As I share this annual update, I wish you a peaceful and joyous Holiday Season with family and loved ones and a New Year full of good health, prosperity, fulfillment, and abundance!
I feel grateful as many of you reached out after last year’s annual update, which allowed an opportunity for us to re-connect and catch up. I’d love to continue this tradition for as long as I can. So if you are reading this, please tap the reply button and let’s connect.
Personal
Speaking of re-connecting, one of the highlights of the year was the Kellogg 15 year reunion in Evanston, IL. It was great to see many dear friends in person, after so many years. I was humbled to be surrounded by so much awesomeness. Some of you started multiple businesses. Others are currently leaders and senior managers inspiring others to do bigger better things. You are making a difference in the local communities and the world. You wrote books to provoke thinking and help others. You are amazing mothers, fathers, and human beings making this world a better place!
We also got a clean bill of health for mom, which makes me appreciate health even more so as the ultimate wealth. Unfortunately shortly after we were faced with a health challenge for my little guy (my fur baby Rickie). But thanks to good access to healthcare and great health professionals we were able to eliminate the worst and craft a path for his treatment and recovery.
You probably read about the numerous layoffs in finance, advertising, marketing, and tech over the past year. Many of my dear friends were impacted and so was I.
It was an ordinary day and I went to the office walking into a meeting with my boss only to be told our entire division is being shut down, that my colleagues and I have 90 min to wrap up and exit the building before our access is shut down. 15 years of loyal service, many hours of overtime, days of stress and days away from family and loved ones…and just like that it was over.
I took some time to reflect. Thankfully I was prepared. Other events, including prior corporate restructures that I had survived had set me on a journey of building passive income streams by investing in real estate and alternative assets outside of the stock market. I was planning to transition to real estate full time in the next 3 years or so. Those plans were now accelerated.
After some careful consideration, discussion with family and friends (you know who you are), I decided to bet on myself and dive intro real estate entrepreneurship full time. My why is now even stronger, as I am on a mission to help other busy professionals stop trading time for money, create passive income streams and become job optional. This did not happen to me overnight. It took years of investing, studying personal finance, and taking action. However, had I stayed in my comfort zone and fooled myself with a false sense of security that a single income stream (my W2) provides, I would not have had the luxury of making a choice after my lay off. Instead I would have been forced to go back to an office or a cubicle, having to prove myself again, count my vacation days, apologize when sick and having to take time off, and eventually burn out again.
What is coming is better than what is gone!
Professional
This past year was a year of building momentum and a year of transition. Despite the slower market I had the privilege to review numerous investment opportunities, most of which I decided to pass on as they were outside of my and my investors’ criteria. I spoke on 37 podcasts, closed on one active and one passive investment deal, and launched our educational You Tube channel and private Facebook group.
I also launched an underwriting course designed specifically for beginners looking to learn how to evaluate multifamily deals (and currently on my second cohort).
In addition, I put my 15 years of commercial lending experience to work and launched a small balance short term private lending business. As with everything, I am starting small and moving slowly and methodically to ensure I build systems and processes along the way and position for strong long term growth.
2023 was a turbulent year for real estate and 2024 will be even more so. However, I am and excited about the opportunities 2024 will bring. I am also excited about the additional education initiatives I will be launching to create a community of educated and empowered investors.
If you want to stay appraised on my activities throughout the year, I publish a bi-weekly newsletter. If you’d like to be included, simply send me a message, and I will ensure I keep you up to date.
I wish you and your loved ones an amazing 2024 full of good health, personal and professional growth, and positive impact!
To your success!
Dream. Believe. Achieve.