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

25:05 Future pacing: who are you in 3–5 years?

26:41 Start/stop list & aligning your calendar

28:01 Free resources to help you get on the right track

Quotables

"There is an enormous difference between knowing the right path and walking it, actually doing it in the trenches."

"Only you can stop you."

"Good team members will create more revenue, not expense."

Links

QLS 4.0 - Use coupon code for 50% off

https://smartrealestatecoach.com/qls

Coupon code: pod

Apprentice Program

https://3paydaysapprentice.com

Coupon code: Podcast

Masterclass

https://smartrealestatecoach.com/masterspodcast

3 Paydays Books

3paydaysbooks.com/podcast

Strategy Session

https://smartrealestatecoach.com/actionpodcast

Partners

https://smartrealestatecoach.com/podcastresources