On this episode of the Easy Millionaire, host Steve Straub is joined by his own financial advisor, Hunter Boyd of Bluegrass Investment Company. Steve opens up his investment portfolio and talks through the strategy he and Hunter use to build it.

Hunter grew up in a fifth-generation farming family. In the late '90s the wholesale apple market started to slide, so his family pivoted from shipping semis of apples to big retailers to agritourism. They moved from southern Illinois to Woodford County, Kentucky, bought a 70-acre working farm from two 82-year-old brothers, and built it into Boyd's Orchards (now Eckert's). With its pumpkin patch, corn maze, hayrides and cider donuts, it became a fall staple in central Kentucky. Hunter talks about growing up "raised in a barn": sorting strawberries at 6 a.m., picking peaches on 95-degree days, and the work ethic that still pays off for him.

The farm never reached a sixth generation. When Hunter was in high school, his mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's at 58. His parents had no plan for the "what ifs" and no long-term care coverage. At 20, Hunter didn't have the money to buy the business or the experience to run it. They expected the sale to take three or four months. It took eighteen. His father later called that stretch the hardest thing he had ever been through, harder even than being his wife's caretaker. Because the deal wasn't set up to save on taxes, the family left an estimated couple million dollars on the table.

Hunter graduated the same year the business sold. He then drove west to Denver with no plan and took the first job offered to him, selling life insurance with no training. There he met a mentor who did real planning work for business owners. Hunter moved home to Lexington, chose the independent advisory route, and set a clear mission: "to be the guy my parents wish had come along fifteen years ago."

Connect with Hunter at bluegrassinvestco.com or on LinkedIn (Hunter T. Boyd). To be a guest on The Easy Millionaire, email Steve at novainsurancegroup.com.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction and Hunter Boyd's background

02:01 Hunter Boyd's family orchard history and pivot to tourism

04:01 Community significance of Boyd's Orchards

05:05 Reflections on legacy and family business

07:03 Challenges of farm work and early jobs

08:02 Transition from farming to financial advising

11:50 Family health crisis and business sale

16:06 Lessons learned from business exit and valuation

19:57 Trend following investment strategy

30:12 Importance of systematic investing and emotional control

39:48 Building a team for business sale and exit planning

54:55 Advice for business owners on preparing for sale

🏠 Learn more about NOVA Insurance Group at https://novainsurancegroup.com/.

🎧 Listen to more podcast episodes from NOVA Insurance Group on Apple and Spotify.

📊 Find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn at NOVA Insurance Group.

#NOVAInsuranceGroup #Kentucky #Insurance #FinancialPlanning #EasyMillionaire #ExitPlanning