What do young people need before they reach a crisis?

In this episode of Beyond the Breakthrough, I sit down with Sandy Austin, a former school counselor whose 24-year career placed her alongside students navigating school shootings, suicide, bullying, grief, hospitalization, and loss.

Those experiences taught Sandy something that would ultimately reshape her work: young people need to know they are seen, they matter, and they are not alone.

That realization helped inspire the BIONIC Team “Believe It Or Not, I Care” a student-led movement designed to help young people recognize when someone is struggling and take simple, meaningful steps toward connection.

Sandy shares how mentorship first inspired her to become a school counselor, what she learned supporting communities through tragedy, and why listening to young people sometimes means simply being present rather than trying to fix what they are feeling.

We also explore how BIONIC helps students support peers who are new, sick, hospitalized, grieving, or experiencing bullying and how participating in that work can transform the students doing the caring, too.

• Why connection needs to happen before a crisis • What young people may need after trauma, grief, or loss • Why changes in a child's normal behavior deserve attention • How adults can care for themselves while supporting young people • The story behind Sandy’s BIONIC Team • How simple peer outreach can help reduce isolation • Sandy’s “HI” approach to responding to bullying • Why caring for others can become a powerful leadership experience • How Sandy turned painful experiences from her own life into a mission to help others feel seen

00:00 Welcome to Beyond the Breakthrough & Meet Sandy Austin 01:35 What Inspired Sandy to Become a School Counselor 04:10 Supporting Students Through School Shootings and Suicide 07:20 What Young People Really Need After Trauma 12:05 Why Adults Need Support and Self-Care Too 15:20 Creating Connection Before a Crisis 17:10 How the BIONIC Team Supports Students 21:05 Preventing Bullying by Saying “HI” 24:10 Sandy’s Experience Responding to Columbine 29:30 Small Acts That Help Us Through Difficult Moments 31:15 How “Believe It Or Not, I Care” Began 35:10 Turning Students Into Heart-Centered Leaders 39:05 Why Young People Still Give Sandy Hope 41:15 From Childhood Trauma to a Life of Purpose 43:35 You Are Seen, You Matter, and You Are Not Alone 44:05 How to Connect With Sandy Austin

Sandy’s story is a reminder that making a difference doesn’t always require having the perfect words. Sometimes it begins with noticing someone, reaching out, and showing them they matter.

Want to share your own breakthrough story? Apply to be a guest on Beyond the Breakthrough Podcast: https://beyondthebreakthroughpodcast.com/booking

What can flying fighter jets teach you about managing risk in real estate?

In Episode 2 of Beyond the Breakthrough Podcast, I sit down with Brett Layser, founder of Jetstream Private Equity Group, multifamily investor, captain at a major U.S. airline, former U.S. Marine Corps officer, and former AV-8B Harrier fighter pilot.

Brett’s career has taken him from military aviation to commercial aviation and ultimately into multifamily real estate. But underneath those seemingly different worlds is a common principle: understand the risks, prepare for what can go wrong, and make disciplined decisions before the stakes get high.

We talk about the leadership lessons Brett carried out of the Marine Corps, why he believes peer pressure can actually be a powerful advantage when you surround yourself with the right people, and what staying calm under pressure really requires.

Brett also walks through his evolution in real estate, from single-family properties and smaller multifamily investments to becoming a passive LP, moving into the GP side of the business, and helping operate larger multifamily properties.

• How Marine Corps aviation shaped Brett’s approach to leadership and accountability • Why your peer group can dramatically influence your performance • What brought Brett back to real estate and eventually into multifamily investing • How he transitioned from passive LP to active GP • Why aviation and multifamily investing have more in common than you might think • How Brett approaches risk management when investor capital is involved • Why underwriting should be about capturing reality, not making a deal work • How conservative assumptions can protect investors when the future is uncertain • Why sometimes no deal really is better than a bad deal

Chapters

00:00 — Meet Brett Layser: Fighter Pilot to Multifamily Investor 01:15 — Why Brett Chose the U.S. Marine Corps 03:10 — What It Was Like Flying the AV-8B Harrier 05:35 — Leadership, Responsibility & the Power of Your Peer Group 09:05 — Transitioning from Military to Commercial Aviation 11:45 — Staying Calm When Things Go Wrong 14:00 — Why Brett Started Investing in Real Estate 16:20 — The Breakthrough That Brought Him Back to Multifamily 20:10 — Moving from Passive LP to Active GP 23:15 — Building a Business Beyond a W-2 Paycheck 25:15 — How Fighter Pilots Think About Investment Risk 27:35 — Inside a 197-Unit Multifamily Acquisition 32:00 — Why Conservative Underwriting Matters 36:10 — “No Deal Is Better Than a Bad Deal” 38:25 — How to Connect with Brett

We also discuss a 197-unit workforce housing acquisition in Tennessee and how disciplined underwriting, financing, occupancy, and property operations contributed to stronger-than-expected early performance.

Brett’s story is a reminder that breakthroughs don’t always require abandoning everything you’ve already built. Sometimes the skills developed in one career become the foundation for succeeding in an entirely different one.

Want to share your own breakthrough story?

Apply here to be a guest on Beyond the Breakthrough Podcast: https://beyondthebreakthroughpodcast.com/booking