The Key To Rational Decision-Making
The Key To Rational Decision-Making
What is your motivation to continue growing your business?
I still have a lot to accomplish. While I've built the business to where I want it in terms of revenue and profits, I have a big net worth and real estate holding goals. Honestly, when I started, it was all about money. I was single with no kids, so it wasn’t for a family—it was about money and lifestyle. But as I’ve become more successful, my focus has shifted toward family.
I think about my brother a lot. He moved into our grandparents' old home with his family, and he gave us our first niece a few years ago. She’s a huge motivation for me. She was just visiting today, and it’s moments like that that drive me now. I don’t have kids of my own, so she’s a big part of my life.
How does people-pleasing affect business decisions and personal growth?
Over the past few years, I’ve worked on this, but I’ve often put others ahead of myself. I’ve people-pleased, stayed in situations longer than necessary, and even done this in business. For example, I’ve overpaid for a house because I felt an emotional connection to the seller. I didn’t make any money from that deal, but I let my feelings influence my decision.
In my personal life, it’s also set me back. I’ve told myself it was about being nice and putting others first, but the truth is, it was an insecurity. I was scared to take action, so I gave in to what others wanted.
What are the dangers of emotions influencing business decisions?
One of the biggest mistakes I made in the real estate flipping business was letting emotion influence my decisions. I bought a house, thinking it might be one I'd personally live in. Because of that, I overpaid for it, choosing the location I liked rather than focusing on the numbers. I also spent too much on renovations, ignoring a few issues with the property because I planned to live there.
However, things changed in my life, and I couldn’t keep the property. I had to sell it, which caused a lot of stress and even strained a business partnership. The situation ended up being the final factor in deciding that flipping together wasn’t working. We had bought the house under a joint entity, and I ended up quit-claiming it into my personal name, taking a huge loss. This mistake set me back for about six months, affecting my ability to keep a few rental properties. It was definitely my worst business decision.
How is a risk-taking mindset essential to drive success?
I believe my biggest strength is taking risks and not letting business-related stress affect me much. On the personal side, it's been more challenging, but I think we all deal with different stressors, anxieties, and insecurities.
In business, after about a year, something clicked, and I became eager to take risks. I’ve always been used to making money based on my own efforts. Even in the food and beverage industry, while people came to me, I still had to work hard for tips. My income directly reflected the service I provided. That mindset—being willing to take risks and act—has been my greatest success trait.
Why is partnering with the right people crucial in business?
I worked for a company in Charleston for a year, and while the people were fantastic, I realized the wholesale side of the business wasn’t for me. We were doing business virtually in several cities from Charleston, but one of the best decisions I made was moving to Augusta.
I partnered with a local guy who ran all of the off-market deals. He took me in, connected me with the right people, and helped me out. The key takeaway is that I focused on finding the who, not the how. Partnering with the right people was the best decision I ever made, rather than trying to figure everything out on my own.
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.*
