Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Business owner. Going to be a business owner.
Help build people up. Your employees. Help empower them, help level them up. And you know what? If they leave and go do great things and they're not part of your deal anymore, well, guess what? You help somebody.
[00:00:33] Speaker B: Hello, and welcome to the Wealth Builders podcast. Oh, we have got such a treat for you today. You know, you hear about our coaching programs, you hear about all the people that, and some of you, many of you are part of that. You come to the conferences, and we met this amazing group of guys that we just connected with, and they've been in the business coaching. They're in the real estate coaching. And I just wanted you to meet them because they are absolutely amazing, and they are a great example of an entrepreneur doing real estate, really, for purposes of the kingdom. So it is my privilege to introduce to you mister Steve Locke.
[00:01:12] Speaker A: Hi. Hi, Karen. How you doing?
[00:01:14] Speaker B: Good.
[00:01:15] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:01:15] Speaker B: Thank you. I'm really blessed because I asked Steve to fly in early. We have an event this weekend. And you did that so you could be a guest on this podcast. And, Steve, I know you, Jason, the whole crew, pretty well. And I'm telling you, you are really making a difference in your area. And it's all through business and real estate. And then you started a nonprofit. So can you just give us a little story? I know there's. You're not even gonna believe all that these guys do, but can you just share with people what you're about, how you got started with things and kind of where you are today with all these entities and these amazing things God's put on your heart?
[00:01:55] Speaker A: I'm sure. Sure. Thanks for having me today.
[00:01:58] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:01:58] Speaker A: Yeah. And I appreciate Billy Eberhardt and wealth builders. And it's brought us to a different level. I've been in real estate and started running a business 26 years ago. We started, and it basically, at the time, it was just me in a tool belt and in a truck. And we started just with nothing. I signed our first job and got a down payment. And seriously, I went about a wheelbarrow.
[00:02:27] Speaker B: Oh, my goodness.
[00:02:29] Speaker A: True story. True story. And we had to go buy tools with the down payment. And I don't recommend it, you know, but it is. It is possible that you can start from a very low level if you have determination and a vision. And so many. For years and years, I went on, and we grew to a certain level.
And then really, around seven, eight years ago, I had a vision that it's time to expand a little. And I hired somebody, a salesman. It's Andy Price.
[00:03:07] Speaker B: Yes, Andy.
[00:03:08] Speaker A: Yeah. And he's our general manager, and he really was a big part of going to the next level with us. And it was interesting that when I had all these years of experience, but it was all in me.
And so I literally, sometimes I wouldn't. At the time, I'd have to write every bit out. Well, sometimes I didn't even do that. I was just like, okay, I knew the size of the building. Okay, it's going to be $10,000. I just knew the numbers. Well, when you scale a business or grow a business, that doesn't work. So it was like, I had to. I had none of that figured out. So Andy and myself, for three months straight, literally, we would meet in the office at five or six in the morning every day, and we just started putting everything that was in my brain on spreadsheets.
[00:03:59] Speaker B: Oh, my goodness. And just so everybody knows, this is your pole barn building business, right?
[00:04:06] Speaker A: Yes, yes. We're out of Oregon, and we build pole buildings and they're arenas. The horses are in and they build. We build shops with concrete floors and barn dominions is a thing today. You know, it's quite a market.
So I started to learn how to scale and how that I had to take everything out of me and put it on paper.
So recently.
So about a year and a half ago, we're going to come forward here that we heard about. I was up at Charis Bible College. We went to the summer family Bible conference, and Billy Erhart did a session, and I. And instantly I knew this is something I have to be part of. And so I called my guys at the office and said, we're going to the next conference. It was like the next month, I believe. And we came down here and life has never. It just.
It hasn't. What's the word for it? It just has. It's just been projection.
[00:05:12] Speaker B: Yeah. It keeps going.
[00:05:13] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:05:13] Speaker B: Like you're. It's you. I always look at it like you're. You're on almost like a roller coaster that just keeps going and accelerating. You're an acceleration.
[00:05:20] Speaker A: Yes. And, and this was, I think, two years ago. And at the time, we were thinking about getting into real estate.
[00:05:29] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:05:29] Speaker A: All right. And, and I knew I had done some real estate. Being in construction, I had done some flips, I had done some stuff, but I knew if I was going to go into real estate, I needed to learn and get educated at wealth builders. They are real estate experts, they're business experts, and they're biblical based. It's kingdom business. So this aligned so perfect with us and I could trust them. And so I knew I needed to grow bigger inside because we were going to do bigger things.
[00:06:05] Speaker B: Yeah. And you are really a man of vision.
[00:06:08] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:06:08] Speaker B: And so I just, you know, just to share. When I, we first met you guys, we didn't know we were kind of, you know, hey, who is this? Met you. But there was something about these guys where, like you, I feel like at that point in your heart you had determined, we are going to grow, we are going to pursue and go to the next level. And we could really sense that. And you have so much vision. You have so much that you want to do. The amazing thing is over this last, you have done so much of, I mean, you have really made tracks and all of it is with a heart for God. And that's at the core of everything that you do.
[00:06:48] Speaker A: Yeah, everything we do.
We have policies and I always say that our policies should reflect your values. And I know that's something that most people will say, but the first line in our strategic objective is to honor God in everything we do.
And it's not a cliche with us, it's everything we do is we look through the lens of what would God do? The Bible, and that's our code of conduct, really is the word of God. And we validate everything that we do by the word of God and we bring that value to the employees we do. And the Lord has really taught me that he was a team builder.
You know, Jesus Christ himself was a team builder. You know, he started with a team of twelve.
[00:07:38] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:07:39] Speaker A: And then, and, you know, Moses was a team builder. I found out and, you know, he didn't realize it till his, you know, remember, he had to realize to take care of the needs of everybody, he had to get team leaders over teams. And the Lord has really showed me that to do anything great, we need to have a team so good. And the Lord's been so good to me. He's brought me such great people. I really have to tell you. I've learned that I was able to have a truck and a tool belt and I could build a barn, but, you know, when I have a team, I could do a lot more.
[00:08:14] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:08:16] Speaker A: You know, our first year we did $250,000, which is, I was pretty impressed with that. And that is pretty impressive. It's in 1998 and, but, you know, now it's, we're doing over $18 million and that's more.
[00:08:28] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:08:28] Speaker A: And I've realized something.
I don't know if I'm getting off the topic a little bit, but it's on my heart for people to understand. I remember having that one truck, and I looked at people that had ten trucks. Well, I thought I knew, like, I knew what they did or what they were going through, but I realized something. There are levels to things, and I've, like, had to start a business four or five times, if that makes sense. Well, when I got to five trucks, that means there's a lot of things you didn't even think about.
[00:09:00] Speaker B: That's so true.
[00:09:03] Speaker A: Cause you haven't done it.
And that's why I've learned how smart and wise it is to get people that are ahead of you that have been there, done stuff, and go with a hungry heart to learn. Bring that notepad.
[00:09:16] Speaker B: Yeah, that's true.
[00:09:17] Speaker A: And Billy has a great story about the notepad.
But I wanna talk about teams. This is really on my heart today that teams are important, and that that's why it's so I cherish the people God's bring to me, and then I want, that's why we bring the guys to the conferences.
You know, I go to Bible College. I bring my guys to Bible college.
We have things, you know, I want to build them up.
I want to invest in them.
And, you know, it's so important for all the leaders out there. And you are a leader. Everybody's a leader. Even if of yourself. Right.
[00:09:57] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:09:59] Speaker A: That when you invest in other people, it really. It's coming back to you.
[00:10:06] Speaker B: Amen.
[00:10:07] Speaker A: I believe the Lord is. It's the law of the harvest, you know? And at the end of the day, we're helping people.
If you're a business owner, gonna be a business owner, help build people up, your employees, help empower them, help level them up. And, you know, what if they leave and go do great things and they're not part of your deal anymore? Well, guess what? You help somebody.
[00:10:33] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:10:34] Speaker A: What's wrong with that?
[00:10:34] Speaker B: You know, you've imparted something in them that they're able to share with others.
[00:10:38] Speaker A: Yeah. It's like sometimes that is necessary.
[00:10:42] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:10:42] Speaker A: You know, it's that, that you spread out. You, you. We're helping. We get to help people. Now, our contract, we've have employees. I always want to encourage people to step up to the next level and give them an opportunity so good. For example, I want to be able to them to make more, to prosper more, and live out their vision, their dreams, and help cultivate them. A lot of people don't even know that they have a purpose or a vision.
[00:11:14] Speaker B: So true. You know, and I've really seen that. I've had an opportunity to get to know a lot, to get to know you. A lot of your team and everybody that is a part of your organization that's in leadership has this heart. And I know that that has been cultivated by what you are describing. And I really like what you said about when people are working for you or with you, what can you impart into them? And if they leave, you know, I used to just pray, and I still do. Like, lord, this person, this person, you've entrusted me with them to work for me. What do you want me to impart to them during this season? You know, what is it? Why are they here? And so people that come under your leadership, it's for a reason. But, boy, I'll tell you what, when they walk away, if they walk away, if they're still part of it, they're going to look back on their lives. And the same increase that you've seen, I would guess if I talk to your team members, they are seeing that similar increase.
[00:12:15] Speaker A: Oh, you know, God has been good to us. And we teach also how people could even, let's say it this way, we invest in people, like how they could do their job better. But we invest in people, in our employees, in their marriages.
We do Bible studies. We offer, it's not mandatory, but, you know, we highly encourage it. We do Bible studies that come together. We've offered marriage relationship classes.
We have a, we do marketplace ministries. It's an organization where it's Christian. They come and they'll go to the job sites.
It's like counseling. And so we offer these resources because we want people to just have a better life. So good, you know, we want to invest in people.
It's really not about building pole barns or buying land. It's about building the kingdom that's so good. And people are the king, people are the church. God loves people.
Jesus, you know, he owns a cattle on a thousand hills. But you know what? He came to the earth for people. He laid his life down for people. He loves people. And that's what we do is we build up people. We invest in people. And that's really, my heart is like, to invest in people is the core thing of what we do.
And people are coming to the Lord.
Recently we had a marriage restored in our business. We're doing search of business.
[00:13:53] Speaker B: Oh, my goodness. Is this like an employee or. Wow.
[00:13:56] Speaker A: Yes, yes, an employee.
One of our employees. I found out and he messed up and he was, he messed up bad. I'm not going to get into the details, but he knew he did it wrong and he knows he messed up his life. The wife, they're going to divorce court. Understand? And I told him, I said, what do you want?
What do you want? Do you want, do you want to stand for your marriage? Like I want to know where his, where he was?
[00:14:23] Speaker B: Yeah. Great.
[00:14:23] Speaker A: Is there faith there? What do you want? I mean, I know what I want, but I can't do, I can't do it for him. He said he wants his marriage restored. He says, yes, I want it restored. I said, I'll agree with you and we're going to stand and believe. And I said, you know what, I'll even pay for counseling, whatever it takes. I said, I'll help. Throw in on that.
[00:14:43] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:14:44] Speaker A: We believe God. And you know what, they're together. They stood and he believed God. And I know that God intervened and all I could say is that they're back together living in the same home.
I mean we stood and believed. So I mean we're, this is what we do. It's so amazing, you know, this is what we do. And you know, the Lord, he's increasing us. It's not like we're not stewards of our money here. You know, we didn't get into all the x's and o's and come to the conference and learn about that. I mean and get involved in the university online and all the other programs we have that wealth Bidders University, I'm watching them, I'm learning.
So there's a lot of practical application, the nuts and bolts, you know, know the state of your flock, you should know where your finances are and you should get good people around you. But at the core thing of what you do is for people that's so.
[00:15:37] Speaker B: Good and see what you described as so much. That's why really wealth builders exist is because it's bringing the how to's of the business which we need. We need guides, we need help like in the coaching program. You guys are so amazing because we would go through and do the core organization objectives, you know, all that and you're like, we're doing it, we're doing it, we're doing it. So you were bringing this heart of God for people and that heart for increase and helping people find purpose and then you were willing to steward the how to's with it.
[00:16:08] Speaker A: Oh yeah.
[00:16:09] Speaker B: And in that you've actually seen some amazing increase. You were giving me some information, maybe you can share with people from this last year.
[00:16:16] Speaker A: Yeah, in the last year, we've been in a coaching program for a little over a year. Right? About a year. Anyways, just in the last year, we've increased literally 40% on sales in the construction. And we've always done pretty good. God's been really good to us. But this is every year we've increased. I mean, that is the truth. In 26 years, we've done more and more and more, even during the precessions. But I. We did 40% more. We have a real estate deal going and you know a little bit about it. Literally it. We are get the 27 acres and all the details, but that alone is going to net us over $2.5 million profit.
[00:17:01] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:17:02] Speaker A: One year. Okay.
And then train the rain or ministry that we're doing is that we're able to minister to youth with our design your life class. Every Friday we're doing internships where we built a barn last week.
[00:17:16] Speaker B: I saw those videos. It's amazing.
[00:17:18] Speaker A: Yeah, these are. We got tool, kids got tool belts. Girls are out there with tool belts, hard hats. We're teaching them, yes. How to use air guns and skill saws. And they're building, but we're teaching them how to actually think. And I'm teaching them about systems. I'm teaching them about. There's a right way to do everything.
There's organization and there's cooperation, there's teamwork. You know, if you see somebody over there needs a hand, jump on it. Don't have to be told to do it. Just do. Don't think, just do. And so God has empowered us and blessed us to be able to increase and, you know, we're just using the influence that God has given us, I hope. And we are just stewarding it and just want to expand.
[00:18:05] Speaker B: Well, I see so much favorite on your life as well. So one of the things is this last year you guys closed a deal with Home Depot. So that was a, that's a really big deal. And it came to pass. And then I'm always, you're in Oregon and you tell me, like, these things, you connected with the school and the school is having kids come out where you're training them through this nonprofit and leadership and things. And I was like, wait a minute, what you're in where, you know, I heard a story.
[00:18:37] Speaker A: I mean, Steve Martin, I think, said, like, you know, he asked him a question, but he says, well, if you do something good enough, long enough, they're going to notice. And I just think the Lord has been good to us, empowered us to do work there, you know, work with your hands, do a good job, you know, so when you're doing something good and there's value in people's lives, people will come, even the world.
You know how many people came to Jesus? I mean, didn't say they were all believers. They just knew he was healing people.
They heard about what he was doing. So as you start to do things, it'll take people's notice. And by the way, when you do something really well and you start to prosper, people listen to you more.
[00:19:14] Speaker B: That is where the very true influence comes.
[00:19:17] Speaker A: Yeah. When you write the checks, people listen. They respect success.
[00:19:22] Speaker B: They really do.
[00:19:23] Speaker A: And that's what our vision is, is about to do stuff with a high level of excellence.
Wear the head, not the tail.
God has blessed us, coming in and going out, and we pray and believe God for stuff, too.
I just want to say that, that it wasn't by accident, okay. That, like, all the great people God brought, I believe and prayed and said, lord, I just prayed, lord, we just believe for the great, great, greatest people. And I want to mention about the Home Depot thing.
[00:19:50] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:19:50] Speaker A: Real quick. This was an amazing deal.
They came to us.
[00:19:56] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:19:57] Speaker A: We buy stuff from Home Depot.
We're a good customer to Home Depot, but they know what we do. And I guess they would like to sell our product to selling the pool building kits. They came and we filled up our whole conference table with the northwest. All these different people, store managers, northwest managers. I don't even know who they all were, but it took us about six or eight months or so. Lot of paperwork. There's a lot. I actually had to hire somebody to help me get through it all. But we got it done, and we're actually.
We could sell product through. This is going to be part of our strategy. Yes to scale. Yes to the nation. That's as we scale. And one last thing, because I know we're probably winding down. I just, I believe this is from the Lord.
The Lord showed me the more ground that we take in the physical realm. We're taking spiritual ground, and there's scriptures that talk about where you step your foot.
We're taking the territory. God wants believers to inhabit the land, to go in and to spread into other areas. And so as you go out, if you go to a client's house, claim that property for the Lord.
[00:21:15] Speaker B: Amen.
[00:21:16] Speaker A: Say, hey, I call this house saved in Jesus name. Whatever you do, if you sell a product and it gets shipped, lord, I just pray a blessing on this product wherever it goes. I'm just going to believe God that the Holy Spirit does something amazing there. So I just encourage you to know that as your influence in the natural realm increases, your spiritual realm will increase as well.
[00:21:38] Speaker B: That is so good. It works together. It's not like the God bucket over here, business bucket here. You bring it all together. And with train terrain, too. This is an amazing nonprofit. They train youth. You do events for people, praise God. You get business people in your area together. So if someone wants to learn more about train to reign, the website, can you share that with us?
[00:22:05] Speaker A: Yes, it's t two r.net. dot t the number two r.net. yes. We're always looking for business owners that are christians, and we have them come and speak to the youth. We have our summit conference event coming up May 25 in Oregon, Washington, actually, we have people that have been driving into our first one. They drove a few hours each way. So anyways, we would just like to connect with you and just see how we could be a blessing to you. Yes.
[00:22:36] Speaker B: It's great. Steve, thank you so much for taking time to be on this podcast. I'm sure we'll have you again and get Jason here.
[00:22:42] Speaker A: Yes, yes.
[00:22:43] Speaker B: But you're such a great example of really what wealth builders is all about. And these guys are making an incredible impact in their area and we are so blessed to be connected with you. We thank God that he brought you to the conference to hear Billy. And then you're all coming to the wealth Builders conference and you guys are really walking out things in such a beautiful way. Any final words that you'd like to share with people?
[00:23:12] Speaker A: Well, I just want to encourage people that to come to the event in live.
There's a difference. When you come to an environment in the live, there's a special impartation. Let's just say that might sound a little spiritual, but there's tangible connections that take place.
[00:23:34] Speaker B: There is.
[00:23:35] Speaker A: It's being in that environment. And we have met. We have some friends. We've met some friends that, and I'll share with you later, but we've met some people and that they're from back east and it's just, it's been nice. You'll develop relationships with people and like you guys really want to emphasize, it's really about a family. Right. The wealth builder family. So there's a lot more than that. You'll retain things, just knowledge, just about relationships that you'll gain as well.
[00:24:05] Speaker B: That's so good. And to learn more about the wealth builders events that are coming up, you can go to wealthbuilders.org events. So, Steve, thank you so much for being here. Thanks all of you, our wealth builders family, for tuning in. God bless you and make it a great rest of the day.
