EP 307: John Tunnel The Home Builder Who Got a Second Chance

A remarkable redemption story unfolds as John Tunnell reveals his journey from homeless drug addict to successful home builder in this captivating conversation. With 37 years of building experience that began when he constructed his first house at just 17, John brings wisdom, humor, and profound life lessons to every minute of this episode.

John walks us through his current project – an 11-house development in Kennedale where he's not just building homes but fostering genuine community. Working at breakneck speed (three houses completed in ten weeks), he creates spacious, feature-rich properties on half-acre lots backing up to a lake, all priced at $450,000. His straight talk about industry misconceptions rings especially true: "It's hard to build square things in a round world. People expect absolute perfection, but they don't want to pay for it."

What truly distinguishes John isn't just his construction expertise but his multi-platform approach to marketing and life. With 42,000 TikTok followers, a seven-season television show that garnered 91,000 daily views, seven published books, and three music albums with his band Angels Unaware, John embodies the entrepreneurial spirit. Yet behind this success lies an extraordinary transformation. After overdosing and "getting a second chance at life," John now channels his energy (all 98 working hours weekly) into creating neighborhoods where people truly care for one another.

John's philosophy transcends typical business goals: "It's not just about building a house and making some money. It's about building friendships for life." His vision of neighbors who celebrate each other's successes and help during difficulties offers a compelling alternative to the isolation many communities experience today. Follow John's continuing story on social media or through his books and music to witness how one builder is constructing not just homes, but meaningful human connections.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a homebuilder?
Well, one may be closer thanyou think.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
john Tunnell.
With John Tunnell, home BuilderJohn, how's it going today?

Speaker 3 (00:26):
It is going very well .
How are you?

Speaker 2 (00:28):
doing I'm doing well now.
We are so excited to learn allabout you and your business.
Can you start by telling ourlisteners a little bit about
your company?

Speaker 3 (00:37):
um, I've been building for, let me think, for
37 years now, so, uh, that'slong time.
I built my first housecompletely when I was 17.
Right now I'm building aneighborhood in Kennedale, um,
with 11 houses.
I've subdivided some land, duga lake and then we're building
11 houses.
We've done three in the last 10weeks.

(00:58):
Uh, three houses, so we're veryfast.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Wow, now.
Now you said we are you aco-owner of this business?

Speaker 3 (01:10):
No, me and my crew.
I'm sorry.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
They all work for me.

Speaker 3 (01:16):
Here's what I found.
I found that actual owners andpeople that are in charge say
things like we, us and and our,it's all like community type
things.
And people who are low on thetotem pole say me and mine and I
.
So they're always like this ismy aisle and the owners are like
it's ours, it's cool.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
And how did you originally get into this
business?

Speaker 3 (01:35):
I had long hair when I was young and it was the only
job I could get was construction, and for a while I hated it.
And then I think I was 22 and Istarted my own business and
then I started making money.
I was like, oh you know what,this is actually pretty good.
So that was 30 years ago.
And now, you know, I build alot.

(01:55):
I build a lot of houses.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
And what is the most common myth or misconception you
come across in your industry,with as many years of experience
that you have in this industry?

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Most common myth.
I don't know, it's hard tobuild square things in a round
world.
People expect absoluteperfection, but they don't want
to pay for it, right.
And so you're like look, youcan get pretty darn good, you
know, like real, real close toperfect, for a reasonable price,
if you're.
I heard somebody say a longtime ago, it'll cost two or

(02:30):
three times as much to getsomething 15% better.
And I'm like I know that a lotof people want to pay that.
So we get what we call a blankcanvas of a house right.
So we're building four bedroom,two and a half bath, two car
garage houses, huge, big walk-inclosets.
The master bedroom has a 10foot by 16 foot closet.
They've got nine foot ceilings,they're spray foam insulated,

(02:51):
they're on a half acre of land,they back up to Little Lake and
they're 450.
So that to me, is a very fairprice for all that stuff.
It's got granite countertopsand soft close cabinets and lots
of features.
But you, but then you get thesepeople like, well, why didn't
they do I don't know what?
And everybody's got a complaint.
And I'm just like I don't knowwhy didn't you do whatever I

(03:12):
wanted weirdo.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
Now we know marketing is the heart of every business.
Have you ever thought abouthaving your very own podcast,
and what are you currently doingto market your business?

Speaker 3 (03:27):
And I post those on Facebook, instagram, youtube and
TikTok and I have about 42,000followers on TikTok, about
another 38,000 on Facebook, andthen I've got YouTube and

(03:50):
Instagram as well.
I also had a TV show calledJohn Works Too Much.
I got seven seasons, so it's142 episodes and it was the
number one show on the channel.
It was getting 91,000 views aday.
I've got seven books publishedon Amazon, audible and Kindle
and I've got three albums.
So it's 142 episodes and it wasthe number one show on the
channel was getting 91,000 viewsa day.
I've got seven books publishedon Amazon, audible and Kindle
and I've got three albums.
I play guitar, piano and sing.
My band is angels unaware andI'm very, very plugged in with a

(04:12):
lot of people.
So you know I do a lot ofthings and so typically by the
time the house is ready,everybody's already seen it.
Hundreds of thousands of peoplehave seen it already and you
know somebody is going to sayyes, and so it's in the
neighborhood I live in and Iwant to have good neighbors.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
So I'm always excited to meet them and, you know, get
to know them.

Speaker 3 (04:38):
That's amazing and so who are your target clients?
Who are your potentialcustomers?
That's a good question.
I mean, it's not exactly astarter home, but they're
affordable, right?
So 450,?
Five years ago 450 seemed likeshocking and 20 years ago 450
was like you must be rich.
But now you're kind of like huh, 450 is about average.

(04:59):
I don't know families, peoplewho have decent jobs not amazing
jobs, but you know decent jobs.
I think our neighborhood has alot of blue collar workers.
There's a lot of people thatwork hard for a living.
We've got an electrician, we'vegot fence builder, deck builder
, concrete guy, garage doorinstaller, somebody that works
for the landfill.

(05:20):
I'm trying to think what else?
It's a lot of hardworking guysand girls, but I'm just saying
as far as the man of the house.
For the most part we're a bunchof hardworking people.
So I enjoy that, becauseanything you need in this
neighborhood we're like oh, wecan fix that and then we just do
.

Speaker 2 (05:37):
Has anything you need in this neighborhood.
We're like oh, we can fix that,and then we just do.

Speaker 3 (05:47):
Now, what is one thing our listeners can remember
about John Tinnell?
Home Builder?
John works too much and that isa true story.
So I used to work 100 hours aweek plus, but I've really
tapered it down to about 98hours a week, so that's way
better.
And then when I'm not buildingthat, I'm doing other things too
playing shows and making videosand all kinds of things, but I

(06:08):
enjoy it.
So we're supposed to love ourneighbors ourself, and I think
that a lot of people are justscared to even see their
neighbors and they're like oh,my neighbor saw me.
It's time to move.
But I want to get to know myneighbors.
I've got a community garden atmy house.
I want to know them, I wantthem to know me.
I want to have community.
I think that if somebodystumbles that, the rest of us
should lift them up.

(06:28):
I think that we should careabout our neighbors and when
something's going bad for them,that we help them.
If something's going good forthem, we celebrate with them and
then pool our resources and bea community like we should be,
and so I think that that's veryimportant, that we do that, and

(06:52):
I think that a lot of peopledon't, and so I strongly
encourage that and where I liveand really everywhere.
But we're building homes in myneighborhood right now and so I
want to get to know people, Iwant to help people, I want to
make their lives better and allthose things.
So that's, it's not just aboutbuilding a house and making some
money.
It's about building friendshipsfor life.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
And where does your heart for helping people come
from, John?

Speaker 3 (07:11):
I used to be a drug dealer and a drug addict.
I was a runaway and a dropoutand I was homeless and I was a
thief and a liar and every otherbad thing and I overdosed and
died and went to hell.
And I got a second chance atlife and when I did I decided
that I'm not going to do any ofthose things anymore and that
I'm going to do the right thing,and I wouldn't wish that upon

(07:32):
my worst enemy, and so I doeverything in my power to try to
make the world a better place.

Speaker 2 (07:40):
Wow, it sounds like you've certainly been through
some things, john.
Well, we are happy that you arealive and well with us today.

Speaker 3 (07:45):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
Thank you for that, and where can?

Speaker 3 (07:52):
our listeners go to learn more about John Tonnell,
home Builder.
Well, if you follow me onFacebook, it's John Tonnell, or
Instagram, I think it's Johnunderscore Tonnell, tiktok is
John, works too much.
And then YouTube is also thesame John Tonnell, so you can
look at any of those things.
You can also search Amazon,kindle, audible or any streaming
platform for my music, which isAngels Unaware, and that comes

(08:13):
from a scripture that says becareful to be kind to strangers,
because in doing so, some haveentertained Angels Unaware, and
I just think what a beautifulthing it would be to finally get
to Judgment Day and thenrealize, like oh, hey man,
what's up?
And then you're thinking, oh,it's not going to go so good for
me.
But then somebody comes andvouches for you and then you're
thinking, oh, it's not going togo so good for me.
But then somebody comes andvouches for you and then you
realize that was a citizen ofheaven, that you were kind to

(08:35):
somebody and it really did.
I don't think we should do itfor that reason.

Speaker 2 (08:38):
But I just think that that's a beautiful thought,
most definitely.
Well, john, I really appreciateyou being on the show.
We wish you and your businessthe best moving forward.

Speaker 1 (08:48):
Thank you so much the best moving forward.
Thank you so much.
I appreciate it.
Thank you for listening to theGood Neighbor Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to gnpfriscocom.
That's gnpfriscocom.
Or call 469-221-9345.
9, 3, 4, 5.