The Livable Forest®

My journey to success

Posted on April 21, 2023

Introduce yourself

Hi, my name is David Phillips I am the owner of the Family First painting company. I started my business in 2014 as a sole proprietor and have been an LLC since 2016.

Let’s talk about your journey to where you are today. What were some of the biggest obstacles you faced and how did you overcome them?

Some of the biggest obstacles I faced we’re starting with no financial backing, I quit a job in the middle of the week I had $150 to my name, my wife my two kids and I were living with my parents and I had to find a way to make my business work

I’m a big believer in work-life balance. How do you manage to stay grounded and connected to your personal life while pursuing your professional goals?

I believe in God so staying grounded is a big part of my faith. I like to say I work for my free time, I’m not driven by money so being My own Boss allows me more time to focus on my family and my personal life and community.

We often hear about the importance of work-life balance, but it can be hard to achieve in practice. How do you make time for the things that matter most to you outside of work?

As my own boss I am always available, my kids and those that I mentor know they can come to me at any time and I’ll be available for them because once again that’s what I started my business for. To be able to do what I want when I want.

It’s always interesting to hear about the people who have influenced and inspired us. Who are some of the most important role models in your life?

My father and my grandfather are my biggest role models. Even though at the time I didn’t know what my parents were going through to raise us as I got older I understand and have a higher level of respect for my father.

Let’s talk about your values. What are some of the core beliefs that guide your decision-making and actions?

Honesty, my motto is to “say what you’re going to do, then do it. The first time!”I believe everything will work out for the good of those who love the Lord, so with every decision I just trust that I will be alright.

We all have hobbies and passions that bring us joy and fulfillment outside of work. What are some of yours, and how have they enriched your life?

My hobbies are devoting my time to my family and community. Whether it be talking my kids on vacation or supporting local events. I get joy out of helping others.

Let’s talk about self-care. What are some of the practices or routines you have in place to prioritize your own well-being?

As a combat veteran of the military I have medicinal methods of coping with PTSD aside from prayer and just staying busy and helping those who are willing to accept it

The world can be a challenging place, and sometimes it’s hard to stay positive and focused on our goals. How do you stay motivated and resilient in the face of adversity?

My wife and my kids are my motivation. It’s my duty to protect and provide the best life possible for them that I can. I don’t want my kids to ever have to rely on anyone to survive other than themselves or me so with that I have an inner motivation that can’t be matched.

Let’s talk about your upbringing. What were some of the most important values or lessons you learned from your family or community growing up?

Growing up my mother and father both work from sunup to sundown and my dad was always an entrepreneur. I credit my work ethic to them they always taught us to be respectful and to value everyone’s opinions. We were active in the community, my mother kept us busy whether it be sports or in the church there was no down time.

As someone who has accomplished a lot in your life, what advice would you give to someone just starting out on their own journey?

Be willing to go through every emotion in this journey and stand in your word. Once you lose your credibility nothing else matters. Represent yourself in a way you would like someone to present themselves to you. If it feels like work, it’s probably not something you’re passionate about. And finally, it’s not going to happen overnight.

As someone who has experienced success in multiple areas of your life, how do you define success for yourself?

I define success by how happy you are. My youngest son taught me that lesson. We were at one of our lowest times financially and he told me he was RICH because he was happy. So the more people I can make happy is success to me.

I’m a big believer in the power of gratitude. What are some of the things you’re most grateful for in your life right now?

I’m grateful for God’s grace and mercy on my life. There have been many times where my life has been spared many times that I have tried to just destroy what he was trying to make of me but he had mercy on me and that’s why I praise him

We all have moments where we feel like we’re in a rut or not making progress. How do you break out of those patterns and stay focused on your goals?

Faith, he really won’t put more on you than you can bear I don’t like to sound like I’m the most religious or the best Christian but I do take the simple things and apply them to my everyday life unapologetically so just having faith that he’ll bring me through every time

Let’s talk about mentorship. Have you had any mentors or advisors who have had a significant impact on your life or career?

Yes, a good friend of mine great brother Daryl Alston he’s a black clothing/sneaker designer we talk often it keeps me level. I have another brother named Josh Crans who first gave me my platform of mentorship I owe a lot to him for pointing me down the path I’m on to inspire the youth

Let’s talk about the importance of community. How has your network of friends, family, or colleagues helped support you in your personal and professional growth?

My network is my best work. Even though it’s not big in our community I had enough of a push from those that I needed it from to continue along this journey. But my wife is my ultimate support system

As someone who has achieved a lot in your career, how do you handle criticism or setbacks? Can you share an example of a time when you faced a major challenge and how you overcame it?

I embrace it criticism and setbacks because I am driven by the need to prove you wrong my greatest setback today was in my first or second year of business, the winter time. Not knowing that the work would slow down I went about 3 months without having any calls for work. But just being honest with bill collectors and my landlord and having built up a reputation I was able to make it through and settle all my debts when the season picked up. Now I make sure that never happens again by being smarter with my scheduling.

As someone who has achieved a lot in your career, how do you handle criticism or setbacks? Can you share an example of a time when you faced a major challenge and how you overcame it? (copy)

What are some of your future goals and aspirations, both personally and professionally? What legacy do you hope to leave behind?

My goals and aspirations are to be able to sit back and watch my companies be run by my sons. My legacy personally and professionally is them.

Lastly, let’s talk about the future. What are some of the biggest challenges or opportunities you see on the horizon, and how do you plan to navigate them?

My biggest challenges are expanding to multiple vehicles and training up a strong team so the leadership transition from me to my son’s is as fluid as possible.

The Livable Forest®

My journey to success

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