In this episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with Leah Coleman, a powerhouse realtor, investor, and connector from Richmond, Virginia, who’s redefining what it means to build wealth and resilience, one relationship and one property at a time.

Leah’s story spans decades of transformation: from working in finance and retail management to mastering wholesaling in her 20s, navigating the 2008 crash, and reinventing herself as a realtor and investor in a shifting market. She shares her lessons on grit, recalibration, and leading with faith even when life forces you to pivot.

We talk about how she’s learned to balance being a single mom and entrepreneur, the power of time-blocking and hiring help, and her philosophy of “biting off more than you can chew—and figuring out how to chew it.” Leah also introduces her newest project, Brick by Brick, a TV and podcast show highlighting local entrepreneurs, investors, and community leaders making waves in Richmond.

If you’re navigating transition, burnout, or self-doubt, Leah’s journey will remind you that your capacity grows in the stretch and that the recalibration seasons often bring the biggest breakthroughs.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

01:27 Who is Leah Coleman?

03:47 JJ’s Joke of the Week

05:16 Reconnecting with your own story: How revisiting her journey re-inspired Leah during challenging market cycles

06:33 Early career in banking and retail management: Learning leadership, sales, and systems

11:30 The crash of 2008–2009: What happens when your buyers vanish overnight and how to pivot fast

14:21 Meeting mentors Jim and Rhonda Ingersoll, Daniel Clayman, and learning through community

16:50 Restarting her business after marriage challenges: Buying five properties in her first three months back in 2018

18:07 The impact of building your network and nurturing the right relationships

23:05 Hard work over luck: Why “beginner’s luck” is really the product of consistency and showing up

24:30 “Bite off more than you can chew”: Leah’s bold approach to growth and the lessons behind the chaos

32:42 Managing burnout and mental recalibration: how to build capacity for disappointment and still move forward

35:08 Rebuilding after loss: Navigating single motherhood, rebuilding a portfolio, and trusting divine timing

36:40 “Delays equal dollars”: The powerful mindset shift that turned setbacks into profits

40:30 Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship: The reality of being a woman in a male-dominated space

42:09 Time-blocking, hiring help, and redefining success: how a $1,680/month nanny changed everything

48:06 Introducing Brick by Brick: Leah’s new show celebrating Richmond’s entrepreneurs and creatives

53:20 Giving first, serving others, and leading with connection over extraction when networking

55:02 How to get in touch with Leah and her team

58:58 How investors can use AI technology to evaluate and optimize assets

Quotables

“Sometimes you just have to have hard conversations and develop the capacity to disappoint others and yourself when things don’t go the way you planned.”

“Bite off more than you can chew—and figure out how to chew it.”

“Delays equal dollars. Every setback is just divine timing in disguise.”

Links

Leah Coleman

https://www.instagram.com/leahreneecoleman

[email protected]

(804) 484-2018

608B Capital

https://www.608bcapital.com