshopping centers.
Should help Babcock Ranch outthere.
(02:02):
No.
Jason A. Sfire (02:03):
I think I'm good , you're good, I'm in Florida to
relax there.
No, I think.
I'm good, you're good, I'm inFlorida to relax, buddy, yeah, I
understand.
Marc Bernstein (02:07):
From the ground up.
It's been an incredible journeythat now has him leading all 18
companies and managing families.
Like you need something else todo right.
Very nice of me.
It's a 1.8 million square footreal estate portfolio and he's
president and COO today.
He also, in his free time, isboard of three nonprofit boards
(02:31):
and a coach and an athleteadvocate, which will make a lot
more sense once we're continuingas you hear our conversation
and he says thankfully, god hasblessed our family and
businesses at levels that younever dreamed possible and he is
.
I'm going to tell you thatyou're going to hear a story of
(02:53):
courage, resilience and love andhumanity at its best.
Thank you, really excited tohave you here today.
Sari Greene (03:00):
Jason Excited to be here too, man Excited to have
you back as well, Sari.
Thank you, and I can't wait tohear the story.
Marc Bernstein (03:05):
It's quite a story.
So where do we start?
That's the, that's the hard.
Oh, we have a topic of the daybefore.
Jason A. Sfire (03:12):
Yeah, let's do that first.
Yeah, yeah, we'll keep you ontrack, don't worry about it.
Usually I go right from theintro.
Marc Bernstein (03:16):
We're switching it all up because of how we're
structuring these shows.
But there is a new documentaryout coming out that I just heard
about today.
It's called can't look away thecase against social media.
So my initial reaction wassocial media like linkedin's,
like the greatest thing sincesliced bread, right doing
(03:37):
business that way.
You know, we're all us oldpeople are on facebook and all
that.
But I also know the other sideof social media and that's what
they're talking about and that'sthe harm to teenagers and, and,
and you know, and, and, andmental and health crisis that we
have as a result of it, I'mgoing to actually start with
(03:57):
Sari first as
Sari Greene (03:58):
our as our technology expert on on our
panel today yeah, you know, Iagree, I mean it is a
double-edged sword.
But I also divide it betweenadults and children, right.
So you know from an adultperspective, right, it's almost
a subversive way we cancommunicate.
I've become a huge fan ofSubstack, particularly now that
you know there's been some mediashutdown and some other issues.
(04:19):
But you know from kids, youknow, I worry not just that it
sort of gives them thisunrealistic view of life, but
also what it's doing to diminishtheir attention span.
Right, looking at short videosor yeah, and it makes it much
more difficult to sit down andread a book, right, or have a
long in-depth conversation.
(04:40):
So to me that's the concern,but I think that's something we
can deal with, because it'sreally just not putting devices
into the hands of littlechildren.
We shouldn't be putting iPadsinto a three-year-old's hands.
We shouldn't be letting kidstake their phones to school.
Marc Bernstein (04:54):
I don't want to answer this Sari, but one of the
things they said is they havetheir computers at school.
They can work, but you canlimit that right.
Sari Greene (05:03):
You can limit access on that.
To me me it's more the personaldevices and as parents, it's
really our responsibility tolimit those personal devices
what they're talking about.
Marc Bernstein (05:12):
It's not just the devices themselves, it's not
the technology, it's thesubversiveness comes from the
people that are trying to sendthe messages to these kids and
get in their heads and createaddicts out of them for
information addicts.
Yeah and I think to both ofthat.
Jason A. Sfire (05:29):
I think Sarah brought up a great point.
I think that what it's doing tothe identity of America is a
bigger problem, because it'salmost.
You don't post something onsocial media because you don't
want a response.
You put it out there becauseyou want that response, you want
that validation.
They want the validation, youwant the affirmation that what
you're doing is right and Ithink it's creating a false
(05:49):
narrative in people's mindsabout their identity, about who
they really are and where theyfind themselves, especially in
our young children, I thinkadults, I think, hopefully, we
surround ourselves in circle ofpeople that can inform who we
are and our identity, but theseyoung kids, that's what they're
using it for.
That's what I find my kids, Ihave four kids and so that's my
bigger concern is that how it isimpacting identity for, for
(06:11):
especially the youngergeneration.
Marc Bernstein (06:12):
Yeah, but also, I also think, for adults.
We know the politicalpolarization in our country and
in the world, and that's allbecause people are choosing
their news sources based onwhat's fed to them and which way
they choose to look at the news, and therefore nobody can hear
the other side of things.
Sari Greene (06:29):
But that would be true even without social media.
You just chose.
Are you going to listen to NPRor Fox News?
Jason A. Sfire (06:34):
Even though there was no social media right.
It's definitely a dangeroustool out there.
Sari Greene (06:40):
It's just the accessibility.
Marc Bernstein (06:43):
So anyway, interesting conversation.
We're doing a two-part show.
Actually I should, it's justthe accessibility.
So anyway, interestingconversation.
It is, we're doing a two-partshow.
Actually I should say for Jason, because it's a long show.
Jason A. Sfire (06:52):
So we'll start the next show with continue,
yeah to be, continued To becontinued.
Marc Bernstein (06:54):
There you go.
So, Jason, so let's talk about.
I think your story reallystarts with your education,
coming out of college, decidingwhat you want to do, so let's
start with that.
Jason A. Sfire (07:05):
Yeah, and as you'd mentioned in my bio, you
know, it kind of starts from theage of 16, when I started
working in the family businessand kind of had this inkling
that I wasn't sure if collegewas for me.
But I was an athlete and youknow, when you're an athlete and
a good athlete, that's thething you do is you try and like
excel the college.
Um, so I'm working at 16 as acarpenter and things like that
(07:26):
in the family business and Istarted thinking, you know, like
okay, do I want to go to school?
So I did go to school, I wentto college for a year and I
played athletics.
But to your point, Marc, thestory really begins kind of when
I get out of college for thatyear.
Um, so I went to EasternIllinois.
Uh, after a junior college, Iwent to Eastern Illinois for a
year.
I was going to be playingfootball there, got injured and
(07:47):
came home and that's where mylife kind of began and that's
where the story kind of began,met, as you said, my wife Nettie
, beautiful lady that you've met, and she introduced us back at
Babcock Ranch.
Marc Bernstein (07:59):
First of all, you can't help but meet.
Jason A. Sfire (08:01):
Nettie, yeah, she's a vibrant character, yeah,
she um.
But yeah, when when I came homefrom that year after injury and
met her, I uh immediately saidyou know what?
I don't, I don't know thatschool's for me.
So I decided to go to workbecause that entrepreneur spirit
that that siri shared in hershow, it's just kind of it
bleeds out of you and it's hardnot to want to just go ahead and
chase something you know andachieve.
(08:22):
So I kind, so I kind of I justdecided, all right, what can I
do?
And I said, well, I knowcarpentry, cause I did that when
I was 16.
So I kind of jumped into thatum and had a really supportive
father who started our familycompany, went 35 years ago and
I've been now with him for 32,but or 33 years.
Marc Bernstein (08:37):
Um, he's a true gentleman.
Jason A. Sfire (08:45):
I just had the opportunity to meet him.
Excellent, yeah, yeah, he's agreat dude, but yeah, so I he
had.
He had said to me he said hey,listen, he goes.
The way I started was when Iwas 18 years old.
My father passed away andnobody gave me anything and I
had to earn it.
And he said a similar story tome and he said but I'm going to
help you get your start.
So I went to him and said Iwant to, I want to get into
construction, and he had saidthat'd be a great idea because
you could really help the familybusinesses which we'll get to
and you kind of share it downthe road.
(09:05):
So he gave me $10,000, said gobuy a truck and buy whatever you
need.
So I bought a truck, boughttools, paid my dad back in the
first six months because I wasreally successful at what I was
doing.
And that's kind of how thestory starts, of how I got into
the family business and it justkind of built from there.
Unfortunately, you know, a fewyears later, tragedy kind of
(09:31):
happened and I don't know if wewant to get into that now or
where you want to take it, but Ican keep rolling.
Marc Bernstein (09:34):
Okay, I want you to tell the story the way you
tell it.
Jason A. Sfire (09:35):
Okay, beautiful.
So you know that two years,that two years goes by and I'm
working in construction andeverything and I'm doing a
bigger job now.
You know, because you said theone room remodels to the 450,000
square foot shopping centersand it's not giant but it's
where we're modeling an oldEagle.
I don't know if anybody knowsEagle Foods they're up in the.
I'm going to be really, I'mgoing to make sure and be really
(10:00):
specific to tell both the fallsthat I had and I'll say falls
because I had two accidents.
I always forget the first oneEvery time I tell it.
My wife will be like you hadtwo falls, because I literally,
when you go through this muchtrauma, you literally forget
these moments in your life thathave happened.
Maybe God protects you from Idon't know, but I don't remember
(10:20):
the first fall.
But I've been told so manytimes about it I actually can
now tell the story.
So the first fall was the EagleFood Store.
We were taking down a concretemezzanine and I shared with you,
Marc, when we prepped for thisand there was an expansion joint
that we didn't know about.
And right after lunch, beforeeverybody was getting their
(10:59):
harnesses on and, like Sari, I'm, I'm a really good, boss, and I
was out there telling everybodywhat to do and I wasn't really
worried about you.
Know anything except what'snext and how do we get the job
done?
Um, unfortunately, the expansionjoint that wasn't on the
as-built drawings was behind us.
We had already disassembled ortaken out, caused that platform
of concrete to shear and itactually catapulted me.
As it started to flip, thefront piece went under.
I was standing on the very end.
It catapulted me about 30 feetonto a pile of concrete.
God chose to save me.
(11:22):
There was a piece of rebar threefeet to the me.
There was a piece of rebarthree feet to the right of me, a
piece of rebar two feet, and ifanybody doesn't know what rebar
is, it's steel that comes upout of the concrete Could have
impaled me and killed meinstantly.
In that fall I shattered bothmy wrists, broke both my elbows
and broke my right pelvis, whichare no small injuries which are
no small injuries, but no smallinjuries.
But recovered from those and uhwas doing really well.
(11:45):
At that time we had our firstchild, um netty and I had our
first child.
All while going through all ofthese traumatic surgeries and
figuring out how to, you know,navigate all that, but you know
since we first talked about.
Marc Bernstein (11:58):
I've thought about that many times yeah how
do you, how do you, how do youdo all that?
How do you manage?
Jason A. Sfire (12:02):
Yeah, I mean, but God, that's what I say, and
you know we just and a greatfamily and a great wife.
So that's my first accident.
And the second accident cameBack to work.
Yeah, back to work and doinglife and being a dad.
And at this time I'll just kindof tease out some of the things
that we've done in our company.
You know, at this time westarted the construction arm
(12:24):
that rolled into the Fidelitycompanies, the family companies,
and since we've talked Irealized how many other
companies we've founded in thattime.
And it's been interestingbecause when you're an
entrepreneur and someone whojust kind of creates, you just
create things and you don'treally think about it.
But we started a paving company, so we do all of our own
asphalt work.
Now we started a landscapingcompany and we do all of our own
(12:46):
landscaping, we do all of ourown snow plowing and we do it
only for our account, meaningour portfolio properties.
You were the impetus behind alot of this, yeah, and with a
great dad who just encouragedthe heck out of me to be like,
hey, if that's something thatyou think can save us money, I
believe in, you go do it.
So we just kept creating andgenerating and really just to
(13:07):
kind of keep things in-house.
The way I describe it toeverybody is we're vertically
integrated.
So it starts at the bottom witha piece of land that we develop
with our development company,we build with our construction
company and we manage with ourmanagement company, and then we
maintain with all of theseancillary companies that I just
described to you.
So we just take the money outof the left pocket, put it in
the right pocket, take it out ofthe right pocket and put it in
(13:28):
the bank.
Marc Bernstein (13:29):
Yeah, pretty amazing.
So we just have a minute leftbefore our break, so do we go to
the next fall?
Jason A. Sfire (13:37):
I think we need to wait till after the break so
we can get in because wait tillafter the break.
So we can get in, because thenext fall is actually the one
that's kind of really the lifechanger, right, yeah, and the
next one that was in 2000.
No, the the next fall actuallyhappened two years after the
first.
Oh right, and then it was along journey of recovery.
Marc Bernstein (13:55):
Yeah, right, okay, you know what?
Let's take a break right nowand let's come back and we'll
we'll talk about.
Sounds great.
Unfortunately, the next fall.
Okay, thank you.
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Marc Bernstein (15:21):
All right, we're back on Founders' Forum and we
teased you a little bit withwanting to know what happens
next in regard to Jason, butthere was a second fall.
Jason A. Sfire (15:30):
Tell us about it .
Yeah, so, as I had mentionedpreviously, it was kind of two
years after that first fall hadhappened, and I'll probably get
the dates wrong, so we don'teven need to go to that.
I'm somewhere around in thistime and again it's hard to
remember it all.
But I'm somewhere around inthis time and again it's hard to
remember it all.
I think I'm about 23.
I am 23 at that time becauseour first boy was just about to
be born after this Just to putit in perspective you're 50
(15:51):
today.
Yeah.
Marc Bernstein (15:52):
And we're going to take this show and you'll
have to wait for part two.
It's going to go out to 2013.
Jason A. Sfire (15:58):
Yeah, because, to your point, Marc, the story
it's been a journey.
It's not like a moment in timeof challenge, it's been a
journey.
So the fall was as I wasbuilding.
Marc Bernstein (16:08):
By the way, we're not usually focused on
timelines and all that.
Yeah, yeah, but it's kind ofnecessary in this case.
Jason A. Sfire (16:13):
Yeah, no, and I'll try and just kind of tell
the general story without beingtoo focused on the time.
But I fell 35 feet onto aconcrete driveway and it's
important that I tell kind ofhow that happened, because it's
kind of shaped who I am and it'sshaped who I am as a business
(16:38):
leader, because that tragedy andthe reason the tragedy happened
was a lot of self-pride andarrogance on my part.
I was I'll describe it briefly.
We were building a home.
I've only built two houses inmy life.
One of them was for my parentsand this was the house I was.
I'll describe it briefly.
We were building a home.
I've only built two houses in mylife, um, one of them was for
my parents and this was thehouse I was building for my
parents, uh, and it was a 16,000square foot English castle and
it had a three, three storystair turret that the top of the
roof was about 70 feet high, sothe gutter line was at about 35
feet.
(16:58):
So I was climbing a 40 footextension ladder, um, and our
roofer, who was actually upthere, um hadn't shown up for a
week and wasn't returning mycalls and I was really angry at
him.
So I decided that I'm going togo up there onto that roof and
I'm going to grab him, I'm goingto pull him down and we're
going to have a conversation.
I mean, I just described howtall this is up there.
(17:20):
That's never.
But unfortunately, what happenedis kind of running up this
ladder in rage, the wind hit mein the chest and knocked me off
the ladder and I fell backwards,kind of going down backwards my
head first.
I kind of flipped my bodyaround, but I landed with my
left foot touching my rightshoulder behind my back, both my
(17:41):
arms behind my back, whichcaused both my collarbones to
come out of my skin and brokeboth my wrists again and
shattered my left pelvis, brokemy spine in nine to 10 places,
bit down so hard that I knockedout 10 of my teeth.
My orbital bone was comingthrough the roof of my mouth.
Enough gore for the show,because that's not the focus.
But that's what caused me tojust go on this long journey.
(18:03):
I'm 25 years old now, I think.
Yeah, I was 25.
23 first fall, 25 second fall,and it's been now a 25-year
journey of.
There wasn't a year that wentby in my life for 20 years that
I didn't have multiple surgeriesin recovery from this Right.
How many surgeries total 54surgeries in my life.
(18:25):
Yeah, 54 surgeries.
Marc Bernstein (18:27):
Yeah, so then what happened?
Jason A. Sfire (18:31):
Yeah, so you know, and I'm going through this
fall and as a entrepreneur anda business leader and, you know,
kind of like key component ofthe family business, I never
really took any time off.
I just kind of kept workingthrough this process as business
.
I never really took any timeoff.
I just kind of kept workingthrough this process as we're
continuing to have all thesesurgeries, um having more kids
we, you know, had three morekids through this whole process
(18:52):
Um, you know, and and it'sinteresting because everybody
thinks you have this fall andinitially there's a lot of
trauma, obviously, and you gothrough an initial couple-year
period where you have a wholebunch of surgeries to get back
to health, a whole bunch of timein the hospital, and then it's
just kind of like a slow burn.
It's almost like an ice cubemelting where your body just
(19:14):
continues to deteriorate.
Marc Bernstein (19:18):
But after this I know your body was starting to
deteriorate, but you were prettyfunctional.
I was.
Jason A. Sfire (19:23):
Yeah, I was, I was, I was completely able, body
, I was, I was walking on my own, had a lot of pain, couldn't
run, you know, couldn't reallylike jump or do any of those
things, but I was, I wascoaching youth football.
I was coaching high schoolfootball, very active still, I
(19:45):
really, um, I had kind of givenup all athletics at that point
which was, you know, really hardfor me because I was an athlete
my whole life, three sportathlete in high school when it's
going to open to play divisionone college athletics.
But I was, I was, I was able,body and you know, now we have
four kids, so sports reallyweren't even a thing because
you're just chasing kidseverywhere and doing all that.
But yeah, I mean, and the way,like I said, I describe it as
(20:06):
that kind of the slow burn orthe ice cube melting, is
unfortunately my body would justkeep giving out.
So every year, whether it wasanother back surgery, you know,
because I had two or threeinitially when the accident, I'd
have another back surgery, I'dhave another wrist surgery and I
just kind of constantly havingall these surgeries which just
(20:26):
added up time, you know, overtime, while still running, you
know, with my dad, the family,businesses and building more and
developing more and you knowand kind of just that achiever
in both of us.
Never, really, I wouldn't letanything really get in the way,
I think, because I wasstruggling so much personally
(20:47):
with my health that I needed toachieve something to make sure
that I was.
That was what I built kind ofmy persona on.
You know what I mean, right,yeah.
Marc Bernstein (20:58):
Right, kind of my persona on, you know what I
mean, right, yeah, right.
So, um, I know we're gonna waittill the next show, till for
2013 on, but, um, we still havea little bit of time.
So, what, what, what, what,where did you find yourself as a
result of this deterioration ofyour body?
Jason A. Sfire (21:14):
I guess is the question yeah, no, and, and I
was, I was doing well, but it'sjust, it's hard, and that's what
I mean.
I describe it as it's reallytough, man to to continue
leading a business, leading afamily and continuing to have
just constant trauma, you know,constant surgeries.
It's like you would, I wouldhave three or four months of
(21:34):
feeling good and I would alwaystell my wife I don't actually
want to feel good and she wouldsay why?
And I'm like because when youfeel good or don't have a ton of
pain or something isn't failing, you know what it's like.
And I never got to experiencethat for very long because then
something else would go wrongand I'd have to.
And a lot of this, to be honest, was kind of self-inflicted,
(21:56):
because I'm still continuing topush myself with this drive,
this internal drive to you know,all right, well, we need a
paving company.
Let's create a paving company.
Maybe it's still a littlearrogance.
Yeah, a little bit, a little bitof that achiever mentality, you
know, and being an entrepreneurand being driven, is awesome,
right, when it's monitored, whenit's held in check, because it
(22:18):
can get you in trouble.
If not and I think some of mystory is absolutely part of that
right is that without beingheld in check or without having
kind of a barometer to sayenough's enough, it can get a
little bit out of control.
Sari Greene (22:33):
I think that lack of balance is really such a
common trait to entrepreneursand needing to have others in
your life or something else inyour life right.
That says okay, here's yourother focus area.
Jason A. Sfire (22:46):
Yeah, I think that's a great point, sarah.
I think you need to have thosepeople that are going to kind of
hold you in check, kind of haveguardrails, like you described
in your show talking about guiderails for AI your show, um,
talking about guide rails for ailike as entrepreneurs, we need
to have guardrails because wecan continue just starting stuff
and doing stuff over and overand over when it's like, wait a
minute, some of this stuff maynot be healthy for us to go and
(23:09):
do and I think it's also anyother interesting things that
you're not that good at that.
Sari Greene (23:12):
You have to focus that.
For me it was sailing.
My husband's a natural sailor,I'm not, so when I was sailing I
had to be a hundred percentfocused on that, not
multitasking, not doing anythingelse and knowing that you're
not always good at stuff, yeah,it's good, so so.
Marc Bernstein (23:26):
So put that all together.
Basically, what was happeningwas you were.
You were in a lot of pain, butyou were focused on what you
were doing yeah, trying to tryto keep just going on was did
you have any emotional reaction?
Jason A. Sfire (23:40):
all this where you're feeling it emotionally,
yet in terms of yeah, I mean,you know that comes a little bit
later, I think, when we get tothe, you know, after 2013.
But through the whole thing, Ithink what thank god?
And I say, but god, because, uh, without our church family
through, you know, this whole 25year process and we've got, uh,
some really good friends thathave been with us through the
(24:01):
whole thing and they've seenevery.
You know, they've seen the goodand the bad.
They've seen what I call,describe, the dark night of the
soul.
I've had some of those whereit's just you've had those
moments where it's like I'm notsure I can continue living
through all of this.
I mean 54 surgeries.
I can't tell you the count ofsome days and nights in the
(24:23):
hospital and you know, and Ilook back on it now and I just
go as the patient, it's actuallyeasier.
As the patient, it's actuallyeasier.
I don't know what my family hadto go through and that's tough,
man, you know to see, to knowthat my wife had to sit there
all those days and nights, thatI was unconscious after surgery.
My kids, you know, and now thatthey're older and we've had a
(24:46):
chance to kind of reconcile allthat, but you had to bring to
your point, there's a lot ofstruggle, a ton of stress on the
family.
Yeah A ton of stress on thewhole family, a ton of stress on
times on the business.
You know, you know some of thecraziest things that happen in
those moments is you know it'slike you're as you own your own
business, like you're worriedabout all this insurance stuff
(25:09):
that's going on.
And how do you get?
You know, do I take thedisability, do I not?
It's like, you know, it's justweird stuff that you don't want
to have to worry about so we youknow we talk a lot on the show
about challenges.
Marc Bernstein (25:22):
Yeah, we talked about it with Sari, we talked
about with everyone that comeson here, and every entrepreneur
has them.
These are not the ones youexpect, though.
These are not.
These are right.
These are things that happen,related to the business, because
they were both right businessrelated accidents, but they were
you know they were.
They were physical andemotional things that outside of
the business that obviouslyaffected the business, affected
(25:45):
your family, affected you and um, it's you know it's it's a Marc
journey.
I mean I don't want to give awayany of the ending of the story,
but you are in a wheelchairtoday, yeah, and you, you're.
You carry on with a lot ofthings and we'll get to talk
about all that.
Um to me.
I told you at the beginning,this is a story I told the
audience is a story aboutresilience, and it really is,
(26:08):
and I know we're going to get tothe hard part in part two, but
this was.
It really is a um, you know, aMarc story when you look at the
whole thing.
And it's your, I know you knowthis because you're helping a
lot of people that you're a rolemodel for others and an
inspiration, I think, to allentrepreneurs, because when you
think of the challenges that wehave, you know nobody's really
(26:31):
had not nobody, I'm sure thereare people, but it's not typical
that you have to deal with allthese other challenges on top of
that.
Jason A. Sfire (26:38):
And that's a great point to say on top of
that, because I can remember,you know, all the through all of
this, while we're dealing withall of my physical challenges as
a family and I'm, you know,when you have a family business,
as most entrepreneurs know,when there's a family business
involved, it's everybodyinvolved.
I mean you're, and it's just myfather and I and my mom and
(27:03):
then my, my family that'sinvolved in the business.
But to that point, we've hadall of our bank challenges being
in the real estate business.
You know we, we would.
We were in business in 2008when you know, things happened
and the whole Marc kind ofcrashed, and so we've lived
through all of those financialchallenges.
Then you put on top all of thephysical challenges that we had
to deal with, you know, with oneof the you know owners at the
(27:24):
time and you know one of themain key people in the operation
of the company.
It really creates a lot oftension and hardship.
Marc Bernstein (27:32):
I'm sure you know, and we haven't even talked
that much about that, but I'msure they exist because I
thought about that.
Yeah, construction businessover the last 25 years.
Right, it's not a smooth rideitself.
So we're just about at the endof part one.
I do want to ask you one youknow we always have fun
questions at the end yourfavorite sports?
Because we'll relate back tothat later on.
Jason A. Sfire (27:54):
But tell us what you like to play Currently.
I'm a big-time golfer, so I'm aseated golfer.
Marc Bernstein (28:00):
To the audience.
That's how I heard about himfirst, not even knowing he was
my next-door neighbor.
Everyone says you've got to seethis guy.
Jason A. Sfire (28:08):
Yeah.
So I have a cart that stands meup and I golf and I'm blessed
enough to compete nationally andshoot pretty much in the high
70s every time I play the gameand play pickleball in a
wheelchair and going to becompeting in the US Open down in
Naples here in the first weekof May and competing in
international field.
That's unbelievable.
Sari Greene (28:26):
That's amazing.
That's amazing, that'sunbelievable.
I've been watching you becausemy home's right on the 11th
green.
I watch you out there, yeah.
Marc Bernstein (28:32):
Oh, how about that?
See me rolling by.
Sari Greene (28:34):
Yeah.
Marc Bernstein (28:34):
You knew Jason without knowing him.
How about that?
So listen, that's a greatjumping off point.
We can end on a up note beforewe get into the rest of the
story on part two.
So please listen next week andyou'll hear Jason fire.
Part two of this story onFounders' Forum.
Thank you all for listeningtoday and have a great one.
Announcer (29:01):
We hope you enjoyed your time with Founders' Forum
and that you found value to takewith you throughout your day.
Join us again next week foranother episode of Founders'
Forum on WXKB 1039 HD2.
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