Every great story has a beginning. Ours started with a dream, a little uncertainty, an old Chevy Envoy, and a few people who believed in something bigger. Let me take you back to 2015.
At the time, I was a real estate agent working for a broker in Illinois who was part of Mossy Oak Properties. That year, I attended the Mossy Oak Properties Land Summit, an experience that would forever change the direction of my life. One of the guest speakers was Dr. Kevin Elko. I remember sitting in that room listening to him speak. There were plenty of other people there, but somehow, I felt like he was talking directly to me. Like I was the only person in the room. His message hit home. I left that Summit with something I hadn’t arrived with — a purpose.
I remember driving home in an old Chevy Envoy with no air conditioning and tires that were about bald. I didn’t have much, but I had a lot on my mind. I knew something needed to change. At the time, I was also coaching high school basketball. I spent a lot of time talking to our players about believing in themselves, working hard, surrounding themselves with the right people, and chasing their dreams. But somewhere on that drive home, I had to take a hard look in the mirror. I was asking those young men to do things in their lives that I wasn’t doing in my own. That was a tough realization.
I knew I was on the wrong team. Not because I didn’t love real estate, but because I wanted to be part of something with a different culture. A team that believed in each other, challenged each other, and genuinely wanted to see everyone succeed. And I had just experienced exactly that at the Mossy Oak Properties Land Summit. The people I met were incredible. They were positive, encouraging, passionate, and genuine. They understood the land, but more importantly, they understood people. I felt like I belonged.
I loved Mossy Oak Properties. I loved what the brand stood for. I loved the people. And I knew that was the culture I wanted to be part of. That feeling was so strong that before I even left the Summit, I started asking questions about opening my own Mossy Oak Properties office in Indiana.
Finding the Right People
When I got home, the first person I talked to was Buffy. As always, she had confidence in me and believed in what I could accomplish. One of the next calls I made was to my good friend, Kelly Hendricks. Kelly is one of the smartest guys I know, and an even better person. I told Kelly what I was thinking. We talked about the opportunity, the challenges, and everything that would have to happen to make it work. I’ll never forget his response: “What’s stopping you? You can do it. You’ve got this.”
Sometimes, that’s exactly what a person needs to hear. Kelly believed in me at a time when I was still trying to convince myself. His excitement, encouragement, and support during those early days meant more than he probably ever realized. I’ll always be grateful for that.
But there was one pretty big obstacle. I didn’t have the money to start a company. Kelly didn’t hesitate. He told me, “I’ve got it, and I know a guy.” That guy was Chad Renbarger. Looking back, I think Chad was at a similar point in his life. We both wanted more. More opportunities, more for our families, and the chance to build something we could be proud of.
The three of us started having conversations. Lots of them. We talked about our pasts, our experiences, our strengths, our weaknesses, and what each of us could bring to the table. And, of course, we talked about deer hunting! We didn’t have all the answers. We certainly didn’t know everything that was ahead of us. But we believed in the opportunity, we believed in each other, and we knew that together we could build a pretty special team. And that’s where the story of Mossy Oak Properties Indiana Land & Lifestyle began.
The Early Days – Building Something from Nothing
The first few months weren’t easy. We had a dream, we had a plan, and we had plenty of ambition. What we didn’t have was a lot of extra time or money. Kelly was busy running two or three other businesses. Chad and I were both still working full-time jobs, trying to build a real estate company in whatever hours we had left in the day.
I had already established a little bit of a local presence in real estate, so I focused on the four or five counties around me. Chad, on the other hand, would take a listing just about anywhere in Indiana. And I mean anywhere! I’m pretty sure he ran the tires right off his vehicle those first few months. He was willing to go wherever the opportunity took him, and looking back, that determination was a big part of getting us off the ground.
Our First Office – Rockville, Indiana
At the same time, we rented our first office in Rockville, Indiana. Now, when I say that building needed a little work, that might be an understatement. That building was rough! It had one little window air conditioner that was supposed to cool the entire building. Looking back, I guess it didn’t matter much because we were hardly ever there long enough to use it. We were too busy running across Indiana, chasing leads, showing properties, and trying to find our next listing.
I remember the cobwebs that always seemed to show up, no matter how much we cleaned. And then there were the mice! I can’t tell you how many times I was sitting in that office meeting with a customer or vendor when suddenly you’d hear… SNAP! Another mousetrap had gone off. Talk about making a great first impression!
We didn’t have a fancy office, expensive furniture, or much of anything else. But we had a dream and a willingness to work. Every spare evening and weekend we could find, we were there working on that little building. Painting, remodeling, laying flooring, and doing whatever needed to be done. I still remember the day after Chad and I laid the new floor. Neither one of us could hardly move! We were sore from head to toe. But we were building something, and that made it worth it.
And while we were working on the building, there were a hundred other things happening behind the scenes. The website. The office. The signs. The Google phone number. The franchise name. Marketing materials. And what seemed like a never-ending list of things we hadn’t even thought about when we started. We were learning as we went.
The People Behind the Dream
I remember spending countless evenings at that office after getting off work. Buffy was right there helping with anything I needed. My son Hunter even jumped in and helped us lay that floor. I remember Holly Renbarger coming by the office before the Little Italy Festival. Those might seem like small memories, but looking back ten years later, they’re some of the ones that mean the most.
Because this wasn’t just three guys starting a business. Our families were part of it from the very beginning. They gave up evenings, weekends, and time together so we could chase something we believed in. And they believed in us, even when we weren’t entirely sure what we were doing!
That little office might not have looked like much to the outside world, but to us, it represented everything we were working toward. And the funny thing is, we were so busy out trying to build a business that we hardly spent any time sitting in the office we had worked so hard to fix up. But maybe that’s exactly why we made it.
Taking the Leap
As the business started moving forward, Chad and I had a conversation that seemed to come up more and more often. When were we going to quit our jobs and do this full-time? We talked about it a lot. We both knew that if we really wanted to build the company we had envisioned, eventually we were going to have to take that leap. But knowing you need to do something and actually doing it are two very different things.
I don’t remember the exact day Chad quit his job, but I sure remember his excitement when he told me. It almost seemed to come out of nowhere! He had made the decision. He was all in. And I knew I wasn’t going to be far behind.
I had a large real estate closing coming up, and I decided it was time. I turned in my notice at work and committed to building Mossy Oak Properties full-time. Now, I can laugh about it today, but I remember how nervous I was. I had just walked away from a steady paycheck, and I was counting on that closing. Every single day until that deal closed, I worried it was going to fall apart. I checked on it, thought about it, and probably lost more sleep over that transaction than I care to admit.
But it closed. And just like that, we were no longer just talking about building a company. We were doing it. We had taken the leap.
Looking Back 10 Years Later
When I look back at those early days, I don’t remember the money we didn’t have nearly as much as I remember the people who showed up. I remember Dr. Kevin Elko speaking at that Summit and making me realize I needed to change the direction of my life. I remember that long drive home in an old Chevy Envoy with no air conditioning and bald tires. I remember Buffy believing in me from that very first conversation, and how she, Hunter, and Holly were all part of helping us get started. I remember Kelly telling me I could do it, even when I wasn’t sure I could. I remember Chad driving all over Indiana, chasing listings and opportunities. I remember that little office in Rockville, the cobwebs, the mousetraps, and the floor that nearly did us both in. And I remember the excitement, the fear, and the uncertainty of walking away from a steady paycheck to chase a dream.
We didn’t know exactly where the road would lead. We didn’t know how big the company might become or what challenges were waiting around the corner. But we knew we had the right people, the right culture, and a willingness to outwork just about anyone. Those early days taught me something I’ve carried with me ever since. Success isn’t built overnight. It’s built through relationships, trust, hard work, sacrifice, and surrounding yourself with people who believe in the same things you do.
Ten years later, I still think about that drive home from the 2015 Land Summit. And I’m thankful I had that first conversation with Buffy and made that call to Kelly. I’m thankful Chad believed in what we could build. I’m thankful for our families, who supported us from the very beginning. And I’m thankful for every person who has become part of our story over these past ten years.
Because Mossy Oak Properties Indiana Land & Lifestyle was never just about selling land. It was about building something we could all be proud to be part of. A team. A culture. A family. And it all started with a dream, a few people who believed in each other, and the courage to take that first step.
10 Years. One Team. Countless Memories. And we’re just getting started.