Welcome to The Legacy Investor Podcast, where we talk money, investing, business, and what it means to leave a legacy for generations to come. Hosted by Cameron Philgreen, this show dives deep into the intersection of entrepreneurship, investing, and legacy-building, all while keeping God at the center. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting out, you'll discover how to align your financial journey with your faith, grow wealth with integrity, and create a lasting impact for generations to come. Join in, as we explore practical strategies, real-world stories, and timeless biblical principles to help you honor God in every step of your journey.
Alright. Chris Delanier. Welcome to the Legacy Investor podcast. Super excited to have you here. I've known Chris for a few years.
Speaker 1:We're acquainted. We've gotten to ride in the car with him a couple times. Yeah. He runs some businesses in town. Mostly, I think you're completely financially free.
Speaker 1:You're just last time I talked to you, you're like, yeah. I'm gonna go hang in the pool with my wife for all day today. I was like, awesome, dude. I I know a little bit about Chris. I know he he owns or I think some things have changed actually since I've talked to you.
Speaker 1:So I'm gonna let you just introduce yourself, talk about what you've been doing the last 20, 30 years, and how you got to where you are. Just kinda tell your story. Tell my story. Yep.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So, Chris Delineier, married, for we're coming on I think we're circling on 20, 20 years. Month. I've got 4 daughters. My oldest is 17.
Speaker 2:My next girl is 15, 14, 11. So I'm a girl dad. You know, we're in the, you know, where is the oldest gonna go to college? We're in the teenage years, and so it's like a new a new set of parenting chops. You know, career wise, you know, done a lot of done a lot of different things.
Speaker 2:You know, early, we we were, we were in ministry, and so we planted a church in Chicago and did that for 4 years. And then, we went to India and were there for 4 years. I ran a business while I was there. We were doing church planning, and my wife was working with a school there. And, and then we transitioned back and, came to Waco and, you know, started my first company doing property management with a with another guy.
Speaker 2:And, you know, we just had the, you know, kind of a simple model as far as how we did it and started buying little single family homes back when money was super cheap and you could get people to loan you a 100% of Yeah. Those are the things. A 100% financing. You know, deals, deals weren't hard to find back then. Mhmm.
Speaker 2:You know, and then got you know, as we as we sold those, we rolled it back in and got into multifamily and more commercial industrial stuff and, you know, bought a few more companies, sold a few, owned a restaurant brand, sold that. And now, you know, my main focus is, in the home service space. So bought a plumbing company, and we're in electrical. I'm looking at HVAC and looking kind of expanding that here in Central Texas. And then I've got another holding company where we're buying, franchise brands, home service franchise brands.
Speaker 2:So I have a locksmith company in that. Woah. It's, didn't know that. Yeah. Probably the 3rd largest in the country, and, we're, you know, growing that.
Speaker 2:That's a it's a it's a interesting one, and then we've got a few more that we're looking at. So buying companies and Yeah. You know, growing, and that's that's kinda what my world looks like now. Still doing real estate. Real estate's gotten hard over the last, you know, 3 or 4 years.
Speaker 1:Why so?
Speaker 2:You know, with with interest rates, you know, 12 years ago when we started, there there just wasn't a lot of people buying real estate in Waco, Texas and in Central Texas. And, you know, now there's more smart guys like you hunting and farming the market. You know, money is more expensive. So Mhmm. Penciling deals gets a little harder.
Speaker 2:I think you've gotta be a lot more creative with how you're thinking about what the the usage. And, so, yeah, it's, you know, that's that side of the house has kinda slowed down. You know, we're still I'm still doing some multifamily deals.
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:So I I really like that, you know, with you know, especially as the interest rates are starting to come down. So so work wise, that's, that's what I'm doing.
Speaker 1:Love it. What inspired you to get started investing? I mean, I I happen to know there's, like, a little story there
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:When you were in India. You know, what inspired you? Why did you move from India? Why were you in India? And then what inspired you to get starting investing started investing in a single family?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So, you know, my wife and I, you know, early on, you know, when we were, like, you know, you know, engaged and saying, hey. Look. What about doing life together? You know, our big our big deal, I think, was to really live the adventure with God.
Speaker 2:And so we really were committed, you know, from a faith perspective. Hey. Whatever we kinda sense the Lord's telling us to do, we're just gonna do it. Yeah. And, you know, not look back and kinda roll the dice.
Speaker 2:And so, you know, we went we went on a short term trip and went to serve orphans and stuff like that while we're there. My wife just kinda looked at me and said, hey. What if we sold everything and moved here? Wow. And as we pray, we were like, yeah.
Speaker 2:I think that's what we're supposed to do. So kind of a kind of a wild decision. A really, wild adventure of living overseas and, you know, at at the time, my oldest was, like, 6 months old. Oh my gosh. You know?
Speaker 1:You guys had all your kids overseas?
Speaker 2:We had 22 of them. Priya was 6 months, and my other 2 were born over there. And then we had our 4th one when we came back.
Speaker 1:Gotcha. Wow.
Speaker 2:So, I mean, my wife, man, is wild.
Speaker 1:Champ. That's wild.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. I'm like, we're in, girl. We we if you wanted to have kids in a 3rd world country, you're a
Speaker 1:you're a champ. Champ.
Speaker 2:So so yeah. So that's kinda what got us there. And then, you know, I had this kinda entrepreneurial bug that Mhmm. I've had my whole life that I really needed to get itched while we were there. And so that's when, you know, I started my first thing and was trying to figure out how to make a buck and provide a service that people want to buy.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So
Speaker 1:Love it. And then what brought you back to the States?
Speaker 2:Yeah. You know, I think the big thing was life was was pretty challenging. You know? Raising little kids overseas. You know, I've got, like, a ministry life happening over here.
Speaker 2:I've got my business stuff happening here and really felt the need just for community and relationships. And we had good relationships here, the people we've known for a long time. And so, you know, that was you know, relationships were probably the big driving force for us. We I think we needed some support around us raising little kids. Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know? So Yeah. And then you started in single family, and then moved your way into multifamily. I mean, what was that change like? You know, we're probably gonna have a lot of people that are real estate investors just because that's most of my audience.
Speaker 1:So, you know, why the switch? How did you make that switch is really the question.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So
Speaker 1:because I'm looking to make that switch now. I'm, like, all single family and triplexes and duplexes, and I'm, like, let's get into the apartments. But it's just a whole different ballgame. It's just different.
Speaker 2:So how
Speaker 1:did you do it?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So it was, you know, the thing we found with, like, doing a bunch of, like, you know, buying, like, really old single family homes, fixing them up, leasing them out, that it's it's kinda the same work amount of work just with, it's smaller dollars, smaller returns versus when you can get here. It's kinda like the same thing with, bigger returns. And so it's like, do I wanna keep doing, like, 10 single family projects, or would I rather just do one Mhmm. Big multifamily project?
Speaker 2:Yeah. And so, you know, the way we were looking at it, you know, I mean, especially, like, today with where interest rates are, people just can't afford to live in a home. There's just more and more people that are needing to rent. And so I think when you can have, you know, some some cool multifamily complexes and things like that so I'm trying to think back what was the first one. You know, we did a lot of that development stuff down there on, like, 20th, where, like, Pinewood and Yeah.
Speaker 1:All that stuff. Used to be there, I think.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And so we, you you know that, that big multifamily development over there?
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:That's right Okay. Behind Pinewood. We did that project. K. So we just got into it, and, you know, we had a, you know, we had a guy that that could build them.
Speaker 2:We had always done we're we're big believers in, always doing our own property management just so we can control expenses and ensure leasing. You know? And so, and I was working with a guy that, my partner, has just had a lot of success in real estate. So, you know, we we always say we make our money on the buy, and so we just want as we started doing development stuff, you know, it's a lot more speculative. And so you you've gotta really okay.
Speaker 2:How are we thinking about this? How are we what are we thinking about as far as, cost per square foot as we build this and who's living here
Speaker 1:and
Speaker 2:just making sense of all that. Love it.
Speaker 1:Okay. Success story or 2. Like, what comes to mind? And you can share numbers if you want. Yeah.
Speaker 1:So like, yeah, a deal or 2 that really
Speaker 2:Yeah. So we bought a, we bought this big, you know, commercial, office space here and, you know, it was, like, I think, like, a couple, like, school teachers owned it and, needed some cash. So, we kinda had a our ground game was, like, not that creative. I mean, it's just we picked up the phone and called and made offers. Love that.
Speaker 2:And just got, like, tons of noes. And, like, that was our thing is, like, just
Speaker 1:Tons of noes. Tons of noes.
Speaker 2:I mean, just picked up the phone, made offers. I'll never sell you for that. Awesome. We get it. But if you ever do, we're here Yeah.
Speaker 2:Next. You know, just did that. And then what we found is, like, over time, people would call us back and just be like, well, I know you came back here. I don't know if I'd sell for that, but would you do this? You know?
Speaker 2:And then you're like, oh, we're at the table. And so, you know, we we learned, early on that this is a long game, and so you just you gotta kinda tend to the market that you wanna buy in and just keep making those calls, checking in, seeing where people are, you know, because people might not be motivated to sell today, but there will be a day. So, anyways, we found these folks, and they were willing to sell. And, you know, we were able we had a we had an outside investor that was kinda backing us. And so we were able to take this thing down with, like, no money down.
Speaker 2:And, it was, like, probably 70% leased when we bought it. And so, that was a lot of what we did. There's a little bit of property upgrades you did, but more was just like, hey. Let's get this thing to, like, 90%.
Speaker 1:And how big was it? This is like an apartment, multifamily? This was like a Commercial. This was a commercial office space. So it
Speaker 2:was large. You know, this was probably I'm gonna get the numbers wrong, because it was a while ago, but, probably a $3,000,000 deal when we bought it. And, so, anyways, you know, our team got on it, started getting leased up. We got to 85%, 90%, and they're like, hey. Let's we're gonna go to the market, and we're gonna, you know, we're gonna double our money.
Speaker 2:We're we're gonna list it for $6,000,000.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know? So, you know, more You took
Speaker 1:it wait. You took it from 70% leased to 80% leased.
Speaker 2:80% to 90%.
Speaker 1:To 90%.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then you're like, let's just sell. That's
Speaker 2:what's Okay. Yeah. So the our whole deal is like, we wanna buy, you know, kinda like buy low, sell high. Yeah. Buy low, sell high.
Speaker 2:There's some stuff that we've held, but for the most part, we're we're, I mean, we're pretty open to, like, being long term holders, but, like, off times, we just wanna, like, optimize a property, and then we'll Yeah. We'll sell it. So, anyways, the guys are coming, and, you know, you're looking at it. You're like, woah, man. I'm gonna, we're gonna make $3,000,000, on a deal I have no money in.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Seems awesome. And so I'm sitting there, and I've got my my the guy who buys for us, and I've got my partner there. And, you know, I kinda sit in the background in a lot of those meetings. You know, when it's our operating businesses, I kinda take the forefront.
Speaker 2:But on this, I usually sit in the back. And we're sitting there, and I just I have this thought in my head.
Speaker 1:Hey.
Speaker 2:If we wait, we're gonna get $8,000,000. Mhmm. Just thought since I had from the work, just, you know, whatever. And so I just did it up to guys, and I said, I don't have data behind this, but I just feel like if we wait 12 months, we can get another $2,000,000. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And they're like, really?
Speaker 1:And I
Speaker 2:was like, I just I mean, if I'm being an idiot, we we don't have to do that. But that that's just what I sense. And and so we did, and 12 months later, we sold it for 8 and a half 1000000 dollars. That's great. So it's,
Speaker 1:just a little sense you had from the Lord.
Speaker 2:Just little sense and made an extra $200,000,000.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. Anything what do you think about, I mean, this might be it's a funny question. What do you think I mean, I think that God, like, wants you to make the extra 2,000,000. Some people might not think that. You wanna speak to that?
Speaker 1:Yeah. What do you think God thinks of money, big money like that?
Speaker 2:Yeah. I think, yeah, I think God is really God is really into it. I think that there is you know, I've I've wrestled with, you know, you know, is the wealth creator thing a real thing
Speaker 1:or
Speaker 2:a thing we've created to feel okay about the money we make and about our lifestyles. And, you know, really, really dove into that and explored it. And, you know, obviously, there's a it's easy to find material on it and and read on it, but I think I I really, I really wanted to look at the scriptures and more. I just hear from the holy spirit on what do you Yeah. What do you feel about this?
Speaker 2:And, you know, the thing that it comes back to is, like, faith just really, really moves the heart of God in a major way. Yeah. And that is really hard in business. It's really easy to be rational, controlling, fearful, fearful, worried. Like, those are, like, very easy posing.
Speaker 2:You know, those are all things that are very easy to, you know, digest and assimilate to. But when we really can learn, you know, the Proverbs 3 of trusting the Lord with all of our heart, you know, not trusting our understanding. Not that we don't pursue it, but we just don't trust in it. You know, a lot of times, you're like, well, so does god just want me to turn my brain off? No.
Speaker 2:He's not asking us to do that. You know, he's given us brains, but he's asking us to trust that voice, you know, and that and we all struggle with this. Is that me? Is that you? Is that my is that my issues?
Speaker 2:You know, what is what is that?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And, you know, through the years, you know, I've been doing this for 20 years. I've been walking with the Lord for 25. It's just become the scaffolding of how we live our life. You know? It's become the ecosystem.
Speaker 2:And so contemplation and, you know, to obey, you know, studying that word obedience, and it's like that word obey is to listen. Mhmm. And I've learned that, like, learning to listen, learning to see, like, learning to get my senses awake to the God of the universe who is just really into beauty. He's really into creativity. He's really into commerce.
Speaker 2:He's really into job creation. He's really into technology. You know, he's just into this stuff. Yeah. And, you know, as we, you know, learn to you know, that word aboda, so we learn to let our work become our worship.
Speaker 2:You know, it it really comes with the blessing of God. And and the thing I feel sensitive with on the you know, because a lot of people be like, oh, you know, that's the, that's the key to a life up into the right is is Jesus. And life isn't up in the right. You know, the Lord told me early on in my journey, he's like, hey, I'm the God of twist and churns. And so you gotta keep your head on a swivel and your heart close to me.
Speaker 2:Wow. And, I've 100% been my experience is life's not always up into the right. I've had years where I'm like, can it get any easier making money? And then I have your I you know, years where I'm like, it can it get any harder? Like, I can make I can help other people
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Make money really well, but I can't generate a dime myself. Like, what is this? Like, god. You're just like, the projects aren't working, you know, and, you know, that's where I'm really grateful because there's a resilience thing. That's been the big thing over the last 4 years that I've been talking to Lord about.
Speaker 2:Even, you know, I've, you know, I was fortunate to have a few exits, few years ago, and so I've been in the process of, like, setting up a little family office and look thinking about generational legacy and allocation and, what does it look like? You know, I was the 1st business owner in my family, and that was my dad's real dream. I'd have worked for the same company for 4 years. And, you know, when I was like, damn, I'm thinking about I wanna go into business. And he's like, awesome.
Speaker 2:Just go be an entrepreneur. Go learn to own things. Learn to, you know, own real estate. Learn how a business works. Learn how to own a business.
Speaker 2:Learn how to be a good owner, you know, that people wanna work for. Yeah. Which that's been a journey. And, you know, so now we're thinking about what does that look like for gen 2, my kids, you know, as my daughters get married? You know, what does it look like to teach them how to steward that?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And so that's a lot of lot of things my wife and I are thinking about and, you know, kinda Yeah. On paper and starting to kinda
Speaker 1:Yeah. Let's go there. I mean, this this is the Legacy Investor podcast. So it's not just making money. Everyone wants to make money, and I think most people wanna grow and wanna make more money, but, like, unto what?
Speaker 1:Yeah. You know, what's your why? I think you're starting to go there. And then along with that, like, what kind of a legacy do you wanna leave spiritually and financially?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Because, you know, something I think that starts happening, you know, you think the waterfalls will solve the questions. They actually pose more, because now you have a lot of options, and you begin asking that very thing of, like, it it just exposes things. It exposes, you know, was was God really just like my lucky rabbit's foot that, like, I kinda would would rub on so that my stuff would work? Or was he, like, actually the prize?
Speaker 2:Like, he's actual knowing him, walking with him, becoming like him, like, that's actually what I'm like, the highest goal of my life. Is that actually real, or was it my stuff working? And that's a, that's a thing I have to work through because I'm a very goal oriented, accomplished, type a person, and I like to accomplish things. Yeah. So that that's been a journey.
Speaker 2:And so, you know, with it, I think, you know, you begin, you know, asking that question. Okay. What is this on to? What are we really about, and what are we really passing down? And so that's been, you know, for my wife and I, is really being able to articulate that.
Speaker 2:And and I brought in people to help me do that. You know, I've got, you know, coaches, advisors, and people that are just kinda helping us curate that narrative and story and, you know, even content curriculum. You know? Because as we looked at it, you know, I think a lot of the biggest mistakes in the family office space, you know, that you think about is, I I, you know, I wanna leave an inheritance to my kids. I'm sure I'll leave them a pile, a pile of cash that they can go and have opportunity with.
Speaker 2:You know? But then you start you start playing that out. You start seeing trust fund people, and you're like, I want them to turn into that. You know? These people that don't have any skills and just Totally.
Speaker 2:Have a hard time. Like like, the thing I found with, like, heavy trust fund people is they, they they struggle finding their way, you know, because they've never really had to put their hands in the dirt to, like, make a project work. You know? So they're, like, don't they lack, like, an an awareness of that. And and so we were like, we don't wanna do that.
Speaker 2:So then we're not giving them any, and we're just gonna give it all away. What do we even care about giving stuff away to? What it what else do we wanna give them? Yeah. So it just it it, it it made the board a little fuller.
Speaker 2:It's like, there is some stuff that we wanna empower and give them financially, but then there was, like, a spiritual legacy we were thinking about. There's a relational piece. There's a physical piece. Yeah. And then you start lining up, this is what I'm wanting to give, and then it's working through the how am I doing it.
Speaker 2:Like, how am I actually going to, like, train them, impart this, give this to them. And, you know, like, yesterday, one of the things I've been thinking about is I really wanna teach my girls how to set goals and plan and evaluate progress and, like, just learning to, like I wanna accomplish this. How am I gonna do it? Mhmm. So I've got this, one of my coaches, designed this really cool drawing.
Speaker 2:I really recommend it. It's called Stay Ready, and it's a 50 day, it's a 50 day journal planning, goal setting exercise. And, you know, it has, like All
Speaker 1:your girls are doing it?
Speaker 2:All my kids are doing it.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And my wife.
Speaker 1:And, you
Speaker 2:know, so yesterday on Sabbath day, we were kinda like, I was explaining here's how it works. We're gonna set everybody's gonna have 3 to 5
Speaker 1:Let's go.
Speaker 2:Goals that we're gonna do, and then it's gonna have here's here's some habits we're we're embracing. So, you know, simple stuff like going on a walk, working out every day Yeah. Cutting sugar, for me, cutting booze, you know, going to bed on time, waking up early. Yeah. You know, just 4 or 5 just habits that we're gonna embrace every day.
Speaker 2:Here's what we're gonna evaluate every week, and I'm just gonna teach them how to accomplish it. And so walk them through that, and, you know, it was awesome. I mean, you're just like it it's working on things that, you know, I was never taught. I I learned this stuff, like, back half of my life, you know, and I think that's a big thing that that we're thinking about is, like, what is the stuff we didn't really get that we wish we got meant that we'd love to give them Mhmm.
Speaker 1:So
Speaker 2:they can walk into the world with some tools in their hands.
Speaker 1:Yeah. How are you gonna teach your kids? I mean, well, they're, like, going to college. Mhmm. Sounds like this is part of it, but, like, I I have a 3 year old, 2 year old, and one on the way.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, how do you teach your kids to work hard? You know, when they when they, they might not need anything, you know. I mean, I grew up, my parents couldn't afford. I remember asking for, like, a candy bar, and it was like, oh, we can't afford that most of the time. Mhmm.
Speaker 1:You know? And I think it helped me, and I, like, finished a basement with my dad and and, like, learned to work hard in the in 15 degree weather when I really didn't want to, and it's 11 PM, stuff like that. I just have those memories that I feel like, man, that really gave me a work ethic that I appreciate now, and I want my kids to have the same thing. I'm sure you do too. Mhmm.
Speaker 1:What are you doing for that besides the habits and goals?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So so for us, one of the things that we're, you you know, my kids go to private school, you know, and, you know, they live in a smaller fishbowl. And, you know, something that, we really are trying to get in them that I think they're hearing from us over and over again is, when number 1, you're 5 talent people. Like, I know it's easy to look to the right and left. Oh, she's a little smarter.
Speaker 2:Maybe he's, you know, a little more athletic, whatever. But I said, we live in America that is the 1% quote. The 400,000,000 kids that don't even have enough to eat every day. Like, God looks at us globally, and so we're not just gonna look we're just not gonna view ourselves based on, like, the street we live on. We wanna take a bigger view of that.
Speaker 2:And so we're 5 talent people that have been entrusted with much. And so, there's a stewardship that's behind that that, that we need to embrace. And so, yeah, you know, there's people that struggle every day to pay the bills, and that's a real deal. And it's easy, I think, when you have resources to think, oh, the goal of life is to remove the struggle. And I said, no.
Speaker 2:No. No. What we struggle through is a different set of challenges, but everybody has to embrace the life of struggle. Like, that is that's real. I think that's right.
Speaker 2:And so, you know, one of the things that, you know, with that is, you know, practically learning to put your hand on something Yeah. And see it completed. So, I mean, so like little things we do at the home, you know, my kids do their own laundry. My kids do the dishes every day. My kids are responsible to keep their room clean.
Speaker 2:My kids, responsible you know, once they hit junior high, they are responsible to make sure their homework is done every day and take responsibility for their schoolwork. So my wife's done, like, a really good job of, like you know, we obviously wanna serve our kids, but that's not like our primary role. It's like, we're here to, like, be your bellhop, and butler for life. Like, you're now old, and you're gonna, you know, learn to get actually out into the world and have responsibilities. So I think there that was a piece of it.
Speaker 2:We have expectations on them, you know, around school and, you know, you know, the whole just do your best coach, like, I think can get fluid. We we put expectation on them of, like, you're smart. You should you're gonna get good grades, and we expect that. And, you know, when we're not, we have that conversation. And so we're, you know, we're wanting to create an environment that's not scary for them to fail and ask questions and make mistakes.
Speaker 2:But in the same way, there's just this thing in the water of like, oh, I can't have any expectation over my kids. I'm like, it's nonsense. Like Yeah. Now we're stewarding something really great and really, really, important. Our lives are bigger than ourselves.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I think we're fighting. You know? I I mean, I have to be honest. Like, if I don't have a clear picture of, like, what we're stewarding and and who it's for, I'm gonna become a narcissist.
Speaker 2:Like, I'm gonna it's it's gonna be about me. And, you know, that's the reality. I have a my second kid is just like me. I told my wife. I said, if we don't develop her, she's gonna be a narcissist.
Speaker 2:And Okay. That's, that's a scary thing to have to marry. And so I think that's, that's why, like, stewardship, service, you know, vision, leadership has been, like, a big thing that we're talking to our girls about.
Speaker 1:That's so good. Awesome, man. What I gotta ask. What do you feel like were the catalyzing events in your life that kept you from becoming a narcissist? Can I ask that?
Speaker 2:Yeah. I mean, I think, so I I, you know, like, there's just been so many Christian leaders. I mean, golly, in the last, like, 4 years. I know. Maybe it's always been happening.
Speaker 2:We just, like, didn't have the news about it, but just so many blown up. Right? Blown up leaders, blown up people. Yeah. And, you know, it's interesting.
Speaker 2:My coach, the guy who coaches me, worked for Bill Hybels. He was, like, one of his main guys and, you know, lived in that environment, saw him. And, you know, I remember we were before before I hired him, you know, because we played baseball together. So known him for long 27 years. And he, he said, Dell, I said you know, because I was coming.
Speaker 2:God. Just all this stuff coming out. Like, what is the deal? And he said, you know, the thing that, that is very common with success is you can build, an isolated environment where you don't get
Speaker 1:checked.
Speaker 2:And the ones who who really make it through welcome that they learn to live transparent, and they can welcome the, like, check me. Like, hockey check me against
Speaker 1:the boards if I'm out
Speaker 2:of bounds. So whether I'm, like, at dinner and with my coach and my my wife, and we're, like, you know, at a really nice restaurant, but the server was, like, checked out. And he looked at me, and he could tell I'm, like, starting to get frustrated and annoyed. And, and he just looks at me. He's known him for 27 years.
Speaker 2:He says, yeah. We're not gonna do that.
Speaker 1:And I
Speaker 2:was like, dang. You're right. We're not. I'm not gonna say anything. I'm just gonna be kind.
Speaker 2:This person is where they are. Yeah. And, you know, like
Speaker 1:He checked you.
Speaker 2:At 0, the number of zeros doesn't, doesn't give permission to treat people wrong or, you know, things like that.
Speaker 1:And say it again.
Speaker 2:We, the number
Speaker 1:of zeros doesn't give you permission to treat people wrong.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I mean, just kindness and, you know, choosing the fruits of the Holy Spirit. And, you know, at the end of the day, if that's my highest is to be an image bearer, you know, even more than a successful business guy, you're respected or whatever the thing I'm chasing, then then I have to really, you know, at home, you know, my wife and kids don't wanna don't care. I mean, they're like, dad does what dad does. But at the end of the day, what we care about is dad present, is dad loving, is dad interested in me, you know.
Speaker 2:And so I have to embrace that, that that journey of formation that that I'm on. And so I think that's a part of it. And so you're like, what is the key? And I'm like, do you have people in your life that check Do you and do you ask for it? And I have 2 different guys.
Speaker 2:I literally had to pay people to make sure it's getting done. And I told them I said, I'm paying you to tell me what nobody else tells me. Yeah. And to tell me the hard things, the blind spots, the the things you just kind of look at and say, you know, from how I treat people, how I spend my money,
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:To where I'm going with my life.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I have people that intimately know me and and speak into that journey.
Speaker 1:Love it. And you have to invite that. Right? Like, people especially, like you said, you can isolate yourself so much that people aren't people are just gonna be scared to to check you against the wall as you said. Like, you have to invite that.
Speaker 1:Right? Like, you have to have that conversation of, you know, hey, if you see me doing this or this or this, I wanna be called out. Please call me out.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:Like because people aren't gonna do that naturally. So if you're listening and you're like, oh, I think I have that. I'm not really sure. You probably don't. Like, you probably don't have people that are, checking you and holding you accountable if you haven't asked for it.
Speaker 1:So go out there and find 2, 3, 4 people and ask for it. Like, ask for the accountability. That's really good. Well, yeah, let's wind down here. I think last question, the name of the podcast, you know, what does it mean to you?
Speaker 1:I kinda already asked this, but just more succinctly, I guess, what does it mean to you to leave a legacy?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So the, the big thing that, you know, from a legacy standpoint with my with my girls is, number 1 is that I help clarify their identity. Like, that identity was something that was rock solid, that was talked about, that it was uniquely for for them, that it wasn't just this one size fits all solution and answer, but it was like a unique thing. So, I keep journals for every one of my girls that that where I'm just kinda taking time to listen and get specifics around my identity. So, so I think identity is a big one.
Speaker 2:And then, I mean, start early talking about calling and purpose. Just your your life matters. You are here for a reason and, you're gonna make a big splash on the earth. Like, just I I tell them that. You know?
Speaker 2:I tell them you just you're made for stuff. You're made your your life is important. Yeah. And, and then it's just, you know, getting behind them and back in the dump truck, whether it's time, finances, you know, I I think, you know, we talk about legacy. You know, I think the goal is is that whatever my ceiling was becomes their floor.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And, like, we kinda learn to stand up and take it to the next level. And I think that's the heart behind it. And that's what we wanna do is, and so so that's where, like, even from, you know, from a from a giving standpoint that we're you know, we've got a small little, family foundation and, you know, we're starting to really clarify what are the things that really are that God's asked us to, do. And I think that's what motivates me, you know, honestly, to not wanna make more money.
Speaker 2:I got a lot stuff I really care about that I wanna give money to. Yeah. And so, and it's not a you know, I had to kinda work through the, like, oh, I'm supposed to want to be generous. You know? And I had to deal with you know, in some ways, I'm like, I don't wanna be generous.
Speaker 2:Like, I earn this. I want it. And I'm like, okay. There's a lot that's wrong with that. So I just need to work through that.
Speaker 2:But, you know, now we're in this place where it's just god's letting us participate and be a part of things that we just really are excited about. And so I think for that, we, we told our girls from a legacy standpoint that we wanna be very active to war against is, indifference and greed. Those are like our 2. Like, indifference is I don't. You walk by a poor person, you don't care.
Speaker 2:You walk by you see a single mom in need and you're like, that's her problem. Like, that's what indifference looks like. Like, we wanna really care about those things that God cares about. Yeah. So that's important to us.
Speaker 2:And then greed is just, that we would be consumers more than, stewards and, givers.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So Come on. Love it. Guys, power packed 40 minutes. Our goal on this podcast is value per second just like as much value as we can in a short amount of time on your commute or your drive.
Speaker 1:Chris Delanier is seriously one of the smartest people in Waco. 1 of the yeah. Just like business owner, entrepreneur, family man, like, has a lot of amazing things going on. If you wanna reach out to Chris, how can how can people reach you? You probably don't wanna be reached.
Speaker 1:But
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. I,
Speaker 1:But if if people were to follow you or reach out to you.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So, LinkedIn's probably the best place.
Speaker 1:LinkedIn. Let's go.
Speaker 2:I'm, I'm actually getting ready, man. I, I've got some, with one of my companies, we have a big offshore team over in the Ukraine. And so they're building a website for me right now. I'm gonna start writing some content, talking honestly, talking about tons of stuff.
Speaker 1:Let's go.
Speaker 2:Because I found, for me, writing is, like, therapeutic.
Speaker 1:Yeah. You
Speaker 2:know, just kinda like being able to articulate what I feel and think about it. I think dream wise, one of the things I wanna do one day is, write my kids a book about my life.
Speaker 1:I was gonna say a book on the horizon is what
Speaker 2:it sounds like. I I wanna do that. And so, I think I'm a few years out from that, but it's definitely, in the crosshairs. And being able to do stuff like this is is a gift. So thanks for having me, bro.
Speaker 1:Man, awesome. Amazing. Thank you guys for tuning in. I hope you got a lot out of it, and we'll see you next time.