Steve's Story
The Beginning...
I began my path to mastery in my life back in 1990, which was the summer between 8th grade and freshman year of high school.
I had played football in junior high, and fell in love with the sport. I had a lot of childhood trauma as my parents divorced at age 10. My upbringing was very military-style, as my dad was in the US Army during Vietnam.
I got in a lot of trouble and fights as a kid, and football provided me a constructive outlet for the anger. I can really look back and say that I loved hitting people and taking the anger out on them on the field. So, football was a natural fit.
I'm so fortunate for that sport, as it literally saved me from a criminal life as well as taught me so many important lessons that have shaped my adulthood.
That summer was also when I first began weight training. Again, I excelled at it and loved it. I have been strength training since 1990, and it is one of my biggest passions in life to this day.
College Dropout Gone Fireman...
I never felt at home in school or in academics. I'm super intelligent, but I hated the confines and mediocrity of the public school system. I performed well with a 3.5 GPA, but with little guidance, I did not know what I wanted to do with my life after High School.
I excelled in science and math so my dad had me attend the local University of Arizona in Pre-Pharmacy. He said it was a "secure job with good pay and benefits"...
I liked the topics of study, but again, I had this gut feeling that this was not how I wanted to live my life.
One of my buddies had gotten on the fire department, and it sounded cool so I bailed on college and joined the department.
I ended up doing 23 years of service and promoted to Fire Captain, where I learned a ton about leadership and coaching others. I also became a Peer Fitness Trainer for the department and got my ACE CPT certification to train firefighters to perform better on the job.
My Life As An Entrepreneur
The Pit...
During high school, I worked at Burger King. I was a production leader, and they wanted to make me a manager. I declined.
After graduating, I immediately moved out of my dad's house, and rented an apartment. I also got a job as a dishwasher at the Red Robin restaurant in the Tucson Mall. I worked full time while paying rent and attending the U of A. This was a very low point in my life. I found myself totally alone, with no support from anyone. I got into hard drugs and lost over 50lbs - not the good way. I looked like a skeleton at age 19.
I realized that I needed to make a change.
So, I decided to quit my job, and get another one in a much better environment. My best friend's girlfriend had recently gotten hired at a 4-star hotel, and gave me a reference, so I got hired.
My dad did instill some good attributes to me growing up. One of which was a excellent work ethic.
This has allowed me to excel in any job or venture throughout my life. I just outworked much of the competition.
I had gotten connected with the path to becoming a firefighter and re-enrolled in college to get the classes required to test for a position at the department. Things were looking a bit better. At least now I had some sort of plan.
The Paradigm Shift That Changed It All...
I had been working the FD for a couple of years now, and I still worked part-time at La Paloma. I now was in charge of the entire restaurant at the pool bar and grill.
Up to this point in my life I had the belief that "rich people were assholes" or just bad people. This came from my very blue-collar upbringing and environments I'd experienced up to this point in my life.
Until, one day, there was a country club member at the bar who took an interest in me. Mr. Mendelson. He doesn't know it, but he changed the trajectory of my life forever.
It turned out that he was a self-made millionaire. Guess what his business was? He owned a catering business, and he started out just like me as a line cook.
He said something to me one day. It wasn't even that profound. He simply told me that if he could become a millionaire and create a successful business, then so could I.
For whatever reason, that statement hit me hard, right in the gut.
...and from that moment forward, my life as an entrepreneur began.
From that moment on I've allow the creativity buried deep inside me to blossom and develop into several business ventures.
As you may or may not know, there is no class or college course or degree or manual for starting and operating a business. And, we won't even talk about building it to a level where you can replace yourself and scale and even take it public. Not instruction book for that either.
Nevertheless, I love entrepreneurship and it is one of my greatest passions in my life to this day.
My Passions
Personal & Business Core Values
It has taken me investing well over $100k in personal development courses, books, seminars etc over the past decades to have enough self-awareness to really figure out what my core values are. These are principles that I stand behind and live by every day. You can agree or disagree with them.
...and that's ok.
Some people who read this may resonate with them and some may think I'm a whack job. The latter can fuck off.
But seriously, they're my values. You can have your own.
I put these here in public view, so that you can see what I give a shit about, and if you're deciding on working with me or investing in one of my courses, you can have this up front.
Core Values
1% Better Every Day
Never Give Up
Seek To Understand
Always Represent Excellence
Embrace & Enjoy The Process
Focus on building the systems, not achieving the outcome.
My Family
Probably my biggest and most important passion in my life is my immediate family.
Everything I do in fitness, business, or otherwise, revolves around my wife Sharon, and my two kids, Kalyn & Caleb.
Our favorite thing to do together as a family is scuba diving!
#islandlife
Fitness
As I mentioned, I've been working out since 1990, and I still love lifting weights to this day!
Over the years, some of my fitness goals change, but the passion to become the best physical specimen I can be never does.
Falling in line with my core values, I will continue to strive to become the best I can be physically and mentally.
This applies to all areas of fitness, not just asthetics.
Entrepreneurship
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my passion for entrepreneurship once more.
I love creating things (businesses) that can serve and add value to others while providing my family the lifestyle we truly deserve, not the one the government and society try to sell us.
It is truly a win/win.
The more people we serve, the more resources we receive and the more abundant lifestyle we get to live.
The Next Chapter...
Shit Happens
Then life reminded me of a lesson I've learned more than once.
Nothing is guaranteed.
Over the past few years, the real estate market shifted dramatically. Transactions slowed, opportunities dried up, and many of the things that had worked in the past simply weren't working anymore.
Like many entrepreneurs, I went looking for the next opportunity.
I partnered with some great people and helped build an AI-powered real estate company. We had a vision, a talented team, and high hopes for what the future could become.
But as often happens in business, things didn't work out the way we planned. The AI development rabbit hole runs very deep, and eventually the funding ran out and the partnerships collapsed.
Eventually, I found myself in a place I never expected to be.
After retiring as a Fire Captain, building businesses, and spending years as an entrepreneur, I was stocking shelves at Safeway for near minimum wage just to help keep the bills paid while I figured out my next move.
You see, this was the most expensive year my wife and I have faced. Both kids in college. Even with academic scholarships, we still had to cover an extra $37,000 this year. That's why I had to pick up the Safeway job.
I'm not ashamed of that.
Work is work.
I've always believed that if a job needs to be done, you do it.
But I'd be lying if I said it wasn't humbling.
There were days when I questioned myself.
Days when I wondered if I'd somehow taken a wrong turn.
Days when I wondered if I'd ever build the lifestyle and freedom I'd been pursuing for so long.
At the same time, I was preparing for a new chapter with the Arizona Department of Corrections, a path that would provide stability and allow me to support my family while I regrouped and rebuilt.
And somewhere during that process, something clicked.
I began looking back over every successful entrepreneur, marketer, and business owner I had studied over the years.
The people who created real freedom all seemed to own one thing:
An audience.
A community.
A relationship with people who knew, liked, and trusted them.
In other words, an asset.
Not a job.
Not a social media account.
Not a trend.
An asset.
For me, that realization led back to email marketing and list building.
A quality email list is one of the few business assets you truly own.
It's an audience, a relationship, and a business all rolled into one.
And that realization became the foundation for what I'm building today.
The Freedom Builder was born from that idea.
The belief that freedom isn't something you stumble across.
It's something you intentionally build.
Brick by brick.
Skill by skill.
Relationship by relationship.
Asset by asset.
This newsletter is where I'll document that journey in real time.
The wins.
The setbacks.
The lessons.
The mistakes.
And everything I learn while building a life of greater freedom, purpose, and independence.
If you've ever felt like you're starting over, you're not alone.
I've been there too.
Remember, the only way to truly fail is to fucking quit. Never fucking quit!
Freedom Isn't Free...
If any part of my story resonates with you, I'd like to personally invite you to join The Freedom Builder Newsletter.
Every week, I'll share practical lessons, stories, strategies, and real-world insights on building freedom in all areas of life, including:
• Entrepreneurship and online business
• Email marketing and audience building
• Wealth creation and financial freedom
• Personal development and mindset
• Health, fitness, and longevity
• Leadership and life lessons
• Creating more time, freedom, and options for yourself and your family
You'll also receive recommendations for tools, resources, books, software, training programs, and other products that I believe can help you accelerate your progress.
Some of these recommendations are affiliate partnerships, which means I may earn a commission if you decide to purchase through my links.
I'm upfront about that because transparency matters.
If I recommend something, it's because I believe it provides value and can genuinely help you move closer to your goals.
I will never recommend a product simply because it pays a commission.
My reputation is worth more than any affiliate check.
This isn't a newsletter about getting rich overnight.
It's about becoming the kind of person who can build lasting freedom over time.
The kind of freedom that comes from developing valuable skills, owning assets, thinking independently, and taking responsibility for your future.
I'll share what I'm learning, what's working, what's not, and the lessons I've picked up through decades in the fire service, entrepreneurship, fitness, leadership, and life.
Most importantly, I'll tell you the truth—even when it's messy.
No hype.
No fake guru nonsense.
No rented Lamborghinis.
Just practical ideas, honest stories, and a community of people committed to building a better future.
If that sounds like the kind of life you're trying to build, I'd love to have you join us.
Join The Freedom Builder Newsletter →
Best,
Steve Dooley
P.S. I don't have all the answers.
I'm still building.
But if you're committed to becoming a little better every day and building a life on your terms, I think you'll fit right in.