For years now, I've been spilling my guts on this blog about everything I know about real estate investing.
Most of it pertains to the investing niches I enjoy the most (i.e., land investing, rental properties, lead generation, website building, direct mail strategies, and the like), but I haven't spent much time talking about who I am.
Maybe it's because I've assumed most people don't care, or maybe I've wanted to protect my privacy (maybe both), but every now and then, it occurs to me that most of my readers have no idea who I really am, so I wanted to take a few minutes and shed some light on “Seth's Story” with a small collection of random facts about me.
1. I'm 38 years old.
At this point in my life, I've experienced some notable things and seen much of what life has to offer. When I reflect on everything I've been involved with, I can finally say I'm not a total novice anymore.
At the same time, there are a lot of things in the world I still haven't seen, and I think this puts me in a unique position. In many ways, I can identify with both the young and the old, the experienced and the inexperienced, and the confident and the humble.
For the most part, I love my life where it's at. If I could push the “pause” button at any point, it would probably be right about now.
2. Music is a big deal to me.
Music has always been one of the great joys of my life. I appreciate some genres of music more than others, but I think when it's done well, there is value in just about anything.
I don't just enjoy listening to music; I enjoy playing it too. At different stages in my life, I've played the violin and guitar, I've been a singer, and I've tinkered around with the ukulele a bit too (it's a pretty easy instrument to learn).
When I was in high school (before reality set in), I considered going pro as a guitarist. I even released a few self-produced albums of instrumental guitar music. Unfortunately, I never had the gift for songwriting, so most of my recordings were just covers of other songs I liked. Either way, it was a lot of fun.
Here's a quick sample…
3. I'm disciplined about physical exercise (but even so, I still kind of hate it).
When I was a sophomore in high school, I was overweight. It was a big physical, mental and emotional burden for me.
One day, I decided I'd had enough and stopped eating cold turkey for one full week.
It was one of the hardest things I'd ever done. Once I got through it and lost about 10 pounds, I thought… why not keep going?
A month later, after severely restricting my diet and working my butt off in the weight room, I had lost 40 pounds, and some people didn't even recognize me.
Was it a ridiculous stunt? Maybe… but I proved to myself that if I wanted something bad enough, I could move mountains with my motivation, which was an important discovery.
4. I'm an Enneagram Type 6
This past year, I discovered the Enneagram test. It's a fast (and free) personality test that can quickly reveal A LOT about your inherent strengths and weaknesses.
When I took it, I found that I was an ultra-strong Type 6, which means I'm a loyal and committed person, but I also spend a lot of my time battling fear, anxiety, and uncertainty.
What I love about this test is that it's QUICK (seriously, you can get through it in 5 minutes) and in my case, it's pretty darn accurate. Even though it's not fun to read test results that cut to the heart of what you're bad at, it's invaluable to see clearly where your weaknesses are, so you can recognize when they start getting in the way of your everyday decisions.
5. I'm NOT a person who oozes with confidence.
My self-confidence (or lack thereof) has always been an issue for me. Maybe it's because I know what arrogant and cocky looks like and I really want to be different (or at least, that's what I tell myself).
Whenever I'm facing big new challenges or hurdles in life, my natural tendency is to quickly conclude that “I can't do it” or “I'm not good enough.”
This has held me back from many things in life, in an unhealthy, self-sabotaging way.
I'm not sure if I'll ever be completely free of it, but as with any problem, the first step towards overcoming it is with the awareness that the problem exists (and at this point, I'm definitely aware of it). The trick is to surround yourself with people who will empower you rather than focus on your limitations. The right influences and voices of encouragement can make a BIG difference in what a person believes they can do.
6. I hate reading…
It may sound odd that someone like myself – who has written hundreds of thousands of words as a blogger – doesn't enjoy reading, but there's an important distinction to make here:
I hate reading when I'm not interested in the subject matter.
My life was greatly enriched by both of the schools I attended for graduate and undergraduate studies… but let me tell you, getting through 6+ years of college (with ENDLESS reading about subjects I would never specialize in) was torturous at times.
Sitting down for hours on end and reading, just for the heck of it, is something I almost never do. Unless it's a truly life-changing book or some other subject I legitimately want to learn more about, reading is not something I do for fun.
As a source of media, I've found that audiobooks, podcasts, and videos are much more enjoyable for me, probably because I can multi-task and get other things done while I'm absorbing the content, which helps keep me sane.
7. I'm a natural introvert, but I know how to turn on the extroversion when I need to.
I've always been a relatively quiet person in social settings, but I know how to become much more outgoing when the time calls for it. On a scale of 1 to 10 on the introvert/extrovert scale (1 = extreme introvert, 10 = extreme extrovert), I'm probably around a 3.5.
I don't usually vocalize my thoughts to the world unless I'm very comfortable with the people around me (and in those cases, it's hard for me to shut up). Sometimes this works against me, but more often than not, I'm perfectly content with being a person who carefully thinks through their words before speaking. If I said whatever was on my mind, I'd probably look stupid and offend a lot of people.
I've learned that introversion can be an asset in some settings and a liability in others. I don't think there's anything wrong with being a quiet person, but I do think it's important for every introverted person to find their voice and learn how to speak up when the time calls for it.
Over the past decade, I've gotten more comfortable with this by taking some Dale Carnegie classes and being a member of Toastmasters. These outlets aren't intended solely for the purpose of helping introverts come out of their shell, but both helped do this for me.
8. Academics have never been my forté.
For as long as I can remember, I always struggled in school. From about 3rd grade through college, I constantly felt like one of the dumbest kids in my class.
In retrospect, I don't think this was true; it's just how I perceived the situation. It also didn't help that I attended one of the most academically rigorous colleges in my state, and unlike me, all of my peers had a very strong academic track record.
The weird thing is… when I was in my early 20's, I took a very comprehensive IQ test and scored a 133 (not far off from ‘genius' territory), but for some reason, this has rarely shown itself in the form of good grades in a classroom setting.
Perhaps the academic world isn't the only way to gauge a person's intelligence?
9. My wife is the most financially responsible person I know.
I didn't realize this when I married her, but my wife is extremely frugal with money. As a result, she keeps our whole family in line.
She is a CPA by trade, so she understands the details behind the numbers. This is a very good thing (because the devil is in the details), but sometimes it feels like a drag when she forbids me from going on a reckless spending spree.
Even so, I can't deny that her frugality has worked wonders for our family. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Whenever I hear other people complaining about their car payments or how hard it is living paycheck-to-paycheck, I am reminded of how lucky I am to have a wife who helps me (sometimes forcibly) live a financially responsible lifestyle. It's not particularly fun or easy to live with this kind of discipline, but there are HUGE benefits that come with the package. Living with discipline takes real effort, but it also eliminates all kinds of unnecessary problems that don't need to be there in the first place.
10. I'm an amateur videographer.
Back in 2013 (when I started this website), I started recognizing the power and impact of videos as a medium for teaching and communicating.
After writing a handful of my first blog posts, I realized there were some things I couldn't explain well enough through text alone. I needed a way to stand over a person's shoulder and show them what I was talking about.
When I bought my first camera, I started geeking out about how to shoot and edit better videos. I've spent years working at it and made hundreds of videos, and I'm still pretty obsessed.
Great videos can deliver invaluable information while conveying quality and a sense of trust. I can explain and teach certain things through videos that simply cannot be done any other way. If I can manage to say the right things in the right way while showing the right things on the screen, magic happens.
Video isn't just something I do for the sake of my business; it's something I do in my free time, too, because it's a lot of fun!
11. Some people still think my real estate business (including this blog) is a joke.
Since I started working for myself, there have always been people in my life who haven't taken me seriously. To this day, when I talk about land investing or blogging, many people just don't get it.
I'm not sure what these people need to see to take me seriously, but fortunately, their opinions are mostly inconsequential. I care a lot more about having total autonomy, doing meaningful work, and knowing that I'm changing lives (including my own) in the process.
Don't get me wrong… I LOVE it when people show their approval and offer encouragement, it means a lot to me, but if this kind of validation were required for me to take the next step, I never would have gotten anywhere with my endeavors.
12. My political stance is slightly right-leaning, but I hate politics altogether.
I seem to be one of the few people I know who can identify with BOTH liberal and conservative people on many issues.
I certainly have my opinions about things, but I almost never think someone is “the devil” just because they think differently than I do. Even when I disagree with someone, I can usually understand why they have their opinions, and I don't think they're crazy because of their viewpoints.
Honestly, though… after years of listening to some of the blatant ignorance from both the liberals and conservatives in my life, I've grown to despise political debates altogether. I don't think any issue is one-sided, and it bothers me when the media plays off people's emotions by turning everything into a polarized fight.
Most political issues are vastly complicated and have many different facets to consider. Whenever I hear an oversimplified answer to a problem that is anything but simple, I can't help but roll my eyes. The world can become a dangerous place when people stop thinking critically.
13. I get easily annoyed by people.
Not all people, but certain people, and I think it gets worse and worse the busier I get.
When I was younger, I was naive enough to think I could get along with anyone. As I've gotten older, I've been disappointed to learn that some people are like oil and water; they just aren't going to mix.
I think we all meet certain people we simply cannot get along with. Have you ever known someone like that?
It's a sad reality, and I wish humans didn't have to work this way, but it doesn't necessarily mean people have to constantly be at war with each other… it just means someone's gotta change or someone's got to go.
14. My brain likes to remember a lot of pointless facts and details while forgetting the stuff that's actually important.
It drives my wife crazy (and I don't blame her), that I can forget things almost immediately after I've heard them.
The good news is I've learned to live pretty successfully with this mental deficiency of mine. I use the “Reminders” and “Calendar” apps on my iPhone religiously because my brain just can't retain all of the little things I need to do unless someone (or something) is reminding me about them.
I've also learned the importance of doing things immediately. The sooner I can get a thing done, the sooner I can allow myself to forget about it.
15. My wife and I have two kids.
For the longest time, I wasn't sure whether I wanted kids, whether I was ready to “give up my freedom,” or whether I'd even be a good father. It's something my wife and I deliberated about for years… but within moments of our first child being born, it quickly became evident that this was, hands down, the best thing we had ever done.
As I write this, our daughter Nora is 7, and our son Luke is 4. They have given us FAR more than we could ever give back. The amount of joy and love they brought into our lives cannot be overstated (I used to hear people say this kind of stuff before I had my own kids, and now I finally get it).
I was never much of a “baby person” in my 20's. I was always uncomfortable holding other people's babies, and I rarely felt more awkward than when I had to entertain a toddler for 30 seconds.
The funny thing is that everything was different when MY first kid was born. Things clicked into place almost immediately. God suddenly gave me this innate parenting ability I never knew was in me.
If you've got 8 minutes to spare, here's a quick look at one of our family vacations from a few years back in Pentwater, MI.
16. I write and record children's stories.
As a father of two young children, I’ve read countless books to my kids over the years.
But every so often, I like to make up a story on the spot.
When I first started doing this, I was surprised to see that my kids were hooked. They would beg me to keep the story going, night after night.
What started as a one-time experiment quickly became a nightly tradition. I’d create “stories from my head” on the fly, with no script or plan—just improvising as I went along.
Sure, some of them turned out a little weird or lame, but every so often, I’d stumble onto something magical.
Eventually, I started recording these stories on my phone as I told them. If a story came out particularly well, I’d refine it the next day and use my podcasting equipment to create a polished version with sound effects and a touch of audio theatre.
This little bedtime experiment eventually turned into something bigger than I ever imagined.
After recording a half-dozen of these stories, I published them and called it the Storyland Podcast.
As time went by, I was shocked one morning to find that this little collection of stories shot up to #21 in the Kids & Family charts on Apple Podcasts! What?! How??
It's been a fun ride so far. If you know any kids between the ages of 4 – 12, have them listen and let me know what they think!
17. I'm a Christian and serious about my faith, but I've never been big into proselytizing.
I've been fortunate to grow up in a Christian home, attending Christian schools and a Christian church. I'll always be thankful for the opportunities I've had to know my creator, who cared enough to save me from myself. It means everything.
One of the few unfortunate things about growing up around so much Christian culture is that I've seen countless examples of Christians who are doing it wrong. Perhaps you've seen it too.
Many of the world's agnostic and irreligious people see a great deal of hypocrisy in those who call themselves “Christ-followers,” and it's tragic. Even more unfortunate is that I think they're right. I see the hypocrisy too… even in myself.
I've struggled with this a lot. I don't ever want to be seen as that “clueless Christian guy” who is full of advice for the world but has no real compassion or understanding of what the world is going through.
The world doesn't need another Christian pointing their finger, but it desperately needs better examples of what Christ-like behavior actually looks like. Honestly, I don't think some people have ever seen it exhibited well.
My goal is NOT to shout at people with a megaphone and demand that they believe the same thing I do. My goal is to live the best life I can and I hope someone will see a difference in my behavior and understand where it's coming from.
18. My life is WAY busier than it should be.
As much as I talk about the importance of time management, it's still something I still wrestle with a lot. I think it's because I've got this achiever mentality, and I'll always find something to fill up my time with, no matter what.
I find a lot of meaning and motivation in my work and care about doing things that make a difference. I get frustrated when my work feels pointless or when I put a lot of time into something that doesn't work out – so when monotony sets in, I keep adding things to my plate until I feel like I'm doing something significant again.
As much as I try to automate and streamline everything I do, I still find it difficult to pay adequate attention to everything around me. I'm honestly not sure what the solution is, but I'm hoping I'll figure it out soon.
19. No matter how much money I make, I still worry about not having enough.
Maybe it's greed, maybe it's a lack of faith, or maybe I just need a lesson in contentment. Whatever the problem is, I've always found it interesting that even though much of the world lives on less than a dollar a day, I still have trouble living on hundreds of times more than that.
I'm not proud of this. I'm sharing it because I think many of us struggle with it. After all, why are any of us investing in real estate if we already feel like we have enough?
20. My success as a real estate investor has been modest at best.
Some people think of me as this amazing success story, and I'll admit, I've had my share of grand slams as a real estate investor… but there are TONS of unsung heroes (some of whom learned their exact investing strategy from this blog) who have achieved far more than I have.
I know how to make a ton of money in real estate, and I genuinely enjoy sharing these ideas with the world, but at the end of the day, knowing is not the same as doing. It's the doers who will take home the bacon.
One of the critical lessons I want people to take away from this website is that learning is important, but action is critical. The right knowledge is a legitimate prerequisite to your success, but it's also important to remember that knowledge is just a multiple of your actions. If you have a million-dollar idea and multiply it by zero, what will you have in the end? ZERO.
As you consume every piece of content on this website, I want you to constantly ask yourself, “What could I accomplish if I actually put this into practice?” The answers may surprise you.
Great site. I like this article on things we don’t know about you. We have many similarities. I’ll be sure to visit the site often.
That’s great to hear David, thanks for checking out the blog post. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you out!
Another great post Seth! Thanks for sharing a little bit about your personal life, I think it is important to take the business hat off every once and a while to express who we really are. Really like the hammock camping idea, haven’t heard of it but I’ll definitely look into it. I love to play guitar as well, music has always been a passion of mine! Keep on rockin’!
Thanks Bryce! Sounds like we have at least a couple things in common – that’s great to hear. Thanks for checking out the blog post!
This was great, thanks for sharing. Puts a human behind all of the great info.
Thanks Tim! I’m really glad you liked it man. Thanks for the comment.
hi seth ,what a nice and inspiring life story!in such a short 20 things you have captured my attention as well as my imagination and realize what a young successful guy and investor and
a perfect blogger at that!.i don’t want to bore you with my personal details but i would give you some information that i think i would be comfortable for me to share.i am a registered retired nurse who had worked her butt for so many years making people well not only mentally but also physically and psychologically.i am not fully retired still working in one of active hospital unit cath. lab where during my full time days i come for emergency condition to prevent a heart attack.passed that, now i am not as stressed anymore.
for some unknown reason i must have been so bored or stressed out to even consider switching from my
florence nightingale job to real estate w/c i know nothing about ,you can say dumb as dumb went to seminar and joined ,at his point no regret with the learning ,never thought of quitting only the fact that i am doing all the newbie things by myself cuz nobody would even think of doing and facing this kind of complication beyond their wildest dreams!!!!!!that being said ,i think i am better muchMmmmm much better now .i really appreciate you open-mindedness and desire to help what a noble thought .i know i am on my way to success ,just a matter of time and faith and belief .thanks again for sharing. GUDELIA
Thanks so much for sharing your story Gudelia. I’ve actually been in the hospital a few times over the past year (mostly to help support other family members) and I know for a fact – the work that you do is VERY important, noble and even heroic. I’m sure it takes a toll mentally, physically and emotionally to maintain that kind of job for so many years, but hang in there – good things come to those who wait (and work) for it!
Great post Seth! Thanks for sharing some personal info! Really enjoying your blog posts! As a newbie in the realestate investment world it is amazing to be able to learn so much from generous people like you! Keep it up!
Thanks Luke! I’m really glad to be able to help guys like yourself. It’s my honor and privilege!
Wow
Almost everything you said I could have written about myself!
interesting read
That’s awesome Jenny! Great minds think alike you know. 🙂
My impression of you has always been of a person of excellence and integrity. I think I’ve shared this with you sometime last year?
Thanks so much Susan, I appreciate the kinds words. I honestly don’t remember if you’ve shared that before, but I appreciate you sharing it now!
Seth, First time comment here in your blog (normally I just email you). I appreciate the the style and content of your blogs. They all seem to hit home so well. This was especially helpful seeing the “other” side of you. Even though we are not close in age (20 yrs plus), there are many similarities in our backgrounds, maybe that’s what has drawn me to your blogs? I just became a grandfather 8 months ago, and that has opened my eyes up much like your new daughter has for you. Enjoy her! Anyways, thank you very much and keep up the great job!
Thanks for the comment Rich. I’m really glad to hear how much you appreciate the blog, that means a lot!
It’s nice to know a bit about the man behind the blog. I think it’s cool that you don’t need to hide behind the anonymity of the internet. Thanks for the time you’ve spent on this blog it’s been enormously helpful!
Thanks Alex, I’m glad you’ve found all of this stuff helpful! Thanks for checking out the post.
Seth:
Have spent quite a few hours reading your blogs. The “20 things” , I put off because I thought it was not relavant. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! Ir turned out to be very important because, I could have written it about myself, except for the reading part ( I am an addicted reader ).
I especially liked item # 17. That did it for me.
Earlier I wrote that I was FAST BECOMING A FAN. I am now a totally committed fan.
Thanks, Seth
That’s awesome to hear Steve – you made my day! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Seth !
You are obviously a Christian…. you have a very kind and giving nature.
You are also incredibly wise beyond your years. You are a credit to your generation and your faith. Keep up the great work !!
Thank you,
Dan Weiman
Thanks so much Dan, that really means a lot. I appreciate you taking the time to check out this post and I hope I’ll keep seeing you around the blog in the future!
Thanks for sharing authentically, Mr. Williams. I especially appreciate #17.
John 15:5,
Rob
Thanks for stopping by Rob. Great verse too – thanks for the reminder!
I love your transparency. It’s refreshing and rare!
Thanks Clare – and thanks for stopping by the blog!
Best post I’ve read in a long, long time. Thanks for your honesty! ***bonus points in the credibility jar***
Thanks Tyson – you just made my day!
I like how you’re aspiring to be remade in the Image we were originally made in. If the awareness of human frailty is coupled with the knowledge that we can do all things through Christ who strengthen us, we can live a life of humility with cofidence, and God can receive glory through His kids and we can get a big hug from him now and later as He says… “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
The lack of pretense and authenticity drew me to you at first watch, keep up the good work bro!
Good comment!
I have been reading you az much as possible I am trying to retire but still.working full time and doing realestate as much as I can . I thank you for the education and remember that little one will not be little for long so take lots of pictures and slow down and enjoy her.
Great! and very insightful info, some of those challenges I can definitely relate to. Now I know that am not alone. Thus, I’ll continue to forge ahead because there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Eurica
Seth, love the post to learn more about you. Gives more context to the guy behind the blog and I appreciate it. I can relate to much of it. Your comments on your daughter strike home. I was always okay with other people’s kids, but my wife never made a big connection. But with our first kid…wow, what an amazing connection! The light bulb goes off and we “get it.”
We now have 4 kids…all girls! I’m doomed! I still get people asking me if we are “going to try for the boy.” I tell them that was four tries and we got girls…that’s all she wrote. Total change in perspective for me, having all girls in the house. I don’t have a man cave, but real estate investing might provide me the funding to build my own.
Thanks again for all your work here on the blog. It shines as well thought out work. I blogged for over 2 years about cycling, and it’s thankless work, but rewarding as you say, if you can have an impact helping others. Means a lot when you reach someone who registers with your words.
Thanks so much Brian! I’m glad you enjoyed this article – it was a surprisingly fun one to write.
As for your daughters – I know what you mean, and there was a point when I thought I was doomed too, but I found this article and it helped change my perspective A LOT for the better. You should check it out! I think you’ll like it.
That’s a great article, Seth! So many times I hear the “your doomed” stuff about having all girls, and I parrot it back all the time too. Hearing “it only gets better” is great.
Glad you liked it Brian!
I just found out about you but I can identify with part of your article. I think it was great that you wanted/needed to do it. Thanks!
Thanks Michael. Glad you could find some commonalities with my story!
“…….knowledge is just a multiple of action. In other words – if you have a million dollar idea and you multiply it by a value of zero – do you know what you’ll have in the end? ZERO.”
^
Strong conclusion.
Thanks TS. 🙂
Seth,
I truly enjoy all of your articles and how you approach real estate entrepreneurship. I want to thank you for sharing bits about yourself that we didnt know.
No prob Ivan! Thanks for taking a few minutes to learn more about me. 🙂
What a great blog in regards to learning about you. I was reading and had hit the play on your guitar and all of a sudden it ended. It was like oh wow that was really calming. I’m always happy when I see an e mail from you. I’m just starting. But happy to say just opened escrow on my 1st. House from a bandit sign. I joined rebogates from your u tube and my mailing campaign will hit boxes next week. 1k a month post cards for 6 month.
Your one of the good eggs from the craziness of those gurus out there. Keep it up.. BIG FAN
Mark strayer
Palm Springs Ca.
Thanks for checking out this blog post Mark! I’m glad you liked it – and I appreciate the kind words about what I’m doing here.
Best of luck on your direct mail campaign! There are always lessons to be learned, whether it’s your 1st or 500th attempt. 🙂
I have similar personality traits and “drivers” which keep me focused.
Woot woot! Keep up the good work. Now I don’t feel so badly, pulling out of the Bay Area rental market to pursue a much less financially stable rental market in Oahu. It’s because I take chances and can’t take all that rental income with me when I die. Priorities changed when I had my last birthday ??
Good perspective Dede – changing priorities can be healthy in a lot of respects. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Awesome post, Seth!!!
We are a lot alike. 🙂
I also have a Taylor guitar…but I haven’t played in years and probably couldn’t even play a single song. Someday. Though I’d like to learn how to play piano.
That’s awesome Danny! Honestly, I don’t play my guitar a lot these days either… other priorities have simply gotten in the way (I’m sure you can probably understand). Maybe some day (when we’re both 80 and have time on our hands), we can get together and jam. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this stuff, and for opening up a bit of transparency. There’s a lot to which I could relate. I appreciate the items you’ve shared on your blog and am working through it to find the ‘technical’ ones to help me get going. Keep up the great stuff, and have a wonderful Christmas season.
You’re welcome Deloy! Thanks for checking it out – I’m glad we both have some common ground. 🙂
Hey Seth, thanks for sharing! We have a lot in common. I love hammock camping and music as well. I play guitar and mandolin. I am also a Christ follower.
“Knowledge is just a multiple of action.” Well said!
Your site has been very inspiring. I am closing on purchasing my first piece of land in about a week!
Hi Austin – that’s awesome! Glad to hear it! Keep me posted on how your first closing goes. 🙂
Seth,
I really appreciate the fact that you are a Christian. I believe this is the most important decision that any of us can make.
Your humility comes through loud and clear in your presentations. Thank you for your help with this business.
Jerry
Thanks for the kind words Jerry! My faith is pretty much the bedrock of everything I do – I’m glad you’ve noticed a difference in the way I try to run things… that means a lot. 🙂
I thought you were a Christian before you told me you were – your Christian heritage shows up in your demeanor.
Great to know more about you Seth!
It is amazing how most of us find similarities and can identify with one another in so many ways ! I suppose we are all one species after all 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to learn more about me Dean! Totally – I think if we all took the time to hear each other’s stories, we’d probably find that we have more in common than not. 🙂
This is a post from 2015 but it is fresh and current as I read tonight. Great real stuff! Though I am in my 60s there is a lot here to relate to, notably the unanticipated electric power of pure love at the moment of fatherhood. I liked your blog before but will read it differently hereafter.
Your blog is becoming very helpful to me as a beginning land investor. Thank you.
That’s great to hear Brian! Thanks so much for reading the post – I’m glad some of this stuff resonates with you. The power of love is an incredible thing… and it only grows with time. 🙂
Loved this post! I can relate to quite a few things in this blog post, great to read. Your desire to truly help other investors is greatly appreciated and you’ve been a great help in doing my first few investment deals myself.
That’s great to hear Austin! Thanks!
I hope you update this to fill us in on your latest adventures! Always an enjoyable, thought-provoking read. Thank you
Thanks for reading Connie!
11-07-2217
Hello Seth,
I like your blog alot and you seem to give usable information which others do not. Good guitar playing too. I have a 1965 Martin D-35 Acoustic and other electric guitars, like my Paul Reed Smith, Sweet Electric. I was on ERA Records back in the 1960’s, and recorded at RCA Studios in Hollywood. Of course that was when the Beach Boys, Sam & Dave and the genre was Surfer Music. If you get time you could google me Doug Wareham or The No-Na-Mees, that was the Bands name and you can listen to my song. I wrote both sides and sang on both sides and played Lead Guitar. Don’t forget, that you will be listening to 1995 style music. I toured for 5 years and played in Hollywood, back east and all over the Western U.S.. It was fun. Now I’ve been a Real Estate Broker for over 42 years with my own offices. Some day I’ll continue this conversation if you want.
I am interested in your REtipster Club. I understand a great deal about Real Estate, but I have had to close my office for the past few years due to my health. I’m back now and had to make a decision as to open up another office and spend 50 to $100,000., hire sectaries and put Agents to work again and then baby sit. NOT what I want to do, So, I’ve decided to do what I have helped clients do, and that’s to be an investor.
I am already involved in purchasing Tax Liens and Deeds, but I’d like to branch out with vacant land also. I understand it, but want to fast track the vacant land approach and believe that you are one who could mentor me in setting up a successful program, rather than me doing what you did at the beginning of your vacant land venture. I don’t want to reinvent the wheel, especially when I see you have taken the time to do it and you can confirm to me that your system works. At least I would have a lot of the work done and you could connect the dots that would cut down on a lot of the work on my end, and help me set up a successful vacant land business to go along with my other Tax Deed and Lien business.
So, please give me a call or an email so that I can ask you a few questions that are on my mind and then get started learning your program.
GOD Bless you and your family and I look forward to hearing from you soon,
Doug Wareham
Broker/Owner
REALTY RESOURCE
209-416-0120 Office
209-679-5873 Cell
Email: realtyresource7@att.net
Hi Doug – wow! I’m listening to your music on YouTube now, very cool! What an epic time to be in the music scene at such a high level… I’m sure you have all kinds of cool stories to tell!
I’ll reach out to you shortly regarding your other questions. Thanks again for the comment!
Stumbled onto your blog late last year after signing up to learn land investing. Your video about how to use AgentPro247 was a god-send! This “personal” article was really great to read on so many levels. 1) I never would have guessed you are my oldest daughter’s age; 2) I never would have guessed you suffer from your own insecurities (but then, who doesn’t, really?); 3) Most of all, I’m so grateful for people like you who are willing and able to share their successes with other people to help other people succeed!
Thank you! Your emails in my overloaded mailbox don’t always get read, but they are ALWAYS WELCOME!
That’s great to hear Connie, thanks for letting me know! I’m glad the blog is helping you sort out the details of the land investing business. 🙂 Keep up the good work!
Seth, your truly an inspiration to us all. One of the things that distinguishes you from the others at least for me, is how much you give and how you seem to genuinely want to help others succeed in this business. There’s a saying that, Successful people help others Succeed! You’re a true reflection of someone who is successful and not just in money either. Like I said before in an email I sent you, your the real deal. Thanks for all your helpfulness!
Charlie
Thanks so much Charle – I really appreciate that! It’s great to have interaction through this blog with others like you. 🙂
Incredible post, Seth!!! I had no idea that you were a hammock camping enthusiast!! I’m not but still think it’s cool. 🙂 Seriously great of you to share this somewhat personal information so that we all know more about you. Very inspiring.
Thanks for reading Danny! Glad you liked it man. If you ever want to go hammocking camping, I’d be happy to show you the ropes (no pun intended).
This is great post – I am pretty much like you . Introverted , type A , high achiever and so on . You have covered lot of aspects , but one thing I would like to add even if its not the topic of the blog is the mental health piece an dhow brain chemistry influences it. Its a very very simple equation . Serotonin makes you happy , Dopamine makes you motivated. Its almost as simple as if you cut your throat you will die. But i feel bad seeing how our epigentics makes us to behave in a certain way and that there is lot of help , but lot of people dont know and sepnd years and years of their life- and sometimes their whole life living with issues.
This just doesnt mean – pop a pill , even though its not a permanent fix , popping a pill has its own place , lets say you have a super important 1 Million dollar meeting , if there was something that would help you concentrate better , reach better or process the information better – would we not take it ?
So anyone who reads this, please consider researching more
Fascinating stuff Tarun. Thanks for sharing!
wow, I am thinking this was hard for you to write, but much appreciated. I need to push my self out of my comfort zone like this
more. I hope I can I live by your example. I truly do. Maybe I wouldn’t be working a job I dislike so much.
Congrats again.
Thanks Gary! I appreciate the kind words. I know it’s a huge burden to feel “stuck” in a job that isn’t your dream… but that’s where almost everyone starts.
We’ve actually got some content coming up in the next few weeks that discusses this issue pretty directly – I think you’ll find it useful. Stay tuned!
Love the blog, Seth. Love the music. And thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks Ken!
Heh – my twin brother! 🙂
I read and re-share a lot of your stuff Seth on my own real estate blog, and I’ve learned from you, so thank you. But this was the most enjoyable thing I’ve read of yours, I think, because of the personal nature of it. You allowed yourself to be vulnerable, a trait truly necessary to grow. I loved the guitar; where can I get some more of that easy listening sound? Perhaps I should send you some of the lyrics I have written-I have had the lyrical talent but not the musical one. So, keep up the great work.
That’s great to hear Tim! Thanks so much for reading. Good lyricists are worth their weight in gold – a crucial component of the songwriting process. I haven’t attempted to write any songs for several years now, but if I ever do, I’ll definitely keep you in mind!
Dear Seth,
Your videos have been a great inspiration to me, Seth! At a time when this has been needed! I plan to take your course shortly- I am overwhelmed at the moment with a fixer-upper house I bought in Michigan City, Indiana to be near the lake.
I love that you love music. I had a cognition that your Son Luke was Peter Tchaikovsky in his most recent past incarnation and that he has come back to bless the world again with his wonderful consciousness and abilities and bring more harmony to the world. I was trained as a ballet dancer and classical pianist at Interlochen many years ago now. Recently I started working on some lovely piano music by Tchaikovsky that is rarely played, inspired by my cognition that your Son may have been Tchaikovsky.
I grew up in Detroit, Bloomfield Hills and West Bloomfield and I love Michigan and Pentwater. It was a delight to see your family video, Seth! Thank you for sharing it.
I am further inspired to take your course now and look forward to any association we might have in the future!
Jim Mayhew
That’s awesome Jim! Thanks for your comment. Interlochen is a great place – I’ve been there several times. Great to see another Michigan native here. 🙂
Great Article, Thanks for sharing it out again!
Thanks for sharing this, Seth; it’s great to get to know the man behind the blog on a more personal level. Sounds like you and I have a lot in common, especially being an introvert, our political views, our faith, our love for music (although I’m not nearly as talented as you), and being easily annoyed by people (LOL). I also love your thoughts about being a father; I have a 2 1/2-year-old daughter myself and I know exactly what you mean; it is an amazing blessing and it really does come naturally once you have a child of your own. (Beautiful family by the way!) If our paths ever do cross one day I would love to go have a beer with you (or whatever adult/non-adult beverage you prefer) and chat about life as well as land investing. Have a blessed day! Glenn
Thanks for reading Glenn! I’m glad you found a few ways in which we’re basically the same person. 🙂 Would love to get together and chat one of these days.
Great post, Seth. Not always easy to open up like that but I think a lot of us really appreciated it. Thanks for all you do!
Thanks Jeff! I’m glad it resonated with you. 🙂
Seth great words and advice. I thank God for you! Beautiful family. Thanks for giving so much.
Thanks so much Rod!
Way to step out on a limb. I’m thankful for your course, it’s really helped me take action in investing.
That’s great to hear, Andy! Thanks for letting me know!