The Intangible Balance Sheet Podcast
Tim Thomason: Intangible Balance Sheet Episode 54
Welcome to this week's Intangible Balance Sheet Episode with our guest, Tim Thomason.
Drawing from life lessons passed down from his lineage, Tim reflects on the importance of punctuality, hard work, and grit in shaping his successful auto-detailing business. He also opens up about how, even in the face of defeat, a mentor's guiding words echoed the sentiment that our best is always enough. Listen in Tim shares about the power of faith, love, and respect in shaping a fulfilling life.
Music by bensound.com
Welcome to this week's Intangible Balance Sheet Episode with our guest, Tim Thomason.
Drawing from life lessons passed down from his lineage, Tim reflects on the importance of punctuality, hard work, and grit in shaping his successful auto-detailing business. He also opens up about how, even in the face of defeat, a mentor's guiding words echoed the sentiment that our best is always enough. Listen in Tim shares about the power of faith, love, and respect in shaping a fulfilling life.
Music by bensound.com
Hello and welcome into the wisdom of wealth podcast. I'm Josh clues, the scene wealth planner for Carson wealth in woodlands, texas. Today's another of our intangible balance sheet episode series where we Take a look at the things that money can't buy and death can't take away a true wealth. And today Tim Thomason has agreed to join the podcast and share a little bit more about his intangible balance sheet, and I'm excited to hear more about his story and Some of the stories that are that are hidden on his balance sheet. Tim, welcome to the podcast and thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me. It's an absolute pleasure.
Speaker 1:Likewise and Tim. So for listeners that may be newer to the podcast, the reason we call it the intangible balance sheet is because we want to focus on the life principles that guide the decisions that we make in life, and sometimes those, those life principles are Best illustrated in the stories that bring them to life. I know for myself personally. There are stories, and in my past that, that have brought those, those first principles to life, and one of the things that I'm really passionate about and it never ceases to peak my curiosity is those principles that come to us from our parents or grandparents. Maybe and so I always start out give guests an opportunity to share. Are there any Principles that come to you via, you know, a generation gone by, that you'd be willing to share with us?
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely. I've got several stories. I'll start with this one here. My grandfather and dad Work ethic was so important to them, like it was all about being on time to work.
Speaker 2:I'll never forget the first job, and I was around 11. I was in working in a body shop and my dad came and got me and he woke me up and ate breakfast and all this that he's like okay, it's time to go. I said, but I have an hour. He does no son listen to me. He says be on time to work is 30 minutes early. If you're 15 minutes early, you're late. And I never understood that until I got a little bit older. But it's so true in our life. If we could just get to that point of work ethics that being on time is 30 minutes early, it's not if you're 15 minutes. And I use this still to this day. I'm 53, I'm still using this concept of if I'm 15 minutes early, I'm late, and I'm kinda getting nervous inside. So yeah, I firmly believe in that as well. It starts off with your parents and your grandparents teaching those valuable lessons for the workforce.
Speaker 1:So there are two types of people in this world, I'm convinced, and it's the type that you just outlined. And then there's the type that believes that time is negotiable and then they marry, but anyway, no, all joking aside, but that is so neat. So are there any other stories that come to mind?
Speaker 2:that, before we move on to other topics, Absolutely very, very valuable is my career when I first started out as a young man. I didn't have an auto-detail shop at the time, but I remember washing my dad's trucks. He'd come home from work and he'd pay me to wash his trucks. Well, you just take the wash mitt, you throw the soap on, hit it with some water and you just start scrubbing. And he'd always come out and get on to me and I'm like man, this old guy is crazy. Like I'm washing his truck, he's paying me so I should get to do it on my own terms. But he would come out, josh, and every single time you, son, you start from the top and wash it down towards the bottom. I'm like why? And his whole concept behind that is because if you start at the top and wash, the suds will run down. But the way I was washing it was from the bottom the dirtiest part to the top, because it was the cleanest part and it would come out horrible and dirty.
Speaker 2:And I took that life lesson and I opened my own auto-detail shop for about seven years and I did really well at it because of his life lessons and teaching me how to wash a car or truck properly. So those life lessons are invaluable and I just I soak up every moment of those moments with my dad and my grandfather, teaching me the real ways of life. You can't take people where you haven't been, and they've been through a lot. So obviously, there it is. There's the key to success. Just listen to people that have been there, done that and they've made the mistakes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the other place that I find that most often influences or intangible balance sheet can come from mentors. I call these kind of barbershop biographies. But you could be a coach, could be a teacher, could be a mentor in your community, but it's basically somebody that grabs you by the scruff of the neck and says, hey, listen up, son, I'm dropping your pearls. Do you have any of those types of stories or any of those types of experiences that jump out at you?
Speaker 2:Got one really cool one I had a mentor back in the day, my younger age and man, I would extremely go to the top and work and just do my best at all times. And I remember this one time I just felt defeated, deflated, putting a big pinch together. And it was so awesome because I was just exhausted and I'd done all this work and trying to get things going. And this older man stops by and he was an old, old pastor in the community and he says, son, sit down for a minute, I wanna share something with you. And I sit down. I'm like great, I don't wanna hear no preaching today, I don't wanna hear anything like. I'm just defeated because, man, I wanted this to turn out a right way or wrong way.
Speaker 2:He says, listen, at the end of the day you've tried your best, you've done your best and nobody else will know what you put into this Just because you don't think it looks good. The average person will see you right past that and appreciate what you did. And I was like man. I still this day take that to heart because it's true, we do so much, we do so hard. Sometimes it's just not about us, it's about people at that particular time in need. And when they showed up. They were elated and excited and just saw right past all of my flaws and saw the diamond rub you know. So yeah, you're right that mentorship is huge in life, very, very big.
Speaker 1:That is. I think we all need to hear that at some point, because we are all our own worst critic, but it definitely plays out for sure. So, tim, I'm curious are there? What do you consider the pivotal events of your life to this point thus far and what are some of the principles that guided you through those pivotal events, if you're willing to share?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. I think at this point, pivotal point was loss of family. Okay, very, very successful in my careers that I've had I've had several. I'm a visionary dreamer, so I haven't been around the world a couple of times and been there, done that. But death in my family.
Speaker 2:I'm starting with my mom first passing away and I was in the middle of an invention and I had patents on it. And the next one was a few years later. My younger brother had passed with a blood clot and I dealt with that through all of this. You know I'll tell you the story in a minute, but I wanna do one more. And then, most recently, about three years ago, the loss of my wife, age 45. So I've had a lot of loss in my life, but what's kept me strong through all that is my faith. My faith has kept me strong in what I believe in and cherishing, I guess, the takeaway from the last 10 plus years. 12 plus years have been enjoying the moment, seizing the moment of life. We're not promised tomorrow, we're not promised tomorrow. So even my time with you today, I'm very honored to be with you, but I also cherish the moment of the next 30 minutes or so with us that I had opportunity to speak with you and to speak to listeners that I would encourage in business and life. You cherish every single moment, every single minute, every single second of the day I cherish.
Speaker 2:I don't try to encourage as many people as I can, because life is too short, sometimes it gets cut too short, but at the same time, if we could just love one another, help one another, we ourselves can make the world a better place. I'm a firm believer that. Now listen, josh, in all reality I'm one of the biggest rednecks around. I love the outdoors, I love to hunt fish, I grow vegetables. But at the same time it's every day when I go back to my place and like, hey, who can I bless today? Who do I get to talk to today? Who do I get to encourage? Because I don't know what you're going through today and I don't know what the guy at Walmart's going through today.
Speaker 2:But I know that I have one thing inside of me and that is encouragement. I try to encourage people daily. I try to help people daily. Because of all the loss I've gone through, I have nothing else but to give, but love, but to cherish every single moment with every single person that comes my way, that's my calling in life. And and through all those deaths of my family, I've become a different person. I've become a very Kind and humble person, because life is too short and I would say to people that like to argue and fight and try to you know, try to make their way to the top. It's not worth it.
Speaker 1:His life is too short hmm, thank you for sharing that. So, as an encourager this is a little bit of a detour, but as an encourager what are some of the things that encourage you?
Speaker 2:Hmm, very good point. What encourages me? I love this, but to see people smile, to see people generally smile. They had the frown when I met him and within seconds that smile comes back. That shows me that, yes, I'm doing. My calling in life is to encourage people to smile again, to breathe again, to Encourage them. You know, for me that encourages me so much. It brings me joy. To be honest with you, you never experienced pure joy. It is phenomenal because I just jump up and down inside and I'm a big man, I'm 275, six foot one. Listen when I jump thing shake. So I get pure joy just by encouraging others and they smile or they start laughing, or they get Say something to him and I give them hope. That brings me encouragement to myself, where I walk away saying, man, I feel good, who's the next person? Who else do we get to encourage? Because when I encourage I get joy from that.
Speaker 1:The next thought that occurs to me. I'm really curious with this too. Do you remember the first time you mentioned your visionary nature, and do you remember the first time that that kind of got teased to the top of your imagination and you realized, hey, I'm pretty good at this, I can actually visualize the future of what things can be. And then are there any Mentors and or people that you saw, that had the ability to do that and you liked it, or it dawned on you like how I want to be, like that, anything like?
Speaker 2:that, yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean, I'm a big fan of John Maxwell.
Speaker 2:Okay you know, I've been taught my whole life what you hang around is what you become. So I learned at a younger age both my grandfather's being huge entrepreneurs I mean very successful. So I learned at a young age I'm gonna surround my people that I want to become or that I want to be like. So therefore, you know my faith. Of course, I will always save my faith. I mean, that's this, that's just number one for me. Number two was John, the John Maxwell's and stuff, and so for me, a ha moment. If you don't mind me sharing this yes, please.
Speaker 2:I was in South Texas in a deer blind and I outdoorsman, so I love to hunt, fish and and help feed people. We would go take off some animals. And so I'm in a deer blind, the sun's coming up and I'm sitting there. I said a little prayer, the sun's coming up and I'm just like. I've been a sculptor a long time as well, so I know how to sculpt and do things. But this was on my first pat and I ever received.
Speaker 2:It was on a deer blind. I mean, it looked like a big oak stump, tree stump and it was such a big vision and such a big dream. I'm like there's no way. Like I, there's no way. And then and then the thought appeared to me yes, there is a way, you just have to do it. You've got to get out of this deer blind. You've got to get back in your shop and you got to go.
Speaker 2:That day, that morning, I told the rancher I've got to go. I jumped on a plane, flew back to my shop and begin to create this awesome looking sculpture that I would Soon later come in to get patents on and to begin to sell it to the market. It was so much bigger than I was josh. I had no clue, but through reading the john maxwell books and all of the motivational stuff, it helped me rise to the top, get past the barriers that would block us normally and to move forward with the project. Yeah, so yeah, I mean it's. That's kind of where I was at, you know, in the stage of my life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you. Thank you for sharing that net. So I want to next, in the next part of our conversation. I want to shift and I want you to still envision the future, but I want you to think two, three, four generations from now. What are some of the things that you want? I want that second, third and fourth generation to know and and to glean from the events of your life, um, that you think would be most instructive for them, maybe spiritually or professionally.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I will go. I will go with. Spiritually first, I firmly believe without my faith in god I would not be where I'm at today. I I know that I would not be where I'm at today. He's been there to protect me. He's been there to Open doors where I need to open doors and shut doors where doors need to be shut.
Speaker 2:So I would say for the future generations put your faith in god and love people for no reason. Love goes a long ways. Respect goes a long ways and I firmly believe, after you know, going through what I've been through, that if you will just put him first and you will lean in to love where moments count, making memories with family, making memories with friends and co-workers, where it leaves a mark on their life, that is the best sound advice, spiritually and business wise, I could give you or anybody else in the future generations to come. I mean it boils down to love others for no reason, even if they do you harm or they do you bad. That's the hard part, because in our nature we want to fight back.
Speaker 2:Hey, listen, in my nature I'm a fighter inside. But man, after going through all these experiences, can't take people where you haven't been. I'm telling you it's so much better to kill them with kindness, to love them with kindness, because at the end of the day, all that stuff, the fighting, doesn't matter. What matters is is what have I done to help others, what have I done to help somebody achieve their goals and their success? Because when I do that, then that person is going to take it, what they learn and share it with the next person. And changing lives is what it's all about making the memories the most of what you have, because we're not promised tomorrow.
Speaker 1:Thank you for that encouragement, for sure. The last piece that I always close with is the idea of an ethical will and our eulogy, and it comes somewhat from my own experience, but my mom passed away about five years ago and I was able to help write her eulogy, and I remember sitting at the kitchen table and wondering if it, you know, if I was including everything that I should have, and really wondering am I getting it, am I capturing it Right? And so I'm curious to hear from you what would be some of the things that you would want to be a part of your eulogy.
Speaker 2:You know, looking forward into the future, yeah, I just popped in my mind is that Tim Thomason was not a perfect person, but he did his best, he loved his best and he gave it his all to encourage people wherever he went. Yeah, Excellent.
Speaker 1:That is very, very apt and in a tall order in most days. Yeah, To be sure, Tim. Thank you so much for your time today. If listeners want to hear more about all the other cool things that you're doing, what's the best way for them to do that? You know to even start.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I would kind of direct them to info at bigcatcollectivecom. That's one of our companies that we do. That's our themed environments and all kinds of amazing three dimensional stuff that we do, but also we'll be posting all the blogs on there as well and coming out with some video as well.
Speaker 1:Okay, and then also, what's the best way for them to either support or be a part of Blind Faith that you would direct them towards?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would direct them towards BlindFaithFoundationorg and they can see all of our donation buttons on there. They can see all of our programs and what we're doing in communities, not just in Texas, but pretty much coast to coast.
Speaker 1:Okay, excellent. Any parting thoughts before we sign off today? This has been such an encouraging conversation and I'm so grateful for your time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. I would just like to leave it with listeners saying, hey, listen, how can you make a difference today in your world, in your workplace, in your neighborhood? Just the simplest things that you can do to encourage someone. What can you do today that will take literally 60 seconds to change someone's life? Be blessed.
Speaker 1:Excellent Tim. We wish you nothing but truth, beauty and goodness in the road ahead. Thank you so much for your time and have a great rest of your day, Okay.
Speaker 2:Thank you, sir.