My REAL Story of Heartache & Hope

My dad didn't go the corporate route, he blazed his own path. I respected that. And also, I wanted to know what the "business world" was like. So out of college, I was determined to work in Corporate America to understand what was foreign to me. But I always had my heart set on becoming an entrepreneur. So I did just that. I worked at some of the biggest companies in the world for short periods of time, then I made my way to an awesome 5-person startup, the next step toward starting my own thing. There I got to work with even more big companies, just in a different capacity.

Then I got the itch, you know the one I am talking about. When it was finally time for me to go do my own thing. I wanted to do real estate investment. So that's what I did. I paid a very large amount of money to get trained in how to flip houses, among other real estate investment strategies. And I'm eternally grateful I did. I made it all back with the first house I flipped in 3 weeks. Leading up to that, I tried to do it on the side for a while, but I quickly realized I would never fully take the island until I burned the boat, as Tony Robbins says. So I got my first project under contract and quit my awesome, well-paying, benefit-rich job surrounded by people with whom I loved to work, and I put all my trust in myself. Best decision I ever made, despite everyone assuming I had lost my mind.

Life was exciting! I had all the time in the world, no boss to tell me what to do, no limit to my income, no commute. Life was amazing. This sounding familiar to anyone?? ??

The next few years were a rollercoaster, as expected at the beginning of the entrepreneurial journey. But nothing can adequately prepare you for it. Highs and lows, feast or famine, seeking balance, trying to prioritize all of life's responsibilities. It is ALL ON YOU, me in this case. A wife & 4 (then 5) kids to feed & take care of, a mortgage, church responsibilities, kids' activities, social life, physical health, mental health. It. Is. A. Lot. Can you relate?

There came a point where the pressure was mounting, things weren't working out how I wanted and expected them to based on where I felt my skills and talents should shine. So naturally I felt stuck. I started doubting myself and my skills and abilities. It felt like something was holding me back, even though there was no logical reason that should be the case. I was very much in my head.

So I started praying about what direction to take, what needed to change in my life. Were my work commitments out of balance? I was hustling non-stop. Should I double down my efforts? Was I neglecting my family too much? My church responsibilities? Was I not serving enough? Not being charitable enough?

Eventually I had a life-changing experience. I heard in my mind clearly that I was to go study NLP and that this was how I was going to impact the world. Wow. Not what I was expecting. I was thinking, "Sooo...glad to impact others but...what about me??"

Little did I know what awaited me. You see, I have loved NLP since I first heard of it in college decades earlier. Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) is the study of how the language of the mind can impact your beliefs, values, actions, and therefore your results.

So I sought out a fabulous NLP Master Trainer (@nathanrossi) who had come to one of my real estate investment meetups a couple years prior. I studied, my mind was blown, and it was on. My neurology lit up like never before. My fascination increased, I became obsessed. I went through a 1:1 mindset breakthrough with a practitioner and it changed things forever.

I had no idea where those feelings of self-doubt and being stuck came from. Up until then, I had been a pretty confident person in most areas of my life. Once I learned that it was programming from when I was little that was playing out unconsciously in my life, I felt relief. I realized it WASN'T MY FAULT. And best of all, I learned that it could be quickly resolved by literally re-wiring / re-mapping the neural pathways in my brain that were causing all of those thoughts, feelings, and emotions. This happens at the Unconscious or Subconscious level, not just by talking it out. That was the key. Who knew in 2 days I could remove those feelings of self-doubt, overwhelm, imposter syndrome, etc. But that's exactly what happened.

So what to do with this experience and new knowledge? I decided to go get certified so I could help family and friends. And I did. Then I decided to go get board certified as a Master Practitioner and Master Coach so that I could help even more people. And I did.

Fast forward a few years, and I feel amazing. I still have my real estate business, but I focus on passive properties like mobile home parks and other rentals vs actively flipping. I have shifted a lot of my time and attention to helping other people that are experiencing what I experienced. And I'm also building a program for youth to teach them these things so that they can avoid getting to that place.

I feel more fulfilled than ever before. Is being an entrepreneur still tough sometimes? Of course it is. Are all the same pressures still there? Of course they are. They are called responsibilities, and I am grateful to have them. The difference now is that that pressure doesn't weigh me down, hold me back, or make me question my worth and value.

If you are experiencing any of the things I described in any area of your life or relationships, know that there is help. Whether it is with me or someone else. It's not embarrassing, it's not shameful, it doesn't make you weak, quite the opposite. You don't have to keep feeling this way. You don't have to stay stuck.

Message me. No ads or funnels. Just let me know if I can help, even if it means just offering advice or pointing you to some good resources.