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Show Summary
In this episode of the Real Estate Pros podcast, host Q Edmonds interviews Todd Doxzon, a seasoned real estate investor and ESPN college football analyst. Todd shares his journey from starting a church in Omaha to becoming a successful real estate investor with properties in various locations. He emphasizes the importance of discipline, daily rhythms, and building relationships in achieving success. Todd also discusses the challenges he has faced in real estate and offers encouragement to entrepreneurs about the importance of serving others and staying true to one’s identity.
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Investor Fuel Show Transcript:
Todd Doxzon (00:00)
You know, I would say the number one thing is obviously my faith in Christ, but also just daily daily rhythms, Q, you know, it’s it’s I think a lot of people have these huge goals and I’ll be really honest with you. I just taught something. I do something called rhythms and I help people set their daily rhythms for the weekly monthly yearly goals. And one the things I just shared was, man, at 50 years old, I look back and I ask that question and why is God bless me so much? And a lot of it’s just those those non-negotiable pillars that you put in your eye.that are just whether you feel like it or not, you’re just gonna do it. And so whether it’s business, you know, you’re gonna make a certain amount of calls. ⁓ You know, you’re gonna be faithful to find the right deal and not just do any deal
Quentin (02:15)
Hello everyone. Welcome to the Real Estate Pros podcast. I am your host Q Edmonds. And if you’ve been following me as a podcaster, you know what I’m going to say. I’m excited to be here. I always, what excites me the most, and I say it all the time, is the guests. The quality of guests that we bring on is just really great. And this is no different. I’m excited for you guys to meet this gentleman so he can tell you about what he does in real estate.He’s on the verge of us doing just some great things. And I’m just excited for you to peek through his lens, for you to see things through his experience. And so I would love to introduce you to Mr. Todd Doxzon. Mr. Todd, how you doing today,
Todd Doxzon (02:57)
Living the dream, man. Thanks for having me, Q. Appreciate it.Quentin (03:00)
No,absolutely, man. Thank you for taking some time being here. Thank you for blessing us with your presence. And just like I told the audience just now, I’m excited, man, for you just to take us into your world, for you to see things through your lens. I don’t care how many people we interview, everybody always had a unique story, a unique perspective on the way they do things. And so I’m excited. And I just want you, if you don’t mind, take us into your world. Tell us what you’re mainly focused on these days. Tell us a little bit, maybe a-
of how you got started, tell us what market you operate in. So just take this into your world, Mr. Todd, if you don’t mind.
Todd Doxzon (03:36)
No, I appreciate it, man. The Cliff Notes, man, I’m 50 years old, been married for 25 years, had twin boys that are 23, both married, about to be a grandpa next week. Left Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 2008 to start a church here in Omaha, Nebraska. It’s been a wild ride. I got a book called Rich Dad Poor Dad in 2016.and ⁓ read that and got challenged to get in the game and bought our first. I sold my wife’s Denali and took that money and put down on our first rental property and been buying rental properties ever since here in the Omaha, Nebraska area. We also got a medium term in Ankeny, Iowa, and then a short term rental in ⁓ Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It’s actually in Busa Rias right on the beach. It’s a new condo, three three and just been. ⁓
Man, it’s been a fun ride. learning a lot, trying to serve people. Also got my real estate license this year and also work as an ESPN college football analyst. So a lot of things cook in Q and loving life, ⁓
Quentin (04:39)
So pretty much your life’s pretty boring, right? Nothing’s really going on in your world. No, man. man. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for sharing. Man, you know, I’m excited about what you’re doing, these rental properties, excited about you ⁓ getting your real estate license.Definitely always excited when I hear about 25 years of marriage. Come on now. I mean, that in itself is phenomenal. And I know, I’m sure you’re a researcher, probably know the stats, right?
Todd Doxzon (05:49)
Yeah.Quentin (05:55)
And so for the beard, about 25 years, sound like happy years, voice, you know, doing great, to be a granddad. I mean, you have everything going well in your personal life. sounds like things are going well in your business life. And so I want you to give us maybe a little secret to the sauce. Cause I know it’s not always easy in this climate. So what’s been the key for that machine to run smooth before you talk?Todd Doxzon (06:00)
Yeah.You know, I would say the number one thing is obviously my faith in Christ, but also just daily daily rhythms, Q, you know, it’s it’s I think a lot of people have these huge goals and I’ll be really honest with you. I just taught something. I do something called rhythms and I help people set their daily rhythms for the weekly monthly yearly goals. And one the things I just shared was, man, at 50 years old, I look back and I ask that question and why is God bless me so much? And a lot of it’s just those those non-negotiable pillars that you put in your eye.
that are just whether you feel like it or not, you’re just gonna do it. And so whether it’s business, you know, you’re gonna make a certain amount of calls. ⁓ You know, you’re gonna be faithful to find the right deal and not just do any
It’s these little disciplines. And I think the other thing too, man, is looking at people around me. And I’ve been super blessed with so many ⁓ amazing people. When I first got started, there were three men that I met with who were investors.
and they sat me down, one gave me a lease that I could use. Actually one guy, had this ⁓ two townhouses that were connected. He said, I’ll sell it to you, zero money down. And got me an early start after we bought that first one. I think the grace of God, the daily rhythms, and the people around me, I think would be the three main things that have really really skyrocketed our business.
and a blessing.
Quentin (07:48)
Yeah, man, listen, so talking to somebody like you, I can say this. I feel like I got the freedom to say this to you. Of course, we know healing happens in community, right? So you talked about being surrounded, right? So think about the three pillars, three people in your life that helped you out. But then you brought up the word discipline. And so listen, y’all, forgive me, but I’m talking to pass the time here. So I’m going to quote a scripture that I think is so fitting here. It’s a scripture that says, no discipline feels good at the time.Todd Doxzon (08:01)
Yes.Quentin (08:18)
But once it’s finished, it produces a life of righteousness and peace. And so when you put discipline, you saw building a rhythm, when you put disciplines in place that you follow and let that discipline teaches you, it produces peace. It produces a system that you can thrive in. So here you talk about discipline. I think that’s so important for the listeners to know that one of the systems you use is discipline. And so I really, really appreciate you saying that. I really, really do. Yeah. Yeah.Todd Doxzon (08:46)
Yeah.Yeah, I mean, it’s yeah, you’re quoting Hebrews 12, five through 12. And that whole concept is kind of God is that father. What father isn’t going to discipline their kid? You know, in the minute, you don’t like it when pops whips out the belt. But you know what? It’s it’s it’s a grace. It’s it’s it’s helping you stay disciplined for life. And this many years later, to see the fruit, it happens because of those little disciplines, for sure.
Quentin (08:47)
And so.Absolutely, sir. So thank you. people, so listen, one of the systems that you’ve got to put in place is discipline. Discipline keeps you from being emotional, right? It keeps you disciplined. That’s what it’s for. And so I, again, appreciate you saying that. And so listen, a lot of times we talk about the success in the finished product, but sometimes we don’t talk about the journey on how we got to the success. And so Mr. Todd, I would love if you could take your time.
and talk about maybe a time when things got real. Maybe when a deal went sideways or a time when you had to pivot fast. You might share a story like that so people will know that yes, the success is coming, but there’s a process to get into it.
Todd Doxzon (09:54)
Well, I’ll give you a perfect example right now. I literally just found an off-market deal,went through the contract. I’ve been working with my mortgage guy. I think I told you, told you, know, I’m hitting that kind of that threshold of 10. And so now, you know, I’m working through that and the guy that I went into contract with had second thoughts and he’s a friend of mine. so he said, Hey man, I’m really having second thoughts here. So I went through this whole entire process.
Worked back and forth, got in all your documents you needed. And it was a great deal. Had a guy come look at, to do the paint and do some of the flooring. Had it all figured out. then, know, one of my buddies is like, you know what? I’m having second thoughts. Well, that’s just, that’s an example of, hey, all right, be flexible, open-handed. All right, there’ll be another deal. And I think part of it too, Q, is you never want to burn bridges. You always want to err on the side of grace.
Yeah, you’re diligent, you’re consistent, you do the right thing. And I think when you do that consistently, over time, you’ll be blessed. But yeah, it’s not always easy. And not every deal is going to go perfectly. And so you just, I just always had this open hand kind of concept is like, hey, I’m going to control what I can. I’m going to have great effort, great attitude every day. I’m going to have an open hand and trust for God to direct every step.
some of those deals that you know, it’s frustrating because you work so hard and then, okay, it’s come, but maybe he’s got a better plan. I just think, you know, it’s part of the process.
Quentin (12:04)
No, I love it. I appreciate it. You know, I think what you just described is how people can stay in it for the long term, right? Is when they understand that adversity is going to come. Like you said, the open-handed approach, you know, like don’t squeeze too hard, you know, but keep it nice and steady because sometimes things going to come, sometimes things going to go. But how you continue your long-term success is that I can stay, I stay in my discipline. I stay, I stay moving forward.Todd Doxzon (12:32)
That’s right.Quentin (12:34)
But I understand that there will be times where I got to be flexible, where things are not going to go the way that I thought it was going to go. And we’re finding it out in this market now, like, you know, things are, you know, are shifting. Some shifting for the better, some shifting for the good. And so again, man, I love your perspective on it, Mr. Todd. Let me ask you this, sir. What are you most focused on scaling or solving next? Like, what’s the next real goal for you?Todd Doxzon (12:40)
That’s right.Yeah.
That’s a good question. So I mentioned we have a short-term run in Puerto Vallarta.
And so I’m actually looking ⁓ in the Yucatan right now. And so I’m working on a deal in the Yucatan, a very similar project, a brand new pre-construction deal. It’s a condo ⁓ and it’s about an hour two away from Cancun right on the beach. It’s a great little unit. So I’m working on that deal right now. And I think as we talked about, you know, when we first started out, we’re buying these short or excuse me, these long-term rentals, townhouses and villas within HOA. These are great.
great
places, they’re cheap. The money was cheap back then. And so we’ve had to pivot now because the cash flow isn’t working as well. We tried medium term, it’s okay. The short term really, we tried that and it worked out. So I think that’s kind of the next stage for us is finding these pre-construction deals where not only did the numbers work, but also the appreciation opportunity is huge. mean, you’re going to make typically, if it goes right, a couple hundred grand in the first three, four years.
So that’s kind of what we’re zoning in on right now and still try to bat a couple singles here in Omaha along the way. I would say the short term rentals is the next stage for us.
Quentin (14:16)
I it. I love it. That’s big. ⁓ Especially when you’re moving to Yucatan. I mean, listen, y’all doing some big things. Listen, looking about pre-construction deals. mean, yes, you guys are moving on. Like you have found a sweet spot, but you’re not getting stagnant at the same time. Not moving outside your discipline, but like how can we go further? Because we got peace here, we’re settled here, but now what’s the next step? And so.Todd Doxzon (14:34)
Exactly.Quentin (14:43)
I love it. love the growth opportunity. love everything that I’m hearing. ⁓ I love the fact that you are a server. I love the fact that you keep bringing up relationships. You might not have said the word relationships, but you keep bringing upabout the three people in your life that sat you down. Talking about your sons and what you’ve done with them. You know, talking about, you know, just finding these construction deals. So I know relationships are important to you. So I want to talk about relationships just a little bit. So when it comes to like building relationships and growing your network.
What’s made the biggest difference for you?
Todd Doxzon (15:57)
Well, let’s go back to it. When I first started, I had three gentlemen that were gracious enough to meet with me and to help.you know, and surround me as I started. And so I want to give that away as well. And so whether it’s from the realtor perspective or the investor perspective, that’s my heart is I genuinely want to serve people. You know, I want to honor honor the Lord, the experience he’s given me by his grace. And then I, you know, I want to give it away the way I look at it. I’m standing on the shoulders of guys that have gone before me, guys and gals that gone before me and some of the grace of God. So now I want to bring that ⁓ the wisdom, education, experience.
I want to give it away to others as well. As I mentioned, know, one of my boys, I told both my twin boys, they’re 23, buy your first home, renovate it, turn it into a rental, go buy your next one. And, you know, and that’s, it’s the beauty of it. You give it away and then you tell them to go give it away as well. Now you’ve got this snowball effect of serving others and allowing others to thrive in life. And so I think that’s, I think that that’s part of it. And what happens is when you have the
right motive to genuinely honor God and serve people. I just think man, he blesses that and what comes around goes around man. That’s very true. You reap what you sow. And so I think if you keep your heart humble and you keep your motive pure, think business just comes to you and it continues to flow. And this business 101, you serve your client well, your client’s gonna be your biggest advocate and they’re gonna go tell their friends, man, you wouldn’t believe how they went above and beyond.
Quentin (17:16)
Yes, sir.Mm-hmm.
Todd Doxzon (17:34)
get this deal done or how they found an off-market deal that they blessed me with. ⁓ Your client becomes the number one ⁓ fan and the cheerleader for you and that’s how that business continues to replicate.Quentin (17:48)
Yeah,no, absolutely. When you do well by somebody, they will automatically praise you. Like your name will be in their mouth when you do well by people that you serve. And so that’s why they always say, you know, one of the best marketing is that word of mouth, right? That’s one of the best ways to share business because, you know, they have that touch point. You have literally touched them in their experience and they know like, hey, this is how they made me feel. They say people may not remember everything you said, but they remember how you made them feel.
Todd Doxzon (18:04)
That’s right.Quentin (18:17)
And so when you have that servant’s heart, that’s, I think that’s like you said, that’s the precipice to everything really. so, um, this is, when I talk to someone like you, when I say someone like you, I know what it means somebody just like with that, just the perspective that you have, not a, like a growth mindset, not a fixed mindset, but then, when I talk to somebody like you, that that’s used to encouraging people, I think this will land right well. Cause I like to take the opportunity sometimes for our listeners to encourage.Todd Doxzon (18:24)
Yep.Quentin (18:47)
our viewers, right? To inspire them, to even maybe educate them. so is there anything on your heart? You know, of course we’re talking about business wise, but just in life, right? Because life and business is they intertwine so very well. But if there’s any encouragement that you can give to entrepreneurs, real estate people that’s at different spaces in their journey, I want to open up the floor for you to kind of encourage them a little bit.Todd Doxzon (18:57)
Yeah.I that.
Again, I don’t mean to be preaching here, but I’ll just go back to Genesis. mean, God created man to multiply. He literally put him in a garden and he said, be fruitful and multiply. And so to me, it’s pre-programmed in us. Why do we want to succeed in business? Why do we want to succeed in family and life? It’s because it’s innate in us. It’s pre-programmed in us to be fruitful and multiply. And the only thing, caveat I would say is don’t let that define you, right? ⁓
We want to build businesses. We want to build families. We want to bless others because it’s in us. But man, we’re not what we do. It’s who God says we are. And I think that’s it. We’ve got to really get that figured out because if not, we’ll just continue to try to get the next deal, the next deal, next deal. It’s not going to fulfill. So there’s that interesting tension you manage. I say this, man. It’s like even when you retire, you’re still going to be doing something because if not, you’re going to get depressed, man. It’s like, no, be fruitful. Be a blessing to someone.
Multiply something, have something being built. And I think that’s when we’re in line with how we’re created. So, any event, that’s just something that came to mind real quick. But, know, serve people, man. Just love people well, love unconditionally. And, you know, God will work it out.
Quentin (20:30)
And I love it. What a powerful message. One of my mentors said that we’re human beings, but not human doings, right? So when you start holding that tension between being and not doing, but also ⁓ another pastor that I heard say this, when you know who you are, you know what to do. So when you know who you are and you know who you are, you also know what to do. And so it’s like, like you said, balancing that tension, right? We are human beings, but we are created to create.Todd Doxzon (20:52)
So good.Quentin (20:59)
but you got to know who you are before you even try to tackle what you’re supposed to create. And so it’s like, like you said, holding that interest in tension and I love it. And I think most of us that’s most of us listening, you probably live in that tension, you know, between, you know, building something, but being true to how you feel like you’re supposed to build it. And so with that being said, I am so excited about what you’re building. So excited about the example that you are in your community.Todd Doxzon (21:04)
Yeah.Quentin (21:26)
for your family and I just thank you for coming on and just really blessing us with the nuggets today. I really appreciate it Mr. Todd.Todd Doxzon (21:34)
It’s an honor, man. Yeah, I love what you guys are doing at Investor Fuel, keeping up the great work, man. Just you as a brother, dude. It’s like a brother from another mother right away, dude. We’re locked in. Super cool.Quentin (21:43)
⁓ Exactly. Yup, yup.I mean, just almost immediately. listen, before we wrap, if someone wanted to reach out to you, connect with you, maybe collaborate, learn more about what you’re doing, how can they get in contact with you, Mr. Todd?
Todd Doxzon (21:48)
Yeah.Yeah, two best ways. Lovechurch.org is the church we lead as far as the church perspective. From a perspective, I’m on LinkedIn, Todd Doxzon on LinkedIn, where it’s more of that real estate, ESPN, but also some of the church stuff. But yeah, both those ways and be happy to serve anybody for sure.
Quentin (22:18)
I love it. Well, there he is, Mr. ⁓ Pastor Todd, Yall heard him, my brother. There he is. Listen, I appreciate you so much, man, for coming through. I can go on just really just giving you with so many, you know, platitudes and just, because I really love what you’re doing. I love what you stand for, but thank you so much for coming through and again, blessing our audience with your wisdom. I appreciate you, sir.Todd Doxzon (22:41)
Absolutely. God bless, bro.Quentin (22:42)
Absolutely.Well, listen, everyone, you got it. You’ve heard the gems. You got the value. Just go ahead and hit the subscribe button. That way when alarm go off, when we go live, or when our show goes up, let me just say it like that, you can come on in and get the knowledge. So thank you, Mr. Todd. And listen to everyone else. We will see you on the next time.
