In this episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with Sam Hopkins, a 26-year-old real estate investor who’s built a powerhouse business in record time. From buying his first deal at 20 with just $11,000 in savings, to scaling into 180+ transactions a year, Sam’s journey is proof that focus, discipline, and the right mindset can accelerate your success.

We talk about his early days working two jobs while wholesaling on the side, how he transitioned into flips and rentals, why he brought on an integrator to free himself for high-level work, and the role fitness plays in keeping his discipline sharp. Sam also opens up about working alongside his fiancée, building a team, and what legacy means to him this early in the game.

If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re too young or too inexperienced to succeed in real estate, this conversation will flip that belief on its head.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

01:06 JJ’s Joke of the Week

02:51 Sam’s background: Growing up in small-town Virginia & first exposure to real estate

04:45 Discovering Rich Dad Poor Dad at 19 and shifting his mindset

07:00 Early mentorship experience: Shadowing a flipper while making $11/hour at AT&T

08:53 Wholesaling in 2020 to doing 100 deals a year and breaking seven figures

11:19 Transitioning from wholesale to flips, rentals, and private capital

12:40 Building a team: cold callers, acquisitions, transaction coordinators

13:29 Bringing on an integrator: Why visionaries need operators

15:45 “Who Not How” and learning to focus on unique ability

19:11 Confidence, imposter syndrome, and buying glasses to look older

21:08 Lessons on logistics: Flipping nationwide vs. Focusing on Virginia, 100+ flips a year

25:55 Taxes, cost segregation, and why syndications don’t appeal to him

27:25 Why Sam doesn’t want a fully passive business just yet

31:32 Working with his fiancée inside the business + future roles

33:48 Business and personal life overlap—why they don’t separate it

35:40 Coaching & mentorship: Why Sam is not focusing on it yet

37:36 Who are Sam’s customers in business?

38:22 Lessons from The One Thing and Jesse Cole’s Fans First

40:01 The next 12 months: EOS & operations upgrades

42:23 Thinking about legacy and impact beyond money

44:23 Lending partnerships, integrity in deals, and working with 608B Capital

47:49 Fitness, bodybuilding, nutrition, and discipline through structure

54:45 How consistency on social media can attract deals and capital

Quotables

“I actually bought glasses at 20 years old just to look older so people would take me seriously.”

“No one cares how old you are. In fact, most people want to help you when they see you hustling young.”

“I don’t want 1,000 rentals. I want quality doors in good neighborhoods that appreciate.”

Links

Sam Hopkins

https://www.facebook.com/sam.hopkins.3726

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com

In this solo episode, I open up about the pivot we’re making with Burning the Ships and why it’s time to shift gears. For almost two years, my Weekly Rambles have been a mix of mindset lessons, random thoughts, books I’ve read, and ideas I wanted to share. But with the growth of 608B Capital and the demands of building our lending business, I realized I’ve been scrambling to keep up with these episodes and that means the quality hasn’t always been what I want for you.

So, we’re pivoting. Going forward, solo episodes will be more structured, tactical, and practical—think step-by-step breakdowns on topics like underwriting a fix-and-flip, the BRRRR strategy, or scaling through short-term rentals. And while I’ll still end every episode with a mindset nugget, I’ll also be bringing in experts from my network to share their insights in areas like real estate, business, fitness, and finance.

This episode is both an update and a mindset lesson in itself: the power of pivoting. I share why flexibility is key, how stubbornness can kill momentum, and how learning to “zoom out” has been one of the biggest game changers in my life and business.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

01:11 The history of the Weekly Ramble and why it worked… until it didn’t

02:02 Challenges: lack of prep time, rushed ideas, scrambling to record

05:33 JJ’s Joke of the Week

06:51 Moving from random rambles to tactical, structured solo episodes

08:22 What to expect in the new structure of Burning the Ships

10:48 Adding mindset nuggets to anchor tactical lessons

12:08 Bringing in expert guests to teach tactics in their fields

16:00 Why structured episodes benefit you, the guest, and our team

17:20 Updating intros, outros, and integrating 608B Capital transparently

20:47 The importance of pivoting in business and life

22:40 Embracing humility: being willing to admit when something isn’t working

25:55 Why refusing to pivot is often the death of businesses and ideas

30:44 Zooming out: seeing opportunities, threats, and weaknesses from 30,000 feet

36:05 Where do you need to pivot in your own life right now?

Quotables

“Patience is not passive. It’s planting seeds every day and trusting they’ll grow—even when nothing seems to be happening.”

“Pivoting is vital—not just the act of pivoting, but the awareness that you’re going to need to do it again and again in life and business.”

“Ego and pride will keep you locked into bad ideas. Humility frees you to change course.”

Links

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com

In this powerful episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with Wendy Coles, whose story is a raw, inspiring example of resilience, resourcefulness, and redemption. From a troubled relationship with her mother and running into legal trouble at 18, to raising four kids, rebuilding her life, and eventually finding freedom through real estate and service, Wendy’s journey shows what it means to keep moving forward—no matter the storm.

We dive deep into her early struggles with identity, her time on the run while pregnant, and how she turned setbacks into stepping stones for growth. Wendy also shares how she discovered her true heritage later in life, how real estate investing gave her the stability she always sought, and how giving back through Chair the Love (a charity that delivers wheelchairs worldwide) has reshaped her purpose.

This conversation is about more than real estate—it’s about storms, strength, and the courage to step into who you’re meant to be.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

01:27 JJ’s Joke of the Week

02:32 Wendy’s background: strained relationship with her mom, identity struggles, and introversion

05:33 Meeting Eddie, stolen cars, jail time, and learning she was pregnant at 18

08:20 Running away to Canada while pregnant, fear vs. fearlessness, and life on the run

13:08 Homelessness, shelters in Buffalo, and the decision to turn herself in

17:17 Jail, probation, teen motherhood, and the burden of a felony record

19:25 DNA test reveals her true identity—meeting her Filipino father and half-siblings

25:28 Raising Jocelyn, honesty about her father, and building family bonds

29:27 Balancing kids, divorce, and survival as a single mom with sales jobs

35:10 Marriage, entrepreneurship, running a sports training facility, and parental validation

40:28 Closing the facility, husband’s health issues, and pivoting into real estate

42:35 From flipping to buy-and-hold: building long-term wealth and getting licensed despite felonies

45:16 Managing rentals, short-term rentals, and self-managing tenants successfully

49:09 Discovering Chair the Love: providing wheelchairs, mission trips, and real estate mastermind connections

59:03 Health, habits, and staying youthful at 54—honesty about struggles with food and workouts

01:03:11 Storms as opportunities: why challenges clear the path for something better

Quotables

“Storms destroy what isn’t solid and reveal what is.”

“Most kids won’t remember the money you made, but they’ll remember the time you spent.”

“Getting uncomfortable is where the best results in life come from.”

Links

Chair the Love

https://www.facebook.com/CTLFlorida/

Wendy Coles

https://www.facebook.com/wendy.r.coles

608B Capital

https://www.608bcapital.com