The Real Estate Way to Wealth and Freedom

Pete Barrow, along with his sons Sam and Isaac, founded Parrot Property Group, a family-owned business based in Indianapolis. They focus on providing the reliability and responsiveness that you need in order to make your real estate investment a success. Parrot Property Group has a team of 5 members with approximately 80 years of combined experience in construction and real estate investing. Parrot Property Group provides a full-service solution for real estate investors in Indianapolis. From acquisitions consulting to leasing and property management, they do it all. Key Points Making real estate investing a family business Buying a package of duplexes with an investor Seeking out a real estate market - what to look for Branding and marketing Direct mail campaigns to motivated sellers Lightning Questions What was your biggest hurdle getting started in real estate investing, and how did you overcome it? Lack of money. With a long-time customer who was willing to put up capital on that package of duplexes, Parrot Property Group was born. Do you have a personal habit that contributes to your success? Pete and everyone in the business enjoy working. Do you have an online resource that you find valuable? Pete enjoys podcasts and leans on YouTube for many of his projects What book would you recommend to the listeners and why? Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow If you were to give advice to your 20-year-old self to get started in real estate investing, what would it be? Don't follow your dream unless it makes sense. Resources Parrot Property Group Pete Barrow's BiggerPockets Profile Visit Audible for a free trial, and a free audiobook download

Throughout your life, you've been on an ever-evolving journey. From learning to take your first steps and say those first words, to growing up and accomplishing so many great things, you have grown significantly. The pursuit of growth is what many desire, but few actually realize about themselves. We want to improve, grow, learn new things, see new places, try new experiences, and do as much as possible in our short time here on this earth. Growth comes in many different forms and paths for everyone. By growing in your experiences, capabilities, knowledge, and across all the other areas of your life, you'll one day look back at a life lived to the fullest and know that you created and took advantage of opportunities you never thought were possible. That's what we all want - a life of significance - one that we'll look back on one day and reminisce on. Sounds like a good plan, right? Great! Let's look at how to build a framework around your growth so that you can maximize your full potential. Accelerate Your Growth Growth is a slow and steady process that takes time. It often happens so slowly and up close that you don't realize it. Think back 5 years ago and think about your life then. What was different about you then? What have you learned since? How have you changed? Now think ahead 5 years from now and ask yourself those same questions in a forward-thinking perspective. What do you hope to accomplish? You likely expect a lot of growth from yourself. So let's start that journey now. Here are a few ways you can continue to grow and then accelerate your growth. Growth starts with your mindset. An abundant mindset will allow you to think bigger and grow more. Your mindset is your foundation. Think of a 50-year-old oak tree. Before that tree ever sprouted from the ground, its roots had already grown deep underground. These roots are your mindset. Once you've started thinking abundantly, you'll need to fuel your mind. You have access to an entire world of information.  Podcasts, books, audiobooks, videos, courses, blogs, articles, and forums are fantastic resources. You could spend a lifetime consuming productive content and not even scratch the surface. Going deeper here, make this education a habit. Invest in yourself each day by learning something new, studying something that interests you, and continuing to expand your knowledge base. Find someone you can look to as a partner, mentor, or coach. Likely, whatever you are interested in, someone has done that already. You can dramatically increase your growth by learning from that person. This person will ideally inspire you and push you outside your comfort zone. You will only experience growth outside your comfort zone. Take action. Developing an abundant mindset, educating yourself, and learning from others is all in vain if you don't follow up with action. You don't have to move mountains every day, but rather take small consistent steps toward your goals. These few tips will help you dramatically increase your growth as a person in all areas of your life - hacks, if you will. The Long Haul Remember, this is a life long journey. You have to be committed for the long term. You'll experience peaks and valleys in your life, and it's important to always keep pushing forward. Develop and invest in your mindset, learn something new every day, find success from other people, and take consistent and calculated action. Doing these things will accelerate your growth and allow you to realize all of your untapped potential. Your journey will be unique to you and can't be compared to others. Focus on yourself and becoming the best version of yourself that you can. One day you'll look back at all the things you accomplished as a result of those little things you did for years and year before. Resources Visit Audible for a free trial and free audiobook download!

Michael Green is a successful house flipper and the host of The Flip Factor, but at one point in time this success was just a teenage boy’s dream. At the age of fifteen, prompted by late-night infomercials, Michael bought the book No Money Down by Carlton Sheets, which planted the seed of eventually becoming a house flipper. But the road to success wasn’t always easy. Growing up next to the projects in Baltimore, Michael found himself getting into trouble, and his relationship with his dad was built on breaking the law. At 17, Michael found himself thrown into a paddy wagon with handcuffs around his wrists. Faced with a four-year jail sentence and a cold,  uncomfortable prison cell, with terrible food, scratchy blankets and no freedom, Michael had a lot of time to think. He thought about how if his life up to that point were a house, it would be a broken-down, boarded-up house. His negative patterns and limiting beliefs had eaten away at his foundation like hungry termites. Michael could either continue these patterns and let his life crumble around him, or he could step up and fix it. So he got to work on his first flip - himself. Key Points Lessons from turning a 4-year jail sentence into a successful house flipping business Shifting your mindset to that of success and abundance Scaling down, rather than up, to grow your business Building a business that does 170+ flips per year  Applying the 80/20 rule to find the best deals Lightning Questions What was your biggest hurdle getting started in real estate investing, and how did you overcome it? Analysis paralysis. Michael learned just enough to get started, and then learned as he went.  Do you have a personal habit that contributes to your success? Michael plans out his next day, every evening. He finds that he is most productive in the mornings, so he plans out his next morning the evening before.  Do you have an online resource that you find valuable? Trello Podio What book would you recommend to the listeners and why? Mindset by Carol Dweck If you were to give advice to your 20-year-old self to get started in real estate investing, what would it be? Get started. You are capable and can achieve great things. Find a mentor, educate yourself, and take action.  Resources The Flip Factor podcast TheFlipFactor.net Visit Audible for a free trial, and a free audiobook download

Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Being successful at something usually requires commitment, courage, and consistent action. You have to be committed to achieving your goal, whatever that may be. You'll inevitably run into hurdles and challenges along the way, and that commitment you've made to yourself to achieve success will be the driver in pushing yourself. Pushing yourself to achieve high levels of success will also require courage. You might find yourself taking the path less traveled, doing things others might not consider normal, and also taking risks. You'll have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and get used to being there. With commitment and courage, you will put yourself on your own path to success, but with consistent action, you'll make sure to stay on that path. You'll have to take consistent action towards your goals each and every day, constantly moving the needle. With commitment, courage, and consistent action, you'll find your way on a path of success, however you define that. So let's take that philosophy and apply it towards our favorite subject - real estate investing. Investing in real estate can seem like a daunting challenge. From the large financial commitments to legal obligations, market cycles, and so many unknowns, it's easy to let your self become intimidated. Each and every person has their own reservations. Perhaps that's the uncertainty of the future, or the commitment to make a large purchase or a number of other things. How to Find Success When taking on a new adventure, there will always be challenges and hurdles. That's part of the journey. But that doesn't mean you have to find success alone. Let's look at some different ways you can find success. Find someone who is doing or has done what you want to. This person could be a mentor, coach, or partner. This could even be someone you don't necessarily know, but rather study. Luckily for us all, in today's world, we are all connected. You can stand on the shoulders of giants, connect with people all over the world, and learn from some of the smartest and most successful people in your respective field. Reading books is a great introductory way to learn from other people. You would likely not be able to get the time to sit down and talk with,  Ray Dalio, who founded and leads one of the world's largest hedge funds and has been named one of Time Magazine's most influential people of the world, to talk about his views on the economy. But you can read his book Principles, and understand how he has built a framework that guides his firm's philosophy and success. Surround yourself with people who will help you become more successful. You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Build a solid support group that you surround yourself with that encourages you to achieve success, pushes you to do more, and forces you to grow. Be intentional about who you spend your time with. Make success a commitment, rather than a short term goal. Success isn't actually a destination, you'll find, but rather a journey. You likely won't experience what some call "overnight success". What will look like an overnight success to outside people will be the result of thousands of hours of hard work, years of dedication, and a long-term commitment you have made to achieve your goals. These are just a few things you can do to help you along your journey. Look to others for their experience, surround yourself with positive influences, and take consistent action. Journey Success can mean whatever you want. It can mean anything from having peace of mind and financial freedom, to having abundant time to spend with the people that matter most to you, or being able to afford traveling in comfort to your bucket list destinations, having a comfortable home, or anything else you can imagine. Your success is totally up to you.

Kris Benson Kris Benson is the chief investment officer for Reliant Investments, a subsidiary of Reliant Real Estate Management and one of the top 30 commercial self-storage operators in the U.S. in 2018. Kris is part of the investment committee and develops institutional-quality self-storage investment opportunities for accredited investors. Kris’s investing goals have always been about changing the paradigm of trading time for money in order to have time for more of the things we love to do. Likewise, investing in real estate has been Kris’s steadfast path to passive income and he is passionate about inspiring others to change their mindset around investing for their future. Key Points Continuously pushing yourself out of your comfort zone Finding your strengths and playing to those Finding motivation beyond money Building a portfolio of small multifamily properties, then scaling with syndication Three pillars - returns, protection, opportunity Investing in self-storage Lightning Questions What was your biggest hurdle getting started in real estate investing, and how did you overcome it? Fear and lack of knowledge. By taking advantage of self-education resources like BiggerPockets, and then taking action, Kris was able to get started. Do you have a personal habit that contributes to your success? Kris figures out what needs to be done and then executes. Do you have an online resource that you find valuable? Ian Ippolito - The Real Estate Crowdfunding Review BiggerPockets What book would you recommend to the listeners and why? Shoe Dog - Phil Knight If you were to give advice to your 20-year-old self to get started in real estate investing, what would it be? Do it sooner! The best tool in all of investing is time - take advantage of it. Resources Reliant Investments KrisBenson.com (coming soon) Kris' LinkedIn Profile  National Association of REITs data Visit Audible for a free trial, and a free audiobook download

Create Your Own Reality If you're like anything like me, you were raised with the blueprint to go to school, get a good education, go to college, and get a job. This is a common path for the middle class. It's one that works. It's proven. If you take this path, chances are you'll live a comfortable life earning a comfortable wage. That's where I found myself at the young age of 23 looking for my next step. What I found was.. I was at the end of this blueprint. This was it. This is what I have to look forward to for the next 40 years until retirement. For a lot of people, this is exactly the path they want and have worked hard to achieve. For others this sounds too good to be true. And to even fewer, this sounds like a nightmare. Where do you fall? If it's in the latter, and this sounds like a nightmare, I have news for you (and everyone who wants to change their current situation, whatever that may be) - you can create your own reality. Yes! You have the ability to create any life you can imagine. That's the good news. The bad news is it takes work. So if you're listening to this right now and you're thinking to yourself about that job you're driving to that doesn't fulfill you, or stressed about your financial situation, or anything else that weighs on your mind, then I have a few things that will help you. First, it's important to understand that you, and only you, are responsible for your successes and failures. No one or nothing else - only you. Once you take accountability for your actions, then you're off to the races. You have to take control of your environment. Surround yourself with people who are good for you. These people encourage you, lift you up, challenge you, and ultimately, make you a better person. Guard your time. Your time is the only non-renewable source you have. You won't get any more of it, so choose wisely how you spend it. Spend your time doing things that fulfill you and put you closer towards your goals. If you're complaining about your job and playing the latest video game, then you aren't doing anything to take control of your environment, and you're especially not guarding your time. Look at adversities as challenges, rather than problems. You'll inevitably run into adversity. How you react to it will determine how or if you overcome it. Improve every single day. This is such a simple, yet underrated, hack. Just get better at whatever it is you want every single day. Whether that's running, saving money, studying,  or working on your business, practice your skill every day. These little steps won't seem like much at first, but eventually you'll look back and see the journey you've made. Don't just sit, wait, and hope that things will change. You know the saying, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results".  Envision the life you want to live. Picture what it will look like. Imagine what it will feel like. Then, take action and decisive steps to turn that dream to a reality. You're entirely capable of anything you can imagine. So get out there and create your own reality.

Gabe DaSilva is Founder and President of DaSilva Group Inc. Prior to forming his firm Mr. DaSilva held several positions with both public and private financial institutions in the Greater New York City Area. Mr. DaSilva specializes in implementing effective profitability optimization strategies and conducting complex financial valuations and analyses. Key Points Building a vertically integrated real estate business Creating a culture of success Systems and processes to grow your business House flipping - add a level/pop tops The mindset of success Lightning Questions What was your biggest hurdle getting started in real estate investing, and how did you overcome it? Lack of capital (no deals, no dollars). Gabe found a good lending partner and built a relationship, and used leverage to grow.  Do you have a personal habit that contributes to your success? Gabe has what he calls a non-negotiable, and that is unplugging on Sunday.  Do you have an online resource that you find valuable? Podcasts What book would you recommend to the listeners and why? Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki E-Myth by Michael Gerber Scaling Up by Verne Harnish  Traction by Gino Wickman If you were to give advice to your 20-year-old self to get started in real estate investing, what would it be? Stop playing and get serious about life. Take massive action, find a circle that elevates you, and level up together.  Resources DaSilva Group The Build video series on Youtube Gabe's Instagram profile Flip Tip E-book Visit Audible for a free trial, and a free audiobook download.

Begin With the End in Mind When starting any new venture you think about what your goals are, what the end product or result looks like, and then start building towards those. This goes for any new sport or hobby you pick up, your education, career, and your life. When you take this approach, you are building the foundation for your success. Begin with the end in mind is a phrase many have heard. Beginning with the end in mind isn't just some fancy phrase though. It has quite the merit. See, when you start with the end in mind you have to visualize and contemplate what that end thing is. That could be a status, a product, a result, or a number of other things. It provides a framework for you to strive towards, benchmark progress, and serves as a target for you to aim at. But most importantly and most excitingly, this creation can be anything you want. You can set the bar as high as you want, only limited by your imagination. Once you identify what the end goal looks like for you, then you can use that as motivation to get up every day and strive towards achieving that goal. This for me is where the real value is. Stephen Covey details this "Begin with the end in mind" in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Stephen writes that when you begin with the end in mind, things are created twice. You create something first in your mind or conceptually. The second time is when you create it physically, or in reality. He goes on to use an example of building a home. You would first design the home how you want, designing the floor plan to fit your needs, visualizing the details of the finishings, etc. Then you would begin to create the blueprints, all before ground is ever broken. Only once you have created every detail conceptually, then would you start building and creating your new home. One of the principles here on The Real Estate Way to Wealth and Freedom podcast is "Engineer the lifestyle you want". This is a very similar principle to beginning with the end in mind. In order to engineer something, one must understand what the finished product looks like, thus beginning with the end in mind. If you're not sure what journey you are on just yet, this might seem like a difficult exercise - to begin with the end in mind. You might not yet know what that end result looks like for you yet, and that's ok. With some thoughts and self-reflection, you can begin to shape that end and put it into tangible thoughts, words, and eventually actions. Let's look at how. Engineer Your Lifestyle Beginning with the end in mind, you must first have well, an end in mind. So let's take a look at some ways you can visualize and create your own end. Imagination. Look at your future as a blank slate, and you can put anything you want on it. This starts to free up your imagination and allows you to be creative in building the life you want.  Rescript your thoughts. Much of the way you view your future is based on something you were taught or learned earlier in your life. You may have to redefine these things if they do not align with your desired outcomes.  Create your own personal mission statement, from which you can base your principles. Your personal mission statement outlines what is important to you, what you stand for, and how you want to live your life.  These three steps will put you on the path to identifying and creating your end. Starting with these, you can begin to envision your future, change your reality with your thoughts, and create a framework that will guide you in your approach.  Journey Beginning with the end in mind is ultimately identifying something to strive towards. This target will help you visualize the path you want to take in life, and give you something to aim toward. The real journey is in your day-to-day quest to live the life you want.

Ryan Smith brings with him more than fifteen years of extensive business experience in market evaluation, property analysis, management systems, due diligence, finance, and more. Mr. Smith and his affiliates co-manage multiple investment funds, which specialize in investing in manufactured home communities (MHCs), and participates in the ownership and/or management of over 20,000 MHC lots. Ryan graduated from the University of Tampa with a Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Science. An athlete, he was highly recruited for both baseball and basketball and was drafted as a senior in high school by the Baltimore Orioles, and again in college by the Anaheim Angels. Ryan pursued his athletic talents by playing baseball throughout his college experience. His foresight and ability to communicate the state of the marketplace has propelled him to be a featured commentator alongside the likes of Mayor Rudy Giuliani, General Colin Powell, and other notable individuals.  He currently is on the board of Young Life College – UCF and is a member of the Advisory Board for the National Christian Foundation’s Orlando chapter. Ryan lives in Orlando with his wife and two children. Key Points Why it is nearly impossible to earn yourself rich Cash flow vs. the value of cash flow Wealth creates income; income doesn't create wealth Focus on the lesser-taxed part of the income equation Successful syndication secrets The incredible value of a stigma – mobile home parks Lightning Questions What was your biggest hurdle getting started in real estate investing, and how did you overcome it? The biggest hurdles are what you don't know. Ryan used his resourcefulness to clear many of those hurdles, and built relationships with people who he could look to for help.  Do you have a personal habit that contributes to your success? Ryan is a believer in taking the next best step.  Do you have an online resource that you find valuable? Drudge Report What book would you recommend to the listeners and why?  Right Away and All at Once  by Greg Brenneman If you were to give advice to your 20-year-old self to get started in real estate investing, what would it be?  Go forward and listen to this exact podcast.  Resources Elevation Capital Group Visit Audible for a free trial, and a free audiobook download.

Your psychology is perhaps the most important quality in your life. It controls what you do, how you do it, and ultimately how successful you can be. With the right psychology, the sky is the limit. With the wrong psychology, you might never reach your full potential or even come close. Have you ever come across someone who seems to be less driven, less qualified, or less capable than you, yet is more successful at something specific? If it isn't due to capabilities, intelligence, or some other innate quality, then what could their success over yours be contributed to? It's likely their psychology. Your psychology in this context is how you perceive both yourself and your surroundings. If you perceive yourself as capable, successful, ambitious, or positive, then chances are you are those things. If on the other hand, you perceive yourself as lacking, inadequate, incapable, then you probably are those things. Your psychology determines your thoughts. Your thoughts guide your actions, and your actions drive your outcomes. If you want to change your future, then start with your psychology. "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right" - Henry Ford Your psychology is the guiding force in your life. Luckily, you have the power to take control of it and use it as you wish. Leverage Your Psychology Let's look at how you can understand and leverage your own psychology to shape your thoughts, actions, and outcomes to ultimately engineer the lifestyle you want. Embrace your positive self-concepts. These self-concepts are the way and things you think about yourself. If you have the positive self-concept that you are driven and motivated, then embrace that. Use that self-concept to push yourself and achieve new heights in your life. After all, you are a driven and motivated individual. Continue to develop new positive self-concepts and use them to your advantage. You already have a ton of great qualities about yourself that you may not even realize. Maybe you are great at viewing the big picture or are extremely task focused, or organized, or encouraging, or a number of other things. Use these to your advantage. Remind yourself that you have a superpower. Recognize and understand your negative self-concepts. We all have some negative self-concepts of ourselves. If you can realize what these negative self-concepts are and then explore the root of them, then you can use them to your advantage. Awareness is key.  Focus on growth, rather than contraction. A growth mindset can insight fear, make you uncomfortable, and force you out of your zone. By doing these things, you will grow and expand, achieving new heights. The alternative is to shrink, be comfortable, not expand and reach your potential.   There are a ton of psychology hacks, improvements, and thought exercises. By focusing on this area of your life, you are investing in yourself both now and in the future. Your psychology will play a huge role in the amount of success you have in life. Any thought exercise, investment, or time spent on your own self-psychology are time, money, and resources well spent.  Limiting Beliefs There will be times when you have limiting beliefs creep into your mind. Don't for a second allow these thoughts space in your mind. It's only normal to experience limiting beliefs. If it weren't for them, you would be recklessly taking on risks and exposing yourself to dangers. But at the same time, you can't let them hold you back.  Invest in the best resource you will ever have - your mind. Develop and grow your positive self-concepts. With the right mindset, coupled with taking action, you can and will achieve anything you set your mind to. Grow, learn new things, take on new challenges, and force yourself to continually push your psychology to new levels. 

Gino Barbaro is an investor, business owner, and entrepreneur. He has been investing in real estate for 15 years and has grown his multifamily portfolio to 900 units in just over 3 years. He has teamed up with Jake Stenziano to create Jake and Gino.com, a real estate educational company that offers coaching and training…

Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom can mean many things, and obviously here on The Real Estate Way to Wealth and Freedom, it's a pillar. In the U.S. and throughout much of the world, we are privileged with many freedoms. Freedom to live where we want, work where we want, do what we want, raise a family how we want, and so much more. We have countless opportunities available to us. Freedom is about being able to take control of your life and do the things you want. With freedom comes both the responsibility and the opportunity to do the things that matter to you. When you exercise your freedom, you are not only helping yourself but you can also help others. You have the freedom to change things for the better, improve your own life so you can help other people, and take full advantage of the world of opportunities at your disposal. Real estate investing is one of the many freedoms we like to exercise here on the Real Estate Way to Wealth and Freedom. We can take owning real estate for granted. In some parts of the world, owning real estate isn't nearly as possible as it is here in the U.S. and the large majority of the rest of the world. With real estate investing comes many other possible freedoms, like financial freedom and security. Your Financial Freedom Freedom comes in many forms, and financial freedom is one of them. Financial freedom will give you the freedom to do the things you enjoy, rather than doing things you are required to do to make a living. Without financial freedom, you're tied to trading your time for dollars. While it may be a great pay off (you're making great money for the time you trade it for), you still don't have the freedom to do what you want, when you want, where you want. Once you achieve financial freedom you will have many more opportunities to live a life you want. Here are just a few ways: You will be able to earn income on your own terms. You can work on things that excite and fulfill you. You won't necessarily have to do what pays the most, but rather what you want. Financial freedom will give you location independence, meaning you can live and work anywhere you want. You'll have the ability and capacity to help other people. You have to first be able to take care of yourself before you can take care of other people. If you have put yourself in a position of financial freedom, then you will be able to help others achieve their goals. Take Control Freedom is only available to those who take advantage of it. You have to be willing to take some risks in exchange for financial freedom. It will require some sacrifices. But to avoid pursuing any type of freedom so to avoid these risks is just a shame. Take control of your life. Pursue everything that interests you. Leave no stone unturned in this life. Take some risks, explore new ideas, take on exciting challenges, and exercise every freedom you possibly can. Resources Visit Audible for a free trial and free audiobook download!

Bob Fraser is on a mission to help investors take advantage of one of the most effective and overlooked avenues of real estate investing: residential mortgage notes. As Founder and Principal of Aspen Funds, Bob has purchased more than 1,000 mortgage notes earning double-digit annual returns without the risk and volatility of traditional investing options. Bob has personal experience with the unpredictable nature of public markets. In the 90's, he launched a tech company, raised $44 million in venture capital, and grew it to over 300 employees. Then the tech bubble burst and he transitioned to finance and investing, becoming CFO for several organizations and running a hedge fund. In 2012, he met business partner Jim Maffuccio, and the two found an alternative way to invest in real estate without the volatility of traditional options. By purchasing discounted residential real estate notes in the American heartland they discovered a high yield, liquid, asset-secured investment that produced consistently superior returns without all the risk. Better yet? They could work with homeowners to help them stay in their homes. Everyone wins. With Aspen Funds, Bob uses his 20-plus years of experience in finance to oversee the company’s mortgage note portfolios. A Magna Cum Laude graduate in computer science from U.C. Berkeley and former Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award-winner, Bob often makes bold, contrarian predictions about the economy and technology, most of which have already come true. Key Points Investing in mortgage notes Being a "leinlord" vs. a landlord How to buy mortgage notes Building a virtual business Lightning Questions What was your biggest hurdle getting started in real estate investing, and how did you overcome it? Bob knew nothing about investing in mortgage notes. He partnered with someone who brought that expertise.  Do you have a personal habit that contributes to your success? Bob and his team are patient with deals and stick to their philosophies Do you have an online resource that you find valuable? Networking tools like LinkedIn What book would you recommend to the listeners and why? Rich Dad Poor Dad by Rober Kiyosaki If you were to give advice to your 20 year old self to get started in real estate investing, what would it be? Consider investing in notes.  "A good plan violently executed today is better than a perfect plan executed next month" - George Patton Resources Visit Audible for a free trial and free audiobook download! Free Resources including Bob's economic forecast presentation Aspen Funds

Mindset Matters As humans, we are constantly looking for ways to improve, grow, expand, learn new things, experience new places, and overall become better people. Look at how our world has changed in the past couple hundred years. There are two famous pictures that show just how fast people, technology and times can change. These two pictures were taken of the Easter Day Parade on 5th Avenue in New York City - one in 1900 and the other in 1913. The 1900 Easter Day Parade shows 5th Ave. lined with horse-drawn carriages, with one lone automobile. The 1913 Easter Day Parade on the same 5th Ave. looks wildly different with automobiles lined up and down the street. The comparison of these two photos shows how much things can change in just a short amount of time. Much credit is given to Henry Ford for the early innovation of the automobile. If it weren't for Henry Ford's expansionary vision to make automobiles available to the masses by way of assembly line mass production, fair labor wages, and many more innovative ideas that are still in around today, our world may have looked much different than it does. The Abundance Mentality An abundance mentality is responsible for most, if not all, of our society's biggest accomplishments. From Henry Ford's Model T, to the United States' space exploration and so much more, these great feats were ones of abundance, expansionary, and creative mentalities. The same is true in your own life. Anything you've accomplished is probably due to that same abundance mindset. Here are a few perspectives one can take with an abundance mentality. Health, wealth, happiness, and success are not zero-sum games. In other words, if you become happier, that doesn't mean that someone else is less happy. If you become more wealthy, that doesn't mean someone else becomes less wealthy. We can all become more happy, healthy, wealthy, etc. These things are abundant and you can have as much of them as you want. Personal finance and wealth. There's a lot of advice out there about how to save money, cut costs, and budget your way to wealth and eventually retire. Frankly, one cannot save their way to wealth. You can only save so much of your money, no matter how much you earn or have. That path to wealth will always be capped. Let's say you earn $50,000 per year. How much of that could you realistically save - 10%, 20%, or 50%? Let's just say you could save 100% of your $50,000 per year salary. Great, now you have $50,000. That's all and nothing more. It would be impossible for you to grow any more and accumulate $51,000 in that year. Rather than trying to save your way to wealth, it is possible to grow your way to wealth. There is no ceiling to how much you can grow, earn, create, and make. Happiness. There is so much in your life to be happy and grateful for. You have so many opportunities, resources, and people around you to do whatever it is you want in this life. It's natural to have a scarcity mentality around some things. I don't think that our evolutionary biology has caught up with just how abundant our world really is. It's natural to perceive some things as scarce. Remind yourself that the only scarce thing in life is the abundance mindset. You are capable of anything you put your mind to. There isn't a limit or ceiling to your success, your happiness, health, wealth, or anything else. Live your life abundantly. Think, act, grow, learn, and care abundantly. Your abundance mindset will help you reach your potential and ultimately live the life you want.  Resources Visit Audible for a free trial and free audiobook download!

Bruce Mack, owner and founder of Platinum Financing Group, knows that his funding options and asset protection programs are the perfect solution for all business owners to achieve complete financial freedom. As a licensed financial advisor and former owner of a licensed and bonded credit repair company, Bruce empowers small business growth through customized funding options, including lines of credit, corporate credit building programs, and more. He’s especially passionate about educating clients on asset protection and the tax mitigation benefits of his unique, specialized Business Trust. Bruce is here today to share his expertise to help you find the right funding option for your business Key Points How to find funding options for your real estate deals  Finding and buying distressed properties Protecting your assets with a trust Lightning Questions What was your biggest hurdle getting started in real estate investing, and how did you overcome it? Getting financing. With initial capital to invest, Bruce was able to secure financing options. Do you have a personal habit that contributes to your success? Never giving up. Do you have an online resource that you find valuable? Nationwide access to the MLS What book would you recommend to the listeners and why? The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard If you were to give advice to your 20 year old self to get started in real estate investing, what would it be? Get started sooner. Resources Visit Audible for a free trial and free audiobook download! Platinum Financing Group Platinum Trust Group He started his real estate training after graduating college where he worked for Franklin Covey for 3 years. With limited experience, he purchased three properties in a span of 30 days each returning a hefty profit $88,000, $76,000 and $74,000. This allowed him to quit his job and go on to build several successful businesses such as: a construction company, mortgage brokerage, real estate consulting company, development company and dealt with multiple investments in numerous real estate properties and construction projects. In 2004, Greg was able to flip a total of 104 homes in the Salt Lake area. His success allowed him to expand his business to Arizona, Idaho, Nevada and Massachusetts. His business was involved with over $175 million in real estate. This allowed him to spend quality time with his children where they traveled often together. In 2008, Greg was hit hard by the real estate meltdown. He lost everything; except the people whom he cared for the most, his Children. Their unconditional love and support inspired Greg to use his knowledge and expertise to bounce back and rise above his struggles despite having no money and credit. Greg just exited a project in 2018 controlling over 1,000,000 sq. ft. of residential and commercial real estate in and around Dayton, OH; in addition to 57 properties flipped in the Columbus, OH market. Greg has built a new business, Breakaway Training LLC, where he provides an affordable solution for people interested in learning and mastering valuable skills in real estate without breaking the bank to get an education. Key Points From rags to riches to rags From picking up his first Carlton Sheets course to flipping homes Greg has learned everything he knows in business from coaching girls soccer Finding flip properties in foreclosure Lightning Questions What was your biggest hurdle getting started in real estate investing, and how did you overcome it? Mindset. Greg improved his mindset by reading books, focusing on positive thinking. Do you have a personal habit that contributes to your success? Reading.