153. From Homeless to Philanthropist with Jabez LeBret

Jabez Lebret turned his life around by getting his GED and studying finance. He became a financial analyst, an international public speaker, an author, and a Forbes contributor. Recently, Jabez sold his award-winning marketing agency to pursue his passion in education as co-founder of Sisu Academy. Tune into this episode to learn more about how he turned his life around, his advice for others who are considering selling their companies, and much more! Find Out More About Jabez Here: Jabez LeBretJabez LeBret on LinkedIn@jabezlebret on TwitterSisu [email protected] In This Episode: [02:07] - What is it like to sell your business and shift your life direction? And who acquired the business? [05:22] - Jabez talks about why he wanted to sell his business and start going down a new path, which he explains wasn’t due to burnout. [07:26] - How to structure his high school (for example, as a non-profit) was one of the hardest decisions early on for Jabez. [12:08] - Jabez shares his thoughts on B Corps, which he explains that he thinks are great, and talks about why he didn’t choose to go that way. [15:41] - Over the years, Jabez has been on nonprofit boards in various capacities. [19:04] - Funding operations isn’t sexy, Jabez points out, and talks about what he’s been doing to manage this. [24:21] - Jabez gives us more details about how everything unfolded with growing and selling his business. [26:18] - Stephan talks about his own experience with selling his first agency. [31:31] - What were Stephan’s thoughts when he was considering selling his agency? [34:49] - We hear about Stephan’s second attempt at selling, this time in 2007. [36:22] - How far out into the future does Jabez have to go before he’s done getting paid by his company? [40:55] - Jabez offers advice on what to do if you’re going to sell your company. [42:20] - For listeners who may not be familiar with the term, Jabez defines the term “clawback.” [44:50] - Stephan jumps back to the concept of a 510(c)(3) versus a B Corp. [48:25] - When you support a nonprofit organization, you’re picking up slack in some other part of the world that needs to get solved, Jabez points out. [52:36] - Stephan and Jabez talk about issues surrounding homelessness, specifically in Venice Beach, California. [55:52] - We hear a tidbit from Stephan’s backstory: he was a foster child for most of his high school years. [58:18] - Has Jabez been speaking about the topic of homelessness on stages or in TV appearances? [60:44] - How can people get in touch with Jabez if they want to learn more or help out? Links and Resources: Jabez LeBret Jabez LeBret on LinkedIn @jabezlebret on Twitter Sisu Academy [email protected] 501(c)(3) organization What are B Corps? Impact Network Charity Water