With Justin Breen, with 20+ years in the media business, was a former journalist now a CEO of the global PR firm BrEpic Communications and premium connectivity platform BrEpic Network. He is also the author of the No. 1 International Best-Selling Book, Epic Business, and his second book, Epic Life, which features a foreword from Dr. Peter Diamandis that will debut this summer. Justin is an extremely active member of Strategic Coach 10x and Abundance 360 Summit. He is hard-wired to seek out and create viral, thought-provoking stories that the media craves, and he finds the best stories when he networks with visionary entrepreneurs and executives who understand the value of investing in themselves and their businesses.

Join us for this meaningful conversation as we dig into what “real life” looks like as people begin to transition out of the first phase of covid, the collective impacts to mental health and stress levels, and how this two year sprint is catching up with people. You will enjoy Justin’s approach to topics we cover viewed through the lens of both Strengthsfinder 2.0 and the Kolbe Index.

We discuss how entrepreneurship in its most simplified form represents humans doing what it takes, and how we can benefit from the inspiration of humans everywhere doing what it takes. Justin shares some insights from his own entrepreneurial journey, what motivates him, and his ability to recognize patterns, including patterns that many top entrepreneurs learn to overcome.

You will hear about Justin’s leap into entrepreneurship, a bit about Justin’s roots, and the importance of knowing where you come from but not staying where you come from. Ultimately you will hear from Justin on what it takes to build a successful global company.

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Biggest takeaways (or quotes) you don’t want to miss:

• “True global entrepreneurs (in my experience) have overcome at least one of the following four things – most are two or three, some are all four: bankruptcy or potential bankruptcy, depression, the highest level of anxiety you can imagine, and traumatic experiences as a child or young adult.”
• There’s no straight line in the entrepreneurship world.
• What is the Kolbe Index?
• “Entrepreneurship represents a simplification of life – of doing what it takes.”

Entrepreneurs are the weirdest people on the planet, who embrace how different they are.

– Justin Breen

Check out these highlights:

• 26:22 How does Justin use the Kolbe Index?
• 27:32 What Justin notices about entrepreneurs who are lawyers at the same time?
• 32:29 Justin shares how he shifted from journalism to entrepreneurship.
• 41:53 The formula for creating a successful global company.
• 54:29 Hear Justin’s final tip about the most important part of being an entrepreneur.

How to get in touch with Justin:

On social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrEpicBreen

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brepicbreen/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinbreen1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrEpicBreen/

Learn more about Justin, by visiting his website here.

Imperfect Show Notes

We are happy to offer these imperfect show notes to make this podcast more accessible to those who are hearing impaired or those who prefer reading over listening. While we would love to offer more polished show notes, we are currently offering an automated transcription (which likely includes errors, but hopefully will still deliver great value), below.

GGGB Intro  00:00

Here’s what you get on today’s episode of Guts, Grit and Great Business™…

Justin Breen  00:05

The formula for creating a successful global company surprisingly simple is you see a problem, create solution, problem solve, successful global company. So everyone was doing it a different way. That’s a problem, create solution. You did that problem solve successful global companies. So now you’re, you know, Daymond John, and all, you know, okay, great, but they didn’t see at the start. But, you know, first company, I was a journalist for 20 years and created an entire business model based on how PR firms knowing me for 20 years. So so great solution problem solves every PR firm. When I started this, they laughed. I don’t remember work. Okay, that’s fine, great. And then new company annoyed by every platform that lets everyone in because that’s annoying. People at the highest level don’t have time for that. So create invite only connectivity platform. So problem solved. It’s not some humble company.

GGGB Intro  01:01

The adventure of entrepreneurship and building a life and business you love, preferably at the same time is not for the faint of heart. That’s why Heather Pearce Campbell is bringing you a dose of guts, grit and great business stories that will inspire and motivate you to create what you want in your business and life. Welcome to the Guts, Grit and Great Business™ podcast where endurance is required. Now, here’s your host, The Legal Website Warrior®, Heather Pearce Campbell.

Heather Pearce Campbell  01:33

Alrighty, welcome. I am Heather Pearce Campbell, The Legal Website Warrior®. I’m an attorney and legal coach based here in Seattle, Washington, serving information entrepreneurs throughout the US and the world. Welcome to another episode of Guts, Grit and Great Business™. You are in for a treat today. Welcome to my new guest, Justin Breen. Hey, brother. How are you?

Justin Breen  02:02

I’ve been excited to talk to you for a long time. We’re both high fact finders and relatively high quickstarts in the Kolbe world. So I think this will be a very interesting conversation. 

Heather Pearce Campbell  02:13

Oh, I think we’re gonna have a lot of fun. And for those of you that don’t know, Justin, one of my very favorite things about it when a friend introduced me said, it’ll be helpful if you know your Kolbe numbers. And so, I did I don’t know nearly as much as Justin does about the cov but we had a really fun time connecting and for those of you that don’t know the full summary of who Justin is, Justin Breen is the CEO of the global PR firm, BrEpic Communications and premium connectivity platform, BrEpic Network. He is also author of the number one international best selling book, Epic Business, and his second book Epic Life, which features a foreword from Dr. Peter Diamandis, which will debut this summer. He’s an extremely active member of Strategic Coach 10x and Abundance 360 summit. And he has an incredible global network of visionaries and exceptional businesses. And having connected with Justin already, I can attest to…

Justin Breen  03:17

Action, get stuff done, right.

Heather Pearce Campbell  03:21

That’s right. That’s right. And Justin, welcome. I’m so happy to connect with you.

Justin Breen  03:26

You know, you’re a learner, and an achiever and an activator. And I’m an activator, Maximizer and achiever. So like it’s very, it’s very collaborative. And we’d like to, we like to get stuff done. You know, I think we should talk I don’t usually like to use the word should, but I think we should talk about, you know, coming out of COVID are still and how it’s affected people because I’ve seen a lot of things lately is we’re kind of in like, a gray confused area that I think are very relevant to humans and entrepreneurs as well.

Heather Pearce Campbell  03:59

No, I love that. And it is super relevant. We, I mean, before we went live, we were just talking about life in general and how people are doing and this theme of you know, how challenging the last couple years have been for so many and it gets still continues to be for some I think some are kind of coming out of a fog. But I was joking – like, there’s only so much you can handle when you’re looking around and you just want people to have a break to get a break right? And looking at relationships and how hard entrepreneurs work and family life and like you just want it all to go better. So I love that. I mean it’s it’s a big topic, but I think it’s super relevant.

Justin Breen  04:45

Well, my wife and I, if you think of the opposite personality is me. It’s my wife. So she’s a pediatrician. She’s love warmth, empathy, rules, order caring, likes lists, and I’m just like do – go for it, full go for it. And so we just took our first break from the kids, we went to the Caribbean, last week for five days. And it was it was really nice, like finally turning off the switch. Because, even on days off, the switch is still on and COVID world at home, it’s still on. So it was really nice to be away. And then really think about the last two, two years, two and a half years and, and then listen to people who were there, I have some good stories to share, if you’re interested from the people I talk to in, in Caribbean because it really shows I think it shows what’s actually going on, and then maybe how we help try to help each other I guess. 

Heather Pearce Campbell  05:48

I love that. Well and I relate so much to what you just described about getting away, we we recently took a trip to the Oregon coast. And we haven’t done a lot of travel aside from you know a few places to nature. But even that has been just limited based on schedules, you know, juggling everything, and but I remember having three days and it was following my birthday this year, three days at the coast where we just rented this little Airbnb, took the kids out of school. And just being on a beach and feeling freedom, I realized like this is the first time in almost two years that I’ve experienced the feeling of freedom, where I can just be in this moment and not be thinking about all of these additional layers and complexities and stresses in life. And I don’t know, it was just it was profound that I recognized that I was feeling that. But it also was so sad to me that it literally was the first time in two years that I’d had that feeling.

Justin Breen  06:56

So that’s a fascinating thing. You know, we just said the exact same thing. We just said the exact same experience. And I didn’t know that. But this is what I’m saying like, I don’t know, my my brain sees things before they’re said. And it was like, Well, that’s what I think that’s what’s happening with the world, like what are what we just experienced and are experiencing. And it’ll be interesting over the next six months or a year to see what happens in all of this regard. Whether you’re on there’s a big refresh like this, but right now it’s in like the middle of what could be a refresh. That’s the way it kind of feels.

Heather Pearce Campbell  07:33

Right, right. It’s, well, it’s, you know, I’ve had so many conversations with friends about really stress management, for lack of a better term, right? So many people have been in pretty chronic fight or flight for different reasons. And the reality is, it’s been long enough now that people are having real impacts from it, you know, what I mean? real impacts to their health, to their ability to focus to their relationships. And it’s, you know, I think that’s the hard part is realizing what a burden we have all collectively carried and some better than others. But, yes, that it, it really, truly has had an impact. And that, I think, I don’t know, I mean, I’m hopeful that we are somehow collectively able to calm and soothe our nervous systems a bit to achieve a reset. But it’s been a journey – been a journey for so many to figure out even how to achieve a reset in the midst of what still continues to happen in World News and with the pandemic. Like, I find myself in moments thinking, Oh, it’s getting better and, and even when I hear of people getting sick, it’s not so bad. And then, you know, I make the mistake of getting on social media, like somebody’s husband is in the hospital with heart complications from COVID. And it’s like back in your face – the the true reality of it, you know…

Justin Breen  09:04

It’s a good point, it’s a series of good points that you made there. Most of my day is either with my family or talking to top entrepreneurs around the world. Most of them are are fairly wealthy, and many of them have had excellent, excellent business success over the last two years are created new companies. And I mean, I’m very grateful, business wise, it’s been a tremendous last couple of years and created a second company with you know, with someone I’ve met in person once so I’m very grateful. Right. So I have that background. It’s like still even those folks (are experiencing impacts). I think what you said is very profound, because I think it’s finally catching up even for those folks the two year that’s what I’ve seen. That’s what I’ve seen.

Heather Pearce Campbell  10:00

Yeah, it’s, you know, I think there’s a lot of days. And, you know, I don’t know if this is really a conversation about mindfulness about how to call on support in our life – all of those topics. But so many of us have learned to carry a lot in our lives, even in normal times, right in the best of times. And so I think it’s easy for us to just think, oh, well, we can layer on and this is sustainable, and we’ll get through it, and it’s all fine. And then some days, you’re like, Wow, it’s really not fine. Like, I’ve got to address what the stress has done to my body, or to my family, or to my parents, or whatever, you know, but I, I’m really keeping fingers and toes crossed for people that, that we are collectively able to have conversations about it and and somehow create meaningful support, you know, in ways that that moves the needle for people.

Justin Breen  10:59

I have a great example of that. I have an example of that. I’m glad you brought that up. The there were three, you know, I was a journalist for 20 years. So I’d like to talk to people and listen. And when we were on the when we were on the trip, and we were on the trip, which is really nice. We were on a snorkeling excursion where it was party boats. And then there were a group, there were a group of four ladies and two were sisters and two are cousins. It was really sad. I’m just warning everyone. Really sad. Okay. And so one of the women they were there to support her support, said support. Her son was killed in a road rage incident earlier this year, just he was 26. And, and, and so the women were there because they didn’t want her to be alone on Mother’s Day. And it was a really like, you know, it was a party snorkeling boat, but like when you just ask people, you ask people a question. And then listen, those are some of the answers that you can get. And then you see the support that’s out there are the people who are willing to willing to help. So there was I was getting a massage also, it’s like normally you don’t talk to your Mazouz. Right, right. I’m guessing most people don’t, but I do I full conversation. And so we’re in Turks and Caicos, which is a really nice place. And Mazouz is from Indonesia, just from Indonesia. She has three young kids, and she hasn’t seen them in two and a half years, two and a half years. And then she sends all her money home. I asked her like, well, what’s your favorite restaurant here? Because you’re always looking for a restaurant. And she’s like, I’ve never eaten in a restaurant here in two and a half years. She lives in a little apartment with three other Indonesian women who she calls her sisters. They’re not her sisters, but they’re her friends. And I was like, man, I was like, some hoping I mean, I’m least I’m hoping she was grateful that someone asked about her and was really concerned because I was like, oh, you know, that’s a lot. That’s a lot. And then the money she’s sending home. A lot of it are some of its going to her I think was 11 year old son, and he’s taking entrepreneurship school. So it always comes back to entrepreneurship. So like, Yeah, I’m happy to help your son happy to help them.

Heather Pearce Campbell  13:26

That’s amazing. Well, you know, what an example of first of all sacrifice, right? I’m constantly reminded, even in our hardest of times, like how many people have it harder. Right. And, like, the breaks that we have gotten during COVID I’ll just be honest, getting a meal out, like picking up a box the meal to go that I didn’t have to make nice, right? What but you realize, like, given your story that you just shared what a pretty big deal that is. You know, and it is it is fascinating, like modern conveniences? How even even pre-COVID think of how many restaurants couldn’t even – they didn’t have online ordering. No. Right? And just the way that we consume things has changed – is different. But like that simple meal ordering, first of all, what a what a benefit. It is in somebody’s busy life, and to not have had a meal out in two and a half years. What a sacrifice that woman is making. 

Justin Breen  14:30

Think about that. Cannot be with your children. But here’s what, and these folks are not entrepreneurs, which doesn’t matter. But here’s what stood out. Here’s what stood out. They didn’t make excuses. They weren’t making excuses. And they were, they were choosing they were choosing to fight through. They were choosing to fight through and I have so much respect for that whether someone’s an entrepreneur or not.

Heather Pearce Campbell  14:58

Right doing what it takes.

Justin Breen  15:01

Yeah, you do what it takes. I mean, what separates entrepreneurs from, you know, humans, I mean, we’re barely human. I haven’t met one, I haven’t met one at the highest level. Now, I’m not talking about consultants or their business owners or or employees. Entrepreneur, true global entrepreneur, that’s most of my day, that has an overcome at least one of the following four things most are two or three. And then I talked to a lot of all fours, a lot of them, a lot of them. So the four things are bankruptcy or potential bankruptcy to depression, three, the highest level of anxiety you can imagine and four likely and are possible traumatic experiences as a child or young adult. I would say maybe what you went through is counts as the young adult with your mom, I would say that, that borderline young adult, but it counts, I think. But you know, most people, you know, they use those as excuses. And then entrepreneurs, and then those folks I mentioned from the Caribbean figured out I mean, just figure it out.

Heather Pearce Campbell  16:03

Yeah. Well, I mean, it is interesting, I think entrepreneurship is a metaphor just for life in general, of doing what it takes, right?

Justin Breen  16:14

100 percent. That’s a great, that’s a great simplification. I’ve never thought about it. Entrepreneurship represents a simplification of life of doing what it takes. That’s tremendous. Whether that’s you, that’s a home run right there,  while…

Heather Pearce Campbell  16:29

But it’s, you know, what’s interesting is looking at human nature, because I think so many people do what it takes. And entrepreneurs are a rare breed, I’m gonna say that it’s, you know, I think from a statistical perspective, they’re less than 10% of the population.

Justin Breen  16:48

You count business owners, consultants in that world, the people I partner with are maybe point 1% of the popular. Maybe.

Heather Pearce Campbell  16:55

Right. The very smallest percentage, but so they they are rare, it does take a certain amount of, I don’t even know what it takes a certain amount of something, to to be an entrepreneur, and especially to do that with any longevity. Right? Right. But humans in general, you have examples every day of people just doing what it takes that I think can just serve all of us in our collective journey, including entrepreneurship, you know, really, from the standpoint of like calling, calling on the strength of the human spirit. I mean, it’s it all, all of it is one big journey and learning to do it, it takes and some of us do it better than others. Like sometimes when I’m really struggling, I’m looking around because it’s like, certain lack of support, or I haven’t built support in the right way. Right. So, so so often, I’m clear that whether we succeed or not, has to do with How capable are we of asking for support, but also what resources do we have in our corner? What resources can we call on in our circles, right? And that sometimes it really is less about grit and this fierce independence that often gets like so romanticized in entrepreneurship, and is really about like, Do you have family connections? Do you have people in your community that helps support your children? Do you you know, to mean, do you have outside communities that, like, it’s so much bigger than that? And so, you know, one of the things that I talk about is how do we become more resourceful? Hmm. Right. And what was that? Two wells at the end? Yeah. resourceful. And I think it’s often by by slowing down and and looking like observing and acknowledging, first of all, how, how many of us have resources that we don’t call on? Yeah, many of us have resources that we don’t even recognize that are there. Right. So, so much of it, I think is about slowing down to look and to ask, some of us are just not so good at asking.

Justin Breen  19:14

Well, you’re in your Strength Finders, your learner one, your learner one. So I would say it’s easier for you because you want to learn, you want to learn. You know, I am activate. Go, go, go go. Oh, so and then maximize fees, right. Oh, as a journalist for 20 years. That’s deadline deadline deadlines, deadlines, deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. 

Heather Pearce Campbell  19:42

So let me ask you this, because that when you put it that way, it’s like oh, man, you know, that’s, that’s one of the things that – so if you look at like a traditional legal career, and I’m clear that I’m not traditional, I’ve intentionally created a…

Justin Breen  19:58

An entrepreneur who happens to be an attorney. Yeah, right.

Heather Pearce Campbell  20:01

Right. But that deadline deadline deadline type of career or business like, how did you manage your stress levels? How did you manage cortisol? How did you keep it all together? Because that is a really challenging model to persistently work in, right?

Justin Breen  20:20

So that’s a great question. I have been most at peace, most at peace. In my life, when I was skydiving, jumping out of the airplane, and then driving, I took my car to an f1 racetrack. It was going probably 150. And full concentration. So when I’m in full activate, maximize achieve mode that is my natural. That is my natural state. So the biggest transition from that world to entrepreneur, well, I’ve been a little entrepreneur for entrepreneur for a little over five years, with two global companies now, right? Because boom, boom, boom, you go, right. So it’s been slowing down, it’s been slowing down, it’s been slowing down and taking a step back. And now what I will say is having a human wife, and then to somewhat human children, has made me slow down because I prioritize family first. But I also talk to at least at least one or two entrepreneurs every week, every week, because that’s most of my almost my day is talking to people like that, that and those people want a two week flood entrepreneur life destroy their family life or prevented them from having family. So that’s a bad idea. I’m not going to do that. So just a dad who happens to be an entrepreneur, and I would never ever, ever let this life destroy my family – I wouldn’t do it. I know you wouldn’t either.

Heather Pearce Campbell  21:51

It’s well – you put it that way, and this is like a gut punch, right? When you show that clear delineation in our relationship actually, between entrepreneurship and how many people suffer on the personal side. But no, luckily for me, my highest values are family and business. Like they, they coexist, right? It’s synergized. Exactly, exactly. And so I don’t struggle to give time to my family or show up to my family, because it’s one of the things that I most enjoy doing now doesn’t mean that I already always have a perfect balance between the DUT. No, right. But it’s it’s less of a tug of war and more like, I think of it in terms of like a week, more like a flow. Like maybe this week, more time went into my business and next week, more time is going to flow into my family.

Justin Breen  22:48

Like that’s an interesting, that’s an interesting take. I haven’t heard that before you – like a weekly flow. That’s interesting. I know, you interviewed Chris King, and he talks about the flow flow state. So that’s an interesting thing that you’ve taken that and done with a week. So we’re too quick, there was a question I had for you. Is your husband a stabilizing human? Like my boy?

Heather Pearce Campbell  23:10

Yes, yes, he’s a scientist.

Justin Breen  23:16

Right. So I asked that, because now how my brain works. I don’t know why it works like this, but it does is I I just see the patterns and then I just know the answer. So not always, but usually people like us. Visionary wackadoo is like us marry stabilizing humans – hugely. Yeah, not always. There are exceptions. So I always ask people like some like, Well, is your spouse, a school teacher, or social worker? I haven’t asked scientists yet. But I will start – I usually ask a police officer, and they’re like, how did you know that? And like, well, because if you don’t have that, I mean, if imagine if you married someone like you, or I’m trying to horrifyingly think if I’m married someone like me, one of two things. It’s one, the greatest company, insanely amazing life ever, or two more likely, I think a complete disaster.

Heather Pearce Campbell  24:15

Agree. Well, that’s why when people ask – the question that I usually get is like, oh, did you marry another attorney? I laugh, I’m always like, that’s a hell no! But second, I agree with you that a fellow, you know, visionary entrepreneur type, I just don’t think it would go well.

Justin Breen  24:38

It would if, well, there are exceptions, and sometimes it does go well, but most of the time, I mean, because there’s no there’s no balance and there’s no accountability. Have you Kolbe’d your husband? Have you Kolbe’d him?

Heather Pearce Campbell  24:50

I haven’t I sent him there. I should ask him to.

Justin Breen  24:53

I cannot recommend – I mean, if there’s anything that can be taken out of this for anyone who’s listening to this including us, but yeah, Kolbe yourself and then your spouse. Yeah, so I’m an 8671, which that’s a that’s a full unicorn score, I have high quickstart. High follow through.

Heather Pearce Campbell  25:12

Right. You’re also very high on fact finder.

Justin Breen  25:15

That’s right and follow through and quickstart. It doesn’t, doesn’t really exist, but it does. And then my wife has an 8742. So she’s also an eight fact finder. Wow, I haven’t followed through a four quickstart, lower, and then to implementer using your hands building. So we don’t build anything together completely ignore that. And then the funny thing is Kolbe will match your scores. And then give a report. A high Fact Finder, see, I can already tell you what that and they’re like, my wife’s name is Sarah. And they’re like, Justin, when Sarah’s talking. Don’t don’t change how you are, but just don’t walk out of the room because she needs to finish her sentence. And so you might be doing that. You just get out of their day, and your husband’s still talking. I could see that.

Heather Pearce Campbell  26:05

Oh my gosh, it’s so funny. I. So one thing I have to ask you is when were you first introduced to the Kolbe.

Justin Breen  26:14

Okay. So the just as background, this is – I apologize, I’m a high fact finder – so I high fact find my answers. So the only thing I write down before I meet someone is their name and their Kolbe score, because I immediately know who I’m talking to. Because Kolbe is not your personality, it’s how your brain, it’s how your brain works, I want to know if someone is actually going to do something or overthink something to death and never actually do anything. So that’s that’s not a good conversation – over thinkers as opposed to active thinkers. Okay. So that’s one. And then two, I’m in an entrepreneurial group called Strategic Coach. TEDx, I’m very grateful to have been in that for Jesus, it’s been three years, it’s been three years now. And so the the name tag on on your Strategic Coach thing is your name. And then the industry or in legal or maybe political marketing, whatever it is, there’s not the name of your company, because nobody cares about that. And that’s your quality score, your Kolbe score. So the thing the thing with your you have a three follow through, you have a three follow through most of the folks I talked to have three or two or one follow through. So if they don’t hire, at least in one or two people, it’s not going to get done or it’s going to be a nightmare. It’s going to be a nightmare for them to follow through. What I’ve noticed about entrepreneurs who happen to be attorneys like you is they have high Fact Finder, which you do, and that makes total sense. And they have relatively high quickstart as well, but lower, lower follow through. So that’s why they’re not over thinkers in gross and paperwork all the time. A typical attorney, it’s you’re not like that.

Heather Pearce Campbell  27:47

Interesting. So I was talking actually, you introduced me to mark right, Mark and I were speaking a day or two ago. Oh, yeah, we were talking a little bit about the Kolbe and I was saying the interesting thing about it is because I wasn’t, I think sometime in the last year I was introduced to it right. So I took it. So I haven’t I’m not super familiar with it. I’ve got the basics. That’s about it. But the way that I have thought of myself, it was really interesting to look at my Kolbe scores, because I feel like I get a lot of stuff done, right. Like the follow through was interesting that I was like, oh, three follow through. That doesn’t seem like it should be, it shouldn’t be higher. Like in my mind, I’m thinking it shouldn’t be higher, right? Because when I set out, like when I say I’m going to do something, I do it, I will, you know, there’s no stopping me. I will keep doing it probably like long after I should have stopped doing. And so it is interesting to look at that follow through score and be like, oh, like interpreted and try to reflect like how that actually shows up in my life. Right? And I in the quickstart I get like six because I feel like I have quite a bit of activation energy. And like I’m a I’m decisive or I’ll decide something and jump in. But I I mean, I’d be so curious, because I’m sure you see all the time with your knowledge of people as well as this Kolbe score. Like, you can so quickly identify exactly how it shows up for somebody, right?

Justin Breen  29:18

Yeah, well, you’re a seven factfinder so you just seven facts on what you’re trying to figure out about yourself. That’s what that was. I’m an 8, I’ve only met two nines. In my whole life. I’ve never met a 10 I don’t think you ever will be one because they would be in a cave, doing nothing. They’d be in a library. I always picture a 10 as a Hasidic Jew reading the Talmud, I was raised Jewish. So like, I’m just gonna pick I could just picture like a Hasidic Jew just reading the Talmud and never leaving the room, maybe for a bathroom break but bringing the book with them. But that’s that’s a 10 Fact Finder. Yeah, yeah, but a nine I’ve met two nines. The single worst conversation I’ve had ever was with a nine fact finder.

Heather Pearce Campbell  30:06

Oh, wow, I was gonna say what was their particular business or occupation. 

Justin Breen  30:11

Want to guess?

Heather Pearce Campbell  30:13

In journalism?

Justin Breen  30:15

Close – an attorney. You as a solopreneur. He was not an entrepreneur. He was an attorney who owned a solo practice, really. And he was a 2 quickstart. And with an 8 follow through, so that I was telling him about, you know, how I connect people and what I do and how you know how my firm’s changed the world. He’s like, I don’t understand any of this. Why would anyone do that? I’m like, Well, I talk to 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 quickstarts, that I would gladly do that very quickly. Right. Couldn’t understand and of well here is the interesting part is, he said he wished his brain wasn’t like that. But his lack of quickstart he won’t, we won’t change his brain, won’t do it.

Heather Pearce Campbell  30:57

Right. Isn’t that interesting? Yeah. Well, how many of us wish that our brains were different in some way? Right.

Justin Breen  31:04

Well, I think, you know, that’s a great point. You know, I think entrepreneurs are, and I mean, this is a compliment, are the weirdest people on the planet, people, the weirdest people who embrace how different they are. Also, many of them are the most damaged people with the best coping skills. That’s really what entrepreneurs, that’s what I that’s what I think they are. They just have this incredible, you know, you know, as the show, as the show says, you know, guts and grit. I mean, it’s, it’s, it’s almost even beyond that. I mean, it’s, it’s this supernatural, self belief. I mean, it’s really, and again, it’s the ability to overcome those four things and not use those as excuses. It’s very rare. It’s very rare.

Heather Pearce Campbell  31:54

Well, it is interesting, when you mentioned that how frequently you do see that pattern like it really in the fact that you study patterns, and you easily recognize them makes so much sense. Yeah. So share with us, I’d love for you to share a bit about your work. You were in journalism for years, right? Your high Fact Finder. At some point, you made the switch, will you share with us a little bit about kind of your entrepreneurial leap?

Justin Breen  32:20

Sure. Guts and Grit, right? But and this is right, damaged with the best coping skill. So I’ll simplify that. So February 10 2017, I was working full time as a journalist had a five minute meeting with managing editor and owner of company and they cut job salary in half cut jobs. You know, they fired two other people that day, and they cut my job seller in half. And so I tried to find a job zero business background, I never took an entrepreneur class in college, I didn’t even know what this world was. So trying to find a job, couldn’t find a job incorporated April 16 2017. And then over the next six weeks, while I worked full time, Half Salary reached out to 5000 people to find first five clients. So okay.

Heather Pearce Campbell  33:05

There’s your quickstart showing up right to I mean, two months you incorporated. Do you know how many clients like oh, I’ve been thinking about?

Justin Breen  33:18

Long answer. Not in this world. No, no, there’s only there’s only at the highest level, there’s only action and investment, there are no excuses. So that’s what I mean. And so people make excuses. I don’t I don’t understand, like, and I’ll explain what I mean. I actually just found this. Did I ever tell you about did I tell you about my parents? So it’ll help?

Heather Pearce Campbell  33:39

I don’t know if you did? I don’t think so.

Justin Breen  33:43

So when I was born, and I just found some more stuff about my dad, we had a big box of it. But so my dad was 61 and my mom was 27. So 3434 your difference in my dad be 106 If he was alive now. He was I was 13 when he died and my father came from nothing. Nothing was a World War Two and Korea war hero. He was shot down nine times in combat, many times without a parachute. And after he died after he died, I found a diary that he had written and I just found some more pictures. I just found them and they’re really good. I always like finding that stuff. But so the diary was from the battle of the hurricane forest. very deadly battle toward the end of World War Two. And so I found it after he died and I write exactly like he does miss and it’s my greatest possession. So that’s my dad. He was an attorney in Nuremberg trials and so…

Heather Pearce Campbell  34:43

 Shut down nine times. I’m still stuck on that.

Justin Breen  34:46

Parachute many times. So he writes that, that’s a diary. I’ll tell you an excerpt from that diary in a second but and then so that’s my dad and then my mom. When my dad was in his late 50s. He was driving on the highway When a drunk driver hit him, and the drunk driver was killed instantly my dad broke every bone in his body, but survived. And my mom was his nurse. So I’m literally saved, as you know, saved his life. Wow. And most of my days talking to people like us, you know. And then I still haven’t met one with that has more, more hustle than my mom ever. She’s the ultimate survive and thrive the ultimate. So I’m just a combination of that.

Heather Pearce Campbell  35:31

Yes, ultimate, oh my gosh, that that phrase ultimate survive and thrive – put my dad in that category.

Justin Breen  35:38

Your dad was you could learn entrepreneurship from your dad and love and caring from your mom. I actually learned love and caring from my dad, because he was older when he raised us. And you’ve been through so much. And he was like a child. Like, I’m like a child too. So we’re like little kids. And then. And then I didn’t think I had anything in common with my mom until I started this entrepreneur journey. I’m like, oh, that’s where…

Heather Pearce Campbell  36:05

There it is. Yeah, there it is. I love that. On I just had a thought for you on finding information or photos or anything about your dad, I don’t know if anybody in your family has done any genealogy. I had an answer. My mom passed away young, right. I was 20. I was in my early 20s. Yeah, I had just started law school. And, and my aunt just told me about this service or app, I just downloaded the app called family tree. And it’s fascinating because you can go on there. And like I looked at both my parents and my dad’s still alive, but he was on there. My mom was too. And all these people had uploaded photos and stories and like memories anyway. So for anybody listening, if, if there’s somebody in your family who has done any amount of genealogy, you might check it out just because I was like, wow, this is a really cool service. I looked at my grandparents, I could look at my great grandparents and all these old black and white images and family photos and old portraits. It was fascinating. So family tree. Thank you. Yeah, totally. But well, I love knowing about people’s roots, because just like you’ve identified it so clearly shows where certain parts of us come from, right?

Justin Breen  37:32

I mean, we might be related the, you know, because if you know where you come from, you know where you are, and then you know where you’re going. And then but the key is, knowing where you come from. The other key is not staying where you come from, right. A lot of people stay where they come from, and that’s an excuse, right?

Heather Pearce Campbell  37:48

No, absolutely. So you made this leap, the quickstart part of you. I mean, it was a matter of months, and you were off and running. Share with us a little bit about your journey as you build your business, right, because that’s not a straight line.

Justin Breen  38:05

No, that is not a straight. And again, 00 business background. Know what an S Corp is? Because I think it’s funny. I know, you’re probably horrified by the fact that I don’t know an S corp. But I don’t I don’t I didn’t know you had to pay taxes four times a year. 

Heather Pearce Campbell  38:19

Now the funny thing is, people get the S Corps wrong. They think it’s an actual legal entity. It’s not. it’s a tax election, right? So it’s, say set up an S corp. And it’s like, okay, well, first, you’re either setting up a C Corp or an LLC, those are your choices. And then you have to make a tax election. So yeah, people get this wrong. Very, so don’t get that at all.

Justin Breen  38:40

Starting now I actually learned something about that. So thanks a lot. I was hoping I will ever learn. Okay, that’s…

Heather Pearce Campbell  38:46

Sorry, the factfinder in me could not help that.

Justin Breen  38:50

And I’m gonna eight fact find eliminate what you just said. But, you know, no, the entrepreneur world is there’s no straight line. It’s learning from overwhelming rejection and then figuring it out. But, you know, again, I figured one of the chapters in my first book is when you start a company, it takes two full years to figure it out. So yeah, knock on wood. I’m very thankful that the first company has always been very profitable. But it really didn’t start to sink in until year two, start of starting your three because like, the process is really seamless. The Fed raised rates to weed out what do you cost and charge folks and, you know, and started to get in better groups, higher investment level groups. Yeah, and it’s just starting to flow more but no, I mean, most people actually say it takes longer than two years. Maybe my quickstart and activator shortcutted that but right, I think he did. Maybe Yeah, maybe I did. And then again, having a stabilizing human wife. I mean, that’s the most important thing but but you know, Like most people can’t, they’re not born to be an entrepreneur. And that’s fine. By the way, they’re not but they’re not. They’re just not. I mean, there’s a very, very, very, very small percentage of people who can get jobs salary cut, reach out to 5000 people with no business background, and then it’s just…

Heather Pearce Campbell  40:18

But that’s right, that your story with that leave reminds me. So when I graduated law school, I didn’t know anybody. I didn’t have attorneys in my family. I didn’t have connections in Seattle. And I put my I remember creating an Excel spreadsheet, one of the guys I went to law school with actually wrote Excel. So I created an Excel spreadsheet. And I was like, I have to have a face to face meeting with an attorney in the Seattle area, at least once a day until my work like my plates overflowing, right. And so everybody else I knew, and this was after 911 is the worst time in 30 years to be graduating law school entrepreneur life, it was terrible. Yes. And here I was scheduling coffee and lunch dates with every attorney. Like if I saw your name in the paper, and you’re an attorney, guess what? I was going to contact you and ask you all about your career. If you if you called me to potentially buy my car was selling a car at the time. And you were an attorney? Guess what? You’re gonna be my next lunch date, right? I mean, I did this to everybody. Anybody that was an attorney, I wanted to learn from him. It was literally probably about the same timeframe. Two months, I was doing legal work before I even passed the bar. I probably shouldn’t say that out loud. But I was like research writing drafting, right. And, but nobody else was doing that. They were sitting behind desks, sending off resumes and just hoping that they were gonna get a phone call, you know, and so you, you do just have to do it differently. The only way.

Justin Breen  41:49

The formula again, my brain turns everything into patterns. But the formula for creating a successful global company, surprisingly simple. It’s surprisingly simple. You just said it, I’ll simplify it is you see a problem, create solution problem solve successful global company. So everyone was doing it a different way? That’s a problem. Create solution. You did that problem solve successful global company. So now your Daymond, John, and, you know, okay, great, but they didn’t see at the start. But, you know, first company, I was a journalist for 20 years and created an entire business model based on how PR firms annoyed me for 20 years. So Right. problem solves every PR firm. When I started this, they laughed. I don’t remember work. Okay, that’s fine. Great. And then new company annoyed by every platform that lets everyone in because that’s annoying. People at the highest level don’t have time for that. So create invite only connectivity platforms. Problem solve. Successful company.

Heather Pearce Campbell  42:52

Right. Yeah, exactly. I mean, there were so many. I mean, I can relate to that on so many levels, and so many people that did not understand what I was doing when I created and launched the legal website warrior, which was my second business, right?

Justin Breen  43:06

People I guess are usually aliens within our own family community vertical, the only people that understand is their top entrepreneurs on the planet. So that’s why most of today’s talking to top entrepreneurs on the planet, because they’re the only ones who understand what I’m talking about. And otherwise, it’s a one way conversation that goes into nothing and, and very, very confused, very confused. Other end of conversation. Right?

Heather Pearce Campbell  43:26

Exactly. Right. Well, and I think I already know the answer. But my next question for you is, what do you love most now about your work?

Justin Breen  43:36

What do you think the answer to that?

Heather Pearce Campbell  43:39

Well, I mean, I know what you spend a great deal of time doing, which is connecting with folks, right? Some of these top folks and I also know the point of your second business, which is bringing all of these great minds together right creating this community that is not like you said, the open platform that comes with all the problems that an open platform has.

Justin Breen  44:02

The purpose of my life is to be a connecting superhero for every visionary, abundance investment mindset entrepreneur, and share their stories with the world. So that’s so all this all my companies are that from a media standpoint. And then the second one is just technology, SAS platform for purpose in my life. And what I’m most grateful for is it allows me to show my two young sons who are nine and seven, almost the same age as your kids almost, yeah, that this world even exists. So that’s my favorite part. And then I get to spend all this time at games and running with it.

Heather Pearce Campbell  44:40

Right. Do they ask you questions about your work? Like how how? 

Justin Breen  44:45

Well yeah, okay, so. So my nine year old is a three to nine six Kolbe. He’s done his Strength Finders. He’s competition one shocking. He just finished. He’s one of the top nine year old 5k runners in the state he does 21 minute five K’s which for a nine year old, that’s that’s not normal. Local paper just did a big story out now I’m very grateful for that the seven year olds have four to nine for Kolbe. He’s more of a stabilizer. Like my wife saw. I haven’t retake it. But so we talk about simplifier versus multiplier, we talk about global entrepreneurship, we talk about raising rates exponentially to weed out what do you cost your charge? So those are the conversations we’re having. And so this is different than business owner world. This is like true global, connectivity thinking world. That’s just such a gift to be able to, to have those conversations with my kids. And then my wife is actually starting. I’ll be curious if your husband actually is starting to understand what you’re talking about. My wife’s kind of is now she kind of is.

Heather Pearce Campbell  45:51

The funny thing is I joke with people on my podcast, I could talk and say all sorts of things about my husband and he would never know he would never get on here. Let’s say

Justin Breen  46:03

That’s hilarious. But perfect, great.

Heather Pearce Campbell  46:11

I love it so much because it’s like, you know, anybody around the world could tune into this and my husband never would. And so it’s like the secret podcast. 

Justin Breen  46:20

I think he’s a 10 Fact Finder. He is a scientist.

Heather Pearce Campbell  46:23

He is a scientist. He’s not a 10 Fact Finder. No, I I’m so curious now what he is I be an eight Scott. Oh, I have to find out. I’m I’m like You’ve piqued my curiosity, because I remember when I took it, I was like, I really should get Phil to take this. But I feel like I got him to take the Enneagram

Justin Breen  46:44

Some toggle to get him to do it

Heather Pearce Campbell  46:46

Tight, like a little bit. Not huge. But it definitely like if you’ve done if you’ve done the quiz, it’s a little bit of a commitment, right? It’s like 20 or 30 minutes to get him to like, do something that you know, and this is making my husband sound like more resistant than he is. He’s super helper guy. But you get it right. So I’m like, listen, all those right? I know he’s he is he’s probably high on the on the activator like fast action taker energy. Because he’s a doer like me. Like this is partly why we get along pretty well is that we’re both doers. Yep. So, but I am really curious. Like, I want to know his follow through number and his implementer. And so I’m going to next time we talk I probably will have talked him into take.

Justin Breen  47:37

My wife did not want to do the Kolbe, she was really annoyed. She’s just a low quickstart. So she didn’t want to do it. Right. She’s also annoyed that the best part of a marriage is annoying, annoying, my wife does in a cute way. That’s the best part she and then she annoys me. But you know, when you know whenever she’s talking like, oh, that’s just an 8742 talking, she gets very annoyed. But it’s kind of fun.

Heather Pearce Campbell  48:04

Oh, my God, the numbers thing just cracks me up. Hilarious. It is hilarious. You didn’t know how much I appreciated you even before we met just based on that alone. I was like, you know, let’s just get right to the point here.

Justin Breen  48:17

Well, there’s an interesting thing. I don’t know if you’ve done IQ IQ. And so 140 and above is genius. IQ is pattern recognition. Right? So 1% of the population is 140 and above. So, I am 139. And I’m actually glad because when you get really high on that it’s very difficult to communicate human. It’s like MIT brain and Caltech brain. And so what I figured out is I’m actually a bridge between that into human like, and so I’m guessing you I mean, you’re actually the exception to this. I posted this thing the other day about patterns I’ve seen from entrepreneurs, is that they’re incredibly intelligent, intelligent, or whether it’s IQ are just really smart. But they’re not necessarily scholastically smart. You’re actually both you’re actually both. I have a lot of the people I talked to they barely even graduated high school, you know, but alone never went to college. So you’re intelligent. You’re like street smart from your dad and Viva smarts. Interesting.

Heather Pearce Campbell  49:36

Yeah, that was something that I just came with, like some people, you know, they have to really talk themselves into working hard. And that just wasn’t my path. I have always it’s the learner in me, right. I’ve always enjoyed learning and so showing up to school and doing well and working hard to excel. I wouldn’t say that I was one of those kids that like everything just came automatically. I mean, I’ve tests it at very high levels. I don’t remember the last time that I had to even take a test but…

Justin Breen  50:04

You know what you got in your ACT? I bet you got like at least a 32. At least. 

Heather Pearce Campbell  50:08

Yeah, I was. I’ve always been in the 99 percentile and above on any score, I mean, any testing that I’ve ever taken, right. And so it was, you know, at some point, I don’t know where it was, if it was prepping for law school, you know, I remember trying to figure out, I don’t even know like, it’s been that long since I’ve taken a test. It was Mensa level results, but I’m not a genius. I’m not one of the like, I don’t speak, you know, Caltech anymore. 

Justin Breen  50:35

I bet your IQ is very similar to mine, I would not be surprised.

Heather Pearce Campbell  50:40

Well, because like you, I feel like I can relate to both. I can speak human. And I really enjoy humans. That is the truth of it. Right? So people I just I find endlessly fascinating. And of course, through my work, the whole point of my work is to help support folks who are making a difference for people who are making a difference. Yeah, I don’t I’m not Caltech brain. Like that’s not my path. And what I was saying, though, about people now I remember because I got off track is that my joy really is in supporting entrepreneurs who are making a difference in real human lives in it. I mean, that’s it, like, I want them to have better, more successful thriving businesses. I want them to have the legal support that they need to really build their business the way that they they should be so that their work impacts more people. So yeah, that that heart I got from my mom, for sure. Well, Justin, I would love for you to share where and how you’d like to connect with people where if somebody’s listening and thinking I want to go check out what Justin is doing and look at his website or find him online. Where do you like to connect?

Justin Breen  52:01

Yeah, this was a really good interview. This was a good one. I can’t wait to hear your husband’s Colby score.

Heather Pearce Campbell  52:07

I promise you it’s next on my list. My curiosity is piqued.

Justin Breen  52:11

Incredible. it’s gonna be made. Yeah. And then and use that with them. That gives us…

Heather Pearce Campbell  52:16

Right. Well, I love that. You said there’s some report, you can run that talks about?

Justin Breen  52:21

 I’ll do it. They’ll match it. And then they’ll do like a seven page report that your spec Finder will go nuts. It’ll tell you not to walk out of the room. That’s what it’s going to tell you to do. But okay, so that’s one. And then website is brepicllccom.

Heather Pearce Campbell  52:42

Okay, so I probably said that wrong. I said, BrEpic, but it’s BrEpic.

Justin Breen  52:47

I would say 90% of people say it wrong. And I think it’s hilarious. So I never correct them.

Heather Pearce Campbell  52:53

Well, that’s right now, you know, if you’re listening now, you know, it’s br epic. I love it. So go visit and we will share your links. Justin in the show notes we will share do you connect with people on LinkedIn? I know that.

Justin Breen  53:06

Oh, yeah. I’ve 20,000 followers on LinkedIn.

Heather Pearce Campbell  53:09

Of course, there’s your answer. So you can find us and on LinkedIn as well. And we will share that link. Also, you can visit the show notes at legalwebsitewarrior.com/podcast. Justin, it was just a fun and enjoyable conversation. This has been I so appreciate your perspective on things and your willingness to just really talk about anything. It was fun. It wasn’t what I was expected. And it was better than I expected.

Justin Breen  53:39

Thank you. I never come prepared for any interview. And then I’ve interviewed 1000s and 1000s and 1000s of people and I only come prepared with two questions. One, who were your parents, because if you know where you come from, you know where you are, you know where you’re going. And then I always ask or end every interview with anything else you’d like to add something that would be good for the story, something I’m missing because many times they want to say something, but it was never presented in a way where they could say something right. Other than that, no preparation. 

Heather Pearce Campbell  54:06

No, no, it sounds good. It’s, you know, I just love and I tell people all the time, like in entrepreneurship, there is no business over here. And then the rest of life over here, right? It’s like this. Yeah. And, and on that note, the question that I typically end with is, is there a final thought or takeaway that you’d like to leave people with?

Justin Breen  54:27

Well, normally I say if you’re, if you’re a dad, be a dad. But I will say in this case, if you’re a parent, be a parent. So you know, that’s the most… Family’s the most important thing.

Heather Pearce Campbell  54:39

So yes, that’s a perfect ending and so true, because why else are we doing all this? Right?

Justin Breen  54:47

I don’t have the answer to that.

Heather Pearce Campbell  54:49

Yeah. Justin, thank you for being here today. I so appreciate you and I really look forward to being in touch. Sounds good. Thank you very much.

GGGB Outro  55:00

Thank you for joining us today on the Guts, Grit and Great Business™ podcast. We hope that we’ve added a little fuel to your tank, some coffee to your cup and pep in your step to keep you moving forward in your own great adventures. For key takeaways, links to any resources mentioned in today’s show and more, see the show notes which can be found at www.legalwebsitewarrior.com/podcast. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and if you enjoyed today’s conversation, please give us some stars and a review on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcast so others will find us too. Keep up the great work you are doing in the world and we’ll see you next week.