Part One
The Challenge
Who Am I, and Why Should You Listen to Me?
You have to learn the rules of the game, and then you have to play better
than anyone else.
—Albert Einstein
I value and spend time learning from people who are world-class at their
craft of investing. I read books and listen to podcasts by smart investors and
people who have different philosophies that have worked for them. And as
a Lifestyle Investor, I am intentional about my mentors, striving to be their
#1 student.
Education is one of my biggest keys to success. I’ve invested nearly
$1,000,000 in my education, attending boot camps and seminars and
learning from coaches, my advisory team, and industry experts. To master
the gamut of investments, I’ve studied real estate types, private equity,
public equity, debt (especially senior secured), distressed assets, operating
companies, franchises, e-commerce, technology, syndications, funds,
royalties, collectibles, cryptocurrencies, and more.
In short, I want to be skilled and knowledgeable across the board and
stress-test my criteria to filter and select investment deals.
When I first started investing, I didn’t know my criteria. I looked at
deals subjectively—this makes sense or this feels right. But over several
years of educating myself and analyzing the types of investments I chose,
obvious criteria emerged that simplified how I subconsciously, yet
consistently, made decisions.
Bedrock Values
I grew up in a working-class environment. My parents are both
wonderful Christian people. In the family, they modeled values such as
honesty and integrity. My upbringing established a bedrock of values on
which I stand.
My mom worked full-time for more than twenty years as a secretary at
the church we attended, earning about $27,000 to $30,000. A
conversationalist, she consistently put people first. She taught me how to
maintain strong connections, address conflict head-on, and put good
relationships together.
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