From Nonprofit to New Horizons: Brandon's Journey into Real Estate and Strategy

Welcome to Radhika’s Newsletter “Intent”. This is your 3x/month guide to purposeful living, wealth-building, and personal growth.

I’m so excited to introduce our next Intent in Action feature: Brandon!

But before I share his story, I want to talk about how Brandon and I met (it’s so cool!)

Last year, I heard about this AI networking bot where it’ll help you connect with people based on what you’re looking for. Then it’ll use it’s existing network or search LinkedIn to help you connect with others. Honestly, I didn’t use it much when I first found out about it and this year I decided to take a stab at it.

And that’s exactly how I met Brandon!

We got on a call without knowing much about each other at all and just see where the conversation might go. And we hit it off instantly!

We realized that we share a deep belief in giving back, a genuine commitment to supporting the next generation, and a real interest in personal growth and self-development. It felt natural, like we were already speaking the same language.

I knew right then that I wanted to bring his voice and perspective into my newsletter because there’s something grounding about the way he thinks, and something generous about the way he moves through the world.

I can’t wait for you to read his story and get inspired too!

Can you tell us a bit about who you are and the transition you made in your career or life?

My name is Brandon. Over the last 15 years, I’ve been in nonprofit, real estate, education, tech, and personality testing and have successfully navigated each of those transitions. But, it wasn’t always easy!

The very first pivot from nonprofit to flipping houses was the most challenging on multiple levels.

What was the turning point that inspired you to make this change or pursue this new direction?

I had been in non-profit sector for 1.5 years when I started noticing a loss of engagement from myself. I was less motivated, less excited, less hopeful than when I began. The systemic barriers, the lack of a clear path forward, and not getting paid enough were starting to wear me down.

It became clear to me over time that I needed to better understand money, strategy, and organization in order to be more effective at solving the problems in nonprofit.

What steps did you take to approach this transition intentionally, and how did you plan for success?

In trying to answer the “what’s next” question, I actively started learning. Over one summer, I read 6–7 books on business, money, investing, and leadership. Somewhere along the way, I learned about the importance of real estate in creating wealth.

Once I settled on real estate being a potential path, I kept my eyes peeled for opportunities in the space. A good friend of mine eventually told me about a program to learn how to flip houses, and that’s how we began.

What challenges or doubts did you face along the way, and how did you overcome them?

1. I actually wrestled for a few months over whether I should change paths because I was already “somebody” in the niche I was in. Why would I walk away and become a “nobody”?

   Part of me felt like changing paths would mean that the previous work would be a “waste.”

   It wasn’t until I read this comic that I finally felt permission to move forward and not look back.

   Nothing is ever a waste. Don’t play into the sunk-cost fallacy.
   

2. I intuitively knew at that time that my path would be easier if I had someone with me in the trenches. I knew I’d struggle if it was just myself. Somehow I had the presence of mind to proactively act on that and convinced my friend to go all in on this path with me. I don’t know if I would have gone as far as I did without him.

   
   Know what you need to perform at your best!
   

3. There was a point six months into my real estate journey where it all could have ended. The first and only serious deal that my cofounder and I had was about to collapse. We scrambled, called everyone we knew to see who could help salvage the deal, and miraculously, someone went for it. That someone ended up becoming my mentor for the next three years and taught me most of what I know.

   How you decide to act in the face of challenge directly relates to the likelihood you overcome it.

What impact has this transition had on your life, and how has it shaped your vision for the future?

The process of transition itself gave me the first rep in learning to reinvent myself. All the lessons I learned through this process have made each of my subsequent reinventions easier. Instead of ‘fighting’ the tide of holding on to who I used to be, I’ve learned to go with the tide, embracing the waters of change when it’s time to move on.

The vision of my life assumes continuous change as a feature. A storied, varied, prolific career that’s driven by my curiosity.

The switch into real estate specifically helped lay the foundation of business acumen, productivity fundamentals, strategic thinking, and investing philosophy that have served me in every one of my ventures since. The doors of possibility that have opened up as a result of this stage of my career are too many to count.

If someone in a similar position is reading this, what advice would you give them about taking that first step?

1. Life is short! Make the most of it.

2. Don’t fall for the Sunk-Cost Fallacy.

3. Don’t take advice from people who haven’t walked the path that you are hoping to walk.

4. Test paths before committing; there is ZERO pressure to change paths ASAP. There was always a time of “in between” for all my pivots; this lasted anywhere between 9–18 months as I searched for the next thing.

5. There’s no such thing as “get rich quick”; there are only things that you’d be excited to do longer and harder than other people because there’s something deeper driving you. Know the “why” of what you’re looking for in a different path. The clearer the why, the more conviction you’ll move with, and the easier decision-making will be.
   

How did staying true to your intentions guide you through this transition, and what role did clarity of purpose play in your journey?

It started with being honest with my intentions prior to the transition and realizing that my old intentions were fulfilled and a new one was emerging. This was my starting point.

Clarity of intention in my next step drove all my action over the next 3 years, and whether or not I did real estate wouldn’t have mattered – I would have found a way to do what I set out to do: understand money, strategy, and organization.

You also have to be willing to acknowledge that your intentions can shift or change over time. As you move through life, sometimes staying true to your intentions is realizing that you develop new intentions along the way.

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Thank you so much for being a part of the Intent community. I rely on word-of-mouth for growth. If you enjoyed this newsletter, I’d love for you to share it with a friend.
Your commitment to living with purpose is exactly why this space exists. Can’t wait to share more in the next edition!

Until next time,
Radhika
Creating a life of purpose, wealth, and growth.

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