Healthy Mind, Healthy Business
Kaufman considers himself fortunate to have been in therapy most of his life, and to have a mother who was courageous enough to take him and his sister out of the dysfunctional, unhappy home when he was 10. She eventually remarried and Brett established a healthier father-son relationship with his stepfather, Gary Schottenstein.
Developer Brett Kaufman overcame a painful childhood before finding success.
People’s early years have a profound impact, yet need not encage or define them, says Kaufman. Sharing experiences, whether in a 12-step group, during therapy or with a trusted friend, “seems to really make a difference … I think you just have to raise your hand and have the courage to say, ‘I need help.’”
“I can’t talk about one without the other,” says the developer, entrepreneur and investor. Standing in front of city business leaders, he knew it was important to present himself authentically, without fear. Ironically, Kaufman, who hosts a podcast, coaches and is involved in other high-visibility projects, considers himself an introvert. He says he speaks because it is part of his purpose. “We all have a responsibility to love one another and support one another,” he says. “I wouldn’t be where I am without the love and support. It does mean something.” Kaufman talks freely about his painful past. He says he grew up with a father who was beset with various addictions. “That was really difficult,” he says. “At the same time, he was trying to instill values around being a man … his stuff came out on me. There was a lot of verbal abuse.”
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COLUMBUS MONTHLY HEALTH 2021
Today, Kaufman is grateful that his experiences helped define both his career path and personal vision. “I have a deeply held belief in how things happen. They are there to teach, to help me learn and understand, and be part of the divine architecture,” he says. He graduated from Ohio State University, after attending the first two-and-a-half years at the University of Arizona. Kaufman then chose a career in banking—for all the wrong reasons, he says. “I tried to fit in with societal norms of look good, be successful, make money, be somebody, be something,” he recalls. “I became a banker so I could show up at my five-year reunion with a business card. I dressed up in a suit and tie every day. I knew that looking good was the key thing. I knew how to fake it.” His job with Bank One Capital took him to Texas, where he met a developer who inspired his interest in real estate development. Years later, he was introduced to Landmark
PHOTO: TIM JOHNSON
Early last year, Brett Kaufmann, founder and CEO of Kaufman Development, had 10 minutes to speak before an audience of more than 1,000 at the Columbus Chamber of Commerce annual meeting. He spent eight minutes talking about his personal journey, not his business.
