Brady Johns - Flip-Flops and Fortunes: Buy Your Life Back Through Real Estate Investing and Passive Income Strategies

Contents

Praise for Brady Johns

Brady Johns helped OneAffiniti expand into North America by building an outbound sales engine that way outperformed any of our expectations. His sales acumen and his ability to motivate sales teams are second-to-none.

Joel Montgomery, Founder and CEO, OneAffiniti

If youre like most of us, youve had it with fake experts parading around the internet, claiming to have the magic dust to make you rich. Brady Johns is the oppositethe only reason he isnt a household name is because hes busy actually doing the work! Brady is a great teacher, hes generous with his knowledge, and he has proven steps to generate massive success.

Jonathan Sprinkles, Founder, The Connection Lab and two-time International Bestselling Author

I have received Brady Johnss counsel on real estate investments. He had the exact advice and direction I needed to succeed. Read, do, and follow through. And if you do so, I trust he can be a real boost to your learning as well.

Luther Gabriel Biondo, Author of Bridge of Fire

Brady Johnss financial wisdom was shared in a funny and approachable, yawn-proof way that kept me reading. I definitely attribute a significant portion of my own success IPOing two companies and the downstream financial wealth that resulted from it, to following his homespun Texas wisdom!

Sherri Manning, Chief People Officer of multiple technology companies

FLIP
FLOPS
AND
FORTUNES

FLIP
FLOPS
AND
FORTUNES

Buy Your Life Back Through Real Estate
Investing and Passive Income Strategies

BRADY JOHNS

Matt Holt Books
An Imprint of BenBella Books, Inc.
Dallas, TX

This book is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information about financial guidance. Neither the author nor the publisher is engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services by publishing this book. If any such assistance is required, the services of a qualified financial professional should be sought. The author and publisher will not be responsible for any liability, loss, or risk incurred as a result of the use and application of any information contained in this book.

Flip-Flops and Fortunes copyright 2022 by Brady Johns

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Matt Holt is an imprint of BenBella Books, Inc.

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BenBella and Matt Holt are federally registered trademarks.

First E-Book Edition: August 2022

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022935022

ISBN 9781637741788 (hardcover)

ISBN 9781637741795 (ebook)

Copyediting by Sandra Wendel

Proofreading by Michael Fedison and Lisa Story

Text design and composition by PerfecType, Nashville, TN

Author photo by Justin Leitner, Score Headshots

Cover design by Brigid Pearson

Cover photography Shutterstock / Proxima Studio

Special discounts for bulk sales are available. Please contact .

For Mom

CONTENTS

E VER SEEN A BILLIONAIRE SMILE ? I mean really smile, right up to the corners of their eyes, so you can tell theyre not just mugging for the camera?

I havent. In fact, it seems to me that the worlds top earners tend to look haggard and pretty miserable. Theyve got all the resources and privileges in the worldaccess to things and experiences that we regular folks can only dream aboutand yet they run around looking pissed off and stressed all the time. Its almost as if they accumulated their wealth with a business-is-hell mentality, constantly seeking to crush their competition, and now that the moneys in the bank, theyre exhausted. Either that or the sheer pressure of hanging on to all that money is giving them nonstop migraines.

But heres the thing: Im worth tens of millions, and I smile constantly. I swear, if you ever meet me, youll think, This guy? In the flip-flops and T-shirt? With the shit-eating grin? Hes a millionaire?

I am. And unlike most high-profile millionaires, I use my wealth to enjoy my life. I mean, I focus on investing for the future and building stability for myself and my family, and I absolutely never throw my money away on luxury cars or obnoxious bling except when it is a reward for completing a project. But I also recognize that socking away cash just to have mountains of cash is... a little bit nuts. Its a socially acceptable form of hoarding, really. Especially if the process of accumulating more assets and money makes you feel strung out and tense.

Unless youre born rich, becoming a millionaire takes hard work, and lots of it. But that work shouldnt feel like a nonstop grind. And once youve achieved financial independence, you should not look like an anxiety-ridden zombie. You should build a life that allows you to wander the earth wearing flip-flops if that is what your heart desires. You should earn and accumulate wealth in ways that energize you instead of draining you.

Ive been building wealth for decades, so I can attest that those things are possible. But Ill also warn you that, on top of all that hard work I mentioned earlier, youll have to commit to a lifetime of learning. This is no one-and-done situation; its a journey. A long one. Im still on it myself.

Heres some proof: A few years back, I was looking for some established or retired rich people to interview. I wanted to soak up the wisdom of older wealthy people, talk with folks who were living the type of life that I wanted to live when I was seventy or eighty years old. Now, I dont know a ton of octogenarians, especially ones who maintain their net worth while traveling the globe, donating to worthy causes, and enjoying the good life. So I had to look outside my own natural friendship circles. Eventually, my search led to Chris Blackwell. (In case you havent heard of him, he founded Island Records, is credited with popularizing reggae outside of Jamaica, and launched the careers of Bob Marley, Grace Jones, and U2. So, you know, hes a cool guy.)

Chris owns Goldeneye in Jamaicathe former estate of James Bond novelist Ian Fleming and now a luxury resortand my family had rented there a few times in the past. So I sent Chris an email. I offered to donate a substantial sum to his favorite charity if hed spend an hour with me, talking money and business advice. And I could not believe that he even answered. Most people do not. So I was doubly surprised when he said yes.

Allow me to geek out for a moment: I was thrilled to meet this man. I dont tend to get starstruck around musicians or movie stars, but this guy was the actual living embodiment of everything I wanted to be at eighty years old. He was smart, savvy, wealthy, artistic, well traveled, generous, interesting, and full of curiosity. And he came walking down the beach, barefoot in his swim trunks, and he was everything to me. I was like, Oh my God, this is Chris Fucking Blackwell. And he owns this entire spectacular estate and the entire spectacular beach its sitting on. How kick-ass is that?