E44: Why Money Still Feels Unsafe (Even When You're Doing "Well")

E44: Why Money Still Feels Unsafe (Even When You're Doing "Well")

Rahkim Sabree, financial therapist and author of Overcoming Financial Trauma, joins Mary Kathryn Johnson (Planet Wealth CXO) to unpack the hidden forces shaping your relationship with money. Rahkim explains why financial trauma is not just a budgeting problem but a nervous system problem, and why financial wellness often requires more than financial literacy. If you have ever felt anxiety opening your bank app, guilt after spending, or shame about your "status," this conversation reframes those reactions as learned survival responses, not character flaws. Rahkim breaks down how our earliest money memories form beliefs that can stick for decades, and how those beliefs show up as patterns in adulthood, even for high earners. He shares research-informed insights on financial socialization, the fight-flight-freeze response to money stress, and how intergenerational experiences can influence our money vigilance. Then he offers a practical framework from his book: the Three E's of overcoming financial trauma, Exposure, Education, and Execution. The goal is not to become emotionless about money, but to build safety, clarity, and alignment so your decisions stop being driven by fear. Mary adds personal examples of how childhood messages about "rich people" shape identity, self-worth, and wealth-building confidence. Together they explore the shift from scarcity and survival mode into values-based wealth building, including how to communicate financial boundaries without feeling smaller in the eyes of others. Rahkim also challenges the idea that money trauma only affects people who "don't have enough," describing how wealth can still coexist with hypervigilance, hustle culture, and a constant sense that safety is always one step away. If you want to build wealth without dragging shame, fear, or old narratives into every decision, this episode gives you language, tools, and a clear starting point. Watch the full episode of Fortunes of the Brave for the complete framework. Key Takeaways: * Identify your earliest money memories to expose the narratives driving your behavior * Notice how money stress shows up in your body and treat it like a threat response * Use the Three E's framework to move from awareness to action without shame * Align goals and values to reduce guilt and stop self-sabotage spending patterns * Build a money-safe culture in your home and community to heal collectively Chapters: * 00:00 – Welcome and why financial therapy matters * 00:34 – What a financial therapist does and what financial trauma means * 03:06 – How money beliefs form early and shape identity * 05:20 – Intergenerational money stress and epigenetics * 09:40 – The Three E's: Exposure, Education, Execution * 12:20 – Money as a threat: the body's response to financial stress * 18:40 – Money story vs money narrative and how to rewrite it * 21:20 – Scarcity vs abundance and why "safety" is the real driver * 24:19 – Values alignment, spending patterns, and financial boundaries * 31:40 – Community, culture, and healing financial trauma collectively * 42:25 – How financial trauma shows up even when you "have money" * 50:16 – Closing thoughts and Rahkim's book Resources Mentioned: * Overcoming Financial Trauma (Rahkim Sabree, Wiley, published November 2025) Connect with Rahkim: * Website [https://www.rahkimsabree.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahkimsabree/] * X [https://x.com/rahkimsabree] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rahkimsabree] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI_ZIf3l2YEznCNlkjZONfg] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/RahkimSabree/] Follow Planet Wealth: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetwealthofficial] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetwealth_] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetwealthofficial/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/planetwealthofficial] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@PlanetWealthPodcast] planetwealth.com [https://planetwealth.com/]

E43: Why Most People Fail in Real Estate (The Rule Many Ignore)

Welby Accely, real estate investor and educator known across social media as @atmybest197, joins Mary Kathryn Johnson of Planet Wealth to break down the real story behind building wealth in real estate. Welby is direct about what most people hide: he was wiped out to zero three separate times, and the turning point was admitting the biggest problem was not the market or the "players" around him, it was him. He shares how a final 90,000 check became the seed for an eight-figure real estate portfolio that now produces tens of thousands of dollars in net income each month. This episode is a candid look at real estate investing without the influencer gloss. Welby explains how people get taken advantage of by common "players" in the business, including realtors, contractors, lenders, inspectors, and tenants, and why blaming them only goes so far when the same mistakes repeat. He also unpacks why passion is not enough, why "a job" rarely closes the gap long term, and how his fear of going back to economic rock bottom became fuel for discipline and execution. One of the most practical frameworks comes when Welby simplifies the entire real estate business into one concept: everything is a flip. Whether you wholesale, rehab and retail, or buy and hold for cash flow, the foundation is the same. You make your money on the buy, and the key is buying at the right price point. From there, he shares how he helps students stop paying for fluff, reverse engineer real goals from macro to micro, and avoid cookie-cutter strategies that do not fit their life. If you are serious about building wealth, cash flow, and ownership through real estate, this conversation will challenge your mindset and tighten your fundamentals. Watch the full episode of Fortunes of the Brave for the complete framework and the unfiltered truth. Key Takeaways: * Own your outcomes before blaming the market or "the players." * Buy at the right price point because you make money on the buy. * Simplify real estate investing by recognizing everything is a flip. * Reverse-engineer goals from macro vision to micro daily actions. * Choose a strategy that fits your life, not what looks good online. Chapters: * 00:00 – Welcome and Welby's real estate origin story * 00:37 – Wiped out three times and the mindset shift that changed everything * 02:40 – The "players" who take advantage and why responsibility still matters * 05:09 – The 90,000 check and betting on yourself * 07:20 – Why the influencer era is fading and truth is winning * 10:21 – Passion is not enough and why a job rarely closes the gap * 12:44 – Fear, survival drive, and "economic death" chasing you * 18:42 – Helping dozens of people buy their first investment property * 20:40 – Why "no fluff" mentorship works and how Welby teaches simply * 26:40 – Everything is a flip: wholesale vs flip vs buy-and-hold * 29:30 – The real key: buying at the right price point * 31:22 – Macro vision to micro execution and avoiding cookie-cutter strategies * 39:17 – Time, health, and protecting what you built * 43:45 – Final advice: the world does not owe you understanding Resources Mentioned: * Flips to Profits (Welby's company name referenced in the episode) * "Economic death" concept (framework Welby uses for generational distance from poverty) Connect with Welby: * Website: https://sociatap.com/atmybest/ [https://sociatap.com/atmybest/] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@atmybest197 [https://www.youtube.com/@atmybest197] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atmybest197/ [https://www.instagram.com/atmybest197/] * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atmybest197 [https://www.tiktok.com/@atmybest197] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atmybest197 [https://www.facebook.com/atmybest197] Follow Planet Wealth: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetwealthofficial] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetwealth_] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetwealthofficial/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/planetwealthofficial] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@PlanetWealthPodcast] planetwealth.com [https://planetwealth.com/]

E42: Think Like a Bank: A Smart Way to Invest in Real Estate

Brian Dally, Co-Founder and CEO of GroundFloor, is a pioneer in private market investing and one of the earliest category creators in real estate debt investing. In this episode of Fortunes of the Brave, Brian explains how he and his co-founder saw a future where everyday investors could access high-yield, short-duration private market opportunities backed by real estate. Brian's story starts with a lifelong interest in investing, sparked at age 15, and accelerates when he meets Nick, a regulatory strategist who helped shape the 2012 JOBS Act. Together, they pursued an approach most people dismissed: building a mass-market alternative investment product that fit inside securities regulations. Brian shares how more than 10 law firms told them the SEC would never allow it, and how that skepticism became their advantage over time. The conversation breaks down a key misunderstanding that keeps many investors stuck: the difference between owning an asset and financing an asset. Brian explains why being a creditor can offer lower volatility and more predictable outcomes, and why "acting like the bank" can be a powerful mental model for investors looking for yield without equity-level swings. Brian also offers a front-row view into how retail investors have evolved. He argues they are smarter and more organized than the industry admits, and that transparency and accountability are now mandatory. He warns of a coming "valley of despair" in private markets, where products with poor liquidity terms and fee structures may face serious pushback and legal consequences. Finally, Brian draws parallels between today's private market shift and the early days of index funds: controversial at first, then inevitable. If you want to understand where alternative investments, private credit, and retail access are headed next, this episode lays out the forces shaping the next decade. Watch the full episode of Fortunes of the Brave to get the complete framework and Brian's roadmap for what comes next. Key Takeaways: * Reframe your strategy by thinking like a lender, not an owner * Understand why real estate debt can produce high yield with lower volatility * Recognize how retail investors have become organized and influential * Spot structural red flags in private market products (fees, liquidity, redemption limits) * Anticipate how private markets may evolve like public markets did with index-style vehicles Chapters: * 00:00 – Intro and Brian's background * 01:46 – Why private market real estate debt was worth creating * 04:42 – The mass-market vision and early regulatory resistance * 06:56 – Category creation: real estate debt for retail investors * 08:22 – Why real estate is the perfect "Main Street" asset class * 10:40 – Debt vs equity: why most investors misunderstand the advantage * 12:16 – Retail investors are organizing, sharing intel, and influencing markets * 14:56 – What retail investors demand now: transparency and accountability * 17:38 – What $1.8B+ invested reveals about private market appetite * 19:03 – The "valley of despair" coming for private market investing * 22:17 – Index fund parallels: the next phase of alternatives * 24:59 – Regulation and investor education: what has to change * 30:16 – Liquidity, structures, Flywheel, and Notes * 33:15 – The first loan story: scrappy, manual, and real * 35:25 – Closing Resources Mentioned: * GroundFloor (company/platform) * JOBS Act (2012) * WallStreetBets / GameStop (retail investor coordination example) * Interval funds (liquidity and redemption pressure topic) * Index fund history and evolution of retail access Connect with Brian Dally: * Website: GroundFloor [https://groundfloor.com/] * LinkedIn: Brian Dally [https://linkedin.com/in/bdally] Follow Planet Wealth: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetwealthofficial] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetwealth_] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetwealthofficial/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/planetwealthofficial] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@PlanetWealthPodcast] planetwealth.com [https://planetwealth.com/]

E41: Use Short-Term Deals to Build Long-Term Real Estate Wealth

Daniel Borrero Jr., a real estate investor and entrepreneur, joins Mary Kathryn Johnson (CXO of Planet Wealth) to break down how he built long-term wealth by using short-term profits as fuel, not a finish line. Daniel is a Brooklyn-based investor who has been self-employed since 1985 and investing in real estate since 1989. His core philosophy is simple: build cash flow and equity through long-term holds, but use fix and flips and land flips strategically to generate the down payments and leverage needed to scale faster especially in high-cost markets like New York City. In this conversation, Daniel shares the practical "system" behind his portfolio growth: flipping to create capital, buying with fewer contingencies to negotiate better terms, and continuously reinvesting profits into assets that produce ongoing income. He explains why entrepreneurship is not a shortcut to freedom, how discipline and operational structure create compounding results, and why surrounding yourself with non-yes-people accelerates decision quality and growth. A major theme is preparation. Daniel doesn't wait for markets or politics to happen to him. He positions early by watching signals, listening to policy rhetoric without emotion, and making preemptive moves like accelerating capital improvements for depreciation benefits or buying renovation materials before tariffs raise costs. He also shares a pivotal networking lesson: the one concept he overheard at a bar that helped him lower payments by thousands through loan recasting. If you're serious about real estate investing, wealth building, financial literacy, and market timing, this episode is a direct, tactical roadmap for building resilient income and staying ready for opportunity. Watch the full episode of Fortunes of the Brave for the complete framework and the mindset behind it. Key Takeaways: • Use flips and land deals to generate down payments, then convert profits into long-term holds • Negotiate stronger terms by reducing contingencies and showing proof of capital • Build wealth through cash flow, equity growth, appreciation, and tax advantages, not just deal profit • Network to learn what you do not know and shorten your path with better relationships • Prepare for market shifts early by tracking policy signals, costs, and real-world indicators Chapters: • 00:00 – Welcome and Daniel's investing origin story • 00:42 – The flip-to-hold strategy for scaling in NYC • 03:26 – Buying with cash and reducing fees to increase profits] • 04:44 – College, entrepreneurship, and the myth of "degree equals wealth"] • 06:56 – Building businesses: video store, laundromats, ATMs, then real estate] • 10:18 – Entrepreneurship truth: time, sacrifice, and aligned partnership] • 11:14 – Operations, structure, and turning constraints into strengths] • 13:24 – Avoiding yes-people and accelerating growth through challenge] • 15:55 – Networking, recasting loans, and why listening wins] • 20:31 – Preparing for markets before they arrive] • 24:50 – Financial literacy and "relationship with money"] • 28:29 – Politics, markets, and positioning without emotion] • 33:04 – Florida condos, regulation signals, and defensive selling] • 39:05 – Final advice: enjoy the moments and celebrate milestones] Resources Mentioned: • Loan recasting (strategy to reduce monthly payments after principal paydown) • Accelerated depreciation (real estate tax strategy referenced in discussion) • "Mind Your Money" (book referenced as financial literacy resource) • AI as a competitive advantage: "AI won't beat you, the person using AI will" Connect with Daniel: • Website [https://usalandventures.com/] • LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielborrerojr/] • Other channels [https://danielborrerojr.com/] Follow Planet Wealth: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetwealthofficial] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetwealth_] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetwealthofficial/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/planetwealthofficial] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@PlanetWealthPodcast] planetwealth.com [https://planetwealth.com/]

E40: How Founders Build Trust Before Raising Capital

McKeever "Mac" Conwell, Founder and Managing Partner of Rare Breed Ventures, joins Planet Wealth CXO Mary Katherine Johnson to break down how he went from a government contractor in Maryland to launching a venture capital fund built for overlooked founders. Mac shares the unconventional path that shaped his investing lens: dropping out of school for a Northrop Grumman opportunity, building and exiting a startup through pivots and accelerators, and then entering state-backed investing where he helped design a first-of-its-kind pre-seed program for women and minorities. This episode is a masterclass in capital raising, investor marketing, and community-powered fundraising. Mac explains why most founders struggle to raise money: not because their ideas are worse, but because they lack access to early friends-and-family capital, warm investor networks, and the confidence to talk about money. He walks through how he used Twitter (now X) to build trust at scale, create consistent value, and convert conversations into investor relationships without leading with an ask. The result was a fundraising engine driven by credibility, storytelling, and relentless reps. Mac also gets tactical about fundraising compliance, outlining why 506C matters for public solicitation under the JOBS Act, and how a founder's content and consistency can become a real distribution advantage. Then he goes deeper: the "North Star" behind his fund, how values shape who you should take money from, and why execution and self-care must coexist if you want to survive entrepreneurship long-term. If you want a practical, no-fluff conversation about raising capital outside the major tech hubs, building investor trust, and staying human in the process, this is the one. Watch the full episode of Fortunes of the Brave for the complete framework. Key Takeaways: • Build trust before you ask by sharing useful insights consistently • Use storytelling to make fundraising about mission, not transactions • Leverage 506C to publicly discuss fundraising while staying compliant • Create momentum with reps: conversations, feedback loops, and iteration • Protect your health and identity so the business does not consume you Chapters: • 00:00 – Meet Mac Conwell and Rare Breed Ventures • 01:10 – From government contractor to founder and exit • 02:32 – The state-backed pre-seed fund and "ask forgiveness" leadership • 06:38 – The real fear for founders: marketing and finding investors • 07:17 – How Twitter became the distribution channel • 11:13 – DM strategy, learning-first meetings, and early LP wins • 14:19 – Email storytelling to drive closes • 18:04 – Getting comfortable talking about money and yourself • 20:35 – Fundraising without a pitch deck: the 3-part story • 22:51 – The North Star story that defined the fund • 32:26 – 506C vs 506B: how public solicitation worked • 39:07 – Community flywheel: give first, ask later • 41:48 – Failure, burnout, and the self-care non-negotiable • 49:44 – Final advice: "You are enough." Resources Mentioned: • Rare Breed Ventures • Twitter/X as a fundraising channel • JOBS Act fundraising rules (506B and 506C) • Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) • Harbor Bank of Maryland (public-private partnership example) • Hustle Fund (Elizabeth Yin) • Accenture partnership example • Kauffman Fellows program • American Express (IP acquisition reference) • Bill Me Later (sold to PayPal) Connect with Mac: • Website [http://www.rarebreed.vc/] • LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckeever/] Follow Planet Wealth: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetwealthofficial] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetwealth_] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetwealthofficial/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/planetwealthofficial] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@PlanetWealthPodcast] planetwealth.com [https://planetwealth.com/]