Time is Our Most Precious Commodity: Brian J Esposito

Brian Esposito, CEO of Esposito Intellectual Enterprises, is a prominent figure in the worlds of entrepreneurship and technology. His journey, however, is not just one of business success, but also a deeply personal one shaped by his upbringing, health challenges, and a steadfast commitment to helping others. Brian’s story is a testament to the idea that time is our most precious commodity and that genuine human connection and empathy are the keys to a meaningful life.

An Entrepreneurial Spirit from the Start

Growing up in the Asbury Park area of New Jersey, Brian was raised in an entrepreneurial household. His father, who owned a nail care manufacturing company, instilled a strong work ethic in him from a young age. Brian recalls going to work with his dad as early as eight years old, helping to pack nail treatment bottles and understanding the concepts of business, commerce, and supply and demand. This early exposure to the business world set him on an entrepreneurial journey, leading him to start his own small ventures, like mowing lawns and shoveling driveways, to earn money. His older siblings, who were 10 to 13 years older, were often amazed at how he always had money.

This natural inclination toward business is a common thread among entrepreneurs. Brian’s motto, “time is our most precious commodity,“ has been the foundation of his private holding company since the late 1990s and early 2000s. He developed this philosophy at a young age after losing his grandfather, which made him keenly aware of the fleeting nature of life.

A Collision with Invisible Disabilities

Brian’s personal connection to invisible disabilities began when he first met the founder and CEO of the Invisible Disabilities Association, Wayne Connell, and they became fast friends. Brian was moved by the founder’s story, which was inspired by his wife’s debilitating illness, and felt a “call to action” to help others. This feeling was amplified by his own family’s struggles. His father had been diagnosed with PLS (Primary Lateral Sclerosis), a slower form of ALS, and Brian saw firsthand the anxiety and fear that come with a diagnosis for which there is no cure. His father’s journey, which included both good and bad days, deeply affected the family.

During this time, Brian researched conditions that mimic ALS, like Lyme disease, which he believes is a global epidemic. He learned that Lyme disease often gets misdiagnosed because there is no incentive for the healthcare system to treat it, and the bacteria can live in the body indefinitely, slowing down the neurological system. This experience opened his eyes to the challenges people face when dealing with illnesses that are not physically visible.

During COVID-19, Brian realized that many people were living with invisible disabilities due to the fear, anxiety, and stress brought on by economic instability, political unrest and of course, a global pandemic. He felt that organizations like the Invisible Disabilities Association were more necessary than ever to provide tools and resources to help people navigate these challenges.

A Business Model of Empathy

Brian’s business philosophy is not just about profit, but also about empathy and integrity. He believes in protecting one’s time by surrounding themselves with people who bring no “chaos, toxicity, noise, or negativity”. This applies to his business dealings as well, where he says no more than yes when he doesn’t align with a person’s ethics, integrity, morals, and values. He has a specific metric for how he uses his time, comparing the 86,400 seconds in a day to having $86,400 in the bank. If someone “robs” only 10 seconds from you, you shouldn’t spend the rest of your day worrying about them.

His commitment to integrity was tested in 2016 when a drunk driver hit him head-on. The accident financially devastated him, leaving him millions in debt. He learned that he was the “glue” that held his companies together, and without him, they collapsed. He chose not to file for bankruptcy and instead worked with his creditors to pay off his personal debts, a process that took seven to eight years. This experience, while difficult, made him grateful for the opportunity to rebuild his life and career on a stronger foundation. It taught him the importance of being a man of his word.

Innovating for a Better World

Brian is a self-proclaimed innovator, living by the motto “adapt or die”. He has over 115 companies in his private holdings, spanning more than 25 different industries. He attributes his success to understanding the need in the market and being able to evolve and adapt, a lesson he learned from the failures of once-great companies like Blockbuster, Kmart, and Enron. He has been heavily involved in tokenization, crypto, and blockchain for over 13 years, not as a speculator, but as someone who sees it as the future of financial transactions and community building. He took over a public company, Diamond Lake (DLMI), with a focus on integrating these new technologies into its business model.

For Brian, supporting the Invisible Disabilities Association is about more than just business. It’s about helping people who are dealing with the added burden of a physical or invisible disability. He is passionate about bridging the gap between those who have everything and are unhappy and those who have a disability but find joy in life. He believes that our brains are powerful and that with the right tools, resources, and support, people can not only get through their day but potentially heal themselves.

Brian’s journey is an inspiration, demonstrating that through perseverance, integrity, and a focus on helping others, one can overcome adversity and build a life of purpose and impact. Brian currently volunteers as IDA’s Director of Development.