The Soul Proprietor

We Were Dreamers Before We Were Entrepreneurs

At what point do entrepreneurs stop dreaming and start only solving problems? In this deeply honest conversation, Curt and Melody explore the tension between creativity, ambition, technology, and being human in a world that never stops moving. What started as a conversation about entrepreneurship and AI turned into something much bigger: a reflection on dreaming itself. They unpack the addictive nature of execution, the pressure entrepreneurs place on themselves, and how modern technology is changing not just the way businesses operate — but the way people think, create, rest, and connect. Curt opens up about getting consumed by late-night AI building sessions and the moment Rachel confronted him about being present with his family. Melody reflects on the difference between dreaming, creating, and constantly reacting to the endless stream of possibilities AI creates. Together, they wrestle with questions many entrepreneurs are quietly asking right now: -What happens when ideas can become reality instantly? -What do humans lose when every problem gets outsourced? -And how do we protect wonder, creativity, and connection in the middle of nonstop execution? By the end of the episode, Curt and Melody challenge themselves to reconnect with something they haven’t practiced in a long time: ridiculous, childlike dreaming. Because before they were entrepreneurs… they were dreamers. Timestamps: * 00:10 – Melody’s travel spiral & Kurt’s homebody era * 05:00 – Dreaming vs. implementing (and why teams panic at new ideas) * 13:10 – Addicted to AI, missing dinner, and marital intervention * 21:30 – “Dreaming” now just means executing—what’s lost? * 32:00 – Overwhelm, mental health, and sheltering our brains * 39:00 – Dreaming for family, dreaming as community * 45:05 – Ridiculous dreams (flying, performing, being a kid again)

Mel Infiltrates A Christian Business Conference

What happens when your values deeply align with a room full of people… but your identity still feels complicated? In this episode, Melody joins Curt live from a Christian business conference in Arkansas and opens up about something unexpectedly vulnerable: feeling like a fraud in spaces where she actually feels deeply at home. What starts as a conversation about faith quickly becomes a much bigger exploration of entrepreneurship, authenticity, self-worth, and the emotional tension many founders feel around visibility, networking, and asking for what they want. Curt and Melody unpack: * Why purpose-driven entrepreneurs often struggle to advocate for themselves * The difference between authentic connection and strategic collaboration * Why “being business-minded” can feel manipulative to relational people * The fear of rejection hiding underneath networking discomfort * What it means to “hold the pose” of the person you’re becoming * Why promoting a shared mission feels easier than promoting yourself * The surprising overlap between faith-based leadership values and ethical entrepreneurship Along the way, Melody reflects on hearing speakers like Auntie Anne’s founder Anne Beiler, wrestling with identity in unfamiliar spaces, and realizing that maybe the hardest part of growth isn’t becoming someone new — it’s allowing yourself to fully step into who you already are. This episode is honest, funny, uncomfortable in the best way, and deeply relatable for anyone building a business without wanting to lose themselves in the process. CONNECT WITH THE SOUL PROPRIETOR Website: The Soul Proprietor Podcast [https://soulproprietorpod.com/] Instagram: @soulproprietorpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/soulproprietorpodcast/] LinkedIn: The Soul Proprietor Podcast [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-soul-proprietor-podcast/] Facebook: Soul Proprietor Podcast [https://www.facebook.com/soulproprietorpod] Youtube: The Soul Proprietor Podcast [https://www.youtube.com/@SoulProprietorPod]

Interview with Josh Latimer Part 2

Ever feel like your faith, your business, and who you’re becoming… don’t quite line up anymore? That’s where this conversation goes. Curt Kempton and Melody Edwards sit down with Josh Latimer for Part 2—and instead of clean answers, they follow the tension. The result is a conversation that moves through belief, doubt, identity, and what happens when long-held frameworks start to shift. This is about answering what feels true and what doesn’t anymore. For anyone who’s felt that quiet disconnect between what they were taught and what they’re actually experiencing… this one will feel familiar. What They Talk About: * Why Curt can't stand "fake it till you make it" and Josh's alternative: holding the pose * The moment business trophies start gathering dust, and what it means for identity and growth * Melody's fierce struggle with inherited faith, especially when her core values collide with evangelical politics * Josh's "God as good dad" framework and why he puts religion itself on the chopping block * Parenting through spiritual evolution.. how Josh talks about faith and shame with his kids (very unfiltered) * The story of Uncle Roger, the lovable career criminal, and what it reveals about judgment, grace, and cosmic "grading on a curve" * Why entrepreneurial paths aren't for everyone and Josh's Home Improvement marathon as parenting philosophy * Riffing on economics: business as a garden vs. a pie, why value multiplies, and how real wealth is created collaboratively Key Takeaways: * You can outgrow your religious programming without tossing out the concept of a loving creator. * Business (done well) is about serving people, not extracting value—it’s a messy, generative web, not a zero-sum game. * There’s deep power (and pain) in living with uncertainty, wrestling with faith, and giving yourself permission to change your mind. * The roles we play in work, faith, and family aren’t interchangeable; your gifts matter exactly as they are. Timestamps: * 00:00: Why Josh can't stand religion and how Jesus fits in * 01:44: The problem with "fake it till you make it" and the cost of certainty * 09:23: God as good dad—Josh’s first principles * 17:07: Sin, shame, and how Josh handles messy kid conversations * 25:05: Are entrepreneurs born or made? The athlete/engineer/artist tribe * 31:15: Wrestling with belief systems and finding spiritual freedom * 41:57: Serving people, not money, and reframing economic value (And yes, they planned to talk more about business and marketing. But they didn’t!)

Interview with Josh Latimer Part 1

In this episode, Curt and Melody sit down with longtime friend and mentor Josh Latimer for a conversation that goes far beyond business strategy. They dig into the uncomfortable side of growth... why leveling up often feels like loss, how identity quietly sets the ceiling for your success, and why confidence has less to do with what you know and more to do with what you’ve proven to yourself. Josh shares openly about failure, reinvention, faith, and the patterns that keep entrepreneurs stuck, even when they “know” what to do. If you’ve ever felt like you’re circling the same level despite doing the work, this conversation offers a different lens.. one that might challenge more than it comforts. KEY TAKEAWAYS: * You can’t carry your old identity into your next chapter.. real change feels like death, and that’s necessary * Integrity pays off over time, even when it feels like you’re falling behind the narcissists in the short run * Confidence doesn’t come from knowing more.. it comes from stacking real evidence through messy, relentless action * Your “purpose” is less about waiting for a big sign and more about showing up as yourself, right now, imperfectly * The people at the top are usually just painfully average, except for their willingness to think bigger, move faster, and do more TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 – Josh’s “if it’s worth it, do it” philosophy 8:34 – Identity deaths, destiny, and $100M generosity 17:28 – Meeting your heroes: why it matters 21:27 – Melody’s purpose-versus-profit struggle 27:26 – The messy truth about religious baggage and family 39:30 – Confidence, “holding the pose,” and the alter ego effect 44:45 – Public speaking terror and why more volume changes everything

Petty Justice: Mel Stops Being Nice and Starts Being Real.

Melody’s nearly ready to start a fight club or at least dish out a little “petty justice.” This episode is basically what happens when you hit your late 40s and realize you’re done tiptoeing around fragile egos, especially when being “nice” never seems to work out. Curt and Melody share about a messy neighbor drama, the exhausting rules women are still expected to follow, and where standing up for yourself starts to feel like a crime. WHAT THEY TALK ABOUT: * The saga of Melody vs. her neighbor’s rowdy late-night parties (and why she almost landed in jail over a phone snatch) * Why Melody is officially out of patience for dimming herself to coddle male egos and what happens when she doesn’t * The story about Matt’s black belt and the absolutely worst time to mention it to drunk party bros * Curt’s “Bro Code” theory and how it played out when the cops showed up * How Melody’s fight for peace triggered flashbacks to her old, much scarier neighbor (yeah, the one who literally sued everyone) * Why “Karen” isn’t quite the insult you think it is.. at least not when you’re just fighting for some sleep * Curt’s frank take on male vs. female expectations in parenting and work (featuring Rachel’s frozen dinners) * What changes and what doesn’t—frustration with slow progress, politics, and why real change takes generations KEY TAKEAWAYS: * Sometimes, standing up for yourself will absolutely make you “the problem” and that’s still better than shrinking. * There’s a real energy boost in letting yourself feel anger instead of constantly bottling it up. * The rules and expectations placed on women (and especially moms) run much deeper than most guys ever realize. * If you’re tired of being a pushover, you don’t suddenly have to become a jerk.. you just get to stop apologizing for being yourself. * Real change is slow, messy, and full of setbacks, but the small ways we show up matter. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 — The great neighbor meltdown/night of petty justice 10:12 — Melody’s realization: done dimming herself 18:55 — “Bro Code,” cops, and gendered assumptions 33:30 — Women in business and Melody’s double bind 43:41 — Curt’s take on mom guilt vs. dad self-permission 54:55 — Why systemic change is agonizingly slow 1:04:00 — Petty justice as self-respect (plus closing laughs)