Kaizen Blueprint

https://youtu.be/YacB_c05iYABen Sulka is a marketing specialist, business owner, and one bad motherf*cker. He's also my accountability partner. In this episode, the conversation explores the power of accountability partnerships and the essential qualities to seek in a partner. It covers the impact of physical fitness on personal growth, embracing discomfort, and the significance of goal-setting and daily actions.

We highlight the importance of early investments in oneself, building effective habits, and the benefits of surrounding oneself with supportive individuals. They also discuss the value of documenting one’s journey and the necessity of taking action without waiting for the perfect moment.

Takeaways

• Finding a good accountability partner involves finding someone with similar goals and interests, as well as someone who has the time to meet regularly.
• Embracing discomfort and pushing oneself in physical fitness can lead to personal growth and resilience in other areas of life.
• Setting goals and taking daily actions are key to achieving long-term success.
• Documenting one's journey through video journaling can provide personal accountability and serve as a record of growth.
• Execution is crucial, and waiting for the perfect time can lead to missed opportunities. Winning your twenties is crucial for setting yourself up for future success.
• Waking up early and having a morning routine can help you accomplish more and set the tone for the day.
• Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals and finding an accountability partner can provide motivation and support.
• Continuous improvement and investing in relationships are key to personal growth and leaving a positive legacy.

Follow Me At:

Linkedin:linkedin.com/in/aldochandra
Instagram: https://x.com/aldoschandra
Youtube: www.youtube.com/@aldochandra
Website: kaizenblueprint.com

Follow Ben Sulka:

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-sulka-591152191
Youtube: www.youtube.com/@bsulka

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and the Importance of Accountability Partnerships

05:51 The Role of Physical Fitness in Personal Development

09:20 Setting Goals and Taking Daily Actions

17:22 Documenting Your Journey Through Video Journaling

24:30 The Power of Execution

27:32 Winning Your Twenties

37:29 The Power of Waking Up Early

43:37 Surrounding Yourself with Like-Minded Individuals

49:06 Continuous Improvement

55:55 Investing in Relationships and Leaving a Legacy

In this episode, Ashley Seiver, an occupational therapist, delves into the transformative power of occupational therapy in enhancing daily functioning and life satisfaction. 

Discover the profound impact of creating joy and connection for refugees and asylum seekers, and understand the critical difference between top-down and bottom-up therapy approaches. This conversation unpacks resilience, vulnerability, and the stigma surrounding emotions, especially for men. Explore the effects of "little t" traumas, the importance of setting boundaries for children, and the role of empathy in relationships. 

Gain insights into self-awareness, self-compassion, and the essential journey of personal growth. Learn how to navigate change, create emotional safety, and distinguish between true self-care and unhealthy habits. Ashley shares invaluable advice on parenting, communication, and the significance of seeking support for mental health. Don't miss this discussion on how occupational therapy can pave the way to a more fulfilling and resilient life.

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aldoschandra/
Twitter (X): https://x.com/aldoschandra
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kaizenblueprint
Website: www.kaizenblueprint.com

Follow Ashley At:
Website: https://mhmatters.org/contact/
[email protected]

• (00:00) - Introduction and the Role of Occupational Therapy

Samantha Miller discusses her journey in the real estate market, emphasizing the importance of understanding personal finance and recommending key books like 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' and 'Never Split the Difference'. She shares insights on transitioning from residential to commercial properties, the value of networking, and the necessity of consistent follow-up. 

Samantha highlights the importance of building relationships, staying top of mind with clients, and the advantages of her brokerage firm. She also touches on the current state of the real estate market, challenges in multifamily development, and the rise of self-storage, while sharing strategies for balancing work and personal life.

Takeaways

• Understanding personal finance is crucial before starting a business
• Networking events are valuable for building relationships and finding opportunities
• Consistent follow-up is key to staying top of mind with potential clients and partners
• Focus on adding value and offering help rather than asking for something
• Building a strong network can lead to inbound leads and opportunities Regularly review and assess your performance to identify areas for improvement
• Set clear goals and create a plan to achieve them
• Focus on your strengths and become an expert in a specific area of the industry
• Develop local market expertise and build relationships with clients and industry professionals
• Stay informed about market trends and adapt your strategies accordingly
• Consider the challenges and opportunities in different property types, such as multifamily and self-storage
• Maintain a balance between work and personal life by setting boundaries and prioritizing self-care

Follow Me At:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aldochandra/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aldoschandra/
Website: https://kaizenblueprint.com/

Follow Samantha Miller:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthaleemiller
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthaleemiller_/
Website: https://select-ca.com/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Current Market Trends

01:21 Sam's Journey from Nursing to Real Estate

04:25 The Importance of Personal Finance

08:25 Transitioning from Residential to Commercial Properties

15:26 Networking: Building Relationships and Finding Opportunities

19:12 Consistent Follow-Up: Staying Top of Mind

22:42 Adding Value and Offering Help in Networking

28:37 Building a Strong Network for Inbound Leads and Opportunities

35:19 Self-Review and Goal-Setting

38:03 Advantages of a Local Brokerage Firm

44:29 Challenges and Opportunities in the Real Estate Market

46:57 Navigating the Multifamily Development Landscape

50:39 The Rise of Self-Storage in the Real Estate Industry

54:46 Focus and Execution: Keys to Success in Real Estate

56:11 Balancing Work and Personal Life in a Demanding Industry

• (00:00) - Introduction and Current Market Trends

In this episode, our guest shares his amazing journey of learning seven languages: German, French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and Spanish. He reveals the stories behind each language and his unique approach to mastering them through immersion, conversation, and goal-setting.

We delve into the joys and challenges of language learning, the beauty of linguistic diversity, and the impact of thinking in different languages. He also talks about the historical evolution of English and how geography shapes our speech.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation about setting realistic goals, continuous improvement, and finding joy in learning new languages. This episode is perfect for anyone passionate about languages and personal growth.

00:00 Introduction and Language Background

07:34 Setting Language Learning Goals

14:42 Methods for Language Learning

20:45 Motivation and Passion for Language Learning

25:26 Ranking the Difficulty of Different Languages

36:46 The Impact of Language Learning on Social Interactions

49:29 The Historical Development of the English Language

52:31 Setting Realistic Goals and Continuous Improvement in Language Learning

56:36 The Importance of Practical Learning and Understanding

01:00:29 Language Learning as a Tool for Personal Growth

01:07:05 Language Learning as a Tool for Professional Growth

01:09:38 Finding Joy and Personal Growth through Language Learning

Find David at:
David Maizels - LinkedIn

Follow Me At:
www.kaizenblueprint.com

https://www.instagram.com/aldoschandra/

Transcription:

Welcome to the Kaizen Blueprint Podcast, where we explore topics for continuous personal growth and improvement.

David, welcome to the show. Thank you for having me, Aldo. Now, I took you in in this episode because of your language learning skills, but before we start getting into that, tell us all the languages that you speak. Whether that's fluently, intermediate, maybe conversationalist, the whole nine yards. right. right. So let's see. At Abington, I had the privilege of studying German since we were in class together. I studied French, studied Italian, studied Chinese, Japanese and some Arabic.

But please don't make me start speaking all of it right now. I some of them I retained a lot better than others, but I would definitely say I'd be comfortable talking to you in German, French, or Italian right now. Got it. And why did you start learning these languages? What made you interested in those? I would say that was because of our amazing German professor that I was not expecting to meet. It was a complete, just wonderful gift in life to have met Dr. Colucci, who told me that, you know what, David? Go try it. It'll help you out in your language learning, help you out in just life in general. It'll give you the whole new way of thinking.

And I said, okay, let's do it. And that's exactly what happened. Got it. And when we first met, I've, I had one year of German. well, I studied in Germany. I did an exchange program in Germany. And basically I had that opportunity to immerse myself in the German language, the German culture. And when I came back, everything was so easy. I don't remember what class that we took. was like German two or German three. But yeah, it was one of the more advanced one. But then you

Up there too. So you had a German kind of background studying. Correct. In my high school I took about two years of German there. But it wasn't on the same caliber as to what we were being taught. So actually I had to do at the very beginning a little bit of catch up. Because I was missing so much. But you know, you just got to put the effort in and you get the rewards. So why German in high school? In high school I was just looking for something a little bit more challenging than Spanish or French for that matter at the time.

I said, you know what, let's try German. It's difficult, I was in my high school already offered Japanese and I figured, you know what, I'm doing the challenging stuff already. Let's make it more challenging. And so yeah, I tried German at high school, had a great first German teacher, second one, I'm sorry, but not the same caliber. And then of course, Dr. Kaluchi, who was like, know, way up there. Yeah, yeah. No, he was very knowledgeable. what got him

to telling you to learn more languages other than German, was it the skill set that you had or? I think it was just my general like willingness to do it because I will tell you this, when I first came to his class, we had our first test and you remember how rigorous his easy 10 page tests were. And all of sudden I got like a horrible grade on it and I was just like, what? It completely shook me so I just asked him like, hey, what's the correct answer here? What did I do incorrectly here? How can I learn from this? How can I redo this? And then he ended

Then he gave me that chance, which was not something that every professor would give you, because I'm sure, you know, in college or any or anything in life, if you make that kind of mistake, you're not getting a second chance. He could have easily said, sorry, you know, better luck next time. But no, he said, OK, here's what you did wrong. Explain it to me. And then I went home that day, I remember before work, I just completely rewrote the test correctly, just for practice. And eventually that practice became my general study method. And eventually he did let me retake it. I aced it. And then from that point on, it was

pretty much constant repetition. Got it. And what made you start learning other languages after then? After then, he was just talking to me and he told me that because he grew up in part of Italy where they say German is the first language, that having two different languages actually helps your thinking more. Basically, it provides you with new avenues of interpreting things and of analyzing things. And to me, that was very insightful because as the more German I picked up, and of course I know English and German are both Germanic languages,

But it's still a different perception of how you think of things because English has a lot of French influence, has a lot of Latin influence, and a few Greek words here and there. Got it. So the whole different aspect in how to analyze things, how to, you know, get to this, get to a solution, but through different angles and avenues really just made it more interesting to me. And I said, hey, I need more of this. So Italian, French, continuing Japanese, more Chinese, Arabic, even Spanish, actually. about that. And I was just like, you know what? This is actually so helpful because like it's a completely new way of interpreting the same information.

but in a different way. Got it. Tell us more about how you start learning one language after the next and what made you kind of, where's that cutoff point where you're like, okay, I think I've studied enough. For example, I think you said Italian after, or is it French? I'd say Italian would be my most conversational language. French I've actually have used in a professional environment before and German. Really? Okay. Actually, yes, at Lowe's, but these are not all places. Okay. So you did German and you went Italian,

or French? when I was actually even taking German back with Kaluci, I was taking Chinese and Japanese as well at the same time. So I was already doing it then. it's really greasing the gears and getting everything going. And then suddenly I'm like, you know what? I want my extra four credit hours. Let's do French 100. Let's do Italian. Let's, know, do all that. And what what is your methodology of learning th...

Curious about the exhilarating world of triathlon? Our latest podcast dives into the essentials of swimming, biking, and running, perfect for both beginners and seasoned athletes. Learn about different race distances and why starting small is key. Get invaluable tips on choosing the right bike, mastering swimming techniques, and the benefits of outdoor running. Discover how to prevent shin splints and incorporate strength training into your regimen.

We also emphasize the importance of recovery, nutrition, and technology in optimizing performance. Hear expert advice on the best running shoes, using Garmin watches, and the benefits of Strava and TrainingPeaks. Learn about effective nutrition strategies, the power of community support, and an inspiring journey from the corporate world to becoming a dedicated coach. Tune in for actionable tips, personal stories, and professional insights to ignite your passion for triathlon and elevate your training!

Follow Me At:

https://www.instagram.com/aldoschandra/

https://x.com/aldoschandra

www.kaizenblueprint.com

Follow Korey!

https://www.instagram.com/aukathletics

Website: www.aukathletics.com

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 513-317-0321

Transcripts:

**Aldo (00:00)**  
Korey, how are you?  
Good, yourself?  
Good, welcome to the show.  
Thank you, thank you. Thanks for having me on. I'm excited.  

Awesome. The first thing we want to talk about, because this is all we're going to focus on, maybe more, is triathlon. So, as someone who has competed in Ironman, including the World Championship and everything, what exactly is a triathlon?

I love this question because I've talked to quite a few friends and coworkers about this. They'll often say, "You did a triathlon this weekend? That's just a 5k, right?" So many people are confused about the sport. To put it simply, a triathlon consists of swimming, biking, and running, in that order.

It can vary because you're dealing with nature. For example, if you're swimming in the Cumberland River in Nashville, you might only use part of that river. Then you have to navigate the city with road closures and such. But to give you an idea, the Olympic distance, named because it's used in the Olympics, involves a 1500-meter swim (roughly a mile), a 40k bike ride (about 25 miles), and a 10k run (6.2 miles). A sprint is about half of that, a half Ironman is double that, and a full Ironman is double again.

When starting a triathlon race, do you recommend someone start with a sprint or should they just jump straight into a full Ironman?

It really depends on the person. When I did my one and only full Ironman in Maryland in 2022, the guy behind me was doing his first ever triathlon. I was blown away. For context, a full Ironman involves a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and then a marathon (26.2 miles). The fact that the guy behind me had never done a triathlon before was very ballsy, but some people thrive on that. For the average person, I recommend starting with a sprint or possibly an Olympic distance. It all comes down to your training and background. If you haven't been training, start with the shorter distances. It depends on the person.

A triathlon, especially the longer distances, involves a lot of cycling. For someone like me with a running background, a marathon feels like the next step. But you, Korey, come from a swimming background with 20 years of experience. How did you transition into the more grueling aspects of biking and running?

I grew up competitively swimming from when I was six years old until the end of high school. By then, I was burnt out and didn't pursue college swimming. After college, I worked in the corporate world and focused on climbing the corporate ladder. During COVID, a friend and I talked about how impossible an Ironman seemed. We made a pact to do a full Ironman within the next couple of years. I joined T3, a multi-sport club in Philadelphia, made some incredible friends, and things snowballed from there.

To really answer your question, I stopped swimming after high school and didn't start again until I began training for triathlons. I wasn't in love with swimming anymore because I'd spent so much time staring at that black line at the bottom of the pool. Triathlon was a new challenge that included my swimming background but also introduced me to biking and running. In May 2022, I biked more than 20 miles for the first time, and I did the full Ironman in September 2022.

So, you made that pact in 2020, did the full Ironman Maryland in September 2022, but you didn't bike more than 20 miles until May 2022? That's just a few months before the race. 

Exactly. People say it's about consistency. Training for a full Ironman without a lot of experience is possible if you're consistent. For me, it wasn't about doing massive amounts of mileage weekly but consistently training and building up.

How do you prepare your body for a full Ironman, especially the long bike rides?

You're going to be intimidated at the start, and that's part of the fun. My goal was to make it to the start line. I signed up in September 2021 for the race in September 2022, which gave me a year to prepare. Each day, I aimed to do something that would better prepare me for the race. It's about starting with small goals and building up.

Signing up is like showing up. These tickets aren't cheap, which adds another layer of commitment. 

Yes, I prolonged signing up for a year because a full Ironman can cost anywhere from $700 to $900. When I finally signed up, I knew I had to follow through. Not only was it a personal goal, but my wallet was now involved too.

Let's talk about training. For someone starting out with a sprint or Olympic distance triathlon, what are the first steps after signing up? 

The first step is finding a bike. You can rent or borrow one, or train on a stationary bike at the gym. Look for deals on eBay or ask around in the triathlon community. Running shoes and swim goggles are also essential. Start by doing one activity each day to improve your fitness. Swim one day, bike the next, then run. You can find free training plans online or hire a coach for personalized guidance.

What type of bike do I need? Does sizing matter?

Sizing is crucial. Ideally, you want a road bike or a triathlon bike because they're faster on paved surfaces. However, people have completed triathlons on fat tire bikes, mountain bikes, and beach cruisers. For beginners, getting a bike that fits well is important, and you can adjust the seat height and other aspects to make it comfortable.

When I first started, I was intimidated by the high-end bikes at races. I bought a 10-15 year old Cervelo from Craigslist for $1,600. It was expensive for me at the time, but it was a carbon frame, which was what I wanted.

For beginners, getting a cheaper, lighter bike is a good start. You can even rent a bike if you’re not ready to invest. As you progress, you can consider more advanced options and even get a professional bike fit to ensure optimal performance and comfort.

Let's shift to swimming. What if I don't know how to swim? Where do I start?

If you don’t know how to swim, I recommend starting with a few swim lessons. They're fairly affordable, ranging from $40 to $70 for a half-hour one-on-one lesson. Group lessons are even cheaper. YMCA offers swim lessons, and many colleges have affordable programs as well. If you prefer private coaches, they are available too. Learning the basics from a profes...

In this episode, Taylor shares his real estate journey, starting with house hacking to live rent-free and moving into rental arbitrage, where he leases and sublets properties on Airbnb for a profit. He emphasizes the importance of education, networking, and proactive strategies, detailing the predictability and high cash flow of rental arbitrage, along with tips on background checks and leases for long-term stays. Aiming to manage 100 units by age 25, Taylor also discusses using credit for business funding and his plans to expand into luxury vacation rentals.

https://www.instagram.com/aldoschandra/

https://x.com/aldoschandra

www.kaizenblueprint.com

Transcripts:

Aldo: Taylor, how are you doing?

Taylor: Pretty good, man. Thanks for having me.

Aldo: So, I want to start off because we're both young guys, but I think you're killing it in the game. You have an awesome story of how you started investing in real estate. Let's start with that. Tell us about your first house hack, what house hacking is, and let's go from there.

Taylor: Sure. My wife and I live in Colorado and have always been here. We got interested in real estate through financial independence about four years ago. That’s when we set our goals to do house hacking and real estate investing. About three years ago, we closed on our first property. It’s a house hack, which basically means we bought it as our primary residence, lived in it for a year, then moved out and had it fully rented out. It was a six-bedroom house, so we lived in one room and rented out the five others, living totally rent-free. After a year, we moved out and did the same thing again, but this time with a seven-bedroom house. Soon after, we started getting into rental arbitrage, and this year we’ve expanded that significantly.

Aldo: That’s impressive! When you first started the house hack, you were pretty young, right?

Taylor: Yeah, I was 19 when we closed on it. Purchasing a house at that age, especially in an expensive market like Denver, was a big step. It involved a lot of preparation—over two years, in fact. We managed to put down only 3%, covered all closing costs, and kept our initial costs low by living frugally and working side hustles. I also got into wholesaling real estate, which helped with the funds. Despite the challenges, having a great real estate agent who specialized in rent-by-room arrangements really boosted our confidence.

Aldo: Moving on to rental arbitrage, how did you get into that, and what exactly does it involve?

Taylor: Rental arbitrage is essentially where we rent properties at a set rate, fully furnish them, and then re-rent them on Airbnb. The goal is to charge higher rent than what we pay the landlord. For example, if we rent an apartment for $1,800 a month, we aim to make at least $3,000 a month from it on Airbnb and keep the difference. Currently, we have 20 rental arbitrages which fully fund our lifestyle.

Aldo: With such a strategy, what do you look for in properties?

Taylor: We target upscale, modern apartments with amenities like pools, gyms, garage parking, and security. These properties can significantly outperform more basic accommodations because of their desirability in the market.

Aldo: It sounds like a solid strategy. Who typically rents these properties?

Taylor: Our renters are often here on business, internships, or other mid-to-long-term stays. Colorado’s appeal as a tourist destination also brings in a lot of digital nomads and people looking for higher-end temporary housing.

Aldo: Lastly, any tips for someone starting out in real estate investing or rental arbitrage?

Taylor: Start by getting educated—read books, listen to podcasts, and attend meetups. Networking is key, and always be ready to adapt your strategies to the current economic conditions. For rental arbitrage, start by understanding what works in your specific market and build from there.

• (00:00) - House Hacking and Real Estate Investing

In today's episode, we explored the differences between plant-based, vegan, and vegetarian diets. It emphasizes the importance of eating whole foods and avoiding processed ingredients. Sulaimaan shares his personal journey of transitioning to a plant-based diet and the challenges he faced in a city with limited healthy food options. He highlights the significance of being intentional and making healthy eating a non-negotiable. 

We also touch on the impact of healthy habits on confidence and self-esteem, as well as the importance of self-love and self-compassion. he topic of breakups and the guest's experience with abandonment triggers. We openly discussed personal experience with breakups and the transformative journey of healing and growth that follows. Sulaimaan emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, forgiveness, and self-love in the healing process. 

Quotes: 

• "Plant-based or whole foods plant-based is really just eating from the foods that are grown."
• "Being vegan, you're not eating any animal foods. However, you can have a diet that's high in processed foods or sugars that can be detrimental."
• "Eating healthy is a source of empowerment and self-love."
• "Breakups are a form of like death in a sense because their relationship dies."
• "I try to just open the door, open the door to the emotion, treat it with kindness, treat it with compassion."
• "Vulnerability is a word that us guys, like men, we don't know what that means."

Books:
How to Eat: A Holistic Guide to Adopting a Plant-Based Lifestyle - Sulaimaan Daniels
Maat Philosophy by Muata Ashby
The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh

Follow Sulaimaan Daniels:
https://www.instagram.com/sulaimaan414/
https://www.instagram.com/hoodhealers_organics/

Follow Me, Aldo Chandra:
https://www.instagram.com/aldoschandra/

https://x.com/aldoschandra

www.kaizenblueprint.com

Transcripts:

Sulaimaan Daniels, welcome to the show. So I want to start off strong. You're a plant -based, but I think many people are probably mistaken or they don't know or they don't have a lot of knowledge. What's the difference between plant -based versus vegan versus vegetarian? So I guess to kind of kick it off, let's say plant -based or whole foods plant -bases, really just eating from the earth. You see the foods that are grown.

Or even if you're having like products and things, whether it could be cereals or snacks, a lot of the ingredients come from the earth. It's not a lot of chemicals, not a lot of additive, not a lot of processed sugars or processed salts or just salts. And so like we're eating straight from the earth. Now with vegan, it could be, I guess you could say, but if it's a product, you're not eating any animal foods. It could be maybe you're eating vegan due to animal rights or to protect the environment, which are all positives. However, we're talking from, I guess, just nutritional level.

Being vegan, you're not eating any animal foods. However, you can have a diet that's high in like processed foods or maybe sugars or wheat or gluten and a lot of things that can be detrimental to the body. And then when it's vegetarian, you're still not eating any meat or fish. However, you do consume, whether it's dairy, eggs, so a little bit of poultry. However, when it comes back to the whole food plant based perspective, you're eating straight from the earth. You're getting a lot of nutrient dense foods, not a lot of chemicals.

not a lot of processed ingredients and that just helps the body flourish a lot better compared to when you're just eating vegan, you can eat a lot of foods packed with chemicals that can be very detrimental. Is it hard because we both live in a city, right? And there's so much processed food. How hard was it that I know you're a plant based, right? So how hard was it to change that diet and kind of tell us how you first started?

I guess it wasn't too hard. When I became plant -based, I was actually in college. I was at Penn State main campus. So when I was out there, they had a lot of foods that were readily available. They were vegan at the time. And so I would just go up to the dining commons, eat the foods. I didn't have to prep too many foods too much. So I would just go there, get my food, go back to my dorm room or eat in the dining commons. And it was pretty simple. Now, when I came home in 2019, that's when it became very challenging. And I was like, you know what? This takes a lot of work, a lot of intention.

A lot of time in the kitchen, a lot of preparation. And it weighed on me a lot. Like I cut out a lot of activities that I would like to do, such as exercising or going to the gym was a big one for me. However, eating was really something that I needed to stick to. And like you said, it's not a lot of accessibility, a lot of corner stores or in Philly, we call them poppy stores, a lot of processed foods, a lot of snacks, a lot of candy. So it's not, we don't really live in, if you're living in the inner cities, we don't really live in an environment that's promoting healthy living.

Like you said, it's a lot of corner stores, a lot of processed foods, a lot of fast foods, McDonald's, which is like group eating. It's horrible. So it was very challenging in the beginning just to be like, all right, well, I got to make this work. How am I going to make it work? And what helped for me was keeping it simple. I'm just going to the stores, getting fresh fruit, fresh, fresh vegetables. I learned a lot of recipes off of YouTube, cooking in the kitchen myself and just experimenting, trying things out. My family didn't really like the food at first. It wasn't the best. However, over the years, definitely got a lot better. So.

I think just being intentional with it and knowing that, all right, I'm going to make this a non -negotiable. That's how it helped me, just making it a non -negotiable. You know what, I want to eat healthy, I want to do the best that I can. And maybe I can't get all organic at first. And then like a year later, started working in a restaurant or a market called Mom's Organics. And being able to work there helped me just be opened up to more accessibility to fresh fruit, fresh vegetables. And then over the course of the last couple of years, we're just working in some plant -based vegan restaurants.

just open the door for just more that I was able to get. Got it again and definitely started from just like making that non -negotiable intention to say, you know what, I'm healthy. And no matter what's the case, I'm going to make it happen. Was there any goals or did you just like wang it or like these are my three to five non -negotiables. These aren't a food that I want to eat every day or these aren't the food that I don't want to eat every day. How strict were you when you first started? I think for me when I first started, so my whole.

I guess when it comes to health was always originated on just fitness. Because when I was younger, at the age of 10, I was overweight and I had to start playing football. I hated it my first year. But as I stuck with it and I started working out, and the biggest inspiration for me to work out was we were doing, it was like the end of our practice one year. I've maybe been about 13 or 14. And as a group, we were doing sit -ups. And I was the only person in the team that couldn't do a sit -up because I never had gym growing up in school.

And my coach came up to me, he was like, sorry, you can't do a sit up. And so that night I went home, I did a hundred sit ups and was like, you know what, I'm going to be able to work out. And having abs became a ...

In this conversation, Alex Taberne, a mortgage lender with 25 years of experience, discusses the mortgage business, interest rates, relationship building, and the importance of house hacking. He also shares insights on working with local banks, the impact of down payments on interest rates, and the process of getting pre-approved for a mortgage. The conversation covers a wide range of topics related to the mortgage industry, real estate, health, and personal development. It delves into the process of getting pre-approved for a mortgage, the challenges faced by self-employed individuals, the importance of being prepared when buying a house, and the misconceptions about homeownership for the younger generation. Additionally, it explores the significance of relationships in the mortgage industry, the benefits of running as a form of exercise, and the importance of perseverance in business and life.

Takeaways

• The impact of interest rates on the mortgage business
• The importance of relationship building in the mortgage industry
• The concept of house hacking and its financial benefits
• The advantages of working with local banks in the mortgage process
• The relationship between down payments and interest rates
• The process of getting pre-approved for a mortgage The pre-approval process for a mortgage involves ensuring that all documents are up to date and being prepared to act quickly in a fast-moving market.
• Self-employed individuals and those with 1099 income need to provide two years of tax returns and ensure that their taxes have been filed for the last couple of years.
• The younger generation should be encouraged to consider homeownership as a viable option for building wealth, and real estate investing is seen as a better long-term investment than stocks.
• Relationship building is crucial in the mortgage industry, and perseverance is a key attribute for success in business and life.

Chapters

00:00
Insights into the Mortgage Business and Interest Rates

05:01
The Power of Relationship Building in Mortgages

10:43
Unlocking the Benefits of House Hacking

28:10
The Impact of Down Payments on Interest Rates

33:26
The Process of Getting Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

33:54
Navigating the Pre-Approval Process

52:16
Building Relationships in the Mortgage Industry

58:02
The Benefits of Real Estate Investing and Perseverance

• (00:00) -

Today,  I will talk about the meaning and story behind the Kaizen Blueprint podcast. This is a preliminary episode, so stay tuned for more to come. Links below:

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www.kaizenblueprint.com

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