All Forum Posts by: Robert C.

@JD Martin, Now you have me thinking about how to turn BP fame into musical fame. BP music festival anyone?... 

I could definitely see how mentoring people could be rewarding. I remember when I first started in RE and I was learning about development from a mentor down in LA. It was actually the first "mentor" I ever had in my life, and I was surprised to find that just a few words of encouragement from someone I respected was enough to put a spring in my step. I've yet to pay it forward, but I think that's just a matter of time and being qualified. 

@Joel Owens, Great perspective, and it's nice to hear some stories about the early days. I'm sure things are very different on BP now, but (as a late-comer) I still get a hint of how tight-knit the community was through many years, and that still carries through in some form today. 

I have many conversations these days with friends who've reached a certain financial position about transitioning to a more balanced lifestyle, and in some ways it's easier said than done! There's that twisted thing that happens where having a successful business can still keep you overly pre-occupied, or always reaching for the next goal. One benefit to sheltering in place is that it can give a person perspective on how much time and energy you actually have to put into your wealth-building life. 

@JD Martin, Wow, way to blow up those tags! 

The more I read from everyone on this thread, the more I'm curious - what are your experiences like before and after reaching that heavy hitter status on BP? Any difference? Any new perspectives?

It really is an interesting thing to become well-known on BP these days. I've also noticed that many folks here are also getting way more exposure on other podcasts because of it, and I even find myself listening in because I want to know more about you beyond the forum posts.

For those of you being modest, let's just assume you qualify if you've been tagged by someone else here! (Ahem... @Jim K.)

@Brian Ploszay, I think I might share a similar relationship to BP. Although, with me there are times I don't even know what I'm doing here since I'm not usually looking for particular help, and I don't consider myself to have the same depth of knowledge as folks who've already been mentioned. Other times, it can be a treasure hunt for little nuggets of wisdom, or a unique perspective that I haven't heard before.

You bring up a really great point, too. BP is just one resource, and whether it's the community or the "heavy hitters", this shouldn't be the only place people get your information. I think maybe some people find the anonymity easy for light networking and asking questions. But it's hard to replace those other professionals in your local market that you can meet in person.

@Caleb Heimsoth, If I'm not mistaken, I think your "7.5k" votes literally just flipped to "7.6k"... You're welcome.

@Chris Seveney, Too much selling is definitely annoying, yet inescapable on the forums!

@Mary M., I've read a bunch of your posts, and I really think you bring a certain balance to many of the recent topics, and you have a unique perspective (especially in the "covid freak-out" threads). 

@Jay Hinrichs, Now you're speaking my language! I used to be in web marketing before my real estate adventures began, back when it was really the wild west and there was soooo much stupid money being spent/made in online advertising. There still is, but I'd call it more like "Web 4.0" or something like that. I think people pick up right away that you are no-BS, have tons of experience, and are participating because you like to with no alternate motives. Have you noticed much in the way your life has change before vs. after BP notoriety? Small or big?

@Russell Brazil, I'm glad you admit that you like the votes! I'm pretty sure we all secretly do more than we would say. If only you had posted slightly sooner than Jay, then I would have voted for your post and NOT voted for his, just to help you close the gap! As with Jay, I think people see right away how much experience you have, and how you get straight to the point. 

@Caleb Heimsoth, I'm all about the ratio, for sure. You seem to be about 1:1, so what does that mean?? (just kidding). I think this whole "heavy hitter" term caught my attention cause it's just such an "alpha" phrase. What would be the opposite... "light weight"? Yikes.

@Ladè Baruwa, I wonder how long it took Jay and Russell to get their 10 thousandth post and vote. Do you remember, fellas?

@Karl B., I have to admit - more than anything else, I find it amazing for people to not only give their time/knowledge, but also to have the patience to keep answering the same questions over, and over, and over...

@William Walker, I agree that this is just part of being on social media. I feel like the pace of social media's affect on modern culture is picking up speed, due to all the new content being produced. I mean just taking real estate, there are too many podcasts on the subject to even count now. And then there's the mistrust of traditional media source, too.

Just another thought. I was going through @Russell Brazil's post on "What Is Your Net Worth Or Passive Income Goal?" that's trending right now, and I think that there's also an underlying assumption that the heavy hitters make a certain amount of cashflow or have a certain net worth. 

@Steve Vaughan, It's probably not surprising that many of the names overlap - so there is at least some method behind the madness. What's interesting about the vote/post system is that when I first joined BP, I definitely would just look at the numbers, and if it was above 1k-ish votes (this is before more people had 5k,10k, 20k), I'd be just a little bit more careful about what I'd respond with. I'm sure there are a lot of other folks on the forums that do the same, which is kind of weird if you think about it. Cause those votes are just random people clicking buttons at the end of the day with no repercussions, or maybe even with an agenda...

Interesting that you don't put as much weight on the podcast guests. Although, to your point, BP does interview a wide range of experience levels. And there are many who've really only been investing a few years.

Speaking of names that come up a lot, I have noticed that a few folks that are normally heavy contributors have kind of disappeared lately. I hope they and their businesses are okay! Maybe it's nothing, but it seems like contributions on the forums have gone up given the circumstances, not down.

@Jim K., Sounds like you're learning from the best in the business, and passing on the wisdom!

@JD Martin, Thanks for chiming in! Can't wait to see what your go-to advisory board thinks. I've been thinking about this concept of niche- or mini-fame lately, and it's definitely becoming much more common place. Everyone is marketing themselves online (whether on purpose or incidentally), and there are more and more podcasts being produced, and interviews being given in Real Estate and all sorts of other categories. I wonder if most people are using the right criteria to decide who to listen to? Or maybe there's a new paradigm/cultural shift where people have to be more independent thinkers because there are soooo many influencers around?