JP Newman – The Why that changes everything

Some people build their lives like a well-organized spreadsheet—neat, calculated, and meticulously balanced. But life, as it turns out, has little regard for tidy cells and perfect sums. Then there are the JP Newmans of the world—the ones who zig when the world expects a zag, fueled by a restless curiosity and an almost stubborn refusal to settle for the obvious.

Joining the conversation along his side is Gloria Park, a finance expert with a knack for simplifying the complex. While she mostly observed, Gloria remained a quiet presence, listening intently and nodding along as JP shared his journey.

His story doesn’t start with a grand plan. It starts with an eight-year-old boy in Los Angeles, hustling grocery tips on his bicycle: "I made 500 bucks that summer," he recalls, "and I earned every penny of it." 

That early taste of self-reliance didn’t just pad his piggy bank; it planted a seed. The message was clear: you can carve your own way, even if the world tells you you’re too young, too inexperienced, or too idealistic.

Of course, the path wasn’t linear. JP was, as he puts it, "supposed to be a nice Jewish lawyer."

That’s what everyone expected, and for a while, he believed it too. But life, like a

mischievous director, had other plans. There was a sidestep into Hollywood—literally—where he worked for a studio head who barked at Julia Roberts on speakerphone while JP chauffeured him to therapy appointments. It was the kind of absurdity that makes you question everything. And JP did.

"I realized I didn’t want to be around people who threw food at interns and lived for power lunches," he laughs. Instead, he found solace on the rooftop of his UCLA fraternity house, meditating while his peers partied downstairs. That’s when the real journey began—not the one marked by promotions and corner offices, but by purpose.

And click it didn’t—at least not for a long while. He stumbled, started businesses that flopped, and found himself, more than once, flat broke while his law-school-bound friends cashed stable paychecks.

But tenacity is a funny thing. It doesn’t shout. It whispers: "Try again." And JP did—again and again—until he landed in children’s entertainment at Sony Pictures. "I was the worst employee," he admits. "I didn’t play the corporate game. But I got things done. And they couldn’t fire me because of it." His instincts paid off, not just in titles but in lessons that would shape his future ventures, including his current role as CEO of ThriveFP—a real estate company built on a radical premise: "For profit. For purpose."

In the context of intent, the conversation started revolving around wealth taking a reflective turn while exploring a common pitfall: chasing numbers without questioning their purpose. The real insight? True wealth is alignment—money working for your purpose, not the other way around. That goal shines brightest in JP's approach to wealth—not just the dollars-and-cents kind, but what he calls "four-dimensional wealth." 

There’s money, yes, but also purpose, relationships, and time. Without balance among these pillars, success feels hollow.

Frameworks came later, often through mentorship—the kind that sees past spreadsheets and zeros to the heart of a person. It’s what JP tries to pass on now, whether it’s to his team, his kids, or a young house-flipper named Zach Cohen. In one of those "only in life" full-circle moments, JP mentored Zach through a tough real estate deal, wiring money to back him up when a predatory seller tried to pull the rug out. Why? Because someone had done the same for JP years earlier, changing the course of his career.

And the universe, it seems, loves a good boomerang story. In gratitude, Zach gifted JP a beat-up 1995 Mazda Miata, complete with racing stripes and a promise: "I’m teaching you to drive this thing like a pro." It’s mentorship, repaid in adrenaline and asphalt.

At the heart of it all, though, is one question that keeps JP moving forward:

Not the neighbor who looks like him, thinks like him, or lives next door, but the one whose life seems worlds apart. It’s a challenge—not just spiritual, but practical. How do you run a profitable real estate business while treating tenants not as rent checks but as valued community members? For JP, the answer lies in recognition:

Purpose, profit, and people—proof that business can be more than transactions.

So here’s the question JP leaves us with: What’s the ‘why’ behind your hustle? And if it’s not lighting you up, is it time to rewrite the story? Listen to JP's episode on Uncharted Your Sidekick for Life Podcast.

JP Newman: the founder of Thrive FP, a real estate investment firm specializing in multifamily housing across Texas, with over $1.5 billion in transactions since 2011. Thrive FP operates on a "For Profit, For Purpose" model, focusing on both financial returns and community impact. This vision extends to Veritas Impact Partners, a nonprofit JP co-founded in 2019 to provide health, education, and financial services for workforce housing residents, aiming to revitalize America’s middle class.

Driven by the belief that true success integrates wealth with well-being, JP advocates for a new kind of capitalism—one where business success uplifts everyone involved, from investors to residents. Known for pushing Conscious Capitalism further, he envisions a world where thriving communities and ethical wealth-building go hand in hand. If you would like to dive deeper in Newman's world here is his podcast: Investing in Purpose.

Natalie Peyton: Peyton studied theatre and film in Australia, New York and LA and performed stand-up on the “three coasts.” She honed her podcast executive skills over the last 4 years developing and producing dozens of podcasts and even hosts a children’s mindfulness bedtime program

Leon Vanstone: Leon brings his curiosity and sharp interviewing skills to the table, facilitating insightful discussions with our mentors, extracting valuable lessons and insights to empower listeners on their own path to growth and achievement.

Dan Dillard: Dan, with his thoughtful approach and engaging style, delves into the minds of our mentors on the podcast, crafting compelling interviews that uncover the wisdom and experiences driving their success and impact.

This blog was written by Anais Schmidt, one of the hosts of the Uncharted Podcast. Anais is also an aspiring musician. When not in her studio, she tours Europe with Monte Mai.

If you would like to join the conversation email us at anais@foundingup.com

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