“If a man knows not which port he sails, no wind is favorable.”
~Seneca
Greetings from LA and Hawaii.
This week we interviewed a 26-year-old real estate investor, saw Mars in 360°, listened to a 3 ½ hour podcast with Joe and Elon, learned that house-plants can improve your life, and became unsettled by the Salem witch trials. Our challenge is to buy (and read) a book that’s stood the test of time.
A 26-Year-Old Acquires $8.8 Million in Assets
Ryan Dossey is a real estate investor and serial entrepreneur — he’s the founder of Call Porter and Ballpoint Marketing. He did his first real estate deal in 2015 and now, at 26, he owns over 145 properties worth $8.8 million collectively.
When we asked him what has fueled his success, he said…
“I believe in buying courses, masterminds, and education. I believe in investing in myself. And I always have the goal of being that community’s number one success story.”
When we asked him what number one lesson he would teach a student of his, he said…
“A buddy of mine called me out on something really important. He said if I want to write a six-figure check for a charity I care about, then I have to have the balls to send a six-figure invoice.”
We followed up with this question: What would you say to someone who wants to invest in real estate, but feels it’s too risky and/or they don’t have the confidence?
He responded, “I personally have lost money but I’ve made considerably more. I love the Helen Keller quote about life being a daring adventure or nothing at all. I’d rather try and fail than never have tried.”
If you want to learn more from Ryan Dossey, check out his free guide: Creating Cash Flow, where he shows you how he’s built his real estate investing business from scratch using the BRRRR method.
Mars in 360°
You’ve probably seen the 360° photos of Mars — thanks to NASA’s Mars rover: Perseverance — circulating on social media. If you haven’t, then you need to. It’s pretty surreal to look at crisp 360° photographs of a planet that’s currently 138 million miles away from Earth. You can follow Perseverence and its robo-updates on Twitter.
Joe and Elon
This is the third time that Elon Musk has been on Joe Rogan’s podcast (which is now hosted exclusively on Spotify). It took us quite a few car rides and gym visits to get through the 3 ½ hour podcast, but it was enjoyable nonetheless to learn about 5g, aliens, Tesla, SpaceX, and Mars from one of the most brilliant minds on earth (plus, Elon seemed particularly giddy). If you want the highlights, check out this breakdown from Podcast Notes.
Bloom and Grow
Bloom & Grow Radio is “A podcast to educate, empower, and inspire plant people around the world to care for plants successfully, grow their indoor jungles, and cultivate more joy in their lives.” We just learned about it from episode 458 of Pat Flynn’s SPI podcast and we’re excited to give it a listen. Maria Failla, the woman behind the plants, also publishes how-to YouTube videos for novice plant caretakers.
The Salem Witch Trials
In the spring of 1692, a young group of girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts claimed to be possessed by the devil. They accused women in their village of witchcraft and, over the coming months, local hysteria took hold. In the end, 150 people were accused of witchcraft and 25 people were executed (or died in prison). We just finished reading The Crucible (published in 1953), a four-act play by Arthur Miller that explores the nuances of what caused this now-infamous tragedy. We found this dialogue particularly unsettling:
Reverend Hale appeals to Deputy Danforth to stop the hangings and pardon those who wouldn’t recant (for if they don’t admit to consorting with the devil, then they are hung).
“You must pardon them. They will not budge,” Hale pleads.
Danforth responds, “You misunderstand, sir; I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. It is not just.”
Extra Stuff
Here’s some other stuff we found interesting this week.
Workplaces must protect women going through menopause, say MPs by The Guardian
The Neurons That Tell Time by The New Yorker
1,900-Year-Old Ceremonial Chariot Has Been Discovered Near Pompeii by My Modern Met
Can You Hack Your Body Clock To Become A Morning Person? I Tried It Out by Refinery29
Mind-Blowing Discovery: Zapping Brain to Boost Memory by Nature World News
The Weekly Challenge
In episode 493 of Tim Ferriss’s podcast, he mentions how he’s not going to read any new books in 2021, but instead he’s going to focus on reading books that have stood the test of time. Our challenge to you is to start reading something that’s been a top book for many years. Here’s a list to browse through.
Until next week!
Mike & Alec