In this solo episode of the Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast, I pull back the curtain on my early days of investing and the messy transition from the 2008 crash into creative real estate. I walk you through the "dead zone" years, the IRS and creditor headaches, the move from a waterfront home into a 900-square-foot apartment, and how those experiences forced me to design what eventually became our Three Paydays™ system.

If you're sitting in a W2 you don't love, stuck in analysis paralysis, or wondering how to actually replace your job with creative real estate deals, this one is for you. I'll share the exact sequence: hiring a coach when I had no money, raising $25K for a mastermind, doing my first 12+ deals out of a tiny office, building the team around me, and scaling from zero to 10 properties a month under contract.

You'll hear the mindset shifts, the tactical steps, and the hard-won lessons that took me from "completely stuck in my head" to building a business and community that now has 95+ years of combined experience helping students all over North America.

The goal is simple: shorten your learning curve, help you avoid my mistakes, and challenge you to ask, "Why not me?"

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

01:24 The value of getting "a decade worth of lessons" handed to you 03:05 The difference between knowing the path vs. walking it

04:24 30/60/120-second decisions & the cost of indecision

05:47 What your real risk is: Gut check for anyone with a W2

07:13 Goals vs. a real plan with accountability

08:17 Why you don't need the full "how" before you commit to a clear beacon 09:31 IRS, creditors, repossessions, and downsizing to a 900-square-foot apartment 10:10 The birth of the Three Paydays system

11:08 How that "you're done" moment forced me back into the trenches making calls 12:03 Lesson: doubters, weather, circumstances, and past failures can't stop you

14:10 The difference between "crap debt" for toys and investing in yourself

15:34 Proximity, association & eliminating money stress

16:31 How thinking about money 24/7 chokes your creativity 17:20 Why you only need a phone and leads—no fancy tech required 18:13 How 13 deals stacked up between August and December 2013 19:08 Building the team: VAs, Nick, and qualifying buyers

20:23 Why good team members create revenue, not expense 21:29 Lesson: everyone is bad at first—that's normal and fixable 23:53 Tax refund season & stacking big checks