And and that changed everything. That that was a pivotal point to where, you know, up to that point, I was growing partly out of fear, being unworthy. I was you know, I would not be out work. You can you know, times are tough. I get excited because I know weaker people are gonna quit. So it's partly out of fear. It's partly out of, as you create success in a world like mine, out of guilt. You know, why me, god? I mean, why why not all these other people in my family? Why me? And and then, you you know, just created that mentality. I gotta win for wins to win's sake, for win's sake. And Right. And that all changed a few years ago, and and it it's it's been just absolutely amazing because, you know, you put so much pressure on yourself when you when you have a drive to succeed because of issues like that, because of fear and because of, guilt. I I it'll never be good enough. I'll never have enough. I've I've gotta be the best. I've you know? And

That's so good. Yeah. That's so good, Paul. And, the scripture comes to me when when you're talking about that in in our weakness, he is strong. Yep. It's his strength. Right? And I see so many people burn out because they're trying to do it in their own strength. And just that surrender that you're talking about and for our listeners who may not know the book that Paul's talking about, he's talking about the bible, the holy bible. And it's all in there.

It's all in there. Yeah. You you wanna you wanna know how to have a good marriage? It's right there. It's written down. You wanna have a good business, good relationships? It's right there. It's and, you know, and I can laugh at it now and and so I don't cry. But literally, the woman I prayed to to have a little dance with, I thought I was too good for. The gift that God gave me that created that I had no problem acknowledging allowed me to create at least the motivation and the, you know, the the structure to create all this success. He was no longer good enough, and it's comical. It's Yeah. It's so silly, but and so many men do that. Yeah.

Yeah. Thank you so much, and I'm so grateful that God took you through that, Paul. Now you can build into other men because, it's it's not it's more of a universal thing

It is. It is. Well and they don't know. They don't know. We we have this me, me, me, me, me, me, and I deserve, and I fell out of love, and she should do this. And I no. That that that's it's it's counterintuitive is is is when you when you get when you think about me, you will never find joy and happiness. And so it's it's not about me.

Yeah. Yeah. That's so good. Well, I know that you know Horace Schultze.

Mhmm.

And Horace was on my podcast. And I tell you, I think Horace is, like, eighty four, eighty five now. Yep. Maybe eighty six. But I just I love that interview with him, Paul. But at the very end, you know, he's just talking about choices. Your life is a series of choices. You make a decision. You have the choice. God gives you the choice every day. How you're gonna respond. How you're gonna show up. And at the very end, he just he just cracked me up. He said, and for you men out there that say, oh, I've fallen out of love or whatever. He goes, well, whose choice is that? Amen. It is. And, just he he was just so funny, but, it just reminds me of him. But, you know, and I just wanna tell our our listeners this. I mean, you gosh. And I want you to talk more about, Hood. I want you to talk more about the company. But, you know, this is funny to me. So you started the company in nineteen ninety two?

Correct.

I believe. Okay. Just three years after you graduated.

Yeah.

But you also bought a company. You bought another CPA firm, I think, because you were working at Deloitte. Yep. And you bought a CPA firm, like, in Bartlesville or something, like, in nineteen eighty nine. The year you're right. And I'm thinking, oh my goodness. I mean, you just, you just had some grit about you, Paul. Well Like, you know No.

Again what do you know? I don't know about grit. For you. Well, let me kinda tell you that little story. So, yeah, I graduated in eighty nine, went to work with Deloitte in two, second largest accounting firm in the world. And, Lori and I you know? So when Lori and I got married, she got on birth control, and then she had a a mini stroke because she can't some people can't handle the hormones. And our, ever so intelligent doctor said it'll take six months for that to get out of her system. Well, ten months later, here's a little baby, and we're still in college. So

Right.

You know, I I I we were at Oklahoma State University, and and it was my senior year. We had a little baby. He was born in eighty eight and graduated in eighty nine, went to work for Deloitte and Touche in Tulsa. Two years later, one of their partners and senior managers convinced me to leave with them, and they started their own practice. And I left with them to be able to move Laurie, and our second child was on the way back to Bartlesville, which where her family was. And and and so I worked for them for about a year, and they, they said, well, we want you to move back to bar back to Tulsa. We're gonna close that office because and and no. I'm I moved my wife and kids right there with grandma and and everything, and so I didn't. But that little practice so I bought them out, but it wasn't big enough to sustain me. So Mhmm. I went to work for a a private company and was doing the tax things on the side. And, Lisa, god bless the people that can do that as far as working for corporate America. I can't. You know, two weeks into it, I'm looking around these people, and it's it's and they were beautiful people, but I felt like I was in a zombie movie. You know? I had no way on earth can I do the same thing over and over and over? So then and I had a good job. I was, like, third, two people away from the CFO, but I just couldn't handle it. So then I bought another practice in ninety three, was out on my own. And so, you know, it was really out of necessity because my wife, we we needed to stay in in in Bartlesville. And then I bought another and bought another and bought another and bought another one. And about three years ago, I, you know, started getting calls from private equity people. And, apparently, I had done something pretty magnificent because my industry has always been built in a in a a centralized management model, which is a partnership. So I was, we were doing about eighteen million in business, had offices in in four states, and I own ninety nine percent of the business. And a typical CPA firm that does eighteen million dollars in business has fifteen, eighteen partners. I I had a one percent shareholder because I don't wanna sign up on audits. And and so we we kinda changed that industry, and so we built it in a decentralized management model. But in one year, Lisa, we went from eight to eighteen million dollars in revenue through acquisition and organic growth, and I realized I'm a horrible manager. There's a difference between being a manager and a leader big time.

Absolutely. And

and, you know, my I used to say my management style is I'm a take off running every now and then look back and see who's following. That's leadership. That's not management. And so about three years ago, we started on a it was again, God put these things in place, and I hired, a implementer. She had just sold her company. And I'm gonna tell you what's what's really great, Lisa. And I say this right to her face. She's not a Christian, and she don't have to be a Christian. I'm a a conservative Christian cowboy from Oklahoma, and she's a liberal Buddhist from England and Austin. But she's one of the most Christ like people I've ever met. And I've told her, Lisa, straight to her face, God brought you to me. It's my job to bring you to him, and she just smiles and everything. But she's an implementer. And there's a book called Rocket Fuel that, she it it's kind of like I in my vision, I know what this thing's supposed to look like. I know exactly what it's supposed to look like. And so if you think of maybe a fifty story building, I know what it's gonna look like. I can't I would couldn't. I don't want to determine, are we on pace? When do we need the plumbers? When do we need this? When do we OKRs and KPR KPIs and and management cadence and making sure and so but the two of us together is a powerhouse. It it's absolutely god sent, and and we're really excited. We're on pace to go from a twenty million in revenue to about a hundred million in revenue in the next three to four years and, gonna do some really great things for the kingdom of god.

Yeah. Yeah. So cool. Well, Paul, we've got I've got lots more. I wanna get into your book. There's lots more questions. We do need to take a quick break, and we'll be right back with Paul Hood on the Something Extra podcast.

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So welcome back, everyone, to the Something Extra podcast with my friend, Paul Hood. So here is his book. It's called he's written two, but I've got the one in front of me, Roadkill Tastes Like Chicken. Yeah. And it is a really good book. I mean, you know, that one gets everybody's attention. I'm sure, that title alone. But what is the deeper, you know, story and lesson you want people to take away? And I would highly recommend our leaders get the book. You will laugh. You will cry. You will be inspired. I mean, it's all of those things. But, you know, I'm I'm in I'm gonna put I'm gonna put one thought in your brain. Okay? K. Paul. But maybe other things. But, you know, one of the things that really stuck out to me, it's not your circumstances that determines your attitude. It's how you choose to react to your circumstances or to respond to your circumstances. Because your circumstances were not ideal. Right? But you responded in a different way. So, you know, what other lessons what are some of the lessons you want people to take away when they read your book?

Well, you know, roadkill tastes like chicken. The title came from because we were so poor. We literally have stories of eating roadkill. And I don't mean we stopped and picked up a dead animal, but my grandfather was full blooded and then my dad was half. And whether he shot a squirrel with a gun, an arrow, ran over the car, that's dinner. And, the the yeah. I I I'm sure you've heard you know, Jim Stovall. And Jim Stovall is my buddy, and he's got some incredible books. And and he's a client, and I get to meet with him, periodically. And, he's very generous. Gen he's great with his time.

Yes.

And he said, Paul, you need to write a book. I said, no. I don't need to write a book. I'm a CPA and a financial planner. Nobody wants to read that book. And Jim said, what are the ten to twelve things that you learned from where you went where you were to where you came, where you're at now? What are the ten to twelve things you've learned on this path that if other people knew, it might change their lives? How did you learn it, and and how would they apply it? And, you know, the the, the emphasis of the book and, again, when I wrote it, it was kind of like, I'm not good enough to write this. A little bit out of guilt. You know? I I I don't know why I've got this, but there you know, I made a list of ten things. And and, one of them is, Lisa, my ultimate goal in life. I had the opportunity to sell half of my company in March for fifty million dollars. Yeah. Broke deal everything. Fifty million dollar. If I can't live on fifty million dollars, there's a problem. You you got a big problem. I felt like Satan was tempting me because I know what we're gonna do with on the back end. And but the whole that that section, especially that quote is, there there's a there's a there's a thing called the I call it maybe is the, scarcity principle, Lisa.

Yeah.

That's why gold and silver and diamonds are so valuable. It's scarce. What I've come to discover, one of the things I want, spend my life doing is, like, I I periodically will talk to urban football teams, and and their coach, this last one, he said, Paul, not a single one of these boys know what success actually looks like. And, Lisa, if I'm talking to you, you talk about scarcity. In the history of mankind, from Adam to today and for the entire future, there has never been and never will be another Lisa. You are the the the definition of scarcity, of value. And God put in you the the desire and the ability and to be to do amazing things, things that nobody else on the planet has ever been able or ever will be able to do. It's in you. But we live in this world, and I come from that world of of this victim mentality, blaming other people. I can't do this because of where I grew up or my family or my race or, you know, whatever. And it's it's just it hurts my heart that there is so much talent tied up in poverty. And the people that the the biggest hindrance to people being who they god created them to be is themselves. Is that self talk? Right. Is that self talk? And Yes. And they get the affirmation from the people. Nobody's ever done this, and, no, we you know, we our our kind just don't do that. And we have this entitlement attitude that's pervasive and this victim mentality. And it's it's it's a lie. Lisa, it's a lie. And and my intent was, especially with that quote, was to try to start that process to to you are your biggest asset. And, you know, if I wanna play professional basketball, then I'm gonna study. I'm gonna learn. I'm a videotape myself. What are my movements? I'm gonna go get coaching. I'm gonna work work work work work work because it's proven, that it it's it takes about ten thousand hours, and you can be a a an expert in anything. Yeah.

Right.

Right. Yeah. I believe yeah. That's in the outliers, the book The Outliers, which is amazing book. And and you'll see for me that that I quote books all the time. I quote your book all the time. And and because I I don't want people to see it's not me. You know? I I just have learned things, and I intentional. I I sent you this note, you know, that I sent to my boys this morning or the other morning that my my my hope for them that is at one point at some point in time in their life, they have a goal and and or a purpose that is so big that it scares them. That that, they know if they complete this, it has to be got. There's no way they could have done it themselves.

Yes.

And Yes. But what it does is it it puts you in a position to where you can't quit. You you can't you know, because there's so many people relying on you that you do. And that's basically my life. From the beginning of of this amazingly beautiful woman that I did not deserve to have, to my kids, to my grandkids, to the the calling is it's so much bigger than me. That's gotta be God. And

Yes.

I want that for my kids. And, you know, and that's a that's a worry for people. I don't know if you've thought about this. I'm sure you have. But, on one hand, I I get very emotional thinking about what I missed out having not having my dad around or, you know, the times, you know, I my mom, who was an angel at the end of her life, but, you know, she'd take me to beer joints. And, you know, I'd be around drunk people and cigarettes and pool. I can hear and but, Lisa, that's what made me me.

Absolutely. And Yeah.

I don't regret it. I I regret it, but I don't regret it.

Well, if you hadn't gone through those things, Paul, you might not be the person you are today.

Yeah.

You know? I mean, you know, be yes. I but I just love that. And I think you are so right that, yes, we are our biggest asset, but we can also be our biggest roadblock.

The roadblock. Hundred percent.

You could be the roadblock. So, gosh, I've got so much here that I want to to talk about. You know, this is cool. I mean, your boys now are, you know, not just your sons, but they're also with you in the business Yep. Which is really cool.

Yeah.

You know, is there, like, one particular like, if there is a listener out there, Paul, and they're thinking about possibly bringing their children into the business, because sometimes, I mean, sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. Sure.

Yeah.

You know? I've seen the generational thing does not work sometimes. You know, is there one piece of advice that you would give them? I mean, like, as the founder, this was your baby, but what what had to change in you, you know, to to make room for for your boys to be in in the business?

Well, you know, I don't know that I ever even thought that they would come into business with me, you know, and and they kinda I kind of, tricked them because

You tricked them.

Yeah. Yeah. Because, you know, I coached everything. I coached them in sports, and I created a pretty good lifestyle. We had a nice house, and and and I coached them. I didn't I I did miss my youngest son still won't let me forget this. I missed one football game in high school, and he gives me all kinds of grief about that. But but back then, the technology didn't exist. So I would work and then do my dad thing and coach him and do all that kind of stuff, and then put them to bed. And then I'd go back to work at eleven, twelve o'clock until two, three o'clock in the morning. And it was just a price I I wanted to pay. Well so what they saw, Lisa, was this great lifestyle, and dude only works forty hours a week. Let's go. But the the thing that I would tell people is there's a separation between if I'm a dad or not and Mhmm. To a degree. But the reality is is I'm harder on my sons than I am on anybody else. I've told them, your last name is Hood, so there's more expected of you. You will get every one of my sons have started off answering the phone, you know, shredding, copying. I've never given my sons an allowance, because I have a big fear, Lisa. Like what I was saying earlier, the struggle that I went through, I didn't know it was struggle. It made me who I am. And I don't want the lack of struggle for them to make them who they become. And so, I don't know how other than, you know, divine interference because they're all three just amazing young men, great fathers, great parents, serving, God. And and so, I didn't give to them. I made them earn what they get. They acknowledge that they had a you know, they may have been born on third base. Now my first one, we were poor, so he he was probably born on in the dugout, if you will. But just because you're born on third base doesn't mean you had a triple. But they know they know, even to the point of, you know, we're creating some pretty significant inherit you know, wealth. And I've told them, don't count on inheriting anything. Now my grandkids, that's a different story. They're they're That's new.

Right. Right. There may be some trust funds there. Yeah. But, yeah, no. I mean, we've told our kids the same thing, you know. And, I mean, we wanna, build into the kingdom. We wanna, you know, give away. But

They've gotta

earn it. Yes. I just remember you just reminded me long time ago, Paul, I heard Crawford Larrutz speak. And his son was speaking alongside him and, kind of the same thing. He said, you know I mean, he goes, at the time, he goes, I'm like, what? You know, he goes, dad wouldn't help me with college. He wouldn't help me. But he said, you know, what I realize now is dad refused to remove the struggle.

Yeah.

Because there is something really transformational that happens in the struggle.

Unearned wealth is always negative. Always. Mhmm. You know, if you if you research people that won the win the lottery, vast majority of them say it's the worst thing that's ever happened to them. Mhmm. And and so we're focused on financial counseling as where well, it's tax. And so, you know, somebody comes in and, hey. I my mom died. I inherited a hundred thousand dollars. I'm a pay off my credit cards. I tell them don't do it, Lisa. You put that money in the bank, and Dave Ramsey may get upset with me, but I don't think so. Because I tell them, you gotta go six months. You show me six months or a year to where you don't charge those credit cards up, then pay them off. Because within five years, you're gonna be back. And

Right. Back to those habits. Right.

Yeah. So you you've gotta create opportunities for your kids to struggle. You've gotta create opportunities for them to learn. And in my industry, it's great because they've gotta take all these tests and become licensed and do this. And so they there is a badge of honor that they passed, you know, these tests and and to be a financial planner and a CPA and all of that. But you

just Right.

It's it's, it's a hard thing. It really is not to, take away their pain, take away their struggle, but you are hurting them big time.

Yeah. That's such great advice. That is such great advice. I love that. Well, thank you. Thank you for sharing that. Oh my goodness. There's so many things other things, but I know that we're, running out of time here. You know, I mean, you know, I'm just gonna tell our listeners. I mean, you're very deeply invested in a community. You know, giving back is really important to both you and Lori. You've done things with the boy scouts, arts council, employee education ministry, big brothers, big sisters. The list goes on. It's important. Yep. Right? You know, I was gonna ask you what grounds you when the stakes are high, but I think I know what grounds you. Yeah. We've already talked about it.

Yeah.

Go to the the book.

The book.

Okay. Yeah. Go to the book, people. Go to the book. Go to prayer. You know? So let me ask you this. What okay. For somebody listener out there that is building a business today and they feel this overwhelmed by growth, competition, comparison, what advice would you give to them, Paul?

Well and and I don't know, Lisa, if if this is a point to where I can tie into where, you know, the something extra type scenario. So here's what I learned. First off, there's two things. One, like we established earlier, you're your own best asset. So if you're not do getting up every day with an attitude that I'm gonna win today physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. Meaning Mhmm. I I get up in the mornings and I'm

Say that again. Keep Say that again. What are the pillars?

The pillars are gonna be you you gotta get up and win the day physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. So regardless of what happens, you have to have habits of taking care of your body. You've gotta be reading everything you can get your hands on. And there's lists. There's people, you know, to be a better person because you can't grow. I'm not equipped to run a business today that does a hundred million dollars. So I am just devouring, work. And I'll tell you, you need to go further than just reading. I go through and I mark the books and flag them and mark this is your book. This is one of my favorite new books, and I mark it. And I've got an assistant now that will go in and type my notes. I've got notebooks. So treat reading and everything as like you're in college. Never stop learning. And the key though, Lisa, to this whole story is when I when I lost my grandchild, I'm out went through divorce, and Don Marie Colos smacked me in the eye with with it's not about you. And then I read another book by Andy Stanley. It's called Better Decisions, Pure Regrets.

Yes. You recommended that book to me, and I've got that book and have been reading that.

Mhmm. Well, one of the last questions it's a series of five questions, and it's great. It's not it's a faith based book, but everybody should read that book just like everybody should read your book because it's it goes beyond. It's it's it's it's developing as a person. But one of the questions, Lisa, that he says, what does love require of me? And I also read another book. It's called Living Life Backwards. And and God took me through all of these steps and all these books and one called Visioneering by I think it was by Andy Stanley also. And the the total focus is is it's not about me. Lisa, if you wanna be if if you wanna create greatness in this world, it's not about you. If you wanna have a great marriage, it's not about you. It's not. And if you wanna have great kids, it's not about you. You get home at night and you're tired, get your butt up off the couch and go wrestle with them. Go play. Play games. Read to them. If you wanna have a great business, it's not about you. It's it's about helping other people and Serving your people. Exactly. Mhmm. And what I found and and it's just so amazing. There is no fear of failure, Lisa, because it's not about me. It it whatever god wants me to do and people always talk about, well, what's God's will for my life? God's will for your life is in the book. And in the book, he says abide in me, and that means seek his word every day. And work and love and and you lead with love, and you can't fail. Because there in that moment, Lisa, when when I was holding my son's head thinking I got nobody, then I realized I've always had somebody. And the the crazy thing is and right now, Lisa, I'll just tell you, any man listening to this is thinking about divorce, you call me. I'll give you my personal cell phone number. You call me because it's a lie. It's a lie. I Lori and I, she thinks I'm a freak now. I just I just stare at her, because when you get to a point to where it's not about you, life is great. You know, that that book, Living Life Backwards, it talks about some of the happiest people on the planet have a terminal disease. They don't worry about somebody cut them off in traffic. They don't worry about this and that. They they see the moment as joy.

They live in the present. Yes. So And every moment's a gift. Yep. You're looking at her when you're staring at her now, Paul. You're looking at her and just thanking God for the gift.

Oh my gosh. Yeah. Well and and so but it it it permeates my entire life. And if somebody wants to know the secret to success, it's those words, is is to read and and be understand it's not about me. Because what does Jesus say? You know, we as humans kind of pollute Christianity. Jesus says, love God, love your neighbor. And then he directs us to be his disciple by abiding in the spirit. And if you abide in the spirit means read his word and be with him all the time. You do that, and you get what's called the fruit of the spirit, which is love, Lisa. Yes. And when you look and I've got a one final story to tell you, that is just the most amazing thing that one of the most amazing things that's ever happened to me. And, and it all happened after this, after God showed me, it's not about you. Every fight I've ever had with my wife, it's because I'm thinking of me. Every disagreement in business, at work, I'm thinking about me.

Yes. Yes.

Stop it. Just relax. It doesn't mean it's gonna go away. So one day, I'm in, in Starbucks, and and this guy walks in. He's obviously homeless. And, I I just go I felt god said, go buy him some food or whatever. And so I went over and said, hey, brother. You want something? He said, yeah. And he said, thank you. And he he got this little protein bar. I said, oh, no. I said, let's go. Let's go. Get you a sandwich, a drink, a cup sandwich. I got him a gift card thinking I've done some really good stuff here, Lisa. And he says, sir, may I ask your name? And and I said, my name is Paul. And Lisa, I said, what's your name? Lisa, his name was Dennis. Dennis was my father's name who was homeless most of his life. Oh, wow. And in that moment, when I'm thinking, look at me. I've done something really good. God showed me a gift. I just hugged the man, and I'm sure he thought I was a freak because tears started flowing. Yeah. And that's the epitome. It's not about me. But you know what? When it when it's not about you, that's when you find joy. That's when you find contentment. That's when you find success.

Yeah.

And it's not about me.

And Yeah. But, Paul, you know, I'm just thinking, you know, here's the thing. You had your eyes open, your ears open, your heart open. You know, it's not about me. I mean, just really, truly you know, you could have missed that. Yep. You could have missed that man so easily. And how many times do we walk into Starbucks and we miss it? Yeah. But when you're in tune, when you're walking, you know, the holy spirit will prompt you. You know? And then you acted on that. You know, you're obedient to what you

have to do. Wife, with your husband, with your kids, with your work. Just stop. It's not about you. You'll get yours. You create goals. It's the old Zig Ziglar. We wanna be earthly. Zig Ziglar said, you help you'll get what you want in life. If you open up, other people get what they want.

Person get what they want. Yeah. One of my favorites.

It's all it's all biblical, and it's real simple. It's right there in the book. Love.

Yeah.

Lead with love. It's not about you.

Yeah. That is so good. Well, I love it, and I don't think I've ever had anybody say that that that's the something extra. So thank you so much for that. You know, I just wanna tell our listeners because I know because I've gotten pictures of you on your your elliptical or your treadmill with a book Yep. There. But you read all the time, Paul. And if our listeners would get the book, Roadkill Tastes Like Chicken by Paul Hood, in the back I love this. You have the whole suggested reading. And Paul's got a whole list of books in the back. I've read many of them. Some, I have not. So I'm gonna be, checking some of those out, but you've got, like, pages and pages of

books

here Yep. Recommended reading. But, yeah, I know that you are that physical. You're you're working out every day. You have a, you know, some equipment in your home. You're working out every day. You're working your mind. You're definitely spending time in the word, and, I just I love I've just loved every bit of our, conversation here, and there's so much more we could talk about. We we may have to do a part two.

I would love that. I would love that. You know? I wanna talk about everybody writing a book. You know? I was told, Nick, I can't pronounce his last name. He was at ninety four

eight. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I believe he told me that the the biggest library in the world is in a, cemetery. There's so much knowledge that people die with. Everybody should write a book. You change one person's life, and that ripple effect through humanity is huge. Yep.

It's so huge. Yeah. I love it. Well, Paul, thank you so much for making the time. I know how busy you are, and I can't wait to see you in person again.

Take care.

Either you got you and Laurie come to Saint Louis or Greg and I will come to Tulsa.

Absolutely. I love that. Let's make it happen.

Okay.

Alright. You're a blessing. I appreciate you.

Thank you for listening to today's show. Something Extra with Lisa Nichols is a Technology Partners production. Copyright Technology Partners, Inc, two thousand and nineteen. For show notes or to reach Lisa, visit tpi dot co slash podcast. Don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you listen.