Sky's the Limit: Jim Burton's Real Estate Mastery

Meet the man who turned a love for flying into a soaring real estate career.

In this episode, Ken sits down with Jim Burton, a larger-than-life figure in the real estate industry. Jim shares his inspiring journey from a young pilot to a leading real estate icon in Newfoundland and Labrador.

They discuss his relentless commitment to excellence, the influence of his father, and his passion for giving back to the community through various charitable endeavours.

Jim also explores his strategic growth in the real estate market, both locally and in Boston, and emphasizes the importance of relationships and community in his success.

Listen For:
06:03 - Transition to Real Estate
08:48 - 1980s Real Estate Market Challenges and Success
23:30 - Expanding to Boston
29:47 - Commitment to Charity

Guest: Jim Burton
Website | Email | LinkedIn

Ken can be reached at:
ken@remaxhallmark.com

Transcript

Ken McLachlan (00:09):

Welcome to my podcast, Realty Life with, I'm here today with Jim Burton, and when I've asked people to tell me a bit about Jim Burton in my preparations for this podcast, they all come back to me and say that you are, and I want to say this bigger than life in the sense that you embrace life, you actually challenge life on you take it, you live it, you do this, and everything you do, you do 110%. They say to me that there's nothing that you are involved with, that you are committed to, that you give 90, 80% of. And that to me is a testament to who you really are. And I want to know if that is, where does that come from that you actually, when you do grab onto something, Jim, that you really give everything you have, and we're talking a bit about what you do later on, but where's that come from,

Jim Burton (00:57):

Ken? I think a lot of the things that we see in people today are really a testimony to their environment that they're in. And I feel very blessed that I had amazing parents that nurtured me and inspired me to not be afraid to give it 110%. And as you go through life, you continue to, in my case, do the same things that I know no different to do. I honestly know no different. I was given a gift of an amazing love in my earlier years and think I look back at it and I think that's really where it came from. Well,

Ken McLachlan (01:58):

Let's talk a bit about your dad. And I know your dad was a big influence on, continues to be a big influence on you. He's still with you today. He's 94, is that correct or?

Jim Burton (02:07):

Yeah, he's, he's 90 Ken.

Ken McLachlan (02:11):

90. Okay. And you, at a very young age, your dad operated and owned an airline or a pilot? Yes, he's a pilot and everything else. Well,

Jim Burton (02:21):

He was vice president of finance in a little airline called Laboratory Airways. That's right. In the 1960s, 1970s. And when I was a little boy, I would accompany him on the weekends and we would go off fishing. And so ever since I was probably five or six years old, I've experienced living in the outdoors with my dad and traveling and meeting different people.

Ken McLachlan (02:48):

And what age did you get to your pilot license?

Jim Burton (02:52):

I started my flight career when I was 16.

Ken McLachlan (02:54):

16. Wow. And then were you not a air ambulance pilot?

Jim Burton (03:00):

Yeah, I started my career at 16. I went to flight school and then at 18 I was flying a water bomber and then I went on to flying Twin Otters. It was around 21. I was captain on a Twin Otter. And then at 25 I moved out of Labrador and went to St. John's Capital City here in Newland, Labrador. And I was flying captain on an air ambulance aircraft that would go outside the province and within the province, moving people that needed to reach the healthcare. Of course they deserve.

Ken McLachlan (03:34):

Wow. That must have been amazing for you at that young age to do that and make a difference, even starting then.

Jim Burton (03:39):

Yeah, it was an exciting time. Young man in my twenties flying all around. Everything from really London, Ontario, east to St. John's, and we were overnighting in Toronto and London, Montreal.

Ken McLachlan (04:00):

Did you have aspirations to be like a world pilot for a big airline or the military or any, did you think of taking it to a different level than you did?

Jim Burton (04:10):

Yeah, yeah, I actually did. The license that we had to have was the same as what Air Canada needs. It's an airline transport pot laces. It's the highest license you can get. Wow. And the air ambulance was the requirements to fly that were very strict, very high, and they remained that way today. But I had friends of mine that went on to Air Canada and I decided to stay right here in St. John's. I had a great job in the capital city. I had all the things I would want for my family. I love our culture here in Newlan. The people, the food, the music,

Ken McLachlan (04:48):

Everything,

Jim Burton (04:48):

All those things are a very big part of our lives here in Newfoundland, Labrador. And we embrace them.

Ken McLachlan (04:55):

So when you were in your twenties, that was your income flying and being a pilot, correct?

Jim Burton (05:03):

Yeah. And this job was with the government. It was a very, you had to go to work, you had to perform, but the conditions were absolutely amazing. I was used to high energy being working 12, 13, 14 hours a day in Labrador flying with Labrador Airways. And then I had this job with the government that I was working five hours a week. Yeah,

Ken McLachlan (05:31):

It's a much different degree, I thought.

Jim Burton (05:33):

Yeah. So I decided then that I needed to put my energy into other things. One

Ken McLachlan (05:40):

Of the things I want to know is how do you actually transitioned from being a pilot full-time pilot in St. John's and becoming into, you're one of the best owners and one of the biggest voices of real estate in Newfoundland and for Max. So how did start, tell me about that, how you became an icon in the real estate industry in Newfoundland.

Jim Burton (06:03):

Well, I think looking back at it, I was flying your ambulance and I started with a little company, a family company one day driving to fly the year ambulance. I used to go by this little real estate office every day and I thought I would drop in and just say, Hey, I'm interested in selling real estate. And I went in, I did a little aptitude test and this guy said, well, man, according to this, you should be fairly good. I said, well, let's start it up. So I went off and I studied to get the license, and I was spending, in the first year, I was spending maybe 60 hours a week selling real estate, and I was flying five to 10 hours a week back in the day, this would've been 1986.

(06:54):

And I spent all my time at the office. I did things that others didn't want to do. I would show up on Saturday and Sunday, I would put an open house sign out in the street. I would knock on doors, I was hungry for the business, and I would take any opportunity for a hand up when people had a listing or they didn't want to work with a bar. I took it. I was in the office. I was eager, in that first year I sold 27 homes. So from there, I just kept selling and they got to a point in my life that I was creating relationships with people in the community that I found myself with one of an amazing subdivision in a very prominent area, probably the prime area in the city, to launch a subdivision. It was a duplexes, there was 160 of them.

(07:54):

And then I got a taste of new home construction. I formed a team. And then maybe fast track to the late 1990s, I formed a partnership with another successful entrepreneur here in Newfoundland, and we formed a real estate company. And then in 2004, we approached the person who brought re max to Newfoundland and Labrador. I know him well, and I decided to, we bought the operation in St. John's, Mount Pearl. And everything else has been just an amazing journey, amazing bit of fun. You're working with people too, Ken, in the max organization that that are just incredible in the people with vision, people that want to grow things and that fit right in the wheelhouse of what I want to do. So

Ken McLachlan (08:49):

Let me backtrack it a bit. You mentioned 19 86, 19 88, that period like that and the success you've had, the subdivisions and all that great stuff, meeting your mentor in real estate, and the person I know very well, Ted Rowe as well, right? Yes, Ted. I think that Ted wonderful men, however, that period of the industry, correct me if I'm wrong, Jim, it was a very difficult time for real estate agents buying and selling real estate. It was a recession, and I'm sure in Newfoundland we had the same recession that we had in Ontario. So how did you deal with the ups and downs, or how do you deal with the ups and downs of this industry that we all face from time to time? Many of us are facing it or have faced it the last little while. So as a young man, fairly new to the business, how did you get through all that?

Jim Burton (09:41):

I think it's not being afraid to embrace life and get out there and to meet people, we're as humans, we're just wanting companionship. And I think the more relationships you can form, by default, you become a part of their lives by helping them with the shelter business. And that's where it was just everything was teed up. Yeah, you got to work harder. Absolutely. I mean, there's always these bumps in the road that we get that we have to change, and we have to make sure that we're embracing change and introducing new ideas with our operation that keeps us at the top of our game. Just don't get to the top and stay there. As you know, you need to be always dreaming, always being able to look at your budget, change it. Don't be afraid to change it and surround yourself around people that just are winners, they're eagles. And from there, you just continue to grow.

Ken McLachlan (11:02):

So where did that come from?

Jim Burton (11:06):

Again, I think as we talked about in the beginning, I think a lot of that came from my parents. I think a lot of that came and now they didn't give me the magic checklist, but I think the foundation of being a good person, giving back to your community, giving it your all in life. I remember getting an award in high school for the greatest effort in the school, and I never realized that what I was doing, I was just focused on doing the best that I could, the best that I could at anything I did. And today I get up every morning and my job is to go out and grow my agent's business, and I still take an active role in my, I sort of deviated into commercial real estate. I've deviated into problem solving, trying to find answers and solutions and difficult situations for people that are experiencing real estate problems in today's market. And I love that. I just love a challenge.

Ken McLachlan (12:18):

Yes. And you wake up every morning to deal with that challenge, and part of what you do is that you help others grow their business. And the obvious frustrations we all have for being in this business is that helping people grow what they're doing and sometimes being frustrated that they don't see the light of what if they made the effort, they could do this thing. And how do you connect with people to help them to be I, I guess the question I'm asking, if they don't put the effort in, there's nothing really that you can do by aspiring to help them or do anything like that. Am I on the right track on this or,

Jim Burton (12:56):

Yeah. Yeah. Look, the one thing I've learned too, Ken, and I'm sure you can acknowledge this, it's time as we get older, we look back, time is not renewable. And the one thing I've learned and I'm very careful of today is I'm very careful who I share my time with. And I have people in my organization that I provide an operational plan and they execute. And if some people in the down line are not interested in their business plan, they're not interested in showing up to meetings, they're not interested in working and showing up to the office, then this is not a place where you need to work.

(13:52):

In our business, we have a fairly high turnover. People come in, they embrace the energy, they embrace the enthusiasm, and they go about their life doing things that they feel are important based on that operational plan. And those are people that excel. And my job as an owner is to go out and find solutions to help them grow their business. I'm in a conversation now. We pretty well have inked the 2025 home show for Newland, Labrador and a sponsorship. Max will be the presenting sponsor, and instead of spending money on billboards, we're putting our money towards our own very own digital sign in the center of the city, a large high resolution eight foot digital. So all the agents will have their picture on that. All the agents will be able to put some of their real estate on that. Those are the things. We just opened up an office in the Sheridan Hotel, one of the most prominent hotels in the province of Newland. We have agents that do duty and we have with some 20 agents operating from that location. One thing that Ted Rowe said years ago is that the mandate of a real estate agent is to get in front of as many qualified buyers and sellers that are interested in doing something in the real estate in the near future. So the hotel provides that.

(15:35):

The digital sign helps promote that with the agents to the consumer. And the max center that we have here in the city that the Canadian champion curls from, this is the St. John's Curling Club, helps us promote that. Anytime someone walks into the curling, they walk into the Max Center. We've rebranded that. Those are all things I talk about. That's my job. My job is to go out and find ways that I can grow my agent's business. Yes, talking to them from time to time is also important. When I go into the office, I make sure I walk right around the office and go in and open up a door and sit down and say, Craig, how are you today? What is it that I can do to help grow your business? I think that's very important.

Ken McLachlan (16:22):

I think it's incredibly important. I mean, that's, you live it. I know you live it from the people that know you who are connected with a fine young woman called Terry. Lynn Jones. Amazing. And Terry Lynn tells me how you really, you don't just talk about the life that you live, you live the life that you live. You model it for everybody else, and you're a tremendous influence on people. I wanted to continue with the Sheridan office you have, but one of the things I'm going to do when I get to Newfoundland is walk in and get a piece of ice. Oh yeah,

Jim Burton (16:54):

You got to do that.

Ken McLachlan (16:56):

Tell everybody what that is. It's incredible. I love it.

Jim Burton (16:59):

Well, we in Newfoundland and Labrador, we always look out on the coastline at this time of year, and we can see icebergs. There's 10,000 year old ice, it's compressed ice, very dense, and it's floating by, and it just melts when it hits the Gulf Stream. And there's an opportunity to take some of that. It's called Burgy bits, little pieces that break off the icebergs. And we recently bought three deep freezers and we filled them with bergie bits. So now we're getting ready to bring one down to the hotel. We're going to wrap it in free 10,000 Euro ice. We have a 32nd message that plays on the TV when they turn on our tv. We're going to craft that message to be about, come down to the lobby, see your max agent, and get yourself a piece of 10,000 euros. Now, I don't know if you've ever had this, but you put it in a little glass of pop or a glass of water, or maybe even a small glass of scotch, and it really snap, crackles and pops. It's just like a bowl of rice Krispies. Oh my gosh. It's just incredible to watch it. And it sits in the glass for hours. Wow. It just doesn't melt.

Ken McLachlan (18:25):

Well, I have to get some, I'll be there soon this year, hopefully, and I'll be able to. So save me some. Whatever you do, there you go.

Jim Burton (18:33):

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Ken McLachlan (18:34):

Absolutely. That's amazing.

Jim Burton (18:35):

But this is a chance for people to come down and meet a max agent, chat about the market and get a little piece of ice. It's a conversational opener to create that new relationship. Look, I remember when I have to tell you this story.

(18:59):

I received a call and eight 30 on a Friday night. I'll never forget the time because I thought the call was a prank call. I thought it was one of my buddies that were calling me that were slightly intoxicated and imitating a British individual, that strong accent from London, England. And I answered the phone and it was right then. I'm looking for Jim Burton, and I said, well, yeah, this is Jim Burton. Yes, Mr. Burton, myself and my wife are here. We're on the sixth floor at the Sheridan Hotel, and we would fancy to talk to you about buying some real estate in St. Jones. And now as he's saying this, I'm thinking, now, who is this character calling me? It's one of my buddies right here in Newfoundland, probably down on George Street, had a few too many. And he thinks that he's going to hook me into this conversation. And as I was going into the conversation, I was thinking, well, maybe this gentleman's real.

Ken McLachlan (19:59):

You never

Jim Burton (20:00):

Know. Maybe it's a real person that's staying on the sixth floor though. So I said, look, can I, Mr. Hill, his name was Hill. I said, Mr. Hill, can I call you back in two minutes? Yes, yes, man, call me in two minutes. I hung up the phone, I called the hotel, I said, can you put me through to Mr. Hill's room? And he answered the phone.

Ken McLachlan (20:18):

Oh my

Jim Burton (20:18):

Gosh. He said, hello? I said, Mr. Hill. He goes, yes. I said, it's Jim Burton. Yes, Mr. Burton. I said, I'm about to come down and see you, sir. I'll be there in about 10 minutes. And I went down that gentleman about 10 homes, but it all happened at the Sheridan Hotel.

Ken McLachlan (20:40):

Wow.

Jim Burton (20:40):

Just from being

Ken McLachlan (20:41):

There.

Jim Burton (20:41):

This was back in 1995. And I thought, oh my golly, this hotel. Got it. The people that come here, this was a man by the way, who came to St. John's to witness his best friend's son being ordained as a priest at the Basilica. And he only came over for that. And he ended up walking around. St. John's, fell in love with the city, and he claimed that St. John's reminded him of the city of London when he was a little boy.

Ken McLachlan (21:13):

Wow.

Jim Burton (21:14):

Yeah. So that was my first experience with the shared motel. And I thought after that, which is referred to as the Hotel Newland here in St. John's, so I thought, you

Ken McLachlan (21:26):

Have to be connected with it. Yeah. You have to be connected with it

Jim Burton (21:30):

Later in life, I went down looking around, and they had a gift shop there that wasn't open in 10 years camp, and it had cobwebs in it. And I envisioned a flex space for our agents to come and go. And we put that in and the agents get free parking, they get a 20% discount in the restaurant, discount in the rooms, and they got full access to the fitness center in the basement, all complimentary. So I thought it's about lifestyle

Ken McLachlan (22:03):

Now. Today. Yeah, it is. And that's something 20 agents later, you're cooking with it.

Jim Burton (22:08):

Yeah, we've doubled our agent count immediately here in the city. We're at 54 agents now. Then they love it there. They love it there. As a matter of fact, I love it there. I go down, they do. I open up my laptop and we have a large display of illuminated properties in the window. People love the window shop, and they come down, they got to go right by our office to get the spa, and they stop because they want to look at the real estate. And it gives an agent a chance to go out and say, hi, how are you today? My name is Jim Burton. I'm with re max. Is there anything I can do to help you?

Ken McLachlan (22:51):

You are the most incredible promoter, which I love. It's the honest promoter, the doing it and being totally embraced with the city, the culture, the opportunities, the opportunities for yourself and for your agents and for your clients, which is incredible. And you've been in this business, Jim, for how long?

Jim Burton (23:10):

37 years.

Ken McLachlan (23:11):

37 years. And most recently, you took on a different side thing of real estate you ventured into before Covid, I believe. Correct me the dates into Boston, Massachusetts. Yes. So you own a company down there now, so tell us about that,

Jim Burton (23:30):

Ken. I was sitting right here in this chair,

(23:34):

And that was a December evening. And I was working away in my office, working on the next day, just making sure plan was going to be executed the next morning, and just going through my calendar, making sure things were going to be done, I guess I was thinking, who's worthy of my time tomorrow? And the phone rang, and this was Rob Bergon who was regional vice president with Integra in New England. And he called, and I never met Mr. Bergon before, and he said, I'm here and your name came up and we're just looking for people that may be interested in owning a couple of max offices in the United States. Would you be interested? And I said, well, I said, you know what? That's interesting. You would call me. I'm flattered.

(24:33):

Sure, let's talk. He said, well, before we go any further, I had to send you an NDA. You need to authorize the NDA. And so myself and my wife, we signed off on the NDA and Dara is a very big part of my success too today. And so we ventured down to what we found was Boston. And of course, for 25 years of my life, I was a outfitter promoting Newfoundland Labrador to the world on the fly fishing scene and end up with a little small de havelin beaver. Started my own little airline back in 1999, and I would spend all January in Boston. I had a lot of great friends, even today, the city of Boston and in the outskirts. So when I found out it was Boston, it really excited me. So we went down, I think it was in March of 2020.

(25:39):

It was on the eve of the world experiencing Covid, and we've seen the offices and turned on the tv, and there was the Prime Minister saying, if you're out of the country, you need to come back asap. We're shutting down the border. So we looked at each other, we were both looking like deers in the headlights, and we just got to the airport the next morning, went home. So we negotiated via Zoom, and I closed the office both offices. We bought Ken June 30th, 2020 when the world was shut down, everybody was running. We were going in the opposite direction, taking full advantage of this wonderful opportunity that we've seen as another way to grow and experience the brand in another country

Ken McLachlan (26:33):

Growing. It's been wonderful for you. I'm familiar with Boston. It's an incredible city. The agents you have there are solid, great, great people. They make difference to a lot of people's lives. And having you as their mentor, you as their owner is just handsome. Incredibly. So congratulations on that. It's been a really good growth for you.

Jim Burton (26:53):

Thank you, Ken. Look, there's not a day, I swear to you, Monday to Friday, even though I'm in Newfoundland, that I'm not in some way connected talking to staff and leadership on way forward or celebrating success or planning for

Ken McLachlan (27:17):

What and organizing things. Yeah, the same

Jim Burton (27:20):

Thing here, right? Nothing operates on Somebody once said, Ken, that if you have a business and you think you have a business, ask yourself, can you leave for 90 days and your operation make money? If you can answer yes to that question, congratulations. You have a business. And if not, you're just a salesman or an employee. And I think that's well said. I feel that in my heart that both operations can certainly survive because the right people are in place. And I think any organization, and the one thing that I've seen in the Hallmark operation is the people. The people are first. The ideas come second, and then it's the cash flow. You never put the cash flow in front of the people or the ideas. You got to make sure you've got the people, the ideas and the cashflow. That's the thing. And with that, you get great people. I started my morning this morning, I sent a personal message to the front end staff, to the office administrator, and to my CFFO. I have a CFO, too many Fs in there. And I told him, I'm extremely grateful for all you do, and I just want to let you know this morning before the day starts that I'm grateful for your dedication and your loyalty in making our operation the success it is. And I think that's what I do. I love that. And I had to do

Ken McLachlan (29:06):

That. And you actually believe it. It's not just words. Yeah, you live it. And I want to talk a bit about outside of real estate, the major commitment you have personally made to different charities, and particularly the Salvation Army, the difference you've made in raising money for them, the support you've had for them, and the Rotary Club, your president of the Rotary Club. And we all know the difference the Rotary Club makes. And years ago, I'm not sure, maybe you can tell us year, what year you did get, this was the order of Newfoundland. You achieved that, which is a tremendous honor. So why did you get that, Jim, and tell us about the feeling you had when you got it.

Jim Burton (29:47):

I was just very humbled that someone would think I'm worthy of it and nominate me. I was shocked that when I got the call from the lieutenant governor that I was a recipient of the award and I was speechless, similar to where I'm now, to be honest. Again, look, rotary is an amazing organization and Rotary connects you with so many other charities. And the Salvation Army was one. And that all happened from us doing a gala dinner here in St. John's. And we had amazing speakers come down every year, and we wanted to do, we were raising a lot of money. We were raising a lot of money, and we had several hundred thousand dollars from one event we did. And we wanted to give that instead of giving it out in little pieces, we wanted to do something with a signature project. So we approached the Army, and the next thing you know, I was serving on a committee on strategy to start a transitional homeless facility for people that were down and out in the center of St.

(31:18):

John's. Read the beginning of George Street, actually. That's where it was. And so I ended up serving then on the Ling Committee, further on the finance committee, the fundraising committee for the Salvation Army. And then later they came to me and said, look, we want you to serve on our business advisory council here in the province. And I serve on that now as Vice chair, but the Rotary Club connects you with all these by default. That's how that all happened. And then Hope Air, it's another amazing charity. I went to the University of Toronto and I wanted to do the Institute of Corporate Directors Educational program. It was a four week program in Toronto.

(32:04):

Once I completed and graduated from that, they took my name and my experience as an air ambulance pilot. I served on the Children's hospital here as a director. They put all that in a computer and out come this organization called Hope Air. And they said, they're looking for a director, and you now have the experience to serve on a national role to help these people. Wow. So I did an interview, I did a second interview, I did a third interview, and then I got in and I was to the board. And from there, I formed the fundraising committee nationally

(32:46):

And continued to help people. And then I was appointed as chair of the board and led the board for four years. And there were other things to do in life, and I needed to blossom and grow other things. So after eight years serving on the board, I said goodbye. I think it's a long time to serve in a volunteer capacity, eight years. And new ideas were needed. They wanted me to stay. Then went on and served on the National Advisory Board with Hope Air. And today I serve in Newfoundland and Labrador. We do a ham, eggs and Hope breakfast every November. The premier comes out, this will be our eighth one this year. The premier of Newland has been to everyone, the different premiers. And we raise money for people that need to reach the healthcare they deserve. And these are people that these clients of Hope Air are not able to have a credit card.

(33:54):

They're not. They're among the folks in our community that need the help the most. So we help them and we tell the story of Hope Air and what it does for people that live in a sparsely settled province like Newland and Northern Ontario. By the way, a lot of people in Ontario travel into the GTA area because of Hope Air, and they get a free ticket. And now Hope Air provides free accommodations of free meals. You can't get that, but Hope Air, unless you qualify, there's a toll free line you call, and your income has to be at a certain level. So we do that in the country, and we've been with some lobbying. We were able now to receive some funding from the provincial government for the first time ever. The last two years, we've gotten some substantial funding. And in telling that story and in telling that story, we were approached last month by an individual who has substantial wealth and has a foundation created. And he said, I am very touched with the story of Hope Air and what it does for Newfoundlanders and Labrador, IANS. And he pledged and he has given the largest donation in the history of Hope Air in Canada, 1.75 million

Ken McLachlan (35:28):

To make a difference.

Jim Burton (35:29):

So that what outside the marriage and the birth of my children and my grandchildren would be my greatest accomplishment in my life.

Ken McLachlan (35:40):

Wow. I mean, that is incredible. And connecting all the dots on this conversation is that it's not a one dimensional, Jim Burton. You're not in real estate, and that's your focus. You do that day in, day out, whatever. You have room for charities, you have room for obviously family, which is paramount to you, and you make a difference and you try to make a difference, I'm sure, in all aspects of your life and the growth of it. So what does the next five years look like for you?

Jim Burton (36:14):

I think in life it's important to go out and inspire people to find the things that inspire them. And that was a result of that 1.75 million gift was us telling the story and others getting excited about the story and sharing it. Because nothing really great in your life can be accomplished by yourself. We need the help of others. Others, and there's others that need our help. And I think collectively, that story was told in many ways, but I would like to think I had a part to play in that story. So I think the next five years is to steer the ship and make sure that the integrity flag flies high and prominent in that ship, and that we attract others to our organization that want to experience the journey. And it's a one-way journey. We're not coming back for a rehearsal. So it's important every day. Ken, we started off this call today about my dad and I go down to see him now every morning. He's not doing so well. And I look back and I think of all the things that I'm grateful for, and it all comes back to him. It all circles back to him.

(38:04):

So I have a mandate now, and I told him this morning, in the last month or so, he's taken a bad turn. And we are now trying to reverse that and find somewhere in medical science how we can do that. But at 90, we all have that expiry date and we know that, and he knows that. But it's important to surround him with love and spend as much time as I can with my two grandsons in the same way. They're wonderful young men and my daughters and my beautiful wife. I want to be around her as much as I can. And this is the first summer in some three decades that I haven't gone to Labrador flying an airplane. So after 49 years of flying every year, this is the first year that I'll just spend it with my wife and we'll travel Newfoundland. We'll spend more time with my dad. And I'm going to be getting up every morning with welcoming today. And I think looking back at it, there's four things really that really are important, Ken. And as we get older, I look back and I say, number one, who do we love? Number two, what did I remember?

(39:38):

Number three, what kind of a person did I become in that journey? And number four, who did I help in the journey? So I think for those next five years, I'm going to continue growing those.

Ken McLachlan (39:58):

Wow. Well, my friend, I can't thank you enough for your time. I thank you enough for spending the time with me and others today. You're making an incredible difference to the lives of so many. I'm so proud to know you. I'm so proud to be part of your life, and I know the difference you've made in people's lives that we know, and I thank you for that. And we're going to see each other soon. I hope to see each other. I have to get more of Jim Burton. Maybe we'll invite you up to Toronto to speak, to do something and have an excuse to

Jim Burton (40:37):

In chapter, I'm more happy. You're an amazing friend, something. Our brand has amazing leaders, and I look to you as one of the most amazing leaders in the organization. Wow.

Ken McLachlan (40:48):

Well, you're very kind.

Jim Burton (40:49):

Be beyond this call today with you. I'm humbled and privileged, and I thank you for the opportunity.

Ken McLachlan (40:54):

Yeah, thank you, Jim. And how many people get ahold of you?

Jim Burton (40:58):

All you need to do is Google me. Surely Google knows everything, right? But no, we have our website. I can give you a bunch of things, but anybody wants to reach out to me anytime. Sure. Reach out. Say hello,

Ken McLachlan (41:15):

Jim Burton, do you have a, what's your website?

Jim Burton (41:19):

If you go Jim burton.ca, you'll get me jim burton.ca. You'll get our website or rather give a phone number or something on here, but you'll find all the details. You want me? Yeah, Google, Jim Burton, Newfoundland Labrador, and yeah, you'll get ahold of me.

Ken McLachlan (41:39):

The Salt of the Earth. That's what it is, right?

Jim Burton (41:43):

It's a beautiful place, man. We were downtown last night to a dinner at five 30. We left there around eight 30, and I was walking down Water Street, and I was just inhaling the fresh air, and it was the salt water. You could smell the salt water. It was a foggy night, easterly wind. But there's something about the smell of Newland and the Labrador. I guarantee it. If you come here, you just won't want to leave.

Ken McLachlan (42:13):

You won't want to leave. And unfortunately, we have to leave now. So thank you for this, Jim. It's been a pleasure and a privilege to me to talk to you. We will see each other soon, and thanks again, my friend.

Jim Burton (42:26):

Take care, Ken. Bye. Best endeavor. Be well. Okay. Bye.

Ken McLachlan (42:32):

All the best everybody. Thank you for listening to Realty Life. Listen, if you like this podcast, please subscribe like it, tell your friends about it and keep coming back. We have great people like Jim Burton on to inspire us, and I am inspired for the rest of the day and for the rest of the year. Thank you, Jim. Be well, everybody.