From Satellites to Storytelling

John Lee didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a founder. He just wanted to stop flipping through the SAT college book his parents handed him.

“I literally opened it at random and saw mechanical engineering,” he says. “It said you needed math, science, and a little creativity. I was like—yeah, that sounds good. I’ll do that.”

That random decision would launch him into a career most people would envy: mechanical engineering roles at two of the biggest defense contractors in the country, including satellite work tied to weather systems and space reflectors. But it never quite clicked.

Projects spanned 20–30 years. John joined one in its eighth year. He never got to see the results of his work—just designs, calculations, and endless timelines.

“I felt trapped,” he says. “If I wanted to pivot, the only people who’d talk to me were other defense contractors.”

That wasn’t enough. So John walked away.

He got into UCLA’s MBA program, switched coasts, and started searching for something that could make better use of everything he had to offer—engineering rigor, creative instincts, and a deep interest in people. He found it in content.

It wasn’t a pivot to influence or fluff. He’d spent years making videos, growing a TikTok account to over 120,000 followers in the gaming and fitness space, and even launching multiple podcasts. At first, these were just fun side projects—creative breaks from the rigidity of his engineering career. But they planted a seed.

By the time he finished his MBA and wrapped stints at Snap and Pledge, John was ready to build for real.

He launched his business, Precision Growth Partners, in 2023. It didn’t start with a perfect niche or polished business plan. At first, he tried helping early-stage founders create short-form content. Then he experimented with brand deals and e-commerce support.

None of it stuck—until a new client helped clarify what he really had to offer.

It was a boutique wealth management firm that wanted to grow through content—but didn’t know how. They had the expertise. They had a story. But they needed help shaping and sharing it in a way that felt personal, compliant, and real.

That’s where John’s strange resume suddenly made perfect sense.

Engineering gave him systems thinking. Content creation gave him fluency in digital storytelling. And his MBA helped him understand how to pull the business levers behind it all.

So he leaned in—and built his new positioning around a specific gap: helping financial professionals create content that’s compliant and story-driven.

For most people, financial services content feels cold and impersonal. John’s trying to change that. He’s helping advisors step into the spotlight with confidence, share their real stories, and build brands that feel more human.

“If I can highlight the people behind the portfolios—make them more approachable and real—then we’re doing something special,” he says.

His model is collaborative. He doesn’t just hand clients a video and wish them luck. He works closely with them to uncover the right stories, navigate compliance, and build systems that scale. It’s personal and high-trust, which is exactly what this space needs.

The name, Precision Growth Partners, was a conscious choice—meant to signal both strategic clarity and alignment with the world he’s serving.

John doesn’t pretend it’s easy. Year one of building a business has been full of ups and downs. But the difference now is simple: the work feels worth it.

He’s back in the zone of real creation—this time, with clients he believes in and a model that rewards consistency over flash.

“I don’t want to do this alone,” he says. “The first client I had—they’re entrepreneurs, too. We’re building something together. And that kind of energy… that’s what makes me want to show up every day.”

He’s still doing what he was doing back in college, back when he first picked up a camera or launched a podcast: trying things, testing, learning. But now he’s got the experience, the credibility, and the clarity to make it sustainable.

And he’s still telling stories—just at a whole new level.

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