An Epic Success Story

Justin Breen doesn’t “work”, but he makes good money.

“I work exactly zero hours a week because none of this is ‘work’ for me. I just enjoy doing it,” says the founder of the PR company BrEpic Communications.

Like many success stories, Breen’s begins with a blow of bad luck when his salary at his print journalism job was cut in half three years ago—a similar stanza for many Americans these days.

“I tried to find a full-time job. Finding a full-time job, most people know is a nightmare. It’s a black hole”. 

Breen dared to venture into a different space and formed his own company.

“When I started the business, I didn’t know what ‘LLC’ stood for. I reached out to 5,000 people and got five yeses”.

Three years later, Breen has one of the most successful PR firms in Chicago, working with “seven to ten figure businesses around the world”. His best-selling book, Epic Business, gives a blueprint for any entrepreneur detailing his hard-fought journey from hard-luck journo to joyously successful entrepreneur and sharing all he learned along the way. 

What stands out in Breen’s book from other “learn how to make millions like me” type of periodicals is its honesty. Breen makes no bones about how tough the road less traveled by was, but he’s living proof that it’s made all the difference. 

“If you can’t handle overwhelming stress, depression, potential bankruptcy, the worst lows you can ever imagine don’t become an entrepreneur.”

Even after the tide turned and the till was ringing, Breen says his disposition did not.

“End of 2018 I made more money than I ever thought possible in a year and I’d never been more miserable in my life. “

Breen began counselling and made a paradigm shift. He says he started making more money by focusing less on it.

“For me, profit is a byproduct of having real relationships with people and genuinely trying to help them. My business is exploding, because I’m constantly introducing people to other great people around the world.”

Breen also pivoted on his professional prerequisite—working only with people who view his services as an “investment” rather than a “cost”.

“If someone asks me ‘what do you charge?’ within the first five to ten minutes, those people are toxic for multiple reasons. One, they’re only going to be thinking about things in a transactional way. My whole business model is based on real relationships with people and genuinely helping them.”

Breen says he spends most of his days doing the latter.

“Minimum, I make ten really good, life-changing intros to people every day on a global level. That has nothing to do with business and it has everything to do with business.”

In the interest of full disclosure, this reporter can also attest to Breen’s authenticity. Recently after losing my job as an on-air reporter I turned to Breen for guidance. He gave me the courage to foray forward on the “entrepreneur life” path. His book, friendship, advice, and encouragement have been invaluable tools on the trek. He preaches patience and perseverance.

“It’s going to take two full years [for a business to be successful] and then it will just kind of flow and it’s really cool when that does happen.”

When asked what he’d say to anyone who lost their job and might be thinking of starting a business, Breen offered this advice.

“Do what you like to do and what you’re really good at. My firm literally does one thing at a very high level. I work with all visionaries and they invest significantly in it. I had to learn this while starting a business and [through] a two-year process. I was trying to be everything for everyone and I was spread too thin.”

Breen also adds that companies cutting amidst COVID, should be doing the opposite.

“Ninety-five to ninety-seven percent of people and business owners are pulling back. It’s the ‘cost, scarcity’ mindset. I’ll never work with any of those people. I’m only focused on the 3 to 5 percent who are pivoting. Those people are running the most successful businesses in the world. They’re the ones that are dominating right now. Even more importantly they’re the ones that are going to be really leading, two to three years from now because they’re investing.”

Here is the link to Justin Breen’s Book, Epic Business.

https://www.amazon.com/Epic-Business-Secrets-Exponentially-Freedom-ebook/dp/B0881ZBNDV