Proximity with Ken Joslin

Some people talk about generosity like it’s a personality trait. We see it as a frequency you can choose, practice, and refine and it changes everything from your leadership to your relationships. On Proximity Live, we sit down with Troy Hoffman, a two time Inc. 500 winner with a nine figure exit, to unpack what real giving looks like when it’s grounded in contribution, mastery, and trust.

We go beyond feel good stories and get honest about the cost. Troy shares how his parents modeled a life of serving others even without financial margin, and how that shaped his instinct to help. We also talk about the hard side of generosity: giving to the wrong people, confusing enabling with impact, and learning discernment so your time, money, and energy actually move the needle for the people who need it most.

Then we tackle the modern tension every entrepreneur feels: is someone truly generous, or are they networking with a receipt attached? Troy calls out performative giving, the commercialization of “help,” and why high trust communities collapse when takers outnumber givers. You’ll also hear simple, practical ways to practice generosity this week even if you feel broke, unknown, or disconnected plus why proximity to high achievers can act like a cheat code for growth, standards, and belief.

If this hits home, subscribe, share it with a friend who leads a team, and leave a review so more builders find the conversation. What’s one act of generosity you’re committing to this week?

Proximity can change your life faster than willpower, and Ryan D. Lee proves it with a story that starts in the cheapest “room” available: a book. We talk about how Ryan went from reading Rich Dad Poor Dad and Creating Wealth to building a real framework for financial freedom, leaving a six-figure corporate job, and eventually honoring the very authors who shaped his thinking. That arc turns mentorship into something practical, not mystical, and it shows how accountability can be learned long before you ever meet the people you admire. 

We also dig into the part most people skip: freedom is not just the payoff, it’s the responsibility. Ryan breaks down the difference between victimhood and ownership, why stewardship is the other side of independence, and how telling yourself the truth becomes the foundation for real change. If you’ve ever felt stuck repeating the same year on loop, this conversation puts language around what’s happening and what to do next. 

From there, we get personal about who has permission to tell you “no” and why that kind of truth-telling relationship is a gift. Ryan shares how his wife keeps him grounded, how strong coaching shifts your perspective, and how business clarity often comes down to one question: what’s the one thing we’re focusing on right now? We also connect money and marriage through core values, because most “money fights” are really values conflicts in disguise. 

Finally, Ryan gives a simple launch framework you can use immediately: facts, feelings, focus. If you’re sitting on an idea and don’t know how to move it, this will help you pick the next right step and build momentum. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a belief boost, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

What if the thing you call “pressure” is actually protection? We land the plane on the 14th and final Frequency of Proximity by talking about accountability as stewardship, the kind that keeps your faith, your leadership, and your finances from drifting. I walk through why this frequency is the reservoir that holds everything else, because faith without integrity will collapse, and integrity grows best when the right people have permission to speak into our blind spots.

We get practical with money and leadership: why most financial stress is not caused by a lack of money but a lack of clarity, why more income doesn’t fix poor stewardship and only exposes it, and how Scripture reframes the whole conversation through Luke 16:10 and 1 Corinthians 4:2. Then we hit the question that cuts through excuses: which money mindset is running your QuickBooks, fear, control, or faith?

I also share my own money story and how a generational blueprint of scarcity can shape decisions for years until you confront it with honesty and grace. From there, we map simple actions you can take right now: invite someone you like, know, and trust into your blind spots, keep your word at all costs, tell the truth fast, and build systems where integrity becomes a rhythm instead of a performance.

Want to go deeper? Join us for Proximity Live, a three-day online event to launch the book on October 14th, 15th, and 16th. Register free at grosstatdrive.com forward slash proximity live. If this helps you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs clarity, and leave a review so more leaders can find it.

A terminal diagnosis in the workplace, a community carrying multiple cancer battles, and a leader trying to make sense of it all sets the tone for a conversation that goes way deeper than spreadsheets. We take a minute to pray, then we pivot hard into the question most entrepreneurs are quietly asking: how do you build real profit without losing your health, your faith, your family, or your culture along the way?

Our guest Jim Bloodworth, founder of Cutting Edge Landscaping in Middle Georgia, shares what 25 years of building looks like from the inside: 144 employees, three locations, $11M to $12M in annual revenue, seasonal staffing through the H2B program, and the daily pressure of costs like fuel. Jim breaks down why “profit was always easy” can still hide major pitfalls, and why you cannot outsource revenue with a slick hire if you have not first forged the standard yourself. We talk about the bivocational years, paying yourself slowly, and the truth that growth costs time, cash flow, systems, and emotional bandwidth.

Then we get tactical with small business finance and operations: KPI dashboards, checks and balances, tying bonuses to numbers, and the scary move of letting the whole team see the company’s financials. Jim also opens up about opening a new branch, discovering falsified reports, and what it takes to protect culture while scaling. If you care about profit margin, leadership, hiring decisions, and healthy growth in a service business, this one will stick with you.

Subscribe, share this with an owner who’s scaling fast, and leave a review with the biggest lesson you’re taking from the conversation.