2024 Financial & Life Lessons: What Worked, What Didn't, and What's Next | Ep 54

James: Welcome to the Furlo Capital Real Estate Podcast, where we dive into the intricacies of passive real estate investing. And our goal in this new year of 2025 is to equip people to invest wisely in both property and people so that together in 2025, we can build wealth while improving housing together.

I'm James and this is my wife, Jessi.

Jessi: Woo. Happy new year. I'm actually, I'm super excited about this because yeah, because we, it's. I feel like it's been a couple of years since I really like sat down and, and thought through the past year and like set some goals out and like, there's a couple of things on here that I'm like, okay, I'm looking forward to processing this and you know, yeah, so,

James: so here's what we've done.

I gave Jesse this worksheet and it's, we started like the first time we did this was like in 2014 or something like 10 years ago

Jessi: and

James: essentially it's a two parter where you complete and remember 2024. Or the previous year you just got done with.

Jessi: Right.

James: And then you do creating the next year. In this case, 2025.

Jessi: Yeah.

James: And so I gave one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. And some questions. And and yeah. So I don't know your answers. You don't know mine. Yeah. So we're gonna work through it. And my encouragement would be when we ask the question think through your own answers along with us. Yeah. And I think it's just a great exercise.

Yeah. for everyone to go through, like you were talking about. It's just good to sit back and

Jessi: reflect. Yeah, I remember, it was pre kids probably, that we did this very regularly. And it's just a good exercise to kind of reflect back on And the downs and everything from the last year, things that maybe you didn't quite get to, or weren't what you expected and then looking ahead, you know, to make some adjustments and figure it out.

And it's like, I like this process a little bit better than like the traditional goal setting process. In my mind, because typically that's, yeah, typically that's just like, okay, it's a new year. I can start fresh, you know? And it's like, you lay out all these amazing things. Yeah. This to me is more realistic of like, it's just, okay.

It's you up

James: for maybe looking into that future.

Jessi: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's a different way of looking at it,

James: but it's good. All right. So question number one, what was your biggest triumph? Oh, and I would say for me, I mostly focus on business stuff. Just so you know.

Jessi: Okay.

James: I mean, I focus

Jessi: on work. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's all cool. Yeah,

James: yeah, yeah. I'm just letting you know my answers. That makes

Jessi: sense.

James: Yeah. So, what was your biggest triumph?

Jessi: My biggest triumph, like something that really stands out to me, is helping our daughter jump to college. Some reading levels. We spent some really intentional time over the summer.

She had some gaps, you know, from COVID and all the things. And it was like, okay, we're going to, we're going to tackle this. And I have a, I have a background in teaching reading. And so it was like, I was able to assess her and it was just so gratifying. I feel like it was like, she, she jumped about two levels.

She put in a ton of effort and like really worked over the summer, you know, which is like, that's a lot to ask. And I w I'm just so proud of her. And like, Proud, proud of myself to be like, Hey, she's

James: reached this point where now she can do stuff like she can do the reading and writing, which like last year, like just small, tiny example.

She wanted some food,

Jessi: and

James: we were like, just write it on the, on the food list. And she's just like, yep, no problem, wrote it, not a problem. That would not have happened last year.

Jessi: So

James: that was cool.

Jessi: Yeah, it's like the, just watching that jump.

James: Yeah.

Jessi: Was like,

James: man, so

Jessi: encouraging.

James: For me, my biggest triumph was our, the flip that we did on 16th Avenue.

Jessi: Yeah. That's very cool. Cause that was a

James: really cool one because instead of doing a full on flip we did enough to get it lendable. And then we're able to sell it to someone else who then put in all the time and effort himself to fix it up. And so it was a win for, it was a win for our investors because they made an awesome return.

It was a win for our buyer because he got a really good deal and is able to add the sweat equity himself. Save some money in the process. And then it was just a win for us. And that's

Jessi: the first type of flip that you did that way, right? Where the buyer came in and did all the fixes.

James: Yeah. But but yeah.

It's been great. Yeah. So that was probably my biggest triumph. I think. Yeah. All right. What was the smartest decision you made? Let me say that without the, what was the smartest decision?

Jessi: I, this is like, I, I don't know if this is like down or not, whatever. I, I just, I had some health things going on and I think a smart decision was like, I went back to the doctor even, even though I had gone to the doctor and like, They were like, I don't know, it could just be normal aging.

I was like, no. I think something else is going on.

James: I'm like, that was

Jessi: smart. Because something else was going on. And it was like, got that found out.

James: Yeah. This is going to seem self serving, but it's not. I think starting this podcast was a smart decision that Smartest decision I made because for a couple of reasons number one, this has been something that we've been able to share just like who we are and our thoughts with other people.

But there's been this other benefit that I didn't actually anticipate, which is you and I staying more connected on the business because you got, you know, You got your work and what you're doing, and this was an issue a couple years ago, where you were like, I don't even know what you're doing these days.

Yeah, it

Jessi: was like, how am I even contributing or participating? It's been hugely beneficial.

James: So that's been cool, keeping us connected. And I found by us doing this, it helps me, When I'm talking with other investors. Because I've practiced having to give you a pitch. Yeah, makes sense.

Jessi: Oh, I could be harder. I could ask more deeper questions.

Oh dude,

James: please do. What

Jessi: were you

James: thinking? Yeah. Who do you think you are? Alright, one word. What one word best to sum Well, let me try that again. What one word best sums up and describes your 2024 experience?

Jessi: Okay, based on the way that you read that, you know me and our normal experience, I adjusted the question, and I literally crossed out word and wrote phrase.

Because I can't, I can't. Although later I did went down to one word, which was great. Oh, alright. So 2024, I feel like my phrase was learning how to rest.

James: Okay.

Jessi: Cause rest, like, it could be the word, but it's like, that's not it. Like, really it was me having to go through the process of like, I don't like to rest, I don't like to sit, I don't like to take help from other people, and I had to learn how to do that this year.

James: Yeah, okay. Awesome. All right. So

Jessi: not a pro at it yet, but

James: yeah. Yeah. I think members similarly would have been just learning to trust others or to let go of preconceived notions on your time, maybe, but yeah, yeah, that's cool. My word was creative. It was a very, from a financing standpoint, it was very, Oh,

Jessi: okay.

Yeah. Yep.

James: Yeah.

Jessi: Yeah, but my brain instantly goes to like painting and drawing and like, you know, like I was like that too. Did you make art this year? A

James: hundred percent. You're like, absolutely. So much art.

Jessi: Art in real estate. Art

James: on the spreadsheet. Yeah.

Jessi: I mean, that is like, the definition of our relationship.

I feel like what

James: I do in Excel is a form

Jessi: of art, right?

James: I'm like,

Jessi: watercolor, like putting like layers on this, like extra paint. And you're like, did you notice like the two pixel difference in this website? A hundred percent, man.

James: That's what it's about. Yeah. But anyways, from a financing perspective, But I only had one word, so I didn't say creative finance.

Fine. There you go. Ugh. Alright What was the greatest lesson you learned?

Jessi: This one was related for me. It was that letting other people help is so much better than trying to do everything on my own.

James: Hmm, okay. That's what I was trying to pull from your other one, but okay. Right,

Jessi: right. It's like, There were so many instances where it was like, Previously, I would have just tried to do this by myself, like at work, or even with our kids, and like, I couldn't.

I had to step back. I had to rest. I physically could not. And it was like Because

James: you know just so you know, like if she pushed it too hard on a day, like her next day she would just sleep the entire day. I would just tank. Yeah. Physically, she'd only be up for like three or four hours in a day. Right.

So I had to learn

Jessi: that balance, trust the other people.

James: Because of that, you had to Right.

Jessi: And it was, and it was so much better. Like, when I stepped back, People stepped in to help with things and it was like, Oh, I never would have done it that way. And that's better than what I would have done. You know, so it was like, Oh, I need to learn next year.

Yeah. Let other people help you step in. Yeah. Yeah, that's good.

James: Mine was related to my one word, which was just learning how to structure creative deals. Yeah, you

Jessi: did do a lot of learning this year. Yeah.

James: Yeah. I was talking to somebody recently where I was just talking about how. I feel like I have I would call them sprints and

Jessi: learning

James: where, yeah, I learned something and I just like, I go all in, I learn all about it.

And then I've, and the learning tapers off and it turns more into like mastery type of stuff and practicing it. But yeah, this year was definitely a, Like, all right. Like, and part of it was just interest rates or, or what they were. You have to get creative. It was learning to, to work not around it, but just like, okay, what are my other options?

What are options? So yeah, it's been a good year for, for the creative type of stuff we've done. I mean, every year, every deal this year has been some sort of weird creative structure, which has been great. What compliment, which I can't believe I wrote this. All right. I'm going to read mine. What compliment would you have liked to receive, would like to have received?

What compliment would you have liked to have received? Yeah.

Jessi: Oh, okay.

James: I'm just reading mine. Okay. This is

Jessi: so random.

James: We're so embarrassed by our own answers. This is great. It's

Jessi: just so random. Mine too. Because I'm just like, I don't know. I'm going

James: to reveal something about myself I don't want to. Go ahead.

I

Jessi: don't care. Like, I'm going to reveal something, but I don't really care. So, okay. I like bugs. I wanted to be an entomologist as a kid. And I raised bugs this year, I raised mantises and like went through that whole process. Like, you know, it was, it was so cool. I would have loved for someone to have told me you would have made a really good researcher and entomologist, you know, had you gone down that track.

Man, you would have rocked it, you know, I just, cause it's like this, like, I don't know. It's like this weird childhood. Like as a kid, people are like, a firefighter, like I want to be a police officer or whatever. Like that was my dream. Yeah. And so there's this weird innate thing in me still. That's like, Oh man, like, could I have done that?

You're like, I don't know, like, man, maybe not. But if someone had told me that, okay, that would like be so fulfilling. All right. Which is so weird. Like it's . I don't, I'm never gonna be an entomologist,

James: but like, but it's nice to know that you could have

Jessi: Yeah, that I could have. Yeah. That I'd be good at it.

James: Okay. That's good.

Jessi: So you can tell me, you can tell me that next year, man, you would've made it real good. Entomologist. Just wait till I forget that I've said this. Okay.

James: All right. I'll do that. Wait until next happened. Hold

Jessi: on. I, I might need to borrow this paper so I can remember years later.

James: Oh man, mine is so dumb.

And I, okay.

Jessi: This is so good. It's hard to think of like, what would I have loved someone to tell me? Like, that's so self centered. Mine wasn't.

James: Mine, nobody told me this because it's not true. So, all right. So mine was just simply someone saying nice abs, which they should,

Jessi: they're

James: not nice. No one would tell me that compliment, but it's the underlying thing about sharing there.

I'm like, if you, yeah, I got a dab

Jessi: on that. I'm right there with you, which

James: again, it's, it's deserved and I don't get that compliment, but Yeah.

Jessi: But you would've liked to have had it. I would've had liked

James: to have been the person who had the discipline to get to a point where someone who made that compliment.

Yeah.

Jessi: Yeah.

James: Oh, sorry. That's lame. Alright. What? Moving on. Let's

Jessi: move on. Let's move like, that's alright. What compliment

James: would you have liked to have given?

Jessi: Mm.

James: And I'm reading my now going, what am I doing? I should have done it, but that's all right.

Jessi: I had that same thought.

James: All right. What was yours?

Jessi: So I, I would've loved to have done a better job appreciating.

my helper at work, my assistant at work. Cause she's incredible. Like she makes my life so much better and does a fantastic job goes above and beyond like things I ask her to do. And I'm like, man, I should tell her that more regularly. And, and so that did make me think, I was like, well, it's not too late.

James: Like I could

Jessi: tell her I'm going to see her, you know, in a couple of days, like I could tell her. So

James: yeah, that's good.

Jessi: Yeah.

James: Mine was to her daughter. I just, I want to tell her that I like what I would describe as like her all in enthusiasm for things. It's very similar, you have it too. Where it's like, when, when she, like, she'll just, she'll go all in on stuff and just be super enthusiastic.

When she finds something she

Jessi: likes. Yes.

James: Yes. And I, I just appreciate that about her. And I hope she doesn't lose that when she becomes an emo teenager. She probably won't. I becomes too cool for stuff. I want her to like, yeah, I like that. So, I gotta, I gotta tell her that. That's not my thing. Man,

Jessi: yeah, that'd be, that'd be awesome.

James: Alright, what else do you need to do or say to be complete with 2024?

Jessi: Yeah, I didn't, I didn't have a great one for this. What's yours like? I, okay, at the, at the time that I was filling this out, our praying mantis was still alive. Oh. And I didn't think she was gonna be alive, like in the new year. Okay. So I was like, maybe saying goodbye to her.

That's done. So, I can check that one off. And then I, and then I was like, I don't, like, I don't know. Decorate for stuff, but. I, I don't know. I didn't have anything good. Hey,

James: you know, that's good. I mean, that tells me, like, you feel like the year's completed. Yeah, I mean, I, yeah.

Jessi: I'm good. I'm good. 2024 is done.

I

James: I shouldn't admit this. Move on. I still have to finish up some bookkeeping and taxes stuff. No. I got time. I got time. But.

Jessi: I mean. That's

James: my, like.

Jessi: That's.

James: It's lame. It has to happen. But that's definitely on my, like. It's, it's something I think about. Like, okay. I gotta. I gotta do it. I gotta get it done.

Cause I gotta get tax stuff out sooner rather than later.

Jessi: I mean that, that would be one I feel like would be on mine. That's like a, you know I need to empty my email inbox or something. To feel like completed or whatever. But it's like. That's fair.

James: So that is remembering. 2024. Some of those reflection questions.

Hopefully you were able to play along with us remember and reflect on some of your things. Now what we want to talk about is creating 2025. Okay. And so the questions are actually, they're very they're similar in their style. Let's just start forward looking. So for example, the first one is what would you like to be your biggest triumph?

Jessi: I, I was like expecting more there, but yeah, my biggest triumph. Okay, this is like, I feel like this is just an ongoing thing every year, and I would, I would really love to find another, like, good workout or movement Plan again, you know? Cause it's like, I feel like I've gotten to this point in my life.

Like I used to be a marathon, I used to run, my body can't do that anymore. You know? And I just haven't found the thing, the next thing that I'm like, this is how I stay active. And so I've, like, I've dabbled in some different things, but I'm like, man, that would be, that'd be a good triumph to be like, I am now a,

James: is there anything that I can do to help you figure that out?

Jessi: I don't know, like, maybe help me experiment with some different time frames of working out, or like, some different activities. Okay, okay.

James: Yeah, I know, because we've done, we've experimented,

Jessi: and

James: just, it doesn't seem to stick. You don't like working out with me, which makes it

Jessi: I don't like working out with anybody.

It's not you. Yeah, yeah. It's like I don't like,

James: I'm okay, I'm okay

Jessi: with burn.

James: Yeah, because there's like,

Jessi: right, that schedule doesn't work. And then there's other things, it's expensive. Like, you know, but anyways, I can come up with lots of excuses. I just, I would like to find that thing that's, that was like running, you know, for me, it was like, I enjoy doing it.

I know it's healthy. Like I'm going to keep doing it regardless, even if there's no health benefits, cause I like it, you know, I don't know what that is. Okay. Walking or hiking or, that's good. I don't know.

James: Well, if you're listening to this and you have some ideas for stuff, for you to try, throw 'em out

Jessi: there,

James: share it.

She's open to it.

Jessi: Yeah.

James: For me, I would like my biggest triumph. I wanna hire two people.

Jessi: Ooh. Yeah. I don't know how

James: to afford that yet, but I want to reach this point in my business where that's what I've done and I know what they would be. And, and yeah, and I think that's part of that, like what we were trying to talk about, like learning to let go of stuff.

And so, that's what I want to do. Hire two people. And all the implications behind that.

Jessi: That's a big one.

James: Yeah, I think it will just, it will help my business run better, help me serve more people. And I think that's a good thing.

Jessi: Yeah. That would be a, yeah, that would be a huge triumph.

James: Yeah, yeah. Love that.

What advice would you like to give yourself?

Jessi: It kind of goes along with like what I was already learning in 2024. I think it's like, try to be more content in resting and being calm rather than like anxious or discontent, you know, it's like being active against some of those discontentment thoughts and just, just being present in rest.

Like, okay, that's just, that's hard for me, you know? And it's like, okay. Sounds, sounds kind of dumb to say it out loud, but it's like, here's a, here's a silly example is like sometimes when I'm reading or when I'm like putting together a puzzle, which I really love doing in the back of my mind, I'm still thinking I should be doing something else.

It's like, I want to work on silencing that voice and just being present and saying, no, right now, this is what's good. Like, this is where I need to be.

James: This will, this will get to one of my other, I know a hundred percent what you're talking about. Like I've had times where I think this was a couple of weeks ago where I had a meeting.

I did like a real estate thing. And then I went and I had lunch with a friend. It's kind of a mentoring kind of relationship we chatted. Yeah. And then I got done with that and I met with someone else about a volunteer type of thing. And And like, and combined, that was a couple hours with my time. And I definitely had that thought while driving home, like, okay, well I just lost a couple hours doing that, now I gotta get back to work.

And having to stop myself and be like, no, like that was, that was good, that was valuable time, that was work, it just wasn't necessarily directly in my business. So yeah, I know what you're talking about. Yeah, for me, my advice that I would like to give myself is be as responsive as possible. Yeah, I just, I feel like I can go through where like I am, I am on it super responsive and other times where I just, I won't be.

And it's often cause I get like, I start working deep on a project and I get into it. I'm all in. So I ignore my email, my phone calls, text, all that stuff. And and just learning and I like, how do I create a system around that just to be more responsive? Yeah. It's part of hiring someone will help me do that.

But but yeah, yeah, that's my, yeah. Like just, That would be my advice. Just try to be as responsive as possible. Focus on that. Okay. What is the major effort you are planning to improve your financial results?

Jessi: Yeah, I kind of, I mean, it's kind of a cop out on this one, but it's like, I'm not sure if it's really me, but I think we're making some changes in our business and like, you know, your, Expanding out, doing some property management, like, I'm just, I'm encouraging, I'm investing in you to make sure that like, you know, cause it's like, my job, I don't, like, I'm not going to increase my income a whole bunch, or like, develop my business, but, you know, together we have this like, Yeah, no, that's fair.

Helping you.

James: Yeah, for me, yeah. So help me, it's doing more flips is part of the goal. And yeah, I'm starting up a property management business. And that and I think it's gonna have all sorts of benefits to it. The first one just being like, I'll be more vertically integrated on things that I'm already doing.

And I think that'll be good. And I think we'll, I'm good at it. And so we'll create some good systems. And be able to help out more people. Because I've been trying to think through, like, a lot of what we do. Right? Is we, well, we equip people, we help people invest in real estate and, and it's a spectrum, right?

You have people who are 100 percent passive, like they, you know, they provide the funds and then we take it and we go off and we do everything.

Jessi: Yeah.

James: Well, there's the, there's a middle and then active is the other side, right? They buy the property, they manage it, they do it all. There's this middle ground of someone who already owns an asset.

They, they bought the property by themselves. They're a single owner, but they don't necessarily want to do the day to day stuff of it. And so There's an opportunity for me to help those people who are in the middle ground and I think also help them further diversify away from maybe just having one or two properties but saying, Hey, why don't you passively invest in some other deals as well for their diversified?

So I think there's a lot of benefits to me that I can help a lot of benefits I can accrue to other investors who don't necessarily have the time and expertise to do the daily daily piece of it all.

Jessi: Right.

James: So yeah but that's, yeah. And I think that will also help our financial results, which will be good.

What would you be most happy about completing in 2025?

Jessi: Yeah, that, well, it's this project we, we actually talked about it the other day when we went on a walk. I have had this project for work, like, rattling around in my brain for a few years. And It's, it's this concept of like creating a memory verse plan for kids so that they can create a statement of faith, you know?

And it's like, they get to the end of it, they're able to say, here's what I believe, here's why. And it's like, that's super valuable. You know, I feel like within our faith, that's super valuable for you and I, for, for anybody who has a religion, a faith. Yeah. But that skill. Of learning how to define what you believe and why you believe it is so valuable.

And so I want to create this system, you know, that encourages parents, equips parents to like work with their kids to do this process. So that, that would be super cool. If I completed it in 2025, I've made a lot of progress, but I would love that.

James: Okay.

Jessi: Yeah.

James: That's sweet. That's good. I like that one. Mine is simply, I want to create predictable growth.

For for investing, for managing and for bringing on new investors. I don't feel like I'm at a point now where it's predictable. You're still

Jessi: experimenting, trying different things. Yeah.

James: Like we're, for example, we're running ads and I actually just did my first Facebook video ad and we just got our first lead from doing that.

All right. I'm like, all right, cool. But it's new. So yeah, exactly. So it's awesome. I don't know where it's going to go, but but yeah, having a predictable process where I know, Hey, if I do more of this. I know I will get this out. I'm not quite there yet.

Jessi: And

James: at least on the investing side, on all of it, honestly.

Do

Jessi: you think in order to get there, you just keep doing what you're doing? A little bit of that. More learning. Probably more learning, but then more repeating.

James: Yeah. You know, to be like, okay, is this

Jessi: like actually the thing to do?

James: That's a piece of it, yeah. Just getting predictable growth. That's my goal.

Jessi: I liked predictability. I love it too. It's so

James: amazing. Okay, this one's kind of, I'm interested to hear your answer on this one. What major indulgence are you willing to experience? Oh,

Jessi: I, this one was so hard too. I wrote, I literally wrote, maybe I'll get a massage again. I don't know. That's so hard for me.

Man, you gotta think

James: bigger.

Jessi: Monthly

James: massages.

Jessi: I don't, that would be a little much, though. Like, I feel like, I don't know. I don't know if I'd like that. Okay. I mean, we are going on a trip, and, like, that would be Yeah, that's an obvious one that I

James: didn't write down, because that's not really an

Jessi: indulgence.

It's not an indulgence, necessarily. Yeah. I don't know. All right, so here are mine. I'll eat ice cream.

James: So, I actually, I actually That'll help out with your biggest triumph. I had two, actually. So, so one of them, maybe I'll steal yours. They're both time related indulgences for me. So the binge

Jessi: watching something,

James: it's related to that.

I, I like having longer lunches or at least not where it's like a defined, okay, I got an hour long lunch. Yeah. I like it's yeah. And sometimes it is, I'll watch a movie during lunch. And if it's an hour and a half movie, my lunch is now an hour and a half. And. And I like, I like that. Or I have lunch with a person and we're there for two hours, sometimes three hours and, and not having to worry about, you know, like, Oh, I got to get back, get back.

Yeah. And so that's an indulgence for sure. And I recognize that and appreciate that. But then another one is I spent a lot of time doing volunteer work

Jessi: and

James: I feel the pressure to stop. It's like I was talking about earlier, right? Where it's like, I will go do that kind of stuff. Right. But then you're like, Oh, I lost

Jessi: the time.

James: Yeah. And so it's, and I, it's weird to call it an indulgence. But it's just that like, yeah, to say, no, this is still important to me and I'm going to take the time to do it. Cause I, I enjoy it. I think it's helpful and I don't just want to get into the, Oh yeah, I just work all the time and, and. No, that's what I do, and, because I think I have the flexibility to continue to do that.

I, I think I'll, I have to make choices on where I spend that time. I may not be able to spend as much time as I have in the past, but I think that's okay, because in some ways I think building a business and helping out other people is another way of serving. But but yeah, just like straight up just doing like volunteer work.

But,

Jessi: really it's like more of a perspective shift.

James: Yeah, but anyways, that's kind of, that's when I think of indulgence, that's what I think of.

Jessi: Man. I think I like chocolates and ice cream, and massages, and spa days, and,

James: I don't know. Those are cool, too. I like your, man, I would, I would love I would love to do regular massage, like physical therapy massage on my hips.

Because they're super tight, and that causes problems with running.

Jessi: Interesting.

James: But I've been told if I loosen them up. Massage therapy. But, it would be cool.

Jessi: Hmm.

James: Yeah. Alright. Two more. What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of it?

Jessi: I, yeah, I wrote down snuggling Vinny, our dog reading, crafting, doing puzzles.

So I, I, I, I wrote down like, maybe I could be more intentional, intentional about carving out time each week to do more of it. One of these or a few of these purposefully. Yeah. Like possibly setting a goal surrounding them. Like, like, you know, I wrote down, it's kind of ridiculous, but it's like complete 10 puzzles this year, you know, where it's like, Ooh, if there's a goal, then I'm like, then I feel like, Oh yeah, I like, I'm, I'm reaching something.

I

James: feel like that's, and I almost said it, but I didn't, I feel like that's one of the things on the exercising piece that works really well for you.

Jessi: Yeah.

James: Just having a view, knowing you've got something coming up, you'll train for it.

Jessi: Yeah, it is true.

James: Yeah.

Jessi: Setting some sort of goal. I want to get to this.

James: Yeah. Yeah.

Jessi: That is true. That's cool.

James: Yeah, I like that one. Yeah. For mine, it's super boring. I enjoy reading. And just learning in general.

Jessi: Yeah.

James: And, and so I think that brings me a lot of joy. Like, yeah. Like I like doing the online class stuff and, which is probably maybe another indulgence right now.

I pay for those things. Huh. But, but yeah, I enjoy just doing that and doing more of it. I think we did good.

Jessi: So we both like reading. Dang. Maybe we should have like reading dates. Is that like?

James: Maybe I'm reading and you're puzzling. Yeah. Something. I don't know. I mean.

Jessi: I don't know. All of my books are like fiction and murder mysteries, so I'm not really like learning anything.

Oh, I know. But you would be like increasing your brain capacity and learning new things, reading these amazing biographies. And I'd be like, who did it?

James: Yeah, maybe. I don't know. That's fine. Oh, I'm so excited about it. Okay. Final one, final one. What one word would you like to have as your theme in 2024?

Jessi: This is so good. And I am not ashamed to admit I used AI.

James: Really? Because

Jessi: I had several phrases. And I was like, I will get this to one word. I will. So I typed it all into AI. Huh. And this.

James: Are you going to tell me the phrases first or just start with the word? What's your?

Jessi: I'm going to tell you the word.

Okay. And then the definition of it. Okay. Because you're not going to know it. Okay. Because I was like, okay. Didn't even know that was a thing.

James: I love it.

Jessi: Okay. Man, this is such a good word. This is such a good word. Equanimity.

James: Equanimity.

Jessi: The word equanimity means mental calmness, composure. and evenness of temper, especially during difficult situations.

Oh, right.

James: Equanimity,

Jessi: equanimity. I, that is my heart's desire. Wow. Is like, cause like, cause what I wrote

James: is good word.

Jessi: Like all the different things was like, I want to, I want to rest. I want to be calm. I want to be present. Like even, even in the midst of like, I have things to do, I've got stuff, you know?

And then I was like, I want to trust that God's plan is good. You know, and not just worry and stress. And man, this word is just like, there, there is like a spiritual component to it. You know, there was this definition that was like resting in God's grace, trusting his plan, not looking to your own. And I was just like, yes.

Okay. That is, that is the word equanimity. This evenness despite hardship.

James: Okay. All right, man. I was like

Jessi: such a good word.

James: That is a good word. I love it. Okay. My word. Oh,

Jessi: man.

James: You

Jessi: should have gone

James: first. I should have. Man.

Jessi: I was just so excited. I was so

James: excited about my word. That's a great word.

Jessi: AI. Did you type yours into AI?

No, I didn't. I mean, maybe you could come up with a better word. If you type in your

James: phrases. So All right. So I, so my thought process, it's so generic relative to that. That's such a good word. All right. So my thought process was I'm, I'm doing more business type of stuff, going deeper, trying to figure out more ways to help people, right?

Right. And so, and I actually connected mine to a phrase, not just a word. But it was so my one word was valuable. And. And it was to be more valuable and regularly ask what's in it for them.

Jessi: Ooh, I like that.

James: Just really trying to have,

Jessi: that's super good. What makes this more valuable for someone else?

James: Yeah.

Jessi: Yeah. That's a good that, that is super interesting to me. Like to have a word that you're focusing on, but to have a question that goes with it that is like, it's helping you to achieve that. thing, you know, whatever it is.

James: Cause you can

Jessi: ask that in many different situations as you're doing business, as you're interacting

James: with people.

Well, I think, and I know there will be opportunities for me to help people that don't directly impact me.

Jessi: Right.

James: Like we actually have this, we find this all the time when we're talking to like say a homeowner who's in foreclosure. Like we will come to them with ideas where we go, Hey, like, I get it. This is going to lose the deal for me.

I don't care. Yeah. You should do this. Yeah. This is a better, this is, this is the rough deal for you to go down. And so we've done things like that. Yeah. But I think as I just, as I have, as I interact with more people, I have more opportunities to ask that question. And that's what I really like to focus on this year.

I like that. How to, how to be more valuable. There you go. So hopefully again, those were Those were kind of helpful and and for you to reflect on your own year and looking forward on how you want it to be. I would love to hear your thoughts in comments on like, you know, if you have a word that you are interested in and pursuing or what you want your greatest triumph to be.

Would love to hear those kind of things. And yeah, that was awesome. And if you want part of your part of this new year to be investing in real estate passively. You can check us out at furlo.com to learn more all about that. We've got a ton of information on there. It's super good. So with that, thanks for listening and have a fantastic year.