Business

Kevin Kellogg, The Man With A Vision

Published

2 years ago

December 23, 2021

Nothing is unstoppable like a vision accompanied by a God-given determination to succeed, and Kevin Kellogg is consistently proving this point. At the age of 13, he already had a clear view of what his future should look like, and he put every ounce of his energy into reaching his goals. His first was to pay for his own car by the time he was 16, and he immediately set out to make that a reality. From mowing lawns and pulling weeds to painting houses, Kevin did every odd job he could get his hands on, living by a lesson that his father had taught him: “If you’re going to do something, do it right. Always look at your work when you’re done and make sure you didn’t miss anything. Your work has your name on it.”

With this in mind, Kevin plunged into early entrepreneurship. His exceptional work soon drew the attention of a local rental owner known as “Mr. Music”. Although Mr. Music was simply looking for Kevin to mow his lawn, it didn’t take long before Kevin was doing all sorts of maintenance on Mr. Music’s rentals. Through this time, a firm bond formed between the two of them, and Mr. Music soon became a huge part of Kevin’s life. The gentleman not only taught Kevin how to drive, but also how to properly care for his properties.

Thanks to odd jobs, a large amount of them for Mr. Music, Kevin was able to buy and restore his first car by the time he was 16, just like he had planned. Although he experienced satisfaction from a completed mission, he immediately began work on a new goal. Kevin wanted financial freedom. If he needed something, he didn’t want money to be an issue. Knowing already that it would be a long road, he started working at the local Publix supermarket while he was still in school, and, after graduation, turned this opportunity into a full time commitment. But it wasn’t enough that he was working for wages, Kevin knew he wanted to do more. He was an exemplary worker, and became a natural candidate for management positions. By the time he was 21, he was working as 2^nd Assistant Manager, and, not long after, was promoted to Assistant Manager. Still, Kevin continued to push forward, aspiring to take on full store management. He strived to learn every aspect of the business in every department. In a short time, Kevin received the promotion he had worked for, and became the youngest store manager in the district. As always, Kevin put his heart into his new position. Refusing to be anything but the best, he consistently enrolled in professional and personal development courses. His achievements quickly began to stack up, and, by the time he retired from store management after 27 years of service, he had opened and organized two new stores for Publix, and was featured in multiple publications discussing the difference he had made in those around him. From coaching and mentoring store associates to serving on the boards of charities, Kevin truly made a difference.

Although he was overseeing approximately $17 million in annual sales and 150 support staff, Kevin knew he wasn’t done. His time working for Mr. Music had put a fire into him for real estate, and he hadn’t abandoned the thought of one day working in the field. When he retired from store management, it wasn’t to relax, it was to pursue his long term plan of a real estate career.

During the next two years, though, troubles arose for Kevin Kellogg. Just as he was looking to begin this new chapter in his life, the stock market crashed, and, along with it, the housing market. In spite of these events, Kevin didn’t focus on how hard it could be to start in a bad market, he focused on his vision. He knew that when things are at the bottom, there’s only one direction they can go: up. So he began climbing. Along with beginning his education, he took on a full time job at Merit Electronics, where he put his management skills to use once again. While spending his days at the store and taking real estate courses, he also began working as a real estate sales associate during weekends and evenings. During his first, very busy year, Kevin managed to help Merit Electronics achieve ISO 9001:2008 compliance, as well as successfully close five real estate transactions.

Part of Kevin’s plan was to work at several different real estate organizations so he could learn varying approaches to the real estate business. During the next few years, along with his continued full time position at Merit Electronics, Kevin worked in multiple different real estate offices, and closed 4 to 5 transactions per year. It was at this time that a local broker approached Kevin with a job offer, and he gratefully accepted.

Kevin, as always, excelled. He was given ten properties to manage, which he grew to thirty within the year. He consistently brought in clients and finalized transactions, but his vision wasn’t quite fulfilled yet. This point was driven home one day, when, after he had closed four real estate deals in a single month, the owner of his company said, “Good job, Kellogg, now go and get me some more.” Although it was meant to be encouraging, it solidified in Kevin that he couldn’t be happy working for someone else. He needed to start his own company.

In 2013, Kevin met Ramona, his future wife. Their first date consisted of sitting on a beach and discussing their values and visions, and they immediately began to formulate a plan for starting their own realty company. Ramona said, “Tell you what, you do the deals, and I’ll do the paperwork.”

Ten months later they were married, and had begun work on Logical Choice Realty Group. Kevin was constantly educating himself and taking classes while also working tirelessly to build their new company. He began to enroll other business members to manage investments and rental properties as well as real estate sales, and, in 2016, quit working for other offices. He was finally set to focus on his own dream. During their first full year of business – 2017 – LCRG closed 17 real estate transactions and was managing over 100 investment properties, and they are currently still growing. Even now, as a successful business owner and an author of a bestselling book, Kevin truly believes that the best is yet to come, and he won’t stop working until he’s achieved exactly what he sees as the best in both professional and personal life. This, no doubt, is obvious to his clients, who receive only the best in customer service, and, just as importantly, investment and real estate options that are devised exactly the same way Kevin lived his whole life: with a will to make a difference in the lives around him, a definite vision, and a plan to make success happen.

Logical Choice Realty Group has a passion for their community, and loves serving and giving back. They are heavily involved in charity groups and humanitarian efforts, and believe in investing in children, who are the future.

To learn more about the accomplishments of this exceptional man and his company, visit: https://kevinlkellogg.com

For more information on Logical Choice Realty Group, visit the company website:

https://logicalchoicerealtygroup.com/

Business

Turning Tragedy into Triumph Through Walking With Anthony

Published

22 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Rosario Farell

On the morning of February 6, 2010, Anthony Purcell took a moment to admire the churning surf before plunging into the waves off Miami Beach. Though he had made the dive numerous times before, that morning was destined to be different when he crashed into a hidden sandbar, sustaining bruises to his C5 and C6 vertebrae and breaking his neck.

“I was completely submerged and unable to rise to the surface,” Purcell recalls. “Fortunately, my cousin Bernie saw what was happening and came to my rescue. He saved my life, but things would never be the same after that dive.”

Like thousands of others who are confronted with a spinal cord injury (SCI), Purcell plunged headlong into long months of hopelessness and despair. Eventually, however, he learned to turn personal tragedy into triumph as he reached out to fellow SCI victims by launching Walking With Anthony.

Living with SCI: the first dark days

Initial rehabilitation for those with SCIs takes an average of three to six months, during which time they must relearn hundreds of fundamental skills and adjust to what feels like an entirely new body. Unfortunately, after 21 days, Purcell’s insurance stopped paying for this essential treatment, even though he had made only minimal improvement in such a short time.

“Insurance companies cover rehab costs for people with back injuries, but not for people with spinal cord injuries,” explains Purcell. “We were practically thrown to the curb. At that time, I was so immobile that I couldn’t even raise my arms to feed myself.”

Instead of giving up, Purcell’s mother chose to battle his SCI with long-term rehab. She enrolled Purcell in Project Walk, a rehabilitation facility located in Carlsbad, California, but one that came with an annual cost of over $100,000.

“My parents paid for rehabilitation treatment for over three years,” says Purcell. “Throughout that time, they taught me the importance of patience, compassion, and unconditional love.”

Yet despite his family’s support, Purcell still struggled. “Those were dark days when I couldn’t bring myself to accept the bleak prognosis ahead of me,” he says. “I faced life in a wheelchair and the never-ending struggle for healthcare access, coverage, and advocacy. I hit my share of low points, and there were times when I seriously contemplated giving up on life altogether.”

Purcell finds a new purpose in helping others with SCIs

After long months of depression and self-doubt, Purcell’s mother determined it was time for her son to find purpose beyond rehabilitation.

“My mom suggested I start Walking With Anthony to show people with spinal cord injuries that they were not alone,” Purcell remarks. “When I began to focus on other people besides myself, I realized that people all around the world with spinal cord injuries were suffering because of restrictions on coverage and healthcare access. The question that plagued me most was, ‘What about the people with spinal cord injuries who cannot afford the cost of rehabilitation?’ I had no idea how they were managing.”

Purcell and his mother knew they wanted to make a difference for other people with SCIs, starting with the creation of grants to help cover essentials like assistive technology and emergency finances. To date, they have helped over 100 SCI patients get back on their feet after suffering a similar life-altering accident.

Purcell demonstrates the power and necessity of rehab for people with SCIs

After targeted rehab, Purcell’s physical and mental health improved drastically. Today, he is able to care for himself, drive his own car, and has even returned to work.

“Thanks to my family’s financial and emotional support, I am making amazing physical improvement,” Purcell comments. “I mustered the strength to rebuild my life and even found the nerve to message Karen, a high school classmate I’d always had a thing for. We reconnected, our friendship evolved into love, and we tied the knot in 2017.”

After all that, Purcell found the drive to push toward one further personal triumph. He married but did not believe a family was in his future. Regardless of his remarkable progress, physicians told him biological children were not an option.

Despite being paralyzed from the chest down, Purcell continued to look for hope. Finally, Dr. Jesse Mills of UCLA Health’s Male Reproductive Medicine department assured Purcell and his wife that the right medical care and in vitro fertilization could make their dream of becoming parents a reality.

“Payton joined our family in the spring of 2023,” Purcell reports. “For so long, I believed my spinal cord injury had taken everything I cared about, but now I am grateful every day. I work to help other people with spinal cord injuries find the same joy and hope. We provide them with access to specialists, funding to pay for innovative treatments, and the desire to move forward with a focus on the future.”