IF 94 - Scaling Smart: Redefining Success Beyond Growth Metrics

Kenny challenges the belief that scaling up always means achieving more in terms of units, clients, employees, and revenue. He questions this notion by sharing personal experiences and examples from other investors, emphasizing that real success should be measured by freedom, peace, and presence rather than mere numerical growth. Doesn't burnout and frustration come with rapid scaling, and advocates for a more value-driven approach to growth? Discover the importance and defining what scaling and success truly are for every dad and leader of the household. 

We also unpack a few updates on personal life, including the anticipation of his third child and upcoming business endeavors, and highlights the importance of being an intentional and present father.

If finding some passive streams of income to help offset the pressures of your active role in business, let's schedule a call with me to hear how you can learn more about real estate investing!

00:00 Introduction: Rethinking Scaling
00:39 Personal Experience with Scaling
02:00 The Value of Simplifying
02:23 Real-Life Examples of Scaling Smart
02:52 Redefining Success
03:10 Guest Insights and Reflections
04:48 Podcast Updates and Personal News
06:43 Opportunities and Closing Thoughts

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 2 (00:00):
What if scaling up is actually holding you back?

(00:03):
Bigger doesn't always meanbetter.
Sometimes it means burnout.
Let's talk about how ScalingSmart keeps your priorities
straight.

Speaker (00:10):
Hey everyone.
Welcome back to the InvestedFathers Podcast, where we talk
about reclaiming your time,protecting your wealth, and
being the intentional presentdad, your family needs.
Today I wanna challenge a beliefthat I think is baked into the
mindset of most entrepreneursand investors, and it's this
idea that scaling always meansmore, more units, more

(00:30):
properties, more employees, morecrews, bigger teams, more
revenue.
But here's the question I wannaask.
What a scaling could actuallymean less?
Let me tell you where this iscoming from a while back, I was
looking at our portfolio andthinking through the next moves.
There was an opportunity to gobigger, more properties, more
crews, and even a biggeroperational footprint.

(00:51):
On paper, it looked like theright move.
That's what winning is supposedto look like, right?
Um, it was actually 2023 for me.
I thought buying 10 houses in 12months.
That all needed help was thelogical next step to where I was
at at the time.
Um, unfortunately in hindsight,uh, I didn't think that that

(01:17):
move would, hurt me in regardsto frustrations and time, uh,
constraints and.
Losing money actually'causethings took so long.
So, um, profits were decreasedand honestly I was just burned
out of flipping homes.
I was like, what?
This isn't what I signed up for.

(01:38):
Um, and pivoted to capitalraising for because of that.
here's, here's the thing.
Is it, is my goal to manage, youknow, 2000 units?
Is it to impress other peoplewith the growth metrics or is it
to buy back more of my time?
To be present with my wife, mykids, to travel without stress,
to lead a company that reflectsmy values, not just my ambition.

(02:00):
That's what it hit me.
Scaling isn't just about anumbers game.
It's a value game.
And sometimes real growth, realscaling looks like simplifying.
So maybe you sell off some ofyour lower performing assets.
Maybe you go from 10 members tofive who are deeply aligned.
Maybe you cut the noise so youcan focus on deals that give you
margin financially and mentally.

(02:23):
So I've seen this play out withother investors too.
One friend of mine, um, hedownsized his portfolio by 30%
and he saw his profits go up.
Why fewer headaches, fewerfires, more intentionality in
the deals he said yes to, buteven more than numbers.
Um, he was there for hisdaughter's soccer games.
He was, wasn't glued to hisphone during dinner.

(02:43):
He wasn't, um, measuring successby how much he was juggling.
He started measuring success byhow available he was to the
people who matter most.
So here's my encouragement toyou.
Don't just ask, how can I growbigger?
Ask how can I grow freer?
Because if your version ofscaling is costing you your
peace, your presence, yourpurpose, then maybe it's time to

(03:05):
redefine what scaling reallymeans.
Um, this has hit me prettyrecently.
I had a guest on the show last,uh, week, von Bethel, and he
gave a.
Uh, great testimony of how hescaled his health, fitness
business.
Um, and it almost cost him hismarriage.

(03:26):
Um, and maybe even like hislife, he was just burned out.
Serious burnout happened and,um, he spoke into this directly,
which actually was whattriggered the idea of this, this
episode.
and I can speak from experienceand I think anyone who has grown
a business has, has reached thispoint.
Or is going to reach this pointand or how, you know, is in the

(03:47):
middle of it right now wherethat idea of scaling that
pressure to get more, is a lie,is a distraction from the
pursuit of freedom.
and yes, there's a lot ofsuccessful people I know who
have, um, grown a business whoare very wealthy, have done a
lot of big things and maybe cantell you.

(04:10):
Boy, there was a couple yearsthat, um, were really hard.
Um, and, and that's kinda thewhole challenge of the episode,
I would say is the cost of, um,of growing, uh, costing you
values that you didn't realizethat you would, um, have to

(04:30):
sacrifice.
Um, do we wanna be successful?
Yes.
So the whole, the whole goalhere is to challenge your.
Metric of success.
Um, so it's been a great weekguys.
Thank you for, um, for beingwith me during this challenge.
Wanted to give you guys now, uh,some personal updates on, uh,

(04:51):
what's going on at work, what'sgoing on in family, um, and then
sign out.
So we, uh, we're doing a littlemore on social media, trying to
bring you guys with me on someof these renovations and flip
projects.
I'm in the middle of right now.
Um.
It's been kind of fun to share,uh, more visuals and more
videos, walkthroughs of what I'mdoing.
So if you haven't, if checkedany of those videos out yet,

(05:13):
check, check out Kenny WillJohnson on Instagram.
Um, and I haven't posted all ofthem on LinkedIn yet, but, um,
something fun that you guys canfollow along with me on trying
to make it sort of HGTV esque.
Um, we are 28 weeks along now inthe, uh, the pregnancy front for
baby number three.

(05:33):
So, uh, we are very thick in thethick of things.
Um, but life is great.
Uh, lots to be thankful for.
Um, let's see, business wise,I'll be talking with a.
Business owner who I think willgive a lot of good insights into

(05:53):
this topic of scaling.
Um, his name is Peter Schatzwent to college with Peter, uh,
about 15 years ago or so, andit's been neat to see his growth
from real estate investing, uh,mortgage, mortgage broker, um,
flipping homes to now he isrunning a dumpster business.

(06:15):
And he's got his hands on a lotof things and, um, really,
really interested to hear his,his insights on, um, what he's
learned, what he's goingthrough, and, um, what it's like
to have a family and to sort ofmake those decisions of defining
success in that way, um, withfamily and business and all that
good stuff.
So, tune in for that episode Andguys, um, for those that are out

(06:37):
there, seriously analyzing, youknow, what that success does
look like.
Um, one of my, my purposes ofhaving this podcast is to be
able to bring investors into,um, my real estate deals to
become passive investors and tofind another stream of income to

(06:58):
help give them that time at homeand keep the success of being an
intentional dad.
Showing up for your family,being present with, uh, your
wife and your friends, and yourcommunity and your church, while
these investments are workingfor you.
And I know there's a lot ofpeople struggling out there with
where to invest, who to investwith.

(07:20):
you're getting messages all overthe place with this.
So, I'm here to help be aresource for you in that way.
Um, I love real estate.
I.
And I'm on some really good realestate, teams and lead, my own
real estate ventures herelocally in South Carolina.
something I, I'm prettypassionate about.

(07:40):
I someone who was working long,long hours, really didn't have a
clear direction of what, uh,success looked like.
To me, success looked like ahundred thousand dollars a year.
Which I'm almost embarrassed tosay because nowhere in that
definition does there includeanyone with family or time spent
away from family or with family.

(08:02):
So, um, that was obviously kindamy younger years.
But all to say is if you'relooking for some opportunities,
some investment opportunities,um, some support, encouragement,
please reach out.
There's a schedule a call linkin every episode and you can
reach out on LinkedIn, whatever,uh, is easy for you guys.

(08:23):
So, um, we have some liveopportunities currently.
Would love to introduce thosedeals to you Um, and just get
you on our email list to, beaware of what's going on in my
world.
Alright, invested fathers,invest wisely.