From Corporate Burnout to Real Estate Entrepreneur | Corey Peckford

Corey Peckford (00:00)
definitely a part of my life there was you know i would look back and and almost have whether it was my childhood or things that happened you almost you were your whole resentment and that resentment only harmed me and where so so letting it go and just saying look I’m gonna be you know

It maybe it wasn’t my fault, but it is my problem. So I have to deal with this. I have to either accept it and just and just ⁓ grow from it. So I think that’s a big thing is just being taking full responsibility of what you know, of what I what’s what I can ha what I can control. Yeah.

Quentin Edmonds (02:01)
Welcome to the Real Estate Pros Podcast. I am your host, Q Edmonds, and I am excited to be here today. I have a fantastic guest. He is a realtor in Canada. He owns real estate. He’s building a home service business. And the name of the business is Turn Key YYC. And if you are in Canada, that should ring bells to you. And so I’m so excited to introduce you all to Mr. Corey Peckford. Mr. Corey, how are you today, my friend?

Corey Peckford (02:36)
I’m doing good. Yeah. Thank you for having me. I’m excited to be here. It’s ⁓ it’s a rainy day here, but that’s okay. I’m dry. I’m inside.

Quentin Edmonds (02:44)
Yeah. Well listen, I call rain my liquid sunshine. So I love rain, man. So yeah, rain don’t stop no show. I was a mailman for 14 years. So rain ain’t stop no show. So yeah, so I feel you, man. Absolutely. ⁓ well, listen, Corey, sir, I am a type. I like to dive right in. So I would love for you to tell the people what’s your main focus these days. And if you don’t mind, give us a little bit of an origin story, kind of how you got into the space where you’re in.

Corey Peckford (03:08)
Okay, yeah, you bet. So I I guess maybe I’m maybe a bit unique. ⁓ everybody has their own journey, their own story. So I am a I’m a licensed realtor. ⁓ earlier I’d I’ll just do a super quick little overview, but I I basically I was an oil and gas focused right out of high school. I did two trades, one was electrical, the other instrumentation. And then I was working for a large corporate company, definitely had the golden handcuffs, ⁓ the pension plan, and I ended up moving up the corporate ladder.

as high as I could without having the engineering degree. I got stuck in this one role that I it just it didn’t I’m I’m more of a doer. I like to to I sure I jump in front of the computer. I do things I can you know I I have those skills, but I I like to get out and and be busy. I like people. So just to be buried in a in a pipeline process ⁓ wasn’t didn’t get my juices flowing. Then I had a bit of a ⁓ well I definitely had a a a significant life ⁓ event that happened.

I lost two people that were very dear to me within four days. ⁓ I was going through a divorce at the same time. ⁓ so everything it was all it was like, you know, they talk about the seasons of life. I I hit my winter and ⁓ and in that winter I decided to resign from that job. I just I it was another ⁓ a piece I guess that was really adding stress to my life. Yeah. so so I I ended up resigning and I got inspired because of the trades, because I was doing rentals on houses on the side for for many years.

I ⁓ I got inspired, why don’t I start a home inspection business? So and so that’s what I did. I I started a home inspection company and it was it went really well. It I got I I did over a thousand home inspections and got a a master’s designation as a home inspector. So now as a realtor I use that knowledge. So if I walk into a property or if you just tell me the year, ⁓ I’ll you know, unless if it’s original, I can tell you ⁓ what some of the risk would be when I’m working with clients, that kind of thing. I ⁓ I I give them it’s not a it’s obviously not a full home inspection, but I can

I can reduce their risk when when we’re they’re looking at purchasing a property. ⁓ I also started a podcast, so real estate, it’s called Calgary Real Estate Investing Podcast and and interviewing people ⁓ you know that focus on investing. So I’ve worked with ⁓ a fair number of investors looking to ⁓ expand their portfolio, buy a rental property, and every there’s nuances to every every state or or province or municipality where

The rules behind legally outlies that you know if you can have a legal suite, one in the backyard or excuse me, or in the basement kind of thing. So ⁓ that type of knowledge is really specific to where you are. And I do ⁓ you know, I do have a great understanding of that as well for my clients here. yeah. Cause you have to navigate with the with the city, of course, right? what what are the rules and what are they going to allow for for suites, that kind of thing. Yeah. Yeah. So that would be, I guess, the high level. ⁓ I also

I guess the other little things I’ve been doing, I have a rental business. ⁓ I find that’s when you talk about cash flow. when you when you rent out, so you got a property rental versus say equipment rental. So I I have skid steers and excavators, trailers, and smaller equipment that I rent out to landscape contractors. And it has pros and cons too. It’s not all just you know, there’s always input, right? So there’s things that fail, there’s there’s payment things that you have to deal with and

⁓ maintenance. But I but I do find ROI is is pretty decent on when you know your numbers and and maybe you get a good deal on equipment at an auction, ⁓ those numbers can look pretty good. So I’ve I’ve been scaling that, but it’s seasonal. And the other thing was that like you mentioned Turn Key YYC. So service business where I I want to I might I’m working with the Ukrainian community and that’s where I look to hire you know good people and we were looking at just doing a whole gamut of services for homes

Quentin Edmonds (07:39)
Corey, man. Thank you, man. Thank you. Thank you for telling us what it is that you do, even taking us on a journey. ⁓ and listen, I I often say, Corey, destiny has no wasted moments, right? Destiny has no wasted moments, meaning nothing’s random. We’re borrowing from every leg of the journey. It reinforces the people that we are now. And so I would love to know what have you learned about yourself through the journey? Have you learned discipline?

Have we learned resilience? Has it changed your outlook on innovation? Like what has the moments taught Corey about Corey?

Corey Peckford (08:12)
That’s a great question. I think one thing for sure is is discipline. ⁓ you know, I’ve when I look back, I I’ve I’ve definitely been a I do journal and when I look back at my life, you know, at times I’ll go back and I’ll reread my journal and and the more the more that I’m doing the positive things, so whether it’s just getting out in nature, exercising, doing those daily habits, reading, right? ⁓ constantly learning, those are the things that that

in in time pay dividends ⁓ to me personally so i think that has been a a a big a big part of my life but also taking responsibility so i think ⁓

definitely a part of my life there was you know i would look back and and almost have whether it was my childhood or things that happened you almost you were your whole resentment and that resentment only harmed me and where so so letting it go and just saying look I’m gonna be you know

It maybe it wasn’t my fault, but it is my problem. So I have to deal with this. I have to either accept it and just and just ⁓ grow from it. So I think that’s a big thing is just being taking full responsibility of what you know, of what I what’s what I can ha what I can control. Yeah.

Quentin Edmonds (09:20)
No, I appreciate when you talk about journaling. I’m grabbing my journal. These are just these are just some I’ve just literally put some away. And so ⁓ man, when you talk about journaling, I’m with you, and I appreciate your perspective and on on that on that question and your reflective answer, man. You know, I ⁓ one of the reasons why I asked that question here is because at the center of

Every business person business is them, the business owner, right? And so sometimes you had to reflect and see kind of where you came from. ⁓ how did I get to where I am and what sustains me right now? And I love, you know, you talked about and lean towards like the mindset. Like you said it’s man, you said it so eloquently. You said it’s not your pro what did you say? You said it’s not your pro it’s not your pro.

Corey Peckford (10:06)
It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault, but it is your problem. Right?

Quentin Edmonds (10:10)
Boom. Boom. It’s not your fault, but it is your problem. Like, what are you going to do with it now? Cause it’s here and it’s not going anywhere. So what are we going to do with it? How are we going to move forward? Kids, is it something that we can lay down or is it something that you know gonna cut that we’re gonna carry with us? But either way, we gotta move forward. We can’t get stuck. ⁓ and that’s and and that’s saying that even with all the grace on us, right? This is not no shame. That’s this even having grace on yourself. So I mean I I again I just

Appreciate your well thought out answer, man. ⁓ what’s next for you, sir? What’s next for you, Corey? What’s the next real goal? What are you looking to solve at scale next?

Corey Peckford (10:45)
I think I I’m really passionate about helping people and and doing it making a difference. So when if I can combine ⁓ that and like serving people and doing and having a business, it’s it’s a to me it’s it’s what actually gets me up in the morning, gets me excited, right? Yeah. So I’ve even I’ve taken the the some like aging in place courses as well. So even helping seniors. So so with this Turn Key YYC, it you know, it’s not all just about transactions and trying to, you know.

If if if if it’s better for the my clients to stay and and live long term in that home, if that’s a better financial solution, then then that’s what we’re gonna do. So to me, it’s all about meeting people where they’re at and what’s you know, each person’s unique, right? And their situation. So just s serving people and building a business. And and then the combination with using ⁓ you know, the Ukrainian people. So I’ve I’ve found ⁓ the they’re they’re just a a really great community of people, hardworking.

highly skilled. ⁓ and there’s, you know, it’s quite a number of them in the city here in Calgary. So ⁓ yeah, it’s just a win win. So find quality people, give give them quality work and ⁓ and also serve and help people. Yeah.

Quentin Edmonds (12:34)
And you hit on a lot of key points from me that resonate with me because I often say I believe at the foundation of any sustainable business is servitude. If you serve people, I believe the business will continue to be sustained. I really believe that you how far we scale, that’s you know, that’s to be determined. But I do believe it will be sustained because servitude is at the heart of it. And so, man, I again I appreciate your reflective answers. ⁓

What’s one operational thing you have put into place the last two years that hasn’t made the biggest difference in how you do business?

Corey Peckford (13:09)
⁓ you probably I would say, of course, like a lot of people, it’s AI. So so using AI to build, ⁓ even for like if for the for a business, if for if we’re doing a quotation sheet, that kind of thing, you can really ⁓ build out, you know, a very robust ⁓ sheet that you can just type in your parameters and and that has multiple tabs and and and different rate sheets. ⁓ so I think AI is or even a sounding board. ⁓ so I use it.

That I and I what I do is I combine it with another software. So if I’m if I’m focusing because what I find is it’s challenging to if you’re having these conversations and all these great ideas, where you need like a filing cabinet to put it in. Yeah. Right. Because if not, it it gets buried or it starts to forget it. And so I feel like so I have another s software that I put it in and it’s like my filing cabinet of information with different headers and I can go back and

and and and look at those ⁓ tabs when I need it and and you know those conversations that I’ve had or yeah. So I feel like implement using AI to to take some of that stuff away, some of the ⁓ you can it’s amazing what you can do in a in such a short amount of time these days with ⁓ you know such a powerful assistant.

Quentin Edmonds (14:20)
Yeah, yeah. So true. So true, my friend. Corey, I want to talk a little bit about relationships, man. ⁓ I want to hear your philosophy when it comes to business relationships. And are there certain relationships within business that that have served you well and continue to serve you well? Are there some people that’s in your network that continue to serve you well, whether it you know referrals or sounding boards? But talk to me a little bit, Corey, about relationships, man, and your philosophy on them.

Corey Peckford (14:47)
Well, of course, I think ⁓ that’s what makes that’s a big part of life, right? Whether it’s a business relationship or a friendship relationship, ⁓ just having a a community of people, of quality people that that if you’re going through a hard time or if you’re if you just need some inspiration. So I have I have certainly very close friends that that I like to connect with and and then my brother, he’s he’s ⁓ quite an established ⁓ business owner. Yeah, as a a large mortgage company. And so I I do appreciate

his input and I really value his his insights. he’s he’s always believed in personal growth and same thing with but taking responsibility, coaching. ⁓ so I really ⁓ he would be I would consider a mentor of mine. yeah and I it’s and it’s great. He’s my brother. So and he’s older than me. So growing up, you know, he was the the good big brother to me. So it was ⁓ it’s been like that I guess through through my life, which I which I am thankful for. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Quentin Edmonds (16:22)
absolutely. Hey Corey, listen. ⁓ I kind of just want to make sure we touch all bases, right? So I’m not sure if you maybe you came in with a message on your mind that you wanted to make sure our viewers knew. And so I kind of just want to open up the floor if if there’s a message that you came in that you wanted to land.

Or is there any other like inspiration, education, motivation? I just want to make sure we don’t miss anything. And so I kind of just want to open up the floor. If I did not prompt you with a question and it’s something on your mind, I kind of want to open up the floor so you land.

Corey Peckford (16:54)
this is ⁓ I I I’m not to be honest, I’m not quite sure. I I I I I guess I can only reflect on my own personal journey. And one thing I’ve ⁓ you know, I I feel like in some ways it’s maybe I’ve been a slow learner, it’s taking me longer, but one realization I think I’ve had more recently is it’s a lot of things just come down to mindset. So if you if you have control of your mindset, your your inputs, ⁓ what you’re reading, what you’re listening to, ⁓ you know.

better, more positive things are gonna happen, right? Than than if you’re, you know, if you’re more conscientious about what you’re consuming. ⁓ so so for me, I I do there’s certain books like I’m I’ll you know, just continue to read and and and just ⁓ sharpen my mindset and and I think ⁓ only positive things can happen for for your business and for your life. Yeah.

Quentin Edmonds (17:42)
Yeah. Corey, sir, man. I listen, I really, really appreciate you coming on. I appreciate this conversation. If someone wanted to reach out to you, connect with you, collaborate with you, learn more about what you’re doing, Corey. How can I get in contact with you, sir?

Corey Peckford (17:55)
So you can reach out. ⁓ I mean, I can leave my ⁓ my email is just [email protected] yeah, I’m the host of the Calgary Real Estate and Investing Podcast. And ⁓ find me online if you just search Corey Peckford, ⁓ you’re certainly gonna find my business. ⁓ I also have a ⁓ yeah, ⁓ ozone business, which in in Calgary as well, which kind of ties into the term TYYC. But ⁓ so kind of a serial entrepreneur. And I think when you look at

S stories of other people in the past, most of ⁓ didn’t just stay in one place, right? They they kept trying different things until they found their their their niche or their sweet spot in life. Yeah. Yeah.

Quentin Edmonds (18:36)
Corey sir. I appreciate you, man. Let me say three things to you sincerely. One, thank you for your time. Right? I think time is our most precious commodity. So I value your time. Thank you so much for spending some time with us today. Secondly, man, thank you for your story. Thank you for the gift of your vulnerability, the gift of your authenticity, the gift of your integrity. Thank you, man. I believe our stories plant seeds for people. And we may never see the full growth, but the seed is there. And so I believe you planted some seeds today.

Lastly, man, thank you for your mindset. Thank you for the way you think and bringing that mindset to this platform. I greatly appreciate you coming on, sir.

Corey Peckford (19:12)
Thank you. I I really appreciate this conversation. Yeah, it was ⁓ I ⁓ yeah, thank you for having me on your show and I hope hope it’s helpful for for your listeners.

Quentin Edmonds (19:21)
No, I’m I’m sure it’s gonna hit the exact person and people that it’s supposed to. So thank you again, man. Now listen, y’all heard Mr. Corey. His information is in the show notes. Please get in contact with him. But definitely make sure you’re subscribed here because I promise you we’re gonna continue to bring up amazing people just like Mr. Corey. So, sir, I say thank you again. And to everyone else, y’all have a fantastic day.