472. Taking a Risk to Be a Great Dad

Joshua Latimer

When none of the side gigs he tried just after school were working for him, Josh threw in the towel and took a job in banking. He was very driven and focused, and so he succeeded. But he was far from happy building someone else’s dream.

Joshua left his job as a banker for JP Morgan Chase to start a cleaning business in Michigan, which he eventually grew and sold to a California-based cleaning conglomerate in 2015. Now he is living in Costa Rica with his four kids and wife where he helps small business owners from all over the world understand the power of business systems and automation, and the freedom they can bring.

How Did You Start Using Your Talents?

“When I was between 16 or 17 years old, I understood for the first time that being an entrepreneur or an investor or having businesses was even ‘a thing.’ I had never even considered it before then. It started when I came across the book ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad.’ It blew my mind. I’m not sure why I gravitated to it, but even when I was in high school, I started reading books on real estate, finance, economics, strategy…anything. I had an insatiable appetite to learn that stuff.”

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

Early in his marriage, Josh tried his hand at side projects and delivered pizzas, but he ended up feeling he was banging his head against a wall. “I finally caved in to the pressure and went down the traditional career path. I got into finance and mortgages and ended up working for a bank. I read a lot of books, I had the momentum and was very driven and focused, so I succeeded at it. I wasn’t happy doing it. It wasn’t difficult for me to meet and exceed my goals, get little awards and do sales training with other people, but I was building someone else’s dream that whole time. Eventually, I reached a breaking point or a crossroads. I finally went into business for myself.”

The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?

“Now that I’m in business for myself, I want my children to see their father take intelligent risks, shoot for the stars and dream big, so I can influence them in their lives. It’s not about the success, money, or whatever for its own sake. I want them to see that if you attempt to do things, it’s going to be okay. If you try to influence the world and live a better life than average, you can do it. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist. A lot of the self-limiting beliefs we have are in our own brains. They are not real. That is, by far, my number one driving motivation.”