You may think you know the answer to the following question - "Do you know who you are?" - but do you really? Most people think they do, but don't. It takes disillusionment and hard times to bring it to the surface and it forces us to take a long, hard look at who we are. That's what happened in Matt's life last year and the outcome of what he's dubbed his "wilderness period" has been incredible. Listen to hear what happened, what he's learning, and why he's back podcasting in order to provide more great value to those who are ready to hear it.

If you're not careful, you begin to believe what you hear in your own head

All of us have discouraging times in life. If you haven't yet, just live a bit longer. It's coming. When those times come, what goes on in our own minds is usually not good. Negativity, self-doubt, self-criticism - all of them crowd out sound thinking and make us wonder what we're even doing on the planet. But don't let those seasons happen without leveraging them to your advantage.

In this episode, Matt describes the things that were going on in his own mind as he walked through is wilderness period, and he outlines what he learned about himself through the process. You'll hear the energy and enthusiasm in his voice that come from knowing who you are. You can have the same thing happen in your life if you are willing to walk the hard road to self-discovery. Are you brave enough to take the journey?

No amount of success can be fulfilling unless you know who you are

Matt was living an incredibly blessed and successful life. His real estate investment company was rocking. His family life was great. His level of visible success was something anyone would envy. But something on the inside of his own soul wasn't right. It took hard questions from good friends to get him to think about where he really was in life. Who was he? What was he really doing? Was he living and working out of a sense of calling or just going through the motions?

This episode is a revealing peek into the hard times that eventually come to the life of every entrepreneur or investor. It's only the bravest of them who will face it, learn the lessons it has for them, and come out stronger and better on the other side. Listen to hear Matt's journey and to consider how you can take your own journey into self-discovery and greater purpose.

It's vital to be true to who you are, no matter what others think of it

We live in a world where certain things are taboo to talk about, societally speaking. It's considered to be insensitive or judgmental - for example - to talk about the Christian faith. But Matt's discovered that his faith is THE most powerful part of who he is, so to suppress it out of a misguided notion that it's not right to talk about it boldly, is just wrong. It's not being true to who he is.

It's vital, incredibly vital to be true to who you are. Others may not like it, which can send some people into a tailspin, but you've got to be true to who you are if you're going to show up in the world in ways that make a difference. Matt's example is inspiring. As you hear his unapologetic but caring approach to telling about his faith right alongside doing business at a high level, you'll see that you can do the same.

Don't be afraid of your own wilderness period

None of us invite hard times into our lives. It sounds crazy to talk about hardship that way. But Matt has come to see that it's the hard times that enable us to dig deeper and find out what we are really made of. His story illustrates how his own questions and difficulties set him up to learn some of the most valuable lessons of his life.

As this episode wraps up, Matt asks some practical, important questions.

• Do you admit that who you are today won't be able to face the challenges of tomorrow?
• Can you agree that a commitment to growth is the only way forward?
• How can you pinpoint one facet of your life and get better at it every day?

Listen to hear more of these questions and to learn how you can do your own self-evaluation with the help of some powerful tools. It could be the path toward deeper meaning for your life that you've been looking for.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:39] The long road to get back to the podcast
• [3:27] A 2018 conversation that brought up serious questions
• [9:31] The inevitable crossroads where you ask who you really are
• [12:14] It's important to be true to who you are, no matter what others think of it
• [16:53] Tools to help you know who you are
• [24:04] The most up to date book in the history of the world: The Bible

Resources & People Mentioned

• Joe Evangelisti- https://www.facebook.com/jevangelisti
• BOOK: Unique Ability 2.0 - https://www.amazon.com/Unique-Ability%C2%AE-2-0-Discovery-Define/dp/1897239416
• Strategic Coach - https://www.strategiccoach.com/
• Clifton Strengths Analyzer - https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/
• David Goggins - https://davidgoggins.com/
• BOOK: The Power of Positive Thinking - https://www.amazon.com/Power-Positive-Thinking-Norman-Vincent/dp/0743234804

 

Connect With Matt

• [email protected]
• Facebook
• Instagram

Subscribe to Phenom Investor on iTunes, Stitcher

Are you spending countless hours trying to become the greatest salesman? Are you taking time to develop mentally and spiritually? On this phenomenal episode, Matt shares how his attention has turned from reading books about real estate and finding deals (mastering his craft), to books that grow him mentally and spiritually. He has a constant hunger for knowledge, and encourages you to do the same! Recently, Matt discovered the book "The Greatest Salesman In The World" By Og Mandino, a playbook for life that Intercedes in a practical way. It's been a game-changer for him, so listen as he shares some of the powerful insights he has learned!

Persist until you succeed

Success starts with your mindset, with the belief that you are great and are destined to do great things. It's easy to give in to defeat, to pack up and go home when things get hard. Matt shares another way: persist until you succeed. You were not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in your veins. You are not a sheep, you are a lion. The slaughterhouse of failure is not your destiny.

Persist until You succeed.

Consider each obstacle a mere detour to your goal and a challenge to your profession. Go through your life and find the areas where you commonly use words like quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat. These are the words of fools.Do not allow yesterday's success to lull you into today's complacency, for this is the great foundation of failure. Greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of your life.

Greet this day with love in your heart

From this day forward, greet this day with love, for love is your greatest weapon to open the hearts of men. Try this - every person you interact with today, in your head and heart, silently say "I Love You." This mental exercise has a powerful effect on the way you view them and can open their head and heart to the conversation that needs to take place, the one where they know they are loved and understood and that there is common ground between you.

Just as love is a weapon, it's also a shield to repulse the arrows of hate and the spears of anger. Adversity and discouragement will beat against your new shield with no effect. Your shield will protect you in the marketplace and sustain you when you are alone. It will become stronger and more protective with use.

You are nature's greatest miracle

The chance of you being born, of your exact DNA is 1/400 Trillion. Think about that. Since the beginning of time never has there been another with your mind, your heart, your eyes, your ears, hands, hair, or mouth. The truth is, you are not on this earth by chance. You are uniquely designed by God. He has purposed you to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand.

So apply all your efforts to become the highest mountain of all and strain your potential until it cries for mercy. Place your uniqueness on display in the marketplace. Proclaim you are wonderfully made, uniquely talented, uniquely purposed... it's the truth.

Live this day as if it is your last

Yesterday is buried forever and you should think of it no more. Live this day as if it is your last. If you waste today you destroy the last page of your life. If today is your last, make it the greatest monument of your life. This day should be the best day of your life.

Destroy procrastination with action; doubt with faith; fear with confidence.

Use today to glorify the one who created you. His grace is sufficient, his mercies new every morning. You are under his grace, purposed and equipped. You are phenomenal. Knowing that, how does that change your approach today? Hopefully, it inspires you towards greatness!

Outline of This Episode

• [1:30] Develop a constant hunger for knowledge,
• [2:45] The importance of professional, personal and spiritual development
• [4:00] Stay focused on God's word, it's the only thing that sustains.
• [5:00] Matt talks about a book he is reading - "The Greatest Salesman In The World" by Og Mandino
• [8:00] Matt shares 4 Principles from "The Greatest Salesman In The World"
• [8:15] #1: Persist until you succeed
• [11:30] #2: Greet this day with love
• [20:00] #3: You are nature's greatest miracle
• [25:45] #4: Live today as if it is your last.
• [28:00] Become a rich man in God, in heart and spirit

Resources & People Mentioned

• The Greatest Salesman In The World - Og Mandino

Connect With Matt

• [email protected]
• Facebook
• Instagram

Subscribe to Phenom Investor on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify

Michael Zuber is an active buy-and-hold real estate investor. He is not an agent or broker, he simply uses the internet and agent relationships to drive his business. Michael just retired from his full-time job in March and is now focused on helping other investors learn the fundamentals. Michael joins host Matt Garabedian on this episode to share his story and inspire anyone looking to invest in real estate. You will learn the power of imperfect action, why it's good to be fixated on a goal, how to avoid alligator properties and much more on this phenomenal episode!

Imperfection action is always better than no action

Michael didn't start out in real estate. In fact, he was a stock broker in silicon valley until he got burned by the market, and desperately needed a way to support his family. He started working a traveling sales job, which he did for the last 20 years. During that time, he also started investing in real estate, which eventually led him to financial freedom. His investment portfolio started with a single family unit in the Fresno area, which he held onto, even through the 2008 market crash. Today, he owns 175 rental properties, many of them multi-family units.

Michael said it took a long time to see the needle move early in his investing career. A few hundred extra dollars each month did not seem like much, but over time he was able to start paying his bills solely from the real estate profits alone. He gave up small luxuries like new cars and vacations, and instead reinvested everything back into new deals. Even during the huge economic downturns, when everyone was selling like crazy, Michael was buying new properties.

Ready, Fire, Aim

Michael is a guy who understands that Imperfection action is ALWAYS better no action all. He says you will never have all of the data, so don't let that stop you from taking action. "For some of you, that means making an offer," he said. Some of you have been to 3-4 seminars, watched several videos and you have created an offer, but you are too nervous to submit it.

Do yourself a favor and submit that offer, recognize the anxiety of the moment, then move past it. There is too much to do to not take action!

Mindset is everything: you have to be fixated on your goals

Successful people will always do these three things: They will always self-educate, they will always be the ones who take action when everyone else is stalled, and they will be consistent. Michael Zuber is no exception. While he was working full time, he was fixated on his goals and put in the hard work to see them realized.

Michael says he was desperate to make it real estate work for him. If you want to be successful in this space, you can't treat it like a hobby. You have to treat it like a job, until the point that real estate is working for you.

You will never be financially free from alligator properties

"Alligator properties" is a term Michael coined for real estate, where the cost of the mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance and maintenance on a rental property are greater than the income it brings in. This occurs more often when a rental property is purchased near the peak of the real estate cycle. Under such circumstances, the investor buys the overvalued building and rents it out. However, as interest rates rise and maintenance costs add up, the owner is forced to either sell the building or suffer a negative cash flow. If this situation is not corrected, it will eat up all of the owner's profit.

Michael is adamant that you will never be financially free from these types of investments, so it's best to avoid them all together.

Outline of This Episode

• [1:15] Matt introduces Michael Zuber
• [1:45] Michael started out as a stock broker, and got burned
• [2:30] A humble start led to 175 rental doors today
• [3:30] It's possible to work full-time and still invest in real estate
• [5:45] Do you have a great grasp of the fundamentals?
• [8:15] Imperfection action is ALWAYS better, since you will never have all the data
• [9:00] Self educate, take action, be consistent
• [9:45] Adopt an abundance mentality
• [12:15] Michael's advice: do your homework
• [14:45] Ready, fire, aim : TAKE ACTION!
• [17:00] Michael shares his process and early success
• [19:45] Mindset is everything
• [21:45] Why - desperate
• [22:30] One rental at a time
• [24:30] Michael shares his retirement goals
• [26:45] Why you should avoid alligator properties

Resources & People Mentioned

• Michael Zuber
• • One Rental at a Time YouTube Channel
  • Twitter

Connect With Matt

• [email protected]
• Facebook
• Instagram

Subscribe to Phenom Investor on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify

Mark Evans DM joins Host Matt Garabedian on this episode of the phenom Investor for a quick Q&A session about his secret to success, what makes him great and what he would do if he was invisible for a day. Mark Evans DM is a 7 time bestselling author; the creator of multiple innovative, cutting-edge real estate software; he's the host of a popular podcast, TheRealEstatePowerHour.com; he's a go-to real estate investing coach to the gurus, and he has students all around the world. Listen to this phenomenal conversation to learn more!

You are only as good as your last deal

After the mastermind group met last week, Matt decided it was time to sit down with Mark Evans DM to talk about selling real estate and achieving success at a higher level. Mark said his superpower is the ability to create deals. He gets on the phone, then he listens...the deals he makes happen because he listens to the needs of the client, then moves all of his resources to make that deal a reality.

Mark says he gets his inspiration and creative ideas during the time he disconnects. No phone, no internet. He says it's uncomfortable at first, because it feels like he is not moving the ball forward, but in reality, it gives him the clarity and rest he needs to jump back into the game and be phenomenal! He also said that the thing that makes him great is knowing he is not great. Mark says you should "know you are good, but always be pursuing greatness." In other words, you are only as good as your last deal, so learn to enjoy the process.

Think bigger, move faster...and eat more pizza

Do you know what a BHAG is? It's a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. Mark shares his BHAG, then talks about how he hires people to staff his weaknesses, in this case, consistency. Hand off the consistent actions to your team, and you will find you have more time to focus on making more money.

What advice would you give your 18-year old self? Mark says he would tell him to think bigger, execute faster and maybe eat a little more pizza. The reality is, most people underestimate how much they can accomplish in ten years. Mark says even now, he is probably thinking too small...and he's a multi-millionaire! How is your thought process limiting what you can achieve? Success starts with the right mindset, followed by good ol' fashioned hard work!

I'm not trying to be right, i'm trying to be rich

Most people are terrified of failure. Mark Evans DM says if you are not willing to lose, you will never win. Matt asked him what he would do if he lost everything and had to start over? "Get on the phone and start creating deals," Mark said. In fact, Mark says he thinks about having to start from scratch fairly often. It gives him an edge and helps him to appreciate the skills he has.

Mark says if you are interested in becoming an entrepreneur, serve. Just because your name is on the paperwork as the CEO doesn't mean that you are a leader. Leaders create more leaders, plain and simple. If you are hiring quality people, there may be times when they know more than you or understand how to solve a problem better you. When their expertise collides with your ego, how will you react? Here's a question you can ask yourself; Am I trying to be right, or rich? The way you answer that will determine how successful your company will be, and what kind of buy-in your employees will have.

What is the best part of being an entrepreneur? The Freedom.

Answer this question honestly: Are you serving your business, or is your business serving you? The difference is critical! Mark Evans DM talks about building businesses using the E.L.F. principle. Are they Easy, Lucrative and Fun? Many business owners are actually just highly paid employees, because they spend all of their time solving problems and putting out fires. Mark says it feels good to solve problems, but the truth is, you might be the arsonist setting the fires, then the fire fighter trying to put them out. You can see how this is not sustainable or productive....The goal is to create companies that serve YOU!

Mark said when he was younger, he never expected to be able to live a life of such freedom! He travels all over the world, and still makes deals and leads his companies. He has fallen in love with the process, and his success comes as a result of hard work and a passion for what he does! THAT is a phenomenal way to live!

Outline of This Episode

• [1:15] "The Deal Maker" Mark Evans DM joins Matt for a Q&A session!
• [2:40] what is your superpower?
• [3:55] Where do you find Inspiration?
• [6:30] What makes you great?
• [10:00] What is your BHAG?
• [10:50] What do you struggle with?
• [14:38] What would you tell your 18-year old self?
• [16:47] What would you do if you were invisible for a day?
• [19:15] What would you do if you lost everything and had to start over?
• [22:51] Who to play you in a movie?
• [23:21] What would you tell people interested in becoming entrepreneurs?
• [29:40] What is the best thing about being an entrepreneur?
• [30:50] Can you explain E.L.F.?

Resources & People Mentioned

• Mark Evans DM
• • Website
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Connect With Matt

• [email protected]
• Facebook
• Instagram

Thinking about success will not bring success. To elevate your game, you must back your thinking with the necessary effort and action to move on achieving your goals. You must show up or show out. If you start, you must finish. It's part of the grind. If you are in the game, you have nothing to lose by giving it all you've got.

Your life is your creation. You have most things you need to shape it and make it incredible. It's not something that happens to you — unless you abandon your drive and go back to your cubicle. If you think your life is passing you by, it's because you've chosen to sit on the sidelines.

Take imperfect action, dive in and get started

Perfectionism kills growth, but taking imperfect action will be a catalyst for your success.

A lot of you are still standing on the sidelines even though you have all the tools to achieve success. Why is that? Matt says it because the fear of putting something out that is not perfect is crippling you.

You are waiting to have all of the details perfectly lined up, which may never happen. When you take imperfect action, you have a work In process and viable resources. You can get your systems connected, your writing out, your website updated, your relationships forged, whatever the case may be, and while this is happening, you have the chance to improve.

The title on your tax forms does not make you a CEO

Until you start hiring people and creating systems that those people can use consistently, you are not a CEO. The people and the systems are the keys to success. Focus and consistency create lucrative results.

If you are trying to do everything yourself, you cannot have an easy, lucrative, fun business.You are building a business to serve life, not the other way around. As you attract great talent, the goal should be to start removing yourself from aspects of the business. This may be one of the hardest things a leader has to do, but it usually provides the biggest rewards in return.

Most people overestimate what they can do in one year, and underestimate what they can do in ten

If you've ever played sports or done any sort of training, you know how important it is to master the fundamentals. You might have even had a coach or teacher who emphasized the "fun" in "fundamentals" to encourage you to enjoy the preparation and practice needed to succeed.

The same goes for business. But there is so much information these days that it's sometimes hard to focus on the few simple basics you need to make your company a success. Most people overestimate what they can do in one year, and underestimate what they can do in ten.

If you work the fundamentals that make your company successful for five years, you would be amazed at the results! Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs fall victim to "shiny objects" syndrome. They're always looking for a new angle or magic bullet; they try one approach to selling, then skip to another thinking that that will solve all their issues. But in the end, there is no magic bullet. There are just proven principles you need to practice and master to get your business up and growing--and keep it successful.

If you are lacking confidence, it's probably because you broke a promise to yourself

If you're continually setting intentions for change or resolutions, but do not follow through on them, eventually you'll not believe in your own abilities to achieve your goals and intentions.

Basically, when you speak words over yourself (say you are going to make changes, etc.) and always fail to follow through on them, your unconscious mind basically says to itself, "Yeah right! Good luck with that…" Fortunately, Each day offers you a new promise. A new beginning. A chance to do better and be a better person at home, work, and everything else in between. This is why Matt says he looks forward to Mondays. It's another chance to work on his dreams. He says it's either pursue his dreams relentlessly, or go back to a cubicle, since anyone who is not willing to put in the hard work doesn't deserve the results of the lifestyle.

Outline of This Episode

• [1:45] Matt shares inspiration from his mastermind group
• [3:45] Don't settle, it's death to your business
• [5:45] Nobody has it all figured out, so take imperfect action
• [7:30] Is your business E.L.F.?
• [10:30] Systems and team are the key to success
• [12:00] Other people benefit when you invest in yourself
• [13:00] The title on paper does not make you a CEO
• [14:00] Want to elevate your game? Get a mentor.
• [14:15] If you are doing everything, your business will not be E.L.F.
• [16:30] It's time to level up
• [17:30] Just dribble the ball
• [20:45] Are you your own arsonist?
• [21:30] It's important to define what being rich is
• [24:45] Stop acting like superman
• [26:45] If you are lacking confidence, it's probably because you broke a promise to yourself

Resources & People Mentioned

• Duke's Malibu

Connect With Matt

• [email protected]
• Facebook
• Instagram

If you have ever had a moment where you call into question your life goals, personal vision and what legacy you will leave, then you will understand Matt's motivation for this clarifying and inspiring episode. Four years ago, Matt wrote down a few life goals that he felt inspired to pursue. This list included a vision for his life, the legacy he wants to leave, and a set of skills he wants to pass onto his children, among other things. Fast forward to the present, that list is more important to him than ever.

"It doesn't matter how much money you make," he says, what matters is the vision you follow and the legacy you will leave.

Creating your life vision

Don't expect a clear and well-defined vision overnight—envisioning your life and determining the course you will follow requires time and reflection. You need to cultivate vision and perspective, and you also need to apply logic and planning for the practical application of your vision. The best vision will resonate with your values and ideals and will generate energy and enthusiasm to help strengthen your commitment to exploring the possibilities of your life.

Create a bigger version of yourself. We have the tendency to place ourselves within boundaries that define who we can and cannot be. This mindset causes us to settle for the lowest level of our potential. Form a clear, detailed picture of what the bigger version of your life looks like, one in which you've already attained your greatest goals and fulfilled your deepest desires. Painting a mental image helps you understand what it is you really want.

Take the first step. Putting your intentions to use initiates action. Your first step may be a leap of faith, but it is with this first step that you prove your own abilities to yourself.

Plan your life backward

It may sound counter-intuitive to plan backward rather than forwards, but when you're planning your life from the end result, it's often more useful to consider the last step and work your way back to the first. This is actually a valuable and practical strategy for making your vision a reality. Matt said the first thing on his list from 2014 was to provide a future for his family that eliminated any worry or stress about finances. With a clear vision in front of him, he can work backward from total financial security later on. Matt also said he doesn't want to grow to an old age and look back with a list of regrets about opportunities he passed up, how he spent his time or things he chased that didn't matter. Right now, you have the power to live a life with few regrets, but later on, you won't have that luxury. Get clarity now, it will serve you well in the future!

Matt was encouraged by his mentor, Mark Evans DM, to write out his own eulogy. This exercise has a uniquely powerful way of clarifying what is important. What will people say about you after you are gone? How will you be remembered? What legacy will you leave? Matt says he will share that eulogy in a future episode.

A true leader creates more leaders, not just followers

Leadership is more than being in charge and managing people. Leadership that separates good leaders from great leaders is leadership that builds other leaders. If you want to build a company that is enduring, having good leaders is not enough. You must build a culture of leadership throughout your organization that cultivates great leaders.

Matt takes this leadership lesson to heart. When he wrote that list of goals, one of them was to teach his sons the skills they would need to be successful in life and business later on. He wants to grow his sons up to be leaders, and understands that to do that well, he has to model those character traits first. If you want to teach your children about leadership and character, the best way is to demonstrate it for them.

Started from the bottom now we're here

Your journey must include times of reflection. Compare where you were five years ago with where you are now and congratulate yourself for your achievements both big and small. Don't forget to reward yourself for your hard work, careful planning, and strong character.

Matt had no idea that he would rediscover a clarifying note he wrote on an old iPhone four years ago, but he is glad he did. He can look back and see the progress he has made, how those goals have changed, and new ones he would like to add. At the bottom of the list was the phrase "Started from the bottom now we here," a quote from Drake's "started from the bottom" song. Have you looked at your goals recently? Can you see where you have made progress? Can you check something off that list? If so, great job! Stay encouraged, keep grinding, keep hustling, it will pay off!

Outline of This Episode

• [1:22] It's midnight, and Matt has some inspiration to share about building a legacy
• [4:00] What is your why?
• [5:15] Money is just a tool - a means to create the freedom you want
• [7:30] Here's what you need to help you clarify your vision and goals
• [10:30] How can a true leader create more leaders?
• [11:00] Money follows the vision and core values
• [12:30] Matt shares his "why" and how he is working to achieve it
• [13:00] 1. Provide a future for his family that eliminates financial worry
• [14:00] 2.Challenge himself to be truly great at creating a real estate business
• [16:30] 3. Teach his son skills for life and business and futures
• [18:15] 4. Help those in need spiritually and financially
• [19:30] 5. Live a life without regrets
• [22:00] 6. Build a business that has real value that could be sold later
• [24:00] 7. Celebrate the wins

Resources & People Mentioned

• Mark Evans DM

Connect With Matt

• [email protected]
• Facebook
• Instagram

Subscribe to Phenom Investor on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify

True success is not what you see every day on your Facebook or Instagram feed. Those are the destination stories, the descriptions of what has happened after many years of hard work. The temptation to think that you can suddenly become truly successful is one that we all have to avoid because true success takes a lot more work than that.

In this episode of the Phenom Investor Blueprint, Matt shares 5 traps that will prevent you from experiencing true success. They are things common to everyone and things he is still learning how to avoid himself.

You won't get a lot of theory or pie-in-the-sky approaches in this episode, you will get practical, daily practice tips that you can apply to your life right now, no matter what stage of business you are in.

Trap #1: Gauging your success by the success of others

Hardly anything you see on social media is really the way it appears to be. The success stories that you hear may be genuine and may truly express what has happened in someone's entrepreneurial journey, but they usually leave out the real backstory behind their success.

True success comes after a lot of hard work. Most overnight successes are not really successful overnight, they have spent years building the foundation for the success that seems to have appeared out of nowhere.

As an entrepreneur or business owner, you have to be careful that you are not gauging your success or rate of growth by the perceived success of others. Remember that you don't know their entire story. You don't know the sacrifices and pitfalls they've experienced. It's easy to sterilize the success stories you hear and think the people involved haven't experienced the hardships you have, so avoid that trap and keep your head down. You've got to stay focused so you can do the hard work needed to experience true success for yourself.

Trap #2: The "Good Paying Job" trap

Matt speaks with a lot of people who are interested in getting started with real estate investing. He has a lot to share with them from his own experience that can help them make the transition from a corporate career into an investing business and lifestyle.

But one of the things he has discovered is that the perceived security of a nine-to-five job is actually a barrier that prevents people from getting on the road to true lifestyle and business freedom. Those people tend to approach real estate investing or any other side hustle as a hobby rather than a serious endeavor that deserves their entire focus.

It's a trap - the "Good Paying Job" trap, and it keeps them stuck and prevents them from going all-in.

Trap #4: The "I have to learn more" trap

It IS vitally important to learn all you can about any new thing you're going to attempt. That's especially true when it comes to business ventures like real estate investing. But there comes a time when you have to pull the trigger and get started. When that's the case, a desire to keep learning can actually hold you back.

Too many people get caught up in the learning and never take action. It's a trap, a wrong belief that they need to know just a little bit more before they can actually be effective. In this episode of the podcast, Matt explains why that mindset is so dangerous and gives a handful of tips to help you get out of it and start moving forward toward true success.

Trap #5: The "I don't need to write down my goals" trap

You may have heard people say that it is vital to physically write down your goals. In this episode, Matt confesses that he has always been a slacker when it comes to writing down the things he wants to accomplish. But he's learned the hard way that the people who say you need to write down your goals are absolutely right.

There's something about the tangible act of physically writing out your goals that makes them more concrete, more real. You see them on the page, they take root in you more deeply, and you are able to visualize them and the path it will take to achieve them, more easily.

Don't fall prey to the belief that you don't need to write down your goals. Write them down. Start thinking about them every day. Focus on each step that will lead you to their accomplishment and you will find true success approaching more rapidly than before.

This episode is full of practical insight and mindset shifts that can transform your life and business, but you have to do more than listen, you have to take action. Outline of This Episode

• [1:50] Why there is no such things as an overnight success
• [4:20] Trap #1 - The trap of gauging your success by the success of others
• [10:52]Trap #2 - Beware of the "Good Paying Job" trap
• [16:16] Trap #3 - The "Do It By Myself" trap. You are NOT Superman
• [18:21] Trap #4 - The "learn it all before I start" - the journey is your best teacher
• [27:30] Trap #5 - The "I don't need to write down my goals" trap
• [35:20] We all struggle with the same things: we all need the same type of reminders

Resources & People Mentioned

• BOOK: Outliers
• MOVIE: Click

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• [email protected]
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When new investors think about getting started in real estate investing, they typically want to know all of the specifics regarding how to find properties, how to negotiate deals, how to know if you're paying too much for a property, etc. And though those things are important, they are not the most important things.

In this episode, Matt shares the secrets he has discovered in his years as an investor that will help you as you are getting started in real estate investing.

You won't want to miss this because everything he has to share is foundational to every one of the questions beginners typically ask.

Successfully getting started in real estate investing depends mostly on the right mindset

If you are trying to get started in real estate investing but don't have the right mindset, you might as well stop right now.

Mindset is 100% of real estate investing success.

In this episode, Matt explains why mindset is so crucial, how the wrong mindset can sabotage your efforts, and how the right mindset will set you up for massive success and greater opportunities that you wouldn't have otherwise.

Don't let this episode slip by without learning these valuable lessons. Wouldn't you rather learn them the easy way from someone who has been there ahead of you?

When you stay focused on what you do well, you are able to make better investing decisions

One of the rookie mistakes almost every real estate investor makes is getting involved in too many different types of investing scenarios.

It is very tempting to step into every opportunity for the sake of making money. But Matt has discovered that once you know the aspects of real estate investing that you enjoy and are truly good at, you need to narrow your focus and stay locked in on those opportunities only. Getting distracted will cause you to pull away from what you're good at and you will lose more money than you stand to gain.

Learn what it means to stay focused and how it will benefit your real estate investing career, on this episode.

A Ready, Fire, Aim attitude will get you started in real estate investing the quickest

Most people who are ready to step into real estate investing have already done their homework, at least enough to get started. But too many of those people fall prey to what is called, "Analysis by paralysis."

They spend so much time trying to figure out the specifics of an opportunity that they wind up missing the opportunity altogether.

Matt prescribes an approach that takes action instead of waiting around to have every T crossed in every I dotted. If that sounds confusing to you, be sure you listen to this episode. Matt spends a good deal of time talking about what it means to take a ready, fire, aim approach to real estate investing.

Getting started in real estate investing has to have an important purpose behind it

One of the most powerful points Matt makes on this episode is that those who are successful at real estate investing always have a giving spirit. Generosity and willingness to serve others are what enable opportunities to open up before you and great relationships to be built - which in turn fuel your success down the line.

If you are just getting started in real estate investing, don't wait until you have money in the bank to be an asset to other people. Be generous, be willing to help, reach out to others with whatever you do have to offer so that they can see your generous spirit and will be eager to help you when the time comes.

But be careful that you don't think this is about giving in order to get. It's the exact opposite. You should give for the sake of giving, no matter if anyone returns the favor or not. Be sure to listen so you can hear Matt's explanation of this vital principle for success in real estate investing.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:39] The top secrets only the best real estate investors know about
• [1:34] #1 - Do you know your own unique abilities?
• [2:29] #2 - Mindset is 100% of your business success
• [3:25] #3 - Clarity about who you are and what you do is powerful
• [8:08] #4 - A team can expand your vision and reach tremendously
• [11:32] #5 - An abundance mentality fuels success by adding value to everyone
• [13:51] #6 - Successful people think in terms of "investment" not "cost"
• [15:14] #7 - Take on a "ready, fire, aim" approach to learn what to do
• [17:15] #8 - Continue to stretch: level-up
• [20:21] #9 - Learn how to be comfortable being uncomfortable
• [21:50] #10 - Learn to value experiences over money
• [24:45] #11 - Successful people are givers, not takers

Resources & People Mentioned

• BOOK: The Inner Game of Tennis
• BOOK: Seasons of Life
• BOOK: Losing My Virginity

Connect With Matt

• [email protected]
• Facebook
• Instagram

Subscribe to Phenom Investor on iTunes, Stitcher

Personal vision is not some mysterious thing you have to go to a guru on a mountaintop to find. It's not a hidden mystery that is bestowed on you from the outside. It's the answer to a very simple question:

What do you really want for your life?

Matt Garabedian is no stranger to the struggles that come from not knowing what you want to do. As a young man, he wasn't sure what direction was best for him to take in life, but he was smart enough to take the advice of his grandfather and test for his real estate license. To this day he remembers what his grandfather said... "It's a license to make money."

Matt can see now that real estate was the right vehicle, but he was on the wrong path. Rather than continuing to serve others as an agent, he wanted to get on the other side of the closing table, into the seat of the investor who was making big money in the real estate deals he arranged.

That realization was the beginning of Matt's vision for his life. He wanted to be a real estate investor. Hear the rest of Matt's story and why he believes a personal vision is the key to success, on this episode.

"I didn't want to work for the man, I wanted to be the man!" ~ Matt Garabedian

Have you ever felt that way? Does something inside you long to be free of other people's decisions about when you work, when you can have a vacation, and how much you'll be paid? Matt felt that way and he was determined to avoid it.

In this episode, Matt explains how he stumbled upon the idea of a personal vision - an overriding purpose for his life that clarified his course - and explains how he implemented it in a powerful way.

A personal vision is clarity. You need to know why you are doing what you are doing

Are you entirely clear about the purpose and direction of your life? If you are not, you are missing the key component that leads to success in every area. Matt calls it a personal vision and believes that every person who accomplishes anything of significance has to have one.

In Matt's experience, a personal vision IS clarity - about why you do the things you do. It serves as a filter, helping you evaluate opportunities and invest in the best ones. This episode of the podcast highlights how Matt discovered the need for his own personal vision.

Action that is taken consistently is what fulfills your vision

Even if you develop a personal vision for your life, if you don't take action, all your work to develop it was a waste of time. Action is mandatory if your personal vision is ever going to become a reality. You can't just sit and think about it, you can't just make wishes about it. You have to take wise, intentional steps that lead toward it.

And as you take action, you have to stay at it. Consistency is your friend when it comes to accomplishing your vision. Find out more about developing your own personal vision and putting it into practice, on this episode.

When you have a clear vision and purpose, decisions are easier

A personal vision serves as a litmus test for any opportunity, request, or situation that comes your way. By knowing very specifically what you are headed toward you are able to accurately answer the question…

"Does this particular opportunity lead me toward my vision or steer me away from it?"

In this episode, Matt explains how his personal vision keeps him on track and helps him make decisions about life and business. He has discovered that decisions are easier because of the work he's put into clarifying his own personal vision.

You won't want to miss this episode. It highlights a very basic element of any life that is successful.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:40] Matt's driver ever since he got into real estate investing: His personal vision
• [2:45] How Matt went from having no vision to understanding the power of vision
• [6:25] Real estate was the right business, but Matt's approach was the wrong approach
• [9:11] The power of Matt's vision to be the guy on the other side of the closing table
• [11:52] Self-education through Youtube, books, courses, podcasts, and more
• [14:52] Vision can change over the years as you gain experience, knowledge, and skill
• [19:01] Learn to get rid of the "cost" mindset. Exchange it for an "investment" mindset

Connect With Matt

• [email protected]
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