Join host Chrysandra Brunson as she welcomes David Thompson, a visionary in real estate and community building, to discuss the transformative power of dreams and fearlessness. Learn about David’s journey from his beginnings in Pittsburgh to becoming a global influencer through his extensive work in real estate, politics, and philanthropy. This episode delves into tales of divine calling, personal loss, and the courage needed to face life’s giants head-on.
Welcome, everyone, to The Calling’s radio show to all the dreamers. I’m your radio host, Chrysondra Brunson, founder and CEO of The Calling. It is such an honor to be with all of you today. You know, The Calling is a nonprofit headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with an international reach that understands people are abandoning their dreams because they are afraid to fail. And that’s just plain wrong because God has given each one of us a dream. And if we’re not living it out daily, we are wasting it. And the calling understands fear. We have been afraid to, but we have been able to push through. And so can you. We have so many different tools and custom programs to give the confidence to make your dreams from the Lord come to be and to fulfillment. We love to inspire, empower, and equip people to live out their God-given dreams, especially through this radio program to all the dreamers and having incredible guests like we do today. And we have the one and only David Thompson on with us. David, welcome to the show.
DAVID THOMPSON :
Thank you. I’m excited to be here.
CHRYSANDRA :
We’re so glad. And to have you in studio is so special. It makes it even more powerful. And it’s been way too long. So seeing you is so great.
DAVID THOMPSON :
It’s great to see you as well. I’ve followed you on your social media and you’re doing great work.
CHRYSANDRA :
Oh, thank you, David. Well, you you are God’s world changer and world shaker. And David, you have so many different titles from being like the world’s number one dad and family member and friend, but also just a world shaker. And can you just describe these different titles to our listeners tuning in?
DAVID THOMPSON :
Sure. So I’ve been in real estate most of my life, but in large scale developments and really building community. And so we developed the projects downtown Denver and in the ski resorts of Keystone and Winter Park. And then I got into politics and I handled the economic development for John Hickenlooper. And back now in real estate and we’re building communities all over Colorado and Texas and in North Carolina.
CHRYSANDRA :
Wow. And David, some people would be so excited just to have like one house, but you have developments and communities all across the nation.
DAVID THOMPSON :
We’re doing some big work. We’re actually doing the largest projects in America right now. We have a 78 floor tower and a 67 floor tower going up of all residences. And those are in Austin, Texas.
ADVERTISER :
Wow.
DAVID THOMPSON :
Wow. Yeah. But on the other side of that is I do a lot of philanthropic work. And I think that’s where you and I know each other from is on the philanthropic side. But yeah, no community can be a community without that side to it.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yes. Yes. And can you just describe that work as well, David?
DAVID THOMPSON :
Sure. So I’m involved in quite a few, but probably the bigger ones are the Nathan Yip Foundation, which we build. It’s education for empowering children. And typically it was K through five. But now we brought it back to Colorado. We have seven schools in China and we have 7000 kids in our program there currently today. Hmm. But we brought that back about three years ago to Colorado, and we’re in rural Colorado. So we’re in Eads, Alamosa Center, and we’re in Cortez. And there we’re K-12 and doing some really great work on school campuses. So that’s super exciting. And then I have a foundation for my son, and he recently passed away in a tragic car accident, and we built a foundation. It’s his name. I’m so sorry. for um safe driving he was texting and driving and we now have this uh foundation wow we’re kicking that off october 14th and 15th in boulder colorado where the um it’s going to be a pledge so the kids will pledge to answer three questions to to drive safer one is that they will Consider driving safer, too. They will acknowledge if they’re in a car and someone is driving and texting. They’ll acknowledge and confront that driver. And the third is that they’ll continue on with receiving notifications of trying just to keep updated to that. But a student cannot… go through registration without taking the pledge. So we will have an instant database of 30,000 to 40,000 kids that actually take the pledge. And I didn’t make this up. This is actually done in Syracuse and in Iowa and other cities around the country as the number one killer of children. So 15 to 20. So it’s unfortunate, but that’s what’s happening.
ADVERTISER :
So sorry.
DAVID THOMPSON :
Yeah. You do great things out of hardship, but I, um, I have a few others that I work on and it’s mostly around education, but it’s all about building the community.
CHRYSANDRA :
Well, as everyone can tell, just tuning in, David is so humble and truly a world changer just from the ground up. And knowing that as we build economies, we pour back into people’s hearts and, um, I cannot wait to hear how we can get more involved, especially in your son’s foundation, David, and just this heart of yours of being able to know how to build and grow and give back. Can you just take us back to your beginnings, David, of when you were a little boy and how you can see God just pouring in your heart to know that this is what you were born to do?
DAVID THOMPSON :
Sure. So I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And I think what probably stirred that up the most is my father was in real estate. So a significant developer back then. And he would rent these buses and take people in our communities to the kids on events like going to the ball game and things. And he never needed to do that. It’s just what he wanted to do. And I think he taught me a lot about building community. And I continued that on. When I came out to the University of Denver and I wanted to ski for the team, the team went defunct in 81. There was no money at the University of Denver, so they stopped the program. So I got involved in politics at the school, so student body president, and I started doing a lot of community events. And really brought the student body together at a time when they thought the school was going to close. It was in 1985. Denver University. Yeah, and the university was actually founded in 1864. So it’s even before the state of Colorado was founded. And so, you know, and I was just determined that this isn’t going to happen. And there was a man there that just became on the board of trustees, Daniel Ritchie, Dan Ritchie. And so much of the school now is named after him because he came in. And he really changed that school and the trajectory of it and built the community, not just around DU, but around the whole city of Denver and brought everybody together. So that was another major influence on my life. And today, 40 years later, I’m still very, very close with Dan. And I live on the campus. He lives on the campus as well. And I’m super engaged at DU with the students as well. And then moving forward in my life, I just continue to stay involved in activities that built our neighborhoods. And I actually follow what I call, even today, it’s called the art of neighboring. And really, it’s about a practice of building your community of the neighborhood. And that could look, and I’m not talking just about neighborhoods. a neighborhood for your direct neighbors, which it can be, but I’m talking about maybe your city, your state, your country, your world, and how do you be a better person and a neighbor?
CHRYSANDRA :
Wow.
DAVID THOMPSON :
Yeah. So we do that through a lot of different things. You know, in the philanthropic world, it seems fairly direct. And in the real world of like real estate where we are, I’m doing it in the in the big world of real estate, too. So it’s I’m trying to teach corporations that it doesn’t have to be. all this profit I mean if you get a 22% return why not get a 20% and put 2% into building that community and doing other things and you still make good return but you build this great opportunity so
CHRYSANDRA :
And even, but most people don’t think like that. So for God to be able to have your mindset and that’s going to help all of us be able to have that shift of knowing how to build and how to give back.
DAVID THOMPSON :
Yeah. And I learned it actually in church too. So oftentimes when you, when you copy, it’s not your most creative idea because you’ve probably copied it from somebody else. But in church, I go to a church in Denver called restoration and it’s, um, Maybe four or five years ago, we had a pastor that came in and spoke about the art of neighboring. And he wrote a book on it. And so that term really is from the church, but I put it into the real world. And so that really it’s what… God has led me. And I really believe after the tragedy of my life is that is where I really need to focus. And I’m making fairly big moves to do it and bold moves that I’m again, when you first when you first referenced about fear, you know, we all we all live in fear in so many ways.
ADVERTISER :
But yeah.
DAVID THOMPSON :
It’s it’s difficult. Fear is difficult. But when you when you challenge yourself and you become in that calm mode or if you don’t take action, if you don’t take the challenges, it’s then you live also in a different kind of fear, like a fear of failure, a fear of disappointment, a fear of other things. So I think I think courageousness is really important and how you be courageous. courageous even with that fear right and it leads you to be extremely vulnerable but at the same time hopefully that helps you and and as you age as where i am in my life you want to be you want that so it’s uh yeah so those are some that’s sort of i kind of digress and going back to my youth i i really um I just feel very much committed to to God’s word and doing the right thing.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah, that’s so powerful. So, and David, at the beginning of the show, you were able to share these different roles and the different ways that you’ve been able to help change humanity. And that is because of facing one fear after another and the different challenges. How have you been able to face these giants head on, these Goliaths in your life and be able to step forward anyways? Because so many times that fear paralyzes people. How have you been able to have that mental strength?
DAVID THOMPSON :
That’s a good question. People ask that of me often because I’ve gone through really difficult times. But I don’t know. There’s one thing that I really, I do connect. I love living in Colorado because I do connect with the earth. It’s part of a spiritual thing for me. I climb and I ski. But climbing is really special because And I don’t know where your listeners are. They’re probably from all over. But in Colorado, we have we have 58 mountains that are over 14000 feet. And when you get above that at 14000, you’re you’re like in heaven.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah.
DAVID THOMPSON :
And it’s pretty spiritual. I mean, it’s it it takes it literally takes your breath away because you’re at 14000. But if you can adjust and just take it all in, it’s super powerful.
CHRYSANDRA :
Well, David, we want to hear more about that. We’re going to take a short break. We thank everybody for tuning in to to all the Dreamers radio show. We’re here with David Thompson. We’ll be right back. Hi guys, this is Crisandra Brunson, host of To All The Dreamers. I am so happy to introduce personal training, nutritional guidance, and behavioral change coaching. Healthy, happy, and heavenly for your wellness, spirit, soul, and body. Contact Mimi Kroger at healthyhappyandheavenly.com.
ADVERTISER :
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CHRYSANDRA :
We are back. You are listening to all the Dreamers radio show. We are here with David Thompson. And David, you were just taking us to the mountaintops and just knowing that surreal moment where we’re face to face with the Lord. We have that presence, I think, of his majesty. And you were sharing that that’s really how you’re able to have this mental connection. to be able to face fear and overcome all these different challenges. And at the beginning of this segment, you were sharing with us of how much God has allowed you to be able to be part of even governor’s offices of economic development and housing developments all across America. the United States of America to being able to have a huge impact in these different foundations and having one of the most sorrowful things I think that can happen to a parent and having your son recently pass away. And so being able to trust God through that and know what you’re called to do David, have you been able, some people say it’s just moment by moment or step by step, but someone that’s going through a challenge right now and knowing what they’re called to do, but not knowing how to walk forward, what would you say?
DAVID THOMPSON :
I would say that what happens oftentimes when you’re in fear or you’re in sorrow or grief, it’s really odd. I’m not sure if it’s just America, but we have this isolation. And we think that people don’t want to hear your story. Or that there if it maybe it would happen to them so they don’t even want to get near you. So they because they isolate you. And it’s really it’s really a problem with grief or of a child, especially with if if it’s suicide or drugs. But. I think with all things, if you can be open in your communication and ask, I think it’s really important to ask people for help. There’s so many great books that are written on that. I mean, it says start with why, which is I love this book because it’s just why do you do what you do? And, you know, you know how you can do accounting or finance or, you know, what you need to do. But how why why do you do it? And I think that his second book, Leaders Eat Last, I think it’s called, but it talks about… I love that. So it’s because it talks about that you need to be open and lose that fear of asking the question and ask friends for help. Even if they’re not friends, if you go to your church and ask your church and ask people… We all have we all have our issues. Yeah. There’s not one person. So I mean, so true. So but, you know, and a lot of people don’t talk through them, but I can guarantee you if they did.
ADVERTISER :
Yeah.
DAVID THOMPSON :
That they would feel so much better. And for both sides. So I think that’s the one thing I would I would ask is that you try to talk to people about that, whether it’s and if you’re if you’re if you’re not sure who to be vulnerable with, you know, maybe that’s a support group. You go and you find a support group that can be vulnerable with you and talk through that and learn that process. But I do think communication and talking is really important.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yes, I love that. Just the courage to know that God has you in that season for a reason, each of us in this season. And he wants us, he puts us right where we’re supposed to be. So every person we’re in front of or around, we’re meant to share that story in some way or impact someone. So that’s a great reminder of that. And so David, you have, how have you been able to, empower different economies the way that you have. I think that as, especially as Christians, we forget the power of dominion of that. God wants us to be able to help lead and help rules that we can give back and be able to have this, um, representation of what heaven’s gonna be like, that we’re gonna have all these different jobs and be able to be good stewards of what God’s given us. How have you been able to help grow economies and how can we do that as God’s children? I think that we’re each called to do in a little or big way.
DAVID THOMPSON :
I think I would say that we are all to be – we’re disciples of God. And to really understand, you don’t need to be religious and throw that down people. I think you just need to be open to hearing them and then – When you hear you hear things that maybe they may need or what some groups may need or communities may need. And then work through that through leadership of trying to answer that. Yeah, I think in politics, I don’t want to bring I hate to bring politics.
CHRYSANDRA :
No, bring it in. We love talking about that.
DAVID THOMPSON :
Well, it’s I think I think that. In America, we’ve gone so far left that it’s not really what we as a country are about. And they wrote God Bless America on Pikes Peak. The lady that wrote that, and she wrote the words to it on Pikes Peak.
ADVERTISER :
I did not know that.
DAVID THOMPSON :
Yeah. And so… I think that in politics, we need to bring it back. And I think that is just having the open dialogue with people and making them aware. So many people are not aware because they’re so busy with their lives on social media and whatever it might be. There’s so much content there. All over the world. But in America, we have so much. And and they forget really where we started from. And I think that if you go back to the basics of our country and that I think that. it’s even in the dollar bill and God we trust. You know, it’s like, what happened with that? So why can’t we bring that back? And I get worked up on it because I think, and so what I’m trying to do right now, Denver proper, the city of Denver, is under leadership that’s difficult. And we’re really trying to build a slate that can bring this back. And especially for the young people, because there’s so many young people that have moved to Denver. It’s changed so much in 10 years, I can’t even believe it. And yet that’s what I do in my business. And that’s also why I’m trying to make it different in my business. We have literally in the company that I work, we have what’s called the art of neighboring, what I told you about earlier. And I… We do things where when a neighbor moves in, I immediately give them a subscription to the 5280 magazine, which is it’s talk talks about all the things that are happening in the city and how do you get involved and where are you at? You know, next week I’ve got a couple of political events that I actually host in our building. And then we bring the restaurants and we bring the band when, when not, when, um,
CHRYSANDRA :
I want to go.
DAVID THOMPSON :
Yeah. When COVID hit, this is so fun. When COVID hit, we had so many restaurants like chefs and yoga teachers and DJs that live in our buildings, you know? Right. And they’re all out of work. So we ended up paying for them. And we brought them down on our pool deck. And the guys spun his records down there. We had the brewer who was making the beer brought beers to all the doorsteps. And we created this. And we created internal yoga programs. And that’s stuff you don’t find in other places. And so I think if we can teach people about the political ways, it’s not teach them, it’s more make them aware. And they can make their own decisions, but give them the awareness. It’s like anything. I just go back to that safe driving thing. It’s about awareness. You can’t dictate and tell someone to do something, but you can make them aware. And they make, hopefully, their decisions. their God decision, like their good decision. Right.
CHRYSANDRA :
Right. Well, that is so neat. And I have been in one of your buildings and it has been it’s incredible, you guys. So towards the end of the show, we will share how to get in touch with David and his developments across the country. But I just I it’s so empowering to know just through the community that you have found at Restoration Church and that encouragement that we do need that community no matter what to be able to be who we’re created to be. And David, so you recently just for people tuning in, I think. no matter what our ages, we are running into this heartache of texting. And to know that that influenced your son. So he was just texting one day and got in a tragic accident. Is that what happened?
DAVID THOMPSON :
Really, really. He was driving slow in Boulder. Actually, the police said he was slow. And what happened is he they know he text because the time of death was right when he was on the phone was texting. But he Went over the curb or not the curb, just over the side and then fell into the river. And the car went over just one turn, but he couldn’t get out of the car. So drowned. He drowned. So but it was from the police said it was he was going slow and just didn’t make the turn. And so it only takes that few seconds, you know, and that’s the thing is that there’s the Avalanche won the hockey, the Stanley Cup this year, and the MVP is this wonderful person that almost died in a similar crash. And they’re helping me through this whole thing as well. And we have a program called Sell No. And it’s a little bag that we’re giving people. It’s a microfiber bag that you put your phone in. When you go in your car, you put it in there. And that just kind of stops you, at least, again, back to makes you aware that your phone is there, but it’s not accessible. Mm-hmm. And so these are the sort of things that we’re, we’re trying.
CHRYSANDRA :
And parents can get that. And I think adult, we all, I need that.
DAVID THOMPSON :
We all do. But the kids, the younger generation, it’s harder because they have faster apps. So, I mean, their movement of their apps are faster. We as adults don’t, we typically still use email and Facebook is still, but it’s not as fast as the others. And that’s where the problem is.
CHRYSANDRA :
So just a challenge to everyone tuning in to be able to tell your children, your family, your friends, it’s not worth it. And to be able to carry on Connor’s legacy. I met him years ago at the Nathan Yip Foundation Gala and just such a spotlight of God’s glory and love. We miss him very much, but I’m excited to see him in heaven and how he’s going to help save so many different lives, too. So we just challenge everyone with that. And David, can you. So we are coming up to the end of our show, but we want to be able to have you back. And hopefully your other son can come in and join us. Can you share one tip that you would say is essential to follow after Jesus is calling on your life?
DAVID THOMPSON :
Yeah, back to, I do want to have my son here because he’s doing the Young Life at Cherry Creek and Young Life at Duke University. So he would be great. He would love to talk to you. And you’re right, this did go faster for 26 minutes. I know. You’re saying the one thing that I would share? Yeah. One tip. One tip is… I think never give up. And always there are two sides. You can be sad or you can be happy. Sure, we always have moments of sadness, but there’s always great opportunity to be happy. And just look at that and go to a safe place in your mind when you’re sad. A safe place, meaning not physically, but emotionally safe. And pick that one place and go back to that. Go back to that. And it might be heaven. It might be for me, it was a safe porch that my grandma had when I was two years old. And I always will go back to that. And it makes you happy.
CHRYSANDRA :
Wow. I love that. Well, David, I know that everyone wants to stay in touch with you and to be able to be part of all these different projects, foundations. How can people be able to reach out to you?
DAVID THOMPSON :
So probably the best thing is my email. So our company is called Kairoi, K-A-I-R-O-I, Kairoi. chiro residential but it’s d thompson and it’s t-h-o-m-s-o-n there’s no p in the surname at chiro k-a-i-r-o-i.com and then my cell phone 720-300-5500 and i’ll look forward to hearing from you
CHRYSANDRA :
Wow. Look at that, you guys. That’s pretty special. Well, David, thank you for being such a spotlight and just sharing you. If you’re in the studio with me, you would see this the glory of the Lord all over him. and just being such a huge influence on humanity. And so thank you for sharing your time and your wisdom, and we can’t wait to have you back. We thank everybody for tuning in to this episode of To All The Dreamers radio show, and we just welcome everyone to go to The Calling’s website, thecallingnonprofit.org, and to be able to stay in touch with us, to be able to hear this show again with David and our other guests. And we just challenge you to ask yourself what you would do if you knew you could not fail. And God has put that on your heart for a reason. Know that you can do it. You can live it out. Thank you for tuning in. Keep dreaming big.
