June 5, 2025 • 48 mins
Katherine Martín-Fisher welcomes Steve and Cory Nunes, who shares his journey from overcoming early challenges to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Steve discusses losing a parent, community support, and lessons from working on a dairy farm that shaped his life. He talks about the trials of starting his own farm, setting priorities, and building trust. Joined by Cory Nunes, they explore family values, history, and the importance of second opinions. The episode wraps up with reflections on family pride, work experiences, and retirement thoughts.
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(00:02):
I am Katherine Martín-Fisher, and I helpbusiness owners who have lost their vision
because they're struggling with cash flow,sales, marketing, which also affects their
company culture.
By showing them to implement proven systemsthat increase their revenue by 30% in 90 days,
and this allowing them to reignite the passionand that big dream that they started with.
(00:28):
So, the reason that I started this podcast wasto celebrate businesses who have overcome
adversity and have come out on the other sideof it.
And I want you to know that you are not alone.
Good afternoon, this is Katherine, your hostwith The Beyond Business Podcast.
I am excited to introduce you today to SteveNunes.
(00:52):
So Steve is Cory Nunes from Cory Nunes CapitalFinancial Services.
He actually, this is his dad.
And so we wanted to fulfill some of the storyof what it was that the family went through
during the early years.
Cory's dad was raising his family or when hewas a sibling actually in a situation where
(01:16):
they had lost the dairy and just you know,losing his dad.
And so let's go ahead and unfold that storytoday.
So excited to have you with us here, Steve.
Thank you.
Okay.
Hello.
So what we'd like to do today, is ask just acouple of questions.
So first of all, how old were you when you whenyour dad passed away?
(01:40):
I was 13.
So you were a teenager?
Yes.
Started being a teenager.
Children.
How
We had I have six brothers and three sisters.
Wow.
And where are you in the lineup of children?
I was basically the third son of my father andthe second son of my mother.
(02:03):
Okay.
And so what was it like losing your dad at thatage?
It was tragic, to be blunt.
I mean, with that many kids in the family andall so young, because I was 13 and there were
seven of them underneath me, basically.
So it was tough.
(02:25):
I mean, I basically almost quit school, but mymom wouldn't let me.
So we stayed in school and ran the dairy whileeverybody got through life.
The neighbors, everybody pitched in, and itmade it so it was kind of like, you know,
seamless, and it was the help of everybody elsethat really made it.
(02:49):
Wow.
So you actually lived where there was a nicecommunity of people who were there to support
you?
Definitely.
Yes.
It was if it wasn't for that, I mean, eventoday in the same area would be different than
what it was back then, a little bit because thetown itself was also all involved with our
(03:11):
family.
More now, we have a lot of outsiders or stuffthat are in here that are, I'd call them
implants or whatever, but it's not like the olddays.
Boy, never thought I'd be saying that.
Well, you know, it's so funny because, inLancaster County, it's the same.
It's, you know, it's a very close-knitcommunity, but now we have what everybody calls
(03:34):
implants where people are coming fromeverywhere, which means that it changes kind of
the generational history of people who havebeen there for generations.
Isn't that right?
Yes.
Yes.
It was, I mean, such a community back then thatanything that happened, everybody pitched in.
Like, I can remember that probably for months,my mom didn't even have to cook a meal because
(03:59):
somebody in the city had set it all up.
So somebody would bring us meals, you know, forthe whole family.
I mean, and when there's nine of you to feed,you know, it's not just a little potluck dish
to feed everybody.
They had it all organized to come.
So
Wow.
Yeah.
(04:19):
So I would love to talk a little bit about, youknow, the choices that had to be made once your
dad had passed on and what that looked like forthe family as far as the dairy itself.
Yeah.
Well, I was just a freshman in high school, andI had just finished making the basketball team.
(04:40):
And so I had to automatically quit that becauseI had to do all the night chores and stuff and
milk the cows in the evening, so after school.
So the sports were out for me for basically thewhole rest of my life almost, I figured.
And my older brother, he kept playing insports.
(05:01):
So we just, that's just the way that all went.
And the younger kids all came and they could dotheir thing and not have to worry.
So it's basically the older siblings had totake responsibility for?
Yes.
That was just basically, you know, it was noteven, you didn't even think about it back then.
(05:21):
It was just like, that's just the way it is,you know?
It was kind of tough for me because I just,when you work in a dairy unit, if you know
anything about them at all, that nothing seemsto go right all the time.
So there were a lot of times where, of course,I didn't want to go to school, so I didn't care
if I was late for school and I pretty muchwould miss first period for both two years
(05:46):
probably.
Anyway, it all works out.
What would you say are some of the lessons thatyou learned by having that kind of discipline?
Because you know, that's something my husbandsays all the time because we live around a lot
of dairy farmers here in Lancaster.
And one of the things he says is that the cowshave got to be milked no matter what is
(06:08):
happening in your life.
The cows must be milked.
So what would you say are some of the lessonsthat you learned in having been on a dairy
farm?
Well, I think one of the lessons and the mostimportant thing that I've learned was before my
father passed, he kind of instilled it in usand it was like everybody comes together.
(06:33):
So when there's a problem, help somebody elseout.
So I actually get more enjoyment from helpingsomebody else out for nothing.
I mean, I will drop everything I'm doing tohelp somebody else out and never ask for a dime
for doing it.
Because the pleasure is worth way more than anydollar amount.
(06:57):
And that's what I've instilled into my kids isto help people, you know, and it starts out at
a young age, like opening a door for a lady,you know, it's just one of the things you do.
I've never, but sometimes growing up, everybodysays, no, ladies get mad if you open the door
for them now.
And I've never run into that.
I've always opened it with a smile andeverybody appreciates it.
(07:20):
It's just doing the least amount you can andstill people appreciate it.
Do not listen to that when they say the ladiesdon't like it, they love it.
Well, that's the way I feel too.
It makes them feel valued and appreciated.
Yes.
So don't listen to those people.
Those people don't know what they're saying.
(07:42):
So tell me, what part of running the farm didyou enjoy the most?
Well, because I enjoyed just being outside withthe animals, you know, it was a tough time
because we had so much to do because we were asmall, little dairy that was, this is, it was
our bread and butter.
So it was like, it had to be done.
(08:03):
And it's just, it was work, and work neverbothered me.
So I didn't, probably a downfall in my life isbeing able to work and enjoy it because now I
don't know anything but work.
Alright.
So how about what age were you when you guyshad to make new choices on the dairy and, I
(08:26):
mean, you basically didn't stay on that dairyfor all of your life.
So what happened and, you know, at what pointdid those choices have to be made?
Well, it's after my dad passed, because we werejust leasing a dairy.
The person who actually owned it, well, it wascoming up for sale in an estate sale.
(08:49):
So it was going to be auctioned off, and we hadno place to go.
We figured we needed to stay there.
And there was an old gentleman who had all themoney he needed, and he wanted to buy the dairy
just so he could go over to the dairy, and it'dbe like his, and he'd like to hunt so he could
hunt on this piece of property.
(09:10):
And he made an offer on the place.
And so we figured, oh, he's going to buy itbecause no way could anybody, his offer was 10%
over the highest bid that anybody puts in.
Pretty much means that you're gonna buy it.
Right.
So that's my mom.
We all felt comfortable that this is what'sgonna happen.
(09:30):
And so we were gonna still stay there and raisethe family, you know, and I'm sure one of us
would still be on that property today.
And all of a sudden, things happened thatsomebody else ended up with a dairy, and they
didn't even want a dairy.
And they didn't even want a dairy?
No, no.
There was not a cow milked on the place afterwe left.
(09:51):
That would be sad.
So we had to sell all our cows.
We didn't even have an opportunity to sell themto a new, another dairyman, you know?
So we had to sell all the animals andeverything and then look for a place to live.
And there was a neighbor that we had that hadanother piece of property that had an old house
on it that nobody'd lived in it since the majorflood of 1964.
(10:16):
And she said, you can fix it up and stay thereif you want and rent-free, you know?
And so the neighbors, everybody came togetherand worked on that house as a project so that
we could move into it.
I mean, we didn't have any, basically anymoney.
I mean, it's like, we just lived paycheck topaycheck.
(10:38):
And my mom tried to stretch this out.
And at that time, you know, if you were on likewelfare or something, it was, it was kind of
like, oh boy, you're on welfare, you know?
So my mom never took any help from thegovernment at all to raise us other than the
Social Security that my dad had.
(10:58):
That was it.
So she had to get a job also.
So how did that affect you?
What is your relationship with work and moneyhaving gone through those experiences?
Well, it's, again, it was back to people wereworking on a house for us when they had all
(11:22):
their other things that they needed to do also.
And it was, like I said, it wasn't just ourfamily that was brought up to help other people
and doing, you know, and not ask for anything,you know, it was like, so they just all came
together and worked on the house.
And it was just seeing that, seeing people dothat really instilled in me the fact that you
(11:44):
don't need a monetary reward for doingsomething because just helping people is more
important.
And that's what just made it all bearablebasically.
So then okay.
Let's fast forward a little bit.
Now you're living in a new home.
You're not.
So I didn't realize that you, so you didn'thave cows at that point.
(12:04):
You didn't have a dairy.
Yeah.
This was like two years after my father hadpassed.
For the first two years after his death, we ranthe dairy itself continually.
And so then when we moved on, it would havebeen my senior year in high school where, okay,
now I went out for the football team and madethe football team and played a year of sports.
(12:26):
And but then after football season was over, Imean, I had to go back to work.
So I milked cows for other dairymen just beforeand after school, just to get by school.
So, I mean, it took pressure off my mom becauseI had a few dollars in my pocket to do.
She didn't have to worry about spending moneyfor us, you know?
(12:49):
Right.
You know?
It's and it wasn't a lot of money.
When I look back today about getting up andgoing to work before you go to school and for a
couple of bucks, it's like, crap, kids justdon't do that anymore.
Do you feel that because you went through allof those challenges that you are better off
(13:11):
than some of the generations that don't havethat kind of struggle?
I mean, I would, gosh, you'd hate to think thatyou have to be better off to lose a parent, you
know, but when it happens and you get by, Imean, from everything I've learned, it just
made me stronger because I basically had toraise my brothers and sisters, you know, to
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help so that, you know, I just, I don't know.
It was, it's just something that happens, butyes, it made me stronger because then of
course, like I said, all I knew was to work.
So I just knew you had to work.
Basically in my life, when I started workingbefore school and after school, and then
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naturally, as soon as I graduated from school,then I went and got a full-time job and
everything too.
It's like the days were when 8 a.m.
or 5 p.m.
hit and you were off from your job.
I'm still thinking I got another four or fivehours.
I need another job because I need to keepworking.
(14:21):
Why should I not be working on the sunshine?
And then it's, I don't want to waste my lifenot doing something.
And so that was the way I felt I got ahead wasa lot of times I'd work construction and then
still milk cows in the valley for other people.
Wow.
So you, did you stay in doing the dairy?
Like did you, did you wind up doing thatthroughout your life then?
(14:43):
Well, I, I did it for a couple of years after Igraduated from school, like I say, part-time
stuff.
But then when I graduated, I actually got a jobin construction.
So I was working with a general contractor anddoing something that I figured I was never
going to be in the dairy business at that time.
I said that was the part of your life that isso expensive to get into that there would be
(15:06):
never another chance to ever do it.
So I was in construction and that's when Corywas born.
And, then we were at that time in the early,late seventies there, it was just a bad time.
It was like, I don't know, I wouldn't call itthe depression, but it was, there was in this
(15:27):
valley, there was just nothing going on.
It was tough to find work.
In fact, one of the reasons I wanted to dosomething else was there were times when we
would have spaghetti with no meat.
I mean, and that was one of the things thatlike, it was a staple, you know, but ketchup
and spaghetti, it's like, okay, this is atleast if I'm in the dairy business, you've got
(15:51):
animals that you can, you know, harvest andstill feed the family.
Because that was a concern for me is to feed myfamily.
So, so then I got, I had this generalcontractor that I was working for.
He'd passed away on the job.
So we had three jobs going at the same time.
And his widow asked me to finish up the jobs ifI would.
(16:13):
So I finished all the jobs that he had goingand then trying to find more work around was
like, oh, people thought, no, you can't do allthese things because you're just too young.
So I had one guy that I worked for before,milked cows for him while I was still working,
you know, and so he just asked me, he says,hey, will you go to Nevada and build me a
(16:37):
dairy?
And I said, why not?
You know, there's a couple of people, my mom,I'd asked her about it, you know, and she says,
if you can get out of here, get out of here.
Don't worry about it, you know?
So we packed up Cory and headed to Nevada, andI built a dairy for this gentleman and was in
partners with him was the way it was to be setup.
(16:58):
And then we got on our own.
Wow.
So then Cory was about how old when you hadpretty much picked up and moved to Nevada?
Well, was two, I'm going to say.
Yeah, he's still in diapers basically.
And so this was an opportunity that came upduring a difficult season.
(17:18):
So here we are again with another overcome, andyou're like, all right, opportunity comes and
you take that opportunity.
And so walk us through what that looked like asyou were building in Nevada.
Okay.
There were a couple of things that will alwaysstick in my mind because people even there
couldn't even believe it, but I went down tothe hardware store in Nevada and told the guy I
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wanted to open up an account for this othergentleman that I was going to build this dairy
for.
And he called up this fella and the guy says,well, what kind of a budget do you like?
How much is he allowed to charge?
The guy that hired me goes, well, whatever heneeds, there's no limit, you
that's kind of a lot of trust in a person, youknow, because I could have basically did, you
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know?
So anyway, we built the dairy for him and thenI got my herd built up and it was just like
we'd planned five years and then I'd find aplace of my own.
And I was, I had the intention to maybe comingback to Ferndale, you know, but then this other
place down the road was empty, no cows on it,but it had an old barn.
(18:31):
And so I went to, and it was, there was somehelp because I did go to a farmer's home and
that's a government agency that starts youngfarmers and got a loan from them.
And, when I told them I wanted to buy thisdairy, you know, okay.
So we got, we did all this paperwork and stuffand, and I was, it was kind of in a bankruptcy
(18:55):
court.
So I'm, I got all done.
I mean, I'm, I got every single dime that I owninvested in this program that I'm going to buy
this dairy.
And they said, well, you need another $10,150to make this work.
(19:18):
And I says, I don't have any more.
I'm you got all I got.
There is no $15,000.
So I went to the guy who actually isforeclosing on the property.
And I told him, I says, boy, this thing wasclose, but I can't, I'm going to have to back
out because I don't have $15,000.
He goes, how about I just give you $15,000 on apersonal note?
(19:43):
Oh.
I go on like, he just saved the day.
You know, there's a lot to be said about thatthough.
You have to trust someone to be able to dothat.
So trust is a big thing here.
What I'm hearing you say is number one, yourupbringing created a you grew up in a community
(20:05):
where trust was important and people trustedeach other and they trusted each other enough
to be able to support their community and thepeople all around them.
And that in and of itself builds so muchcharacter because now you're a person of
integrity, of loyalty, a person of your word.
(20:26):
Sounds to me that that upbringing really helpedin forming who you became and the fact that
others could trust you.
And it seems to me that through that you'vealso raised your children to be, you know,
trustworthy and be people of character and tobe trusted.
And so I'd love to ask you as you did that andnow you have this opportunity, what did that
(20:52):
look like as you literally just start in thatdairy farm?
And what did that feel like, first of all, tohave been given this opportunity and then what
did that look like for you?
Well, it was my wife is what really made ithappen too, because she kind of already knew
from already, because we were in partners forfive years with the other guy that, you know,
(21:17):
it's going to be tough.
And I told her, I says, I says, if we do this,I mean, I can't afford to hire help.
So I'm going to be doing this on her own, but Idon't want you to neglect what the kids want to
do.
So she took care of raising the two boys andtook them to wherever, you know, sports events
they were getting into and stuff.
And sometimes it took them out of town, youknow, but I had to stay back and run the dairy,
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but that didn't even bother me because I wasalready used to that from doing it before with
when my dad passed.
Right.
So it's just something you have to do to forme, that was the only way that I knew to really
get ahead.
We just did that and we hadn't had the dairyfor even a year.
And then I did one thing that most people don'trealize is you pick up an irrigation pipe.
(22:07):
I don't know if they're a long aluminum pipe,you know, I had sand in it because we were out
there in the desert.
And so I was tipped it on in to dump the sandout and I stuck it in a power line and
basically got electrocuted.
I think that's when you die, but I didn't diefrom it, but it blew holes in my hands and in
(22:30):
my feet.
So I just kind of went to the house and Icalled my brother up and told him that I goofed
up.
And actually, I went to the hospital.
My sister-in-law told me—she was a nurse at thetime—and she says, get to the hospital right
away.
So I drove to the hospital.
(22:50):
Like I say, my wife and the kids were bothgone.
And, I just went into the emergency room and Isat down on the bed there and she goes, the
nurse comes out and says, what are you doing?
I says, oh, put one of them things on me tocheck for, see if my heart's still working.
And she goes, well, we don't really do that.
And I held out my hands and my feet to her andshe hooked me up really fast.
(23:13):
Anyway, when I called my brother and told himwhat I'd done, he dropped everything that he
was doing in his life and came right over tohelp me at the dairy.
So that was, you know, another time when it'sjust like, hey, this is what has to happen, and
we do it.
Now, where did he live nearby?
No, he lived back still over in Ferndale here,and he had to go 400 miles to help me, but he
(23:40):
didn't even question it.
He was going to some party that night, and hejust packed up and came over.
It was good.
I mean, I wouldn't, you know, because I wassupposed to stay off my feet and everything,
and again, with no help around or anything.
So then he just, you know, he was raised on thedairy with me.
We knew it was just one of those things, youknow?
(24:01):
So
So you definitely had, I mean, that was apivotal time.
How long did it take you to recover from that?
Well, that wasn't as long I thought.
Sometimes it took a long time to get thejitters out of you, you know, from being around
electricity anymore.
But, you know, I think he probably stayed therefive, six months maybe to help out and get back
(24:24):
on my feet solid again.
So, yeah.
That's beautiful.
Well, I mean, that's what it is.
I mean, and it was like, there's no question.
I mean, it wasn't, you know, he didn't ask me,well, do you need help?
He just knew it, you know?
I wouldn't ask him probably.
So and that's true for most of us.
(24:44):
It's like you don't ask people, but when theyoffer like that, that's just an amazing family
story.
So when you fast forward from there, what didthat look like as you're building this out?
I mean, do you still have the dairy today?
Yeah, I still own the property that the dairyis on and I leased it out to another young
(25:06):
couple.
I wish it would have been one of my kids thatwould have wanted to be there, you know,
because this young guy was just getting marriedand just getting started.
And I kind of like gave him a pretty good deal,thought, so that he could, you know, and he
raised his family there right now.
So it's, you know, I often think that grandkidsof his could have been my grandkids, you know,
(25:28):
there, but you know, that's just the way it is.
And everybody seems to be happy.
World is changing and things are different, butwhat doesn't change is what you instilled with
the lessons that they were able to learn.
So give us an example of some of the thingsthat had happened while your children were
(25:48):
growing up on the dairy.
And were there ever anything that happenedwith, any of the animals, a funny story of
something that is just like, else would believethis.
Well, I mean, it's, I don't know how to say itbecause I mean, every day was a different, you
know, another story, but you know, the kidsgrew up there, they did all the feeding of the
(26:10):
calves and stuff, and they had to come homefrom school and help.
And I can remember one lady once asking methat, well, you really don't need Cory.
Doesn't really do that much.
Does he?
I says every little bit of things that he doeswhen he's home here after school is something I
don't have to do.
And people just don't realize that, you know,that you go out and feed 50 calves.
(26:35):
That's a job that somebody else doesn't have todo, you know?
So if it took them just, you know, an extrahalf an hour longer, it still saves me an hour,
you know?
It's just like, so it's, it was, I don't know.
That was always great growing up.
They could then we had animals for them so theycould go and show them at FFA and stuff and
(26:57):
learn more about, you know, taking care of it.
Just, it's hard to say because nobody really,you know, you don't sit down and like do a
lesson.
It's more like as they see what you've done,just pick it up.
You know what I mean?
It's like, you don't, it's like the lesson ofthe day, you know, it's like, we never did
that.
It was always, you just learned it all fromjust watching it being done and being doing
(27:22):
business honestly and stuff is they just, yousee that, you know, you give some, tell
somebody you're going to do something.
Hey, the most important thing you can do is doit.
That's right.
There was a time when Cory was in school, andthe principal or somebody asked him to take off
his hat, and he said, I'm headed out the door.
(27:44):
And he was coming home, and he said, well, youbetter come into my office.
And he says, I would, but I can't today becausemy dad expects me home.
We were actually going to pour cement that day,and the cement truck was coming when he was out
of school.
So that caused a need for help.
And so he gets home, you know, and theprincipal told me about his incident with the
(28:08):
principal.
And I said, well, you made the right choicebecause we can handle that one afterwards, but
the truck is here, and we gotta get this jobdone.
It's one of those things that you just knowwhere your priorities lie.
That's the key to it, I guess, you know,because some things can wait, no matter how
much some people think it's dire to getsomething done now.
(28:29):
There are priorities in what needs to be doneexactly.
And that's the one thing they just learn, youknow?
And so that's just kind of the way it is.
I mean, you're just watching all the time, andsometimes we make mistakes, you know, but we
try to overcome them.
I love that you use that as an example becauseI will tell you that just, you know, just from
(28:54):
your background and the way that you raisedthose boys, it also taught them what decisions
to make.
You taught them, you instilled in them what wasthe priority.
And I love what you said.
There's that saying that, you know, it's easierto ask for forgiveness than to ask for
permission.
So what you taught him was the most importantthing that needs to be taken care of is the
(29:18):
most important thing.
Everything else can be handled later.
And he knew that.
He knew that this was super important and thiswas a situation that he could not take care of
right this minute, but he could handle thatlater.
And so really having that loyalty of like, issomething that has to be done.
This was planned and I've got to get to it.
(29:39):
And so do you find that he does that in lifenow in business and having, and raising his own
family.
Yeah.
And it's that's, I mean, it's like, it wasn'tlike I was really even, you know, no teaching
degree, so I didn't know how to teach, but likeI said, it just from doing it right.
And then the kids watch you and then it's like,they wanna do things right too.
(30:00):
Right.
Right.
So if you wanted to say something about andwhat he does today, what would you what would
be something that the audience would like tohear about Cory, your son?
Well, I think the people need to know that Imean, he's had a lot of things in his life.
(30:21):
I mean, when he was playing sports, he gothurt, and so he had bad knees.
He tried to start a construction company anddid very well with it, but then his knees
bothered him.
So I figured he tried something different.
And he's put a tremendous amount of time intolearning this financial business that he's in.
(30:43):
And he's doing well.
I mean, and I tell him that, man, you are intoone of the things that people just do not like
to give up personal information.
And it's hard because the trust factor is oneof the things, and I don't know if people think
that, well, you're going to think that I didn'tdo as good as I should have done or, you know,
(31:06):
always, so they don't want to.
It's not like it's investing.
He's just trying to help people, but it takes along time to get that kind of trust, you know,
and people would trust a stranger with theirinformation before they trust a friend.
It's really strange, but that is the way itworks that I've seen in my life.
(31:29):
So now with you having to have been insituations where people had to trust you, what
advice would you give someone who is actuallyin that same situation?
Like how do you build that trust?
So I love that you brought that up, actually.
How do you personally, what do you look for inwhich to be able to make the decision to trust
(31:53):
someone else as people have trusted you?
Well, some of them were probably some badchoices I made, but I never let those affect
the next person's trustability for me.
You know, if somebody else did me wrong, Ididn't say, well, I'm never going to give
anybody else a chance, you know, because yougot to put everybody on their own.
(32:15):
So there've been a lot of times where, youknow, you just, I don't know how you, how you
say it.
People give you a little trust.
Well, then you go, you were a regular Joe that,hey, I'll do anything for you.
You know, it doesn't matter.
And that's just what I've always done.
And when you do something for somebody and thenthey already have the trust in you because you
(32:38):
didn't, you just helped them because you wantedto.
That's, you know, it's not because you'retrying to gain anything financially.
You just want to help people.
And I tell I always still do that today.
I drop everything if somebody asks because theyreally need help.
Oh, my kids would probably go without shoes,but, you know, I'd go and help them.
(32:59):
Yeah.
But it's it's just that kind of
I want to ask you something about your mom.
And, you know, these were difficult times thatyou went through when you were younger and had
this, you know, watch and work througheverything that was going on.
What is the thing that your mom, what stood outmost about your mom and how she was able to
(33:24):
manage raising all of these children?
But also there are lessons that you've learnedfrom her as well.
What would be some things that stand out fromthose years about your mom?
Well, my mom was something out of the ordinarybecause she did this on her own.
Like I said, she didn't ask for any governmentassistance or anything, but the kids, we all
(33:49):
kind of got booted out of the nest early, youknow, or whatever you want to call it.
But we, you know, so everybody could keepmaking their own.
But she was a very special person, and stillwith all of her problems, she would help
people.
She would, you know, she understood what peopledid for her, and she was just the way we all
(34:13):
were.
And I mean, we didn't even think of it as like,it was a challenge for us or that we owed
somebody and you got to pay them back.
It was never like that.
And she always, when you have nine children inyour family and they have friends, and you have
a table that you've got to feed nine peopleevery time, she felt like what the heck's a
(34:36):
couple more, you know, if you bring yourfriends over, we feed them too.
You know, it's like, questioned that.
It was, you know, we didn't have a lot, but shenever cooked a small batch of anything that I
can remember because you got so many to feed.
It's like one more mouth, you know?
And we all just got through it.
I mean, she was a super lady, you know, and sheoften told me when I was older that, you know,
(35:05):
you work hard, so you got to play hard.
So she never got upset with some of the thingsthat you did, you know, because she just
realized that, well, you guys have been workinglike men, so you got to act like men, I guess.
I love that.
I love that you added that because, you know, Iwas raised in a family of six and I was the
(35:28):
oldest and it's so true what you say.
It's, you're gonna cook for this many.
It doesn't matter how many more.
And so we would always have everyone stoppingin.
We had so many people in our home all the time,but they were always welcome, and they were
always welcome to come and eat with us.
So it was a beautiful thing.
And, you know, community is so important andfamily and just that togetherness.
(35:52):
Now I will ask, I wanna ask you this onequestion because I feel like when you raised
that many children, did you guys sit to eattogether every night?
Because the world has changed so much, andwe're so fast-paced today.
And I, I just, I'm just curious.
We probably ate together more often than wedidn't.
I mean, some had to eat fast because, you know,like there was sports being involved and
(36:15):
somebody's always, you know, different timesthe girls played their sports and the, you
know, and the boys, so after school, but prettymuch always dinners were, you know, and
breakfast.
I mean, we always ate together.
I mean, it was, like I say, my mom cooked, youreally didn't wanna wait because, you know,
there's, if there's nobody else there, maybethere's not enough food to like, you know, that
(36:40):
you didn't get your spoon in there fast enough,you didn't get to eat.
And I don't mean we were ever out of food.
Don't get me wrong.
I mean, it was just a matter of you justlearned that, hey, this is mealtime and
everybody sat down and ate.
And it was we kind of tried to instill thatinto our family too, is that we brought up the
boys, my wife and I, sit down and eat dinnertogether.
(37:00):
You know, sometimes it would be late because ofcoming in from the barn would be just something
happened, but we always wanted to eat togetherbecause that's when you start talking and, you
know, while you're eating and everybody listensto what's going on.
Don't get me wrong, 10 kids in the family.
I mean, there's a lot more than oneconversation going on at a time.
(37:21):
And the girls did really well with that becausethey could really pick up the pace and talk on
fun a bit faster than the rest of us.
That's so funny.
What would be one thing that your boys don'tknow about you that is just something that
you'd want them to know?
(37:41):
Well, they probably don't know just how much Ireally love them, to be quite honest.
And I don't know.
They probably do just something that I wouldsay.
Just I'm proud of them.
I just don't know, you know, what else to say.
No matter what they do, I'm behind them 100%.
So I don't, you know, don't care when they pickout a job that's, you know, really a challenge
(38:05):
or something.
As long as that's what they want to do, happydoing it.
That's the main thing.
I can remember once I had a brother-in-law thathe'd like to golf.
And so he asked me, you know, he says, well,what do you do for fun?
He was visiting us there on the dairy and Isays, I go outside here and work.
That's what I did.
(38:25):
You know?
And I tried to tell people now that, you know,if you do that, that when you go to retire, you
will have a void, you know, you need to figureout something maybe to do that you like.
But it didn't work out for me.
It just work is what I like to do, and I stilldo it.
I mean, you know, I do work around andsometimes I get paid for it and sometimes I
(38:49):
don't, but it doesn't stop me.
I just keep because I enjoy it.
So it's like paying me to go play golf, youknow, where other people have to pay to play
golf.
I mean, it's one of those kind of things.
Got it.
Got it.
That's so fun.
You know what, Steve?
I have truly enjoyed our conversation today.
You are amazing, and I just thank you foradding so much value.
(39:13):
You know, just having a little more insightinto your childhood and all of the things that
you had to overcome, but also the trust and theloyalty that you instilled in your children
because you came from that and you also havethat community that always surrounded you.
But you've also created that community withinyour family and been able to pass that on.
(39:38):
And so what would you say you would want?
You know, we all have a timeline.
What would you say is the one thing that youwould want to be known for?
That I would want to be known for?
I don't know.
I just I really don't even I don't care whatanybody wants me to be known for.
I don't I don't really I never give out.
(39:59):
If not.
It's anybody, anybody if you wanted, you know,you've, you've done so much good in the world.
And like you say, you'll do anything foranyone.
So with that, I personally, I believe that, youknow, just know, being known that you're a
person who would do anything for anyone.
(40:20):
And, you know, so you have quite a solidfoundation and you've created that for your
family as well.
So, you know, but in our lifetime, you know,those are, there's something that's so
important to us.
What's, what's the one thing that's soimportant to you?
Well, my family is important to me.
(40:42):
I mean, and it's not just Cory and his brother,but even my siblings, they're all important to
me, you know, and it's because even through allthe hardships that we went through, we've got,
you know, the families, the girls that mean allof my siblings, basically we got married at
(41:04):
young ages and everybody had pretty much pickedout the right soulmate, you know, and they it's
like how can I say it?
We never and I, and sometimes I think it'smaybe part of me that I helped instill into my
siblings was the fact that they never gotreally into drugs because we came up in an era
(41:26):
when drugs were pretty prevalent, you know, andI go around today and I can see kids that I
went to school with that they, you know, gotinto drugs.
I mean, and it's like, it, it did a toll onthem, you know?
And other than the nine kids, all come throughit real well.
I mean, for having, you know, basically nosupervision, you're, you know, except the fact
(41:50):
that, like we've said, that we ate dinnertogether, so we were all home at dinner time.
So, you know, it wasn't like we were runningloose or anything and we didn't want to be, you
know, everybody kind of looked up to the nextone, you know, like, oh, well, you don't have
to do drugs.
Well, why do I need to get into them?
You know?
Or so anyhow, that's I don't know.
(42:11):
I just, I guess that's what I want to beremembered by is, you know, somebody that, you
know, was part of the solution and not part ofthe problem.
I love that.
That is actually beautiful.
Well, Steve, this has been an amazing timetogether.
I am just so thankful for this time and justfor all of the information that you've been
(42:32):
able to add for, for us, for Cory's story.
And, you know, I I just value your time.
I value the, you know, the honor that you havefor your family and the love and that
attention.
And I'm just so thankful.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
Appreciate it.
And I'm glad to do anything I can to help out.
(42:53):
So Cory, we've had a great conversation withyour dad.
And I want now that you've heard his side ofjust some of the journey and some of the things
that they've had to overcome.
What are your thoughts about that?
My first thought is that I had some of thetimeframe kind of screwed up, but you know,
that's all right.
I mean, like you say, it's not something ourfamily ever really talks about a lot.
(43:15):
You just hear my aunts and uncles and my dad,you know, they kind of talk.
So you're catching little bits and pieces andyou're trying to keep it all put together.
We've never really ever sat down and the storyever been just told.
So as my young me being young and the nephewsand all that, I just wonder if, you know, this
doing this is actually going to help with thestory of the family and kind of bring to light
(43:37):
and help them understand it more, too.
So that's the one thing I've seen from this.
I think that we're going to get out of this ishow important it's going to be for the
generational value for this.
This is pretty neat.
So, Corey, a thought on this is, you know, I Ihave to say that, you know, as our seniors
(43:57):
become more seniors, there are always gaps inthe story of, you know, where we come from and
why we become the people that we become becauseof the challenges that we overcome in our
lives, but also the challenges of ourgenerations prior to us and what they did to
make it possible for us.
(44:17):
And so what are your thoughts on what it musthave been like for your grandmother to raise
nine children during those times and have toovercome so much of the things that so many of
the challenges but yet have the the wherewithaland the strength and the courage to move to
keep moving forward in raising her family.
(44:39):
What does that make you think about in justwhere you come from?
Well, it makes you think about, you know, wherewe get our drive from, where we get our ability
to just keep moving forward, no matter howtough things get, whatever, it kind of makes
you always look back.
I always say me and my dad talk about all thetime that, you know, all of a sudden, things
(45:01):
are so tough right now, right?
Well, there's a lot of other people that haveit a lot worse off than we do, right?
It's like, get over it, get moving on.
And, you know, tomorrow's another day.
My grandmother, I'm sure that's what was goingthrough her mind.
I mean, as tough as it was, there were familiesin the area that had it worse off than they
did.
By all means, so what gives you the right tosit there and complain, just keep moving on and
(45:24):
keep moving forward?
Well, I'm just so grateful that you gave me theopportunity to speak with your dad today.
And I am just grateful for you, Cory, and forwhat you do.
So if you had one piece of advice to give ouraudience about anything, whether it be
financial or overcoming, what would that be?
(45:46):
My favorite thing is always get a secondopinion.
I don't care what it is.
Get a second opinion.
That's what I like to tell everybody.
I mean, if it has to do with, you know,finance, get a second opinion.
If it has to do with health, get a secondopinion.
Anything, you know, if everything you hear thefirst time may not always be the right thing.
So, don't be afraid to keep getting a secondopinion.
(46:07):
What I mean by that is keep learning.
There's other stuff.
There's other options out there.
Keep learning and take out of each one ofthose, what you need and what works for you.
That's really great advice.
Cory, if anybody wanted to find you, dobusiness with you, what would be the best way
for them to do that?
You can go to CoreyNews.com.
(46:29):
That's probably the easiest way, easiest way toremember me.
You can give me a call at 07:07 seven eight sixsix seven eight seven.
That's my number.
You can also book a call there.
Yeah, I'm pretty easy to find.
I'm not a real hard guy to get ahold of.
But yeah, just look me up.
(46:50):
I'm on LinkedIn.
I'm on Facebook.
Come check me out and we can have aconversation.
Excellent.
Well, Cory, this has been an amazingconversation today and I thank you.
And I am just so grateful to have this timewith you and, you know, time is very valuable.
So I appreciate you spending the time with ustoday.
Thank you, Katherine.
(47:11):
Again, this is Katherine, your host with TheBeyond Business Podcast.
So excited to have had Steve Nunes and CoryNunes with us here today.
And so please reach out if you have anyquestions.
Cory has put his phone number in the chat, andalso we'll have his contact information there
as well.
And we look forward to our next recording withyou.
(47:32):
So thank you so much.
Well, if you made it to this point, then youmade it to the end.
And you are my star.
And I just want to thank you from the bottom ofmy heart.
I hope that you enjoyed the conversation withtoday's guests.
And if you did, please leave us a review onApple Podcasts and Spotify and share this
(47:55):
episode with others who may be interested inthis topic.
Also, please feel free to let us know whattopics you'd like to see covered in future
episodes.
Get in touch in the comments or on RocketGrowth's social media platforms to have
conversations with me.
My booking link is in the comments.
See you next week for an all-new episode.
I am Katherine Martín-Fisher, and I helpbusiness owners who have lost their vision
because they're struggling with cash flow,sales, marketing, which also affects their
company culture.
By showing them to implement proven systemsthat increase their revenue by 30% in 90 days,
and this allowing them to reignite the passionand that big dream that they started with.
(00:28):
So, the reason that I started this podcast wasto celebrate businesses who have overcome
adversity and have come out on the other sideof it.
And I want you to know that you are not alone.
Good afternoon, this is Katherine, your hostwith The Beyond Business Podcast.
I am excited to introduce you today to SteveNunes.
(00:52):
So Steve is Cory Nunes from Cory Nunes CapitalFinancial Services.
He actually, this is his dad.
And so we wanted to fulfill some of the storyof what it was that the family went through
during the early years.
Cory's dad was raising his family or when hewas a sibling actually in a situation where
(01:16):
they had lost the dairy and just you know,losing his dad.
And so let's go ahead and unfold that storytoday.
So excited to have you with us here, Steve.
Thank you.
Okay.
Hello.
So what we'd like to do today, is ask just acouple of questions.
So first of all, how old were you when you whenyour dad passed away?
(01:40):
I was 13.
So you were a teenager?
Yes.
Started being a teenager.
Children.
How
We had I have six brothers and three sisters.
Wow.
And where are you in the lineup of children?
I was basically the third son of my father andthe second son of my mother.
(02:03):
Okay.
And so what was it like losing your dad at thatage?
It was tragic, to be blunt.
I mean, with that many kids in the family andall so young, because I was 13 and there were
seven of them underneath me, basically.
So it was tough.
(02:25):
I mean, I basically almost quit school, but mymom wouldn't let me.
So we stayed in school and ran the dairy whileeverybody got through life.
The neighbors, everybody pitched in, and itmade it so it was kind of like, you know,
seamless, and it was the help of everybody elsethat really made it.
(02:49):
Wow.
So you actually lived where there was a nicecommunity of people who were there to support
you?
Definitely.
Yes.
It was if it wasn't for that, I mean, eventoday in the same area would be different than
what it was back then, a little bit because thetown itself was also all involved with our
(03:11):
family.
More now, we have a lot of outsiders or stuffthat are in here that are, I'd call them
implants or whatever, but it's not like the olddays.
Boy, never thought I'd be saying that.
Well, you know, it's so funny because, inLancaster County, it's the same.
It's, you know, it's a very close-knitcommunity, but now we have what everybody calls
(03:34):
implants where people are coming fromeverywhere, which means that it changes kind of
the generational history of people who havebeen there for generations.
Isn't that right?
Yes.
Yes.
It was, I mean, such a community back then thatanything that happened, everybody pitched in.
Like, I can remember that probably for months,my mom didn't even have to cook a meal because
(03:59):
somebody in the city had set it all up.
So somebody would bring us meals, you know, forthe whole family.
I mean, and when there's nine of you to feed,you know, it's not just a little potluck dish
to feed everybody.
They had it all organized to come.
So
Wow.
Yeah.
(04:19):
So I would love to talk a little bit about, youknow, the choices that had to be made once your
dad had passed on and what that looked like forthe family as far as the dairy itself.
Yeah.
Well, I was just a freshman in high school, andI had just finished making the basketball team.
(04:40):
And so I had to automatically quit that becauseI had to do all the night chores and stuff and
milk the cows in the evening, so after school.
So the sports were out for me for basically thewhole rest of my life almost, I figured.
And my older brother, he kept playing insports.
(05:01):
So we just, that's just the way that all went.
And the younger kids all came and they could dotheir thing and not have to worry.
So it's basically the older siblings had totake responsibility for?
Yes.
That was just basically, you know, it was noteven, you didn't even think about it back then.
(05:21):
It was just like, that's just the way it is,you know?
It was kind of tough for me because I just,when you work in a dairy unit, if you know
anything about them at all, that nothing seemsto go right all the time.
So there were a lot of times where, of course,I didn't want to go to school, so I didn't care
if I was late for school and I pretty muchwould miss first period for both two years
(05:46):
probably.
Anyway, it all works out.
What would you say are some of the lessons thatyou learned by having that kind of discipline?
Because you know, that's something my husbandsays all the time because we live around a lot
of dairy farmers here in Lancaster.
And one of the things he says is that the cowshave got to be milked no matter what is
(06:08):
happening in your life.
The cows must be milked.
So what would you say are some of the lessonsthat you learned in having been on a dairy
farm?
Well, I think one of the lessons and the mostimportant thing that I've learned was before my
father passed, he kind of instilled it in usand it was like everybody comes together.
(06:33):
So when there's a problem, help somebody elseout.
So I actually get more enjoyment from helpingsomebody else out for nothing.
I mean, I will drop everything I'm doing tohelp somebody else out and never ask for a dime
for doing it.
Because the pleasure is worth way more than anydollar amount.
(06:57):
And that's what I've instilled into my kids isto help people, you know, and it starts out at
a young age, like opening a door for a lady,you know, it's just one of the things you do.
I've never, but sometimes growing up, everybodysays, no, ladies get mad if you open the door
for them now.
And I've never run into that.
I've always opened it with a smile andeverybody appreciates it.
(07:20):
It's just doing the least amount you can andstill people appreciate it.
Do not listen to that when they say the ladiesdon't like it, they love it.
Well, that's the way I feel too.
It makes them feel valued and appreciated.
Yes.
So don't listen to those people.
Those people don't know what they're saying.
(07:42):
So tell me, what part of running the farm didyou enjoy the most?
Well, because I enjoyed just being outside withthe animals, you know, it was a tough time
because we had so much to do because we were asmall, little dairy that was, this is, it was
our bread and butter.
So it was like, it had to be done.
(08:03):
And it's just, it was work, and work neverbothered me.
So I didn't, probably a downfall in my life isbeing able to work and enjoy it because now I
don't know anything but work.
Alright.
So how about what age were you when you guyshad to make new choices on the dairy and, I
(08:26):
mean, you basically didn't stay on that dairyfor all of your life.
So what happened and, you know, at what pointdid those choices have to be made?
Well, it's after my dad passed, because we werejust leasing a dairy.
The person who actually owned it, well, it wascoming up for sale in an estate sale.
(08:49):
So it was going to be auctioned off, and we hadno place to go.
We figured we needed to stay there.
And there was an old gentleman who had all themoney he needed, and he wanted to buy the dairy
just so he could go over to the dairy, and it'dbe like his, and he'd like to hunt so he could
hunt on this piece of property.
(09:10):
And he made an offer on the place.
And so we figured, oh, he's going to buy itbecause no way could anybody, his offer was 10%
over the highest bid that anybody puts in.
Pretty much means that you're gonna buy it.
Right.
So that's my mom.
We all felt comfortable that this is what'sgonna happen.
(09:30):
And so we were gonna still stay there and raisethe family, you know, and I'm sure one of us
would still be on that property today.
And all of a sudden, things happened thatsomebody else ended up with a dairy, and they
didn't even want a dairy.
And they didn't even want a dairy?
No, no.
There was not a cow milked on the place afterwe left.
(09:51):
That would be sad.
So we had to sell all our cows.
We didn't even have an opportunity to sell themto a new, another dairyman, you know?
So we had to sell all the animals andeverything and then look for a place to live.
And there was a neighbor that we had that hadanother piece of property that had an old house
on it that nobody'd lived in it since the majorflood of 1964.
(10:16):
And she said, you can fix it up and stay thereif you want and rent-free, you know?
And so the neighbors, everybody came togetherand worked on that house as a project so that
we could move into it.
I mean, we didn't have any, basically anymoney.
I mean, it's like, we just lived paycheck topaycheck.
(10:38):
And my mom tried to stretch this out.
And at that time, you know, if you were on likewelfare or something, it was, it was kind of
like, oh boy, you're on welfare, you know?
So my mom never took any help from thegovernment at all to raise us other than the
Social Security that my dad had.
(10:58):
That was it.
So she had to get a job also.
So how did that affect you?
What is your relationship with work and moneyhaving gone through those experiences?
Well, it's, again, it was back to people wereworking on a house for us when they had all
(11:22):
their other things that they needed to do also.
And it was, like I said, it wasn't just ourfamily that was brought up to help other people
and doing, you know, and not ask for anything,you know, it was like, so they just all came
together and worked on the house.
And it was just seeing that, seeing people dothat really instilled in me the fact that you
(11:44):
don't need a monetary reward for doingsomething because just helping people is more
important.
And that's what just made it all bearablebasically.
So then okay.
Let's fast forward a little bit.
Now you're living in a new home.
You're not.
So I didn't realize that you, so you didn'thave cows at that point.
(12:04):
You didn't have a dairy.
Yeah.
This was like two years after my father hadpassed.
For the first two years after his death, we ranthe dairy itself continually.
And so then when we moved on, it would havebeen my senior year in high school where, okay,
now I went out for the football team and madethe football team and played a year of sports.
(12:26):
And but then after football season was over, Imean, I had to go back to work.
So I milked cows for other dairymen just beforeand after school, just to get by school.
So, I mean, it took pressure off my mom becauseI had a few dollars in my pocket to do.
She didn't have to worry about spending moneyfor us, you know?
(12:49):
Right.
You know?
It's and it wasn't a lot of money.
When I look back today about getting up andgoing to work before you go to school and for a
couple of bucks, it's like, crap, kids justdon't do that anymore.
Do you feel that because you went through allof those challenges that you are better off
(13:11):
than some of the generations that don't havethat kind of struggle?
I mean, I would, gosh, you'd hate to think thatyou have to be better off to lose a parent, you
know, but when it happens and you get by, Imean, from everything I've learned, it just
made me stronger because I basically had toraise my brothers and sisters, you know, to
(13:34):
help so that, you know, I just, I don't know.
It was, it's just something that happens, butyes, it made me stronger because then of
course, like I said, all I knew was to work.
So I just knew you had to work.
Basically in my life, when I started workingbefore school and after school, and then
(13:59):
naturally, as soon as I graduated from school,then I went and got a full-time job and
everything too.
It's like the days were when 8 a.m.
or 5 p.m.
hit and you were off from your job.
I'm still thinking I got another four or fivehours.
I need another job because I need to keepworking.
(14:21):
Why should I not be working on the sunshine?
And then it's, I don't want to waste my lifenot doing something.
And so that was the way I felt I got ahead wasa lot of times I'd work construction and then
still milk cows in the valley for other people.
Wow.
So you, did you stay in doing the dairy?
Like did you, did you wind up doing thatthroughout your life then?
(14:43):
Well, I, I did it for a couple of years after Igraduated from school, like I say, part-time
stuff.
But then when I graduated, I actually got a jobin construction.
So I was working with a general contractor anddoing something that I figured I was never
going to be in the dairy business at that time.
I said that was the part of your life that isso expensive to get into that there would be
(15:06):
never another chance to ever do it.
So I was in construction and that's when Corywas born.
And, then we were at that time in the early,late seventies there, it was just a bad time.
It was like, I don't know, I wouldn't call itthe depression, but it was, there was in this
(15:27):
valley, there was just nothing going on.
It was tough to find work.
In fact, one of the reasons I wanted to dosomething else was there were times when we
would have spaghetti with no meat.
I mean, and that was one of the things thatlike, it was a staple, you know, but ketchup
and spaghetti, it's like, okay, this is atleast if I'm in the dairy business, you've got
(15:51):
animals that you can, you know, harvest andstill feed the family.
Because that was a concern for me is to feed myfamily.
So, so then I got, I had this generalcontractor that I was working for.
He'd passed away on the job.
So we had three jobs going at the same time.
And his widow asked me to finish up the jobs ifI would.
(16:13):
So I finished all the jobs that he had goingand then trying to find more work around was
like, oh, people thought, no, you can't do allthese things because you're just too young.
So I had one guy that I worked for before,milked cows for him while I was still working,
you know, and so he just asked me, he says,hey, will you go to Nevada and build me a
(16:37):
dairy?
And I said, why not?
You know, there's a couple of people, my mom,I'd asked her about it, you know, and she says,
if you can get out of here, get out of here.
Don't worry about it, you know?
So we packed up Cory and headed to Nevada, andI built a dairy for this gentleman and was in
partners with him was the way it was to be setup.
(16:58):
And then we got on our own.
Wow.
So then Cory was about how old when you hadpretty much picked up and moved to Nevada?
Well, was two, I'm going to say.
Yeah, he's still in diapers basically.
And so this was an opportunity that came upduring a difficult season.
(17:18):
So here we are again with another overcome, andyou're like, all right, opportunity comes and
you take that opportunity.
And so walk us through what that looked like asyou were building in Nevada.
Okay.
There were a couple of things that will alwaysstick in my mind because people even there
couldn't even believe it, but I went down tothe hardware store in Nevada and told the guy I
(17:44):
wanted to open up an account for this othergentleman that I was going to build this dairy
for.
And he called up this fella and the guy says,well, what kind of a budget do you like?
How much is he allowed to charge?
The guy that hired me goes, well, whatever heneeds, there's no limit, you
that's kind of a lot of trust in a person, youknow, because I could have basically did, you
(18:09):
know?
So anyway, we built the dairy for him and thenI got my herd built up and it was just like
we'd planned five years and then I'd find aplace of my own.
And I was, I had the intention to maybe comingback to Ferndale, you know, but then this other
place down the road was empty, no cows on it,but it had an old barn.
(18:31):
And so I went to, and it was, there was somehelp because I did go to a farmer's home and
that's a government agency that starts youngfarmers and got a loan from them.
And, when I told them I wanted to buy thisdairy, you know, okay.
So we got, we did all this paperwork and stuffand, and I was, it was kind of in a bankruptcy
(18:55):
court.
So I'm, I got all done.
I mean, I'm, I got every single dime that I owninvested in this program that I'm going to buy
this dairy.
And they said, well, you need another $10,150to make this work.
(19:18):
And I says, I don't have any more.
I'm you got all I got.
There is no $15,000.
So I went to the guy who actually isforeclosing on the property.
And I told him, I says, boy, this thing wasclose, but I can't, I'm going to have to back
out because I don't have $15,000.
He goes, how about I just give you $15,000 on apersonal note?
(19:43):
Oh.
I go on like, he just saved the day.
You know, there's a lot to be said about thatthough.
You have to trust someone to be able to dothat.
So trust is a big thing here.
What I'm hearing you say is number one, yourupbringing created a you grew up in a community
(20:05):
where trust was important and people trustedeach other and they trusted each other enough
to be able to support their community and thepeople all around them.
And that in and of itself builds so muchcharacter because now you're a person of
integrity, of loyalty, a person of your word.
(20:26):
Sounds to me that that upbringing really helpedin forming who you became and the fact that
others could trust you.
And it seems to me that through that you'vealso raised your children to be, you know,
trustworthy and be people of character and tobe trusted.
And so I'd love to ask you as you did that andnow you have this opportunity, what did that
(20:52):
look like as you literally just start in thatdairy farm?
And what did that feel like, first of all, tohave been given this opportunity and then what
did that look like for you?
Well, it was my wife is what really made ithappen too, because she kind of already knew
from already, because we were in partners forfive years with the other guy that, you know,
(21:17):
it's going to be tough.
And I told her, I says, I says, if we do this,I mean, I can't afford to hire help.
So I'm going to be doing this on her own, but Idon't want you to neglect what the kids want to
do.
So she took care of raising the two boys andtook them to wherever, you know, sports events
they were getting into and stuff.
And sometimes it took them out of town, youknow, but I had to stay back and run the dairy,
(21:43):
but that didn't even bother me because I wasalready used to that from doing it before with
when my dad passed.
Right.
So it's just something you have to do to forme, that was the only way that I knew to really
get ahead.
We just did that and we hadn't had the dairyfor even a year.
And then I did one thing that most people don'trealize is you pick up an irrigation pipe.
(22:07):
I don't know if they're a long aluminum pipe,you know, I had sand in it because we were out
there in the desert.
And so I was tipped it on in to dump the sandout and I stuck it in a power line and
basically got electrocuted.
I think that's when you die, but I didn't diefrom it, but it blew holes in my hands and in
(22:30):
my feet.
So I just kind of went to the house and Icalled my brother up and told him that I goofed
up.
And actually, I went to the hospital.
My sister-in-law told me—she was a nurse at thetime—and she says, get to the hospital right
away.
So I drove to the hospital.
(22:50):
Like I say, my wife and the kids were bothgone.
And, I just went into the emergency room and Isat down on the bed there and she goes, the
nurse comes out and says, what are you doing?
I says, oh, put one of them things on me tocheck for, see if my heart's still working.
And she goes, well, we don't really do that.
And I held out my hands and my feet to her andshe hooked me up really fast.
(23:13):
Anyway, when I called my brother and told himwhat I'd done, he dropped everything that he
was doing in his life and came right over tohelp me at the dairy.
So that was, you know, another time when it'sjust like, hey, this is what has to happen, and
we do it.
Now, where did he live nearby?
No, he lived back still over in Ferndale here,and he had to go 400 miles to help me, but he
(23:40):
didn't even question it.
He was going to some party that night, and hejust packed up and came over.
It was good.
I mean, I wouldn't, you know, because I wassupposed to stay off my feet and everything,
and again, with no help around or anything.
So then he just, you know, he was raised on thedairy with me.
We knew it was just one of those things, youknow?
(24:01):
So
So you definitely had, I mean, that was apivotal time.
How long did it take you to recover from that?
Well, that wasn't as long I thought.
Sometimes it took a long time to get thejitters out of you, you know, from being around
electricity anymore.
But, you know, I think he probably stayed therefive, six months maybe to help out and get back
(24:24):
on my feet solid again.
So, yeah.
That's beautiful.
Well, I mean, that's what it is.
I mean, and it was like, there's no question.
I mean, it wasn't, you know, he didn't ask me,well, do you need help?
He just knew it, you know?
I wouldn't ask him probably.
So and that's true for most of us.
(24:44):
It's like you don't ask people, but when theyoffer like that, that's just an amazing family
story.
So when you fast forward from there, what didthat look like as you're building this out?
I mean, do you still have the dairy today?
Yeah, I still own the property that the dairyis on and I leased it out to another young
(25:06):
couple.
I wish it would have been one of my kids thatwould have wanted to be there, you know,
because this young guy was just getting marriedand just getting started.
And I kind of like gave him a pretty good deal,thought, so that he could, you know, and he
raised his family there right now.
So it's, you know, I often think that grandkidsof his could have been my grandkids, you know,
(25:28):
there, but you know, that's just the way it is.
And everybody seems to be happy.
World is changing and things are different, butwhat doesn't change is what you instilled with
the lessons that they were able to learn.
So give us an example of some of the thingsthat had happened while your children were
(25:48):
growing up on the dairy.
And were there ever anything that happenedwith, any of the animals, a funny story of
something that is just like, else would believethis.
Well, I mean, it's, I don't know how to say itbecause I mean, every day was a different, you
know, another story, but you know, the kidsgrew up there, they did all the feeding of the
(26:10):
calves and stuff, and they had to come homefrom school and help.
And I can remember one lady once asking methat, well, you really don't need Cory.
Doesn't really do that much.
Does he?
I says every little bit of things that he doeswhen he's home here after school is something I
don't have to do.
And people just don't realize that, you know,that you go out and feed 50 calves.
(26:35):
That's a job that somebody else doesn't have todo, you know?
So if it took them just, you know, an extrahalf an hour longer, it still saves me an hour,
you know?
It's just like, so it's, it was, I don't know.
That was always great growing up.
They could then we had animals for them so theycould go and show them at FFA and stuff and
(26:57):
learn more about, you know, taking care of it.
Just, it's hard to say because nobody really,you know, you don't sit down and like do a
lesson.
It's more like as they see what you've done,just pick it up.
You know what I mean?
It's like, you don't, it's like the lesson ofthe day, you know, it's like, we never did
that.
It was always, you just learned it all fromjust watching it being done and being doing
(27:22):
business honestly and stuff is they just, yousee that, you know, you give some, tell
somebody you're going to do something.
Hey, the most important thing you can do is doit.
That's right.
There was a time when Cory was in school, andthe principal or somebody asked him to take off
his hat, and he said, I'm headed out the door.
(27:44):
And he was coming home, and he said, well, youbetter come into my office.
And he says, I would, but I can't today becausemy dad expects me home.
We were actually going to pour cement that day,and the cement truck was coming when he was out
of school.
So that caused a need for help.
And so he gets home, you know, and theprincipal told me about his incident with the
(28:08):
principal.
And I said, well, you made the right choicebecause we can handle that one afterwards, but
the truck is here, and we gotta get this jobdone.
It's one of those things that you just knowwhere your priorities lie.
That's the key to it, I guess, you know,because some things can wait, no matter how
much some people think it's dire to getsomething done now.
(28:29):
There are priorities in what needs to be doneexactly.
And that's the one thing they just learn, youknow?
And so that's just kind of the way it is.
I mean, you're just watching all the time, andsometimes we make mistakes, you know, but we
try to overcome them.
I love that you use that as an example becauseI will tell you that just, you know, just from
(28:54):
your background and the way that you raisedthose boys, it also taught them what decisions
to make.
You taught them, you instilled in them what wasthe priority.
And I love what you said.
There's that saying that, you know, it's easierto ask for forgiveness than to ask for
permission.
So what you taught him was the most importantthing that needs to be taken care of is the
(29:18):
most important thing.
Everything else can be handled later.
And he knew that.
He knew that this was super important and thiswas a situation that he could not take care of
right this minute, but he could handle thatlater.
And so really having that loyalty of like, issomething that has to be done.
This was planned and I've got to get to it.
(29:39):
And so do you find that he does that in lifenow in business and having, and raising his own
family.
Yeah.
And it's that's, I mean, it's like, it wasn'tlike I was really even, you know, no teaching
degree, so I didn't know how to teach, but likeI said, it just from doing it right.
And then the kids watch you and then it's like,they wanna do things right too.
(30:00):
Right.
Right.
So if you wanted to say something about andwhat he does today, what would you what would
be something that the audience would like tohear about Cory, your son?
Well, I think the people need to know that Imean, he's had a lot of things in his life.
(30:21):
I mean, when he was playing sports, he gothurt, and so he had bad knees.
He tried to start a construction company anddid very well with it, but then his knees
bothered him.
So I figured he tried something different.
And he's put a tremendous amount of time intolearning this financial business that he's in.
(30:43):
And he's doing well.
I mean, and I tell him that, man, you are intoone of the things that people just do not like
to give up personal information.
And it's hard because the trust factor is oneof the things, and I don't know if people think
that, well, you're going to think that I didn'tdo as good as I should have done or, you know,
(31:06):
always, so they don't want to.
It's not like it's investing.
He's just trying to help people, but it takes along time to get that kind of trust, you know,
and people would trust a stranger with theirinformation before they trust a friend.
It's really strange, but that is the way itworks that I've seen in my life.
(31:29):
So now with you having to have been insituations where people had to trust you, what
advice would you give someone who is actuallyin that same situation?
Like how do you build that trust?
So I love that you brought that up, actually.
How do you personally, what do you look for inwhich to be able to make the decision to trust
(31:53):
someone else as people have trusted you?
Well, some of them were probably some badchoices I made, but I never let those affect
the next person's trustability for me.
You know, if somebody else did me wrong, Ididn't say, well, I'm never going to give
anybody else a chance, you know, because yougot to put everybody on their own.
(32:15):
So there've been a lot of times where, youknow, you just, I don't know how you, how you
say it.
People give you a little trust.
Well, then you go, you were a regular Joe that,hey, I'll do anything for you.
You know, it doesn't matter.
And that's just what I've always done.
And when you do something for somebody and thenthey already have the trust in you because you
(32:38):
didn't, you just helped them because you wantedto.
That's, you know, it's not because you'retrying to gain anything financially.
You just want to help people.
And I tell I always still do that today.
I drop everything if somebody asks because theyreally need help.
Oh, my kids would probably go without shoes,but, you know, I'd go and help them.
(32:59):
Yeah.
But it's it's just that kind of
I want to ask you something about your mom.
And, you know, these were difficult times thatyou went through when you were younger and had
this, you know, watch and work througheverything that was going on.
What is the thing that your mom, what stood outmost about your mom and how she was able to
(33:24):
manage raising all of these children?
But also there are lessons that you've learnedfrom her as well.
What would be some things that stand out fromthose years about your mom?
Well, my mom was something out of the ordinarybecause she did this on her own.
Like I said, she didn't ask for any governmentassistance or anything, but the kids, we all
(33:49):
kind of got booted out of the nest early, youknow, or whatever you want to call it.
But we, you know, so everybody could keepmaking their own.
But she was a very special person, and stillwith all of her problems, she would help
people.
She would, you know, she understood what peopledid for her, and she was just the way we all
(34:13):
were.
And I mean, we didn't even think of it as like,it was a challenge for us or that we owed
somebody and you got to pay them back.
It was never like that.
And she always, when you have nine children inyour family and they have friends, and you have
a table that you've got to feed nine peopleevery time, she felt like what the heck's a
(34:36):
couple more, you know, if you bring yourfriends over, we feed them too.
You know, it's like, questioned that.
It was, you know, we didn't have a lot, but shenever cooked a small batch of anything that I
can remember because you got so many to feed.
It's like one more mouth, you know?
And we all just got through it.
I mean, she was a super lady, you know, and sheoften told me when I was older that, you know,
(35:05):
you work hard, so you got to play hard.
So she never got upset with some of the thingsthat you did, you know, because she just
realized that, well, you guys have been workinglike men, so you got to act like men, I guess.
I love that.
I love that you added that because, you know, Iwas raised in a family of six and I was the
(35:28):
oldest and it's so true what you say.
It's, you're gonna cook for this many.
It doesn't matter how many more.
And so we would always have everyone stoppingin.
We had so many people in our home all the time,but they were always welcome, and they were
always welcome to come and eat with us.
So it was a beautiful thing.
And, you know, community is so important andfamily and just that togetherness.
(35:52):
Now I will ask, I wanna ask you this onequestion because I feel like when you raised
that many children, did you guys sit to eattogether every night?
Because the world has changed so much, andwe're so fast-paced today.
And I, I just, I'm just curious.
We probably ate together more often than wedidn't.
I mean, some had to eat fast because, you know,like there was sports being involved and
(36:15):
somebody's always, you know, different timesthe girls played their sports and the, you
know, and the boys, so after school, but prettymuch always dinners were, you know, and
breakfast.
I mean, we always ate together.
I mean, it was, like I say, my mom cooked, youreally didn't wanna wait because, you know,
there's, if there's nobody else there, maybethere's not enough food to like, you know, that
(36:40):
you didn't get your spoon in there fast enough,you didn't get to eat.
And I don't mean we were ever out of food.
Don't get me wrong.
I mean, it was just a matter of you justlearned that, hey, this is mealtime and
everybody sat down and ate.
And it was we kind of tried to instill thatinto our family too, is that we brought up the
boys, my wife and I, sit down and eat dinnertogether.
(37:00):
You know, sometimes it would be late because ofcoming in from the barn would be just something
happened, but we always wanted to eat togetherbecause that's when you start talking and, you
know, while you're eating and everybody listensto what's going on.
Don't get me wrong, 10 kids in the family.
I mean, there's a lot more than oneconversation going on at a time.
(37:21):
And the girls did really well with that becausethey could really pick up the pace and talk on
fun a bit faster than the rest of us.
That's so funny.
What would be one thing that your boys don'tknow about you that is just something that
you'd want them to know?
(37:41):
Well, they probably don't know just how much Ireally love them, to be quite honest.
And I don't know.
They probably do just something that I wouldsay.
Just I'm proud of them.
I just don't know, you know, what else to say.
No matter what they do, I'm behind them 100%.
So I don't, you know, don't care when they pickout a job that's, you know, really a challenge
(38:05):
or something.
As long as that's what they want to do, happydoing it.
That's the main thing.
I can remember once I had a brother-in-law thathe'd like to golf.
And so he asked me, you know, he says, well,what do you do for fun?
He was visiting us there on the dairy and Isays, I go outside here and work.
That's what I did.
(38:25):
You know?
And I tried to tell people now that, you know,if you do that, that when you go to retire, you
will have a void, you know, you need to figureout something maybe to do that you like.
But it didn't work out for me.
It just work is what I like to do, and I stilldo it.
I mean, you know, I do work around andsometimes I get paid for it and sometimes I
(38:49):
don't, but it doesn't stop me.
I just keep because I enjoy it.
So it's like paying me to go play golf, youknow, where other people have to pay to play
golf.
I mean, it's one of those kind of things.
Got it.
Got it.
That's so fun.
You know what, Steve?
I have truly enjoyed our conversation today.
You are amazing, and I just thank you foradding so much value.
(39:13):
You know, just having a little more insightinto your childhood and all of the things that
you had to overcome, but also the trust and theloyalty that you instilled in your children
because you came from that and you also havethat community that always surrounded you.
But you've also created that community withinyour family and been able to pass that on.
(39:38):
And so what would you say you would want?
You know, we all have a timeline.
What would you say is the one thing that youwould want to be known for?
That I would want to be known for?
I don't know.
I just I really don't even I don't care whatanybody wants me to be known for.
I don't I don't really I never give out.
(39:59):
If not.
It's anybody, anybody if you wanted, you know,you've, you've done so much good in the world.
And like you say, you'll do anything foranyone.
So with that, I personally, I believe that, youknow, just know, being known that you're a
person who would do anything for anyone.
(40:20):
And, you know, so you have quite a solidfoundation and you've created that for your
family as well.
So, you know, but in our lifetime, you know,those are, there's something that's so
important to us.
What's, what's the one thing that's soimportant to you?
Well, my family is important to me.
(40:42):
I mean, and it's not just Cory and his brother,but even my siblings, they're all important to
me, you know, and it's because even through allthe hardships that we went through, we've got,
you know, the families, the girls that mean allof my siblings, basically we got married at
(41:04):
young ages and everybody had pretty much pickedout the right soulmate, you know, and they it's
like how can I say it?
We never and I, and sometimes I think it'smaybe part of me that I helped instill into my
siblings was the fact that they never gotreally into drugs because we came up in an era
(41:26):
when drugs were pretty prevalent, you know, andI go around today and I can see kids that I
went to school with that they, you know, gotinto drugs.
I mean, and it's like, it, it did a toll onthem, you know?
And other than the nine kids, all come throughit real well.
I mean, for having, you know, basically nosupervision, you're, you know, except the fact
(41:50):
that, like we've said, that we ate dinnertogether, so we were all home at dinner time.
So, you know, it wasn't like we were runningloose or anything and we didn't want to be, you
know, everybody kind of looked up to the nextone, you know, like, oh, well, you don't have
to do drugs.
Well, why do I need to get into them?
You know?
Or so anyhow, that's I don't know.
(42:11):
I just, I guess that's what I want to beremembered by is, you know, somebody that, you
know, was part of the solution and not part ofthe problem.
I love that.
That is actually beautiful.
Well, Steve, this has been an amazing timetogether.
I am just so thankful for this time and justfor all of the information that you've been
(42:32):
able to add for, for us, for Cory's story.
And, you know, I I just value your time.
I value the, you know, the honor that you havefor your family and the love and that
attention.
And I'm just so thankful.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
Appreciate it.
And I'm glad to do anything I can to help out.
(42:53):
So Cory, we've had a great conversation withyour dad.
And I want now that you've heard his side ofjust some of the journey and some of the things
that they've had to overcome.
What are your thoughts about that?
My first thought is that I had some of thetimeframe kind of screwed up, but you know,
that's all right.
I mean, like you say, it's not something ourfamily ever really talks about a lot.
(43:15):
You just hear my aunts and uncles and my dad,you know, they kind of talk.
So you're catching little bits and pieces andyou're trying to keep it all put together.
We've never really ever sat down and the storyever been just told.
So as my young me being young and the nephewsand all that, I just wonder if, you know, this
doing this is actually going to help with thestory of the family and kind of bring to light
(43:37):
and help them understand it more, too.
So that's the one thing I've seen from this.
I think that we're going to get out of this ishow important it's going to be for the
generational value for this.
This is pretty neat.
So, Corey, a thought on this is, you know, I Ihave to say that, you know, as our seniors
(43:57):
become more seniors, there are always gaps inthe story of, you know, where we come from and
why we become the people that we become becauseof the challenges that we overcome in our
lives, but also the challenges of ourgenerations prior to us and what they did to
make it possible for us.
(44:17):
And so what are your thoughts on what it musthave been like for your grandmother to raise
nine children during those times and have toovercome so much of the things that so many of
the challenges but yet have the the wherewithaland the strength and the courage to move to
keep moving forward in raising her family.
(44:39):
What does that make you think about in justwhere you come from?
Well, it makes you think about, you know, wherewe get our drive from, where we get our ability
to just keep moving forward, no matter howtough things get, whatever, it kind of makes
you always look back.
I always say me and my dad talk about all thetime that, you know, all of a sudden, things
(45:01):
are so tough right now, right?
Well, there's a lot of other people that haveit a lot worse off than we do, right?
It's like, get over it, get moving on.
And, you know, tomorrow's another day.
My grandmother, I'm sure that's what was goingthrough her mind.
I mean, as tough as it was, there were familiesin the area that had it worse off than they
did.
By all means, so what gives you the right tosit there and complain, just keep moving on and
(45:24):
keep moving forward?
Well, I'm just so grateful that you gave me theopportunity to speak with your dad today.
And I am just grateful for you, Cory, and forwhat you do.
So if you had one piece of advice to give ouraudience about anything, whether it be
financial or overcoming, what would that be?
(45:46):
My favorite thing is always get a secondopinion.
I don't care what it is.
Get a second opinion.
That's what I like to tell everybody.
I mean, if it has to do with, you know,finance, get a second opinion.
If it has to do with health, get a secondopinion.
Anything, you know, if everything you hear thefirst time may not always be the right thing.
So, don't be afraid to keep getting a secondopinion.
(46:07):
What I mean by that is keep learning.
There's other stuff.
There's other options out there.
Keep learning and take out of each one ofthose, what you need and what works for you.
That's really great advice.
Cory, if anybody wanted to find you, dobusiness with you, what would be the best way
for them to do that?
You can go to CoreyNews.com.
(46:29):
That's probably the easiest way, easiest way toremember me.
You can give me a call at 07:07 seven eight sixsix seven eight seven.
That's my number.
You can also book a call there.
Yeah, I'm pretty easy to find.
I'm not a real hard guy to get ahold of.
But yeah, just look me up.
(46:50):
I'm on LinkedIn.
I'm on Facebook.
Come check me out and we can have aconversation.
Excellent.
Well, Cory, this has been an amazingconversation today and I thank you.
And I am just so grateful to have this timewith you and, you know, time is very valuable.
So I appreciate you spending the time with ustoday.
Thank you, Katherine.
(47:11):
Again, this is Katherine, your host with TheBeyond Business Podcast.
So excited to have had Steve Nunes and CoryNunes with us here today.
And so please reach out if you have anyquestions.
Cory has put his phone number in the chat, andalso we'll have his contact information there
as well.
And we look forward to our next recording withyou.
(47:32):
So thank you so much.
Well, if you made it to this point, then youmade it to the end.
And you are my star.
And I just want to thank you from the bottom ofmy heart.
I hope that you enjoyed the conversation withtoday's guests.
And if you did, please leave us a review onApple Podcasts and Spotify and share this
(47:55):
episode with others who may be interested inthis topic.
Also, please feel free to let us know whattopics you'd like to see covered in future
episodes.
Get in touch in the comments or on RocketGrowth's social media platforms to have
conversations with me.
My booking link is in the comments.
See you next week for an all-new episode.
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