We met as business partners but quickly realized we had more in common than just our professional passions. We have now been in business together for almost 2 decades and have been happily married for almost 15 years.
Throughout our relationship we have launched four separate 7 and 8 figure businesses together, released a NYT best-selling book and a National Best Seller, been ranked as a top 100 business podcast, named one of the most influential leadership speakers in the world by Inc Magazine, inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame, consulted with Fortune 100 companies and recently ranked 2,112 on the Inc 5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies in America.
We also created 2 tiny humans (who are the ones really in charge) which are our greatest accomplishment of all.
Now, why Brand Builders Group….
It’s a story of unexpected changes, the power of relationships, and stepping out of our comfort zone. So, buckle up and let’s dive into the incredible journey that led to the creation of Brand Builders Group.
In June 2018, Brand Builders Group came into existence, but few know that just a month prior, on May 4th, our lives took an unexpected turn. After 12 years of building and growing our first company, AJ was unexpectedly fired. Rory resigned 2 weeks later. This was no ordinary event. All our social media was lost. Email list gone. Podcast handed over. Keynote calendar cleared. Consulting projects ended. Income went to zero. In a matter of weeks 12 years of work and relationships – poof. Follow that up with an unfounded lawsuit, surprise pregnancy, and house break in and it was one “exciting” year.
However, in this midst of this crazy life something even crazier happened.
On May 6, 2018 we got a call out of the blue from an acquaintance we had not heard from in years, Lewis Howes. We had met during Rory’s Take the Stairs book launch in 2010 when Rory was a guest on the School of Greatness Podcast. Based on prior conversations Lewis had a feeling he should reach out to get some outside perspective on where he was headed with his business and personal brand.
He asked for some time. Luckily, our calendars were cleared so we said yes. Note, Brand Builders Group was not a thing yet. We said yes because we thought we could help. No fees, no promises – just sharing what we know.
We spent 2 days reviewing, talking, sharing and planning. At the end of those 2 days Lewis said “this is your new business. This is what you guys were meant to do”.
Turns out he was right. This was a reason and purpose for all the chaos that was going on all around us. We didn’t lose 12 years of hard work. We had gained 12 years of preparation, training, research and learning to do what God created us to do – Brand Builders Group.
2 weeks later we sold our first 2 clients. 4 weeks after that we launched Brand Builders Group on the School of Greatness Podcast with an unstylized landing page our picture, some light copy and a button that said “Request A Call Here”.
No email list. No social media. No podcast. No website.
But because Lewis had spent years building and nurturing a trusted relationship with his audience and we had spent years building and nurturing a trusted relationship with Lewis, that one podcast changed the trajectory of our lives.
Not only did it help fund those early days of Brand Builders Group, it forced us to get out of our comfort zones and step into the calling on our lives.
Brand Builders Group exists today because someone believed in us enough to say, “let me help” and we were humble enough to say “yes”.
Now, we want to do that for you.
As we reflect on the journey that led to the creation of Brand Builders Group, we are reminded of the importance of relationships, personal growth, and perseverance. It’s neither our successes nor failures that define us; it’s the trust we build and the impact we make on the lives of others.
