In this episode of Shady Characters, we sit down with Jon Colburn, owner of Realtime AV—a high-end audio/video and smart home company based in San Juan Capistrano. Jon shares how a job at 14 (thanks to his speaker-engineer dad) turned into a 25-year career, a 50/50 partnership earned through sweat equity, and ultimately full ownership through seller financing. We talk loyalty, grit, learning by screwing up, raising boys with work ethic, and where smart homes are headed as AI changes everything.

Jon’s story is a rare one: loyalty, sweat equity, and playing the long game when most people bounce every few years. He got his start at Realtime as a teenager—working in the warehouse, taking out trash, and slowly earning his way into installs and sales. But the real turning point came after the 2008 financial crisis, when the business was still clawing its way back and Jon had just gotten married. With a family depending on him, he went to the owner looking for stability—and instead got a challenge: keep grinding, stay loyal, and good things will happen.

Three years later, over a meal at a local Sizzler, Jon was offered a path: 10% ownership, with profits reinvested into the company to build equity over time. What followed was years of nights, weekends, holidays, and relentless effort—until a Christmas party announcement revealed Jon had earned 50% ownership. From there, the partners formalized a buyout plan through seller financing, setting Jon on track to take full ownership and continue the company’s growth.

Along the way, Jon shares what loyalty really means (and why it’s becoming rare), how failure becomes “installed wisdom,” and why he believes the younger generation needs more opportunities to work, earn, and learn. He also talks about raising two boys, teaching them responsibility by having them show up at the office, answer phones, and get comfortable doing hard things.

And of course, because Realtime is at the intersection of luxury and technology, the conversation goes deep on what the company actually does today: from whole-home audio/video and hidden TVs to lighting, shades, security, networking, pool control—and “anything that turns on, off, opens, or closes.” Jon also breaks down where smart homes are heading next with AI-driven automation—and why robots still make him think of Terminator.

If you like stories about grit, leadership, and building something real over decades—not quarters—this one’s for you.