“There is no investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer through your establishment,” said Orison Swett Marden. Here at Bonvera, we believe in impacting others lives for the better, reigniting hope and dreams, and having fun while we’re doing it. This next couple lives out this principle so well. We’re proud to feature Kirk and Nicole Porter hailing from Keller, Texas.
For many, success and freedom is often found after hitting rock bottom, and that’s exactly what Kirk and Nicole Porter’s story is. Kirk and Nicole “had the big house that [they] custom built.” They had the cars, and they took their “1-2 vacations a year.” As Kirk put it, they “were trying to keep up with the Joneses and they found out the Joneses were broke too.” Nicole reiterated, “There was too much month and not enough money.” They found themselves looking for a different opportunity to pay for their custom-built home, and they had projected their life on “ifcome,” as in the money that would come “if” the careers and jobs continued as they did. At the time, Nicole was working as a dental hygienist cleaning teeth, and Kirk was working in the IT industry for a defense company. He was consulting on the side making “3x as much money” as his day job.
After 3 months in their new home, the company Kirk was consulting for went bankrupt. As Nicole put it, that is when they “really hit rock bottom.” They found themselves “hard core looking for what [they] were going to do.” Unbeknownst to them, they had been growing leadership and community growing skills all the while. They had just become interim small group pastors at their church. Nicole said, “We were leading community. Our job title was to form small group communities, which we fell in love with doing.” They kept thinking, “How can we monetize this?” They weren’t hiring them full-time, and Kirk’s loss of a lucrative side hustle all made for the perfect storm.
It was at this time that Kirk’s friend contacted them about an opportunity to build their own business. Kirk said, “We had always wanted to be entrepreneurs, but we didn’t know how to.” All of these things came together, and their lives changed forever after their decision to be in this industry.
When Bonvera came along, they didn’t even have to think about being a part of this incredible new company with a unique vision and mission. Kirk described, “We always had a passion for developing businesses and communities that could go mainstream, and when we saw this opportunity to partner with Bonvera, it was everything we wanted to do.” Nicole added, “And the bonus was that we could make a whole lot of money with it.” Today, they are able to say they “haven’t had a job in 10 years.” They’ve been able to homeschool their kids, and they’ve been able to pay cash for cars. They’ve also been able to travel the world and help others towards financial success. Their kids have been able to “see a completely different outlook on life, and how to set a goal and chase after it” from seeing their parents do it with Bonvera. They want to be entrepreneurs when they grow up too.
Bonvera is a unique ecosystem unlike any other. Nicole described being around this community of leaders by saying, “Iron sharpens iron. There is such a benefit to hang around people that are visionaries. It makes such a difference.” Kirk agreed, “It creates a current. My grandma used to say that if you hang around with people that smell like poop, you’ll smell like poop. But she didn’t say poop.” They love Bonvera’s mission for “taking a business mainstream and putting value back into the homes to teach entrepreneurship to families.” They both described that “being able to walk into someone’s living room and give them hope” is just an incredible feeling.
When asked about what their dreams are, they laugh and say in unison “I have a dream” as if to reenact the famous words of Martin Luther King. Nicole and Kirk want to “own a vacation home in Costa Rica.” Nicole wanted a huge backyard for entertaining to host kids and grandkids one day. Kirk jokingly said, “I want to buy a Ferrari and get the oil changed at Wal-Mart and watch their faces trying to change it. And make more money than Cody.” What’s unique is that Kirk and Nicole share really personal, unique friendships with other Bonvera leaders. Kirk and Cody can often be found having fun and dreaming together. Kirk said, “We wouldn’t change it. We’ve helped start Bonvera because of our relationship with Cody and Tara. It’s great to have running mates with the same vision and same direction with where they want to go with their life.” Nicole agreed, “The real thing is it’s really cool to see really good friends just be able to stay up all hours of the night and dream together. It’s inspiring. You don’t find that outside of this industry. Other guys that are good friends don’t stay up all hours of the night dreaming together about the future.”
Kirk and Nicole bring something unique to the community of Bonvera, just as every other couple does. We had to ask what their “secret sauce” is, or something that makes them unique as a couple. Nicole explained, “I would say for Kirk and I we work simultaneously together. We don’t really have defined roles. We both interchangeably can do all parts of the business to get the job done.” Kirk elaborated, “We’re both fans of each other. She’s my fan, and I’m her fan. We want both of us to succeed at all levels. We aren’t threatened by each other’s gifts or abilities. Even though mine are better.” Nicole added, “Where I’m weak, Kirk is strong and vice versa. Together we make a great team.” Kirk joked that they’re both so competitive, and he lets Nicole win. They jokingly laughed!
As we closed out this interview, we asked this couple, as we’ve asked every couple, a few fun questions that reflect their unique personalities.
If you were a fruit, what would you be?
Kirk said, “Is an onion considered a fruit? I’m an onion because I’ve got so many layers. I do something crazy and I blow your mind.”
Nicole said, “ I’m just going to say I’m a pineapple because Kirk said, ‘she’s sweet and sassy.’ I’m thinking of a pineapple and it’s crown. I’m headstrong, and I can be kind of prickly on the outside until you get to know me, and Kirk added, ‘and she’s sweet on the inside.'”
Who would you have dinner with if you could have dinner with anyone?
Nicole confidently stated, “Donald Trump to pick his brain.” Kirk responded, “Tupac. Because it’s cool and I want to find out who killed him.”
If someone were to open your wallet or purse, what would they find?
Kirk dryly stated, “Money.” Nicole said that is really true for him! Nicole answered, “You would find whatever you needed. I pretty much carry the world in there. It’s a dark black hole.”
What’s your favorite experience together?
Kirk said, “Spending mornings together. Nicole makes me breakfast every morning. She makes me coffee, and we drink it on the porch. Our mornings are productive and relaxed. We don’t have to rush.” Nicole laughed, “I’ve become a pro omelette maker with this job.”
Whenever their kids have friends over, Kirk always tells them, “Tell your friends about us!” We are sure that the Porters are one fun house to be over at, and many kids are talking about how awesome they are. Kirk and Nicole are fun, inspiring, dedicated, and driven, and we’re so honored to have them with the Bonvera community. Thank you for listening to their story. If you’re interested in learning more, we’d love to connect you to a Bonvera entrepreneur in your area. Email us at support@bonvera.com or call us at (316) 260 – 2225, and we’ll get you connected today!