J.J. Levenske

Once you have that taste of entrepreneurship and when you have a successful organization where everyone tries to copy you, you can't get it out of your mouth.

Once you have that taste of entrepreneurship and when you have a successful organization where everyone tries to copy you, you can't get it out of your mouth.

so the reason i'm setting this up is that when we decided to move to arizona i struggled when i moved down here because i walked away from that we were growing we're doing great things we're doing transcending things in hr policy using technology i mean i remember we were using go to meeting and zoom type stuff long before anyone else was and we encouraged and again this was taboo we encouraged hybrid kind of work at home type environment

so the reason i'm setting this up is that when we decided to move to arizona i struggled when i moved down here because i walked away from that we were growing we're doing great things we're doing transcending things in hr policy using technology i mean i remember we were using go to meeting and zoom type stuff long before anyone else was and we encouraged and again this was taboo we encouraged hybrid kind of work at home type environment

Think about that 15 years ago. That was like, what the F are you guys doing? But we hired the right people. When you hire the right people, that's all just bullshit. Right? Right. So move down here. And the first three years, I was just kind of a gypsy floating, doing roll up M&A type stuff. I got, I was just a headhunter, got me into that kind of thing. And I did it.

Think about that 15 years ago. That was like, what the F are you guys doing? But we hired the right people. When you hire the right people, that's all just bullshit. Right? Right. So move down here. And the first three years, I was just kind of a gypsy floating, doing roll up M&A type stuff. I got, I was just a headhunter, got me into that kind of thing. And I did it.

And then rolled into, I'll never forget, I was doing a roll-up and I was getting bored with it because it was in the home services business, but it basically was just a one-call-close type business. I'm not going to mention names, but it felt dirty, Tommy, because all we were selling was financing. And that wasn't my passion. My passion is at the core of me, I'm a builder.

And then rolled into, I'll never forget, I was doing a roll-up and I was getting bored with it because it was in the home services business, but it basically was just a one-call-close type business. I'm not going to mention names, but it felt dirty, Tommy, because all we were selling was financing. And that wasn't my passion. My passion is at the core of me, I'm a builder.

And I just saw this and I said, nah, I don't think this is for me long-term. Was it solar? No, it wasn't. Okay, okay. It was more like window replacement, bath replacement. And it just, it wasn't that it was dirty. It just, there was no building required. That was just, it was product. Product and financing. And I'm like, eh, this isn't me. But I've never quit anything in my life.

And I just saw this and I said, nah, I don't think this is for me long-term. Was it solar? No, it wasn't. Okay, okay. It was more like window replacement, bath replacement. And it just, it wasn't that it was dirty. It just, there was no building required. That was just, it was product. Product and financing. And I'm like, eh, this isn't me. But I've never quit anything in my life.

And I've never walked away without finding a replacement. So I'll never forget one night, I'm trying to find the replacement for me because these guys were nice to me and good to me. But I didn't want to leave them hanging by just quitting. So as I was doing that, I found my current partners and Jake and Josh Simonton, who were they own Starwood Custom Homes at the time.

And I've never walked away without finding a replacement. So I'll never forget one night, I'm trying to find the replacement for me because these guys were nice to me and good to me. But I didn't want to leave them hanging by just quitting. So as I was doing that, I found my current partners and Jake and Josh Simonton, who were they own Starwood Custom Homes at the time.

And we just started talking because as I was looking that night, I saw them posting something like, why? I like their marketing. And, you know, it's a testament to what you always talk about. It's like if marketing can catch you, that's the hook, right? Have something special. They're authentic. And so they caught my attention. I went and met with them.

And we just started talking because as I was looking that night, I saw them posting something like, why? I like their marketing. And, you know, it's a testament to what you always talk about. It's like if marketing can catch you, that's the hook, right? Have something special. They're authentic. And so they caught my attention. I went and met with them.

And next thing I know, we'd consummated a deal where we actually, truth be told, Blue Wave started as school builder. And at that time, Josh and a couple other guys had started this school builder type thing. And as many people know, Arizona was a leading catalyst in the charter school space.

And next thing I know, we'd consummated a deal where we actually, truth be told, Blue Wave started as school builder. And at that time, Josh and a couple other guys had started this school builder type thing. And as many people know, Arizona was a leading catalyst in the charter school space.

A lot of it has to do with, you know, the Mormon upbringing here and the strong centric values that's behind the way that religion is based on education and things like that. And the other thing is Arizona sucked at public education for so long that, you know, finally the populace was like, hey, this is the way we're going to go.

A lot of it has to do with, you know, the Mormon upbringing here and the strong centric values that's behind the way that religion is based on education and things like that. And the other thing is Arizona sucked at public education for so long that, you know, finally the populace was like, hey, this is the way we're going to go.

So the challenge that they presented me with is, hey, listen, we've got all these connections in the charter school space. We do the front end real estate work, the entitlement, and we'll do the back end bond financing. But there's these other GCs that are doing this, the middle part where they're building these charter schools. JJ, could you do this? I'm like, yeah, I can do it in my sleep.

So the challenge that they presented me with is, hey, listen, we've got all these connections in the charter school space. We do the front end real estate work, the entitlement, and we'll do the back end bond financing. But there's these other GCs that are doing this, the middle part where they're building these charter schools. JJ, could you do this? I'm like, yeah, I can do it in my sleep.