Don's Thoughts

Every time we turn the page on an event, I think, “How are we going to be able to top that?” And every time, our team finds a way. Our Building an Extraordinary Family event may be the hardest to top yet. For those who came, especially those who made it a family affair, thank you for letting DLP be a part of your family’s story and the beginning or growth of your legacy.

I also wanted to thank everyone who took the time to complete our after-event survey. Our events are for you, and knowing what we can do to make them better, or as one person told us for this event, when we’ve “hit a home run,” is invaluable to our team

Looking at the feedback we received, I was struck by one comment in particular: “I took away so many things and a shift in perspective.” It’s that second part that I’ve held on to since I read it: a shift in perspective. That is exactly what I hope we can do for each guest who takes the time to attend one of our events. Changing your perspective is the first step in any journey and the catalyst for finding the direction toward your “why,” which is foundational to building anything extraordinary–family, wealth, career, or otherwise.

The really unique thing about this event is that we didn’t just offer perspective-shifting sessions for adults; we also had age-specific educational sessions for children and teenagers. You can access recordings of many of these sessions on our event page, and I’ve highlighted a few below, including my own presentation on Building an Extraordinary Family, which I previewed for you in the last edition of Don’s Thoughts.

I highly encourage you to give them a listen and use the lessons to build your own extraordinary family. Many of the sessions we offered for children would make a perfect addition to a family meeting, including Julia Myer’s Money MVP presentation that explores financial literacy in a digestible way for children.

We hope you’ll join us for next year’s Building an Extraordinary Family event, which our team is already starting to put together for you. It will be at the Omni Grove Park Resort in Asheville, NC, from June 25-28. Keep an eye out for more information from us as we finalize the details.

If you think for a real estate investment company, we’re awfully focused on families, you’re right. And, like everything in my life, it’s intentional.

Our commitment to creating an impact goes beyond solving the affordable housing crisis while driving financial returns for investors. We are committed to making a tangible, lasting impact in the lives of those we serve, from investors to sponsors to families who call our Thriving Communities home. Part of that impact is helping drive legacy creation, which starts with families.

Did you know that 70% of families lose their wealth by the second generation, with 90% losing it by the third generation? I strongly believe that financial literacy coupled with strong family relationships can be the difference between being a part of those stats or defying them. That’s why access to financial literacy programs is part of our Thriving Communities model and why we prioritized it as a topic at this event in a way that was accessible (and engaging) for children of all ages. It is an essential part of building an extraordinary family that can carry on a legacy for generations.

Adding to My Own Extraordinary Family

In June, I was blessed to welcome my first niece, Solana Elizabeth, and my second, Hallie Jo, with my younger sister and younger brother bringing these beautiful girls into our world less than two weeks apart. Carla has loved finally having a reason to buy baby girl outfits, and our three boys are over the moon about having two baby cousins.

A Full-Circle Moment with My Ideal Mentor: John C. Maxwell

Over the last year, you’ve heard a lot about John Maxwell from me. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside him on vision trips, sharing the stage with him at DLP events, and, in a full-circle moment, I recently welcomed him to lead the DLP team in discussion at a meeting of our leadership book club, Driven 4 Greatness (D4G).

I started D4G almost 14 years ago. The first book we ever read? The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, by none other than Maxwell. Since then, his books have been the focus of several D4G meetings, including my favorite, The 5 Levels of Leadership. To have him join me in leading a D4G meeting felt like a pinch-me moment.

Before starting the discussion on his recent book, High Road Leadership, he talked about the role that books have played in his life since childhood, sharing a personal story of a family habit that mirrored that of my own family: discussing books at dinner. If you missed the last edition of Don’s Thoughts, I shared how foundational I believe family habits to be in building an extraordinary family. One of our core habits is family dinnertime, where we make it a priority to have meaningful conversations, including about the books we’ve each been reading.

Maxwell also talked about how he surrounds himself in his office with books he considers life-changing and transformative. That’s exactly what his books have been for me, starting with The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. One of those 21 laws is the law of empowerment, which taught me that leaders will be remembered for those they empowered. This concept has inspired me to adapt the mantra of “leaders made here” for DLP, offering team members groups like D4G for growth and development. On a bigger scale, it’s a driving force behind our Thriving Communities concept, which seeks to empower families to live fully, with access to enrichment programs and much more.

His books have had such a transformative presence in my life that for some years now, Maxwell has been listed as an ideal mentor on my Personal Compass, one of the core tools of our EES program. His presence in my life this year didn’t happen by accident or because I sent an onslaught of LinkedIn messages; it is a testament to the power of intentionality in pursuing my purpose.

As it can for you, completing my Personal Compass each year allows me to find clarity on my purpose and realign my goals, identifying the path to creating the extraordinary life I want for myself, Carla, and our three boys. From there, I am intentional with how I spend my time, ensuring what I choose to do each day aligns with my purpose and goals.

It’s this dedication to living intentionally that put me in the same circles as John Maxwell, whose vision and values aligned so closely with mine that as I pursued them, we naturally found ourselves in the same place at the same time.

Last May, I met Maxwell for the first time at an event in Oklahoma City led by David Green, the founder of Hobby Lobby, which we were both attending. From there, our lives continued to overlap, and in January of this year, we started a friendship after connecting in St. Augustine. Over the next year, I will have welcomed Maxwell to the stage for several DLP events, including as the keynote speaker at our Extraordinary Impact & Legacy Event in November; that is undeniable proof of the power of being clear on your purpose, driven in pursuing your goals, and living each day with intentionality.

Watch Maxwell's D4G Session

Coming Soon: Maxwell’s Beyond Success Roundtables

In 1996, John Maxwell and his brother Larry founded the non-profit EQUIP to train Christian leaders in leadership principles and empower them to share their faith within their circles of influence. Since then, EQUIP has trained over 6 million leaders in 196 countries. Today, their core focus is on their Salt and Light Global Initiative, which seeks to equip and mobilize believers to reach unchurched people with the gospel of Jesus Christ, impacting individuals, families, businesses, communities, and even entire nations. The Beyond Success program is key to this initiative, and I’m excited to announce that the DLP Positive Returns Foundation is bringing it to DLP.

Beyond Success is a global evangelism initiative that mobilizes leaders to add value, build relationships, and share their faith through transformational roundtables (small groups). Over the course of the program, participants learn to embody several success-related values from Maxwell himself. Once they complete it, they can train to become Beyond Success facilitators themselves, bringing the lessons to more people.

Starting in August, we will be working with a small group of volunteer facilitators who will go through the Beyond Success training so that in the Fall, we can begin hosting our own roundtable cohorts for those who are interested. The first cohort will run for 8 weeks, starting the week of September 9 and finishing the week of October 28. The roundtables are designed to be small to foster a deeper connection, allowing for stronger discussions within the group. If you’re interested in being a part of this first cohort, we’d love to hear from you. 

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Other Vision Trip Opportunities

This fall, we’ll also be hosting two vision trips alongside Transforming Futures, a signature partner of the DLP Positive Returns Foundation that focuses on serving Guatemala’s most vulnerable children. A group of DLP employees recently returned from working with this organization, and each summed it up the same way: “life-changing.” We hope you'll consider joining us on one of our upcoming trips.

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When Purpose Aligns: DLP’s Continuing Relationship with the Tim Tebow Foundation

At last year’s Extraordinary Impact & Legacy event in November, the DLP community came together to raise an astounding $900K+ for the Tim Tebow Foundation (TTF) after Tim delivered one of the most moving and memorable keynote speeches we’ve had. If you’re familiar with Tim but not his foundation, I hope you’ll take the time to learn a little more about its mission to serve the world’s most vulnerable people, including efforts to combat human trafficking and child exploitation around the world.

Spending time with Tim, it quickly became clear not only how aligned he and I are in our purpose but also how aligned our foundations are in their faith-driven missions. With his presentation last November leaving such an indelible impression on everyone in the audience, myself included, I knew I wanted to find more ways to bring awareness to his work to the DLP community. Recently, I was able to do just that, partnering with the TTF to host an intimate two-day event for DLP Inner Circle members in Ponte Vedra Beach.

I knew when we were planning the event that it would be something special, but it exceeded every expectation I had. It was one of our most intimate events to date, with our Inner Circle members having the opportunity to have deep one-on-one conversations with Tim, go up against him in pickleball, tour the TTF’s new office, and visit a brand new facility housing 6 Florida law enforcement units dedicated to fighting human and child trafficking.

Tim even introduced us to his own inner circle at dinner one evening, during which we had some transformative conversations that I know few of us will soon forget. On the final day, we joined Tim and his team in worship before hearing more about the work TTF is doing, including through their partner program, Her Song. Her Song provides services to survivors of human trafficking, empowering them to take back their lives, including long-term residential care.

If you’ve heard about the DLP Inner Circle program before but weren’t sure what it was about, this is it. It’s about enrichment, empowerment, growth, community, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. If you want to learn more, our Investor Success Team has all the details you need. Don’t forget to ask them how you can become an Inner Circle member by introducing your own inner circle to DLP.

The Power of Purpose: Discovering Yours

Earlier in this edition, I showed you the power of clarity of purpose in the story of how John Maxwell went from my ideal mentor on my Personal Compass to a trusted friend in real life. Identifying your purpose isn’t easy, but it will change your life.

If you’re struggling with where to start, I invite you to consider the On Purpose program powered by Halftime. This cohort-based program is designed to fit into your everyday life while helping you close the gap between where you are now and who God made you to be. 

We launched the first cohort in June, and the second will launch this November at our Extraordinary Impact & Legacy Event in St. Augustine Beach, FL. Each cohort launch has limited space, so don’t wait to take a look.

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