EP314: How To Use Debt To Make Millions Like Rich People

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Why We Don’t Want to Be Debt-Free—And Why That Might Be the Key to Real Wealth

You know that moment when someone proudly announces they’re debt-free? Like, hand-on-heart, cue the fireworks, debt-free. And you think to yourself, “Wow… We want that too.”

But let me ask you something.

What’s zero… minus zero?

Yep. Still zero.

And here’s the gentle truth we want to explore with you today: being debt-free is not the finish line. It’s the starting point. So let’s talk about something even better than being debt-free—being wealthy.

Now, we know this might feel a little backwards. Maybe even a little scary. But we want to invite you to look at debt from a different lens—the lens of someone who uses it as a tool, not a trap.

And before you go thinking, “Easy for you to say, Jenna”—let me just share a little peek behind the curtain.

Every time my business partners and we take on new debt—like the $29.5 million we just secured for one of our investments—we don’t panic. We celebrate. Why? Because we’ve learned how to use that debt to build opportunities that pay us (and our investors) over and over again.

We’re not alone, either.

Robert Kiyosaki? He holds over a billion dollars in debt. Ken McElroy? About $750 million. And the Kitti Sisters? We’re sitting at $170 million in debt—and sleeping just fine at night.

Not because we owe that money… but because we control it.

Let’s break this down, shall we?

💸 How the Poor Think About Debt: The “Ketchup Method”

You ever watch a toddler use ketchup? It’s messy. It’s everywhere. It’s a disaster. That’s kind of how poor-thinking uses debt.

They don’t use debt to build something. They use it to feel like they have something.

It’s a short-term escape from the stress of lack.

Buy-now-pay-later furniture. High-interest payday loans. Credit cards with 24% APRs. It’s like clicking on those emails promising you a Nigerian prince’s fortune. Feels exciting… until it’s not.

Imagine someone borrows $5,000 on a high-interest card to buy a new couch, TV, and a shopping spree.

Minimum payments: $125/month.
Time to pay it off? Over 5 years.
Total interest? Around $4,100.

By the time that $5,000 couch is paid off, it’s worth maybe $200 on Craigslist… and they’ve shelled out $9,100 for it.

Ouch.

👔 How the Middle Class Uses Debt: The Polished Trap

The middle class? Oh, they’re the pros at looking like they have it all together.

They’ve got the degrees. The jobs. The granite countertops and color-coded calendars. But their debt?

It’s like putting designer clothes on a mannequin—it looks like wealth, but there’s nothing moving underneath.

They finance the Mercedes. They upgrade to the big house in the “good school district.” They put it all on 3.9% APR and call it a win.

But they’re not using debt to build wealth—they’re using it to perform wealth.

💥 How the Wealthy Think About Debt: Superpower Mode

Now let’s talk about the other side.

The people who intentionally use debt as leverage. Not as a burden. Not as something shameful. As a tool to multiply their wealth.

Wealthy people don’t hoard money. They don’t sit on cash. They deploy it.

We see every dollar like a little employee on payroll. “Go out and work. Make more of you.”

Because when you borrow money to buy income-producing assets—things like real estate or businesses—you’re creating something that puts cash in your pocket every month, while growing in value.

Here’s a simple example:

Option A: Buy a $20M property in cash

• You make $6M over 5 years in rental income
• Sell it for $40M, get a $20M profit
• Total gain: $26M
• ROI? 130%

Option B: Use $5M of your own money + $15M in debt

• You make $2.25M in cash flow after interest
• Sell it for $40M, pay off the loan, profit is $25M
• Total gain: $21.5M
• ROI? 430%

Same property. Same outcome. Triple the return—because of debt.

See what we mean?

🚀 The Real Currency of the Rich: Speed

Want to know the difference between someone who’s rich and someone who stays stuck?

It’s not just the amount of money they make. It’s the speed at which they make it.

$1 million over 40 years? That’s just slow wealth.
$1 million in a year? Better.
$1 million a month? Now that’s velocity.

It’s not just about how much money you have—it’s about how fast your money is moving.

Most people don’t have a money problem. They have a speed problem.

Because while your bills hit every single day—WiFi, fridge, lights, sprinklers—your paycheck comes every two weeks (if that).

That’s like trying to fill a bucket with a straw while it’s leaking from the bottom.

What if instead of just making more money, you made it faster? And what if you could invest that money in vehicles that moved with you?

That’s what we do.

💼 Our Favorite High-Velocity Vehicle: Private Credit

So while real estate will always be our first love… we’ve been growing our wealth in another powerful way:

Private credit.

What is it? In simple terms, it’s direct lending. Giving capital to real estate pros, business operators, and private equity firms who know what they’re doing—but need the fuel to go faster.

It’s a $1.5 trillion market (yes, trillion) and it’s growing faster than your inbox during vacation.

Big players like Blackstone, Apollo, and Goldman Sachs are already knee-deep in it. And for good reason: it works.

Banks are pulling back. Regulations are getting tighter. But the need for capital hasn’t disappeared—it’s just moved into the hands of smart, flexible lenders.

That’s us. That’s private credit.

⚡ So, What’s the Takeaway?

If you’re still dreaming about being debt-free, we’re not here to knock it.

But we are here to challenge you:  Don’t stop at zero.

Go further. Think bigger.

Because when you learn how to use debt to build wealth instead of being afraid of it?

That’s when the real magic happens.

Your wealth doesn’t just grow.

It multiplies.

And you?

You stop hustling for dollars… and start creating a life of real, unstoppable freedom.