Community as Currency and the Art of Receiving with Eric Farewell

What if community is currency and you can never truly be broke?

In this episode, Eric Farewell shares how he helps founders grow their businesses while staying grounded in purpose, presence, and resilience. Eric is an entrepreneur, author, and somatic business coach who has built industry-shaping brands like Aviator Paramotor and National STOL. He's a devoted husband and father of three whose journey through loss, injury, and burnout led him to redefine what success truly means. Eric retired at 35 (four years ago) after 26 years of building businesses since age 13. In his book Farewell to Normal and through his coaching with the Royals Mastermind, Eric helps founders cut their efforts by at least 50% while doubling revenue. His work week is usually about 90 minutes, allowing him to be deeply present with his family and use the wisdom of his experience instead of the abilities of his brain. Eric moved halfway across the country to be closer to his community in Texas, specifically the Front Row Dads mastermind. He's on the board of Rising Man, which specializes in Native American style rites of passage for men and boys.

Eric reveals the relationships that transformed him: his wife, who for 16 years of marriage has reminded him he's a good man and makes good decisions, keeping him from the brink more times than he can count when their marriage was in crisis before they found therapy and somatic work; his first mentor Alex Ozzi, whom he met at an internet marketing conference at age 13 and followed puppy dog style, moving to California and living in his garage from ages 13 to 21, learning that having a mentor who's where you want to go is absolutely imperative; and his Front Row Dads community in Texas (especially Jason Bro who challenges him more than anyone and gives him more love from another man than he's ever received), teaching him that community is currency and you need mentors, coaches you pay way too much for, and community that builds you up and holds you accountable when you fail.

 

[00:03:40] Retired at 35

• Retired four years ago at age 35, been building businesses since age 13

• This is not first retirement but this one actually took

• For him, addiction to producing was tied directly to childhood abuse and trauma

• Four years ago realized he didn't need to be the best worker to matter anymore

[00:04:20] Serving Entrepreneurs Who Want More

• Stepped down as CEO, moved halfway across country from companies two years ago

• Work week is usually about 90 minutes, using wisdom of experience instead of abilities of brain

• Serves entrepreneurs and founders who are waking up spiritually

• Goal: Cut efforts by 50%, increase revenue by double (some reduce hours 70-80%)

[00:05:40] Legacy Is Relationships

• Most proud of clients reducing hours 70-80% while increasing revenue

• Legacy is not money in bank account, it's relationships with people and family

• Marriage was in crisis (relationship is over, how do we cut things apart)

• Found therapy and somatic work, now have best relationship he can imagine

[00:07:00] The Hardest Year but the Happiest

• Hardest year in at least last nine years (financially, emotionally, death in family)

• Got dozed in February, tariffed in April, had to lay off half of team

• Production truck and trailer flipped in Montana, caught fire, burned to ground

• Because of the work he's done, genuinely the happiest he's ever been

[00:08:20] Started Selling Airplanes on the Internet

• Started in 1999 selling airplanes on this new thing called the internet

• ADHD kids not designed to build airplanes, so sold them instead

• Turned into hundreds of airplanes sold over next five years

• Became internet marketing career, retired from that at 23

[00:09:00] Flying as First Form of Therapy

• Flying was first taste of perspective shift (like Burning Man or therapy for others)

• Astronauts call it the overlook effect

• Built para motor flight school, manufacturing business, media company, aircraft racing series

• Many clients will never go to therapy, but flying is great tool for them

[00:09:40] Losing His Brother Changed Everything

• Seven years ago lost his brother at age 22 (had three-month-old son)

• Brother was first employee at Aviator

• Huge wake up call about what really mattered

• Had been chasing constantly moving goalposts (million, 5 million, 10 million, 25 million)

[00:10:20] Logo Tattooed on Bodies Worldwide

• Logo tattooed on ton of bodies all over the world

• Clients call it a family, vociferous fans, massive fans

• Racing series has one part-time employee and 1600 volunteers

• For-profit business with volunteers who believe in mission and love community

[00:10:40] Why Do I Work a Hundred Hours a Week?

• Started journey looking inward at why he does this

• Would work 100 hours a week then crash every three months into fever

• Got vasectomy, was back on field working 24 hours later

• Worked that way because that's where he felt loved

[00:11:20] Presence Is the Core of Everything

• Realized presence is the core of everything

• Presence is the absence of fear, love's antithesis of fear

• Presence is truest version of love you can give yourself and world

• Everything else good in life is byproduct of choice to be deeply present

[00:13:00] Living with the Pain

• For 22 years used alcohol as primary numbing agent for pain

• Broken back twice, five radiated discs, broken vertebrae (was test pilot)

• Haven't had drink in almost two weeks, got curious about living with discomfort

• Doesn't want anything that ties him to fear, so sitting in the pain

[00:16:40] Wife Kept Him from the Brink

• Number one most valuable relationship is his wife

• For 16 years of marriage, reminds him he's a good man who makes good decisions

• Her guidance and encouragement kept him from brink more times than he can count

• Marriage went from crisis to best relationship through therapy and somatic work

[00:17:00] Following Alex Ozzi at 13

• At 13 got first mentor, went to internet marketing conference, met Alex Ozzi

• Followed him puppy dog style, begged to make coffee, carry briefcase

• Ended up moving to California, living in his garage

• Followed him conference to conference from ages 13 to 21

[00:17:20] The Three Things You Need

• Mentor who is where you want to go, who's lived life you want to live

• Coach you pay way too much money to (makes it uncomfortable so you follow through)

• Community that builds you up and holds you accountable when you fail

• Those three things are absolute must

[00:18:20] Moving to Texas for Community

• Moved halfway across country because community is in Texas

• Found mastermind called Front Row Dads (John Broman) focused on family

• Came to Texas with family, realized more friends here than Florida

• Five weeks later moved here to double down on having men who challenge him

[00:18:40] Jason Bro Gives More Hell Than Anyone

• Jason Bro (CEO at Ma) gives more hell than anyone else Eric's met

• Also gives more love than Eric's ever received from another man

• Deeply present, engaged, challenges the crap out of him

• Wants relationships that challenge him to be best version and pick him up

[00:22:00] Cooking for Everyone

• Grew up in French restaurant, started working there at age seven

• Worked every position from line cook to dishwasher to bartender

• At Aviator, if you're learning to fly, you ate meal Eric prepared first day

• At National STOL, cook for 100-200 people three meals a day (all volunteers)

[00:22:40] The Moment He No Longer Had to Carry the Energy

• Sat down for lunch at Aviator with about 30 people

• Someone sat next to him and asked "So what do you do here?"

• They didn't know he was founder or CEO

• That's the moment he no longer had to carry energy of whole organization

[00:23:00] Community Is Currency

• From Preston Smiles and Garin Jones (Garin Oay): "Community is currency"

• So many people fear going broke, not having enough, failing

• Problem is fear based on tangible idea that universe is finite (it's not)

• When you have community, you can't ever truly be broke

[00:23:40] Millions Lost This Year

• Father-in-law hung himself, business suffered massively from canceled contracts and tariffs

• Millions and millions of dollars lost this year

• Yet in community, realized he's building coaching program with incredible people

• Doesn't do social media marketing, no interest in being that person ever again

[00:24:40] Asking for Withdrawals

• Community only becomes currency when you ask for support

• Garin said: "You're not asking for help. Biggest bridges are suspension bridges, need support"

• Each of us in different places in lives, can offer different levels of support

• In mastermind, do ton of testing (Gene Keys, Human Design, Enneagram, Kolby, Working Genius)

[00:25:00] Partnering People's Genius

• If someone is high quick start and another is high fact finder, partner them

• Quick start can temper fact finder, fact finder can challenge quick start

• Same thing exists in relationships

• All you have to do is ask for support because rising tide lifts all ships

[00:26:00] Michael Dash Asked Where He Could Help

• Michael Dash asked where he could help

• Eric said he loves being on podcasts if Michael has any friends

• That was an invitation Michael offered

• Not natural for Eric, he'd rather give support (then he's in control, can't be turned down)

[00:27:00] Jesse Elder's Lesson on Giving

• Jesse pointed out: when you give to someone who appreciates it, amazing feeling

• But by not allowing others to give to you, you're depriving them of same experience

• It's stealing from them

• Can't have one-sided relationship, there must be reciprocity

[00:30:00] The 65-Foot Boat Experience

• Client Michael concerned about how he'd contribute to Kevin's event

• Two days later called back with idea: offer 65-foot boat for Seattle water experience

• Could have been time when Kevin said "you don't need to do that"

• Would have been worst thing for Michael who put two days of thought into it

[00:32:20] The Truth of the Last Year

• Wrote second book, realized first 10 chapters sounded like hero's journey

• Wrote afterward about reality: all the hardships of last year

• These things are still hard, difference is capacity to be present with them

• Learning that level of intimacy changes every relationship

[00:33:00] Most Masculine Thing You Can Do

• Learning to ask in way that's not demeaning of masculinity or polarity

• Most masculine thing: truly open visor and show what's inside

• Show your fear, show your pain, be with someone and let them see

• They can hold it

[00:34:00] The Royals Mastermind

• Group for men and women who want to step into their king or queen energy

• Not overwhelmed, not living in fear or anxiety

• Deeply present with all that is

• End goal: businesses that work to support us, build legacies that matter

[00:35:00] The Deeper Relationship

• There may be deeper relationship you've overlooked: relationship with yourself

• While outside relationships deeply important, they help us see reflections of ourselves

• Relationship we carry for who we are, for honoring our challenges is most difficult

• There's deeper layer of connection to self

 

KEY QUOTES

"Community is currency. So many people fear going broke, not having enough, that they will fail. The problem is we have this fear based on this tangible idea. The universe is finite. And it's not. The universe is infinite. When you have community, you can't ever truly be broke." - Eric Farewell (quoting Preston Smiles and Garin Jones)

"You're not asking for help. The biggest bridges in the world are suspension bridges. They need support from others, and each of us are in different places in our lives and can offer different levels of support." - Garin Jones (shared by Eric Farewell)

"If you are not allowing others to pour into you the way you pour into them, it's a one-sided relationship. There is no reciprocity, and that's the deepest part of a relationship." - Eric Farewell

CONNECT WITH ERIC FAREWELL 

🌐 Website: https://www.ericfarewell.com 

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ericfarewell 

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-farewell-0386683 

✈️ Aviator PPG: https://www.aviatorppg.com 

📚 Book: "Farewell to Normal"

 

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