How's Retirement Going?

This was the question asked by the friend I was talking to on my way to the airport last week.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, you closed your company, right? I thought you retired."

Based on this question, I could have done a better job of telling you guys what I was up to when Lloyd and I closed R.W. Price & Associates last year.

And I understand the confusion. I, too, thought I would have more free time after closing the brokerage.

After all, the driving force behind closing it was my Ten-Ten-Ten goal.

But as it turns out, I was dead wrong about the extra free time. I've got more irons in the fire now than ever, and things are pretty chaotic. Let me explain.

1 - R.W. Price Realty

I'm not out of the real estate game, but playing it smarter. For the last twenty years, my mindset was "more! more! more!" which led to carrying as many as 100 listings at a time and having as many bosses. By 2022, it had become a full-fledged rat race, and I was beyond burned out. I did close R.W. Price Realty Associates but then established R.W. Price Realty which is just me. Rather than chasing every lead and piling on as many new clients as possible, I've become highly selective about who I work with, and I'm referring a lot of work to other brokers. This allows me to work only with the clients I want to work with and frees up time for my other businesses.

2 - House Partners

This is my house-flipping company that did six properties last year. This year, we've closed one and have another in progress. Aside from the one underway, this business is on the back burner because another company, Optivīv IV Therapy, requires much more time than I anticipated. We plan to crank things back up this fall with the long-term goal to flip 2-3 houses per month. If you have a property you want to sell and you don't want to list it with a Realtor, you can get a cash offer today at www.lshousepartners.com.

3 - Optivīv IV Therapy.

I've always wanted to wear scrubs to work, and now I finally get the chance! Like how I started flipping houses "on the side," Julia began offering IV therapy to her medical aesthetics patients a few years ago. I'd known IV therapy only as a means to cure my hangover, which it can, but lots of reasons for it that have nothing to do with getting drunk. We have a temporary clinic in Julia's current office offering IV infusions for optimal health, energy, and immunity. Later this year, we will open the doors to a new 1,400 sq ft facility. Interested? Request an appointment at www.myoptiviv.com and mention this post to get 50% off your first treatment.

4 - F-ER OffRoad.

This project started because some guys I knew wanted me to build them an accessory for their truck that I'd created for mine. One thing led to another; we're now producing that product at scale and developing new products. Earlier this year, we surpassed $25,000 in total revenue and picked up our first international customers. That may not sound like a lot, but for a side hustle that's never been advertised, I'm proud of it. Seeing someone in another country wearing a hat with my logo is neat! Take a peek at www.f-er.com

5 - Lily Samson.

This investment property holding company has grown to about 15,000 sq ft of commercial and residential space. It's my retirement plan and an opportunity to build generational wealth, which never existed in my family. The residential part was easy; the commercial part has been (and continues to be) one hell of a learning curve. I have some exciting news here, but it's top secret for now - I'll share it with you as soon as possible.

6 - The Side Hustle

We're still planning this one, but if all goes well, I'll be opening a bar in the 3rd quarter of this year. Thus far, it has been one roadblock after another, but we've got them knocked down. This project came about because we had a little corner of leftover space in one of the buildings owned by Lily Samson. The plan had been to turn it into a small office, but with the passage of the Social District in Downtown Monroe, a bar suddenly made a lot more sense.

All of this is happening in the context of raising the kids, renovating our 150-year-old house (we finally got the front steps put back on, yay!), and trying to travel as much as possible.

Speaking of travel, that's what the Ten-Ten-Ten goal is all about, but since this is starting to get long, we'll save that for another day.

In the meantime, to answer my friend's question on the way to the airport...

No, I'm certainly not retired.

Not by a long shot.