Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Feeling overwhelmed by your family's daily grind and looking for a way out? Welcome to "Dig the Well," the podcast that empowers you to build the life you deserve. Your hosts Vikki and John are top earners at Neora. Vikki is a # 1 best-selling author and John is a retired Los Angeles Police Officer. Together they’ve navigated family challenges, raised successful kids, and achieved financial freedom.
In each episode of "Dig the Well," they dive deep into the strategies and mindsets that can help you break free from the constraints of the traditional 9-5 lifestyle. They understand the unique challenges faced by stay-at-home moms and families who are juggling multiple responsibilities and struggling to find balance. Their mission is to provide you with the tools and inspiration you need to create additional income, gain more family time, and ultimately, transform your life.
Throughout their journey, they’ve had the privilege of working with renowned figures like Jack Canfield and Jeff Olson, whose wisdom and insights have greatly influenced their path to success. They’ve also celebrated significant milestones, such as raising two valedictorian children and supporting their son, an Olympic weightlifter on Team USA. These experiences have equipped them with valuable knowledge and practical tips that they’re eager to share with you.
"Dig the Well" is more than just a podcast; it's a community of like-minded individuals who are committed to personal growth and financial independence. Whether you're worried about your family's financial security, longing for more quality time with your spouse, or simply seeking a way to reignite your passions, this podcast offers actionable insights and real-life stories that can help you achieve your goals.
Our mission is to inspire you with the belief that if we can do it, so can you. We want you to feel empowered, educated, and ready to take control of your future. By tuning in to "Dig the Well," you'll gain the confidence and knowledge needed to break free from the daily grind and create a life full of possibilities.
So, if you're ready to transform your family's future and discover the greatness within you, join us on this journey. Subscribe to "Dig the Well" and start building the life you deserve today!
This is the EWN podcast network.
John:Ever wondered how you could turn your side hustle into a full time gig and spend more time together?
Vikki:Hi. I'm Vicky, a number one best selling author.
John:And I'm John, a retired Los Angeles police officer. Welcome to Dig the Well, where we help couples navigate the world of business.
Vikki:We've been married for 30 5 years, and because we built a successful side business, John retired 9 years earlier than he originally planned from the Los Angeles Police Department after 25 years on the job. Now we spend more time together, and we want to help couples like you do the same.
John:Join us as we help you overcome common obstacles, and we show you how to make extra income without sacrificing family time.
Vikki:Ready to dig deep and build your well? Let's get started.
Vikki:We are excited for this episode. We're talking about kids, and who doesn't love to talk about their kids? But, truly, what we want you to think about while you're listening to this, if you don't have kids yet, it might be eye opening for you. If you do already have kids, we hope it'll be eye opening and thought provoking for you as well. So we really are talking about raising entrepreneurial minded kids.
Vikki:Right?
John:Yep. And this day and age is not that easy because it seems like the American dream has kind of, gone away, right? I mean, that's what everybody came to America for originally 200 years ago was they wanted to immigrate here, come to the United States because it was the land of opportunity, right? And everybody owned their own business back in the day. It was always, like Smith and Sons or whatever it was.
John:And nowadays it seems like most everyone are corporate employees or W2 employees. And we talk to people about starting their own business, and they look at us like we're Martians or something. Look at us like, why would I start my own business? I don't even know where to
Vikki:Yeah. I want the safety and security of my job. I want someone telling me what to do, and we're kinda anti that.
John:Right. No. It's it's true. You know, they like they say, if you work if you're working for someone, you're working for somebody else's dream, not yours. So and I'm not saying that because I worked for someone else.
John:I worked for the city of Los Angeles for 25 years. So I get it. It's, you know, just because but just because you're doing that doesn't mean you can't do something for yourself. And one of the things we we love doing was, because we had, our own business, because we're entrepreneurial, we raise kids that way
Vikki:Yeah.
Vikki:Like that. Just naturally. Yeah. Yeah. So my background real quick because we are different.
Vikki:You know, we really are, but we are such entrepreneurs, together. My grandfather immigrated to the United States through Ellis Island with his new bride from Denmark and started his own delicatessen in Brooklyn, New York. So talk about an entrepreneur. And then my father it's funny, John, that you mentioned, you can work for somebody, but then also have dreams of owning your own business. And my father worked for many large corporations in the in the executive role and, then wound up being a headhunter for those corporations and then realized, hey, why don't I do this on my own?
Vikki:And branched out and had his own executive recruiting firm. So I come from an entrepreneur background. You know, I grew up with it too, where John didn't. So tell us about your dad, and I know his advice to you.
John:Yeah. It was kind of odd. My dad actually, encouraged me to start my own business when I was in high school, and, he said that if he had everything to do over again, he would have done that. But I think he I think he was of the mindset that you had to have one or the other. You couldn't have both.
John:And and maybe that was the way it was back then. I don't know. Because even with your dad, he worked for, these big chemical corporations and and and petroleum corporations, and he didn't branch out on his own until after he resigned his position with that company.
Vikki:Yeah. And I think he was in his forties, so he kinda started late later. Not late in life for all you forties something's been later. Yeah.
John:So if anyone's out there and they have that mindset where you have either one or the other, that's not true. In fact, I think it's the best of both worlds if you have both. Yeah. Because there were certain advantages that I had when I worked for the city of Los Angeles. Absolutely.
John:There were great advantages to that. And then if there's, even more advantage having my own business or having our own business that we work together.
Vikki:Right. And multiple businesses because we've always had multiple businesses. So back to our kids. Right? Yeah.
John:So I was gonna say that it and it really sets the right example for your kids. Your kids get to see, for us, mom and dad both working hard and working hard for their own dreams and for their own for the family, and they saw how we worked together toward a common goal and how we helped each other get to that to that, to that goal. And I think it really set the right example for them.
Vikki:Yeah. And they also, as they grew older, had we had family goals. We would have family goal meetings. But let's go back to, our first days at Prestige Motoring Accessory in the city of Brea. Any of you in California might know where Brea is, and maybe you're one of our customers at one point.
Vikki:You never know. We actually, I was pregnant. So cheers to the women women that decide to keep working as long as they can because we had our own business. I kinda had to, but I was pregnant until the day before both kids were born. Like, I took no time off, but I I I enjoyed that.
Vikki:I loved I loved moving around and, being active and participating in our dream. And, anyway but we had both kids and then, yes, of course, I stayed home for a little bit, but then I got stir crazy. I remember with our daughter, Misa, back in 1990, I was home and I was calling the shop. So what's going on? You know, she might have been taking a nap or something.
Vikki:You know, do you miss me? Does do the employees miss me? Does Brandon is Wesley asking where I am? You know? And I wanted to come back, and you were trying to encourage me to stay home.
Vikki:But anyway, I finally only stayed home a few weeks and then brought the kids to work with us. Right? Yeah. And how was that? Did you enjoy that?
John:Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Having having them there with us. And and so we had set up in in that shop in Brea. The front part of it was like retail, and then the back part was built out.
John:It was about 3,000 square feet of warehouse space, and that's where we actually worked on all the cars. Well, up towards the front end of that warehouse space, which was a kitchen area, break area, and it was up where the offices were behind the retail portion, I built or we built a big play area, giant play area that had, mesh walls that had really thick, had thick, thick, like, sixties shag carpet.
Vikki:Where did we get that from? Your grandma just gave it extra, I think.
John:It was crazy. Right? Probably worth more money now than it was then. Yeah. Then it had, like, really thick padding, so it was really cushy.
John:It was actually fun. I like to climb in there
Vikki:and Mhmm.
John:And prop around with the kids. And so they had all these They had a slow season there.
Vikki:Yeah.
John:Then they would play and and they as they grew I mean, they obviously don't remember it, but they when they were little little tiny babies just, you know, just barely barely out of the womb, they were watching mom and dad work in and Yep. Yeah.
Vikki:Yeah. The tough part as a mom, you know, people would say, you're so lucky. You bring your kids to school kids to school. You bring your kids to work with you. And on the face of it, it sounds perfect.
Vikki:And most of the time, it was. Most of the time, it was. But if we had someone come into the front, like John just talked about the layout, someone comes into the front and we didn't have an employee that could either be up there or were stationed up there, I had to leave the children, because John was you were usually working on a car somewhere, I had to go up to the front. And in many cases, they were crying about something. They were hungry, something, and I had to go, handle the customer.
Vikki:And I knew they were fine. I wasn't leaving them in harm's way. A lot of times it was just like a frustration cry, and they were in the playpen and they're fine. But as a mom, it was tugging on my heartstrings. So, you know, just sometimes there's little things with that.
Vikki:So if you any of you are going through that, I feel you, but you're gonna be fine. The baby's fine. The kids are fine. And what they glean, what they learn from just being around you being an entrepreneur is way more important and special. Yeah.
Vikki:And you know what else too? We talked about this, was in the car, on the car ride to work. We just talked normal talk with each other, John and I. And people would tell us, what is up with your kids? They have you know, a little, little age.
Vikki:I remember them saying, they have their vocabulary is incredible, and we didn't really know what we were doing differently. Yes. We read read them books at night, the normal things parents do, but we kinda, like, didn't remember having that conversation. Like, I bet it's because we're not changing the way we speak to each other. We're talking about business as we drive and just normal stuff.
Vikki:Do you do you remember that? Yeah. Yeah.
John:It's amazing how much your kids, they're like sponges. Right? You know, how much they take in and how much they learn, how much they observe. And, they were with us all the time, all the time. So they saw everything.
Vikki:So that
John:was it could be good or bad, but I think by that time, by that time in our careers and in our relationship, we were no longer yelling and screaming at each other because honestly, at the beginning Yeah. Wow. And and we've talked about this before, like at our very first shop that was in La Habra. And I remember next door to us was this, really nice family. They made pastries for Costco.
John:Costco was brand new. Yeah. So that that they had just massive setup where they were making pastries and they were there all the time. And what they heard through that wall, I mean, I I felt so bad, and but they knew they knew that we weren't, like, like, physically violent. Right.
John:We were just yelling at each other all the time because we were so frustrated. And how how we ended up staying together and getting married or not not having the police called on us. Never once. I guess maybe I and, you know, we may we may think it's worse than it would it really was. It may not have been that bad because no one ever called
Vikki:to call
John:the police on us. Thank goodness. No. Thank goodness. Thank and you're right.
John:We got
Vikki:that all out before we were married because that was before we were married and have yeah. Exactly. And, so then when the kids were born and we're bringing them to the Brea shop. No problem at all. And it was just a dream.
Vikki:I would say I look back and I just love those times and we found old pictures of that. We put a slide in there, one of those plastic slides, and they had so much fun. Yeah. Well and then as they started to grow up, we wound up closing our shop and bringing it home. And you'll have to listen about that on the other episode.
Vikki:But we ended up closing the doors, brought that home, and had a mobile service, but still they were part of it all. And then we put them into elementary school, and we were just chatting about that. Remember the kids actually went to a summer camp that was for entrepreneurs. Kids. Like, we put them as in 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and we've been we were chatting with the kids the other day about that.
Vikki:We were trying to remember the name of the camp, but it was brilliant because it taught was teaching them skills on on owning their own business, like how to open a bank account. I remember it was, like, one of the things that they went over. Computers are really coming into, full form then. They were learning more than mom and dad were, you know, so much. So so if you know of a summer camp that is for little baby entrepreneurs, I think it's so smart these days.
Vikki:Yeah. Yeah. And then, you know, part of the thing that we've noticed as the kids have grown, now they're in their thirties. Yes. I know we don't look like we could have 30 year old kids, but they are in their thirties.
Vikki:They both are entrepreneurs. Mhmm. They both yes. They've had regular jobs too, but always have a business having a business. Like, right out of college, they started, a direct say in a direct sales business, and they both still have that going.
Vikki:And then on top of that, our son is an audible narrator Right. And has some other other businesses as well.
John:You know, interesting. I just thought of this when you brought up the audible. So I was really proud of him because of the first contract that he signed for the first book deal that he did. He said he negotiated with the author to be paid a a commission of royalty on the book, on the sales of the book rather than being paid for hours because most of the, Audible most people in Audible, they're being paid for the hours worked. So if it takes you 40 hours to do this recording, you're paid so much for the 40 hours.
John:Where, John, our son, had that entrepreneurial mindset to say, no, I don't wanna be paid hours for dollars. I'd rather get a commission on the book because I know the book's gonna be successful, which it was. It was actually part of a series of books. So he he did all of them.
Vikki:And he's still the author for because she continues to write. Yeah. And she says she'd never go with anybody else. Yeah.
John:But that just shows you the how much they pick up without because he didn't consult with me. He didn't consult with anyone else. He just he just knew to do it. He just knew that, hey, this is what an entrepreneur does. This is what a business owner would do, and this is my business that I'm doing with with the Audible, and I'm gonna I'm gonna negotiate smart way.
John:Commission.
Vikki:Yeah. Brilliant. Brilliant. And our daughter also is 1099. Right?
Vikki:Mhmm. Yeah. She is in medical device sales, but it's technically she's an independent contractor. Super smart.
John:Yep.
Vikki:So if
John:you I don't think she would do that job if she was gonna be paid hourly.
Vikki:Right. Who would? Right? So Lots
John:of people.
Vikki:I know. That's right. We I say who would because I just don't have that mindset, but you're right.
John:Yep. Let me see.
Vikki:Yeah. Lots of people do. And, oh, one tip that was so intriguing with that job is the man that hired her for the position, had seen her interview. She had done a video interview, and he said it's because your parents you mentioned that your parents are entrepreneurs and so are you that she stood out in the crowd.
John:That's right.
Vikki:Isn't that huge? Right? So because he's a business owner, he knows what business owners go through, that inner burning drive that gets you up in the morning, keeps you up late, keeps you going, keeps you, you know, going through all the peaks and valleys of your entrepreneurial roller coaster. Yeah. It's it's it's important.
Vikki:So, you know, we hear this a lot with from people about, you know, I can't start my own business because I have kids, and they're in the thick of of high school or even junior high and all the sports just I can't do it. And what do we say?
John:Yeah. We always just tell them, you know, that that's your kids should be the reason why you do it, not the excuse not to do it. And it just it's it it breaks well, it breaks our hearts when we have people that tell us, you know, I would accept that I, you know, I'm pregnant. I'm gonna be giving birth, and it's like, great. Then be that example for your kids because, you can't buy that.
John:You can't teach it. You can only just do it.
Vikki:Model it. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. So true.
Vikki:It they are your why. Right? They're your why. And if you're using them as an excuse not to build your dream and instead build somebody else's, it's really kind of a crime. It's criminal being a police wife over here.
Vikki:No. But it really is a shame. And so we encourage you to also set goals with yourselves, you know, you and your spouse, or if you're do you have a business on your own, set your own goals, but if you have kids, include them in not just your goals, but the family's goals. Right?
John:Mhmm.
Vikki:And they're having their own personal goals. Like, maybe if mommy and dad achieve this, we'll go to Disneyland. Right? That could be that was a lot of times our kids' goals.
John:Didn't you have them help you with it
Vikki:Yeah. Somehow? Totally. The dream board. Is that what you mean?
John:No. I I would just meant that you had you had certain things you wanted to do, and then you would have them help you with getting some of that work done.
Vikki:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
John:The little tasks that they felt included in it, they felt a big part of it. And then once we reach that goal, they reached it with us.
Vikki:Right. Exactly. Like my we we were part of our an Amway business and say what you want about Amway. We loved it. Such good family values.
Vikki:We became closer as a couple, but that was the first one where I would have, either Misa or our son John stamping my catalogs, and I would pay them hourly for the job they did or sometimes by, by each how many how many catalogs they stamped per per unit. Right? And then, even I, started a candle business and had them help me with that as well. Or I had these lap boards that at my shows that each guest would get a lap board that had a catalog in it in the order form. Well, I would have them stuff my lap boards, get my get my kit, if you will, ready to go out the door, if they would help me carry my things to the car as I was leaving for my show.
Vikki:It was it was part of it. And, also, like, another big tip, were you gonna say something on that, that we firmly believe, is that you don't pay give your kids an allowance. That's just our personal belief as entrepreneurs. They need to earn it. Right?
Vikki:And so, like, we would pay them for each chore that they did. They we had a list, whether it was cleaning the toilets, cleaning the bathroom, taking the trash out, mowing the lawn, whatever it was, they got paid per, per activity instead of an allowance. Same with if they wanted to go to the movies with their buddies, and they were like, mom, can I dad, can I go to the movies? It would be like, well, did you spend your your earned money? We called it.
Vikki:We didn't call it allowance. Earn did you spend your earned money? Oh, no. Shoot. Yeah.
Vikki:I did. Well, guess what? We you could wash the car. You could wash the car for $5 or whatever it might be. Right?
Vikki:So we taught them that, and I think that's huge as well. It's it's teaching them, like, good work ethic, and you don't just money doesn't grow on trees, and you're not just given money as a handout. Right?
John:Yeah. Big thing, I think, is the work ethic part.
Vikki:Yeah. Exactly. And, you know, one other thing I wanted to touch on was personal development. It's not taught in schools. That and finances.
Vikki:Right? That should both they both should be taught in schools. At least as far as I know, it's not taught in most schools. And personal development for us, we started reading books and listening to tapes back in the day. Now it would be a podcast like this.
Vikki:But we would listen or books on tape, books on Audible. We would read a book and have our kids read that book. And sometimes we'd also have them do a book report on that book. And usually that was when they were in trouble. But, we always wanted to make book reading fun.
Vikki:And so a lot of times too, this just came to mind. We would go to Barnes and Noble, and I think there are still Barnes and Noble's out there. And if we didn't have something to do one day instead of going to the movies or somewhere else, we'd go to Barnes and Noble. I know that might make us sound like a bunch of nerds, but we would I would peruse the personal development aisle and the kids would see me doing that. And they would pick out a book here and there that had a title that resonated with them.
Vikki:And a lot of times, I would just say, open it up, read the forward, read the introduction. If it still speaks to you, we'll get it. Right? Those were some of the most fun times. And, of course, they got Harry Potter and so many of the others as well.
Vikki:But remember all those trips to Barnes and Noble? That was so much fun that I don't think, you know, maybe a lot of people do. So Yeah. Yeah. Well, I I'm trying to think one last key point that we might wanna leave with you on, you know, how you can be successful in in planting the seeds of entrepreneurial minded kids.
Vikki:Do you have any last minute
John:Tim? Gonna say that, from a purely selfish point of view too, I think I would think most most of you all would be happier having that type of a raising that type of kid, rather than having a child that you've raised that when they grow up and go to work, all they wanna do is work for someone else and trade hours for dollars and just do that for the rest of their lives and really never, never, making never, I guess, never reaching their potential, if you will. But I don't think, almost anyone who's a W-two employee is really gonna reach their true and full potential. You only do that when you strike out on your own. You take some risks, but you get rewarded.
John:There's a risk reward trade off there. And I think you from just, and I know for you, Vicky and I, it's so much more rewarding as parents that we did that and I feel so much better being a parent than I think we did the right thing for our kids too.
Vikki:Yeah. Absolutely. Look. I'm so happy with our kids' lives right now. Yeah.
Vikki:Yeah. And I can't help
John:but think we had a
Vikki:hand in that, and it feels good. Yeah. Alright. If you like what you heard, maybe wanna share it with a friend, please do like and subscribe to our Dig the Well podcast. We are so excited to be here sharing different topics every week, and we hope you enjoy it.
John:Thanks, guys.
Vikki:Thanks for joining us on Dig the Well.
John:We hope you feel empowered and ready to take on new challenges.
Vikki:Remember, if we can do it, so can you. Keep learning, keep believing, and going after your dreams.
John:And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who needs a little inspiration or maybe a nudge in the right direction.
Vikki:Help us grow this community of go getters. Together, we can achieve greatness and get back to family.
John:Thanks for listening, and let's keep digging the way.