Burning The Ships

In this heartfelt and wisdom-packed episode of Burning the Ships, I finally sit down with someone I call my most-referenced guest of all time: Kelli Garrett — entrepreneur, private lender, mentor, and former college basketball legend. Kelli shares her remarkable journey from UPS corporate manager to real estate mogul, and how building a $400M lending business from scratch was never about just the money, it was about impact, culture...

In this week’s solo episode of Burning the Ships, I’m unpacking one of the biggest mindset shifts in my leadership journey: learning to lead from strength. I break down how a single book—StrengthsFinder—radically reshaped how I manage teams, build company culture, and even how I operate day to day. This episode is for the entrepreneurs, coaches, and leaders who are tired of wasting energy on weaknesses, and are ready to double down...

In this episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with one of Virginia’s most connected and knowledgeable investor-lending pros—Lindy Pond. If you’re in the Richmond or Hampton Roads area and in real estate, chances are you’ve heard Lindy’s name. She’s more than just a lender—she’s a connector, a motivator, a mom, and a powerhouse of knowledge who gives economic updates that actually matter.

We talk about her start in lending, how sh...

In this episode, I’m taking you all the way back to the beginning—before flips, rentals, and lending businesses, and when real estate wasn’t a career, it was a mission. I break down how a single-wide trailer, a piece of advice from my grandmother, and a relentless desire to own land in my hometown sparked a journey that would lead to building our dream home, stacking equity, and eventually going all in on real estate.

This isn’t a s...

In this powerhouse episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with my buddy Loren Wernette—husband, father of four, and founder of a rapidly growing hard money lending business in North Carolina.

Loren shares how a health scare sparked a radical transformation, not only in his wellness journey but also in his professional path from a W-2 ladder climber to full-time entrepreneur. We dive into his evolution from flipping homes and acqu...

In this heartfelt episode of Burning the Ships, I’m sharing the story of a life-changing father-daughter retreat that Emma and I took to Utah. From conquering cross-country travel anxiety to bonding over unexpected adventures in Las Vegas and the red rock deserts of St. George, I reflect on what it means to lead, love, and learn as a father.

This isn’t just about a trip—it’s about intentionally creating moments that bring you closer...

In this deeply personal and long-awaited episode, I finally convinced my wife, Kati Seward, to sit down and share her side of the journey. From supporting me through my career leap to growing into her own as a passionate educator and dedicated mom, Kati opens up about anxiety, parenting, faith, marriage, and what it truly means to be the partner behind the dream.

You’ve heard me talk about mindset and burning the ships but this week...

In this week’s Burning the Ships, I talk about one of the most underrated superpowers in life, business, relationships, and health: consistency.

From the early days of building this podcast and putting out videos no one was watching, to conversations with people who say they can’t open Instagram without seeing my face, I unpack how staying consistent even when it’s uncomfortable leads to real, lasting impact. Whether you’re trying t...

In this week’s episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with Justin Cook—insurance agency leader, high-performance coach, and now author of the brand new book Freedom Beyond Wealth.

Justin shares his journey from 20 years in the insurance industry to coaching high-achievers on how to build a life of time freedom, intentionality, and purpose beyond just the grind for more money. We dive into his personal habits, daily structure, and ...

In this Weekly Ramble, I dive into a topic that’s been changing my life over the past year—disconnecting intentionally. I’m not just talking about taking a vacation or turning off notifications. I’m talking about leaving the phone behind for hours, even days at a time, and the surprising mental clarity and connection that comes with it.

I share personal stories from the last year, the challenges of breaking the habit of being “alway...

In today’s episode, I sat down with Peter Russell, a real estate entrepreneur who took his wholesaling business experience and turned it into a unique solution for the investing world—transactional funding specifically designed for wholesalers.

Peter shares how he transitioned from putting up bandit signs to scaling a wholesaling business and how spotting pain points led him to create Double Close Funding, a transactional lending bu...

In this Weekly Ramble, I unpack one of the most game-changing mindset shifts I’ve ever made—learning to treat time like money. Most people know time is more valuable, but our habits, calendars, and lifestyles say otherwise.

I walk through the exact shift that happened after leaving my corporate job, how I restructured my calendar to reflect what matters most, and how I went from being “time bankrupt” to living with intentionality, c...

For Episode 150, I’m flipping the mic toward the man behind this very show—Josh Culler of Culler Media. If you’ve noticed how the podcast audio, video, and consistency leveled up… that’s all Josh. But today’s episode goes deeper than tech and editing.

Josh shares his journey from forklift operator to founder of a media company serving real estate brands, coaches, and investors nationwide. We talk about the power of consistency on so...

In this weekly ramble, I break down one of the most influential books I’ve ever read—Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink. This episode isn’t a chapter-by-chapter summary. It’s a deep dive into how the mindset of extreme ownership has transformed the way I lead, parent, invest, and handle adversity.

I share real-life stories—from my early flips and hiring missteps to leading a sales agency and raising my kids. And the common thread in...

In this powerful sit-down with my good friend Tim Bratz, we go beyond real estate and straight into resilience, ego, family, and leadership. Tim’s story isn’t just about building a real estate empire, it’s about rebuilding with intention when everything gets hard.

From climbing to 4,800 doors and then intentionally scaling back to just 2,000, Tim shares the lessons he learned the hard way—through lawsuits, market shifts, partner fri...

In this week’s ramble, I dive deep into a book that hit me harder than I expected: The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. This isn’t just another mindset book, it’s a framework for how to reclaim your peace, your focus, and your freedom by letting go of the things you can’t control… especially what other people think.

From family drama to business gossip to childhood wounds, I unpack how this book reshaped my thinking and why I believe...

In this special episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with Matt Brooks, guitarist and founding member of the hard rock band Like a Storm—one of the most successful musical acts to come out of New Zealand.

Matt pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to turn a dream into a worldwide touring machine. We talk about the band’s DIY beginnings, how they used grit, belief, and bold thinking to go from opening gigs to chart-toppin...

In this Weekly Ramble, we’re going deep into a topic that everyone needs more of: gratitude. Not the kind you post about on Thanksgiving, but the kind that grounds you in chaos, sharpens your leadership, and brings more meaning to your life and relationships.

I share personal stories, including a powerful leadership lesson I picked up from PGA pro Jordan Spieth, and how practicing gratitude through adversity has helped me grow as a ...

In this episode, I sit down with my good buddy Tyrone Taylor, someone I’ve admired for a long time because of how he carries himself – with humility, resilience, and an unshakable commitment to growth.

Tyrone shares his incredible story: growing up in Philadelphia, watching his blue-collar father and entrepreneurial mother model grit and vision, bouncing back from career setbacks, and building a real estate portfolio one tough lesso...