0:00 Okay, I actually think JK would have been bigger. If you started in your 30s? Yeah. Whoa, that's crazy. Welcome back to another episode of Barf from the Heart where we ask deeper questions and we give one person the opportunity to sort out their thoughts and answer it. Today we're going to be speaking to Mr. Joe Jitsukawa. >> Hi. And we're going to be asking him what's the most what's most different about the decade you're in now versus the previous decade. So my 40s? Mhm. So if you're in your 40s now, how is that different from when you were in your 30s? It's funny we talk about self-awareness. What are you talking about? We were talking about so much self-awareness on on on Nick's episode. >> Yeah. And um I don't think I've actually had my
0:50 awakening till my late 30s. Oh, so you went through your 20s just self-unaware? I went through life unaware. >> [laughter] >> Like I'm talking about like I I don't have a good memory because I'm not present. Oh, yeah. >> you have a good memory because you are present. >> I don't What do you mean? >> I you know, I think if you are present, you're just experiencing. So you're not like taking things and putting in your memory bank because you're just experiencing. Oh, yeah, that's true. Like it's still shaping how you are. You're just not filing the data the same way. You know what I mean? >> I know what you're saying. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, um instead of being in my head Yeah, yeah, I get I get what you mean. >> feel like you remember more things if you are in your head, but then you're not experiencing. It's almost like vlogging without a camera. You're like, "Okay, this and then this and then this." You know? But I think I was very ruled by impulse. And like everything
1:41 was just um there's parts of me that can be calculated, but most of it is ruled by whatever I want to do that moment despite consequence. So I don't think about consequence a lot growing up, you know? And so whatever is like, "Yo, that's the funnest thing that's going on right now, ████ it, let's go." You know? >> [laughter] >> And and so, like, yeah, now in my 40s, I feel like the cool thing about it is like I could keep the things that I like about myself, but then be able to do fun ████ that isn't self-destructive and combine it together. And then also like have a more precise way of thinking versus an erratic like scattered way of thinking. That could just be like ADHD and being able to live with it at my age. But like, yeah, that's what I'm
2:33 starting to notice now. It's more like a internal control. And yeah, like self-awareness and being able to like navigate like my feelings and thoughts and combining it together and making it work plus the discipline. So, being able to um yeah, control myself better. Mhm. I think that's like the craziest thing in my 40s where I'm like, "Bro, like, this is how most people live when they could achieve this early on?" Which is why like Nick's prompt, I want to teach uh self-awareness at such a young age. I'm like, "Yeah, like, once you get that, then you can start controlling yourself." Yeah. And I think that's what I wish I knew. Like, when people talk about discipline and self-control, I think like um there's an element of like
3:23 just beating yourself until you submit to being able to do things. Right. But then when you achieve a level of like um I don't know, like, it's it's like a different kind of awareness and control where when you align everything up together, there's no resistance behind it. And I and it's I think that's the hardest thing to explain, but that's what I'm feeling now. And I was like, "Oh ████ this is ████ cool." Yeah. How do you navigate the differences between like I guess it's it can be said that in your 20s if you were more self-unaware, you probably did make some pretty good decisions on the fly because you didn't have self-awareness to talk yourself out of them. So, how do you navigate between like those impulsive decisions you can benefit from and the ones that you should think more about? >> Yeah, I think So, that I I would take what you're
4:13 saying as like self-consciousness, right? And then you over analysis paralysis. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> So, I think the way I'm trying to put it is like game planning better. So, like when you're in your 20s, right? You're going to do it regardless. Like let's say you have a desire to like achieve working in entertainment, right? And um I think now I'm smarter at getting empirical evidence, meaning like maybe I'll talk to this person and seek out mentorship. Maybe I'll do this. Maybe I'll, you know, add it all together and increase my likelihood to doing it. And then And then there's opportunity cost, right? So, it's like if I'm not doing this, then I'm doing this. I know I'm going to do it. So, like that's where I'm like the the the doubt is not never there. But then how I approach doing something is
5:04 so much different now in my 40s than in my 20s. In my 20s it's like, "Yo, I want to do comedy. ████ yeah, that's dope. Let's ████ do it, right?" And then you do it and there's no thought behind anything. You just kind of figure it out as you go, which is fine, right? But if you just take those two moments to be like "Well, maybe I should like ask someone who's done it before." Or like maybe it just it's it's it's like a pivot of like a few minutes of getting a little bit more information that could go such a long way. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> it's like very meta like and and and, you know, but it's it's the impulse behind it. It's like >> Yeah, it's like ████ it, go, you know? I mean, there's no planning, there's no thinking. >> miss that you could add to Yeah. But there's a lot of fun things that come from that young impulsive spontaneous like of just like like last minute road
5:55 trips and whatever and you don't know what you're going to get yourself into and you learn a lot by just going for it. But I think now um yeah, gathering up everything that I've learned and then putting that together, it just feels so much better to do it. But the biggest change is every decade the things that you really ████ want changes. Mhm. Things that like in my 20s like, you know, you want to be famous, you want to like um you want to do things for different value systems. Like in my 20s I really wanted to do stuff to like uh pioneer ████ for Asian Americans, right? Right. But then like that's because like you want to make a mark for your tribe. But as you grow older, you're like, well, I have non-Asian Americans that I really love and care about. And yeah,
6:47 you can do ████ for that tribe, but then like it's kind of feels weird cuz it's like, well, now I'm in a different value system. And what's really important to me maybe isn't about that. Maybe it's just about being a great storyteller and developing a skill but not really like representing a group, right? And then it just keeps changing of like, okay, now I want to be wealthy because what's really important to me is being able to provide jobs for people close to me so then we can keep working together or like I want to build a family now or like, you know, and I think each stage like what really drives you changes and I think that if I when you don't it'll become very depressing cuz like it's almost like when people win first place in the Olympics or whatever, right? Like you know how they say they get depressed
7:38 after that? Cuz they don't know what's next. And I think I fell into that, where like >> Oh. between my 30s of like, I really wanted to be like a famous YouTuber, like doing movies, entertainment, all that stuff. And that was our goal. We were writing films. We wanted to get ████ done. And then like it got to the point where I forgot why I was doing it. And then there was a COVID time where I early retirement, like I had hell of fun, snowboarded like every ████ day, traveled all over the place. And then um I realized like a lot of people dream of the retirement and that's what they fight to get. To get the retirement. >> Right. But then when you get there, you're like, oh ████ I thought this was going to make me happy to just like >> disillusioned enjoy vacation time all
8:28 day, but it's actually not. So then I was fortunate enough to do that in my 30s to realize that's not really what makes people happy. Cuz you know what everyone says that, right? Oh, money doesn't make you happy. It's like, well, get rich and say that. >> Yeah, exactly. >> But if you never got rich, like how you going to know that >> to learn it for yourself, yeah. Like buying dope ████ is fun, but it'll lose its effect, right? Yeah. And then now I'm super happy with my 1988 Land Cruiser and I don't even want like, you know but I had like couple luxury cars and all that and I realized that doesn't make me happy at all. >> Yeah, that's true. >> So then I was like, okay, well the stages of um the gap between like what's my next purpose and my next thing. If you don't figure that out, that's the biggest uh it's like purgatory, where you don't know what's next and I think that becomes depressing. Cuz I had the most
9:20 money, cash and and then like I was just having fun and I was like, well this is supposed to be great. Like I'm retired early. Well, I can be now and then but I'm like, but I feel actually like weird because you don't want to talk You don't want to basically be like woe is me when people want to achieve that. Right. And it's hard to kind of talk about it cuz it sounds entitled. It does. It sounds like "Oh, I'm in my mansion." Yeah. And then that was really conflicting because I'm like, "Well, I'm supposed to be happy. I'm supposed to be having a great ass time." And I am, but then like something feels severely wrong and missing and empty. Yeah. And it feels worse than when I was broke and we were like building a business Right. >> trying to like strive for something and
10:11 that was actually way more enjoyable Yeah. >> like when you actually have something and then you don't have any obligations. Like I filmed JK like once or twice a month, right? And then the rest of the time I could do anything. >> Anything, yeah. Yeah, but then like I was like, "Oh, s███." But it feels super uh yeah, empty. So, that was my 30s and then that's when I was I had a dilemma of like, "Well, what the ████ am I doing and what am I going to do?" >> It's funny because I I distinctly remember that you were in your 30s at this time, but you went on like one of those crazy trips around the world doing a bunch of ████ and you left your car at my house in Hollywood. >> Yeah. And then I remember you came and picked it up and you I'm like, "Dude, this guy is just living it up, having fun." Next thing I know you decide to take on rather than just be a silent angel investor of a company, you end up
11:01 starting another titan of a business that gives you so much stress. Yeah. But you honestly seemed happier once you did that than when you were just going on trips. Yeah, no, I seriously was. >> [laughter] >> The weirdest thing, but the feeling of fighting for something and then winning is like it brought me back to life. >> Yeah, yeah. >> Before that, I think I was like gaining weight and then like I was just It was just a weird time for me. And I was like, "Oh, okay. So, this is what they mean by like having a purpose or a thing to do." And you know how like they say men when they retire they die. Yeah. >> They don't It's like even just working, like even if they're not like into it, I think there's something about feeling useful and feeling like needed and having a task. And I think it's because
11:51 I was also at the time like I wasn't married yet. I was just a single guy. So, like I had I have no kids that depend on me. I have nothing, right? So, I'm like I should feel the freest and the and the happiest. But then I was like, "Okay, well, this is what they mean by like, "Okay, you have a family to live for." So, now that's different cuz it's like, "Yeah, I'll work at ████ Walmart, whatever I need to do to pay the bills cuz people need me." Yeah. >> And that purpose I think is actually the the happiest someone can be is when you have duty. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, if you don't manufacture that, um yeah, it I just think people dream of a lifestyle because they're stressed in the moment and they want to avoid this stress. They're overwhelmed. Not knowing that that actual uh environment
12:41 is way ████ better than a hedonistic lifestyle. Yeah. Yeah. But then yeah. >> If you had to pick, would you say it was easier building JK or easier having a brick-and-mortar Waikiki shop? >> Yeah, I was naive because building a YouTube, at least for me and JK, was probably way more stable and easier to do than um having a store. >> [laughter] >> Yeah, and it's it's wild to say cuz in my head I was thinking, "Yeah, you know, like I'll I'll just build this shop and then, you know, I'll build a team and it's not actual like hard in a way where like there's a template. And the tasks aren't difficult. You're just, you know, working the counter and whatever. But, um I think there's two things that worked
13:31 against me is one, my persona like just my way my brain works, right? Some people are great operators. I work better as a marketer, a strategist, someone that is a performer, an entertainer. And those traits are actually not strong for managers and operators. So, I can operate and manage, but I think someone with like a type A personality can coordinate and manage a project and, you know, really like execute. Yeah, yeah, they're they're way more organized. So, ADHD brain that's like on the go, on the fly, I think that's probably not suited. Maybe I'm better to negotiate or do other traits, but that's not as as good as someone that has those strengths to build a shop and organize and run it. >> Okay. Here's a funny question then. If
14:22 you switch these around, what would happen if in your life you did Junbi in your 20s and JK in your 30s? Shoot. Well, I'll tell you this, that I think Junbi would burn to the ground in my 20s. >> [laughter] >> Joe wouldn't show up. But, it would probably You're pretty disciplined working at Volcano though. Yeah, cuz I had no choice. >> [laughter] >> That's when I was a bus boy at a at a Yeah. But, think about how desperate you are when you're 20s. You have a brick and mortar and you're forced to make it work, you know? I think you surprised yourself. Okay, I actually think JK would have been bigger. If you started in your 30s? Yeah. Woah, that's crazy. develop it So, Junbi's like boot camp. Uh-huh. So, um it would have sharpened the areas
15:13 that I lacked severely in my 20s. Oh. >> when I look back how I did JK, I I like, dude, the goal was fun." Yeah. Everything was Yeah, yeah, yeah. I didn't care about money. Right. >> Literally, we were making a thousand bucks a month, and then like it was like, "As long as I get to have fun and pursue my dreams, I could have done that till I was like 35", which I did. We didn't care about money. We didn't run it like a business. Yeah. But if I understood the building blocks of a business, >> Yeah. that would have been even doing the bare minimum to that for JK would have Cuz you'd be applying everything you learned as a Joon Bi. Yeah, like and I wouldn't be such an artist about stuff. Oh, [clears throat] okay. >> that's the balance, right? Is like I got to get a lot of my creativity out in my 20s, and that was a really fun
16:03 time. And now I was ready to like do the do something more less creative and less more strategic. Yeah, yeah. But I'm like I could I could have still applied the same things to JK. It's just I did the bare minimum for the business side cuz I didn't want to deal with it. You know what I mean? It's like, "I just want to be on camera and have fun. So let me just like as soon as we make some money, I just want to pay people to handle that s███." >> pretty thin trying to do all of it as well. Yeah. That's true. >> may not be as funny on camera if you're thinking so much about the business. Yeah, that's that's yeah, that's that's very true. But I don't know. I I would say Interesting though, yeah. But yeah, the 40s are actually really ████ dope, man. >> [laughter] >> If you guys are 40, drop it down in the comments below why you're so happy. Uh that was another episode of Bart from the Heart. Any other questions that you want us to answer, just put it in the comments.
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