Creating Lasting Impact: Jim Burns on Purpose, Self-Awareness, and Building Strong Teams

What this episode is about

The discussion centers on Jim Burns, a key figure in community development in the upstate of South Carolina, exploring themes of purpose, self-awareness, and the importance of building strong teams. The conversation highlights personal anecdotes and life choices, emphasizing the impact of individual experiences on community growth and collaboration.

Key takeaways

• It's no football fantasy: Strategy minus execution is like a Hail Mary without a receiver.
• Parenting hack: 'Because I said so' is just a short version of 'strategize, execute, repeat.'
• From Latrobe to vibrant communities: Building starts small but dreams should be St. Vincent-sized.
• The 3 Fs rule: Family, friends, and faith form foundations even stronger than a Steeler's defense.
• Leadership pitfall: A visionary without execution is just a dreamer with a PowerPoint.

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 5:00: strategy, Arie Palmer, C-Corp, community outreach
2. 5:00 – 10:00: economic development, Jim Burns, local economic development corp, Mick Unplugged
3. 10:00 – 15:00: 1% better every day, accounting
4. 15:00 – 20:00: controlling the controllables, social skills, sympathy
5. 20:00 – 25:00: Calm app, devotionals, Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, protein shake
6. 30:00 – 35:00: architecture degree, campaigns, chamber meetings, community involvement
7. 35:00 – 40:00: Clemson, ecosystem for entrepreneurs, Franco Harris, Greenville County
8. 40:00 – 44:09: eulogy virtues, Hilton Head, Kathleen, Mick Unplugged

Notable quotes from "Creating Lasting Impact: Jim Burns on Purpose, Self-Awareness, and Building Strong Teams"

• Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to an in-person Mick Unplugged. I'm in my hometown in the upstate and I am here with a gentleman who when you think of the upstate of South Carolina, you think about development, you think about.

  about Mick Unplugged · at 0:00

• I've heard of Latro. There's some real ball players or St. Vincent St. Vincent College where the Steelers training camp is and Arie Palmer was there and Mr.

  about St. Vincent College · at 0:58

• Because us Patriot fans Well, they did good too. They got six Super Bowls as well.

  about Super Bowl · at 1:49

• Community or whatever. And so I created a company that I it's called C LLC. strategy and execution excellence and I still have the company and now I'm working with Hartness Development.

  about strategy · at 3:30

• Said this and it was one of the things that when I moved here when I moved back home when I was researching Jim Burns you had a statement that said if you're not growing you're dying.

  about Jim Burns · at 7:59

• How are we going to grow in economic development? And then was the board chair for the local economic development corp right?

  about economic development · at 9:15

• But if you say u I think I heard one time you said in one of your things is like this 1% better every day doesn't work because how do you measure that? How do you measure that?…

  about 1% better every day · at 10:21

• You know I tell people when they said I served 12 years on Greenville County Council and I said I decided to leave after those three terms because there's only so much so many times you can beat your head against the wall and do it and want.

  about Greenville County · at 33:14

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Jim Burns — Person · 2 mentions · first at 8:04
• Jen Burns — Person · 1 mention · first at 0:13
  The upstate of South Carolina, you think about development, you think about community outreach. It is this guy, Jen Burns.
• Arie Palmer — Person · 1 mention · first at 1:04
  Ball players or St. Vincent St. Vincent College where the Steelers training camp is and Arie Palmer was there and Mr.
• Dean Cayman — Person · 1 mention · first at 1:29
  Two games in four years and St. Vincent won like the D3 championship three years in a row. And I said, Cayman, are you sure that this was really the right decision for you?
• Franco Harris — Person · 1 mention · first at 38:57
  No, you're Steeler of all time is Franco Harris.
• Kathleen — Person · 1 mention · first at 40:01
  Enormously proud of, I'm enormously proud of the three kids that I have and Kathleen now my wife's three sons that she has, too. So, it they just, you when you get to this point, right? It's kind of like this is the this is the good P.
• Jerem — Person · 1 mention
• Mick Hunt — Person · 1 mention
• Tamara Levitt — Person · 1 mention

Books & papers

• devotionals — Book · 1 mention · first at 21:33
  You know that peace of mind and then I go immediately from that into my devotionals or reading some kind of philosophical thing. I'm reading meditation Marcus Aurelius…
• Meditations of Marcus Aurelius — Book · 1 mention · first at 21:37
  Devotionals or reading some kind of philosophical thing. I'm reading meditation Marcus Aurelius meditations right now and but some put once you clear your mind then fill it…
• The Bible — Book · 1 mention · first at 21:47
  Something good. you fill it with something inspirational, right? Read I'm reading the Bible. I'm I'm doing those meditations. I'm doing the Marcus's meditation or some several…

Companies & orgs

• Mick Unplugged — Company · 3 mentions · first at 0:02
• St. Vincent College — Company · 1 mention · first at 1:00
• C-Corp — Company · 1 mention · first at 3:36
  Community or whatever. And so I created a company that I it's called C LLC. strategy and execution excellence and I still have the company and now I'm working with Hartness Development.
• Hartness Development — Company · 1 mention · first at 3:42
  C LLC. strategy and execution excellence and I still have the company and now I'm working with Hartness Development.
• local economic development corp — Company · 1 mention · first at 9:18
  How are we going to grow in economic development? And then was the board chair for the local economic development corp right?
• chamber meetings — Company · 1 mention · first at 31:20
  Moved back everybody was asking me, do you know Jim Burns? Do you know? I go to chamber meetings. Do you know Jim Burns?
• Greenville County Council — Company · 1 mention · first at 33:18
  You know I tell people when they said I served 12 years on Greenville County Council and I said I decided to leave after those three terms because there's only so much so many times you can beat your head against the wall and do it and want.
• economic development board — Company · 1 mention · first at 34:58
  Elected official, too. been able to serve on several boards and chaired some of these the economic development board here for the county has been just a real big part of what…
• Hartness Hotel — Company · 1 mention · first at 37:35
  And you're going to see it scrolling right now there's going to be some information that Hartness Hotel an amazing restaurant Patterson right over here as well too. one of the…
• Patterson — Company · 1 mention · first at 37:48
  Right now there's going to be some information that Hartness Hotel an amazing restaurant Patterson right over here as well too. one of the best properties in the upstate.…
• Hartness family — Company · 1 mention · first at 38:12
  Job of putting about Thank you, man. Take it. Great team effort, great family, the Hartness family. It's just been amazing to work with and it is it's a it's a you know I've…
• Clemson — Company · 1 mention · first at 39:27
  Figure in pitch my ler my loner second question is Clemson ever going to be good again at football so I got a son that's junior Josh is a junior over there and he said that Hope Springs Eternal over there.
• mickhuntofficial.com — Company · 1 mention · first at 43:57
  Subscribe. Follow me on social and get the full experience at mickhuntofficial.com.
• Calm — Company · 1 mention
• Clemson University — Company · 1 mention

Products & tech

• Rolling Rock — Product · 1 mention · first at 1:09
  Roger lots of the little beer called Rolling Rock old 33 there sir. So small fact I didn't know it was Latro but my youngest son who we just talked about yeah that's at the University of Miami all went to St. Vincent to play.
• protein shake — Product · 1 mention · first at 21:01
  But I, we get up and the first thing I got to do, I'll drink my protein shake or whatever. Got to get something. You get something, get the get my body stirred up a little bit. but then I sit down and meditate. I sit down. I.
• Calm app — Product · 1 mention · first at 21:12
  Stirred up a little bit. but then I sit down and meditate. I sit down. I got my daily calm app and Okay.

Concepts & topics

• strategy — Concept · 3 mentions · first at 3:36
• economic development — Concept · 2 mentions · first at 9:15
• community outreach — Concept · 1 mention · first at 0:13
  The upstate of South Carolina, you think about development, you think about community outreach. It is this guy, Jen Burns.
• D3 championship — Concept · 1 mention · first at 1:27
  Really? He chose Bo College and only won two games in four years and St. Vincent won like the D3 championship three years in a row. And I said, Cayman, are you sure that this was really the right decision for you?
• Super Bowl — Concept · 1 mention · first at 1:54
• 1% better every day — Concept · 1 mention · first at 10:26
• accounting — Concept · 1 mention · first at 11:50
  So you look for specific things. accounting is another role. Like you got to know the books, you got to know the rules, you got to do that so that you keep everybody else out of trouble in my in the development business.
• controlling the controllables — Concept · 1 mention · first at 16:08
  Yeah. with, the world champion, six-time world champion Patriots. We call controlling the controllables. I think Bill Bich was the first to ever say that.
• social skills — Concept · 1 mention · first at 18:04
  Pillars: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, social skills, and empathy.
• sympathy — Concept · 1 mention · first at 18:45
  And a lot of times people think empathy and sympathy are the same thing. No, empathy means I hear you and I understand, right? I don't I don't feel sorry for you, but I hear you and I understand it. If you were to look at.
• community involvement — Concept · 1 mention · first at 31:40
  The leader and the entrepreneur that's watching or listening specifically right now. Why is community involvement so key to being a leader and being a part of what you do as an entrepreneur?
• architecture degree — Concept · 1 mention · first at 31:58
  Well, all right. So, in my personal situation, what I saw I have a an architecture degree and a political science degree and I was All right, what am I going to do with this?
• political science degree — Concept · 1 mention · first at 31:58
  Well, all right. So, in my personal situation, what I saw I have a an architecture degree and a political science degree and I was All right, what am I going to do with this?
• campaigns — Concept · 1 mention · first at 32:05
  And when I got out of school and so I helped run people's campaigns and it finally got to the point where there was an opportunity for me to run myself.
• term limits — Concept · 1 mention · first at 33:49
  Practically it doesn't work. You know the you know from a theoretical standpoint I don't like term limits from the practicality thing and seeing people that becomes their…
• rising tide lifts all boats — Concept · 1 mention · first at 35:07
  Just a real big part of what I've wanted to accomplish because I believe the rising tide lifts all boats. We can have reasonable growth and it preserves the quality of life…
• ecosystem for entrepreneurs — Concept · 1 mention · first at 35:48
  Along with that. And I think Greenville has such an amazing ecosystem for entrepreneurs here. And I think it's not as well known as some of the other ones, but the resources that we have here they continue to grow, they continue to get.
• textiles — Concept · 1 mention · first at 36:17
  What got us to this level of success at least in Greenville County is what we pivoted from textiles to manufacturing and we did an amazing job and those are the giants that Zoo…
• headquarters — Concept · 1 mention · first at 36:33
  Success that we've enjoyed and so we have to pivot. We have to go after headquarters. We have to go after the entrepreneurs. We have to go after research and development and…
• research and development — Concept · 1 mention · first at 36:37
  Headquarters. We have to go after the entrepreneurs. We have to go after research and development and take these amazing manufacturers that are here and try to get why have a…
• eulogy virtues — Concept · 1 mention · first at 42:13
  Yeah, it's so funny. I heard a sermon recently that was about the eulogy virtues, right? And so if somebody's giving you a eulogy, what do you what do you think that would be the most important? I think humility.
• emotional intelligence (pillar in companies) — Concept · 1 mention
• emotional intelligence in leadership (application) — Concept · 1 mention
• five pillars of emotional intelligence — Concept · 1 mention
• hotel — Concept · 1 mention
• Kaizen — Concept · 1 mention
• meditation (morning routine practice) — Concept · 1 mention
• project management — Concept · 1 mention
• sleep on it — Concept · 1 mention
• strengths and weaknesses — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

• Greenville County — Place · 2 mentions · first at 33:18
• Upstate of South Carolina — Place · 1 mention · first at 0:10
  Hometown in the upstate and I am here with a gentleman who when you think of the upstate of South Carolina, you think about development, you think about community outreach. It is this guy, Jen Burns.
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Place · 1 mention · first at 0:46
  It does take a village for sure. Jerem, I know if I remember correctly, you moved here from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. You were 910.
• Greenville (North Carolina) — Place · 1 mention · first at 31:08
  To talk to you about this and give you kudos for this too. So most of you know I born and raised Greenville, South Carolina or the upstate. but just moved back like last year…
• Hilton Head — Place · 1 mention · first at 41:32
  To home here, down going down to the beach, going down to one of the islands, Charleston, Hilton Head, Frip, all those great places where you just you get a sense of calm and, understand that there's a there's a higher power at work.
• Frip — Place · 1 mention
• Latrobe — Place · 1 mention

Sponsors

• Hartness Hotel — Sponsor · 1 mention · first at 37:35
  Know how busy you are. I'm going to get you out of here fresh quick five and because we're at the Hartness Hotel this segment is going to be sponsored by Hartness Hotel.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to an in-person Mick Unplugged. I'm in my hometown in the upstate and I am here with a gentleman who when you think of the upstate of South Carolina, you think about development, you think about community outreach. It is this guy, Jen Burns. This is Make Unplugged. Let us uncover the because that thing that drives you. That thing that fuels you. I'm ready if you are. Let's go. You can't laugh. That's the truth.

0:36 I bet you're too kind. No, no, no. Man, it takes a village, my friend. It does take a village for sure. Jerem, I know if I remember correctly, you moved here from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. You were 910.

0:52 Yep. Yeah, exactly. 90 is actually a little town right outside of Pittsburgh called Latroe.

0:58 I've heard of Latro. There's some real ball players or St. Vincent St. Vincent College where the Steelers training camp is and Arie Palmer was there and Mr. Roger lots of the little beer called Rolling Rock old 33 there sir. So small fact I didn't know it was Latro but my youngest son who we just talked about yeah that's at the University of Miami all went to St. Vincent to play football.

1:22 Really? He chose Bo College and only won two games in four years and St. Vincent won like the D3 championship three years in a row. And I said, Cayman, are you sure that this was really the right decision for you?

1:34 It's life choices, right? And choices. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. So that big time. Yep. I I know that I raised my kids right because they're all big Steelers fans, too.

1:44 All right. And the episode is over. That was the beginning and the end. Um because us Patriot fans uh

1:52 Well, they did good too. They got six Super Bowls as well. Yeah. Yeah. And or more recent, but that's fine.

1:59 We're living in the past. I hear you. I hear it. No, man. So, Jim, I want to get into a lot, but you know, I ask all my guests the very first question is about their cause. That thing that's deeper than your why. I call it like your true purpose.

2:12 Yeah. And it it changes over time. So, if I was to say, Jim, today what is your cause? Why do you keep doing what you do?

2:20 And and like like we we talked a little bit about before. It's it's kind of interesting just to go back and think about it. And so since we met and we started talking and and doing this, I was like, "Wow, it really is a is a great question." We did this game with kids, right? Like why why why dad? Why do I do the cause? And then and then you know if you're you don't think about it as a parent, you said because I said so. And so u so great great um I I love the the question everything. I I narrowed it down to, you know, it's it's kind of a a bunch of bunch of answers, but to try to get together, you know, my my my causes are um family, friends, faith. I call them my three Fs.

3:01 Yeah. Okay. I have some of those in school. That's That's right. Yeah, that's right. Uh my my three Fs. And then um you know I'm I'm all about leadership and and every I think uh you know John Maxwell said everything rises and falls on leadership. And then I'm also uh all about growth. You know growth you know you want your companies to grow. You want to have personal growth. Uh you want to see your the organizations that you're a part of grow whether philanthropic or or the community or whatever. And so um I I created a company uh that I it's called C LLC. strategy and execution excellence and um I still have the company and now I'm working with Hartness Development.

3:44 I'm the chief operating officer for Hartness, but um C is still an entity and the reason that I started that was because it's strate C lc strategy and execution excellence.

3:57 And what I saw out there through my career was that um the some people were really good at strategy and really good at visioning, but they didn't execute. They didn't get into the details. They weren't the the type of person that that wants to be collaborative, which on any big project you have to do. So, they set the vision, they set strategy, and they might be

4:19 fantastic at that. Mhm. But when you bring that together because you can't just be good at strategy

4:26 or or it's just a plan on the shelf. You can't just be good at execution because then you execute things that you that don't matter. And so, and I think that's part of that's that's one of my why is like be able to see the bigger picture, to envision what's not there

4:43 and what it can become and then bring that to fruition. Wow. I love that. And you're exactly right. I actually had this conversation with my COO. She's going to yell at me when she here is um don't get a choke. I'm already choked.

4:59 It's okay. It's okay. I don't believe that people that are highly organized and plan amazing are great executors.

5:12 Right. Right. It's almost like, and that's not a bad thing because I think people that are great at execution miss the small details, but for whatever reason, a lot of times we put people in place and we expect them to do it all and we expect them to do the organizing, the planning, and the execution. And usually when somebody is great again at the organizing the planning, they fail to execute to standard because they put so much time and energy making sure that if all the things could happen, we can solve or we'll be protected. Right.

5:45 I'd love to get your take on that too. Like I see leaders fail a lot when they think you've got to be multi-dimensional.

5:55 I think as um I'm one of the things in in personal growth, right? You've got to be self-aware. You've got to know um as a leader what you're good at, what your gifts are, right? Listen, I think if you if you don't know your strengths and your weaknesses, then then you're you're going to you're going to create problems. Yeah. So, u you can be great uh you can be a great manager of people and have great people skills, but you're not going to have you don't have the financial acumen. So what I look for in leaders of of the companies that I you you got to have you have to supplement with really smart people in those areas that you know aren't your strength.

6:39 Okay. So how do you how do you recognize that? And that's just that goes straight back to personal self-awareness. Um I can do certain things

6:48 but I might not be as good as somebody else. And when it's a big enough uh piece of the organization, you better make sure you hire strong people in all those other positions. Again, something else we agree on. It's another thing I literally just got finished speaking to an organization about that where I said you're spending way too much time trying to grow weaknesses in people,

7:13 right? Why not let your people accentuate where they're very strong, right? and continue to be strong and then supplement where they're weak with another person that's strong where they're weak

7:26 and and keep building your organization that way. Yes. Because if as a growing thing, right, you get growth as a growing thing, you need strong people throughout and and if you're the right leader, you're going to grow more people. you're going to put them in positions where they're leading in certain areas so that you know if you get hit by a bus I my organization my entity is going to continue on.

7:53 Exactly. And and you use the word grower growth several times and I know you've said this and it was one of the things that when I moved here when I moved back home when I was researching Jim Burns you had a statement that said if you're not growing you're dying. talk about the the power of that growth especially in this modern world not just for leaders or entrepreneurs but people in general that growth not just the mindset but the actual application of growth

8:24 I think um again are you most people are like oh well I I don't know how to do this or I don't know how to do that and they they try to grow in those areas and I I'm don't do that grow in the areas where you have interest where you where you where you have strengths,

8:42 but you got to keep growing because you never you never stop growing. You never stop reading. I'm a big I've got like a whole reading list of things, including Mick Unplugged and uh and and so you we've just got um we've got to continue uh to have the mindset that there's I I think the more that I find out about, right,

9:05 it it points out how little I know, right? And so if you in in everything that I've been a part of is has been how do we grow?

9:14 Yeah. How are we going to grow in economic development? And and then was the board chair for the local economic development corp right?

9:21 We have to dispel the this the we're growing too fast and we're growing too much. We we we've got to grow uh in a in a proper course, right? And do the things that allow us to keep the personality and keep all the advantages of being in this area are. But we've got to continue to grow because those you can just look back in history at all the examples where we said, "Okay, no more." And then those areas just start to decline and people start to move out and there's no jobs to supplement. And that's just a that's just a ticket down to the the the downward spiral. And so from from everything from your communities to your person, what are you doing?

10:02 um a plan for right be intentional about your growth. Yes. And where you're going to grow and how you're going to do it and say, you know, by this time next year, I want to be here by this and have specific measurements that you or or try some of it is, you know, is harder to do. It's harder to measure.

10:20 Yeah. Um but if you say u I think I heard one time you said in one of your things is like this this 1% better every day doesn't work because how do you measure that? How do you measure that? And I and I agree with that 100%. Right. So you got to have measurable. They got to be measurable goals to to grow or or you you don't um right when you hit those goals, you're you feel empowered and you feel like I did this and in it energizes me, at least me, it energizes me more. So how do we do that and keep energizing yourself to go to that next level?

10:51 I love that, dude. I love that. So again, one of the the best and greatest leaders that I know is Jim Bryce. when you're looking at building your teams, what are some of the values that you look in for people? Because I have to assume that you're a lot like me and I've never asked you this question before, but for me, I hire people and then the role will become the role. But if you're not the person fit, you will never leave the role fit. So I don't care what your accolades are. I don't care what your resume says. if you're not the right person as a human being, it's never going to work. So tell us a little bit about that. I

11:32 I think there's there's two categories when I'm looking at hiring different people. I think there's two categories like an an HR person.

11:41 I don't need a scientist to do that. You know, I need somebody that's got that emotional intelligence that that's motivational and everything like that. So you look for specific things. Um, accounting is another role. Like you you got to know the books, you got to know the rules, you got to do that so that you keep everybody else out of trouble

11:57 in in my in the development business that we've grown here. Um, yeah, I like I like people that have a breadth of knowledge. Uh, I like, you know, more of the Swiss Army knife kind of

12:09 uh folks that that I can put and in any situation um and they'll figure it out. They always have me to come back to as a resource. We were talking about this, you know, we're doing annual reviews and I I I think my job as a CEO here is is to make sure that everybody has the tools they need to be successful. They they have the skill sets to be successful in the projects that they get assigned and then they know that they can always get to me.

12:37 Uh it might not be at a at a normal time. You keep a busy schedule, but but they can always get to me and if there's roadblocks, I'm going to help them overcome those things. So, um I think there there are specific instances where you're looking for really targeted areas of expertise. Yeah. But for the most part, those are the those are the, you know, kind of the more administrative roles that you got to have within a growing or an organization of some size. And then for for most of of what we're doing here, man, you know, I I need great project managers. And that's like the whole spectrum. And that's not that's not they either really good at this or this is this is I can take this I can give them a project no matter what it is and they go and and knock it out and and that's that's I'm I'm extremely blessed to have some great people that that work with me that have worked with me in different organizations and

13:27 everything and and that's your success as a leader depends on how well you build up everybody else.

13:35 Totally agree. And you just brought up one of my favorite uh terms, which is something it's actually a pillar of all of the companies that I have, which is emotional intelligence. We lead, we respect, and we interact with emotional intelligence. But in 2025 and we're heading into 2026, I I still see a lot of leaders, I see a lot of individuals talk the emotional intelligence game, but then when it's time to apply it in a real world scenario of they forget all those principles. Like my my favorite one is self-regulation.

14:13 you get that tense moment and you just answer right away or you send that email off and then when you meet with me it's like no you're supposed to pause like 5 10 seconds right or get up and walk around and then come back to it when you're calm. Why would why are leaders one not leading with emotional intelligence and what are some things what are some tips from you that leaders can do now to make sure that they're implement emotional intelligence into what they do? Why why are people doing it? I I think goes back to do do you know who you are number one and um what do you control right I'm a strong believer you know whether it's the stoic virtue what is it's a lot of different things but as a as a leader um what can I control

15:00 um and I can control what I think what what I say and what I do I can't control anybody else what they think say or do and so all I can do is be the example of what I expect from it. And so I think um there there is it's way too easy to sit behind the computer and you get a bad email or or something that upsets you and you're ready to fire something off. And I think that's what you got to know. I I control what I say what I do. Okay. What you said is upsetting to me, but I'm not going to react immediately. And I'm like, I have a I have a a big big decisions or or something that really is upsetting. I I say, we're not going to respond. We're asleep on it.

15:45 We're going to come back tomorrow and we're going to have have regulated and gotten through all the emotions, right? You can't act on emotion, you you act with the uh whenever you act in anger, you're not going to come out. It's not going to be the best decision that you can be.

16:03 I love it. Right. Yeah. with, you know, the world champion, six-time world champion Patriots. We call controlling the controllables. Uh, I think Bill Bich was the first to ever say that.

16:15 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Could be. Could be. Could be. No, but you're spot on. So, for that person that that's listening, that's watching right now, uh, that's like, "Yeah, I hear what Jimmy Maker saying, but man, it's tough." What's some advice you get? Um I I think just that whenever something upsets you that much and and before you act on something um take that breath

16:43 take that time um and just know that that like let that be a part that's ingrained in you um to be a leader people want in in the face of you know you you look at um the church hill right

16:57 in the in the face of what was almost imminent he he couldn't assure them that they were going to get through the the winters and the things like that of World War II, but he his just said deserve victory. So, I can't promise you that you're going to be victorious. I can't promise you. But if we prepare and we set our minds and say we're going to be victorious, we're going to deserve it. I'm not going to tell you we're going to be victorious, but we're going to deserve it. And I think that attitude, just having that attitude, I'm I'm going to deserve, you know, you deserve what your actions say for you,

17:32 right? And so what you think, say, and do. And so I think that's, you know, take the take the step back and um, you know, go go back to the the philosophies and the religious think act as if if it was you in that place, how would you want to be responded to? Yeah, totally agree. You know, and for me, again, I teach emotional intelligence. I'm a student of emotional intelligence, but I'm always working on it myself to you guys. So, we talk about the five pillars: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, social skills, and empathy.

18:07 Jim, I struggle with empathy. Yeah. I'm a diehard entrepreneur. I'm a serial entrepreneur. I'm the person that, hey, put it on my shoulders, it's going to get done. And I drive hard. myself, not my team, but I drive art. I struggle, and I can admit this, right? I'm human. Absolutely. I struggle to understand people that don't have that same mentality of, hey, I got to drive. I got to go make it happen. But I also understand that everybody doesn't have that. So, I have to make sure that I work on empathy every day.

18:43 And a lot of times people think empathy and sympathy are the same thing. No, empathy means I hear you and I understand, right? I don't I don't feel sorry for you, but I hear you and I understand it. If you were to look at emotional intelligence, what are you working on? What's what's I don't want to say a weakness, but what's an area for you to grow within those parts? Um I I think it without a doubt is um that that that pulse that you know I think that's something regulation um and um everybody wants to be quick to react and cuz cuz like you said we're trying to get it done and when somebody presents you with bad news or or or something that's has gone wrong um then are are are you going to take the time to figure out why went wrong and how you can help that individual overcrowd. You know, you're then you're the leader and your example sets the tone for the entire organization and if if you're very

19:43 reactive, especially lashing out, then then they're going to see that and say that's the example that I have. So, what I'm what I'm always preaching myself is like, okay, you know, I might have to go back part of my morning routine is meditation. All right, man. I'm going to go back. I got to clear my mind. Got you. Cuz cuz if your mind is clogged with negative thoughts, with with retaliation, with whatever it is that you think I have to react to this way, you're not making good decisions. That's not your best self.

20:13 Yeah. And so that is that is without a doubt like I the the empathy thing I I could I could relate 100% with you, man. Uh but it's uh the empathy is is one of those things where again that's I go back I'm going to put myself in their shoes and and how do I how do I do this?

20:29 Yeah. Acting in a calm but decisive manner when you need to be decisive is is uh is I think the key to resolving those conflicts.

20:43 I like it. I like it. So you just talked about part of your morning routine. Yeah.

20:47 What else is your morning routine? Oh man. Uh this this I'm not I think my wife tolerates it. I'm not sure she's, you know, encourages it, but but but um uh but I, you know, we uh we get up and you know, the first thing I got to do, you know, I I'll drink my protein shake or whatever. Got to get something. You get something, get the get my body stirred up a little bit. Uh but then I sit down and meditate. I I sit down. I got my daily calm app and and uh Okay. And I sit there with my my good friend Tamara Levit and and she leads me through that 10 or 11 minutes every day and and it just I really think that uh that centers me that that gives me that sense of calm.

21:28 Um you know that peace of mind and then I go immediately from that into my devotionals or reading some kind of philosophical thing. I'm reading meditation Marcus Aurelius meditations right now and but some put once you once you clear your mind then fill it with something good. you fill it with something inspirational, right? Read I'm reading the Bible. I'm I'm doing those meditations. I'm doing the Marcus's meditation uh or some several different books um that that I'll read a little bit from each time. Um and then, you know, once they then you're feeling good and clan, you know, we we make sure that we got everything we need for the day, that I'm prepared for everything in the day. Um, and then you're you're all every once in a while I'll mix in some, you know, some exercise in there, but it depends on how much tie up like, you know, when you wake up can do you have that half an hour for some stretching or

22:18 some doing something like that. Um, but that's that's generally it. You get you get you get ready and you go tackle the day. You know, you feel like you're you're ready to go.

22:26 No, see, I need that. I need when I'm home and not traveling, I have a long fatigue, but I travel enough so much that Like I I make sure I have a few moments to myself every morning. I you know I make sure my phone is away and I can gather my thoughts and and try to plan what I'm doing. But I need to get a strict point.

22:51 And I think you know um Arthur Brooks, you know Arthur Brooks and Arthur Brooks just came out with something about his morning routine and he's like the six things that he does for an awesome morning or whatever. And I'm not I I haven't got to all six of them right. Um I think it is and and it is you um a never start you know never start the day by picking up your phone.

23:09 Right. Right. Right. Leave the phone down. Do your thing so that you do have your your time you know

23:16 and and I think um just that little bit of tranquility that little bit of um very this bring brings that you know and we're all we're all on this quest for yeah peace of mind as we go through our days and and nights and everything. So, how how do you grab that at the very very start of your day? I think is is super important to me. And it's but it's hard. It is when you and your routine when you're not where you you usually are and your routine and all that, you're you're really kind of it's throwing me off. So, what what's the best thing you could do there, too?

23:48 I'm telling you, like we're family, so I'll say this. So, I've been traveling so much as you know.

23:53 Yeah. Last week, man, I woke up and had no idea where I was. Literally, I get out of the hotel. I walk out of my room. I said, "That's traveling too much, man." And I had to look to see what room number I was in because I was going to go charge breakfast to the room, right? I was like, I don't I don't know the room number I'm in. Right. Wait a second. Where am I?

24:14 Right. Literally no idea where I was. So, yeah. Got to slow down. Yeah. But we get caught up in that, right? It's hard. And even if you're in your same house, everything like that, they might the kid might come down or something happened or you got to get to work early or something. And I think it's just um you know, I I read something that you know, if you um trade trade your last hour at night before you go to bed with the first hour in the morning. In other words, if you usually go to bed at 11:00, go to bed at 10:00.

24:44 And if you usually get up at 6:00, get up at 5. And that you're going to you're going to feel much more better. You're going to be feel better about what you accomplish from 5 to 6 than you do from 10 to 11.

24:58 I'm going to try it. Yeah, I I haven't done it yet cuz I'm not a 5:00 in the morning person, but you know, I I could be six.

25:04 Yeah, I'm going to try it. Alex, I just do it. There you go. You say I'm up. Okay, good. So, you talked about family rope, right? Like one of the one of the three Fs.

25:15 Yeah. Talk to me about how you balance all the things that you do from entrepreneur, being CEO, uh being involved in the community like you are. How do you balance that to make sure that you're still husband and you're still dad and you're still son and uncle and all that, Jack? Well, let me let me first of all say I I got it wrong for a long time, you know, and and you start to you have to you have to again you get that self-awareness and I don't know what age it comes to us, but you know, thank thank goodness it came to me. And um so um I I think I don't I think the term work life balance is a myth.

26:00 It's totally wrong. So integration is integr integration. How do you you know if if you don't love your work, if you're not in enthusiastic about doing your job and going to work, then then you're missing something. You're missing something in your life. He says there's an innate part in all of us that says you want to the part of being fulfilled is is doing something that you believe is meaningful um to society. Yeah.

26:23 Right. And so I want to while I want to teach that to my children. So I I just got married in in November. It's all coming up on one year between the the both of us. Naggie, I I it's completely locked out. Uh between the two of us, we have six kids. So, we we have we have a full house, you know, and uh five of them are out. One's a senior and um we're enjoying every bit of of the last year of the last son that we got. Um but um but but I think, you know, you want to set an example. Um, but then sometimes you just have to be there. I was very for my my two sons they were very z into basketball and I think I might have missed uh of their entire career. I might have missed doing a handful of games. Right. You're going to you're going to be that coached um many many of those games um and everything.

27:15 And so it's something that's will those those memories they're they'll just continuously be cherished and probably more cherished. But um it's just it's a it's a myth that you you can't you can do everything. Absolutely. So so as I said, got it wrong. Got to prioritize and and priority number one is is family, right? And and then you you've got everything else that falls after that. And so you want to show the example of what what um hard and smart work can accomplish. And you also want to show them that, you know, all all the kids I know that uh when they need me, I'm going to be

27:59 I love that, dude. And you're right. I had to learn it, too. I mean, for me, well, my kids never said this, right? I I feel like I have three of the best kids on planet. Ah, I'm going argue with you about that.

28:13 Well, what else is on about that? How about that? Hey, kid. We'll just do this. If Uncle Jim gives you a better Christmas gift than dad does, then there you go. But what I didn't ever want my kids to say, and it took a moment for me to realize this, was that I I never wanted them to say, "Dad, you're so present and available for your clients, for your team, uh, for your peers, for prospects." I never wanted them to feel like anything else I couldn't be as present for for them. So, I had to work on making sure I was present and and a lot of times present doesn't mean physically being there. I mean, my kids are all out of college. I have one left in college, but

28:57 picking up the phone, even though they don't talk on the phone, but making sure I do that, sending them a text message, checking in on them, um just reminding them of of little things and them reminding me of little things. So for everybody that's watching or listening, especially for the leaders and entrepreneurs where you're putting in 60, 70, 80 hours a week, remember to be present, right? And and again, present always isn't physical. You can emotionally be present for someone. Um you can spiritually be present for someone. So for me, I had to learn that and take a moment and say got to be present. And

29:36 and I think um yeah, I I I really like that. I think the um not only does being present mean a lot of different things, but I I just remember like you you sometimes you you need to be there when they need you to be there. Yeah.

29:51 And then there's times when they're like, "Okay, I'll need you." You know, I don't need Yeah. Yeah. You know, that's good. And and some of the greatest, you know, thoughts that you just evoked was um my daughter is in law school and she's doing great. She's up in Washington DC and she um she there was one period of time it was like a month and every every day she called because she had moved into her own place that wasn't you know and it was like dad the dishwasher's not barking at this and and the garbage disposal this and and and she's calling me and I'm like oh my gosh you know that time when your kids realize dad's not a dumbass you breast right I'm going to call him and get him to see if he could help me on this and and that was and she even said one time she goes I know I've called you like every And I'm like, it's been best best two weeks of my life. You just you just keep doing it. You keep calling me

30:40 anytime anytime you need something. And I think that's the you know, uh you don't you can't push. Um you got to give them the space and and let them kind of come to you from time to time, but they always know that you're there and you're ready to pick up, you know, at the at the drop of a hat.

30:57 Absolutely. Absolutely. So Jim, I want to before I get to my quick five, I want to talk to you about this and give you kudos for this too. So most of you know I born and raised Greenville, South Carolina or the upstate. Uh but just moved back like last year and when I moved back everybody was asking me, do you know Jim Burns? Do you know? I go to chamber meetings. Do you know Jim Burns? I had events. Do you know Jim Burns? I'm like all right, let me get to know Jim Burns. But kudos to you for being involved in the community on so many levels. I would love for you to talk to the leader and the entrepreneur that's watching or listening specifically right now. Why is community involvement so key to being a leader and and being a part of what you do as an entrepreneur?

31:51 Well, all right. So, in my my personal um situation, what I saw um I I have a an architecture degree and a political science degree and I was like, "All right, what am I going to do with this?" And and um when I got out of school and so I helped run people's campaigns and it finally got to the point where there was an opportunity for me to run myself.

32:11 Okay. And uh so I was always interested in making sure we put good people in in positions of authority in the public. There's there's I I can tell you, you know, your your congressmen and your senators, they they they work hard for you and and you know, we we have some good ones. Um and then but the where the rubber meets the road, you know, is is your your local city councils and your county councils and your school wards and everything because, you know, nobody gets more upset than if they don't believe their child is getting a quality education, right? Um, nobody gets more upset than, you know, when things in your community aren't going right. And so, um, that was it was another area where I thought, you know, we we need some leadership. We need some some things where people can believe in the people and the message that they're saying. And um I was just you know lucky enough to fool you know 51% of the

33:05 people for through a few elections here to to continue to serve for and and I think you know it it is it is a difficult thing. It is one of the most um uh you know I I I tell people when they said I served 12 years on Greenville County Council and uh I said I I I decided to leave after those three terms because there's only so much so many times you can beat your head against the wall and do it and and want to come back for more you know and and I also think you know I got to say that theoretically I I think um you know we should be able to elect the the right person as long as we want to and and how we do Great.

33:44 Practically it doesn't work. You know the um you know from a theoretical standpoint I don't like term limits from the practicality thing and seeing people that that becomes their identity and they don't know how to live and be who they are without being that that's not the right basis of of their motivation to be an elected official. So um but I would encourage everybody you know we got to have good people in our local governments too because we're only as good as as those people. we're only making as good decisions as those people that we put into those offices. So, I I look at it as it was just a way uh to to be involved to to be a part of of the growth of Greenville and and the trajectory. Um we we all we all stand on the shoulders of giants, right? But uh but the um you know what I I found Greenville when I became an adult, came back from college and was here and it was this growing and wonderful place.

34:38 But then we we had areas where we weren't getting it done. And so I said, "Okay, it's time to it's time to, you know, put my money where my mouth is and and my time and effort into it." And so that's why I went I served on, like you said, and it's okay to get out of being elected official, too. been able to serve on on several boards and chaired some of these the economic development board here for the county has has been just a real big um big part of what I've wanted to accomplish because I believe the rising tide lifts all boats. We can have reasonable um uh growth and it preserves the quality of life that we have and and we can do it in the right way. Um, and so I I think um, and the the you know that all ties in with being entrepreneurial, I think to to your question is sometimes you got you you got you're you're solving problems. As an entrepreneur, I I look at all these entrepreneurs as the ultimate problem

35:33 solvers because they got to solve not only their product problems or or how to get to where, you know, the product they want or the service they want, but they got to solve everything else that goes along with that. And uh and I think um Greenville has such an amazing uh ecosystem for entrepreneurs here. And and I I think it's not as well known as some of the other ones, but but the resources that we have here uh they continue to grow, they continue to get better, and it's just a great place for entrepreneurs. Mhm.

36:05 And what we know about Greenville um in in the upstate is um what made us what what got us to this level of success at least in Greenville County is what we we pivoted from textiles to manufacturing and we did an amazing job and those are the giants that Zoo shoulders were standing on. But what we realize now is

36:27 that won't get maintain the level of success that we've enjoyed and so we have to pivot. We have to go after headquarters. We have to go after the entrepreneurs. We have to go after research and development and take these these amazing manufacturers that are here and try to get why why have a heads here? Why not you? And and that's something that motivates me. You know, that's that's connecting with people. That's that's leading you know the the you know it's a development, right? It's it's a it's how do we find the right spot for them? How do we show them that Green Bill has everything that, you know, that company needs to be successful? That that is um to me is is incredibly exciting. Um and it it leaves a lasting impression on the community.

37:11 I love it. And I need you to know this, okay? You talked about, you know, the giants and the shoulders that we're standing on, brother. You now are a part of those shoulders, too. I want you to know that. I mean that because again when I move back here I heard your name more than anyone I see name and that kind of worries me. Uh all right Joe I know how busy you are. I'm going to get you out of here fresh quick five and because we're at the Hartness Hotel this segment is going to be sponsored by Hartness Hotel.

37:42 There you go. So and you're going to see it scrolling right now there's going to be some information that Hartness Hotel an amazing restaurant Patterson right over here as well too. one of the best properties in the upstate. Something that I truly support, especially, you know, you're coming from out of town. A lot of visitors who have been here are are huge college of the show. It's close to the airport. You feel like you're in your own world over here, Jim. Amazing job of putting about

38:10 Thank you, man. Take it. Great team effort, great uh family, the Hartness family. It's just been amazing to work with and uh it is it's a it's a you know I've I've been blessed to work on a lot of different projects and developments in in my uh in my career and some of them you know when you get to the end you know it's kind of like that's that's not exactly what we thought we were getting or this one this one knocked it out of the park and just in in so many ways and uh uh we're just we're just extremely extremely excited for what it's become and uh excited for the future of what it's going to become uh as Oh, love it. Love it.

38:46 All right, here's a quick five. All right, I won't even bash you with the Steelers versus Patriots and who's better because we know it's the Patriots.

38:53 No, you're Steeler of all time is uh Franco Harris. Okay, Franco Legend Franco Harris. Yeah, man. He just We're talk about giving back to this community and everything like that. I think he just set the he set the standard as a as a gentleman uh you know as a as a rugged rugged player and it was always uh trying to trying to do everything he could for the team but then you know at the end of his playing career then he really turned into a supporter of the men and a beloved figure in pitch

39:24 my ler my loner second question is Clemson ever going to be good again at football uh so I got a son that's junior Josh is a junior over there and he said he said that uh Hope Springs Eternal over there on campus. So, I'm going to go with his and say, "Yeah, we're we're going to be back next year."

39:43 Okay. All right. Yeah. So, you know, as parents, we're not supposed to have favorite children. Who's yours?

39:50 H you know there you can't you can't ever do that. I I just tell you as a dad, you know, this you're just enormously proud of of, you know, I'm enormously proud of uh the three kids that I have and and Kathleen now my wife's three sons that she has, too. So, um, it they just, you know, you when you get to this point, right? It's kind of like this is the this is the good P now we just get to sit back and watch all the things that they accomplish. Um, and uh and continue to just enjoy all the fruits of the the hard work that we put into it and creating th those, you know, helping to mold those individuals.

40:28 And so, man, I just think they're they're all just a blessing. Love it. I used to ask my grandfather that. You would say the one that asked me for the least amount.

40:37 I'm waiting to get to that stage like as I was saying that's going to be I'm not sure who that would be. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.

40:43 All right. So, when you need to escape or you not even escape, you want to go somewhere nice, you and your wife and your family, like what's a good destination for you when it's not the upstate. Where do you like vacationing or traveling to

40:56 when it's not the upstate? Well, I I will tell you, um, uh, we just got back, you know, we did our a honeymoon over in Italy, right? And and I tell you, I just I love everything about I'm I have Italian heritage. Um, and and I just love everything about it. It's it's amazing how you reconnect with it. Um, so I I think that that, you know, for the for the grand the grand one, you know, get getting over to Italy. the rest, you know, finding a place in Tuscanyany and just, you know, enjoying the small village or whatever wherever you're staying. Um, and then but closer to home here, you know, down going down to the beach, going down to one of the islands, Charleston, Hilton Head, uh, Frip, you know, all those great places where you just you get a sense of calm and and, uh, you know, understand that there's a there's a higher power at work and just the beauty of of everything that's natural down there. All right,

41:48 last one. We're writing the story of Jen Brown, who you are, and all the amazing things that you do when that story, the last shinups is this, what do you want that legacy to be? What do you want people to remember and know about Jims?

42:08 Yeah, it's so funny. You know, I I I heard a sermon recently that was um about the eulogy virtues, right? And so if somebody's giving you a eulogy, what what do you what do you think that would be the most important? Um I think um humility. I think um I I would love to to be known as someone that you know to till that last sentence get written that it continues to learn uh continues to um you strives to help you know um and someone uh with just amazing peace of mind and calm as we get older you know I find that I want things to to bother me less so all the when the things that are in your 20s and 30s that you get riled up about and then you realize you know It's really not those things and those imagine problems, right? Don't suffer as a stoic virtue, right? Don't suffer imagine problems. Um and and so I think um just, you know, I you know, I want to live to a ripe old age. So, I want to

43:11 be, you know, great granddad and and have have all of the children running around and grandchildren and everybody, you know, and so, um, you know, I think if if people think of me as a humble man who was continued to grow n and, uh, and loved his family. Um, that's that's a a life well-lived right there.

43:33 That's amazing. Ladies and gentlemen, this has been my good friend, Jerry. Sam, I appreciate you both.

43:39 Thank you, man. Thank you. It's been a lot of fun. Absolutely. And all the viewers and listeners, remember, you're because is your super hour. Go unleash.

43:47 You've been plugged into Mick Unplugged. Don't just listen, take action. Rate and subscribe. Follow me on social and get the full experience at mickhuntofficial.com. Keep building, keep leading, and most importantly, keep dominating.

Questions about this episode

What is "Creating Lasting Impact: Jim Burns on Purpose, Self-Awareness, and Building Strong Teams" about?

The discussion centers on Jim Burns, a key figure in community development in the upstate of South Carolina, exploring themes of purpose, self-awareness, and the importance of building strong teams. The conversation highlights personal anecdotes and life choices, emphasizing the impact of individual experiences on community growth and collaboration.

What is mentioned in this Mick Unplugged Podcast episode?

68 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Mick Unplugged, strategy, Jim Burns, economic development, Greenville County, Upstate of South Carolina. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Creating Lasting Impact: Jim Burns on Purpose, Self-Awareness, and Building Strong Teams"?

The episode runs 44 min; the transcript is about 8,435 words in 105 timestamped sections.

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