EP321: If I Wanted to Stop Being Broke, This Is What I’d Do

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What if the reason we’re not rich, not fulfilled, not at peace…

Isn’t because we’re lazy.

Isn’t because we’re not talented.

It’s because we’ve been spending the wrong currency.

Yep, really.

We know—everyone is chasing money. The grinders and hustlers are yelling from every rooftop that time is our most valuable asset. And for a while, we believed them.

But the truly wealthy—the ones who’ve figured out the deeper stuff—they know something different.

We don’t just talk about this—we’ve lived it.

We’ve built a $400 million+ portfolio, not by scrambling for every shiny object or productivity hack… but by mastering one thing most people overlook.

We’ve bought the stuff.

The cars, the vacations, the gadgets, the gear, the curated image. 😵😵

But none of it—none of it—moved the needle on our wealth the way this one thing did.

If we could whisper one truth to every aspiring millionaire (nah, make that multi-millionaire), it’s this:

If you want to build real wealth… the kind that breaks generational cycles and builds legacies…
You’ve got to invest in the one currency that multiplies everything it touches.

Spoiler: We’re not talking about money.

We’re not even talking about time.

The most valuable currency we’ll ever spend?

➡️ Attention.

We were taught that money was the great enabler. A store of value. A freedom token. And yeah, sure—it can buy takeout, throw pillows, or that Himalayan salt lamp everyone swears helps them sleep.

But money is also kinda passive. It just sits there. It waits. It doesn’t do anything unless we tell it to.

Even when we have it… we’re left wondering, now what?

One of the most poetic (and tragic) examples of this? King Louis XVI.

This man had more money than some small countries. But when he tried to sneak out of Paris during the French Revolution, do you know what gave him away?

Not a spy. Not a betrayal. Not some wild sword fight at the border.

It was… a banknote.

Yep. A civil servant recognized his face from the currency—and that was it. Game over.

His wealth didn’t save him. It exposed him.

Because money can identify you. But it can’t always liberate you.

So if money isn’t the holy grail… maybe it’s time?

That’s what we thought, too. Until we really looked at it.

Time feels like this sacred, untouchable asset. The same 24 hours that Beyoncé has, right?

But time is just a container. It’s not the thing. It’s the tray that carries the thing.

And honestly? It’s kind of a diva. Shows up, disappears, doesn’t let us reschedule.

Then we heard something from Naval Ravikant that changed everything:

It’s not time. It’s attention. 👀

Where we place our attention determines the quality of our time—and the outcome of our money.

It hit us like a freight train. Because time isn’t fixed. It’s relative.

Ever notice how 30 minutes flies by when we’re walking the dog or catching up with someone we love?

But 45 seconds of jumping jacks? Feels like forever.

Time feels different depending on what’s holding our attention.

We tested this ourselves—like the time we were determined to conquer the to-do list. Dishes, closets, garage—the whole thing.

And then… Moo Deng happened. 🦛

Moo Deng, the adorable Thai pygmy hippo with his own viral fanbase.

One video became two… then ten. And two hours later? The garage was still a disaster. And we were googling, “Can pygmy hippos be emotional support animals?”

But the true cost wasn’t just our time. It was our attention.

We trade our attention every single day—scroll by scroll, tap by tap—on things that don’t move us forward.

And the truth is: nothing—not money, not time, not even talent—can build wealth unless we learn to buy back our attention and aim it toward the things that actually multiply.

You want to change your life? Then stop renting out your attention to every shiny thing that crosses your feed…

And start investing it in the future that’s waiting to be built.

Attention is where it all gets real.

It’s the driver. The director. The invisible hand behind every visible result.

It’s not what we own—it’s what owns us.

Because even with extra hours and extra dollars… if our attention is scattered, addicted, or chronically distracted?

We might as well be rich and asleep.

We don’t live life through time. We live it through the focus we bring to our time.

So, how do we buy back our attention? 🙄

Here are the three steps that will change everything:

Step NO. 1: Delete – Cut What Doesn’t Multiply

Okay, we know “delete” sounds intense. Like we’re about to Marie Kondo our to-do list and toss anything that doesn’t spark exponential growth. But hang in there, because this one’s close to our hearts.

Our dad—he’s the hardest working man we’ve ever known. Up at 2 a.m., working until sundown, showing up every single day with everything he had. And still? He barely made enough to keep the business afloat.

Our childhood felt like financial whiplash. One month, things felt okay… and the next? Boom—some unexpected expense would hit, and we were back to square one.

It was a cycle. A stressful, exhausting, relentless cycle.

And the hardest part? He didn’t stop. Not because he didn’t care or wasn’t trying. But because he couldn’t see a different way. He was buried in the day-to-day, head down, doing everything manually—including his bank ledger in a spiral notebook, bless him.

He didn’t delete. He didn’t pause to ask, “Is this even working?” He believed hard work would eventually win. But busy isn’t the same as effective.

And in the end, the business closed. Not because he wasn’t trying—but because he didn’t give himself the chance to look up, assess, and let go of what wasn’t multiplying.

That taught us something we’ll never forget: If you don’t pause to ask, “Is this the best use of my time?”—you’ll burn out before you break through.

So we started pressing delete. Ruthlessly. We stopped clinging to busywork that looked productive but didn’t move the needle. And you know what happened? We created space for the stuff that actually grew our business.

Step NO. 2: Delegate – Free Yourself to Focus

Let’s just say this together real quick: We are not meant to do it all. Even Jesus had 12 helpers. We’re not superheroes—we’re humans with gifts meant to be shared, not stretched thin.

Delegating isn’t a sign of weakness.

It’s a sign of wisdom. You are way too valuable to be buried under inboxes and spreadsheets. You’re the visionary. You’re the creative force. And every moment you spend doing what someone else can do? Is a moment you’re not doing what only you can do.

When we hired our very first assistant, we thought: “This is it! Game-changer!”

And she was sweet and flexible and honestly? She felt like a dream at first.

But then we’d ask for small things—like jotting down what she completed each day—and… nothing. She just didn’t do it. At all.

And eventually? We stopped asking. We slipped back into doing it ourselves, thinking it was easier. But let’s be honest: that’s just delegation in name only.

Looking back, it wasn’t her fault. It was us. We didn’t have systems. We didn’t communicate clearly. We handed over the kitchen sink with zero instructions.

Now? We do it differently.

We set expectations. We start small. We let people win before we pile on. And it’s changed everything—for our team and for us.

A few of the little (but mighty) things we do now:

• 📝 Clear KPIs — tailored metrics so everyone knows what success looks like.
• ⏱️ Light time tracking — not to micromanage, but to stay realistic about what things take.
• 🗂️ Project management tools (hello, Monday.com!) — so everyone can breathe easier, stay aligned, and stop asking, “Wait, where’s that link again?”

We get it—hiring feels scary. Maybe you’re thinking, “But I can’t afford help.”

And we want to gently flip that thought on its head: What if you can’t afford not to?

What opportunities are you missing because your hands are full of low-leverage tasks? What revenue-generating ideas are gathering dust while you answer another “quick” email?

Truth is, not hiring help may be the most expensive thing you’re doing.

When we were starting out in real estate, we met this amazing couple managing their own apartment complex. We admired them. They were ahead of us. We thought, “Wow—we want to be like them when we grow up!”

Fast-forward six years later… and they still have that one property. Still managing it themselves. No new acquisitions. No scale.

Meanwhile, we hired help. We trusted property management teams. And because of that? We grew to a $400M+ multifamily portfolio. We exited multiple properties. We built a business that doesn’t need us in the day-to-day.

We’ve only visited some of those properties twice.

Not hiring help wouldn’t just have cost us time. It would’ve cost us millions.

So when someone says, “I can’t afford it,” we think, “Maybe you just haven’t gotten creative enough to make it work—yet.”

Step NO. 3: Dominate – Own What You Were Born For

Let’s bring it home.

We’ve deleted what doesn’t multiply. We’ve delegated what doesn’t require our anointing. And now?

It’s time to dominate.

And no—we don’t mean hustle harder. We mean move with clarity. With conviction. With ease inside your zone of genius.

This isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things—the ones that light you up, the ones that create exponential returns because you’re meant for them.

The goal isn’t to do more. It’s to do what only you can do—and do it with wild, unapologetic ownership.

That’s what domination looks like. Not grinding 24/7. But showing up rooted in purpose, surrounded by support, and focused like never before.

You don’t need to do it all.

You just need to own your part.

And when you do?

That’s where the magic—and the momentum—happens.

Let this be your permission slip to delete, delegate, and dominate.

You were never meant to do it all…
But you were always meant to do something powerful.
Let’s go build it—together.