I arrived in Virginia Beach, Virginia—from Oahu, Hawaii. My dad just passed away, and I wish I could say the haunted memories of finding him that morning and carrying him on the stretcher to watch the van drive away was what set me on my mission. In reality, I spent my life with him building our family company, and when he disappeared—so did the company, so did my life.

I believe no one ever starts over, we just get knocked down. I got knocked down—big time.

My resume was shot. I had no personal references, because the leadership path is a long and lonely road. And on paper it looked one of two ways. One: I was a greedy crook, or two: a deadbeat. This bothered me. I set sail like a modern pioneer to rekindle a spark in our generation, to be the person I most wish I had—a leader. I lived in my camping tent for a good year or so, and I walked into a job where I knew I would do a lot of good. A gas station. At this gas station, I was able to see my life’s training come into play, and took the opportunity to share experiences, methods, stories, and conversations to inspire people to use A Time to Lead and a Time to Follow as a tool—a tool to help you and your team become a valuable asset at your job, and in your community.

About the Author

When Scott Espinda first began his mission to alleviate poverty (if not end it) through simple living and big dreams, he knew this would take a hundred years. But he could not see himself doing anything else or being involved in anything more meaningful to him. He hopes you find a cause/purpose for yourself as he has. He will be there for you every step of the way. He has been a minimalist since 2017. If there is one thing he preaches at his live seminar/workshops the most, it’s change. If you want to change your life, change your environment. Change is inevitable. Either you make the change or change will change you. Espinda hopes you enjoy these stories from his life and continue to join him on his mission, as you accomplish amazing things. It is amazing how fast one thing—can lead to another.