Episode 03: "Remove Distractions. Make Room for Mission" - Adam Lawson

Welcome to clock into your calling, inspiring believers to live out their faith every day, not just on Sundays. This podcast is dedicated to help you break the sacred secular divide, divide, sharpen your gifts, and take intentional steps that honor God. Discover how pastors, professionals, and industry leaders live faithfully, cultivate lasting change, and advance the kingdom of God. Thank you for joining us. If you find this helpful or know someone who would, please share, subscribe, and leave a like or comment below.

God bless, and enjoy the episode.

Guys, welcome in to another episode of Clock Into Your Calling. I'm joined here by my boy, Adam Lawson. It's such a such pleasure a to sit across from you. We're gonna have a great conversation today about something that I think we need to address every once in a while, just kind of like what removing distractions and making room for mission really is. We got a long weekend ahead of us, Labor Day weekend, for those that don't know, because this is gonna be coming out a little bit after.

What are you doing for your

weekend? Tonight, you're gonna be grilling out, having some friends over watching some college football. Opening weekend.

Yeah, I was gonna say, if you wanna drop the address, we'll

all be. I'll save a steak for you.

I feel like whenever we hear free food, especially at my age, we're just like, Hey, how do I get there? Bring like an extra to go.

But that's every age. That's every age.

I'm glad that that never goes. So, yeah, so like we said, we're gonna have a great episode about removing distractions because I feel like they're so evident everywhere. Sometimes everywhere we look, there's a distraction ready to just pull us into that. So Adam, know that you were twenty eighteen is kind of when you came to faith, what I want to do is take us back a little bit there and talk a little bit about how we got to today, going from 2018, which is what, seven years ago. How did we get to today?

Oh man, God, Jesus. Yeah. Definitely wasn't me. Yeah. You know, I was in the dark.

I didn't have any faith at all for my whole life. It was me versus the world mentality. That was kind of the lens I was seeing things through. Like, didn't know love. I knew pain.

I knew the grind. Yep. 2018, Might have even been 2017. It was one of them. I actually took a lady out on a date for sushi.

Okay.

You know, different things were on my mind.

Sushi's good, though.

Yeah. No. It was awesome. I love sushi, but just where I was Okay. Head wise.

And I noticed she was different, a lot different than a lot of the girls I had hung hung around. Mhmm. Turns out she was like a youth pastor. Her mom was a pastor. Like, she was deep into church and stuff.

And I I I could tell by, like, she was just different.

Yeah.

Intentionally asking questions about me and and deeper cert than surface level stuff. Right? And we had a good time and everything, but in my head, I was like, you know, this isn't I'm probably never gonna talk to this girl again. But, you know, we had a good time. You know?

I'll make the most of what it is. And then when I went to drop her off, everything was great, she she could sense something in me. Right? Like and she asked if she could pray for me. Wow.

And usually, would just be like, I'm good.

You know?

But but, like, something I don't know. I think just because she was so nice and we had a good time, I was just like, I guess. Yeah. If you if you want. You know?

And but she she literally just put her arms around me and just went in for, I don't know, it must it felt like ten minutes. And I like, she didn't know a whole lot about me even though she was asking questions at dinner, you know, I was very reserved and and then not you know, let people in. Mhmm. She was saying things I didn't even tell her. Like, she was just speaking things about my life and just over me and through and just like, I started to get the like, it was Jesus came into me.

Yeah. The spirit came in. It was crazy. And when she pulled away, I felt high. Like, I was sober as a bird, but I just felt, like, different.

I had a glow in my eyes. Yeah. Felt like I had the chills. And she looked at me, and she was like, you're already not the same. Like it was crazy.

Yeah. And she was like, you're gonna get the best sleep of your life. And She I swear and I swear I did. Yeah. I did.

And it was amazing. That was kind of the start. But obviously, it's a journey. Right? Right.

Right.

You know, just snap your fingers and now okay, everything's great. I got Jesus. It was definitely a journey to get here. But that's what kind of started it.

Man, that's so cool. Was that like the first time you've ever been like prayed for before?

Yes, absolutely. Yeah. First time I actually allowed myself to even receive something like that.

Yeah. I bet that was experience was so interesting because you didn't even know what to expect probably. Because a lot of times when the new people come to church or something like that, it's an experience that can be frightening, scary. That's something that you're not used to, especially with all the stigma that comes with that. That must have been such a crazy experience for you.

Absolutely. How did we get to today, though? Because I know that business owning for thirteen years, landscaping, commercial real estate, now you're selling businesses. Right? Yeah.

How has your faith developed through all that?

Through all that? Really getting myself around the right people and eliminating things that aren't creating value. Yeah. Right? Diving into the word, worship.

I mean, there's multiple things, but a big thing early on because I Early on in your faith is when you need the most help. Right? It's all new. I don't I don't know how to do this. So she was, like, sending me YouTube verses, sending me sermons.

They bought me my first Bible, little things like that. But eventually, it gets to where, like, you gotta make moves too. So I was like, after, like, a few months of just doing my own kind of watching things, studying things, I was like, okay. Need to actually, like, find a church. And luckily, I had a buddy who had been praying for me for a long time.

And

he was super happy to find that, like, you know, Jesus was now in my life. And he knew some people that had a Friday night Bible study every Friday night, all different churches, different people. And that's how I met a lot of the people that are kind of mentors still today for me. And that helped a lot getting into that because I was able to be in a room every Friday night with believers that had a lot of, you know, knowledge and just a lot to help me last. Yeah.

Yeah. That was that was big.

I think one thing that's so cool and just because it kinda what came to my head now is when you come to faith and you don't do it for somebody else, but sometimes you find out that there's some people praying for you for years to to that, hey, would you just have that one experience? And it's so cool that it came through a date with sushi that you you were like, I'm not this isn't this date isn't happening yet. Like, you know, the prayer is what I mean, if if you remember it to this day, clearly had such

a great impact on you. Enormous.

Yeah. And so what I know about you, Adam, is that you like to you like to get after, right? Like, from a young age, business ownership, you know, lot of people wouldn't just jump right into business right out of high school or whatever age or whatever situation that was for you. As we go into today's conversation about removing distractions, what were some of the distractions that you had to get rid of early and your faith journey?

In the faith journey or business journey?

If you want to touch on both. Yeah. Let's start let's start with faith because that's kind of what we're talking about now.

For sure. Yeah. Had to eliminate certain friendships or at least barriers on certain ones. Yeah. Like, you gotta eliminate some stuff, but some stuff you just gotta kinda create a boundary.

Boundaries. Minimize. Right? Like, I'm not gonna eliminate the whole world because we're called to go into the world. I mean, someone did it for me.

So, yeah, definitely had to create some boundaries on a lot of things, a lot of people, a lot of friendships, a lot of activities. Right? Things that weren't things that put me in front of things I'm easily addicted to needed to go. Right? You know, like gambling, lust, you know, just certain things, dipping.

I dipped my whole life, you know, just certain things I was easily addicted to had to start putting, you

know Yeah.

On the on the

rear end.

Yeah. So

that's my I wanna dive a little bit deeper into that question that we're talking about. What helps you understand that that is a distraction for you? Because a lot of times we look at things and maybe some of the things that you shared, it kinda there's a clear line on that, but sometimes I find myself what I do what I struggle with is, like, the amoral thing. It's like, okay. The gym for me could be a distraction because I'm not going for the right reason or something like that.

Like, how do you know maybe not for, like, the because sometimes, you know, we know that that's a distraction. But how do you know maybe when it's a distraction for you? Like, what's going on in your mind, your activity? Do you like, look back on the week and you're like, thing? I spent a lot of time during that.

Like, what helps you understand that that's a distraction?

Yeah, understanding it's a distraction is not creating value in my life. Right? We all get twenty four hours. Yeah. Right?

We all get the same twenty four. So it's like, how are you using your twenty four? Yeah. What is it doing to better you for your goals? Like, you know, like my goals right now currently, I wanna gear up because I'm, you know, engaged.

I wanna be the best Congratulations. Future day. Thank you. I wanna be the best husband I can be. So if it ain't gonna make me a better husband one day, why do I need to do it?

Right? Like, if it's not gonna make me a better business owner, why do I need to do it? Like, you know, if it's not gonna make me physically better, know, like working out or hiking or whatever, why do I need to do it? I don't wanna do things because they're not that bad for me. I wanna do things because they're awesome for me.

So eliminating those you ever talk to someone that, like, smokes or something, they're like, they always gotta justify it. And it's like, no, but I still get all my work done. I still go to the gym. Just do it. Counterbalance.

But I'm not looking to just do something. Right. My time here is, it's a short time. We're here. Yeah.

And I have a calling. And if it ain't gonna get me more toward my calling Mhmm. Then it needs to go. Yeah. Right?

So that's that's kind of the mindset I go into each day with is my faith is number one. Right? And then obviously, Olivia is number two, then my fitness and my business and my friends and all that. And outside of that, there's not a whole lot of room when you really Right. Put things on the schedule and attack them.

Right. You those things filter themselves out. Yeah.

Yeah. Naturally, you're like I I mean, I noticed one of the biggest shifts for me is looking back sometimes when I was in college, man, my battery was just felt like I had the best Duracell battery ever created. Yeah. Like, electronic. I was going forever.

Yeah. But now it's like sometimes when I get home from work, I'm like, Dang, I need that nap. And I'm like, I've barely done it. All I did was go to work today. It's like, you get kind of so drained because I think times change and your efforts and your energies, like you were saying, they get delegated to different things.

So you're not able to do the old things with such ease and pleasure anymore. And naturally the things that don't put you towards your mission and your calling, I love the way you said that because sometimes it's easy to have that filter on. It's just pushing me towards the things of God or away from them. So it's sometimes easier just to do that. So selling businesses.

I want to hear more about that. So you did landscaping. Maybe you want to touch a little bit about what I

you brought us on mine, yeah.

Yeah, so you did Lance. I want hear a little bit about your business journey, if you will. Okay.

Yeah, no, started at a young age. In the very, very beginning,

I didn't What age were you?

We started in high school.

Okay.

Yeah. So my buddy had a truck. I didn't at the time. But I was kinda just the go getter, the hustler, like, we'll, you know, make some flyers and, you know, you have a truck. His dad had, like, a push mower that always broke on us, so we were always going to friends trying to get weed eaters and stuff.

Were, like, weed eat the whole lawn. All kinds of crazy stuff.

Yeah. Yeah.

We were animals. We were just trying to get after it. Right?

Did you ever do scissors?

I never used scissors. We used the the big ones on the hedges in the beginning until he was actually dating a girl that her mom had hedge trimmers.

There you go.

As long as we did all hers, we could use them. She had hundreds of hedges, so yeah, it worked out good for her. But no, I mean, we we went through it all, but we he he had the truck, so we partnered up and we're we started doing his family's lawn, stuff like that, all his neighbors. And then we started throwing out flyers. And we started at five, ten, I think maybe we got to fifteen real early on.

But he wanted to do the college thing. Right? No, nothing wrong with that. He wanted to do that. It was more of a side gig for him.

He wanted to do other stuff. He had other ambitions. And I saw a real future in it. Know? I saw I was good at it.

I saw I could make money at it, and that's what I wanted to do. So we just kinda split off. It was nothing nothing bad. And I just took off with it, man. I just throwing out flyers every single day, the old school way, you know, and just started building work.

And at a young age, I grew it up pretty good and just really took off with it. Yeah. Yes, sir.

Yeah. So if if any of you guys got a flyer from him, that

was probably Adam. I must have made a 100,000 flyers and then door hangers once I got some money.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. As long

as you

don't go be the person that puts it, like, on somebody's windshield in the parking.

No. No.

No. It's always a little weird

from me. No. But your house door got it. Yeah. Yeah.

I had the cops call a few times. Oh yeah, all kinds of stuff. A good

thing to get the cops called

for you.

You had to pick one, guess. Gotta do it, you gotta do it. Yeah, so, okay, so that was your land, so you were with a partner to start off? In the beginning, yes. The beginning.

How long did you do that for? And then you kind of split off?

Yeah, it was like a year or two. And I actually partnered up with another guy later on a few likes. And I did it alone for a few years, met another gentleman that was good at marketing and we wanted to take over the world. He wanted to go the commercial route. He wanted to become this huge business.

I was always more reality, stay small, stay grow as you go, just kinda get But after he had these big ambitions. He talked me into partnering up.

Okay.

And and yeah. No. And, you know, it was good. We learned a lot. But it didn't last long either.

We were just two different people, saw things two different ways. Still friends with him today, one of my best friends, and split up, then split up again. And I was like, I'm not all right. Did that, you know, two different partnerships, not doing that again. It's just me, how I want to do things and going.

And then did that until 02/2021. But in 2018, actually, when I came to the Lord, two weeks after I got baptized Okay. I broke my back. Like, three herniated discs. It was two weeks after I got baptized.

So this this whole time, I wasn't with the Lord, and I was doing, you know, great. Yeah. And then I give everything to the Lord, and literally two weeks later, couldn't I was like, couldn't move. It was a whole journey. And I think he was testing my faith, and he was telling me something.

And I saw it as time went on. It took me a few years to realize it. But he was he was saying it's time for change. It's time to slow down. You can't just kill yourself every day, all day.

And I wouldn't slow down on my own. So he'll let you go through some things. So that helped shift my mindset a lot more. And he was testing my faith, I think. Because I could have just got mad at him, blamed him, like, oh man, is this you know?

But I didn't. I dove in deeper. I had more time on my hands. So I dove in deeper and just trusted that that what he was doing is the right thing.

Yeah. I mean, it sounds like you came to faith at such a pivotal moment because I don't know what you could have, like, suffocated yourself with when you have a broken back with without distractions. What what are you talking about today? Yeah. That was Like, there's so many not good things to get involved with, especially when you aren't as able as you once were.

You I mean, you got all this time, like, appears, it feels like, and you have so much time, it feels like.

Yeah. Going through that without the Lord would have been tough. Yeah. Real tough.

Yeah. I mean, probably even with going with the Lord, would be tough. Yeah. It's, like, one of those things where it's probably like, I thank God, literally. Yeah.

Because I have him right now.

He started to shift my mindset, though. It took me a few years to actually sell it, but I think he was saying, you know, there's there's more for you. Like, was great. This this got you going. This sets you up.

Like, you learned a lot, but now it's time to take that knowledge, take the relationships you've built, the financials, everything, and go do some other things. But then I I'll just keep going if you want. I jumped into yeah. So I was like, I don't know. I'm just trusting the Lord.

I didn't I didn't my passion was for landscaping, but I I just I sold it just on faith. Didn't have a plan. Just went for it. Yeah. And in that, though, in that, he started to reveal things, show me things, put me in touch with people, relationships started to spark up.

Yeah. And then I realized, okay, I want to go get a real estate license, talk with a bunch of people. And I knew that it opened up new doors. And going through the process of selling. I was like, well, let me let me let me go try like commercial real estate, right?

My buddy had a commercial real estate brokerage. And he was very successful, a man of faith as well. It's good. But I didn't have a passion for it, and I found that out quick. But I'm glad I did it because it re sparked our relationship, and now I'm invested with him on some other things.

Okay.

But and in working for him for the commercial real estate, I started to put together business deals, started selling businesses under his commercial

real estate. Okay.

And I was like, nah, yeah, I need to I need to sell businesses. Like, is what I need to do. Like, that's my calling. And I'm glad I found it. And he was happy for me and everything.

So I actually joined a business broker that sold my business. I partnered with them. So it's like full circle. Yeah. Was right in front of me the whole time.

Yeah. God needed me to go through some different things to get back to. Yeah. Because I was like, what can I do that I don't have to depend on a bunch of employees and a bunch of assets, a bunch of equipment? And I was like, what can I scale that I don't have to be so dependent on other variables?

And it was this right in front of me. And I just have such a passion and a calling for it, I've been through it. So I love it. I just get to talk business all day, every day with business owners and help them go on to the next chapter of their life.

Yeah. So you, so that's what you're doing now. So are you, you're working with the buyer and the seller? Is that kind

Yeah. Of how So I really go after sellers, right? I want to go after people that are looking to sell their business.

Okay.

You know, in the near future. That's the goal is you get listings you last, right? You don't go chasing buyers, the buyers will come, you get good listings, buyers will come. But what's nice in the business brokerage world is most of the time I do run both sides because most people don't have a business broker, like in real estate, like a realtor or a real estate agent. Typically, they'll work with one side or the other because there's so many.

Yeah. I usually run both sides.

Okay. Yeah. That's interesting. Yeah. So how long how long have you been doing that for?

Now I'm in my third year. I sold my business in '21. And then now, yeah, I've been doing this for now three years.

Okay. So what and this transition now that you've I mean, a lot of transition over the last five years,

per se.

Because owning a business, commercial real estate, and now selling businesses are buyer and seller deals. What priorities and what things have stayed the same during this and what's changed, if that makes sense? Because this is like three different avenues, three different paths. What's going through your mind when I ask that?

I'd say stay the same. My morals, my character, just how I approach things mindset wise, perspective wise, all that stays. But what I get to do each day and the practicality of it, like when I was in my landscaping days, it was like 6AM grease already all over me oil gas got sharpened blades, I got a dip in. It was just a messy life. Right?

Got holes in my dip going a lot at

the end?

It it went in from the beginning. That was not chronological order. But, no, it was it was very blue collar, very dirty lifestyle. And I was more I wasn't looking to network and build my build a team. It was more like just kinda me and my guys and against kinda the world kinda mindset.

Right? And real estate opened things up to realizing, like, your your your network is your net worth. Right? Like, gotta yeah. You gotta, like, have a team.

Right? So you gotta start using your resources, start networking, meeting people, and and even diversifying your portfolio, having multiple revenue streams and stuff. And real estate kind of opened that up for me. So it didn't change things even just from a standpoint like I was driving trucks and trailers. I was like, I'm jumping into this world.

This is more salesy. Gotta I gotta switch up the wardrobe. I mean, I switched up my whole wardrobe. Really? Yeah, I switched up.

I went from truck to a car. I drive a car now. I'd rather drive a truck, but a car makes more sense.

Yeah.

It just you you gotta switch different things to you know? And if you wanna become that, you have to change first. Right? People want all these things, but they don't wanna do what it takes to get to that. Right?

And I knew I needed to change things about me. Because if I'm going to go to someone and try to sell your $5,000,000 business, and I'm in a room with a bunch of attorneys and stuff, I can't have a dip in and be in a cut off, you know, it's just a different it's a whole different ballgame. You got to shift things, right? So I had to go from like blue collar to white collar. And I always said I'd never be a sales guy.

That ain't me. I'd rather break my back and did.

Careful what you say.

It ain't all it's cracked up to be. But no, I just, yeah, you definitely had to switch some things. But then a lot of the same things stay.

Yeah. So that mindset, how far can that mindset take you of me against the world? Because I think as I'm speaking to my guys right now because I think it's so easy to to want that, to have that, and there I think there's some good in there.

There

is. The hustle, like, that you wanna get after, the go getter, but, man, it's like it's so sometimes you you well, not somebody. You need people, especially when we what we believe in our faith, like, need people praying for you. You need people because we're all gonna have those moments where we're just not able to keep it together on our own. So what kind of how has that mindset evolved for you over I the

think instead of being my own warrior, Okay. Now I'm God's warrior.

Okay.

So, like, it's still, like, I can do anything, but it's not so aggressive and vicious. You know what I mean? It's it's like it's I'm, like, for God, with God, with Jesus, with his power, with his spirit. Yeah. You know, I can still achieve anything.

But just the way you actually go about it is a lot different. Right? More from a like, you gotta be able to empathize with people, love on people, have forgiveness for people, grace, like, you know, somebody's getting amped up in an argument and kinda taking things a certain way. You can't feed off that. Right?

Like, they're yeah. So you just gotta know how to go about things differently. And with Jesus, I wanna say it's easy. It's definitely not easy, but it's a lot easier than what know, in the landscaping most of the landscaping days, didn't have Jesus. So the mentality was a lot different.

It gives you so much perspective. Yes. You see things so differently, and that's how I think how I mean, I believe that the you know, you having God in my life makes me such a better employee and a better worker. Yeah. And I I wouldn't have that without him, of course.

But I wanna ask you, I talked about what priorities changes and what but what skills, like, maybe some soft skills. You touched a little bit on driving a a car now, not a truck. Right? No more cutoffs. But what about your empathy that's changing and, like, your your business minded skills, if you will, like what kind of what was going as you went from landscaping to now selling businesses?

What what's what's changed for you there?

Yeah, empathy for me was always a tough one. Because I've been through a lot. And I've gotten through a lot. So it was always hard for me to kind of, feel bad for people and stuff. That was actually one of my biggest struggles, like, it still kind of is.

Why is that you think?

I just I don't know. I think some of a small percentage of it, I think is good, because some people need to kind of toughen up just flat out.

Yeah, they are. But

you you gotta empathize with people's situation. Not everybody can have a million bad things going on around them and still keep their cool and stuff. You know? I think I've done a a like, just from my past and stuff, I've been able to prioritize things well and not bring my baggage to the table and business and stuff, but not everybody not everybody's good at that. So learning to empathize with people's situations Mhmm.

And love on people better. You know? Just it's just a whole different perspective I have Yeah. Compared to back in the day. Or if it's like an employee who said they were gonna be late or something, I'm like, there's no excuse.

You know? Now it's like, you know, it it okay. It makes sense. It's in traffic. It's raining.

Yeah.

You know, like just easing up a little. Picking your battles would be a good way to say it too. Right? There's certain things

Speak if I'm an engaged man.

Yeah. Yeah. Picking your battles. Certain things yeah. Exactly.

Certain things aren't worth it.

I'm not engaged. I don't know.

It's a 100 true though, in all relationships and in business, certain things aren't worth the fight, certain things are. And it's, you knowing how to balance all that, balance your time, balance your efforts, balance situations, that's gonna make or break a lot deals.

Yeah. Yeah. So we talk about removing distractions, making room for the mission that's at hand. How do you keep kingdom mindset in place in an environment that you're Well, you're in a secular field right now, but it seems like when you go in, you're looking at all the measurables, all the quantified How do you keep kingdom mindset in place when you're going through these different things?

Yeah. Not letting the business define me, who I am. Not letting the outcome define me. Not letting the money value define me. Just knowing who you are in Christ.

Go if you're going about the right things each day, doing the right things consistently, God's gonna put the right things in place for you. Yeah. Now it might not come on your time, but eventually it'll come. You know, sometimes because in this in this game I'm in now, you gotta be able to ride the waves. You know?

You could sell a few in the same month and make a killing, and then you can go four or five months like nothing. It's just it's such a different ballgame. Yeah. So and and those and those moments, you could start thoughts can

Yeah.

Can creep. Right? Like, oh, man. I don't have any good listening. Like, might not make money for a long while.

Like, not getting caught up in that, just trusting the process, trusting what God has for you, and just helping people. When you go into it with a serving mindset and not like a what's it gonna do for me mindset, like, I I don't even it's not even work. Right? Like, I'm I'm just going looking to help. Like, every morning, my prayer is, God, use me however you want.

Like, how can you use me? Whether wherever it is. Everywhere. Use me everywhere.

Right.

So it's like, if I can help this business owner, it might not do anything for me today, but maybe two years down the road, he throws me a referral. Right. Like, you never know. Right. So you just go about things the right way each day and be confident in that.

Yeah, I think that's so good, and I do want to add one thing to what you said. You make a good point about allowing God's work to be done, because you don't go into it looking for that referral in two years. You do it because that's what God calls us to do individually. It's not And it's easy to think about, okay, maybe he can give me Oh, he's wearing a suit. He's wearing a tux.

Maybe he's got a good job for me later. He's got somebody that I can meet later. But it's going into it knowing that that is what God has called me to do. This case, it's you to go in there and to serve these people. I think that's such a good heart posture, but it takes some work, especially because you're commission based, I'm assuming, right?

You're only getting paid if a business sells. How do you manage your Let's talk about your values real quick. What do you what are you telling yourself? What are you doing differently perhaps in those times where things aren't looking too hot?

Yeah. Well, some of that's gonna stem from have you stewarded your money well? And have you that's why I talked earlier about diversifying your portfolio, having different revenue streams, so that not being dependent on just your business or, you know, for some of the viewers, just their job.

Yeah.

Right? If that's your only income and things do hit the wall, yeah, it's gonna be it is gonna be tough. So, like, using your resources and learning. Right? Knowledge is king.

Yep. So study up on different ways to to make having your money make money.

Yeah.

Right? Getting with people that are smarter than you. If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room. Right. Get in different rooms.

Get around different people. That's why I'm in this room right now. I'll just say the same. Too slow.

You gotta let me get the joke. No. I'm just kidding.

But really though, like, yeah, I think that's a that's a game changer. When you start to intentionally seek others, and look at how they're living. You know? Like, I don't wanna have a conversation with someone just because they have a bunch of money.

Yeah.

You know? Yeah. That's You know? Or just because of one area. Like, look at how they're living, look at how they carry themselves.

And if it meets up with what you like and what you want or are doing, then I wanna I wanna I'll buy that guy lunch. Know? Like, once a month I offer to just take somebody, just a little usually somebody, you know, older, wiser than me, you know, with more money, more stuff than me, kind of just talk with them. Yeah. Right?

Like, you know, sometimes you gotta pay to play too. That's another thing people need to realize. Everybody wants stuff, but sometimes you gotta pay to play. Mhmm. But, you know, and and what I mean by that is sometimes, like, if you you know, these mastermind classes and stuff are just, you know, whatever online for real cheap, but, like, if you sometimes want the real high level stuff, it's gonna cost.

Mhmm. You know, whether that be financially or your time or whatever that looks like, but sometimes you gotta sacrifice things. Right. You know, and that's that's another tough situation. That's another balancing thing I struggle with is because when I was starting my landscaping business from scratch, I was able to sacrifice everything because I didn't really, have many faith value, I

guess you'd say.

I was willing to sacrifice everything, sleep, food, everything just to go make money. Yeah. So that's one thing I was a little scared of when I wanted to dive real deep into selling businesses is I know how I can get if Adam Lawson takes the reins. So I was like, just making sure I balance everything better this time. And I think I've actually done a good, a pretty good job of balancing things and not just making it 100% about the business.

Yeah, you can get, you can drown in there. It can be so because man, I remember getting out of college, getting a little bit of money and I'm like, dang, like, feel feeling different. I'm like, okay, it's like, okay, settle down. You got a bunch of college a day anyway.

I love who you think you are.

But I wanna I really wanna I think you're the perfect person to ask this question to. And like, I think about one of our goals of this podcast is stewarding, and every day, it's it's consistency. Consistent faith is what it is, and, you know, in God and and what he has for us to do each and every day. But I kinda wanna ask you, how does living with, like, eternal impact in mind affect each and every decision every day for you?

Each and every

decision You touched a little bit on it. Talked about making sure your priorities are in the right place, the balance and everything. How does that, but knowing that it's not just about that one conversation, but it's about glorifying God in that moment, what are you thinking about when I ask?

Yeah, intentionally going about worshiping the Lord, prayer with the Lord, prayer with other people, not letting what the world would perceive as normal and good to get to you. Doing, you know, like, doing what the Lord has called you to do, not what maybe family has called you to do or friends has called you to tough one. Yeah. It's not yeah. For a lot of people, it can't be.

Yeah. For sure. So I don't know. Just going into each day, like, as soon as I get up, literally, it's just, Lord, how can you use me? And just keep me focused on what matters.

And I think ahead of time, writing down what matters in your life. Yeah. Right? Like, three like, the things that won't be sacrificed. Yeah.

Then you'll really realize after sleep and after, like, the things you have to do, there's Yeah. There's not much time for the other stuff anyway. So it's like Yeah. You know? Like, when people are like, oh, I'm just scrolling.

Like, what? Where where they do that at? Like, I I don't I don't I don't get that. You know? Like, so you're just allowing whatever the world wants to put in front of you to get into you.

Yeah.

Because your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits. Your habits is gonna eventually define your legacy. Right? That's good. So I think it's so true.

It starts with your thoughts.

And if you're just letting anything put thoughts in your head and you're not guarding it at all, you're in trouble, man. Because then it's going show in your words and how you talk and then how you live, what you're doing. And none of it's intentional, none of it's for anything. I just never wanted. I never wanted to be like that.

Even even before the Lord, I didn't want to like be like that.

Right.

But then indefinitely, when I got the Lord, it just made it so much easier to prioritize everything. And just stay kingdom focused.

Yeah. I think the difference is, and maybe you could relate to this, it's like who you're working for. Before you were working for the world probably. Because you were yeah. Or yourself or the world, which is probably from the world views, right?

Because we don't just get these things naturally in our head because you're talking about everything we consume. Not everything we consume can be a distraction, but a lot of things we consume and some things, I really touch on this, you got to guard what you can guard. Control what you can control because in reality it's not much. Right? It's that's not much, but what I'm talking about is more like what you're listening to on your own, what you're exposing your eyes to because I can't help what somebody wears to the gym or what billboard I see or what my coworker says, but I can control some things is what I'm using my free time for, what I listen to personally.

I can put probably on one hand what I can control. And everything else is just like, mean, the gym I'm going to now the music is just so loud. It's like drowning out my music.

Earplugs you don't like loud.

I need like three sets of I need like the hand and the over just so I could have my worship music on That's right. But anyways, and I think that it takes me back to the Bible, and it talks about knowing a tree by its fruits because the fruit always is on display. Whether it's not the first day, whether it's a weekend, and that's why I wanted you on here because I think that your life produces fruit and many people can gain from that. It's evident, right? I don't have to guess.

Can just see why the way you're acting, kind of what that looks like. So I want to end with kind of the encouragement to our listeners here, kind of as we're listening to this, what can they be taking home? And I just want to actually put this one caveat too, is like kind of some of the stuff that Adam was discussing could not be for you personally, because stuff that distracts him may not distract you. You could have a firm handle on lust and you don't even look at women, well, or the others, whatever the kids may But you could struggle with something else and all this can go right over your head because this doesn't meet, but personalize this to you. How does this relate to your life?

It's kind of always like the take home question and everything. So the question I have for you, for our listeners, would be what encouragement would you give to someone trying to keep their faith strong in the day to day and managing the daily pressures of business ownership or management.

Yeah. Well, first take the pressure off of yourself. Right? It's good. Pressure's on the Lord.

The battle is his.

Yeah.

It's not yours. So then from there, it'll all stem from that. Just be grateful. Keep a grateful heart. Like, the fact that I just woke up Yeah.

Is incredible. Right. Right away, I'm just like, oh my. I I can't even believe it. Like, I I get to breathe.

My eyes are open. I get to see. I get to hear. I get to taste. I get to smell.

Like, that's unbelievable. We're living in a place where we can walk around free, have a business free, like, everything, the freedom, like, just super grateful. Yeah. So if you just start from there

Everything else.

Yeah. How bad can it really get? You know? There's always someone out there who's got it harder than you. Right?

And I've been through a lot in my life in all aspects, and I know there's people that have it way worse, and they're way even more joyful than me. So if you could just go into every day like that, I don't see how others won't magnetize, you know, like

be a magnet contagious.

Yeah, yeah. Be a magnet, right? Like set the temperature of the room. Right. Right?

Like, yeah, be contagious. Exactly. So like others see that and they want to be like that because you might be the only Jesus they see that day. Right? So you got to exemplify Him the best you can each day.

The only Bible they read.

You might be the only Bible they read. Yeah, exactly. So is it showing in your actions? Is it showing in how you're treating people? The little things, right?

Yeah. Like, it's crazy. Just all the little things, like saying, please and thank you, holding doors for people, asking people how they're doing, you know, like going out of your way to intentionally help others, pray for others, not caring what other people think, things will just stem from that. At least it is for me.

Right. I mean, were talking about it before this, talking about if you can get to the place where just that breath in your lungs is that's what you're thankful for, everything else is like a true blessing because it's easy. I mean, mean, I'm not gonna sit here and act like you weren't torching my mic I gave you

earlier on. I got the party city mic. Look at this. Look at you.

Look at you just saying that after you said be thankful for everything. Okay? I thought you'd be thankful for the mic that I graciously I'll ask you to bring your own mic next time we do. No. But I think that that's such a great place to be in it, but it takes consistent reminding and surrendering and perspective shifting of your brain every single day because your mind doesn't wanna naturally wake up and thank It's the Lord for this like, God, I'm so tired.

Help me. Give me some caffeine or something that that's like, yeah, your mind doesn't naturally just want to serve people and be kind and gracious. It wants to earn worth sinful beings. Yeah, flesh wants to drive us be the driver. But it's an everyday thing to surrender our hearts and our minds, so far minds to the Lord.

So I wanna end with this question. We wanna end each episode with just a challenging question to you guys to see how you guys can continue growing in your faith. I wanna ask today, what's that one area in your life? Or what that what's that one thing that you would admit that's a distraction? I know for myself, some of the work I did on my own was I had to get rid of two Dynasty Fantasy Football leagues.

I was like, How do I know every starting wide receiver in the NFL? I'm like, What is this doing me? I feel like I'm It's just like it wasn't Like you said, it wasn't pointing me in the direction that I wanted to go. And I look back and I'm like, Is it good that I know all this stuff? And it was hard because if any of you guys, I mean, Dynasty, I know half of you guys don't even know what I'm talking about, but it's like a lifelong commitment.

There's no end to this. I'm like the fakest actual GM, like NFL GM is what it is. So had to dump those. Those are the things that were taking those were kind of robbing me of my time and of my present, and I wanted to make sure I gave that time back. So I just want to say thank you, Adam.

Absolutely. It's been a pleasure to sit across from you. Like I said, the fruit is evident in your life, because you have such a great experience. Mean, you're talking about just such a different avenues your life can take and use such a great, unique route, look where you are today. Think that you're doing I mean, it's more than just what you're doing.

It's who you are. You've got

great character, and

I appreciate I see you serving pretty much every Sunday tearing down at their church, even though your back still isn't great. We talked about how many times you go to chiropractor. Yeah. Which is a great thing, but thank you. I appreciate it.

I appreciate it, man. Yeah, and all the listeners, fill your schedule with intentional things, helping others, you know, and things will happen from there.

Yeah. Yeah. How can we stay up to date with you?

With me? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I can give my phone number. I have the social media stuff now.

You know, I didn't for

thirty No three years, but phone number. No phone We got everything.

Yeah. Get in touch with you and give them my number.

If you wanna see this guy call me and I'll schedule something, he's too busy.

But no, I am now because of business. I am on Facebook and Instagram and

all I'll put your handle on the video

so you

guys can

get So to

I wanna end as we do every single podcast that you are given a unique purpose, a job that only you can fulfill, that God has created you to fulfill. So don't settle for that ordinary, but step into the extraordinary God has called you to do. God bless you, everybody. Amen. Thank you for watching.

See you next time.