Creating a Brighter Future Through Real Estate Investing
Today, I would like to share with you how I got started creating a brighter future for myself and my family through real estate investing (REI). However, I’m not going to write about it in great detail here. Instead, I would like you to click on the link ( https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jason-stapleton-program/id840193021?i=1000567588984 ) or look up the show wherever you get your favorite podcasts to hear my story. What I will do is write about the story before the story.
On June 24th, 2022, I was featured on my favorite podcast, The Jason Stapleton Program, for his Friday show, the “Side Hustle Spotlight.” If you don’t know who he is, Jason Stapleton is an entrepreneur and business owner (among other things) who helps “early-stage entrepreneurs build digital businesses while mastering the skills of influence, marketing, sales, and brand-building.” Every Friday, Jason features a member of his Nomad Network who is making at least $500-$1,000 every month with their side hustle to share their story on his podcast. So far, Jason has had many great guests with interesting, innovative, and clever side hustles that I thoroughly enjoy listening to and learning about.
When Jason first announced he was starting his “Side Hustle Spotlight” and asked members of his Nomad Network community if they’d like to share their story on his podcast, I was very excited at first. However, the “imposter syndrome” a lot of people suffer from, including myself, quickly shot down my feelings and so I hesitated. I waited. I overanalyzed my decision over and over again until it caused analysis paralysis. I thought to myself, “Who wants to hear my story? There are thousands of real estate investors out there. Why would anyone be interested in what I have to say?” After mulling it over for about a month and listening to other people share their stories, I finally broke free of the feelings, took a chance, and made the decision to reach out to Jason Stapleton and see if he was interested in my side hustle story.
At this point, I had been heavily investing in real estate for almost a year and bought four rental properties in three months. I had told only a handful of people what I was doing because I was afraid to hear all the negativity from people who didn’t understand real estate investing, what I was trying to accomplish, or why I was doing it in the first place. But, deep down, I wanted to tell my story to the people who follow The Jason Stapleton Program who were just like me. The people who needed to hear others’ stories to inspire them. The people who need their tiny bit of flame they have to engulf them. I had to overcome my fear, anxiety, doubt, and “imposter syndrome” because if my story could help just one person overcome their insecurities about starting their own business or side hustle, then I have accomplished a much bigger goal than just my small real estate investing business.
So, I shot my shot. I reached out to Jason to see if he was interested in my story. To my surprise, Jason replied to my email and generously extended an invitation to be interviewed for his show. I was very excited and extremely nervous to do the show. I practiced my spiel over and over again. I prepared three pages of notes with bullet points and profit numbers I could reference during the interview. As the interview date got closer, I got more nervous and more secretive about what I was up to. Was I ready to do this? Was I ready to expose myself to the world and let them into mine? Absolutely. Finally, when it was time to start the interview, I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and just let myself tell my story.
For as nervous as I was, this interview was the best thing I could do to get out of my comfort level, crush that “imposter syndrome,” and be proud of what I have accomplished thus far. Like Wayne Gretzky famously once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” I think I hit the back of the net on this one.
Disclaimer: I started this blog as more of a therapeutic journal to document and share my life with others who are interested in listening. My blog posts will solely be based on my thoughts, opinions, and experiences as I work on my own path towards Mental Wealth. As I acquire new information along the way, my stance may change to reflect the new things I’ve learned. I, too, am a work in progress so please be patient, be kind, and bear with me. Thank you. - CM