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Ever thought about turning your video game obsession into actual income? Gloria Riley from YellowLlamaCo.com creates and sells custom digital planners and templates for fans of The Sims computer game. She's built a full-time income by helping "serious simmers" organize their gameplay, track their virtual families, and stay connected to their digital worlds. Tune in to Episode 701 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: how to turn a personal hobby into a profitable niche business how TikTok and YouTube can drive viral growth and consistent sales strategies for creating, pricing, and marketing digital products for a passionate community Full Show Notes: Zero Followers to Full-Time Video Game Income: How I Built an Online Business for Sims Superfans New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Mint Mobile — Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! Quo (formerly OpenPhone) — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Policygenius — Compare free life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save. About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation.
What if you could build a six-figure business in under 2 years — with zero technical skills and almost no marketing budget? Tanya van Gastel did exactly that with Multiverse.ai, an AI-powered headshot generator that turned selfies into professional photos. She started with just $9 per sale, scaled to $29, drove over $350,000 in revenue, and sold the business — all while working with two co-founders and learning marketing from scratch. In this episode, Tanya pulls back the curtain on how she found customers, grew through SEO and affiliates, pivoted to corporate clients, and ultimately prepared the business for acquisition. Listen to Episode 701 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: How to enter a crowded market and still win Low-cost marketing tactics that actually scale The real difference between SEO and "GEO" (generative engine optimization) How to position a business for sale even without recurring revenue Full Show Notes: From $9 to $350K: How to Build and Sell an AI Headshot Business New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Mint Mobile — Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! OpenPhone — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Policygenius — Compare free life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save. About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation.
For eight years, Lisa Bilyeu lived the life others expected: a traditional Greek wife focused on supporting her husband and running the home. But deep down, she knew she was meant for more. With no business background, zero confidence, and no clear roadmap, she decided to rewrite her story. She co-founded Quest Nutrition with her husband and built a billion-dollar business. In this LEAP Replay, Lisa opens up to Ilana about breaking free from cultural expectations, showing up authentically in the face of criticism, and how you can build radical confidence without needing external validation. Lisa Bilyeu is an entrepreneur, bestselling author, and co-founder of Quest Nutrition, a multi-billion-dollar company. Her mission is to use content creation to empower women to break free from limiting beliefs and build extraordinary lives. In this episode, Ilana and Lisa will discuss: (00:00) Introduction (02:22) Her Upbringing and the Weight of Expectations (06:44) Velvet Handcuffs: The Trap of People Pleasing (10:55) Transitioning from Housewife to Co-Founder (19:13) Handling Your Emotions in Business (24:25) How Lisa Tackles Online Hate and Criticism (33:12) The Three Keys to Mission-Driven Content Creation (37:25) Lisa's No-BS Guide to Success (44:40) Why She Chose Her Mission Over Motherhood (1:03:06) Building Radical Confidence Through Self-Reliance Lisa Bilyeu is an entrepreneur, author, and co-founder of Quest Nutrition, a multi-billion-dollar company that transformed the health and wellness industry. She is also the founder and host of Women of Impact, co-founder of Impact Theory, and bestselling author of Radical Confidence. Lisa's mission is to use content creation to empower women to break free from limiting beliefs and embrace their full potential. Connect with Lisa: Lisa's Website: https://lisabilyeu.com/ Lisa's YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LisaBilyeu Lisa's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisabilyeu Resources Mentioned: Lisa's Book, Radical Confidence: 11 Lessons on How to Get the Relationship, Career, and Life You Want: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JPHK9C3 Leap Academy: Ready to make the LEAP in your career? There is a NEW WAY for professionals to fast-track their careers and leap to bigger opportunities. Check out our free training today at https://bit.ly/leap--free-training
Welcome to The Angle w/Evan Mendoza, hosted by 7 year pro baseball player, entrepreneur, founder, and content creator Evan Mendoza. On this podcast you'll hear how to help more athletes, more parents and more coaches: develop quicker, spread more knowledge, and the many failures and lessons Evan has learned on his path from Little League to the Big Stage.Follow My Socials:Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | MendozaBaseballAcademy.com
This is normally a Thanksgiving tradition on the show, but I've seen so many fun ideas come across my desk this year, and we just couldn't wait! Welcome to Round 8 of Creative Side Hustle Ideas. And to help out with this round, I'm joined by someone who's no stranger to the side hustle world. As the CEO of Flippa.com, the number one platform to buy and sell online businesses, Blake Hutchison has had a front row seat to thousands of profitable side projects. Today, he's here to share that perspective with us. This is the 8th installment of the series, so I encourage you to check out the previous episodes if you like this format, make sure to grab the full playlist here. Here are the past editions if you want to see them individually: 10 Creative Side Hustles Part 1 – 2018 10 Creative Side Hustles Part 2 – 2019 10 Creative Side Hustles Part 3 – 2020 10 Creative Side Hustles Part 4 – 2021 10 Creative Side Hustles Part 5 – 2022 10 Creative Side Hustles Part 6 – 2023 10 Creative Side Hustles Part 7 – 2024 Let's talk about this year's most innovative money-making ideas! Full Show Notes: Creative Side Hustles That Make Real Money - Part 8 New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Mint Mobile — Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! OpenPhone — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Policygenius — Compare free life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save. About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation.
The energy drink industry is rapidly evolving — moving beyond sugary caffeine bombs toward functional wellness beverages that support performance, recovery, and immunity. In a must-hear episode of the Ash Said It Show, Mocean CEO Tony Vieira breaks down how his new brand is redefining what energy means for modern adults. Launching October 2025, Mocean is a low-calorie, low-carb, and taurine-free energy drink designed for fitness-focused, health-conscious consumers. It's packed with a powerful blend of echinacea, elderberry, ginseng, magnesium, and shiso — a rare botanical making its first-ever appearance in U.S. beverages.
Join Howard Morgan and Mozart Fontaine as they discuss wrestling - yesterday, today, and tomorrow - and take your calls. Visit http://vocnation.com. Full Video Episode Available for only $3/mo at www.vocnation.com! Subscribers also get commercial free audio and video of Wrestling with History featuring Bill Apter and Ken Resnick, In the Room featuring PWI's Brady Hicks and former WCW Star the Maestro, No BS with The Bull Manny Fernandez, and more! VOC Nation takes you behind the scenes of your favorite moments in pro wrestling history. Notable show hosts include legendary pro wrestling journalist Bill Apter, former WWE/TNA star Shelly Martinez, former WWE and AWA broadcaster Ken Resnick, former WCW performer The Maestro, former TNA Impact talent Wes Brisco, Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Brady Hicks, independent pro wrestling and Fireball Run star Sassy Stephie, and more! Since 2010, VOC Nation has brought listeners into the minds of the biggest stars in pro wrestling and entertainment. Subscribe to the podcasts for free on most major directories, and visit http://vocnation.com for live programming. Subscribe to premium - only $3/mo - for commercial full commercial free audio and video episodes. Exclusive access to 50 years of Bill Apter's interview archives is available for a nominal charge. Learn more about your ad choices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Our next guest provides a down to earth approach to wine education and she's coming out with a book on how to read a wine label. She has channeled her love of hospitality as a nurse and a sommelier at a 1 Star Michelin restaurant. We reflect on her non linear journey through healthcare and hospitality with themes of pragmatism, authenticity, and finding balance. Please enjoy my conversation with Marie Cheslik of Slik Wines. Preorder her book on her website at slikwines.comhttps://slikwines.comhttps://instagram.com/slikwineshttps://www.tiktok.com/@slikwines
Live, Tuesday nights at 7:30PM ET on vocnation.com, it's IN THE ROOM! ITR features topics introduced by the panel, your calls, PWI's Brady Hicks, Kathie Fitz, and WCW's Maestro. Visit http://vocnation.com. Full Video Episode Available for only $3/mo at www.vocnation.com! Subscribers also get commercial free audio and video of Wrestling with History featuring Bill Apter and Ken Resnick, In the Room featuring PWI's Brady Hicks and former WCW Star the Maestro, No BS with The Bull Manny Fernandez, and more! VOC Nation takes you behind the scenes of your favorite moments in pro wrestling history. Notable show hosts include legendary pro wrestling journalist Bill Apter, former WWE/TNA star Shelly Martinez, former WWE and AWA broadcaster Ken Resnick, former WCW performer The Maestro, former TNA Impact talent Wes Brisco, Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Brady Hicks, independent pro wrestling and Fireball Run star Sassy Stephie, and more! Since 2010, VOC Nation has brought listeners into the minds of the biggest stars in pro wrestling and entertainment. Subscribe to the podcasts for free on most major directories, and visit http://vocnation.com for live programming. Subscribe to premium - only $3/mo - for commercial full commercial free audio and video episodes. Exclusive access to 50 years of Bill Apter's interview archives is available for a nominal charge. Learn more about your ad choices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
To hear the full episode, sign up to our Patreon at http://patreon.com/whatagreatpunkOn this week's bonus episode, Chewy and The Cricket catch up on the Sunday morning after the AFL Grand Final. Classic Patreon episode of What a Great Punk right here. No BS. As far as electrolytes go, we discuss No Sugar Maximus vs Squintch Zero sachets, as well as the long and suspicious list of numbers in the "ingredients" section, we imagine for a moment what it would be like to work at a toll booth in the 70s and how many people you'd meet, and we dive back in to check on Craig McLachlan, watch his iconic stand up comedy fail on the Footy Show, and see just what the heck that creep is up to now.Listen to the main pod this week to hear our discussion with Tom Vanderzeil, who directed and shot our latest music videos. It's a great chat!Shout-outs to the Honorary Punks of the Pod:Harry WalkomHugh FlassmanZac Arden BrimsClaireJimi KendallLachy TanDerrotonin69Adjoa SamPatrik Sivák
Imran and Qiao are back to chat about the current state of the crypto market.No BS crypto insights for founders.(00:00) Intro(01:05) We're Back(02:25) Where Are We In This Cycle?(04:31) AI and Stock Market(06:27) AI Bubble(10:15) Energy Consumption and Production(16:34) China and US Innovation(17:44) Aster(18:52) Hyperliquid and Aster Competition(22:48) Proxy Wars in Crypto(26:33) Future of Crypto Exchanges(27:32) Binance vs Solana(32:59) Moats in Crypto(33:43) Crypto Lending(35:25) TradFi Banking and Crypto Custody(36:48) Social Aspect in Crypto(38:09) AI Glasses and Social Media(45:05) Waymo and Robo Taxis(49:10) Prediction Markets(50:54) Kalshi and PolyMarket Competition(55:27) Convergence of Speculative Markets(57:35) twocents.social(59:00) Overheard(01:02:08) DATs(01:05:26) Stripe and Stablecoins(01:07:10) Genius Act and New Stablecoins(01:07:43) Stablecoin as a Micropayment(01:11:23) Pump and Streaming(01:14:53) Apps to Watch(01:17:12) Stablecoin Growth(01:19:11) Stablecoin Startups in Different Regions(01:20:05) Novel Ideas for Startups(01:24:03) Wen Cycle Top?Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3N675w3Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3snLsxUWebsite: https://goodgamepod.xyzTwitter: https://twitter.com/goodgamepodxyzWeb3 Founders:Apply to Alliance: https://alliance.xyzAlliance Twitter: https://twitter.com/alliancedaoDISCLAIMER: The views expressed herein are personal to the speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other person or entity. Discussions and answers to questions are intended as generalized, non-personalized information. Nothing herein should be construed or relied upon as investment, legal, tax, or other advice.
You've heard of Hot Tub Time Machine, but how does Hot Tub Cash Machine sound? That's effectively the business model this week's guest, Steve Nadramia. Steve is a high school history and economics teacher in New York, and a listener of the show. He reached out after our Thanksgiving episode, which touched on renting out attic space and even camper vans and semi-trucks as potential sources of recurring revenue. His unconventional rental business? Portable hot tubs! Steve started a hot tub rental business to replace his summer job income, with the goal of earning $1000 a month. Today, he's got 25+ tubs in his "fleet," delivers them with his pickup truck, and is doing thousands of dollars in bookings every month. Steve explained renting hot tubs is quite common in Europe, but doesn't have much competition in the US yet. Tune in to hear: how Steve got the idea for this business how he's marketed and grown his business the logistics of how it all works Full Show Notes: How to Start a Hot Tub Rental Business: Zero to $1000s per Month New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Mint Mobile — Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! OpenPhone — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Policygenius — Compare free life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save. About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation.
Join Howard Morgan and Mozart Fontaine as they discuss wrestling - yesterday, today, and tomorrow - and take your calls. Visit http://vocnation.com. Full Video Episode Available for only $3/mo at www.vocnation.com! Subscribers also get commercial free audio and video of Wrestling with History featuring Bill Apter and Ken Resnick, In the Room featuring PWI's Brady Hicks and former WCW Star the Maestro, No BS with The Bull Manny Fernandez, and more! VOC Nation takes you behind the scenes of your favorite moments in pro wrestling history. Notable show hosts include legendary pro wrestling journalist Bill Apter, former WWE/TNA star Shelly Martinez, former WWE and AWA broadcaster Ken Resnick, former WCW performer The Maestro, former TNA Impact talent Wes Brisco, Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Brady Hicks, independent pro wrestling and Fireball Run star Sassy Stephie, and more! Since 2010, VOC Nation has brought listeners into the minds of the biggest stars in pro wrestling and entertainment. Subscribe to the podcasts for free on most major directories, and visit http://vocnation.com for live programming. Subscribe to premium - only $3/mo - for commercial full commercial free audio and video episodes. Exclusive access to 50 years of Bill Apter's interview archives is available for a nominal charge. Learn more about your ad choices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Win trust fast, prove credibility, and lead with impact in your first 90 days of any new role. If you've just been promoted…or if you anticipate a promotion sometime in the next 12 months…or even if you were promoted some time ago, but don't feel as though you have solidly established your credibility in the new role, you're going to find this episode invaluable.Breaking your first 90 days up into three distinct one-month phases, I outline specifically what you need to do to ensure a smooth and successful transition… whether it's an internal or an external promotion.During that critical first 90 days, your team, your peers, and your boss will be watching you, and trying to answer one very important question: “Was it a good decision to promote you, or was it just another hiring mistake?”PS: You can download our Blindspot Identifier tool - a fantastic free resource to help you work out what things might hold you back at any new level! ————————
Live, Tuesday nights at 7:30PM ET on vocnation.com, it's IN THE ROOM! ITR features topics introduced by the panel, your calls, PWI's Brady Hicks, Kathie Fitz, and WCW's Maestro. Visit http://vocnation.com. Full Video Episode Available for only $3/mo at www.vocnation.com! Subscribers also get commercial free audio and video of Wrestling with History featuring Bill Apter and Ken Resnick, In the Room featuring PWI's Brady Hicks and former WCW Star the Maestro, No BS with The Bull Manny Fernandez, and more! VOC Nation takes you behind the scenes of your favorite moments in pro wrestling history. Notable show hosts include legendary pro wrestling journalist Bill Apter, former WWE/TNA star Shelly Martinez, former WWE and AWA broadcaster Ken Resnick, former WCW performer The Maestro, former TNA Impact talent Wes Brisco, Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Brady Hicks, independent pro wrestling and Fireball Run star Sassy Stephie, and more! Since 2010, VOC Nation has brought listeners into the minds of the biggest stars in pro wrestling and entertainment. Subscribe to the podcasts for free on most major directories, and visit http://vocnation.com for live programming. Subscribe to premium - only $3/mo - for commercial full commercial free audio and video episodes. Exclusive access to 50 years of Bill Apter's interview archives is available for a nominal charge. Learn more about your ad choices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We've got $10,000 a month writing on Medium, $1000 a day washing windows, $50 an hour assembling furniture, and more! In this episode, we're running through some of the most favorite and most unique side hustles discovered on Reddit. To help break these down is longtime listener and side hustle expert Whitney Bonds. Whitney joins us fresh off her own viral success, building a thriving YouTube channel and turning online content into real income. Tune in to Episode 698 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: How real people are making money with 14 trending Reddit side hustles. Tools, platforms, and strategies to start and grow each side hustle. Creative marketing tips to turn small gigs into recurring income. Full Show Notes: Reacting to Reddit Side Hustles New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Mint Mobile — Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! OpenPhone — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Policygenius — Compare free life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save. About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation.
No BS Spiritual Book Club Meets... The 10 Best Spiritual Books
Radical theologian Matthew Fox joins Sandie for No BS toreflect on his spiritual journey, Original Blessing, creationspirituality, and the books that shaped his voice for justice, mysticism, and the sacredness of life.
In this episode, I'm joined by Eric Roberts, an online health and fitness coach who's known for his straightforward, no-fluff approach to fitness. Together, we break down how to simplify fat loss so you can stop overcomplicating the process and finally see results that stick.We talk about the importance of building a strong mindset and how shifting your perspective can make fat loss feel less like a chore and more like an empowering journey. Eric also drops some of his most practical, no-BS fat loss strategies that cut through the confusion and help you focus on what actually matters.If you've ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting advice, frustrated by slow progress, or unsure of what really works, this conversation will give you the tools and mindset shifts to stay consistent and achieve your goals without burning out.
Unlock peak performance with the 3 keys every leader must use: Challenge, Coach, Confront.The Challenge, Coach, Confront framework is the foundational toolkit for setting expectations, helping people to meet those expectations, and responding when they don't.Many leaders have the skills to challenge and coach…but the real key to improved performance is what you choose to do when one of your people doesn't perform. Everyone in the team calibrates their own personal standard against the low water mark that you establish when you don't deal with underperformance head on.If you want to go a bit deeper into how you can prevent your team's performance from slipping, have a listen to Ep.57: Challenge, Coach, Confront.————————
LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/ Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/ What if a 16-year-old yogurt scooper could turn into a billionaire exit master by 31?
Today we're sharing 10 realistic, recurring revenue side hustles that can help you build that same predictability into your side hustle income. No more feast or famine cycles. No more starting from scratch every month. The key to recurring revenue is simple: solve a recurring problem. When customers need you month after month, that's when you build real financial momentum. Full Show Notes: 10 Recurring Revenue Side Hustles New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Mint Mobile — Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! OpenPhone — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Policygenius — Compare free life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save. About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation.
Today I'm breaking down why a silence and solitude practice is essential in a world drowning in inputs. If you've been feeling overwhelmed, confused, and unclear trying to navigate everyone else's opinions, constantly scrolling, or defaulting to what you're “supposed to” think and do, this one's for you. I walk you through how I structure true silence (no music, no phone, no podcasts), my favorite timing windows, and a simple way to use inquiry prompts so you're not just “sitting there,” you're actually sharpening discernment. We talk about starting small, embracing pauses, being okay leaving without a final answer, and learning to balance emotion with logic so you can find your truth instead of rushing to the most convenient conclusion. You'll leave with a practical framework to follow the thread with curiosity, regulate your inner world, and move through life more solid and self-led…online and IRL. Download, share with a friend, and let's build the kind of focus that actually moves your life forward. Fitness, health, and holistic wellness for $22/month Interested in a luxury 1:1 online health coaching experience? Look no further than FENIX ATHLETICA, where we fuse science and soul for life-long transformation (inside AND out). LMNT is LMNT is a DELICIOUS, science-based electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don't. No sugar. No coloring. No artificial ingredients. No gluten. No fillers. No BS. Head to drinklmnt.com/emdunc to get a FREE variety pack with your purchase! Follow me on Instagram Follow EMBody Radio on Instagram Shop CURED NUTRITION CBD/Hemp wellness products with code EMILY.
Title: Inside the Secret Network That Billionaires Use to Pay Zero In Taxes with Alex Sonkin Summary: In this episode of Raise the Bar Radio, Seth Bradley welcomes Alex, founder of the Due Diligence Project, to discuss the massive blind spot in tax strategy among CPAs and how his peer-reviewed CPA community solves that. Alex shares how traditional CPA firms, despite servicing ultra-high net worth clients, are often unaware of the vast number of advanced tax mitigation strategies available. His platform introduces vetted tax strategies reviewed by hundreds of independent CPA firms, much like an Amazon or Netflix model for financial services. Rather than relying on static, siloed in-house teams with mediocre solutions, Alex's vision is to empower CPAs and family offices through a Virtual Family Office model. This allows affluent individuals (not just billionaires) to access world-class, peer-reviewed tax and financial planning strategies while maintaining their trusted CPA relationship. The conversation emphasizes humility, proactive due diligence, and massive action as critical principles for success in tax planning and entrepreneurship alike. Links to Watch and Subscribe: https://youtu.be/v8RSrMRslHU Bullet Point Highlights: Most CPAs, even in top firms, are not deeply versed in advanced tax mitigation due to limited time and exposure. The Due Diligence Project functions as an independent, peer-reviewed network, allowing CPAs to tap into the collective knowledge of hundreds of top professionals. Traditional large CPA firms and Wall Street structures are siloed and don't provide open-source best-in-class strategies. The future CPA firm is a Virtual Family Office — proactive, advisory-driven, and built with world-class independent specialists instead of static in-house teams. The Virtual Family Office model brings elite wealth management strategies to affluent individuals (e.g., $10M-$50M net worth), not just billionaires. Humility, curiosity, and willingness to collaborate are essential for CPAs and advisors to truly serve clients at the highest level. Success requires massive action and consistent pursuit of better solutions — complacency kills innovation and wealth creation. Transcript: (Seth Bradley) (00:02.094) What's up, Builders? This is Raise the Bar Radio, where we talk about building wealth, raising capital, and all in all, raising the bar in your business and your life. This is the No BS podcast for capital raisers, investors, and entrepreneurs who are serious about scaling their business and living life on their own terms. I'm Seth Bradley, securities attorney, real estate investor, and entrepreneur, bringing you world-class strategies from the best in the game. If you're ready to raise more capital, close bigger deals, build a better you, and create true financial freedom, you're in the right place. Let's go. Alex, what's going on, brother? Welcome to the show. Seth, thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure. man. Fellow San Diegan. So, appreciate that and appreciate that you you love the weather like I do. best weather in the world, All of San Diego County, even if it gets like 10 degrees hotter, it's as good or as better anything else on the planet. (Seth Bradley) (01:05.698) Yep, yep. Sometimes you gotta go outside of San Diego for a little bit to appreciate it because you forget that every single day is fantastic. We're not going to get into the June gloom and the May gray because people outside of San Diego, don't want to hear that. uh, know, we get to complain between each other. everyone outside of San Diego, were like, we don't want to know about any of your problems. Right, Exactly, exactly. All right, man. Well, let's just jump right in, Tell everybody a little bit about your background, about your story, and take it back as far as you like. Sure, graduated University of Michigan Business School undergrad and became an options trader in Chicago as a member of the Chicago Board of Trade, the Mercantile Exchange, Chicago Board of Options Exchange was a market maker down there for many years and came up with a couple ideas and moved to California. What we do now is we have the largest independent peer review community of CPA firms in the country. We support hundreds of CPA firms who basically introduced their favorite resources, favorite tax attorneys, favorite strategies. And then as a community and independently, everyone independently vets out every strategy, every resource. And we rank and rate all of the strategies, all of the resources. Very similar to what you'd experience in Amazon or Netflix or the streaming services when you watch a movie or you buy a product on Amazon. (Alex Sonkin) (02:35.534) you're going to go look for the 4.9 out of five stars and do a quick price comparison. So what we did is we've created essentially an independent peer-of-view ranking and rating system for sophisticated tax strategies and then cost mitigation strategies because the tax code is just way too big. No one knows how many pages there are in the tax code. It's constantly changing. we basically, we didn't even know we were doing this at the time because all we were doing was putting together advanced tax planning institutes, filling them up with CPA firms, bringing speakers, specialists on to present their ideas. But the magic was happening in the hallway conversations between these tax attorneys and the CPAs in these Q &A sessions. And what we realized was that traditional CPA firms really have no clue how many pages are in the tax code, have no idea how many strategies there are that are available to them that have been fully vetted. And they don't have the time and the resources to fully vet those strategies out. So we just realized we were onto something and we kept building and building and building. And we just had an event. Our last couple summits, diligence project summits had close to 700 CPA firms on one, close to 847 was our largest summit. The more eyeballs, the more tax-focused CPAs are looking at the strategies and vetting out the strategies, the more refined the due diligence is and the more new resources they're able to introduce to our network. So we're able to go deeper, wider, and more refined in our due diligence when it comes to tax planning. Yeah, that's awesome. So you you analyze and put a score on the actual strategy itself as well as the firm. (Alex Sonkin) (04:25.76) Yeah, everything, right? Because you and I both know there's so many moving parts in our business. And when a CPA firm is dealing with their most, their highest net worth clients, billionaires, centi-millionaires, multi-millionaires, and they have, they're selling an appreciated asset, whether it's real estate or their company or shares in another company they've invested in, they want that sale to be tax efficient. Then they might want that money to be invested in other parts of their portfolio. want that transition to be efficient. They want all the estate planning to be efficient asset to all these different moving parts. But the area where most CPAs and attorneys are the weakest is in the income tax mitigation part. There's a lot of decent estate planning out there, asset protection, other planning. It's really the income tax mitigation part where very few people are excellent at this. Financial advisors, attorneys have very little experience with tax court, with audit. They should really not be involved in income tax planning. The CPA firms are the ones who are signing the tax returns. They have the experience with audit. They have the experience with tax court. But they're spread so thin just trying to produce tax returns and financial statements and meet all of the deadlines that they have to meet throughout the year. There's actually very little time for them to do proactive tax planning. and to complete due diligence and even start the due diligence on a tax strategy. Where do we start? Who do we call? How do we find out if the client's going to go to jail? If there's issues with this? They really need to get their confidence level up at a very high level before they call their clients that you really need to look at the strategy and do this. So that's where we really live is we really there to support the tax focused CPA or the family office that's supporting that. that ultra high net worth family that's led by a tax focused advisor, hopefully a CPA with at least 10,000, 50,000 hours of experience in auditing tax court, where they could look at the notes, look at, part of, join the due diligence project community, look at the notes, look at the strategies, meet the specialists, communicate with other CPAs in our network to really understand the risk reward of. (Alex Sonkin) (06:48.088) the strategy when it as how it compares to other possible strategies or combination of strategies to bring to their client. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I love the overall idea of kind of this Amazon marketplace for CPAs and tax firms and tax strategies. It's like, you know, I know when I'm looking for a new accountant or a new CPA with a different group, with a different real estate group or something, you know, I might have done some good business with one CPA and then some that I did not. And I don't have a consistent person to go to at this point. And it also depends on what we're talking about, right? This, the, the speciality of it. it's a if we're talking W-2 tax mitigation or we're talking about real estate investment or we're talking about some sort of high cash flow entrepreneurial venture, it really depends. One CPA can't necessarily do all that. Maybe a large CPA firm that has all that stuff in house for sure. But when we're talking about your one CPA that you know that's been filing your tax return for the last 20 years, they're not very specialized in these sorts of things. Here's what's interesting, Seth. You made some interesting points here. Here's what's interesting. Traditionally, people say, I need a CPA. My current CPA firm is not doing the job. That's kind of par for the course. They don't know what's wrong. They know something's wrong because they know that a lot of billionaires aren't paying any taxes. They're paying this 30, 40 % of their income in taxes. They feel something's wrong. So, I need a new CPA firm. So, what do they do? Hey, can you find me a great CPA firm that's local to me? Why is that important? Why do you need someone that literally that is that's local to you right away? The business owner is already messing up. That is not the most important thing. Okay, then they'll want someone Okay, forget distance. I'm okay with just meeting them virtually. They need to be a specialist in real estate. That's fine Okay, you've got a real estate portfolio there, especially in real estate, but really That's that's a that's another that's a good question, but it's not the best question. It's not gonna get you to the promised land (Alex Sonkin) (08:52.366) How fluent is that CPA firm in tax strategies? Are they plugged into a network like ours where they have hundreds and hundreds of independent CPA firms, former partners of KPMG, Deloitte, PWC, Ernst & Young, all proactively vetting strategies and introducing, unless you're part of a due diligence network like ours, you might be part of a very, very large CPA firm. that also is part of other groups, other associations and none of them know, you know, three, four, five different strategies that would be perfect for mitigating taxes in a specific situation. So going to a large firm that has lots of in-house resources, are those resources the best? Do they have access to the best tax attorneys in the country? If those attorneys are in-house working for a CPA firm, Or let's just say they're working for Jeff Bezos and Jeff Bezos' family office. Seth, do you think the best tax attorney in the country wants to be W-2 working for a CPA firm or working for a family Right, right. No, no. So right away, you've already discounted. You are not going to work with the best tax attorneys in the country. You're going to work with a static, the best attorney that's willing to be W-2, working for a CPA firm, working for a family office. If you look at the top 1000 tax attorneys in the country, you might now be working with number 945. Is that what you want to be like? No, no, no, we're fine. Our tax (Alex Sonkin) (10:29.484) Our tax planning is done by my CPA and they've got this tax attorney that's the 945th best tax attorney in the country in their space. It's like saying, I'm building this orchestra and my trumpet player, instead of getting the very best trumpet player in the world, I have the 945th best trumpet player playing trumpet. You want to put that on your website? You want to market that? think your client's going to be like, this is going to be awesome. I'm going to have the 945th best. You (Alex Sonkin) (10:59.138) Resource in that space giving me planning ideas. Whereas I'm a business owner I've had to get to this point to have a tax problem here to overcome all these challenges and now you're gonna bring me a tax planning solution. That's like D minus That's what's going that's puts par for the course. This is what's going on. What we know is 18 % of Fortune 500 companies are zeroing out their tax returns Okay, just listen to this 18 % of most profitable companies in the world have a team of attorneys and CPAs that zero out their tax return. That means 82 % have no idea what they're doing on a relative basis. those 82%, we're talking about 82 % of the most profitable 500 companies in the world. What we're saying is their tax planning from our vantage point, it's not that it's not good. It's like average to below average, whereas their revenue and income is off the charts. That's like a big problem. It's like saying, you know what? We have a basketball team where our point guard, our forwards, and our two guard are really good, but our center is like garbage. You know, we've got like a high school level center, and then we have all-stars at all the other positions. That's not gonna work. Yeah, yeah. mean, why is that? I mean, it's like, you know, they should have access to the best resources. They should be getting advised by the, you know, the top experts in the industry. But, you know, they're just not. Are they not putting the effort? Do they not have access? Do they not know, like, what's the... Because the difference is when you look at Amazon and you look at Netflix and all the other streaming services that are providing an independent peer-review because back before Amazon and Netflix we had Blockbuster video and we had Barnes and Noble right and we did do diligence very differently going to all the different Blockbuster videos going into Blockbusters and Noble trying to find a book to buy right it's very different experience now we live in this very different world now with (Alex Sonkin) (13:09.196) independent peer review and all these things. However, the financial services world was created by who? It was created by people like Bernie Madoff. It was created by Wall Street, right? So everything in the financial services world is really created by Wall Street, people like Bernie Madoff. And so Goldman Sachs doesn't want you to know what Morgan Stanley is doing. Morgan Stanley doesn't want you to know what JP Morgan's doing. And so really the financial services realm is is kind of built in silos. No, come into the Goldman Sachs silo. Come into Ernst & Young. You don't need to worry about what our competitors are doing, what these other CPA firms are doing. We're Ernst & Young, we're Goldman Sachs, we're JP Morgan. You can have the products and services that we have in our back room. So essentially, when you look at JP Morgan, Ernst & Young, Pricewaterhouse, all these huge shops, they're just stores with back rooms. And it's like shopping at a store. It's like going to Toys R Us. What do we have in Toys R Us? Well, what do we have in our back room? Whereas when you walk into Amazon, what do you have? When you walk into Netflix, you have the full scale universe, open source. So what we've done is we've basically taken the financial services industry and we've created this open source peer-reviewed model. And we started with sophisticated tax planning because that's where most people are really, really bad at it. And then we've added cost mitigation and other resources. You know, we're not trying to compete with asset management and money managers and all those other, know, certainly we vet those people out. But, you know, there's millions of people that manage money and our financial advisors. And certainly we do our vetting and due diligence on those people. Where we really differentiate ourselves is the income tax planning resources and solutions. Because what we found is the top biggest most profitable, most famous CPA firms and law firms, that's their blind spot. That's where they're really, really bad because they don't know how many are in the tax code. They don't have the time and the resources and they don't know who to call to actually start and complete a successful due diligence process for sophisticated tax structure. (Seth Bradley) (15:29.708) Yeah, yeah. So when you say independent peer review, what exactly does that look like? mean, walk me kind of through that and how that works. I'll show you like this is what you and any let's say if you're a real estate investor right and you're about to sell let's just say a 10 million dollar asset that has nine million dollars of gain in it you're gonna do the same thing that we've done if you're smart what are you gonna do you're gonna go out there and be like what are all the tax strategies that are possible to help me mitigate this huge tax liquidity event right then you're gonna get a bunch of ideas and then what are you gonna do You're going to show those ideas to your most trusted financial people who are probably your CPA, your lawyer, your advisors, all these other people that you think are financial gurus and really most of them are not even qualified to comment on the tax structure except your tax-focused CPA who has at least 10,000 hours of experience in audit and tax courts. So really you should only bring this to your CPA. But now you brought it to your attorneys and your advisors. So they're all going to comment on it because they're financial experts even though they have almost zero experience in auditing the tax court. So what do these people do with this idea? Some of them will like, oh, I don't know, just pay your tax. So you're going to get all sorts of answers. Now, you're the business owner. You have no idea how to quantify these answers. So you're really the tax expert trying to manage all this information and trying to be like, what do I do? And what are you going to do? you're gonna basically go with what your CPA kind of tells you that they're comfortable with. Now your CPA doesn't know all the strategies, so they might know 10 % of the possible strategies. So you're gonna go with the most comfortable strategy that your CPA is comfortable with, that they've completed their due diligence on, which may be strategy number 443 out of the possible thousand strategies that are out there. And now you have the 443rd best idea. (Alex Sonkin) (17:35.522) that you're implementing and your ROI on that is going to look just like that. Meanwhile, it's taking you all this effort to create $10 million of asset and it's going to take you just like this to completely give away the tax on that because your CPA is not plugged into an independent peer review environment where they can work with other CPAs who have experience with other resources, be able to ask your questions, get your questions answered, maybe ask another round of questions. But really at that point, you really need to be dealing with the thought leaders in that space, not some local attorney or other CP that also has no clue what's going on. It has no idea how many pages there are. Got it. So when somebody comes to, you know, they have that issue, right? And they're trying to find the right CPA that can help them with that specific situation and find that number one best tax strategy. You know, what do they do? Do they come to your website to try to find someone in the network? Because anybody in your network can tap into everybody else in your network and find that optimum strategy. There's really two ways of doing it. They either find a CPA in our network, which is one of the easiest things to do, or they have their trusted CPA plug into our network and complete their due diligence. That's probably the best way because they are this way. This gives them another warm and fuzzy. Hey, I've had this relationship with my CPA for 20, 30 years. I really like them. I understand the challenges that they're under just because they haven't plugged into the network doesn't mean they're a bad CPA or bad person. It's like having a, you know, I just bought a gold plated cell phone. It's the greatest cell phone iPhones ever produced. But if I don't plug it into Verizon, if I plug it into Bob's telephone network that only works in four locations in America, I'm gonna have this $5,000 cell phone that's basically just a brick that I could just use as a paper holder. But if I have a normal cell phone, I plug it into Verizon and I can make a phone call from anywhere. (Alex Sonkin) (19:43.298) That's a much better experience. it's not the quality of it. It's partially the quality of the CPA, but it's more so the quality of the network. and certainly these, the CPAs that really are attracted to us are the ones who have these huge hearts that want to do the very, very best for their clients. And they know that they need to pick up every rock and flip over because they know their clients don't want tax returns and financial statements. They need those. They don't want any of that. What they really want is proactive tax planning ideas. And what the CPAs don't have time for is that. So they have to create time. And we show CPAs how to create that time. We eliminate all, 95 % of the time. It takes them to complete the due diligence because we just show them the notes. We get them 90, 95 % there. Then they take the notes. They take the resources. They jump into the tax code and then they complete the last 5-10 % of the due diligence process on their own because they're going to have to actually do a little bit of work to get this done. But we've reduced their time and increased their confidence level in completing this project by a factor of 10x, which is a huge value to them because they don't have the time and they don't have the resource to get this work done, but they want to get it (Seth Bradley) (21:07.616) the interruption, but we don't do ads. Instead, know that if you're raising capital for real estate, my law firm, RaiseLaw, is here to give you the expert legal guidance you need to raise capital compliantly and structure and close your deal. And if you're looking for a done-for-you fund-to-fund solution, Tribest is the industry's only all-in-one setup and fund administration solution. Visit Raise.Law and Tribest.com to learn more. Right. Yeah. And I can imagine it takes a certain degree of humility, right, from those CPAs to say, I don't know everything. I'm not just going to make up something. I'm not going to make it up. But I'm not going to do kind of half-assed research for a few minutes and tell you I know everything about the subject. Right? Like, I can admit that I don't know everything. I'm not an expert in every single tax strategy. You nailed it. mean look we do a whole program about the ten pillars of extraordinary due diligence Curiosity is one of them independence is independence versus group think and you nailed one of those pillars. It's it's it's it's humility and You know being curious being humble when you're the tax expert as you know CPA that's been around for 30 years you like I've seen everything right? That's kind of how you feel But if you have that idea, I've already seen everything. I already know everything. How many people, by the way, how many pages are there in the tax code? I have no idea. Well, that is that's not congruent. What's congruent is I've been in the industry 30, 35 years. Do I know the tax code? I don't know the tax code. It's constantly changing. I'm humble, but I'm working hard. Yeah, there are sections of tax codes that I know, but it would be awesome to be part of independent peer community of hundreds and hundreds of other tax geeks like me. where we're chewing, know, we're eating this elephant one bite at a time and working together as a community. That's hard working humility. And if you think about it, those are the kind of people that are winning in every, in your profession, in my profession. Think about a basketball player. It's like the best basketball players, they are working to improve their game every day, every month, every year. As soon as you think, oh, I'm the best. Nobody does that. Kobe, Michael. (Alex Sonkin) (23:25.034) Everyone was constantly improving their game every offseason even though they were achieving they were the grace of the world So when you see a CPA going, I already know everything. I'm not humble run for the hills You're in big trouble Right, right. So I mean, I can see where this is. This could actually just change everything, right? I mean, it can change. Like if you get enough CPAs on this network and it's kind of the authority, the accepted way that things are done, it could really just change, you know, set the bar, right? So like, you know, where do you see the CPA firm or the future going? What does it look Yeah, you know, we started out as the virtual family office hub. We're still the virtual family office hub. What we do is the due diligence project. So we've had a vision, you know, more than 15 years ago where the CPA firm of future, the CPA firm of today is no longer just a CPA firm, right? They're not just an accounting firm looking backwards. What does a CPA firm mean now? They're a proactive looking firm. So they're really providing advisory services. They're bringing ideas to the table. That is not what accountants traditionally do. So right away, the CPA firm of the future in our world is a virtual family office led not by a money manager or an attorney or a financial advisor. It's led by a tax advisor who really has a tremendous amount of experience with audits, with tax court, with income tax planning. that's plugged into this community. really let's build Wall Street underneath an elite tax advisor and let's give them vetted best in class peer reviewed resources for estate planning, money management, all the different resources underneath them. And let's make sure all these resources are trained to be part of a team that's led by the captain, which is the head of their family office. But in this case, it's a virtual family office because in our opinion, (Alex Sonkin) (25:30.732) Like we said, the best people in the world don't necessarily want to be W-2 static living next to the family office or living next to the CPA firm that they support. These resources could be anywhere and everywhere. And it's like Lego pieces. Let's build out a custom build, a virtual family office with your favorite advisors, with your favorite CPA, plug them into due diligence project, and then maybe replace some of the resources with best in class peer reviewed. I'm going to keep my estate planning attorney. I'm going to keep my CPA, but then let's build out the rest of my virtual family office with resources, specialists, specialized attorneys that my two estate planning attorney and my CPA need to help me do what I need to do and get from point A to point B. Yeah, yeah, I love that. Let's let's unwind that a little bit. What what exactly is a family office? We have a lot of listeners that are, you know, high net worth individuals, wealthy, probably a high paying job of some sort. And, we still don't know what a family office is. Like, what is a family office? We hear about it all the time. People talk about it. You know, what is it? Is it just, you know, the Trumps and the Bidens that have them or what? Well, look, when we first started doing this, we had to educate everyone. What is a family office? And there's still people that don't know what a family office is, and that's okay. So traditionally, what a family office is, is when a family or a business owner sells their business, and now they have a big pile of money instead of running their business where they don't need CFOs and C-level executives and marketing people. Now they have a big pile of money. Maybe they're building a real estate portfolio, private equity, various investments. They, instead of having to make 17 phone calls, hey, I'm gonna call my CPA, I'm gonna call my attorney, I'm gonna call my advisors, they make one phone call to the head of their family office and their family office is gonna house their entire financial team. So their CPAs, their attorneys, their advisors are all part of a family office and there's usually a CEO of that family office. (Alex Sonkin) (27:36.814) So that structure traditionally can cost anywhere from $250,000 a year up to $2,000, $3,000, $4,000,000 a year if you're dealing with very high net worth billionaires. our idea was to rebuild that structure and make it a virtual family office instead of a single family office or a multi-family office with everyone working W2 in a static place, was let's create a virtual family office environment where we can have a world-class tax attorney support multiple virtual family offices led by CPAs around the country. And based on what their clients want and need, they may not need a full $250,000 or a million dollar yearly cost. Maybe they can have a family office with $50,000 worth of yearly expenses and they just need, you know, two, three advisors, six meetings a year, get their hands around what you're doing. And they don't need check writing. They don't need a lot of these other services that maybe a ultra high net worth family needs where they just want to make one phone call instead of 17 phone calls and say, take care of this for me. In the virtual family office model, it's the same one phone call, except now the team underneath that person that's getting the call are vetted best in class peer reviewed resources who might be all around the world who will all get together on a virtual meeting. to support the client when the client has, hey, I have a liquidity event or I have a tax event or I want to update my plan. Hey, let's bring the team together and let's look at all the moving parts and let's rebuild your plan. But now we're going to take advice and ideas from the smartest people in the world. We're all working together as part of a team. Got it. Yeah. the virtual family office, makes it seem like that it offers wealth management, the best wealth management, more, it makes it more accessible to more people, right? Like not just billionaires, but maybe lower than that, right? Like maybe we've got $10 million or something like that and we can still get the best of the best. (Alex Sonkin) (29:42.068) Exactly. And so our idea was, you know, you have these people who are worth $50 million and they can't afford a family office, but they want to, you know, the $50 million, they want to live life too. They want to be able to go play tennis. They want to give time to their synagogue, their churches. They want to do something else besides actually running their own, you know, basically overseeing their $50 million portfolio, which is a full-time job. the problem is they're not qualified to be doing that work. Yet can they identify investments that they like? Sure. Can they identify the best planning around those investments? They're not schooled in that. So they really should not be involved in their family office. should identify a tax-focused CPA, have them build out a virtual family office for them. And then now they have the benefit of making one phone call instead of 17, which saves them lot of time. And they can now trust the fact that they have best-in-class peer-reviewed resources to give them the very, very best ideas. So now what happens? Their confidence level goes up. So their time and planning goes down, confidence level goes up, the quality of the solutions goes up, and they're all of a sudden out, they can create a lot more wealth by doing world-class planning because we're seeing a lot of wealth just go away to state and federal governments and unnecessary taxes simply because the team does not know and has not completed their due diligence on all the possibilities. That's we want. Yeah, that's incredible, Alex. You know, I want to have you back on the show to maybe get into some of the more of nitty gritty stuff, right? Like what are some of these tax strategies that we might not know about or we might not hear about every single day because we tend to hear about the same ones over and over. And you've probably seen some pretty exotic ones, some very specific ones that people have never even heard of. But, you know, we're running out of time today. But, man, I would love to have a whole episode just kind of based on that. (Seth Bradley) (31:40.91) But before we jump into the freedom four, you have one last gold nugget for our listeners. Yeah, you know, just work hard, write your goals down, read your goals and update your goals. You know, there's a magic formula of being able to just writing down your goals, looking at your goals and just updating your goals. Be grateful. I know you get a probably get a lot of people just with gratitude and hard work and all that stuff. writing down your goals is something that very few people do. And of the people that write their goals down, a very high percentage of those people actually achieve those goals. So simple way of getting successful and I do it and I recommend that little idea to every one of my friends and family. Yeah, absolutely. you know, I think people sometimes they get caught up in, you know, the the mental stuff, they don't want to jump into that. But goal setting is more of a tangible thing. And all those things you hear about, like whether that's a vision board or affirmations or visualizations or setting goals, like it's all kind of the same, right? It's just even if it's like, I want to update my tax planning. I want to have a better tax planning team. know, write that down. And every day you look down at all your goals and make them balanced. You know, some of it is they'd give back to the community, have strong relationships with my family members or have no relationships with certain families. I don't know, you know, what the goals are. But balanced goals where you're constantly reviewing those goals and then you're updating those goals. And every day you do something to take a step. (Alex Sonkin) (33:15.278) towards achieving those goals. Those are little things. It's not a huge deal, but when you do that over time, there's a compound effect to it that is incredible that people just can't appreciate. It's been said, we think we can do a lot more than we do in a year, but we don't realize how much we can do in a five or 10 year period. It's incredible. much we can do in a five or ten year period if we're just consistent every day for that period of Absolutely, you get some momentum going over time. All right, let's jump into the Freedom 4. What's the best thing you do to keep your mind and body healthy? I do strength training six days a week and I actually prefer using a rubber band training. This X3 bar program that's out there. There's a bunch of different competitors now, but it's like a 20, 30 minute training. Nice, nice. With all your success, what is one limiting belief that you've crushed along the way and how did you get past it? (Alex Sonkin) (34:18.968) Great question. You know, I think everyone experiences fears, fear of failure in different areas. And I think you have to attack your fear of failure. Whatever you're scared of, whatever's on your radar that's popping up as a fear, you have to literally identify it and attack it and just prove to yourself that you're really not scared of it. Love that. What's one actual step our listeners can do right now to start creating more freedom? They can take action. Action is the key. The real problem is people just sit around, they get in front of themselves. They're too much thinking, too much analysis. What I've seen is people who have achieved incredible, let's just say business success, those people weren't smart enough to know. that how hard that business was actually going to be to build. They were actually not, if they were smarter, they would have never done the business because they were like, the odds of me actually achieving this business and creating it are so small. I'm just better off not doing it. They weren't that smart. So they just went ahead and jumped into it. And so what I found is just taking massive, massive action. Even if it's a failure, that massive action creates a pattern because it's going to Success is going to require massive action. And when you have a pattern and know this is going to take massive action and it's okay if it doesn't work out, I'm going to go for it anyway. I'm just going to assume it does work out. So being positive, massive action. If it fails, boom, you learn something and you go do something else and you just keep taking massive action. (Seth Bradley) (36:10.402) Perfect. Last but not least, how's passive income or entrepreneurship made your life better? You know, I've been very blessed. 20 years ago, I came up with an idea based on a diet that cured cancer for my aunt, my mother-in-law. And I suggested to my wife and my mother-in-law that they start selling my mother-in-law's cookies that were based on a diet that cured cancer for my mother-in-law. And so now today, we have a company called Go Macro, MacroMars, that my wife and my mother-in-law built based on an entrepreneurial idea that you know, that I had over 20 years ago. And as soon as we had a little bit of success in the beginning, I knew this was bigger and better than we had even thought of. And I just continually supported my wife and really just in every way I could to watch this opportunity grow. So to me, that's been my my passive, even though, you know, I'm married to this business owner, you know, supporting her and watching this idea grow and flourish into a really Successful health food company called comacro where we sell these macro bars. They're super delicious Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, it's passive for you, maybe not quite as passive for her. I have the same issue with the gyms. You know, they make really good money and it's passive for me, but my wife is running those things, so no. (Alex Sonkin) (37:31.174) Exactly, well you know she's had to be there to support you so yeah so for her it's passive and it's a great story for her and it's a great successful story for you as well. know how hard it is to build. Yeah, awesome Alex. The list has been incredible, man. We're gonna let you find out more about you. DoDiligenceProject.com or info at DoDiligenceProject.com. You can introduce your CPA to us or you can reach out to us if you hate your CPA and want us to recommend a great CPA for you that's already plugged into our... Easy enough, man, easy enough. All right, brother, thanks for coming on the show. Seth, it's been my pleasure. Thanks so much for having me. (Seth Bradley) (38:09.986) Absolutely. (Seth Bradley) (38:13.944) Thanks for tuning in to Raise the Bar Radio. If you enjoyed today's episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Keep pushing, keep building, and keep raising the bar. Until next time, enjoy the journey. Links from the Show and Guest Info and Links: Seth Bradley's Links: https://x.com/sethbradleyesq https://www.youtube.com/@sethbradleyesq www.facebook.com/sethbradleyesq https://www.threads.com/@sethbradleyesq https://www.instagram.com/sethbradleyesq/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethbradleyesq/ https://passiveincomeattorney.com/seth-bradley/ https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/sethbradleyesq https://medium.com/@sethbradleyesq https://www.tiktok.com/@sethbradleyesq?lang=en Alex Sonkin's Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsonkin/ https://encoursa.com/presenters/alex-sonkin https://www.facebook.com/asonkin/
Stop flying blind! Here's how leaders uncover the real truth happening below them. Every day CEOs, boards of directors, and even middle managers are blindsided by things that happen below them that they didn't know about, or failed to anticipate.If you're a leader of leaders, you know how difficult it can be to navigate multiple layers in your team's hierarchy. Any information that you try to disseminate is diluted at each layer, as it makes its way down to the front line.But this is even more problematic when information is coming up to you from below. Leaders at every level sanitise the information to put a favourable spin on it, and make the information seem more appealing.Often, by the time you uncover the real story, it's too late - you don't see the inevitable crash until you wake up in the middle of the wreckage!Download the FREE downloadable PDF we've made for this episode 'Your 4-Point Checklist To Uncover What's Happening Below You' by clicking here.————————
Not all STR markets are created equal. Some look amazing in headlines but flop once you dig into the numbers. Others are sleeper markets that deliver insane returns if you know where to look.In this episode, John Andrew breaks down Step 3 of his no-BS framework: how to go from choosing the right macro market (state/city) to nailing the perfect micro market (the neighborhood or even the street).You'll learn:How to identify macro demand drivers like airports, events, tourism anchors, and universitiesWhy seasonality curves matter more than average occupancy reportsHow to filter down to the micro level: neighborhoods, drive times, noise, parking, and curb appealWhy your best comps are not citywide averages but the top-10 properties in your micro market
Live, Tuesday nights at 7:30PM ET on vocnation.com, it's IN THE ROOM! ITR features topics introduced by the panel, your calls, PWI's Brady Hicks, Kathie Fitz, and WCW's Maestro. Visit http://vocnation.com. Full Video Episode Available for only $3/mo at www.vocnation.com! Subscribers also get commercial free audio and video of Wrestling with History featuring Bill Apter and Ken Resnick, In the Room featuring PWI's Brady Hicks and former WCW Star the Maestro, No BS with The Bull Manny Fernandez, and more! VOC Nation takes you behind the scenes of your favorite moments in pro wrestling history. Notable show hosts include legendary pro wrestling journalist Bill Apter, former WWE/TNA star Shelly Martinez, former WWE and AWA broadcaster Ken Resnick, former WCW performer The Maestro, former TNA Impact talent Wes Brisco, Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Brady Hicks, independent pro wrestling and Fireball Run star Sassy Stephie, and more! Since 2010, VOC Nation has brought listeners into the minds of the biggest stars in pro wrestling and entertainment. Subscribe to the podcasts for free on most major directories, and visit http://vocnation.com for live programming. Subscribe to premium - only $3/mo - for commercial full commercial free audio and video episodes. Exclusive access to 50 years of Bill Apter's interview archives is available for a nominal charge. Learn more about your ad choices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Micromanagement kills performance. Here's how to lead without paralysing your team.You've all probably worked for a micromanager at some point in your career. It's not fun.What makes leaders feel as though they have to micromanage? Is it a fundamental lack of trust? Or an inability to let go of control?Whatever the reason, you need to make sure that you're not that leader.If you want to go a bit deeper into how to stay out of your people's knitting, have a listen to Ep.264: Controlling Without Micromanaging.————————
In this superchat from DonaldVann, we dig into a fun but tricky topic: songs that we absolutely love but also feature some of the worst verses from a particular artist. We all know those tracks where the beat, hook, or main verses are incredible, but then a feature or guest spot brings the energy down. These verses weren't enough to ruin the whole song, but when we look back, they definitely stand out as weak links. From hip hop classics to more recent tracks, we share our picks and debate whether a bad verse can still live on a great song. Want to throw your picks in the mix? Drop them in the comments and keep the conversation going. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwNzLpk33dblyY2Gg-SyPxw/join Dead End Hip Hop Merch Shop: https://deadendmedia.myspreadshop.com Find all things Dead End Hip Hop here: https://linktr.ee/deadendhiphop SUBSCRIBE to our second channel, Is The Mic Still On: https://www.youtube.com/isthemicstillon IS THE MIC STILL ON PODCAST: SUBSCRIBE on iTunes: http://apple.co/2oJIzZb Follow The Crew: Follow Modest Media: @IamModestMedia Follow Beezy: @Beezy430 Follow Ken: @KennithBInge Follow Feefo: @Feefo247 Follow Myke C-Town: @MykeCTown Follow Sophie: @SayItAintSoph About Dead End Hip Hop: No scripts. It's pure unfiltered hip hop conversations and album reviews. No politics. No BS. We Are The People. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What if you could turn a teenage sports annoyance into a $100k business while juggling school, sports, and everything else that comes with being 15? Harrison Nott has done exactly that. Starting at just 13 years old, Harrison built CoolTowel into a business projected to hit £100,000 (about $130,000) in revenue this summer alone. The spark came from a simple problem: getting overheated and uncomfortable while playing squash. Harrison saw an opportunity in the cooling towel market that barely existed 3 years ago. Tune in to Episode 696 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: The viral video strategies that drove Harrison's first million views How user-generated content campaigns can scale an e-commerce business Why personal branding matters more than ever for young entrepreneurs Full Show Notes: This 15-Year Old is Running a $100,000 Business From His Bedroom New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Mint Mobile — Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! OpenPhone — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Policygenius — Compare free life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save. About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation.
Too many new investors make the same mistake: they buy a “dream” property in a market that looks good on paper — then find out the city, county, or HOA doesn't allow short-term rentals. That's how you end up with a liability instead of an asset.In this episode, John Andrew breaks down Step 2 of his no-BS framework: the Compliance-First Market Filter. You'll learn how to quickly spot STR-friendly markets, what permits and taxes you need to check before you buy, and why you should always walk away from “gray areas.”What you'll discover in this episode:How to quickly vet states, cities, and HOAs for STR complianceThe permits, taxes, and occupancy rules you must confirm before making an offerThe Go/No-Go sheet that saves you from wasting capital on bad dealsWhy walking away from gray markets protects your long-term portfolio
We are back with the second episode of our Best Of series, this time highlighting the albums that stood out to us during the month of August. Each of us brought a few picks that we felt represented the strongest releases of the month and we break down what makes them worth revisiting. If you missed the pilot episode where we covered the month of July, that full breakdown is available now on Patreon. Make sure to check it out and let us know what you think about this new series as we continue to shape it. #hiphop #bestof #deadendhiphop Patreon: patreon.com/deadendhiphop Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwNzLpk33dblyY2Gg-SyPxw/join Dead End Hip Hop Merch Shop: https://deadendmedia.myspreadshop.com Find all things Dead End Hip Hop here: https://linktr.ee/deadendhiphop SUBSCRIBE to our second channel, Is The Mic Still On: https://www.youtube.com/isthemicstillon IS THE MIC STILL ON PODCAST: SUBSCRIBE on iTunes: http://apple.co/2oJIzZb Follow The Crew: Follow Modest Media: @IamModestMedia Follow Beezy: @Beezy430 Follow Ken: @KennithBInge Follow Feefo: @Feefo247 Follow Myke C-Town: @MykeCTown Follow Sophie: @SayItAintSoph About Dead End Hip Hop: No scripts. It's pure unfiltered hip hop conversations and album reviews. No politics. No BS. We Are The People. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Title: How to Quit Your W-2 and Never Look Back with Jamie Bateman Summary: In this episode of Raise the Bar Radio, Seth Bradley welcomes Jamie, a military veteran turned real estate and mortgage note investor, who shares his story of transitioning from a W-2 career into entrepreneurship and financial freedom. Jamie discusses the phases of his life, including collegiate sports, military service, and a long stint at the Department of Defense before pivoting to real estate and eventually mortgage note investing. He emphasizes how discipline shaped his journey and how shifting mindset, focusing on strengths, and leveraging his network were key to taking ownership of his life and finances. Jamie also dives deep into the mortgage note investing space, explaining how performing and non-performing notes work, the active nature of the business, and how he now offers passive investment opportunities for accredited investors. He closes by highlighting the importance of planning with intention, overcoming perfectionism, and using passive income to create margin and freedom in life. Links to Watch and Subscribe: https://youtu.be/nRyX8_YA9YI Bullet Point Highlights: Discipline builds freedom - Sports, military, and entrepreneurship all instilled the value of discipline, which Jamie says is critical for success and freedom. W-2 life wasn't the path - Jamie recognized through his commute and stagnant career trajectory that he didn't want to follow the traditional path, sparking his exit plan. Mindset shift was essential - He stopped consuming negative news and started focusing on education and his strengths to shift into entrepreneurship. Mortgage note investing explained - Performing notes offer cash flow while non-performing notes offer the chance to add value, akin to fix and flips. However, both are active businesses, not passive. Passive income fuels risk-taking - Creating passive income streams allowed Jamie to take entrepreneurial risks while maintaining financial security. Action beats perfection - As an entrepreneur, chasing perfection isn't practical. Done is better than perfect. Reverse planning drives clarity - Backwards planning from a vivid vision 3-5 years into the future increases urgency and helps set clear, intentional actions. Final advice - Start by investing passively to learn, and later you can decide whether to become active. Don't underestimate the transferable skills you already possess. Transcript: (Seth Bradley) (00:02.062) What's up, builders? This is Raise the Bar Radio, where we talk about building wealth, raising capital, and all in all, raising the bar in your business and your life. This is the No BS podcast for capital raisers, investors, and entrepreneurs who are serious about scaling their business and living life on their own terms. I'm Seth Bradley, securities attorney, real estate investor, and entrepreneur, bringing you world-class strategies from the best in the game. If you're ready to raise more capital, close bigger deals, build a better you and create true financial freedom, you're in the right place. Let's go. Jamie, what's going on, brother? Welcome to the show. Thanks Seth, is awesome. I'm excited to be here and I'm hoping to add some value. Absolutely, man. Third time's a charm. We've been trying to get this scheduled after I was on your show, which was fantastic. Had a really good time on that show and I think it turned out pretty good. I know we're going to deliver on this one as well. Yeah, we're gonna try to try to I'll try to do as good a job as you did. So yeah, was that was a yeah, no, I that was a very, very good episode from adversity to abundance. highly recommend your your listeners check that one out to your episode on that show. So thanks for thanks for doing that. (Seth Bradley) (01:20.086) Absolutely, man. You're an incredible interviewer. I've net, that's the only, I've been on dozens of podcasts and, you know, you pulled out a lot of things for me that I've, I've never talked about on the air. So it's pretty, pretty awesome. Pretty awesome show, man. Appreciate that. Cool man, well let's just jump right into your background man. What's your story? Take it back as far as you'd like to brother. Yeah. Man, I'd like to think that life has phases. So I've had a few different phases in my life. I come from a large family. I'm the oldest of seven kids and we always had a competitive background as far as team sports and things like that. So I played lacrosse in college. That was always a foundational piece of my life and just kind of think from there learned how to be a part of something bigger than myself and how to work toward a common goal with a with a team. So that's been something that's been a kind of a thread through my life and then got married and joined the military and actually joined the military technically before I got married, but seemed like I got married and then ran off and ran away from my wife. But it's not exactly what happened. But (Jamie Bateman) (02:36.02) I joined the military, was an officer in the US Army. I did miss my first three wedding anniversaries through deployment and things like that. And again, it was a matter of trying to be plugged into something, you know, to serve and be a part of something bigger than myself and trying to add value like I think we all want to do. I've obviously glossed over a lot of details, but those were a couple of inflection points, I guess, if you will, like you like to talk about, I know. And so my military career transitioned into a career with the Department of Defense as a civilian, and did 14 years as a civilian with DoD at Fort Meade. And the first half, so the first seven, for all you math wizards out there, was full time. And then the second half, the second seven years was part time. And that seven years is when I was really building my businesses, which are largely real estate investing and mortgage note investing focus. So we can get into the details there. And then in 2022, I ended up quitting my job and now I have a few different small businesses that I run. And like you, Seth, I've got a lot of different things that I'm juggling and You know, so, but yeah, I love talking about taking ownership of your financial situation and taking ownership of your life really. And I know that you and I have that in common. So yeah, that's a high level overview of my background. Awesome, man. I appreciate that. There's a lot to unpack there. You know, going back to playing sports all the way up to the collegiate level, that's incredible. I always like to think even playing like popcorn or football back in the day, you need a way to instill discipline in yourself. And that's kind of the oldest memory I can think of where it was hard, right? Like it was like you've got a coach screaming at you. (Seth Bradley) (04:38.134) Like back in the day, it's like, you know, they wouldn't give you water unless you like, you know, for like an hour, which I don't think they do that anymore now. But, you you had to earn that drink of water and all those sorts of things. But you you really learned what it's like to work hard and you really learned what discipline was all about. And I would say that and you can you can expand on this. But I would say that, you know, being in the military yourself, that takes it to a whole new level. Right. It's like you got that from sports. You got that from the military. Yeah, definitely. I mean, obviously, they're very different in a lot of ways. But that is certainly a common theme is being disciplined. And people, people shy away from that word, because it just sounds like work or no fun and no flexibility. But I found that having discipline in your life ends up adding more freedom in a sense, because you kind of have your foundational pieces set in stone, you don't have to think about those. And so, yeah, regarding team sports, it's really a matter of, you know, everyone doing their part, right. And so there's a level of individual discipline and, and then just, and then also just kind of putting the putting the group ahead of yourself. Obviously, you know, you want individual, there's nothing wrong with individual accolades. And I was certainly chasing, you know, those individual accolades. It's not something I shied away from, I was definitely was wrapped up in trying to be an All-American and that kind of thing. And did get that a couple of times, you know, but at the end of the day, nobody really cares about that. And the way I viewed it was if I was doing my part, and I got those, you if I was scoring goals in lacrosse, as an example, that means I'm contributing to, you know, to the team, right. And so there's obviously a fine line there, but of going too far, either way. But yeah, that discipline is critical. (Jamie Bateman) (06:36.73) you know, even it's certain I played at a high level in college and there was year round your training your your your into it. It was a division three school but it but the reality was we worked just as hard as any any D one program and yeah, it's it's a these are skills that have paid off and are absolutely transferable to the rest of life. For sure. Yeah, I think you've got to get those intangible things. You've got to develop them somewhere along the way, whatever that is, if that's sports or the military or from your parents. mean, you can get it from different places, but you definitely need it. I mean, we're in different stages of our life at this point. talking about a lot. We talk about freedom and flexibility and fun to try to get away from kind of the W-2 mindset. But in order to achieve freedom, flexibility and fun in a successful way, have to be disciplined to be able to get there. You had to have done something successfully to be able to get there or maybe what separates you from the guy living in a van down by the river. That guy has freedom and flexibility. I don't know about fun, maybe fun, but it's a different, obviously it's a different outcome. Yeah, and I, I think I still need, you I still use a lot of discipline today. It's still, still required, but it's, I guess it's self imposed. And, you know, I just love, love having that flexibility and that freedom that comes along with being an entrepreneur. So yeah, it's been a central piece to my success for sure. But I still, I don't think it ever, you know, goes away. I just get to pick and choose what, you know, what discipline I want to kind of enforce on myself, I guess. So yeah, absolutely. And as you said, the military was a huge part of that for me as well. I mean, that's a different kind of, different kind of discipline and different kind of teamwork and different, you know, if you lose the lacrosse game, okay, you lost the lacrosse game, but military the stakes are a little higher. So maybe certain things are more important attention to detail or critic is critical and (Jamie Bateman) (08:53.73) But at the end of the day, it's, the same principles apply across both, I guess, sectors, if you will. For sure. So let's dive into that transition. You started working kind of part-time there for seven years, so that seems like a transitional period. How were you able to progress from that W2? And what I've heard you say is call yourself a W2 quitter. I love that. How were you able to progress from a W2 person to a W2 quitter? What enabled you to do that and what that transition looked like? I mean, you know, I do remember in 2015, probably a little bit maybe maybe say 2014. But I just you get, you know, I had a wife and two kids and I had the commute the long commute that I know a lot of people can identify with. So it just was Groundhog Day was the same thing over and over and over. And that's not me sitting here complaining about my family or having having the opportunity to work. But after a while, it gets old. Let's just be real, right? So it's like you're sitting in traffic and I just, you start looking at, you know, I worked for the government and you look around and you say, who, okay, who's sort of ahead of me on this? Like you, like I think you probably mentioned on our, on your, your show and my, show, your episode, you look around to the people who are more kind of further along the path than you. You say, do you want to be that person? Is that the life you want? And man, I did not want that. And it just just having that just super long term just you know, pot at the end of the rainbow, I guess, nothing driving me in the interim, man, it was it was just it was brutal. So I probably did a little woes me for a little bit there a little victim mentality for a bit. But then you start to realize, like, okay, if you don't take ownership of your own life, no one's going to right. So (Jamie Bateman) (10:54.934) No one's going to come in and do this for you. So I'm not sure what truly, you know, created the change in my mindset, but my mindset absolutely started to change and it just made a shift. And I, and I stopped watching cable news. I stopped, just, you know, stop paying attention to all the things that I can't control. And I couldn't control back then and, and started saying, no, what do I have? What are my strengths? Who is in my, who's back to the team thing. who's on my team, who's in my network that I can add value to and who can add value to me. So I started looking around and my father was a realtor for many years. My brother was a loan officer. We had one rental property at the time. I had worked at, I didn't mention, I worked at a title company and I worked for a mortgage broker before as well briefly. So I had this experience that a lot of people don't have and that's you know, that doesn't mean I'm better than anyone. It just means these are my strengths. So let's point to that. And let's use that. So I started really being intentional about focusing on my strengths and my assets that I had in my life, right. And then another asset that I used to see as a liability was the time in the car. So I started listening to podcasts. you know, and then it turned into wait, I don't even want to go into work yet. Because this this podcast episode is amazing. And I'm learning so much. know, bigger pockets and all the other real estate podcasts and different investing podcasts and started using that mental bandwidth instead of focusing on national media stories that I have zero influence over. Here's something that I can actually take action on. And so in mid 2015, I went part time and it just so happens that at DoD is one of the few agencies in the in federal government where you can go part time and still keep your benefits. So I still had health insurance for my family. You know, most people don't have that option necessarily, but well, I did. So that's what I did. And, and, you know, that's, again, decided to decide to start building my my other streams of income outside of my W two. (Jamie Bateman) (13:15.752) my circumstances been different if I was single, I probably would have just quit the whole thing, right? But I was able to have that kind of laddered approach, I guess, or tiered approach to kind of ripping off the bandaid. Yeah, yeah, no, that's awesome. I love just the idea of taking ownership of your life, right? Like everybody has those moments where they're feeling sorry for themselves. But the successful people, they don't sit there and stay in that mindset. They move on. You're going to be there sometimes where you've got to get out of it. You got to say, OK, what can I control? What can I change? And you don't say you don't give other people the power to control. you and your mindset and how you feel about your life. Right. Like that's that's that's the thing. Like if you you're constantly blaming someone else or saying this happened to me rather than what can I do to get myself out of it, then you're going to be stuck there forever. You're going to be absolutely going to be spinning your wheels forever. And a lot of that, I think, helps because you said you don't listen. You don't watch the news. I don't either. No, it's a waste of time. What control? What does that do for us? If I do watch it. I literally do it for entertainment and you look at it as an entertain. I look at it like I'm watching. I look at it like this is funny. Like I can, you know what I mean? You kind of analyze it like, this is funny. This guy's saying this in a debate. Right. This guy's saying that it's not taking it as a news and this is how I should live my life because of what they're saying. sports almost. (Jamie Bateman) (14:43.341) Fact. (Jamie Bateman) (14:48.078) Absolutely. And it's not to say that none of these topics are important, mean, global war, politics, poverty, global warming, whatever, it's all very important, but I have zero control over it, almost zero, right? And then the other thing is fear sells and that's what they're selling. And so it doesn't mean that every story is invented and it's all fake news, but it's it just doesn't serve me. And so I'd rather focus on, you know, go ground up and kind of just, I see it in people, maybe older people in my own life now who maybe are retired and they watch the news all day. And it's like, they won't travel because they saw a news story that the airports are packed or something. And, you know, it's, I'm sure that story was, was accurate, right. But it, but the, but the news can filter out and you end up only focusing on the negative really, and it just didn't serve me. yeah, during that lot, the second seven years, I was able to build out my wife and I were doing single family real estate investing and doing a lot of the BRRRR method that maybe some of your audience is familiar with. And so kind of putting that capital back into the rental property machine and expanding our portfolio. And then eventually last year, well, and 2018, made the pivot, I kept the rental properties, but made a pivot to also add on mortgage note investing. And that's been my primary focus as of late. And if you want, can tell the story quickly about how I actually quit my job in 2022. I think it's kind of a funny one. Absolutely, let's do it. (Jamie Bateman) (16:38.318) All right. So, I, so I, two years ago, I was playing badminton and, I'd been doing now, mind you, I used to be like tough, you know, athlete. And like I did, you know, did jujitsu for three years right up before this. And, know, I used to lift weights a lot and still do it here and there, but, you know, I think I'm tough. Right. And, ruptured my Achilles playing badminton. So that's an ego blow to add on to the physical pain that you know, especially with the recovery. So rupture my Achilles a little over two years ago today and I was out of work, it was my right right foot. And the reason I bring this up is not for sympathy, but to say, you know, I couldn't drive for three months. So I actually, yeah, and I had tons of leave from from work and By this time, I was tired, really tired of my, I was pretty much checked out. Like I think you, might've been at your, your big law job, but I was, I was checked out. mean, I wasn't the best employee at this point. And so I took as much leave as I, as I could, you know, reasonably right. And so, but couldn't drive. And so I was out for three months and I come back. So come back into work and I'd had discussions with my wife about, about leaving. was just a matter of, of when, not if. That's right (Jamie Bateman) (18:04.43) I can tell you truthfully, I had no idea that I was going to quit this day, but I came back in from having been out for three months. Mind you, no one gave me a call. No one from work, no one from my management gave me a call the entire three months I was out, other than to say, to ask me, are you vaccinated? Because you have to be vaccinated to be, to get inside the building. Now, I don't want this to turn into some controversial vaccine discussion. or get your podcast banned from something but yes, I'd been vaccinated to answer the question. But no one asked me how's your how's your recovery going? Like how you what do you you know, how's your life? You know, what's it's just are you vaccinated, you need to get that shot before you come in? Okay, great. Thanks. I really feel welcome here. So I'm already just, you know, you know what, screw this place, right? Come back in and just go to my desk, and this is this is an office space kind of thing where I go to my desk and there's some there's an Air Force kid at my desk and long story short, they kind of moved me somewhere else without telling me I can't find my desk, I finally find it, it's got a box with my name on it with, you know, monitors sideways and all and clearly not a functioning desk and, you know, office space. So I literally quit that day. And I just say that it's just like, I knew 100 % I was done. My wife didn't know I quit, but I quit that day. Still worked for another month or two, but there was no question, zero question in my mind, I'm done with this place. So that was March of 2022. And ever since then, I've just focused on building out my businesses and having look back. That's awesome. Sometimes you just know, right? Like sometimes it's done. You just knew. I love that story, man. For me, it was a little bit. You already know the story, but for me, it was a little bit more of someone else's decision. I got fired. mean, and you mentioned that, you you weren't the best employee at that point. Correct. I knew the same thing. And it's great to have awareness and perspective and kind of looking back now, you're like, I would have done the same thing. Like this guy doesn't want to be here. (Seth Bradley) (20:21.292) His output isn't what it should be. Like, he's got to go. mean, he's not the best employee. And as a business owner now, I have really good perspective of that and seeing that. And they were doing me a favor by being like, hey, your heart's not in it, it? And I'm like, no, it's not. It's not. Yeah. The reality is for me, it's really hard to work. know, once you go part time, I mean, I knew I was casting a vote against my career progression there. So as soon as I went part time in 2015, I wasn't saying I'm in this for the long haul guys. This is this is my focus. You know, it's the writing's somewhat on the wall. Looking back, it's almost surprising. I lasted as long as I did. But so, yeah, haven't looked back and just loved love the entrepreneurial you know, day to day and freedom that you alluded to and just the multiple streams of income and certainly has its challenges. I probably work harder now than ever than I ever have. But it's by choice. So I love it. Exactly. Same here, man. mean, it's, you my days are long. I mean, I get up way before I used to get up when I had a 95. I worked past when I would have worked a 95 and definitely more hours. But when you're doing it for yourself and you're doing it because you're working towards something that you believe in, it doesn't feel like you're putting that much time in. Definitely. I wake up early. A lot of days not on purpose is because I'm just excited to get cracking. (Seth Bradley) (21:55.886) So, yeah. absolutely. Yeah. Well, let's kind of get into your current business. I know you mentioned that you focused on your strengths and your assets. Yeah. And, you know, I think it's important. just say it's important to take an inventory of what your strengths are when you're kind of considering going into something else, because a lot of our listeners are attorneys, they're doctors, folks like that. They kind of feel like maybe they're pigeonholed, right? Like, well, if I'm not an attorney, what the hell else can I do? Right. And like, I don't know anything about real estate investing or node investing or starting a business or anything like that. But if you really take a step back, you probably have a lot of skills that you've learned and honed in your career that you can use for something else moving forward. And that was that's what you were able to to do. Definitely. And one thing I'd say is that, you know, one thing that's always comforting for me is nobody knows everything, right? So you can always find somebody who knows more than you in a certain area. You know, there's one quote about every man is my superior in something, right? So basically, it gives me a lot of comfort to know, like, just because an attorney listening to your show knows a way more than I do about a particular topic and probably many, many other topics. That doesn't mean I'm less of a person or you know, I don't know more than that attorney does in another area. So it's okay, I'm never going to know everything. There are other people who've already figured it out. So you know, that's, that's always comforting to me is to when I say look to your strengths, it's also looking to the people in your network who know, it can help you get to where you want to go. So yeah, I mean, So many things we take for granted that we do know. you know, example, when I started working at a title company, fresh out of college, because it was my first real job, and it paid, you know, a salary. I realized quickly how little I knew about title insurance settlements, you know, just just basic stuff. Now looking back, pretty basic stuff. But you don't know that unless you work for a title company, or you're heavily involved in this, you don't you're not. (Jamie Bateman) (24:10.03) trained in that in school typically, right? So, you know, you forget and so your your listener out there, the attorney, the doctor, guarantee they have a lot of life experience, not just from their professional world, but just life experience that they shouldn't take for granted. And the fact that you can go through law school and then be, you know, be an effective attorney, or go through medical school and be an effective doctor, that that means you you can learn things, right? And so Again, I'll go back to life as seasons. I mean, you've shown that in your own story, Seth, like, you know, it's a, doesn't mean just because I started a certain business doesn't mean that's going to be what I'm going to be doing for the next 20 years, or just because I'm an attorney now, it doesn't mean that's what I have to do for the rest of my life. So we always have options. mean, you might look back and wish you'd done something differently or something, but you only have one chance at this. And so, you know, just make the most of it and just keep, think, keep learning constantly is critical. I just hired a business coach, we've had one call. But one of his mottos is, you know, one of his sayings is that he's always he's in permanent beta. So he's always changing, always improving, he's always growing. So I'm trying to trying to implement that as well. (Seth Bradley) (25:40.64) the interruption, but we don't do ads. Instead, know that if you're raising capital for real estate, my law firm, RaiseLaw, is here to give you the expert legal guidance you need to raise capital compliantly and structure and close your deal. And if you're looking for a done-for-you fund-to-fund solution, Tribest is the industry's only all-in-one setup and fund administration solution. Visit Raise.Law and Tribest.com to learn more. Yeah, I love that permanent beta. I haven't heard that before, but I like that. I like that phrase. like that phrase. So tell me about your current business. Tell me about MortgageNode Investing. Start with the basics. What is it? Yeah, so and, and I'll try to keep it, there's so much to it. But again, none of it is difficult. It's just a lot of moving parts and you've got to, you know, takes time to learn. We buy debt, so we buy a mortgage note, and that could be performing or non performing. The real high level version is, is a performing note is kind of like a long term buy and hold rental property. but you're buying the debt and becoming the lender, becoming the bank, if you will. And so you're buying that performing note for cashflow. So I buy a performing note, the borrower now pays me through a loan servicer and I get monthly payments. So that's a great way to go. The problem with that is you can't really add value to that asset very well. You're kind of, it is what it is. And in fact, with mortgage notes, the value actually goes down over time, generally speaking, because principal balance goes down. So it's just, it's worth less than, you know, then, you know, then it would then it was when you bought it. Then on the other side, the non performing side of things, we buy those as well. And those are more like a fix and flip property. So although we're still buying the debt, we're not buying the property. But there's a chance to add value, there's an opportunity to buy distressed asset and add value to that asset and then sell that that non performing note, either well, (Jamie Bateman) (27:49.826) I should say sell that asset, whether that's as a re performing note, or as through the the real estate itself, there are a few different ways you can exit a non performing note deal. And but, but back to your kind of one of the themes thus far, one of the reasons I got into specifically that space was that I understood the real estate space. So I understood the single family, residential real estate space. So it wasn't a huge leap for me to go from owning the property to now owning the debt on that property. Whereas it would have been a lot bigger leap for me to say, I to start buying distressed, you know, multifamily debt, which I know you could probably help me understand better. But at that, you know, it's like, incremental progress and change isn't that scary. So I kind of expanded my, you know, toolbox, if you will. and got into the mortgage note space. So we have a couple of note funds. One is open currently and they're all for accredited investors. the income fund that's open pays a monthly, aims to pay a monthly preferred return. I know you and a lot of your listeners are attorneys, so I gotta hold the line here. And... So the fund is structured to pay, to aim to pay a monthly return of 8%. It's not a, there's no growth in that fund. It's literally a cashflow play and diversification play. You're putting your capital in. We buy assets across the country. We've bought notes in probably 25 states at this point. And so the investment is diversified across geographic areas, across borrower types. And we buy for a certain yield, we take a small management fee, and then we ideally pay the preferred return that we're aiming for to our investors. (Seth Bradley) (29:56.686) Yeah, nice. 506c, you're able to talk about it. It's a credit investors only. Just want to that out there. yeah, I mean, so just going back to the basics a little bit and we'll get back into the fun. Like, how do you, how do you even find these things? mean, yeah, that's, how do you get started? How do you find these things? So I mean, that is an ongoing challenge. I'm not going to lie to you. That's one of the things that truthfully a passive investor who doesn't have time to develop the network to go find these assets, they're just not going to have success. They might here and there, but it takes time. It's a word of mouth industry, just like real estate itself is. so we've built out a network of sellers and that could be quite honestly, I've never had luck buying directly from banks. It's really either a larger Mortgage Note fund that's closing. So it might be a three year fund and then they've got to, they've got to liquidate, they've got to figure out how to sell off what to do with these assets. And so that's a great opportunity to buy is just a fund that's closing or somebody a note investor who's getting out of note investing or they've had a life change or something, you know, where they just, there's an opportunity to buy from them as well. And so there are other, you know, I guess we buy from hedge funds, note investors, other note funds. There are also note brokers as well out there. There are also some online exchanges like paper stack and a couple of others that you can go and I've bought and sold on paper stack and other exchanges as well. And you can find assets there. But at the end of the day, have our list of people that we work with regularly. And I would say one thing is that doing due diligence on a note seller is just as important as due diligence on the assets that they're selling. And so it's taken some work and it's a work in progress always. But it is the million dollar question is where do find these assets? (Seth Bradley) (32:12.598) Yeah. So that's the hard part, right? Finding these assets is the hard part. Have you ever had to foreclose on any of these notes and actually acquire the property? And I guess a follow-up question is, do you ever look at a non-performing note like, hey, I actually want to own that property? So, great questions. Yeah, great questions. To be clear, we're not trying to kick people, you know, grandma out on onto the street or anything like that. You know, that's not our goal typically. Well, that's never our goal. But we're never trying to kick someone out of their home. But the reality is, some people honestly need a little bit of a kick in the pants. And oftentimes, that's not really the best them staying in the house is not often the best scenario for them. know that might sound harsh, but at end of the day, if someone can't afford to live somewhere, sometimes these people are living in squalor and they really need a change of environment. To answer your question about do we target the property? Yes, sometimes we do. In fact, we just closed on to, they're called heckum loans or reverse mortgages, where the borrowers are deceased. The property is underwater, meaning, you know, the loan amount is higher, than the property value. And it should be a quick exit through the property. So HUD will sell off these big pools of reverse mortgages. And we were able to purchase two of them very recently. It's a vacant property, you're not doing an eviction, borrower is deceased, you've got to work through the heirs or foreclosure and exit the property that way. If your listener wants to go to my website, I've got a really good Jacksonville blog post, I've got a couple of blog posts about this deal. I still hold this rental today. And it was a non performing note that we purchased a few years ago. And I had no intention of exiting through the property or holding, holding the property as a rental property, but running the numbers, it just was too good to, to let go. so long story, but we, we (Jamie Bateman) (34:22.51) ended up doing a deed in lieu of foreclosure actually in this case and got the property back and now it's a long-term buy and hold property for my own rental portfolio. Yeah, that makes sense. It makes sense. There's always multiple ways to look at an investment, right? But it does sound, you know, it's not something that I've executed on myself, but it sounds like this is an active business, right? And that's why you've put together an income fund for people that want to get involved passively. as everybody knows, there's active investments, there's passive investments. If you're to do something active. Maybe your returns are going to be a little bit better, but you're going to give up a lot of time and effort to get those returns. So if you want to go the passive side, if you're still full-time in your career, you're a full-time doctor or lawyer or whatever you are, these passive investments are the way to go without having to know every single detail about a new business. Yeah, and I don't know if you can see this, but I wear this specifically for your for this There it is. There it is. (Jamie Bateman) (35:29.272) Passive income. You're absolutely right. You know, these gurus, some of the some of the note investing gurus out there will try to sell, you know, notes as passive. We have another blog post that talks about just the it's a spectrum, there's active and passive on either end. But at end of the day, if you're going to note investing in my world is very, very active. And we have a non performing note fund that's considerably more active than the performing note fund. So You're dealing with foreclosures, bankruptcies, deed and loo, tracking delinquent property taxes. Do I have to physically go anywhere? No, but it is not passive. But that's why we offer the passive investment for people who, like you said, have maybe more capital than time or energy, and they want to put that capital to work. That's right. There are certain gurus out there that, know, whatever it is that they are pitching, they tend to always pitch it as passive, even though it is an active business, that's money. Whether that's a mortgage note or I mean, people will pitch Airbnb short term rentals as passive. They're like, well, you can delegate this and you can, you know, you can automate that and there's software for all these things. But you still got to put all that stuff together. Mm-mm. (Seth Bradley) (36:48.396) You've still got to monitor all those things. still got to oversee all these different aspects of a business. And that's what it is. It's a business that you're running and it's not passive. Like, it's not, it's not. And it is on a spectrum. Some things are more passive than others, but when you're investing in, you know, as a passive investor into some sort of a fund or syndication, that's really leaning really far into the passive side. Absolutely, 100%. And I'm, as you are, Seth, I'm, I assume you are, I know you're an active investor, but I do have passive investments myself in other, other funds, other note funds, and, and my own, my own note funds as well. And so nothing wrong with doing both, but I would say you need to be careful about, you know, you got to make a decision at some point, do you want to scale this thing and make this really a business? Or do you do you are you satisfied with? potentially a little bit lower return and you are giving up some control but much, you know, much fewer headaches and just a lot less work. Right. Yeah. And a lot of, you know, lot of the listeners are high income earning professionals. So they've already dedicated, put a lot of time and effort into being able to earn this much money from their W2. And that's probably your best bet, to be honest with you. I've been there. I was in those shoes. You're probably better off putting your head down and like, let's grind for a few years. Let's not spend every single dollar that we make on all the new stuff on a new car every two years or every year. in a bigger house that you don't need. Like, let's set aside some of that and invest it passively. And then maybe one of those will stick. Maybe one of those passive investments will be a mortgage no fund where you're like, man, I kind of like this business. I like the sound of it. I've learned about it. And then you start maybe progressing on the active side and maybe that takes over. And you want to get into that as a business, as an entrepreneur. But a great way to kind of dip your toe in the water is to become a passive investor. That's the way that I did it in the, (Seth Bradley) (38:53.186) multifamily syndications. invested passively in a number of deals first and kind of learned about it, learned the ropes and I'm like, I can do this. And then that's when I made the transition. Yeah, definitely. It really comes down to what your goals are and what your situation is, for sure. I'll say I was too passive initially when I went into notes, because personally, just don't... You were probably a little better student, Seth. Not that I was a bad student, I invest... Unless I'm actively investing, I'm just not going to learn a lot. So the reality is, yeah, it's fine to learn about the asset class. You definitely should learn about the operator for sure. you're putting capital with them, but you're not going to once you're getting your checks and your disbursements, you're not going to probably learn a whole lot about how to do that on the active side. And so that's what we're here for. Yeah, yeah, it's more of like a spark of an interest, right? Like maybe you already have that spark and then you invest passively. Then you're like, OK, well, now I'm invested. Like, let me learn about this. And you have to have to actively go out there and educate yourself and network and talk to people that are in the business. Definitely, 100%. (Seth Bradley) (40:01.71) Alright man, before we jump into the Freedom Four, you have one last golden nugget for our listeners. Oh, I would say within when it comes to investing, you know, take the long term view. Don't chase immediate returns. You know, I do think just, yeah, it's certainly we all want to make a million dollars tomorrow. But I think it's it's a play the long game when it comes to investing. I think that's critical. Love that man. All right, let's jump into the freedom form. What's the best thing you do to keep your mind and body healthy? Yeah, I mean, one thing that I instituted this year, actually, is breathwork. And it's, you know, it's so it takes 10 minutes. And per day for me, at least. And it's been phenomenal. And it's something that quite honestly, as a, as a, you know, athlete back in the day, or even in the military, I would have scoffed at something like this, to be honest with you, because it's just, you know, it's not manly or whatever. And it's like, it is phenomenal. So breathwork, I mean, I do other things for sure. But that's certainly this year, it's been a game changer for me. I just feel like it resets my central nervous system. It just gets me focused. And I know there are other physiological benefits that you can ask Dr. Andrew Huberman or somebody else about. (Seth Bradley) (41:26.153) Cool. I'll have to look into that. actually have it. mean, obviously everybody talks about it's a hot topic. Yeah. I haven't gotten into it. I haven't gotten into that plus like the cold plunges and that sort of thing. Yeah. But I really want to want to So I don't know how much you can cut this out if we don't have time, but I had a, I'm just going to be, be open about this. I just had a, you know, in late December, I got a viral infection, like a neurovirus. And then I had, I had a, what I think was a pretty severe panic attack and it was super scary. And so that's why I started doing this. And somebody on my team actually sent me a, I guess we'll call it an implement or a tool that I use for the breath work. It's blue. There's a Bluetooth connection to your phone and it's pretty cool. So it's structured and back to that discipline, right? But yeah, so it's, there was a reason I started doing it and it's, it's so accessible in five to 10 minutes a day. You can start doing it. So I recommend. Cool. Thanks for sharing that man. With all your success, what is one limiting belief that you've crushed along the way and how did you get past it? I think just, you know, being afraid to, you know, that you have to be perfect, right? So I used to be an editor back in the day. And so many things would just not get done or not get completed within our team, our organization, because it had to be perfect. And it's like, I think as I've progressed into more of the entrepreneurial lifestyle and (Jamie Bateman) (43:02.35) is just it's not a it's not an option anymore. So yeah, I think just taking action has kind of overcome that limiting belief of chasing perfection. Yeah, I can agree with you there. Done not perfect. Yes. My background as an attorney, mean, we're paid to be perfect. We can't make mistakes, especially in contracts and the way that we write things. But when you make that transition over to being an entrepreneur, there's too much to do to be perfect. You just got to get it done. Good enough. Absolutely. Good enough. You have to be willing to accept that for sure. What's one actionable step our listeners can do right now to start creating more freedom? I'll use the military here, which is where I learned kind of reverse backwards planning, reverse planning. literally just, and I'm not going to tell you I'm perfect at this, but, you know, think about what, create a vivid vision for your life in the next three to five years, pick it, pick three years out from today. And what do you want your life to look like? And then backwards plan. And now I'm not saying you need to plan every minute of every day, but (Jamie Bateman) (44:20.876) you can be that will that will increase the urgency, sense of urgency in your life and the intentionality of every every hour and every day because you realize this is doable, but I got to take ownership of my current situation if I want this to be the reality in three years. So I would say, create a vivid vision and and kind of reverse or backwards plan to get there. Perfect, perfect. Last but not least, House Passive Income made your life better. Yeah, I mean, I think in multiple ways, but a big one that stands out is giving me, I guess we'll call it margin to take some more risks on the entrepreneurial side. And because I do have alternative sources of income, passive income, it's allowed me that kind of mental and financial bandwidth or margin to maybe invest in a company that even if it doesn't go perfectly, or doesn't go well, it's not profitable, that's okay. I still have that cushion for me and my family. that's, yeah, it's a huge, it's been a huge factor in that regard. Yeah, absolutely. Game changer, man. It just changes your mindset, changes your life in so many ways. Jamie, this has been incredible, dude. You've got so much great content to share in your brain, man. You got to get out there. know you've got an awesome podcast that I was on, Adversity to Abundance. Everybody should check that out. Other than that, Jamie, where else can people find out more about you? Yeah. (Jamie Bateman) (45:54.924) Just two things I'll mention very quickly. Literally got my book delivered today, like an hour before I hopped on here. It's from adversity to abundance. It is based on the podcast. So I encourage your listener to check that out from adversity to abundance is the book that's out. then labradorlending.com, L A B R A D O R.com is where you can check us out. All right, man. Awesome. I'll drop all that in the show notes. Thanks again for coming on, brother. Thanks for having me, Seth. This has been great. (Seth Bradley) (46:26.978) Thanks for tuning in to Raise the Bar Radio. If you enjoyed today's episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Keep pushing, keep building, and keep raising the bar. Until next time, enjoy the journey. Links from the Show and Guest Info and Links: Seth Bradley's Links: https://x.com/sethbradleyesq https://www.youtube.com/@sethbradleyesq www.facebook.com/sethbradleyesq https://www.threads.com/@sethbradleyesq https://www.instagram.com/sethbradleyesq/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethbradleyesq/ https://passiveincomeattorney.com/seth-bradley/ https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/sethbradleyesq https://medium.com/@sethbradleyesq https://www.tiktok.com/@sethbradleyesq?lang=en Jamie Bateman's Links: https://x.com/batemanjames https://www.facebook.com/batemanjames https://www.threads.com/@batemanjames11?xmt=AQF0nwaIL6JD_GK94lbTvHphHOmWwlUyt3TkeHLav-vXU_E https://www.instagram.com/batemanjames11/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-bateman-5359a811/ https://labradorlending.com/about/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-adversity-to-abundance/id1618672867 https://open.spotify.com/show/7JjGWsKVzzEI8UwXP9GONZ https://www.youtube.com/@FromAdversity2AbundancePodcast
Learn how to build high-performing teams by setting and enforcing clear standards. The colourful expression "It's Easier To Rein In a Stallion Than To Flog a Donkey" gives you pretty much everything you need to know about talent management and team performance.But it's advice that's rarely heeded by leaders.We spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get people to reach a level of performance that, quite often, they simply have no interest in achieving.It sucks our time, our energy, and our will, and it makes every day feel a lot harder than it should be.In this episode, I make the case for building talent, and creating a team where people are expected to meet the minimum acceptable standard… or find a less demanding job somewhere else.————————
Live, Tuesday nights at 7:30PM ET on vocnation.com, it's IN THE ROOM! ITR features topics introduced by the panel, your calls, PWI's Brady Hicks, Kathie Fitz, and WCW's Maestro. Visit http://vocnation.com. Full Video Episode Available for only $3/mo at www.vocnation.com! Subscribers also get commercial free audio and video of Wrestling with History featuring Bill Apter and Ken Resnick, In the Room featuring PWI's Brady Hicks and former WCW Star the Maestro, No BS with The Bull Manny Fernandez, and more! VOC Nation takes you behind the scenes of your favorite moments in pro wrestling history. Notable show hosts include legendary pro wrestling journalist Bill Apter, former WWE/TNA star Shelly Martinez, former WWE and AWA broadcaster Ken Resnick, former WCW performer The Maestro, former TNA Impact talent Wes Brisco, Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Brady Hicks, independent pro wrestling and Fireball Run star Sassy Stephie, and more! Since 2010, VOC Nation has brought listeners into the minds of the biggest stars in pro wrestling and entertainment. Subscribe to the podcasts for free on most major directories, and visit http://vocnation.com for live programming. Subscribe to premium - only $3/mo - for commercial full commercial free audio and video episodes. Exclusive access to 50 years of Bill Apter's interview archives is available for a nominal charge. Learn more about your ad choices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Send us a textWe asked the big question: Is the Phonemic Awareness Guide actually accurate, or is it just another round of literacy fluff?In this episode, Faith and I throw down a Science of Reading truth bomb
It's that time again — back into the listener mailbag for another round of Q&A on The Side Hustle Show. This week, I've got 13 brand-new questions to dive into, covering everything from launching a hustle with $5,000, to small-town business ideas, making money with art, navigating anonymity online, and even whether rich people should still have side hustles. This is the 18th installment of the series, feel free to check out the older ones: 641: Starting Over? Podcasting, Newsletters, Competing in a “No Click” World, and more: 10 Questions with Nick 616: Lifestyle Creep, Luck, and Why Every Podcast Guest Has an Online Course: Q&A w/ Nick 585: Giving Away Ideas, Getting Great Guests, Growing Your Business, and More: 20 Questions With Nick 556: Pricing, Podcasting, Permission to Quit, and More: 20 Questions with Nick 498: Profitable Podcasting, Getting Clients, and $50k/mo in Passive Income: 20 Questions with Nick Let's dive in! Full Show Notes: The Most Unique Niches, Small Town Side Hustles, Monetizing Art, and More: Q&A with Nick New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Mint Mobile — Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! OpenPhone — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Policygenius — Compare free life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save. About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation.
In this Superchat Mailbag we tackled not one but two heavy questions from the community. Beezy circled back to answer a ranking superchat that came in during a previous mailbag and then the crew locked in on a brand new one. The question was simple but wild to think about: if you had to completely erase one hip hop album and its impact from history which one would it be As always the conversation went deep because removing a project from the timeline changes more than just the music it touches the culture the influence and the artists who came after. Let us know in the comments how you would have answered because we know this one is going to stir up some debate. Superchats like these drive some of our best convos so keep them coming if we miss yours live it could end up in its own dedicated video like this one. #DEHH #HipHop #Superchat #albumranking Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwNzLpk33dblyY2Gg-SyPxw/join Dead End Hip Hop Merch Shop: https://deadendmedia.myspreadshop.com Find all things Dead End Hip Hop here: https://linktr.ee/deadendhiphop SUBSCRIBE to our second channel, Is The Mic Still On: https://www.youtube.com/isthemicstillon IS THE MIC STILL ON PODCAST: SUBSCRIBE on iTunes: http://apple.co/2oJIzZb Follow The Crew: Follow Modest Media: @IamModestMedia Follow Beezy: @Beezy430 Follow Ken: @KennithBInge Follow Feefo: @Feefo247 Follow Myke C-Town: @MykeCTown Follow Sophie: @SayItAintSoph About Dead End Hip Hop: No scripts. It's pure unfiltered hip hop conversations and album reviews. No politics. No BS. We Are The People. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tired of feeling broken every time you overeat? In this episode, I'm teaching you how to stop overeating without relying on willpower or another bullshit diet rule. We're talking about: Why you blackout eat in the kitchen when you're not even hungry The “fuck it” moments that snowball into regret Late-night eating after a long-ass day And the sneaky “I deserve it” thoughts that keep you stuck You'll learn why these urges happen, what they really mean, and how to handle them without beating the shit out of yourself. Because you're not broken. You don't need fixing. You just need to finally understand what's going on under the hood. Listen now and start losing weight for the last time—the No BS way. Get my FREE weightloss videos (The Secrets to How I Lost 100lbs): www.nobsfreecourse.com
LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/ Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/ In this soul-stirring episode of Dropping Bombs, I sit down with the powerful and inspiring Ronelle St.Luc—a transformational guide, master activator, and visionary behind Mystics Manna Hypnotic. As a gifted spiritual mentor with a Bachelor's in Business, Master of Science, and certifications in Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique (QHHT) and Usui Reiki/Holy Fire, she bridges intellect and intuition to unlock energetic codes of abundance, activation, and deep healing through quantum techniques, past life regression, and Reiki. Ronelle shares her remarkable rags-to-riches journey: from a tough New York neighborhood and Silicon Valley corporate climb to ditching it all for her divine calling. Her story is pure transformation—trusting divine timing, co-creating with the Creator, and harnessing unseen forces. We dive deep into aligning with purpose, how frequency shapes reality, and why self-worth trumps hustle for legacy-building. Ronelle gets raw about fears, gifts, and breaking limiting beliefs to reclaim divine power. Skeptic or seeker, this convo expands perspectives on energy, healing, and life's hidden dynamics. Tap in—you won't want to miss this!
What if you could turn brand partnerships into serious income, even with just hundreds of followers? Justin Moore, founder of Creator Wizard and author of Sponsor Magnet, is back to show us exactly how creators are landing four-figure deals without massive audiences. We're talking about tapping into that $480 billion creator economy pie — and you don't need a million followers to get your slice. This episode covers what brands really care about (hint: it's not your follower count), how to find the right decision makers, and how to structure deals that keep brands coming back for more. Tune in to Episode 694 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: How to land $1,000+ brand deals with a small audience The ROPE method for pitching brands effectively Why UGC and short-form content changed everything for creators Full Show Notes: Your Path to $1k+ Brand Deals, Even With a Small Audience New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Mint Mobile — Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! OpenPhone — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Policygenius — Compare free life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save. About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation.
In today's episode, I'm diving into a topic that has changed both my personal life and my performance as a high-achieving woman: self-compassion as a tool for high performance. I used to believe that being relentlessly hard on myself was the only way to succeed. But over time (and through conversations with brilliant minds like Dr. Karin Nordin), I've learned that self-compassion is not weakness. It's not laziness. It's one of the most powerful performance tools you can have in your arsenal. Inside this episode, I break down: Why self-criticism fails long-term and how it sabotages performance. The three psychological components of self-compassion and how to actually use them. The paradox of failure: why avoiding failure keeps you from success. How pairing compassion with accountability accelerates growth. My personal journaling framework that blends honesty, compassion, and radical accountability. If you've ever thought “compassion is soft” or worried it would make you lazy, this episode will challenge everything you've believed about performance. By the end, you'll see why self-compassion is a non-negotiable in your high-performance tool belt. Download, subscribe, and share this episode with your ambitious besties, because the more we learn to fail forward with compassion, the further we'll go. LMNT is LMNT is a DELICIOUS, science-based electrolyte drink mix with everything you need and nothing you don't. No sugar. No coloring. No artificial ingredients. No gluten. No fillers. No BS. Head to drinklmnt.com/emdunc to get a FREE variety pack with your purchase! Fitness, health, and holistic wellness for $22/month Interested in a luxury 1:1 online health coaching experience? Look no further than FENIX ATHLETICA, where we fuse science and soul for life-long transformation (inside AND out). For the high-achieving hot girls that want to recover better, support glowier skin, and promote longevity through better cellular health, get 20% off your first order of Mitopure and make wellness easier than ever. Follow me on Instagram Follow EMBody Radio on Instagram
Ghostface Killah has returned with Supreme Clientele 2, a project fans have been anticipating for years. As the follow up to his 2000 classic Supreme Clientele, expectations could not be higher. The original solidified Ghost as one of the most inventive storytellers and stylists in hip hop and it remains a staple not just in his discography but in the Wu Tang legacy as a whole. In this review we break down whether Ghost was able to live up to the pressure of revisiting such a monumental title. We dive into the production across the album, the features that show up, and the moments where Ghost's sharp lyricism and colorful imagery shine the brightest. We also take a critical look at how the album balances nostalgia with progression, asking if it feels like a natural continuation of Supreme Clientele or more of a tribute to what made that album special in the first place. This is a conversation hip hop heads will not want to miss, especially those who remember the impact of the original. Did Ghostface Killah deliver a worthy sequel or is Supreme Clientele 2 destined to spark debate among fans and critics alike #GhostfaceKillah #SupremeClientele2 #WuTang #HipHop #AlbumReview Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwNzLpk33dblyY2Gg-SyPxw/join Dead End Hip Hop Merch Shop: https://deadendmedia.myspreadshop.com Find all things Dead End Hip Hop here: https://linktr.ee/deadendhiphop SUBSCRIBE to our second channel, Is The Mic Still On: https://www.youtube.com/isthemicstillon IS THE MIC STILL ON PODCAST: SUBSCRIBE on iTunes: http://apple.co/2oJIzZb Follow The Crew: Follow Modest Media: @IamModestMedia Follow Beezy: @Beezy430 Follow Ken: @KennithBInge Follow Feefo: @Feefo247 Follow Myke C-Town: @MykeCTown Follow Sophie: @SayItAintSoph About Dead End Hip Hop: No scripts. It's pure unfiltered hip hop conversations and album reviews. No politics. No BS. We Are The People. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How do I get the right clients?That's the number one question I get from service business owners. Which makes sense, because being able to attract and close clients is a fundamental part of any service business. If you can't do it, you won't have a business. So obviously it's one of the most important things that you need to know how to do. That's why today, I'm returning to one of my most-listened episodes, because it is packed with practical short and long-term strategies that you can use to attract and land prospects who are the right fit for your business.Tune into this episode to hear:Why relying on referrals puts your business at riskThe short and long-term marketing strategies you need in your arsenalHow to network smarter to actively seek out referrals and new connectionsWhy content marketing is a long-term investment in your businessHow the No BS model stacks clients so you have built-in time to work on your businessResources:No BS Clients LabNo BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS LaunchpadNo BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com
Investor Fuel Real Estate Investing Mastermind - Audio Version
In this episode of the Real Estate Pros podcast, host Q Edmonds interviews Jim Tyler, a seasoned real estate expert with extensive experience in flipping properties. Jim shares his insights on the current market, his journey into real estate, and the keys to successful property flipping. He discusses the challenges faced in the industry, his future goals, and the importance of building relationships and networking. Jim emphasizes the necessity of hands-on experience and hard work in the real estate business, providing valuable advice for aspiring flippers. Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind: Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply Investor Machine Marketing Partnership: Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true ‘white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com Coaching with Mike Hambright: Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a “mini-mastermind” with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming “Retreat”, either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas “Big H Ranch”? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform! Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/ New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club —--------------------
Overwhelmed by endless to-do lists and questioning your direction in life? Chalene Johnson shares powerful AI prompts that act like a no-BS life coach to help you cut through the chaos, uncover blind spots, and finally get clarity. In this episode, discover how to use ChatGPT for self coaching, personal growth, stronger relationships, stress and burnout recovery, mindset shifts, and accountability systems that actually stick. Follow along with the exercises or grab the full set of prompts from the link in the show notes. These proven AI prompts give you less stress, more focus, and the confidence to move forward with purpose.
Welcome to this episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, where Tom takes us on an urgent deep dive into one of the most pivotal moments in our economic and technological history. Remember the internet boom of the late '90s, when overnight millionaires were made and fortunes were built at lightning speed? Tom argues that we're now living through an even bigger shift—the explosive rise of artificial intelligence. In this episode, Tom lays out why the AI revolution isn't just another trend, but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build wealth. He breaks down the historic patterns of wealth creation during periods of innovation, why most people end up missing out, and how today's AI boom is moving at a pace we've never seen before. You'll hear stories of missed opportunities, get a clear-eyed assessment of the risks, and learn important lessons from the dot-com boom and bust. But it's not all hype—Tom gives actionable advice on how to navigate the volatility, avoid common pitfalls, and build a smart, diversified investment strategy. Whether you're an entrepreneur, an investor, or someone looking to secure your financial future, this episode is packed with insights about how to position yourself on the right side of history during the AI revolution. This is your wake-up call to understand the scale of what's happening, evaluate how to get in the game, and make sure you're not left on the sidelines wondering, “What if?” So get ready to discover how you can capitalize on the biggest wealth-creation event of our era, straight from Tom Bilyeu. SHOWNOTES 00:00 "Invest in Stock Market Now" 10:56 Missed Opportunities: Apple and Beatles 22:50 AI's Transformative Impact: Hype or Reality? 33:07 "Keys to Building Successful Companies" 42:26 Seize the Wealth Wave CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to https://www.vitalproteins.com and entering promo code IMPACT at check out Allio Capital: Macro investing for people who want to understand the big picture. Download their app in the App Store or at Google Play, or text my name “TOM” to 511511. SleepMe: Visit https://sleep.me/impact to get your Chilipad and save 20% with code IMPACT. Try it risk-free with their 30-night sleep trial and free shipping. Tailor Brands: 35% off https://tailorbrands.com/podcast35Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impactHims: Start your free online visit today at https://hims.com/IMPACT. Even Realities: Smart glasses, real style https://evenrealities.bio/6e396d What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER SCALING a business: see if you qualify here. Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here. ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** Join me live on my Twitch stream. I'm live daily from 6:30 to 8:30 am PT at www.twitch.tv/tombilyeu ********************************************************************** LISTEN TO IMPACT THEORY AD FREE + BONUS EPISODES on APPLE PODCASTS: apple.co/impacttheory ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/ Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/ You're here because you want to win—big. Brad Lea doesn't mess around. In this episode, he sits down with Jon Andersen to tear into his inspiring journey from being a bullied, overweight late bloomer to becoming a pro strongman, wrestler, and bodybuilder, emphasizing how mindset, discipline, and taking ownership of your life are the keys to transformation in fitness, business, relationships, and personal growth, delivering the unfiltered truth you won't find anywhere else. No fluff, just real talk and actionable steps to crush it in business and life. Jon's links https://www.instagram.com/thejonandersen/ Brad Lea is a self-made entrepreneur who turned small-town grit into a multi-million-dollar empire. With over 25 years dominating sales and leadership, he's mentored thousands to outsmart, outwork, and out win their competition. His top-rated podcast, Dropping Bombs, brings raw, game-changing insights from the biggest names in business. LightSpeed VT is Brad's brainchild—the world's leading interactive training platform. It's built to make your team sharper, faster, and more effective, without wasting time or money. Whether you're a startup or a Fortune 500, LightSpeed VT is how you scale success and dominate your industry. Curious? Check it out: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/ Brad's also behind Closer School, the go-to program for mastering sales and closing deals like a pro. Want to 10x your income? This is where you start. His book, The Hard Way, lays out the brutal, honest lessons he learned building his empire—your blueprint to winning the game. Get it here: https://bradlea.com/product/the-hard-way/ This isn't just a video. It's a wake-up call. Watch it. Share it. Act on it. Closer School: https://www.closerschool.com/cs
Traditional Q and A to round out the week, answering only the most demanding questions facing our society. I'm not sure they were actually that serious, but it sounds good. I did actually cover: -Advice for someone who has started skydiving but does not enjoy freefall -How do you get over the emotional hangover of conflict -TRT thoughts after 1.5 years. No BS pros and cons Enjoy Today's Sponsors: Pique: Get 20% off + a FREE rechargeable frother and glass beaker with your first purchase with my link https://Piquelife.com/CLEAREDHOT David: Order a sample pack at https://Davidprotein.com/clearedhot