The Power of Investing in People

There is a lot of pressure on family life when you are building a successful business. Often, entrepreneurs think it’s impossible to have both. In fact, an astounding 95% of entrepreneurs experience uncertainty in juggling their work and personal lives.

Mike Ayala, however, proves that with the right mindset and the right people, anything is possible.

Throughout his life, Mike Ayala has faced some adversity. His father was an alcoholic, he hung out with the wrong crowd, and he even spent time in prison. However, these experiences led him to find what he values most in life: Family, freedom, and loving relationships along with the means to fund them.

With sheer determination and assistance from the right people, he realized his vision for life and business.

Since starting his first construction company at the age of 24, Mike has completed over 2,000 projects totaling over $1 billion. During the course of his career, he scaled one of his companies to over 100 employees and sold it for $12 million.

Now, he helps other people achieve financial freedom so that they can live their lives according to their own rules as an investor, speaker, podcaster, and founder of Investing for Freedom.

Throughout this post, we explore the importance of mentors, how to be clear about your values in life, and the power of investing in people.

You should learn from both positive and negative role models.

We are probably taught to avoid toxic people — especially when it comes to role models. There is, however, room for both.

Having a positive role model can motivate you to reach your goals, show you what is possible, and inspire you to become a better person. The skills they teach you, such as working hard, being persistent, and overcoming obstacles, are also invaluable.

In addition, they can teach you how to develop healthy habits and be compassionate so that you can be successful in your career, relationships, and other areas of your life.

Having negative role models can also be beneficial because they can show you what not to do. You can learn about the consequences of poor decisions and bad behavior from them. As an example, you might decide to refrain from using drugs or alcohol if you see a family member who is addicted to them.

You can also learn from your mistakes if you have negative role models. Furthermore, they can assist you in developing your own values and beliefs.

This is something Mike has known since he was a child.

As a child, his father was an alcoholic. “He was in and out of my life, abusive,” Mike says. “When I was little, I didn’t really know what was going on.” He would disappear for quite some time at a time. “And so, that was one thing that taught me what kind of dad I wanted to be.”

“But then also, growing up, my mom is a gem,” Mike adds. “She’s just such a sweetheart and she was such a hard worker. And she really bounced back from a lot of situations that could have been bad.”

“You can learn as much from the negative things in life as you can from the positive influences,” Mike states.

It’s important to be clear about what you want, and to have someone along for the ride.

To achieve your goals and live a fulfilling life, you must know what you want. It is more likely that you will make good decisions when you have a clear vision for your future. Additionally, you’re more likely to persist despite setbacks and challenges.

The benefits of being clear on your goals include:

• Increased motivation. Taking action toward achieving your goals is easier when you know what you want. As a result, you can clearly see the benefits of achieving your goal.
• Improved decision-making. It is easier to make decisions aligned with your values and priorities when you know what you want. When evaluating different options, you can use a clear benchmark.
• Reduced stress. The less stressed and overwhelmed you are, the less likely you are to feel overwhelmed and stressed. Since you have a clear plan and are making progress towards your goals, you are making progress.
• Increased happiness and satisfaction. Your sense of accomplishment and satisfaction increases when you achieve your goals. Increasing happiness and well-being can result from this.

An important aspect of the journey is having someone to share it with.

It can be incredibly useful to have someone to share your journey with. An example of this would be a friend, family member, partner, mentor, or coach. You need someone who will support you, believe in you, and push you to be the best you can be.

Sharing your journey with someone has many benefits:

• Accountability. You may be able to achieve your goals if someone holds you accountable for your actions. Since you know you have to account for your progress to another person, you are reluctant to talk about it.
• Support. Having someone to support you during challenges or setbacks is invaluable. Having someone to talk to can be a great source of encouragement, advice, and support.
• Motivation. You can be motivated by sharing your success with someone. The reason is that you can celebrate your achievements together.
• Connection. Connection and community can be created when you share your journey with others. Having someone who understands your situation makes your experiences more meaningful.

Living a fulfilling life requires clarity on what you want and someone to share your journey with.

And, Mike has long known this truth.

“I think I got really serious at a young age about having an extraordinary life that was by my design and not just me like sleeping and tore out on drugs and everything else,” he says. So when Mike and Kara got married, they knew what they wanted their life to look like.

Always put people first in business.

In Mike’s opinion, timing, work ethic, and even luck all played a role in his success. Also, one of them prioritizes the needs of customers.

In business, creating value for people must always be the priority. To put it another way, businesses exist so that they can serve their customers and other stakeholders.  Companies that fail to provide value to their customers cannot survive.

For businesses to create value for people, they can do a variety of things. Examples include:

• Fulfilling customers’ needs and wants through products and services
• Providing high-quality, competitively priced products and services.
• Offering exceptional customer service.
• Relationship building with customers.
• Researching and developing new products and services.
• Giving back to the community and acting as a responsible corporate citizen.

The long-term success of businesses depends on creating value for people. In turn, they will gain loyal customers who are willing to pay for their products and services.

Also, companies that seek out and retain top talent are more likely to create value for people.

How not to become a slave to your business.

The temptation of becoming a slave to your business is real, but it doesn’t have to be your reality. However, it is possible to build a business that works for you instead of the other way around if you follow these tips.

• Know your priorities. What are the most important things you need to do to run your business? Don’t worry about anything else, just focus on those things.
• Set clear boundaries. Stick to the limits you set for yourself each day and every week. Make sure to schedule time off if you must work overtime or on weekends.
• Delegate and outsource tasks. If you can delegate tasks to others, don’t be afraid to do so. As a result, you will have more time to devote to what’s most important.
• Invest in systems and processes. Consider automating tasks and streamlining your operations by developing systems and processes. By doing this, you’ll improve efficiency and reduce the time it takes to run your business.
• Take breaks and vacations. In order to avoid burnout and recharge, you need to take some time away from your business. Throughout the year, schedule regular breaks and vacations.
• Build a team that you can trust. As a young entrepreneur, Mike learned very quickly that he could hire out management. “And I had a business partner that could take care of the business when I was gone and vice versa.”
• Have a passive income stream. A lot of Mike’s real estate ventures were passive for him because his team managed them. Nevertheless, he warns that while real estate can be passive, when you scale it, it’s just another business.

“I believe that you can run a successful large business and also keep your freedom and your lifestyle and be a present father,” Mike adds. “It’s one of the reasons why I love Front Row Dads so much because I don’t think you have to have either/or.”

Find ways to grow together with your spouse rather than separately.

Whether we grow together or apart is up to us. Consciously working together will help you both be more present and strengthen your relationship.

If you want to grow together rather than separately with your spouse, give these tips a try:

• Communicate openly and honestly. In any relationship, but especially when you are working on growing together, this is essential. Listen to your spouse’s needs and feelings, and express your own honestly.
• Share your interests. Has your spouse and you ever shared a hobby or interest? If so, schedule time for them together.
• Set shared goals. What do you want to accomplish in life together? Would you like to travel the world, have a family, or start a business? By setting shared goals, you can stay focused on the future and work together toward them.
• Support each other’s dreams. Are your spouse’s dreams or passions something they are pursuing? Encourage them and support them. Be there for them throughout the process and let them know you believe in them.
• Learn from each other. Despite our similarities, we all have our weaknesses and strengths. Allow your spouse to grow and learn from you. You may learn new skills from each other, share your knowledge, or just provide feedback and support.
• Be patient and understanding. There is no shortcut to growth. Working together to grow together requires patience from both of you. Don’t give up even if you run into setbacks.
• Take a class together. There are many different types of classes, including cooking, language, and dance classes. The challenge of learning something new together is a great way to bond and challenge each other.
• Go on a couples retreat. Mike and Kara run a couples mastermind program called Next Level Couples. This program is for couples who want to achieve higher levels of performance.