I'm considering holding a workshop but only if there is real interest. If you are a yes, what would you like covered?

I was out looking at properties with my son the other day. Walking lots. Talking through deals. Real estate gives me a reason to spend that time with him but if I’m honest, I’m not really trying to teach him real estate. I’m trying to teach him how to think and live. We started talking about creative deal structuring. No money down. Owner financing. Private money. All the things that get beginners excited. And I told him something I wish more people understood early on: “The goal isn’t no money… it’s a great deal.” Most beginners are trying to figure out how to get something for nothing. How do I get in with no money? How do I structure this creatively? It is too much, but if I get the right terms? But that’s backwards. If the deal is strong money shows up. If the deal is weak no amount of creativity fixes it (most of the time). I’ve seen people twist themselves into knots trying to make a bad deal work just because they figured out a creative way to buy it. That’s not the game. I want my son looking for value. Real value. Not shortcuts. Because when the deal is right everything else gets easier. What do you think?

Let me ask you a hard question: What did you do today that could actually make you money? Not organize. Not research. Not think about it. What did you do that could directly produce a deal? Because I’ve been having a lot of conversations lately with new and struggling investors, and I keep hearing the same things: “I’m not ready yet.” “I still need more money.” “I need a partner.” “I’m still learning.” And I understand those thoughts. I had them too. But let me tell you something that might help you more than anything else: You don’t get ready… by waiting. You get ready… by doing. The Real Problem Isn’t Knowledge Most people don’t have a knowledge problem. They have an action problem. They are busy doing things that feel productive: Watching videos Analyzing deals they’ll never offer on Setting up systems Building spreadsheets Talking about what they’re going to do But none of those things pay you. Years ago, I wrote an article called: “An Offer a Day Keeps the Bill Collectors Away.” It was simple. Not easy—but simple. If you want to be in this business… you have to make offers. Not think about offers. Not analyze forever. Not wait until it’s perfect. Make offers. Because nothing happens until you do. An offer does a few things: It creates opportunity. It builds confidence. It forces you to learn. It gets you in the game. You don’t learn this business by watching it. You learn it by participating in it. The Excuses That Keep People Stuck is this: “I don’t have enough money.” Most people didn’t when they started. “I need a partner.” No—you need action. The right partners show up when you’re already moving. “I don’t know enough yet.” You will never know enough before you start. These aren’t real barriers. They’re protection mechanisms. They keep you safe… but they also keep you stuck. The Shift You Need to Make is to stop asking: “What else do I need before I start?” Start asking: “What can I do today that moves me forward?” And then do that. Every day.

In this video, we unpack 1 Timothy 6:17–19 and the tension between building wealth and truly trusting God. Because the more successful you become, the easier it is to shift your trust without realizing it. as a business owner trying to follow Christ, have you ever wrestled innately between financial security and your faith? https://youtu.be/0gMS3vR6OK8

How Do I Get Paid Back? When I lend on a deal—private or hard money—I’m not thinking about the return first. My first question is simple: How do I get paid back? And once that’s answered… I ask it again. What if that doesn’t work—how do I get paid back? And then again. If that doesn’t work… how do I get paid back? That’s the mindset. Not fear. Not negativity. Just reality. Because deals don’t always go as planned. And the lenders who get burned… are usually the ones who assumed everything would go right. Let me simplify this. The deal matters more than anything else. Before I ever look at the borrower… I look at the property. Would I buy it myself if I had to? Because if things go sideways… I might. If I don’t want the property… I don’t want the loan. Next, I look at the borrower. Do they have experience? Are they realistic? Or are they overly optimistic? Optimism sounds good… but it doesn’t protect the lender. Reality does. I’ve done a lot of deals. I can usually tell pretty quickly if someone is seeing things clearly… or if they’re stretching to make the deal work. And here’s the truth most people don’t want to hear: If the deal is tight… the money gets tight. But if the deal is strong… the money gets easy. I’ve said this for years—A great deal solves almost everything. Let me give you an extreme example. If someone is buying a $1,000,000 property for $100,000… and wants to borrow $100,000… My question is already answered. How do I get paid back? Almost any way. That kind of margin covers mistakes. It covers bad exits. It covers a lot of things that go wrong. Now most deals aren’t that good. But the principle holds. The less margin there is… the more risk there is. And that’s where most new borrowers—and new lenders—get into trouble. Borrowers: If you want money to be easy… bring a real deal. Not a hope. Not a stretch. A deal. Lenders: Don’t fall in love with the return. Fall in love with the protection.