Some friendships are built through constant contact. Others can go years without a conversation and pick right back up like no time has passed.
In Episode 31 of In the Mind of JT, I sit down with my longtime friend Craig Howard, a friendship that started completely by chance 15 years ago when Craig and his wife walked into Lowe’s looking for appliances and I happened to be the guy working in the appliance department.
Neither of us had any idea where life would take us from there.
Craig and I have watched each other go through some very different chapters over those 15 years. He knew me when I was at one of the lowest points of my life, without a job, without a vehicle, and trying like hell to figure out how I was going to rebuild. At one point, Craig had an old utility van he wasn’t using and trusted me enough to sell it to me while allowing me to make payments. I never missed one.
Years later, we're sitting across from each other talking about just how much life has changed.
But this episode isn't just about my story.
We dig into Craig's life, where he came from, the experiences that shaped him, his military service, family, fatherhood, and the work ethic and hustle that have kept him constantly looking for the next opportunity.
Craig and his wife are both veterans and have built a marriage that has stood the test of time, so I ask him a question that means a hell of a lot to me as I prepare for my own marriage:
What are the keys to a successful marriage?
We also talk about success, failure, making money, taking chances, staying motivated, friendship, loyalty, and what happens when life knocks you flat on your ass.
And then we go somewhere Craig and I definitely don't see eye to eye:
We don't share the same political beliefs, and that's exactly why I wanted to have the conversation.
No screaming. No bullshit. No ending a 15-year friendship because two grown men disagree.
Just two friends sitting across from each other, explaining what they believe, why they believe it, where we disagree, and maybe even discovering a few places where we're more alike than politics would have you believe.
Finally, Craig talks about what's next in his life and offers some words to anyone who's currently at rock bottom and wondering how the hell they're going to climb back out.
This one is about friendship, hustle, hard times, marriage, success, failure, politics, growth, and respect.
Fifteen years can change almost everything about two men's lives without changing the respect between them.
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You don't have to agree with me. You don't have to agree with Craig. Just bring something meaningful to the conversation.
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This is JT, signing off. Ride safe, live free, and don't take shit from anyone.
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