Why Is This World So Crazy? #2

I’ve been an entrepreneur for 20+ years, navigating countless highs and inevitable lows. In the 20-Teens, I was the majority shareholder of two general contracting companies, each strategically positioned to engage the real estate market from different attack points. In 2013, I partnered with a close friend in one of these ventures, stepping into our first rehab project—a foreclosed home left in the wake of the 2007 subprime mortgage crisis. It was exciting and fun. In my state, thousands of foreclosed properties were being reintroduced to the market as rental homes, creating a surge in demand. Our client base expanded rapidly, and by 2016, we had successfully brought 400 homes to the rental market.

Amid the excitement of building a business with my friend, we made a critical mistake—we neglected to develop an infrastructure capable of sustaining growth, withstanding challenges, and growing stronger. Ironically, we recognized this issue early on. By 2016, we were hitting our aggressive sales targets , yet inefficiencies were draining our resources, leading us deeper into debt. Our business management system was fundamentally flawed, and we could feel the urgency to act. However, instead of overhauling a failing operational model, we injected more rules and policies into the system. By the spring of 2017, our workflow had become so bogged down with protocols that productivity nearly ground to a halt. Then, in June 2017, while I was on vacation with my family, I got the call. My partner was done—burned out and unable to endure the pressure we had unintentionally created.

The second half of 2017 was brutal—I still shake my head just thinking about it. The hardest part? Telling my wife how much debt I owed (my wife too).

Fortunately, I had past experience to lean on. Back in 2009, when the full impact of the 2007 mortgage crisis hit, I made a bold pivot with my other company, and that decision led to years of success. So, one day after my business partner walked away, I made another decisive shift.

My first move was letting go of my office manager. Though she was dedicated and passionate about her work, I knew she wouldn’t be able to separate herself from our old way of doing business. I also had to lay off field personnel who weren’t meeting the level of performance I now required. A team of 15 in 2016 was reduced to just two in 2017—myself and someone I’ll call “Brad.”
Brad is a warrior.

For months, I directed my frustration and blame toward my former business partner. Anger fueled my perspective. But eventually, my wife helped me see the harsh reality—I was the root of the problem. The consequences I was drowning in weren’t forced upon me; they were the direct result of my own choices, shaped by a belief system clouded by deception, ignorance, and pride. Fast forward.

My RedPill. For nearly three years, I labored relentlessly in the field, generating revenue to pay off debts. I shuttered my other company, its two top employees joined me and Brad. Through perseverance and grit, I transformed a crumbling business into a steady, revenue-generating system.

At the time I was coaching high school baseball. I can recall exactly where I was standing on the field when I took a call from my athletic director. “Rob, all schools are shutting down for two weeks to flatten the curve.” Introduce covid, March 13th, 2020.

By the spring of 2020 I had negotiated debt settlements, introduced the business to new revenue streams, and had successfully cleared 80% of the debts I owed. I was faced with a dilemma. My state reps were telling people like me to Shelter In Place. I felt a great sense of Incongruence. How could God take me this far, only to stop now. It made no sense. I remained devoted to the path God and I were on (Self identifying as Essential Services!). In January of 2021 I handed a check to a man who answered my call for help in 2017. All debts cleared. Glory to God.

Today is the 5 Year Anniversary of when I first thought, “something isn’t right in this world.” On March 13th, 2020 I began building infrastructure into my life designed to root out lies, deceptions, untruths.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. St Paul’s letter to the Galations