In this episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with Leah Coleman, a powerhouse realtor, investor, and connector from Richmond, Virginia, who’s redefining what it means to build wealth and resilience, one relationship and one property at a time.
Leah’s story spans decades of transformation: from working in finance and retail management to mastering wholesaling in her 20s, navigating the 2008 crash, and reinventing herself as a realtor and investor in a shifting market. She shares her lessons on grit, recalibration, and leading with faith even when life forces you to pivot.
We talk about how she’s learned to balance being a single mom and entrepreneur, the power of time-blocking and hiring help, and her philosophy of “biting off more than you can chew—and figuring out how to chew it.” Leah also introduces her newest project, Brick by Brick, a TV and podcast show highlighting local entrepreneurs, investors, and community leaders making waves in Richmond.
If you’re navigating transition, burnout, or self-doubt, Leah’s journey will remind you that your capacity grows in the stretch and that the recalibration seasons often bring the biggest breakthroughs.
Key Talking Points of the Episode
00:00 Introduction
01:27 Who is Leah Coleman?
03:47 JJ’s Joke of the Week
05:16 Reconnecting with your own story: How revisiting her journey re-inspired Leah during challenging market cycles
06:33 Early career in banking and retail management: Learning leadership, sales, and systems
11:30 The crash of 2008–2009: What happens when your buyers vanish overnight and how to pivot fast
14:21 Meeting mentors Jim and Rhonda Ingersoll, Daniel Clayman, and learning through community
16:50 Restarting her business after marriage challenges: Buying five properties in her first three months back in 2018
18:07 The impact of building your network and nurturing the right relationships
23:05 Hard work over luck: Why “beginner’s luck” is really the product of consistency and showing up
24:30 “Bite off more than you can chew”: Leah’s bold approach to growth and the lessons behind the chaos
32:42 Managing burnout and mental recalibration: how to build capacity for disappointment and still move forward
35:08 Rebuilding after loss: Navigating single motherhood, rebuilding a portfolio, and trusting divine timing
36:40 “Delays equal dollars”: The powerful mindset shift that turned setbacks into profits
40:30 Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship: The reality of being a woman in a male-dominated space
42:09 Time-blocking, hiring help, and redefining success: how a $1,680/month nanny changed everything
48:06 Introducing Brick by Brick: Leah’s new show celebrating Richmond’s entrepreneurs and creatives
53:20 Giving first, serving others, and leading with connection over extraction when networking
55:02 How to get in touch with Leah and her team
58:58 How investors can use AI technology to evaluate and optimize assets
Quotables
“Sometimes you just have to have hard conversations and develop the capacity to disappoint others and yourself when things don’t go the way you planned.”
“Bite off more than you can chew—and figure out how to chew it.”
“Delays equal dollars. Every setback is just divine timing in disguise.”
Links
Leah Coleman
https://www.instagram.com/leahreneecoleman
(804) 484-2018
608B Capital
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