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What if financial freedom isn’t a number on a screen, but the ability to be present, pick your hours, and say no without fear? We explore the real meaning behind “freedom” and why real estate, not luck, not hype, gives us the control to build it brick by brick in Northwest Arkansas. We start with personal definitions that go beyond cash flow: expenses covered, months of reserves, and a life you can live without checking your phone every five minutes. From there we break down why we favor rea...
What if financial freedom isn’t a number on a screen, but the ability to be present, pick your hours, and say no without fear? We explore the real meaning behind “freedom” and why real estate, not luck, not hype, gives us the control to build it brick by brick in Northwest Arkansas.
We start with personal definitions that go beyond cash flow: expenses covered, months of reserves, and a life you can live without checking your phone every five minutes. From there we break down why we favor real estate over stocks: control over operations, the power to add value, and durable demand for clean, affordable housing. Brandon shares how growing up around duplexes taught him to chase the resilient middle of the market, while Brian explains his pivot from high-earning sales and stressful stock watching to assets he can actively improve. We also talk strategy shifts, selling older units, holding more liquidity, and only redeploying when great deals surface.
The conversation gets practical and personal. We reverse engineer a realistic freedom number by mapping lifestyle costs and backing into a portfolio and yield, often discovering the target is far lower than the mythical $20 million. We dig into time value, calculating your hourly worth, delegating low-value tasks, setting communication windows, and why boundaries are a freedom tool, not a luxury. Faith and discipline matter too: build real reserves, simplify your debts, and trust the process so slow months don’t rattle your mind or your family.
Purpose ties it all together. Travel, family time, mentoring, and service aren’t rewards for later; they’re part of the design. We discuss generosity as strategy, why giving compounds trust and opportunity, and how to align work with what actually fills your soul. Stick around for a teaser on what’s next: a full blueprint on putting a real estate deal together from start to finish.
If this speaks to you, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s chasing freedom, and leave a quick review to help more NWA investors find us. What’s your freedom number, and what will you do when you get there?
Northwest Arkansas's go-to show for real estate agents, brokers, and investors looking to zoom in on the local market. Join us as we sit down with the leading voices in the area to hear how they're investing in NWA.
Hosted by (in order from left to right) Brian Wagers, Zach Stanley, and Brandon Still.
SPEAKER_02: Welcome to Northwest
Arkansas Investing Podcast, your
go-to source for real estate
investing in Northwest Arkansas.
SPEAKER_00: Whether you're a
seasoned investor just starting
out, we bring you expert
insights, market trends, and
practical strategies to help you
build wealth through real
estate.
SPEAKER_01: From buying and
selling to property management
and long-term investment
planning, we cover it all so you
can make smart, informed
decisions in this fast growing
market.
Let's dive in.
SPEAKER_02: Welcome to Northwest
Arkansas Investing Podcast.
Have our wonderful co-hosts with
us with me here, Brian Wagers,
Brandon Still.
Thank you guys for joining us.
If you just listened to the last
episode, we interviewed the
mayor of Fayetteville, uh, Mayor
Molly Ron.
That was a pleasure to have her
on.
I have great guests coming in
the future as well.
Uh, we wanted to break down to
you on this episode like what it
means to be truly financially
free and pairing that with like
why we chose real estate for
that facet.
And this is gonna be a little
bit more organic of a
conversation.
Um, I thought that you guys
would benefit from hearing why
we chose this route, why we're,
you know, we're Northwest
Arkansas Investing Podcast and
we chose real estate for a
reason.
Um, and ultimately, the reason
why you're probably listening in
is because you're trying to
become financially free.
Um, and ultimately why you're
you're toiling with the idea of
real estate.
And so maybe us explaining why
it works for us, um, what it
truly means to be financially
free um might help you guys out
a lot because I think that's the
baseline what the baseline uh
reason why and foundation why a
lot of people might be listening
in is not because I just like
real estate and want to listen
into real estate stuff just for
fun.
No, it's there's an there's an
end goal and it's being
financially free most of the
time, unless you're just a
psychopath and just like buying
real estate to go negative.
I don't I don't know.
Um so uh thank you guys for
tuning in.
What's just Brandon?
Let let's all just start with
like a what we feel the
definition or term of
financially free means.
So Brandon, can you give us like
what does that mean for you?
Like it's a very it's a
buzzword, and a lot of people
start their podcast with that.
Like what does financially free
really mean to you?
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think it's
at least different for
everybody.
Um I think what first comes to
mind is is uh at least the way
that you know we talked about it
growing up in our in my family
and and uh how it kind of tied
into real estate.
Of course, cash flow uh growing
up was like the holy grail and
what we talked about and what
what led to financial freedom.
Um and so yeah, I think I think
financial freedom kind of going
off of that would be you know
being able to acquire or build a
portfolio that would be able to
cover you know living expenses.
I think a lot of people would
say that.
Yeah, that would be what I think
a simple definition of what I've
thought about it to be long
term.
Yeah.
Um obviously as you get into
real estate and you be you know,
you s continue to build a
portfolio over time, you realize
that you're you're really never
gonna live off of the cash flow
regardless.
Uh or maybe you do at some point
down the road.
We're just I'm just not there
yet, uh to where I'm living off
of the cash flow.
So uh so yeah, I think that's
simple to keep it simple.
That's that's the way I've
always thought about it.
SPEAKER_00: Brian, what what's
financial freedom would be me
not having to look at my phone
and know that everything is
gonna be okay, not like not
having to get up and work for 30
days and the all my expenses
would be cut.
I think like I think the first
step is like paying your
expenses, I think would be
financial freedom, and then uh I
think financial freedom is like
kind of choosing what what you
want to do, when you want to do,
and who you want to do it with.
Like having that freedom to do,
you know, not just financial but
time freedom, yeah.
I think is a big part of it.
I think for me it's paying my
expenses plus a buffer plus an
amount that gets reinvested.
Like if I can bring in this
amount much a month and that
covers my expenses, but not only
covers my expenses, it's
reinvesting back into my Nest
egg.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02: I think uh
financially free is a very
interesting term.
Um and what shifted my mindset
around it was I was coaching a
college student through um what
path he wanted to take in real
estate.
And he asked me the question, he
said, How many years in time
financially free?
And I was like, Well, that's a
that's really broad.
Um I was like, How hard are you
gonna work?
Like, I don't know, I don't
know.
And I said, What well what
what's financially free mean to
you?
And he goes, Well, to like find
I guess for me it's I don't have
to worry about putting gas in my
car, I don't have to worry about
food, and I don't have to worry
about shelter.
And that was his definition of
financially free, which was
really interesting.
Take on, you know, when he
doesn't have to think about or
feel something whenever he puts
the taps the card to fill up the
gas or to to to eat or to um pay
the rent.
Like after that point, like he
feels like that's financially
free, which like I know that
will change and evolve for him,
but it was a really cool
perspective to see through his
lens of like, man, maybe the
goal of financial freedom
shouldn't always change.
And like, if that's the thing,
like we were there a while ago,
um, but like because like for
you know, it made like early on
in my career, I thought
financially free was being worth
$20 million.
I just had this random number
that I had no clue how I got to,
and I thought if I'm worth$20
million, then that means I'm
financially free.
Had no clue what it meant.
Um financially free uh skipping
around a little bit, financially
free for me means the ability to
be present in every moment and
not be worrying about um what's
hitting the phone, what's
happening in the life, what's I
can let an emergency pop up and
not have to respond to it.
Um it's having months of
reserves on end.
Um and I really just being able
to be present because if I I
don't feel like I'm financially
free if I'm not present and I'm
which is a little bit of yes,
working financially, but yes,
working on my mental emotional
side as well and and pairing
that with financial freedom.
SPEAKER_00: You're ready to have
kids without my being present,
like that's not as well.
SPEAKER_01: I'm for sure.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we're we're
definitely ready for kids.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01: But that's I mean,
that that was the initial goal
for me too.
You know, it looked different
when I was younger and and uh
single and then being present,
being present never like thought
like that's a recent thought for
me.
Like yeah, and it's awesome that
you're having that, you know,
yeah, five, four years before
but e but even like
transitioning and being married,
you know, then my goal became
financial freedom was retiring
my wife, you know, and like
replacing her income so she can
decide if she wants to work or
not.
I think most men desire that.
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
SPEAKER_01: Um, and then I think
it just continues to shift.
Like, how can I have financial
freedom enough to be able to be
president?
Like, yeah.
I didn't know that's a goal of
your that's all I thought.
SPEAKER_00: That was one of my
first goals too.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01: So are you where are
you guys at on that?
SPEAKER_00: We're there.
SPEAKER_02: Oh, Brandon's there.
Brandon's there.
Oh, we know Brandon, he's there.
Tap Honda.
Brandon Ben Brandon Ben there.
All right, next segment.
Next segment.
Um, okay, let's dive a little
bit into because I have a uh a
thought process I want to go off
of that, but let's let's maybe a
little bit of Brandon.
What why did you choose real
estate specifically?
Because you could have chosen
the stock market, you could have
chosen investing in people,
businesses.
Like, why did you choose real
estate?
Yeah, I think it could be a
simple all the way to complex
answer.
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, simple
simple enough.
Like I grew up in it.
That's what my dad knew and did,
and and so uh that's all that's
all I have kind of grown up
wanting or desiring.
What did your dad do exactly?
You know, my dad got his real
estate license when he was 17 in
Little Rock.
He had the judge had to sign off
on it because he wasn't 18.
Wow.
Um started selling broker in
real estate then, and always
just has been an entrepreneur
working for himself.
Uh, but you know, when he was
younger and married with my mom,
they started buying duplexes and
really anything they could get
their hands on, and they had no
money and they were just put
basically putting no money down
and getting creative and uh
seller financing a lot of deals
as well.
Heard that.
Uh he's got story after story on
those.
But um But yeah, I mean he's
always just bought and sold and
traded and and uh and it was all
I knew growing up.
And when we were young, we would
drive to construction sites or
we would drive to the properties
and be looking at properties all
the time.
So simplest, simplest enough, it
was what I grew up with.
Um, you know, and and I think
well what was the rest of it.
SPEAKER_00: Growing up in that,
what what made you go like so
like why you like real estate
and why you chose real estate?
You didn't you didn't choose it
at first though, even though you
did grow up in it, but you
didn't choose it.
SPEAKER_01: Right.
I think I think there was uh,
you know, growing up, you think
about like 08 and what that
looked like here, you know, you
I grew up with it to a point and
then I see how that how you know
real estate crashed and uh how
that affected families and my
family, and and so now you're
like, okay, I hate real estate.
And then as you continue to get
older, it it starts to become
okay.
I'm for me personally, I'm not
you know necessarily a big risk
taker.
I wouldn't call myself a big
risk taker at all.
I like I like things that are
for sure that I can do long term
that I know are gonna produce a
positive result.
Yeah.
And it just kept going back to
real estate.
Like people need a place to
live.
And that that and simplest
enough, that's you know, yeah,
what I wanted to put my money in
because I know long term, if you
know, if the market crashes or
if this or that, like at the end
of the day, people still need a
affordable place to live.
And so that's kind of always
where I put my money.
I I never want to be, and kind
of with that, I never want to be
in luxury rentals, and I never
necessarily want to be in in the
lowest end rentals.
There's kind of a sweet spot
that I try to chase after that's
like, you know, in good times
and in bad times.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, people people
talk about risk.
And I I have a lot of
conversations with investors who
say, Well, what's what's the
risk in this one?
And they you they associate risk
with real estate.
And for you, what I'm hearing is
like the least risky avenue of
investing is real estate.
And so it's a it's a totally
different shift on mindset
through like, yes, there is risk
involved in real estate, but if
we're gonna choose a path, it's
one of the least risky um
things.
I would say real estate and
stock market are pretty, I mean,
if you're investing wisely in
the stock market, both the
trends look like that over a
period of time.
You know, there's that, but it
is always and even for me too,
though.
SPEAKER_01: I mean, the stock
market, number one, I don't uh
understand it quite as much.
And so I would lean on an
advisor.
But number two, I can't
manipulate it like I can with
real estate, you know,
especially in the realm that I'm
in and more small, multifamily.
Yeah, you know, I have the
ability to add value to a
property and to market it well,
and to, you know, even if I
needed to in a in a hard time go
out and and really show the
property to every tenant and
give it the time it deserves and
market it well.
So um I think there's that
aspect of maybe I'm maybe I want
control you know of what's
happening with my money.
Totally.
Um, you know, so even if there's
better returns elsewhere, you
know, I I like simple, I like
the control aspect of it, and I
like that it's been proven over
the last hundreds of years.
So Brandon's not investing in
cryptocurrency.
He wants to, but he's gonna
figure that out sometime.
SPEAKER_02: Brian, why why'd you
choose real estate for you?
SPEAKER_00: I didn't choose it
at first.
You know, I think I didn't
really have any early growing up
around it, you know.
My single mom growing up, just
me and her.
Um my grandparent, uh, my
grandpa, he owned a heating and
air conditioning company, but he
owned some real estate, but they
were like kind of slump, like
he'd hated real estate because
he was slumlording, like he was
managing it himself, and like
looking back, I didn't I just
saw it like in the distance, the
entrepreneurial stuff.
But yeah, for me, it was, you
know, I I've talked about my
store a little bit on here, but
I was making really good income
and uh and sales, and that
income led me to want to invest.
Yeah, I always like knew
investing was a tool that the
wealthy uh did.
You know, I I came from lower to
lower middle class family, and I
think I always wanted like
money, like it sounds shallow,
but I wanted like a lot of
money.
Like, but it was not for the
money, it was for what the money
can do for you, um, for that
freedom that we talked about
early on.
So my first path was uh I did a
lot of research on like the most
like who are the most success.
This was for AI, could do a lot
of research in like five seconds
for you.
But like, what are the most
successful industries?
What are the most like who's
making the most amount of money
and what are they like doing
with it?
And that's a lot of it, like
people make a ton of money in
the stock market.
Like we, you know, uh dog on the
stock market every now and then,
but there's a lot of people that
have mutual funds and uh all
sorts of different ways to make
money a stock.
So I I that was my first like
venture into investing, and I it
was it was almost comparable to
gambling, like which some of my
friends were doing at the same
time, betting on sports games,
betting on whatever, like
whatever, which I didn't partake
in because I was I didn't
consider myself risky.
You know, now I would consider
myself like it's such a wide
range of like risk tolerance.
But so I you know started
investing in some stocks, and
that was just no control.
Like I'm watching these stocks
go up and down, up and down,
like while I'm working a
full-time sales job, growing
that sale, like multiple
six-figure sales job, but I'm
spending time over here watching
this stock.
I could be making more money in
sales than I am watching the
stock go up and down, up and
down.
Like this is taking so much
mental energy.
It's not good mental mental
energy, anyways.
So I was like, okay, pull out of
this, like the next road is real
estate.
Like, okay, what is it?
Nine and ten millionaires like
own some sort of real estate.
And like uh a lot of there's a
lot of statistics about wealth
creation and and real estate in
the US.
So um that was like, okay, I can
build something here.
Um and you know, what if that's
a house, you know.
I think the first it was like
that's a house a year.
House a year, and I'll have 10
houses and and 10 years, and
I'll have$10,000 a month and
I'll be okay.
But yeah, you know, that was
like this is gonna be way too
slow.
It's not gonna be cash flowing a
thousand dollars a month either,
like you think it is, until
you're 60 something.
And it's it's like uh this is uh
until you're sick.
That kid asks you, like, how
fast can I get to financial
freedom?
It's like, well, the average is
40 years.
Someone goes into the workforce
at 20 and they retire at 60.
It takes them 40 years to get to
retirement, and what does that
retirement even look like just
kind of scrapping around?
SPEAKER_02: So I think uh it's
like uh yeah, f financially
retired, but like yeah, like
you're you're retired, but
you're you miss the prime of
your life to go go to Europe and
go zip lining.
And like if you're 65, like are
you gonna be able to go hike a
mountain in Europe and be
retired?
SPEAKER_00: Like that's why it's
like I picture like taking a
call on a beach, like and
getting it done.
Like you lived in Europe for a
couple months and you kind of I
think that probably like changed
your it did actually.
We know it changed your
perspective on like financial
freedom.
SPEAKER_02: So I yeah, I look at
stuff more now as like well, how
much time can this save me as
opposed to like money?
Like it's it's totally like when
you can take calls and make
$10,000,$20,$30,000 like in a
week doing being wherever you
want to be versus like okay, I
gotta be tied down to this spot.
Like it's tough, man.
It's it's totally different.
So yeah, I agree with you.
SPEAKER_00: So for me, yeah, it
started at like my why real
estate.
It was this, it wasn't first
real estate.
It was stock like okay, I
thought, like, first it was
myself, like grow my business,
grow my sales.
Then it was okay, I'm gonna
invest in the stock market or
real estate.
Stock is easy, lower hanging.
I can do it with five to
twenty-five thousand, and then
then it was like, okay, scratch
that.
Real estate, and then from real
estate, that's like where the
rest of this podcast can evolve,
is like how all of our goals
have like changed to uh on the
investing side.
And is there a number behind it?
Is it I think for me it's
evolved from like you know,
having ten thousand dollars a
month in cash flow to like being
able to, you know, do what I
want when I want and go where
like hey Jen, let's take the
boys, let's go to Key West for a
week, you know, or like let's go
over here.
And that means being being
present, being present with them
while I'm there, you know, not
thinking about or differential
to do it.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I can't like
at certain points in your career
you could do it, but you'd be
there, but not mentally there.
Yeah.
But being there physically and
mentally and emotionally.
SPEAKER_00: And maybe that's a f
and that's a first step for
people too.
It's okay, I can be there.
Maybe I'm not at first, I I
can't be like, I can't be
present.
Like I that was a conversation
with my wife, uh, who was my
girlfriend at the time before we
even proposed was like, hey,
like, I'm gonna get calls during
our like I had a conversation
with her, like, hey, I'm gonna
get calls during our dinner, but
that call is paying for our
dinner, or like, you know, I
might have some calls on this
vacation, but some of those
calls are paying for this
vacation and more.
So like we were on the same page
on that.
And I think in the beginning,
like you can't you can't have
this, you know, taking calls on
the beach or not even take like
that's it's good to be on the
like have that in the back of
your mind, but there are a
couple levels you have to get to
before you get there.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, 100%.
I I I love that.
Um, and I love the breakdown of
that, which I feel we could
really dive into.
Um for me, real estate.
Um, why I chose real estate was
um I saw a lot of really smart
people around me investing in
real estate, and so I was like,
that seems cool.
Like, I'll do that.
And so I I blindly dove into it
uh for myself personally, um,
and just started buying a house,
moving into it, renting it out,
buying a house.
Tori and I have moved like eight
times in the last four years.
Um, we're finally I'm just
seeing a uh our dream home and
we're gonna live in that
finally.
Um how long we live there, I
don't know.
Um two years, two months, every
two years, two months.
Yeah, so we're like, oh, it's
gonna be a 10-year home.
And I'm like, I was talking to
her, I was like, Man, we get the
right offer, you know.
Uh but um, yeah, that's kind of
I just kind of blind faith per
se.
I saw I saw successful people,
knew I was supposed to do it.
Um I mean, as of recently, um my
thought process behind my
thoughts and ideas around money
has shifted drastically um into
like man, I just feel like I'm
in a I'm on a monopoly board and
I feel like money's fake.
Like I'm on this like ex almost
not existential crisis, but like
um I feel like I'm like breaking
my mind out of the matrix.
I'm like, what is money?
And like breaking that down, and
like I have spreadsheets like
what is money and like taking
notes and like what does it do
for me?
Well, what what can I do with my
time?
And and viewing money in a
different way of like, you know,
I I basically what I did was I I
I wrote out on a long piece of
paper one evening with my
brother-in-law, shout out Mario
Mazbach, he's uh professional
poker player.
Um and he was like, Hey, do you
want to brainstorm around money
and goals?
And I was like, Yeah, sure.
And so him and I basically wrote
down what does my dream life
look like?
Like I'm talking spending
thousand, two thousand bucks a
month on clothing that I don't
even ever spend three thousand
bucks a month on golf, like all
this crazy stuff.
We're accounting everything.
And then we go, Okay, that's
this much per month.
What do you need to be worth t
total?
And what percent does that need
to be getting for you to live
the life you want to live per
year?
And so I thought it was like
twenty million, it ended up
being like four million, which
is like it was a total it's like
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, that's
very attainable.
And like and like we're a lot
closer than we anticipated.
So like if I'm getting an 8%
return on$4 million, and what's
my lifestyle like?
And okay, I don't have a lot of
debt, and what's this look like?
Then like, man, maybe I don't
have to run through a brick wall
every day.
And maybe I don't have to um
maybe I don't have to answer the
phone after six.
And maybe I go over to Europe
for two months because I mean,
if my goal is this, if my goal
is four point whatever, and I
want to get there, you know, I
have, I'm in the working years
of my life, I can, I can take my
foot off the pedal a little bit.
Not to say, you know, people
listening, I'm gonna work just
as hard for you as ever.
Like I'm not gonna, I'm not
working any less hard.
I'm just saying your thought
changing my thoughts around
money um has led me to work my
goals backwards and go, okay,
you know, this is this is
something where I don't have to
run through a brick wall every
day.
I think that it's it's changed
to organized life, just the
thought around money.
Um, real estate was a really
good tool and avenue I used and
and really a lot of my first
purchases were blind purchases,
kind of blind faith in the real
estate.
And as of recently, I've sold
like five or six of my like 12
properties that my first ones
that were like kind of the blind
faith ones.
Um and I had a really great, you
know, I calculated my cash on
cash return that was like 20 or
30 percent.
And I just took that money and
I'm just investing it in the
stock market for now until I
find the next real estate deal.
Because my my ones after the
first like six had been really
good and like newer bills and
like some of the older ones,
like some problems and stuff.
And so I'm like, okay, let's
let's invest.
And now that I'm a little bit
more older, a little bit more
mature, okay, let's recapture
this money, get the cash on cash
return, I'll pay my my taxes on
that, whatever.
Uh, if you're listening, IRS,
yes, I'll pay my taxes.
Um, and then let's let's put
them in the stock market, see
it, see it, see it grow.
If it's a six percent worst case
scenario, whatever.
If it's lat, I mean, this past
year we had like a 12 to 13%
growth on the portfolio.
So take that, and then when a
great deal pops up, boom, okay,
we can insert, we have the cash
to insert it when needed and to
buy the thing, but I'm not like
in a rush to buy that.
Um, and it's been with a lot
newer builds.
So um long long story.
I mean, I I kind of say that too
because like a buddy came to me
and was like, hey, someone told
me that like you were selling
properties because you can't
afford your new build.
And I was like, who told I was
like, who told you that?
So like if you're listening and
you had that idea, it's I'm
selling some properties because
I can, and this is America, and
it's in this, it's in the stock
market.
Shout out to Socium Advisors,
Justin Boping, he's the best.
SPEAKER_00: I was still gonna
talk to you.
I was like, uh, starting to
smile, you're sitting on some
cash, let's do some deals
together.
SPEAKER_02: Like I'm like, well,
I mean, Justin at Socium
Advisors doing a great job with
the money.
But like I some one of my
buddies told me, like, hey, word
on the street is like you like
are having to sell your
properties because you can't
afford anything.
And I'm like, why can't people
mind their own business?
Uh and so it, I don't know, it
it it's just um yeah, I don't
have to, you don't have to keep
every deal you ever bought.
And I you know, I I hit kind of
was like, okay, first six reset
button.
Let's hit the reset button, pull
that cash back, great cash on
cash returns.
So the goal with money is to
insert into the market and have
it do something for you in some
type of capacity.
SPEAKER_00: Some at some point
you have to cash out too.
Like real estate investing can
be like a cash poor like man's
game.
Like you're building all this
equity, but then it's it comes
in phases too.
Like you're cashing out.
Like my the 88 so that I had no
investors or partners, like me
cashing out, that was a huge
part of like my evolution and my
like business.
I was able to reinvest that into
larger properties and different
partnerships to kind of push me
along.
Like, so I think cashing out is
absolutely like uh a good
strategy depending on how you're
redeploying it.
And it sounds like you're to
redeploy like you're not rushing
to redeploy it, you're like
sitting on it, which is a great
strategy too.
Like you don't have to go like
reinvest that right away.
Yeah, so but like a good place
to do that in the meantime,
you're not putting it and under
your mattress, you're putting it
like in a yeah with an advisor.
But um, something you talked
about, I wanted that like so
you're having this kind of a pit
that's awesome to have a
brother-in-law like that.
You should everyone should get
like a friend like that.
Like, I mean, I would love to
like just talk to someone else
like uh about like like let's
sit down and map out our goals
and our financial numbers.
Like, that's great to be in a
room like that.
SPEAKER_02: So it was a really
cool conversation, I think, that
led me to be like, I should do
this with like my friends and
stuff because it's it's like uh
if like all three of us just had
an evening to sit down and be
like really transparent with
like here's the lifestyle I want
to live, what do I need to be
worth?
And what kind of percent does
this need this this stack of
money need to be doing deployed?
What does it need to do for me
to live the life I want to live?
And then work backwards on our
goals like that, and just like
being able to bounce stuff, like
that's such a cool it was such a
cool environment.
Um, and I hope he listens to
this, that um to be able to just
like it just changed my whole
mental perspective on like and
it it makes me maybe not want to
push so hard during the year or
like because like if that's the
if 4.3 is if 4.3 million is the
goal, why am I pushing like I'm
trying to be worth 20 million?
Then then I have a 15 million
dollar gap of push that I'm
pushing for no freaking reason.
Um and that's I don't know sort
of from my perspective.
I think we should all sit down
in a room sometime and work.
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
Yeah, I I I do some mastermind
some free masterminds and some
paid masterminds all throughout
my my career.
Like in the beginning, I there
were some free masterminds that
were very good.
Like there were Sundays that
after it was just like with real
estate investors, and then I've
paid I've paid tens and
thousands of dollars for like
certain like coaching and groups
and stuff like that, and they've
all been like great.
So I'm definitely interested in
that.
Yeah.
Um a question I have for you on
that, like, so you're having
this epiphany right now, uh like
that you don't want to run
through brick walls every
morning at say over the last
like year or so.
Do you think you would be as
successful as you are today if
you had that same train of
thought when you first got
started?
SPEAKER_02: If I had my current
train of thought when I first
started, I don't think I'd be as
successful.
I think there's um who's the
that that's a great question
because I think there's a level
of having to run through brick
walls to get you to where you
are, um, and almost like on the
edge of killing yourself to get
to a certain point.
SPEAKER_00: Um I think and I
think too on that too is like
it's uh a point to the people
that are just getting started.
The people that are like have
been investing for a while,
they're gonna relate to that.
Like time, time is money.
Like for when you first get
started, it's good to know that
time is money.
Like the biggest analogy for me
that like really stuck with me
in the beginning was if I can
pay someone to mow my lawn for
20 bucks, then I I should do
that.
Like, be if I if I value my time
at$20 an hour and hopefully I'm
I value my time more than that,
then I'm gonna delegate it out.
But also, like, what am I am I
working on something that's
gonna monetize later?
Like, what how am I spending my
time?
Like you can be very efficient
with your time and like make
sure you're not like mindlessly
num like scrolling on social
media or like playing video
games or watching dancing with
the stars, like warm up lives.
Like you can still be very like
our time now is different, but
like in the beginning, you can
still be thinking of like my my
not only my dollar per hour,
which is huge, I think, for
everybody, like calculating that
and maybe not even your dollar
per hour today, what you want it
to be, and being very mindful of
your time now, like be being
like how you're using that,
making sure you're working
towards smart things, you're not
just working on stuff that
doesn't come to fruition, but in
the beginning, you you might
have to work on some things that
don't come through, especially
in the beginning.
SPEAKER_02: I think the
mindfulness is really important
because you can be mindful at
whatever stage.
I could have been mindful at
year one, two, three, four, or
five, you know, whatever.
Um, I think my motivation or my
drive needed to be what it
needed to be in those years, but
I wish I would have been more
mindful about it.
Um now I don't think I have to
push nearly as hard.
But like I think you're because
there's people listening that
need to they need to put the
foot on the gas right now.
And then there's people
listening to where they've been
in it for some years, and like
my story resonates more with
them now.
But like my advice for someone
just getting into it or
something might not be very good
because that might you might you
might never get to the point of
being able to take the foot off
the gas.
I mean, you can't um and I'm not
saying by any means that I'm
arrived at this destination.
I have 30 more years of of of
working years in my life, and I
hope to work forever, but like
there's huge active income years
in the future that I plan on
working.
I'm just saying reworking once
you've been in it for a little
bit and reworking your mind
around the money and and what
it's just paper, how can I have
it work for me is is a big step.
SPEAKER_00: Uh for sure.
And working on stuff that you
like, like you said that you're
gonna be doing it for the next
30 years.
I know Brandon's gonna be
investing for long, like I'll be
invested in real estate in some
sort of fashion forever.
Like I'm not just gonna, you
know, throw my hands up.
So I think like that evolution
also is like working on fun
stuff.
Like maybe you you like
acquisitions and you like that
side of things, so you you work
on that, but you don't work on
like back-end type stuff or or
you need a transactional.
Some people like work like the
admin type stuff and they like
staying organized, so maybe they
they keep doing that, or maybe
someone likes underwriting, they
keep doing that.
But yeah, I think that's part of
the evolution too.
SPEAKER_02: You you talked about
uh a little bit with calculating
your uh price per price per hour
or what's your worst.
Um and for those listening to to
be able to do that, and you guys
can chime in too if you hear
something, but um, to be able to
do that, I did that one year.
Um, and that was a mindset shift
for me.
Um and I basically took, okay,
here's how much I made this
year.
I got my my W my 1099 or
whatever, and I was like, okay,
how much did I work per per
week?
Or like how how much on average
do I think?
And I was like, uh, well, I
worked at 1099, but I really
worked like probably more like
55 hours a week or something
like that.
And so, you know, took what I
worth, divided, did all the math
behind that, and I was like,
okay, like I'm worth this much
per hour.
And and and at that point, I
started hiring someone for my
lawn care.
There's like this almost like
evolution, this like evolution
of like you evolve and then you
de-evolve.
So it's like I got to this point
of like, okay, I'm doing my own
lawn because I'm working, and
then you calculate your price
per hour, and then I pay someone
to do it, and now I'm back to
this point of like, okay, I want
to do my own lawn again because
it's like fills my time and I
think it's fun.
Like there's like this like prod
like circle of stuff.
But um, there it if you want to
do that, just take what you're
what you made this year, how
much did you work, do the math
behind that per hour, and then
put in a column of just things
you do and go, worth my time,
not worth my time, worth my
time, not worth my time.
How what am I doing per hour
that can outpace you know this?
And are there are there things
you put in the column of and you
have to you have to look at that
list more than just financially,
you have to look at it like uh
spiritually, mentally,
emotionally, and go, if mowing
my lawn does a lot for me
mentally and emotionally, and I
find peace in that, don't pay
someone to do it.
Like, do it yourself because you
know there's there's more
currency in this world than just
money.
There is a mental currency.
I mean, uh people always view
like what is money doing for me,
and it's like, okay, well, maybe
the mowing has a really big play
on your mental health or
something like that.
So I think that's something to
take into account when you're
running those numbers as well.
I bring Brendan, have you done
that math before for yourself?
SPEAKER_01: Not necessarily no.
I mean, I I think uh I think I
just think of it a little bit
differently.
I'm always thinking about what I
can do to, you know, add more
time for the things that I want
to do.
I mean, create more freedom, I
guess.
Um, especially at the end of
every year, just kind of going
back and looking at you know,
what what things am I doing that
aren't really creating value for
other people or uh giving me
time back to do what I want to
do.
And and uh so I mean I think
about you know 2026, I want to
spend more time adding value to
people and I want to I want to
play more golf, you know.
I want to because I love that
again, like that's my stress
reliefer, I guess, if you will.
But it's also I love connecting
with men now in the golf course.
Like that's yeah, what I like to
do.
A couple birds with one stone
exactly.
My wife's probably rolling her
eyes uh hearing that, but but
seriously, I mean that's the way
I think I don't necessarily and
maybe that would be a good
exercise for me, but for me, I
just think about it like okay,
yeah, how can I continue to to
be great and to get after it um
and add value to people, but
yeah, you know, but also kind of
buybacks from that time.
SPEAKER_02: I do have a question
for you guys.
If my wife asked me this and it
caught caught me off guard, if
money wasn't um if money wasn't
a factor, what would you be
doing?
Like if if all of us had 15
million in the bank and we did
not have to work, what would you
be doing with your time?
SPEAKER_00: A lot more
traveling.
Like for me, I think I love
traveling.
Yeah, we try uh traveling six
times a year is on my goal, like
every year I'm doing that.
I mean, we'd probably do what
you did, live in another country
for a couple months, live in
Florida for a month or something
like that.
Um take the you know, travel the
US.
There's a lot of cool stuff to
do in the US.
So I I think uh I would be
traveling.
Would you still be doing what
you're doing on a daily basis?
I th you know, I think I would
work out some of my daily like I
would delegate out some of my
dailies right now.
Like, you know, there's there's
some that I have delegated out,
but I would have more delic like
I would have the abil the cash
flow to put someone in place to
make errors.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, because there's a
there's a part of that to it's
like, oh, if I had 15 million,
I'd just piss off to the beach
for a year or two or whatever.
But at the same same time, we
are very uh uh work driven.
I mean, we're we're made to
work.
And I think, you know, and a
little bit of answering my own
question, like I would still
will work.
Like, I would definitely work
because like I would you say you
like what you do?
Yeah, yeah.
So it's like you're not gonna be
like, all right, I'm not doing
anything anymore.
Like you're still gonna do what
you do.
You maybe just like you know,
it's called the like 80-20, you
take the 20% of things you
you're the most effective at and
hire someone for the other 80%.
And then there's like this like
rule of like continuing to then
you take that 20% and make that
100%, and then what 20% of that
20% are you the best at?
And now you're hyper focused on
that, and then you it's like you
keep dialing it in.
Um, Brandon, would you what what
would what would you do if money
wasn't like yeah, I mean, I I
enjoy the work aspect of it.
SPEAKER_01: I think I would do a
lot of traveling as well.
Uh, but I think the big thing is
just like be I would be a lot
more present.
Yeah, you know, I can't I can't
help myself right now to not be,
I mean, just trying to grind it
and and uh you know being on my
phone all the time, whether it's
a dinner or whether it's uh
vacation, especially.
I'm just not you know, yeah,
just not I like I I like to be
quick to get back to people and
and uh to the detriment
sometimes.
Yeah.
So but yeah, I think there would
be like a a new level of
separation.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
I I think there's uh for me, and
and you guys could have been
thinking this as well.
I'm not trying to steal this,
but um I think for me, if money
wasn't an issue, there'd be a
lot more purpose-driven work, a
lot more like how is this
filling me, uh filling my soul,
and what am I doing for like uh
the world, my community,
eternity?
Like, what am I what am I doing
um to fill my purpose as opposed
to like what am I doing to make
money?
Um there is a sense of that for
me right now where like I have
to keep doing what I'm doing
because it makes me money so
that I can do some other like
real big purpose driven things
that that I do.
Um but I was I really it that
question I really pondered on it
and prayed about it and thought
about it, and I was like, what
would I do?
Like if I had if I if you know
I'm doing like you know,
Brandon, you're probably doing
the same amount of transactions,
you're like 90 transactions this
year.
If I wasn't doing that many
transactions every single month,
uh what what would I do with my
time?
And Tori was like, you'd be
really bored.
And I was like, I'd have to find
things to fill my time, and I
think it'd look like for me, I
I'd spend a lot more time.
And and I I say this because
listener, I think you should ask
some of these questions that I'm
asking that are broad, like if
you're listening, like you
should ask yourself this
question too.
I mean, at least journal about
it and probably think, ponder on
it, and go, you know, if money
isn't a factor, what am I doing
with my time?
And because that'll help you
work backwards to like, okay,
like, you know, yes, I do have
to get money, but like what what
am I doing with my excess time?
And maybe that's a little bit
more purpose-driven.
So, like for me, I'd be, yes,
traveling more.
Um, I do love my community, I
love my friends.
I'd probably be serving even
more in my church um and
volunteering more and connecting
with the community.
Um, there'd just be a lot more
purpose-driven stuff or like
what what what makes my heart
feel like I move the needle for
eternity and going and like
trying to bring men that are
stressed in and like talk talk
to them about like, hey, here's
what I did to break the cycle
and stuff like that.
So, like there is this sense
like as we progress, and like
we're talking about financial
freedom.
Um, I mean, as we progress, like
what do you do to be more
purpose-driven?
Um, and I think that's could be
a totally another podcast as
well.
Um, but I'm gonna go into
segment two now, which is let's
see.
SPEAKER_00: I agree on that.
Like, it's a the purpose and the
presentness, like you know, that
vacation, you know, was a short,
quick answer for me, but like
being being present with the
kids, like spending more time
with the kids would be would
like be a big thing.
Coaching, coaching their team,
pouring into them so they can
pour into their be better men
and grow up better, and then
yeah, being more involved and
you know, find something that
I'm passionate about that's not
necessarily just serving myself,
yeah.
Um outside the kids.
SPEAKER_02: Tor Tori uh took the
cup took the thing for herself
that question and like what'd I
do if it money wasn't a thing?
And she's like, I think I'd just
like be a therapist for free for
people, like just give away my
work.
Because at that point, like are
you gonna charge someone 150
bucks an hour if you're at 15
million dollars in the bank?
It's like okay, at that point,
she's you know, she was saying
for herself she would just like
give her online courses for
free, and like everything would
basically be for free.
And I was like, that's a really
cool concept, is like you know,
you it's a we we live in like a
system where you're financially
rewarded for things.
It's like what does it look like
to just give something away for
free?
And and that that was an
interesting thought to work
through as well.
Um, there's a book, uh listener,
if you're listening, called The
Go Giver.
Um, and it kind of works on that
same it's like basically the
more you give, the more you get,
with the expectation not being
getting something in return, but
like how do I crazy thought
would be like what what would it
look I don't know, I'm just
brainstorming out loud, what
would it look like if you and I
listed every person's home for
zero percent and just gave our
services away for free?
Yeah.
It would be crazy, but I bet
we'd get a lot of buyers.
For sure.
We'd make a lot of cut, we'd
fill that database full of
people and referrals.
And yeah, we we give away our
services free on the listing
side, but man, it brought a lot
of business on the buying side.
And so, like that that's the
interesting concept around like
some of these broad ideas that
I'm saying is it's like, what
does it look like to just give
services away for free or like
do something like this?
And like it it it the book, The
Go Giver, is a quick day, two
day read that like really hones
in on that process.
So I encourage someone if
they're listening to go read the
go giver.
I forgot who.
Who's the author of it?
SPEAKER_00: There's a dentist
that I know uh who actually
became financially free through
like hard money lending, through
investing and real like through
real estate, he was able to
retire from dentistry.
But what he does is what your
wife was talking about, is uh he
goes to like third world
country, does dentistry for
free, like to like to like
people like that.
But he did that by grinding as a
dentist and and and and
reinvesting all that into real
estate.
And he was able to get himself
out of a high-paying dentistry
job where he didn't have to even
do that, where he just does his
real estate investing and uh now
gives back.
So to me, I think like do I like
talk to like underprivileged
like school about like business,
give them like business lessons
or real estate investing advice,
you know.
That's always been like uh
something that's intrigued me is
like junior achievement.
Like, because it's not something
that I had, you know, a single
mom that was grinding it out,
like it kind of relates to me.
So like obviously you're super
involved in your church, and uh
I think there's definitely like
avenues to be like vertical with
what you're doing, yeah, too.
And and like I think habitat
through humanity that that's
pretty cool.
Like for a like a lot of real
estate investors can get that,
like, hey, we're building these
homes for these people, and I
understand real estate too.
SPEAKER_02: So uh that'll
definitely be it's like do you
go teach a class at the
University of Arkansas and do it
for free?
Like that's the type of stuff.
I mean, you can't be like, oh,
you can invest in this
syndication for free.
Like you can't do that.
I'll pet I'll give you your 500k
for free.
Um I mean, you can't do that,
but um, I was talking with a
pastor and he's like, every
dollar I make from my pastoral
um income I invest it back into
the church um because he was so
good with real estate investing
um that he lives off that, and
then every bit that he makes, he
just invests penny for penny
back into the church, and it's
like that's really cool.
And he's like, even our my real
estate income is like back into
the church, and he's like, it's
been cool to see what real
estate's done for him for him
over the years.
Um at what at your current stage
do you feel financially free?
I what do you guys feel on that,
Brandon?
Do you feel financially free?
SPEAKER_01: Uh no, I mean no.
You know, and again, I think
it's it's just what what we've
talked about is time freedom
more than anything, and being
able to be present, uh being
able to do exactly what you were
talking about and give and serve
at a capacity that doesn't
matter.
Yeah, you know, because it won't
affect you otherwise.
Um so yeah, I think I mean no.
Yeah, I think because you know,
where where I'm at or where I
want to be and require it's
gonna require more well, I think
I I I want to it's yes and no, I
guess.
SPEAKER_02: I do want to
challenge you a little bit on
that because um you know when
it's whatever, but like I've
been I've been praying recently
for God to give me this the the
like a spiritual gift of faith,
which is the faith that and this
could work for someone that's
non-Christian or whatever, like
the faith that I and I I do
challenge you all the time on
this, like that next year, like
I would say you probably feel
like I gotta go get next year.
I gotta go make next year
happen.
And what I see for you is you
you can have mental freedom
right now, but it's having the
real, real fit, not just being
able to say it out loud, but the
real faith that no matter what
you do, you're going to make
what you need to make next year.
It's just going, it's going to
happen and it's going, it's
going to be provided for you.
And so what a mindset shifts I'm
still in the process of is
going, is like mental fine
mental financial freedom, which
is like I know that my database
is going to provide for me.
It's not on the board and we're
not under contract yet, even
through, I mean, I I have stuff
under contract through like
February at this point, but like
March, April, May, June, July,
August, blah, blah.
Like, I don't have anything
under contract for those.
Like, absolutely nothing.
But I know that year after year,
for me, God has shown me that He
will continue to provide.
Yeah.
And so it's like, I think
there's these mental freedom
markers that we can hit that I'm
gonna continue to challenge you
on and myself on and Brian on.
Uh, it's not just a you thing,
it's it's every freaking guy in
their 20s, 30s, and 40s.
Um, and it's me too.
I challenge myself all the time
and like, okay, like it's okay.
I I only have two deals under
contract next month.
That's okay.
I know that I've been shown year
after year after year.
I continue to get stuff under
contract.
So when am I gonna believe that
it's it's actually gonna come?
So like I I I do No, I agree.
SPEAKER_01: I I think I mean
I've always believed that God's
gonna provide for us.
Yeah, especially when we first
got started.
Right.
I'm just not saying that.
But just thinking about
especially when we first got
started with leaving corporate
and going full time into real
estate, uh, I mean, that that
was the biggest moment of like,
God, we trust you're gonna
provide the for our needs and
because we needed it, you know,
and he did.
So yeah, I think and I think
there's also a line of like, you
know, I'm I am ambitious, you
know.
I taught that line of like
ambition and but also being
content, yeah, you know, with
what God's given us and also you
know, trusting that he's gonna
provide.
Um it's a hard line.
I think it's a good thing.
Yeah, I think they're all good
things, you know.
I think they can be bad things.
I think ambition can be a bad
thing when it when it's uh you
know, anything in access is too
much relaxing, can be slothful.
SPEAKER_02: Right, yeah,
exactly.
So I mean there's a there's a
fine line there to walk, and
it's like there's no class in
college that taught us unless
you just had parents that
absolutely knew about it, you
didn't get taught that by your
parents, and so it's something
that we have to navigate as men.
And that I mean, I had I had
really great parents, and this
is no fault to my parents, but
like I I wasn't really thought
that.
Like I I had to learn that as I
go.
Like, what's this balance
between drive and like enjoying
my life and being present?
And like that is a very, very
hard thing to find, and
something that very little
people get right, and something
that like I'm like, I I want to
write a book on it someday when
I finally figure it out.
On like, what is this, the the
balance between drive, ambition,
being a smart businessman?
Because like God does call us to
tr to have drive and to do those
things.
And if we weren't doing those
things, we would not be
fulfilling our purpose in a lot
of senses.
And so, like, how do we have
that?
But also take a deep breath and
go make a fire and and and talk
with my wife and go for a walk
with my wife and not be thinking
about business at all.
And it's like such a hard thing
to do that, like I don't really
have all the answers yet, but I
I'll say that like I'm pushing
really hard to I'm I my ambition
right now is towards figuring
that that problem out.
Like, that's a lot of my drive
right now.
And so I I don't know.
SPEAKER_00: Uh something that we
started to do it, or I'm trying
to do it.
Like, I mean, you have two
toddlers, like an
eight-month-old and a two and a
half year old.
It's kind of hard to put
anything on the calendar, but
like, hey, on Sundays, like
let's go over the week together,
like both of our appointments,
like let's look at the following
week and make sure we're we're
on the same schedule and and
talking about it.
So we've talked about it on the
episode too, like having a
partner that's like yeah, behind
you when you're when you're
moving in eight different houses
in you know, 10 years or what or
less, or six years, or whatever
that is, or I'm saying, hey,
we're gonna be I'm gonna get be
getting calls during this dinner
and on vacation, but I think the
communication uh is big there.
But to you guys' points, faith
is like I think that's a big
driver of success and your like
your like journey to success.
So like there's different trains
of thoughts of like you should
enjoy the journey, or like it's
gonna be an absolute grind.
Like you can enjoy you can grind
and be and enjoy it if you have
that faith where you know it's
gonna work out.
Like I know I'm giving it my
best, and like I'm a very
disciplined, like discipline is
another word I would I would use
faith and discipline.
Like I'm gonna be disciplined
and knowing that all these
processes are gonna pay off when
I only have two things under
contract, or I have nothing
under contract right now, but I
know I made a hundred calls last
week, and I know I talked to
these different partners, and
like that that's going to
there's gonna be some delayed
gratification, another word we
use on on the podcast, but gonna
pay dividends because you're
putting in more exactly.
Yeah, so I think faith and
discipline is big there.
Um yeah, and on the being uh we
we're like circling back to
being present.
I think that's gonna be like a
revolving topic on like how you
do that.
I think scheduling is is
something that we're trying to
do like as a young couple with
kids now.
We're adding date, like this
will be the first week we're
doing date just the two of us,
yeah.
So we can talk about like
something like I'm like, hey, we
can't talk about the boy, like
we're with the boys, like we
gotta talk about something other
than boys, and like but just
having that alone time because
we went pretty f like pretty uh
you know, to the Bible there,
but it talks about mar like
marriage is the is before the
household too.
So like that's why we keep
saying like having a partner is
so big in uh in the in the
journey to financial freedom and
what that looks like to you.
SPEAKER_02: So it's it's so I
mean without my wife, I would uh
dude, I she's the biggest
blessing and best decision.
She's the best investment I've
ever made.
I mean, investing in her and
time in her is like quite
literally the best investment
I've ever made.
SPEAKER_00: And it's a
continuum, like it's something
too, like you have to like as a
it's like yeah, like I I have to
look in where too, like it like
it is a continuum, like right
now, like I'm doing that, like
trying to back into what I need
to do to be financially free.
And I'm I'm thinking about that
a lot right now.
Yeah.
Like to the question earlier,
like I've been how has that
evolved that you know that's not
chasing every single like being
quicker at looking at deals, not
taking every single like I'm
being more choosy with who I'm
partnering with, who I'm doing
dealing with.
Like, you know, people have
reached out to me a lot about
like, hey, can I get an hour
call?
Like, yeah, uh charging, like
charging for calls, like is a
thing like started to do like
consult like consulting, like
not just going to lunches
anymore.
Yeah, like it's like val it's
okay.
Uh tweaking, like, am I
scheduling a 5 p.m.
evening call?
Well, yeah, it who is this with?
Like, is this with an investor
that wants to invest one million
dollars?
For sure, I'll take that.
Is it someone that wants to do
their first deal or like a
banker who wants to just talk to
you about who you're using for
banking?
Yeah, yeah.
Hey, we gotta yeah, be strict
about that.
Like, time, like so.
That's what I've been doing.
Like, my my window of like
grind, I've I've picked my
window of grinding, and it's
like six to two, like six to two
right now.
Like, if you email me, I will be
emailing you back in 30 seconds.
If it's after that, like then
it's probably gonna be it's
gonna be five a.
It's gonna be the next morning.
SPEAKER_02: And if somebody
can't be okay with them emailing
you at three and you getting
back to them at six, did you
even want to do business with
them?
Yeah.
Like you're responding quicker
than 24 hours.
I I will say something that I I
had a thought on it, and you
said, um, like, okay, I only
have two things under contract.
A part of faith is like setting
up your life and being
financially responsible enough
to set your life up to where
you're leveraged enough to have
faith and be present.
Because like if I just went and
bought a$3 million house and I
drive a$150,000 escalate and
wife does too, and we have
student loans and we have blah,
blah, blah, and all this debt,
and like I got$35,000 worth of
payments up.
Okay, and Lord, I got the faith
that you're gonna bring in$40K
next month.
So I can like, and after taxes,
you're kind of negative.
But um setting your life up
financially in a way that you
can be present and have the
faith.
So it's like, okay, we do we pay
off our cars, and maybe the only
thing we have is a house note,
and like we pay off this that
and that, that.
And for me, I found like when
I'm structuring my financial
life in a way where I'm not
having to worry about a bunch of
stuff there, and it's just like,
hey, whatever comes in is like
cream on top, and our base is
very low.
So we don't have to like have
faith for this huge number.
The faith scales like we it we
only need a little bit.
So like you're fighting, you're
financially structuring your
life in a way to where those
goals are a lot more attainable.
Because if you're just like,
yep, I have faith, I have faith,
and you keep adding, you keep
adding, you keep adding, and you
go buy a vacation home, and all
of a sudden you look up and you
got forty, fifty thousand
dollars worth of bills a month.
I mean, like you're gonna have a
couple off months and you're
gonna be hurt.
SPEAKER_00: So if mine what
you're talking to that kid
about, like that go back to
that, like time, like everyone
wants like how quickly can I do
that?
Like, if you're ready, uh if
you're ready to eat ship for
five years in a row and do
nothing but that, like grind it
out to the you can you can
change your life in five years
if you are going 100 miles an
hour.
If you're going 50 miles an
hour, that might take 10 years.
Like I I I usually tell people
like getting into the business,
like don't be don't be ready to
let the foot off the gas for the
first five to ten years.
That now that can be shortened
closer to that five-year mark if
you're real like pedal to the
metal, like yeah, super smart
with your time.
And that time, if you're not
when you're when you have that
awaking time, you're you're
grinding, you're moving forward,
then yeah, like five years.
And and I think the 10-year mark
would be a little bit longer.
So I think it just depends.
SPEAKER_02: There's things that
come with that five years that
you don't anticipate too adrenal
fatigue, panic attacks, uh
burnout as opposed to 10 years,
it might be a lot more
sustained.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
So I think like you'll have a
bet a lot better peace of mind.
Like if I go into this, like
knowing like, hey, I could like
be scrapping and like I could be
putting stuff on my credit card,
like having that mindset in
front of it, like be ready to
get get your butt kicked.
SPEAKER_02: Be ready to get your
team kicked.
I think that is or what you're
saying is at least be mentally
prepared beforehand.
Because if you're not, you're
just gonna like be thrown into a
tidal wave.
But if you're telling yourself,
okay, this is gonna be five
years of really tough grinding,
I'm prepared for it.
Go for it.
100%.
But if you're not, I mean, think
about that beforehand and and
extrapolate that that time
frame.
I don't even know if that's the
word right word.
I think so.
Um, tie how do I want tenures?
Do I want this to be a 15 years
to get to where I want and just
like do a walking pace of this?
Do I want to do a jogging pace
10 years?
Do I want to sprint in five
years?
So I I think it's a great point.
SPEAKER_00: And we talk about
goal, like real estate is a lot
of reverse engineering.
Like, what do I need to the end
goal to be end goal to be?
And how do I you got to work
backwards on that?
SPEAKER_02: It could be, I mean,
it could be like uh five homes,
this much money in the stock
market, my house paid off and no
debt, and that's literally all I
you know, five homes, this money
in the stock market, no debt
every month.
That's financial.
I mean, that's you got no debt,
you got no bills, you're
literally paying for food,
health insurance, and gas, like,
and maybe a vacation.
Like you don't need much from to
be happening from those five
homes and a little bit in the
stock market.
I feel like that could be it.
But I mean, your goals could be
different.
You could want a PJ in a yacht,
and that's you're gonna have to
have a lot more homes and five
homes.
So I think that's a totally
different mindset shift.
Honestly, I think the big idea
that I want our listeners to
think about is some of these
bigger, broader topics, and like
taking and going, like, what
would I be doing if I didn't
have any money?
What am I worth per hour?
What does financial freedom
really mean to me?
What do I need to be worth to
live the life I want to live and
work backwards from that number?
And some of these bigger,
broader concepts and
extrapolating that and writing
down and journaling and thinking
on some of those things, I think
is what gets you out of the rat
race and out of the common
trends of what people are doing
and out of buzzwords like cash
flow and blah, blah, blah.
And you're like, hey, I gotta
get a home because it's cash
flow.
And it's like, no, but like,
what do you want that cash flow
to do for you?
And like, why do you want that
to happen for you?
And I think that's just what I'm
trying to explain what we're
trying to say is like think
differently, expand on those big
ideas, and really look inwardly
and going, like, what do I want
my life to look like?
What do I need to be worth to
do, to do, be and live the life
I want to live?
And what does that life I want
to live look like?
And so that's my partaking
words.
Um, thank you guys for tuning in
with us.
Come back for the next episode.
We're going to be talking about
Brian Word.
SPEAKER_00: How to put a real
this how to put a real estate
deal together, the complete
blueprint from start to finish.
So a blueprint model.
Next episode.
SPEAKER_02: Thank you guys for
tuning in.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
SPEAKER_02: Our next sponsor is
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They're a local company.
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I can speak personally on this
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Again, thank you guys for tuning
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I'm gonna go ahead and uh list
some sponsors off here.
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