Q: When you were first married and not thinking about the family fortune, what was your initial plan?
A: John and I had jobs... we still have full-time jobs, it's just for free. We used to flip houses and were licensed contractors, and I have a degree in interior design. We worked together, and we loved it. I stopped flipping houses, but we still own high-end rental properties.
Q: What made you decide to shift to philanthropy?
A: Some families think it's a burden - but the way John and Tashia approached it with us, it's a gift. We don't feel the burden at all. It all comes back to how they allowed us this autonomy. After going to some Giving Pledge meetings, the difference between us and other families is that we are encouraged to be creative.
Q: How do you keep that spirit going in a family?
A: There are six grandchildren, all third generation. They are highly educated and have jobs. Some are going back for their masters. Our son and daughter are 24 and 23, and they live on their own. There is no support. They wash their own cars and do their own laundry. They are adults.
Q: What do you expect the family foundation to look like down the road? Will you eventually give it all away?
A: John's parents gave John and me the opportunity to spend down the assets or grow them. We decided on grow. We're handing it to our kids with the same exact rule, but we won't let them decide until they are older. We'll get them involved around 30, and they can make that choice.
Q: When there is a fourth generation, what values do you want to pass along to them?
A: To be a good person. To give from the heart. To work hard and be nice. Never take anything for granted and live every day like it's your only day.