The Mansion on the Hill

A story about the true measure of success.

i often find myself driving through the winding roads of Utah Valley, where pristine neighborhoods of multi-million dollar mansions cascade down the mountainside. Each turn reveals another architectural marvel: 3, 4, 6, even 20 million dollar homes, each more grandiose than the last. And these aren't just houses, they are statements, bold declarations of success that seem to mock those of us gazing up from the valley down below.

i remember the first time i truly absorbed the magnitude of wealth in some of these neighborhoods. As a business owner myself, one who had achieved what i'd always considered a reasonable level of success, i felt intimidation, awe, wonder.

Here i was, thinking i'd been playing in the big leagues, only to discover i'd barely made it past the minor ones. These massive palaces were symbols of a whole other world of success, complete with private jets and lifestyles i could barely imagine. It made me question everything. Was i really as capable as I thought? Was i just playing at business while these people were actually doing it?

But sometimes, the mansion on the hill isn't quite what it seems.

This morning, i learned about a local company called Just Meats, and its story perfectly captures this gap between appearance and reality. According to Fox 13 News, the company had all the hallmarks of success. Social media influencers, viral marketing, impressive growth. Its founder has been a regular on local talk shows and podcasts, sharing his expertise as a successful entrepreneur. He lived in a $3 million dollar mansion perched at the base of the mountain, a visible symbol of achievement and business acumen.

But behind the impressive facade, a disturbing pattern was emerging. Just Meats had shut down, leaving in its wake a trail of broken promises and unpaid debts. Court records revealed over $3.5 million in alleged unpaid debts since 2022. More disturbing was the human cost as employees were left without weeks of back pay just before Thanksgiving, social media influencers owed thousands for their work, and vendors who had provided services and products left empty-handed.

What makes this story even more significant is that Just Meats wasn't an isolated incident. It was merely the latest chapter in a series of similar ventures by the same entrepreneur. Before Just Meats, there was Built Bar, a company that had made headlines by being one of the first to offer NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals to college athletes. According to reporting by the Salt Lake Tribune, Built Bar positioned itself as a champion for college sports, making grand announcements about payments to players. The reality, however, fell short of the promises. Athletes reported missed payments and unfulfilled commitments, while the company's executives continued to project an image of unqualified success.

A former employee of Just Meats shared their experience in a detailed Bluesky thread, revealing the stark reality behind the company's polished exterior. They described how employees were left struggling through the holidays without pay, their health insurance suddenly terminated. "We've had to file wage claims with the labor commission, get lawyers involved, and pray that the money's coming," the employee wrote. Sadly, i’m assuming many employees aren’t even in a position to afford legal representation to fight for what is owed to them.

It seems like a pattern of behavior as this wasn't just about one failed business venture. Before Just Meats and Built Bar, there was FeastBox, and before that, QuickFresh. Each venture followed a similar trajectory of rapid growth, impressive marketing, and ultimately, a trail of unpaid obligations. Yet through each business failure, the founder's lifestyle seemed on the outside to be not only be unchanged but flourish with his multi-million dollar home serving as a stark contrast to the financial devastation left in his wake.

This is such a troubling aspect of modern business culture. We are living through a wild time where CEO compensation packages are stupid high and the gap between executives and average workers continues to widen, we're seeing more instances where business leaders maintain luxurious lifestyles while their workers struggle to meet basic needs.

Employees wondering how they'll make rent or buy groceries, while their employers live in luxury, vacation on mega yachts, and party with celebrities.

The disparity becomes even more clear when you consider the ripple effects. It's not just direct employees who suffer, it's also the contractors, the vendors, the service providers, and their families. Endless ripples of hurt.

Each time one of these businesses failed to meet its obligations, the impact cascaded through the community, affecting hundreds, if not thousands, of households. College athletes counting on promised NIL payments to help with tuition and living expenses found themselves short. Social media influencers, many of whom rely on brand partnerships as their primary income, were left with thousands in unpaid invoices. Yet the executive at the top seemed insulated from these consequences, his lifestyle protected by corporate structures.

As i drive through these neighborhoods now, i see them a bit differently. Behind each impressive facade, there might be a story we just don't know. The massive houses that once made me question my own worth now make me question something else entirely, what is the true measure of success?

Is it the size of your house or is it the integrity with which you conduct your business?

Is it the car you drive or is it the lives you impact positively along the way?

Perhaps the most valuable lesson here is that we need to be careful about the stories we tell ourselves when we look at others' apparent success. The mansion on the hill might not be paid for. The successful entrepreneur might be leaving a trail of unpaid debts. The impressive business might be a house of cards waiting to fall.

In the gap between appearance and reality, our minds often create stories that make us question our own worth. But sometimes, when we pull back the curtain, we discover that we've been measuring ourselves against an illusion all along.

Much Love 💛

-jason