How Financial Collapse Allowed Mark Podolsky to Create a Healthy View of Self-Worth and the Game of Making Money

Speaker 1

00:00

 On this episode, I got the opportunity to speak with my friend Mark Podolski. We're in a mastermind group together, and Mark is has a lot of experience in real estate investing. Particularly land investing land, flipping creating notes on land and land contracts and that kind of thing very experienced in educated. What we focus on with regard to his adversity, is the 2008 to 2010 time period, where Mark went from making a lot of money and living the life. So to speak with a huge house and full-time, Nanny, full-time, maid. And, and then, he essentially lost it all or close to it and that forced him to re-evaluate his priorities. And what he realized through all of this was that He didn't make him happy anyway and that money didn't create his self-worth and a couple of lessons. He learned were that he no longer ties his self-worth to money. He the second lesson is that he treats it like a game, so he does still try to make money. He does still try to serve others and do transactions and help others grow their, their net worth. And, you know, he's got some great coaching programs and things like that. But He's no longer a slave to money, he put money in its place and still values money. But it's neutral when it comes to his own self-worth and his own happiness. So it's an excellent perspective. Unfortunately took some serious pain for him to pull those lessons out, but he's a great guy to talk to in a very easy interview and I know you're going to enjoy this one. Thanks.

Speaker 2

01:57

 Inspiring stories of real people. Overcoming incredible. Odds to live life to the fullest. We are all guaranteed to face. Hardships, how will we handle the adversity? Join us to be moved by everyday people who have turned poverty and prosperity, and weakness into wealth Be Inspired as these relatable Heroes, get vulnerable and former counterintelligence investigator Jamie Bateman puts his interviewing skills to the test, restore your faith in humanity as you experience. True Cinderella stories of average people turning surreal Struggle and deep despair into booming, businesses and financial Fortune. Take ownership of the life, you are destined to live and turn your adversity into abundance.

Speaker 1

02:46

 Welcome everybody, to another episode of the form adversity to abundance podcast. I am your host Jamie Bateman, and I am thrilled today to have a special guest with us Mark. Podolski of the land geek, the land geek.com Mark, how are you doing today? Jamie Baby Ben, it's a pleasure pulse is normal respirations. Fine, awesome. That sounds like you're He and doing well. So Mark, I have gotten to know you a little bit. No, not super well yet although we are going to be in Scottsdale together next week. So we will get to know each other better next week. So I know you I know your story somewhat but for the listeners out there, would you mind telling everyone kind of who you are and why we should listen to you? Yeah I am a professional investor. I have been land investing full-time since 2001 I have done over Six thousand transactions and growing and my whole goal of my mission in life is to not only get myself out of. So, economic dependency, which means if I am person at working, I am not making any money. So really having my passive income exceed my fixed expenses. So I can work when I want where I want and with whom I want, but I also want to help other people solve their money problems and their time problems. So they Move up Maslow's hierarchy of needs into self-actualization and do what they really want to do with the short precious life that seems like, you have that's pretty important. If you got that, you have got that well-defined. So that's, that's really good. So, so just before we jump into your backstory, what is, you know, what is a normal day look like for you today? So today is Wednesday, typically, I have Team calls today. So I have my Themed out. So Mondays and Fridays are my thinking days if I had I really just spend that time thinking. So I don't take any calls. I will rarely do a podcast interview but usually it's just reading working out meditating self-care and then thinking about ways to grow the business Tuesdays are my podcast days, Wednesday's are my team meeting days and Thursdays are my client meeting days, okay? That's awesome. I just read a book shop, book on structured thinking, I failed to implement it frankly, but, you know, being intentional about the point of it was to be intentional about carving out thinking time, and it doesn't have to be overly structured but putting it on your calendar. So it sounds like you have done that, too? I would say kind of extreme. I mean, you know, compared to some people. So, I love to pick your brain. About that. That's pretty, that's pretty interesting. Yeah, I know that the three-day workweek is phenomenal, can't argue with that. So now that said sounds like you have the, you know you have got the perfect life with no adversity, right? It's all abundance right now. But now we're I am kidding. But point of the show is obviously to dive into your backstory and discuss some of the adversity that you have been through mark on a personal level or business. I will, but, you know, somewhat of a human level and to share with our listeners, kind of what was, what was on your mind at that time, how you got through that, what that looked like on the other side and pull out inspiration and Lessons Learned for the listeners. That's the point of the show. So you can take it. Pick it up where you wherever you'd like as far as you know, age for or age 34 or wherever you'd like, and we can run with that. Yeah. I mean if we rewind the Say 2001 to 2008, right? I was making a lot of money buying and selling raw land but I would never been through a cycle before and I didn't have a really a mentor at that time, either. So at that point in time, I mean, I kind of just had this idea like the more money I made. The more money I spent like Parkinson's law of money. And so I have three children. I had a wife that doesn't work. And, so I just built up this crazy lifestyle thinking that, this is what wealthy people do. So I got a big house, you know, luxury car, but I am not a car guy, right? But I had to get a luxury car cuz I neighbor had luxury cars. I got a housekeeper full-time and then a nanny full-time. And, so I was putting on These things in my life and it has going out all the time. And so what was it until let us say 2010 I was forced to really see all my gosh, half my income is gone, I can't afford these things anymore and it was really this, you know, ego blow to my head. Like, oh my gosh, I am not as smart as I think I am. I am not as capable as I think I am. I have got a real problem here and I have got a real happiness problem as well, because ultimately, I mean, I am sure probably that your listeners, but I am sure some other people have felt growing up, like, okay, this is, you know, like you buy into sort of the cultures idea of what makes you happy, right? You're going to go up and your to get that good education. You can get the good job or start building your business and you get all these things, you get the hell out of the car and the house. And you go in the nice vacations and you kind of look around, like, oh my gosh, you got all these things, and I am not happy, right? So I had to sort of this internal feeling of just it's not I am not enough like I am not enough. It's so if I get all this stuff then maybe I will feel like I was enough. And then it just didn't. You got all this stuff? I would be happy at all. You still weren't enough? Yeah it's like so before we dive more into the 2010, specifically what from a And of tactical or practical standpoint, how did, you know, what did your business look like for the previous 10 years? And you know, generally speaking, How well was your business doing and then you now and then why did it you know why did it things go south from a tactical standpoint? Yeah, I mean I was, I was making seven figures, and I was doing really well, it all went down because I was doing owner financing and people would just couldn't make their payments. So, you know, people are calling me up say, hey Mark, it's a between food or your Lando, and I am choosing food. And, so I had this personal overhead that I just can't support anymore. I mean, I am in the company of so profitable, but yeah, I was struggling to keep up my own personal overhead, so you're buying just hundreds of, you know, plots of land. And Seller financing owner financing. Those two buyers and those buyers when the Great Recession occurred were unable to make the payments to you. And that's why things went South correct. Is that exactly? Okay. That's exactly got it. So, so 2010, how quickly did it go south? I mean, was it? I mean, it was like, I just felt like I was like just one day. Wow. They're so, you know, the 4500 square. Foot home. I had a short sell it, you know, the private schools. We had to go to public school. No more Nanny, no more housekeeper. I had to sell my car for taxes. And so as I whittled these things away, I mean it took maybe a year to slowly Pare down my overhead. It was very painful at that time, but I realized something like, oh my gosh, instead of going out to the fancy steak dinner, Saturday night, my wife, Are staying home with the kids and playing charades and in spending and it seemed like, oh my gosh, none of that stuff is making me happy. This is really what makes me happy. And it's like, I needed that to really be clear-headed about. Okay. Here's what really makes me happy. None of the things that Society, you know, says will make you happy. Sure. It makes a lot of sense. Yeah, and we have, you know, every guest at we have on as a different story, obviously, in the They deal with different adversity and some people know, some people have the they know what's coming. Actually, they may have a surgery upcoming, they know it's going to be a huge, huge deal. So they're able to plan for that adversity and then, you know, in this case it seems like probably caught you off guard, right? So you can really have that time to plan ahead for this major challenge. But the other thing that varies a lot is how quickly you're able to kind of see this. Challenge as a blessing you know my words but was that you know is I am guessing it was a process, you know, it wasn't an overnight thing. How long did that take before? You could actually see that the reality that this was actually good for you and your family? You know, I think for me it took a while to really get to that point where, you know, I felt like I was enough no matter what I did externally right just that internal feeling enough. I want to say took years to get to that point where I really could see very clearly and feel it you know at a you know visceral level like I am enough. So I would say was a process. I mean I remember Natalie was a therapy, but I was also getting very deeply into meditation. And so, watching the thoughts, I am Learning more about stoicism and you know reframing and seeing how every situation can just be reframed and you know pain is optional, pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. Hmm. So you know, kind of watching these things happen and it over time slowly, slowly. I have gotten to the point where I am really clear. I like, okay. Here's how you transcend money? I won't on the things money can't buy, right? I want to fit body, I want to call mind and a house full of love and so those are the things I really want. And in this you know very simple goal of being a good ancestor money has nothing to do with any of those things. Sure. That's really good. No, and I appreciate being kind of vulnerable and just honest about, you know, it's again on this show. I mentioned this before we hit record and I say this on other episodes but it's a process. It's you don't flip a switch All my problems are gone and, you know, heaven on Earth or something like that. So, it's a process and it sounds like you were somewhat forced into that process. But then we're very intentional and methodical about working on yourself, working on, you know, redefining your priorities. So, bring us up through till today regarding your business and how your life is different. With your view of money and business. So now I just look at it as a game. My identity has nothing to do with it, you know, I go through like these Fierce setting exercises where if I lost everything tomorrow financially? What would I do? Why have I got a great answer? I know exactly what I would do. I would move to Bali and for about fifteen hundred dollars a week, I am sorry, $59 a month, I could literally live like royalty. I would eat Well I work out. I would be surrounded by Nature, there's amazing people there, so I already know what I would do now. I wouldn't want that to happen honestly. It's there's definitely you don't need as much as you think you do. Yeah. So it's I mean, just, you know, correct me if I am wrong but you're no longer a slave to money and you put money in its place. I don't I think you still value money, right? Oh, I know. Absolutely. I mean, you know, but it's neutral. I mean, it's just like all money to me. Now, it says nothing to do with my identity, has nothing to do with how good a person I am or how bad a person. I am. It's really more neutral, like, have I exchanged value with someone and for exchanging enough value, I get this thing, we call Money. Mhm. So really, it's more about and I love helping people and actually, so now it's just going to fun. It has nothing to do with anything else. I love that it's really good or actually reminds me, I guess I had on previously. He's a fitness guy, lost 75 pounds, three times and then this time is kept it off. And now he's about to run a an Iron Man which is just awesome. But he tweeted yesterday, I wasn't planning on bringing this up, but it's relevant here. He tweeted yesterday. Something about something. Along these lines of, you know, money doesn't Buy happiness. Money isn't going to make. He's come to the realization. That money doesn't isn't going to make him happy. And I only want to say countered, I just suggested that, what about the impact on others? So I will just not even pushing back here. Just food for thought or question to you. Do you think that the more money you make the greater the impact you can have on the world and others? How do you would you say to that? I absolutely, I think your legacy and You know, we're in this Mastermind group together, we want to get to 200 percent above our passive income and so absolutely being able to support Charities makes a big impact. Absolutely. Being able to support your family. And you know, the truth is, you know, in three generations. No One's Gonna remember us. Anyways, I love this rust Morgan quote is like well in three generations, if that is your ancestors are getting a check, Are going to remember so, you know, so absolutely. So, you know, the way I look at it, it's like a game, right? Let us just say a video game, right? You get up to that next level. It's really fun. It's really challenging and I wouldn't want to just state that same love. I want to keep playing the game as well as I can write, as long as I can. Again letting go of my attachment to whether I win or lose the game. Can I just enjoy the fact that Playing it? And while playing it is very intentional about. Why am I playing this game is to have fun, it's to provide its to have novel experiences, its to make an impact. And so all those things make meaning for us in our lives like we need to have meaning and right so again I mean it's just neutral but it's not to say that it's not important. It can, you know, there's a joke like oh, You know, you can't buy happiness. Well, money buys me lots of happiness, you know, I have got a yoga instructor that makes me happy, and I go to space, could optimize, that makes me happy, you know, good food makes me happy. So of course, I want to have these things. Yeah, makes a ton of sense. Yeah, I know, I mean, I certainly get caught up in the chase as well. I mean, if I am honest but yeah, I have you money personally as kind of like the Internet, it's very powerful. I mean, it's neutral in the sense of whether it's good or evil, you know, it can be used for good or bad or anything in between. So yeah. I like that. That's sounds. It's really good. It's just sounds like liberating and freeing and the approach that you take now. So I am going to fly through some questions here. If you're good with that, I am great with it. And she will you Amy? I am so glad I didn't cry. We will have you back. Don't worry. Oh, okay. Okay, I had a 1-1 guest. She had been on 40 some podcasts and this was the first one she cried on. I am not proud of it but hey, you know, I guess she got vulnerable so yeah, I know it's great. What's one thing that people misunderstand about you boast? Such a good question. I don't often feel misunderstood, okay. But if I had to guess, if I had to guess, you know, does he care right? Because I am pretty even Keel and I do care, but I am able to stay not. It's not like I am detached, I am not attached to any other come? Yeah, that's that could probably apply to me too. So besides the, you know, I don't know if the 2008 2010. Is what would be your answer? But What's one of your biggest failures or something? You could you would redo I would say, one of my biggest failures was not getting a mentor earlier. There's this, this sort of arrogance about me, as, as the market kept going up that real estate market. Like anyone could have made money in real estate from 2001 to 2008. And I was at anyone like I wasn't special, but I thought I was. And, so I think having a mentor was just a huge failure on my part of would have solved so many issues and problems for me. Well, and I just to The back on that I would say were I know, it's there are many things that are different from a market condition and economic standpoint, but I would say in the last 10-15 years, the same thing is true, right? As far as yeah, you know, lots of people making money that maybe they're not the genius that they think they are. If you could go back and give your 18 year old self some advice, what would it be? Learn to meditate now? Absolutely, just be able to watch those thoughts. And not get so attached and so emotional me. You can lose days in your, in your head and not being reality. That would be like a super power for sure. Gotcha. Did it take you a while to get better at that with? I mean, because I tried a little bit to be honest with you. Yeah, I mean, there's ten years a lot of time, so I am still not. No. I mean, don't get me wrong, I get lost in thought like, A else. It's just, I am really quicker to get a lost in thought and ice can see like, you know, reactions when they come up, I am more curious about them, then swept away by them. Now, now was it for, you know, like, you know, it's like I love this day. Like, oh, you think you're so enlightened go spend a week with your parents and don't be a like, yeah, the old Mark will come out real quick, right? Yeah, exactly. Gotcha, if you could have coffee or a drink or something, with, with any historical figure, who would it be? Oh well, I would love this question. Well, alive or dead so alive. I would look like the Dali Lama. I think would be super interesting just because he's like he's a world-renowned for like having this power of presence, I would love to experience. And you know, asking these, you know, deeper philosophical questions. Our historic. But historically speaking, you know, I think that Napoleon is a really interesting character. And in his time Lincoln, I think would be extremely interesting as well. Certainly. Jesus Buddha, you know, so there's a lot. But yeah, guys, some good to have all for dinner. Yeah, yeah. Hopefully not the Last Supper, but anyway. So let us see. Let us talk about your business for a bit here. What's a one challenge that you're facing in your business right now? So, once challenge, I am facing my business. So dirt Rich to my second book is coming out and launching. That is a challenge, Having the courage to lock the manuscript is a challenge because it's not, because it's never done, right? Is that never done. But at some point, it's got Be done. It's got to be done and I keep reading it, reading it and going. Oh yeah, editing it. And so that's a challenge. But as far as like, the overall Market is concerned because, you know, land is a good inflation hedge, I am not very concerned yet, but that is a challenge. Gotcha, that makes sense. So, in your opinion, what's a personality trait that makes someone successful in your, your line of work? Oh my gosh, grit is it? A personality trait. If you got grit, you can do it, okay? Alright, some final questions here, but we wrap up. What is a book or two that you could recommend for my audience? Okay? So one of my favorite books is the second Mountain by David Brooks. You know, anything by Derek severs, I love his books like How To Live. He just on my podcast. I love that guy. Okay, I will see you soon as name. I haven't read his books. Yeah he's great. He's kind of like this is very succinct philosopher, but he's not like glue. It's like really worried. He's a business guy that he sold his company for 22 million and gave it all to charity. He's that kind of guy. So those would be some books. I am right now I am reading will store status games. I am it's fascinating. I love that book. Okay, I am assuming you have read some of the Rhine holiday Looks I love right now the obstacles way. He goes there. He goes the enemy. He's got, those are good. What about some other podcast that you enjoy? You can mention yours. Yeah. So, Shameless plug art of the past art of passive income podcasts, which Jamie's gonna be on is absolutely my favorite but I kind of go back and forth. Like I listen to books, I listen to podcasts, but the one podcast that I He's find consistently great is Tim Ferriss podcast. That's good. I should try to I should go back to that one. Used to listen to it. Yeah so yeah I am but what are you listening to? Oh man. I have been bouncing around. A decent amount going to pull out my phone, of course. Yeah, I had done often listen to The Wealth without Wall Street podcast. I will be honest this summer. It's feel like it's I have struggled. To find consistently good content there. So Ken McElroy has a podcast that's good just for just kind of overall, real estate, big picture, multifamily investing, that kind of thing. I do listen to the tribe of millionaires podcast which is go abundance podcast, and they have some really cool human kind of guests, you know where. Yeah, it's about investing in business and things like that. But Really cool stories. So yeah, those are a few subscribing right now to try the Millionaires and nice. He's got, I think it's twice a week. I think the once a week is the go bundles member as the guests and then once a week is kind of outside, you know, expert in a field. So yeah, I really like that one. So, Yeah, that's a good one there. I was actually looking into that to go abundance before I joined our passive income Mastermind which I recommend to people. Yeah. You know who I really like right now. By the way, it's Sherrod mentors. This guy. It's Alex from Mosey. Oh yeah. Okay, great. This guy, I have seen you on YouTube and stuff. Yeah, it's so good. It's kind of disconcerting to be that young and that good was he was a fitness guy. To like a gym. Yeah. Fitness guy. Did he do Jim launch. And I mean, yeah. It was making like, AI. Think he built that thing up like a hundred million or something. I mean, it's just kind of crazy like his meteoric rise. But, yeah, his, you know, his sense of abundance in the way he gives, is, is really fantastic. You just has like this, just really cool straightforward way of talking that super authentic and Super Wise. Yeah, I saw recent fairly recent video. Is about Grant Cardone and, you know, because he's so controversial. And I think Alex was essentially just For the most part defending, what he's been able to accomplish. So, that was pretty cool. But yeah, I have heard him on a podcast. I will have to see if I can get a shrine to get him on here. Yeah, yeah. Same with me. Let us get the line for the. Yeah, absolutely, exactly. Awesome. Well, What haven't we covered? I know, I kind of already asked that but what you have going on today? Even you have your book coming out? What else would you like to plug here? I mean, those of you that are interested in solving your time and money problems, you could check out the land geek.com. I have got a free course how to double your money, 30 days or less go to the Lane geek.com forward slash quick deals, my blankie.com forward slash quick deals. Awesome. Well this has been really good. You're very relaxed and easy to talk to. You have got everything kind of. Yeah, I don't know, just your priorities and it's refreshing. It's enlightening. And I am not just saying that because I have kind of the, you know, the meditation world that you're in. But it really, it's just an easy conversation. I appreciate you being vulnerable about the, about the V. That's again, we gloss over that here, like it was so, yeah, I just lost everything and no big deal. Now, I am good. Yeah, I mean, you know what, it's one of those weird things. Like when we look back on our lives, it is the adversity and how it, how we go through those challenges that we look back. Like, those are the greatest blessings, the greatest gifts. And so it's no fun. When you go through it, you can't enjoy the Rated things alive without having the juxtaposition of things that are challenging in your life. And so for me, I mean, I talk about it now with a little bit more distance because we're so long ago, but look it's just a matter of time before that next big unexpected challenge happens and it will be another gift that I have to go through. And I did think it's comforting to know that we're supposed to have challenges, you know. Yeah, we are owing to have more adversity it. I mean, yeah, that kind of sucks to understand that but it's when that when the adversity hits, you don't know what to look like. But it, you can at least tell yourself we can tell ourselves now. This is, this is okay, this is, this is supposed to happen. So, but I just love the way you talk about the, you know, treating guess the acquisition of money or treating money like a game and, and just detaching yourself from, you know, money as far as Your self-worth. Those were kind of two of the key points that I pulled out. I will have to pull out some more when I realize some to it. But yeah, this has been awesome marks. I really just appreciate your time. I know you are busy even though you have Mondays and Fridays and three-day workweek, but I know you have plenty of other things to get to. In fact, we're both late for this Mastermind call but yeah, anything final thoughts. Yeah, I mean, I always sort of Ed with a Zig Ziglar quote, if you will do for the next three to five years. What other people won't do, you will be able to do with the rest of your life. What other people can't do? That's awesome. Love it. Awesome. Mark, thank you so much, really appreciate it. And to the listeners out there, appreciate you spending your most valuable asset with us and that is your time. Thanks everyone. Take care.

Speaker 2

32:36

 Thanks so much for tuning in to this episode of the form adversity to abundance podcast. If you're enjoying the show, please feel free to rate, subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to your podcasts, that helps others find the show, and we greatly appreciate it. Thanks again for listening, and we will catch you in the next episode.