Written in Partnership with George Neilist
The word “passion” is thrown around a lot these days. Everywhere you turn, there’s an inspirational quote about following your passion and never letting go, no matter what. We all know people who have made their dreams come true: they love art, so they become artists; they’re passionate about helping others, so they become nurses or doctors; or perhaps their interests are in entrepreneurship and business management, so they go into business administration.
Justin Waller, the founder and CEO of RedIron Construction LLC, says this is not always the case. In fact, Waller says “follow your passion” can be a misleading phrase because, in reality, it doesn’t mean much at all when you are poor and trying to figure out your role in the world.
“Following your passion is a lie,” Waller reiterates. “That’s the truth regardless of how non-inspirational/boring this subject is. Don’t chase painless pretty colored rainbows called “passion.” Become competent in something that makes money, and then get passionate about being really good at helping people that need you and your skill set.”
Originally from a small town in Denham Springs, Louisiana, this is the mindset that changed Waller’s entire outlook on life and made him an industry leader. Waller founded RedIron Construction LLC at 24, and he’s now scaled it into an international construction company with 130 employees working in all 50 states and the Caribbean.
His company has an all-woman construction management team, a significant achievement in a largely male-dominated industry. Waller’s other accomplishments include being the Youngest Board Member of the Metal Building contractor and Erectors Association and writing the Metal Building Apprenticeship program for the state of Louisiana. He has also traveled extensively worldwide, empowering men and helping them develop strong mindsets.
“The saddest deaths of all men are those of the walking dead,” Waller opines. “Many die quietly in a prison of their own reality. Not knowing or understanding how they got there, desperately hoping for a boat that never comes. Grab the wheel; no one is coming to save you.”
Growing up in a trailer park in a backwards-thinking community taught Waller invaluable lessons he tries to impart to others. The first is the willingness to pivot and be open to new ideas. Waller is a big proponent of letting go when dreams no longer serve you and forging a new and promising path. That said, he points out that no path is painless, which is why you must build resilience and perseverance.
Additionally, Waller says you must cultivate high-value networks to rise above the prevalent views in your small town and see the world through other lenses.
“I’ve come to learn that a world class view is much more than the eye can see,” shares Waller. “Its knowledge and understanding of not only local and global economies but how to understand and interact with those that run them.” Waller started interacting with visionaries like Patrick Lencioni, Robert Kiyosaki, and Robert E Gerber through books long before he started his company, which helped him to develop his business skills and build a multimillion-dollar company in his twenties.
Over the years, Waller has diversified his ventures and invested heavily in commercial real estate and, more recently, in cryptocurrencies. He is also a successful content creator on YouTube, where he has over 85K subscribers eager to transform their lives as he did. Waller’s dream is to leverage that and other platforms to build a consulting firm to help more people change their mindset and create sustainable generational wealth regardless of their beginning.
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