In this weekly ramble, I break down one of the most influential books I’ve ever read—Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink. This episode isn’t a chapter-by-chapter summary. It’s a deep dive into how the mindset of extreme ownership has transformed the way I lead, parent, invest, and handle adversity.

I share real-life stories—from my early flips and hiring missteps to leading a sales agency and raising my kids. And the common thread in all of them? At the end of the day, you are responsible. When things go wrong, it’s not about pointing fingers—it’s about stepping up and owning the outcome. That’s how real leaders think. That’s how people who win long-term operate.

If you’ve ever struggled with blame, excuses, or the need to control what’s out of your hands, this one’s for you. Let’s talk about owning your life.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

02:00 JJ’s Joke of the Week

03:05 The core principle: you are responsible for everything in your life

04:16 Why most people deflect, blame, and point fingers

06:27 You can’t change the past—only what you do next 09:11 How you should be taking extreme ownership 13:34 Leadership lessons: owning what your team does under your name

17:13 How taking extreme ownership as a leader builds trust

21:01 Ownership = Control

23:55 Inventory check: where are you deflecting responsibility right now?

Quotables

“Extreme ownership isn’t about blame, it’s about control. It’s about what happens next.”

“When things go wrong, ask: what did I do or not do to let this happen?”

“Leaders who blame rarely grow. Leaders who own get better, stronger, and more trusted.”

Links

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com

Extreme Ownership

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057

In this powerful sit-down with my good friend Tim Bratz, we go beyond real estate and straight into resilience, ego, family, and leadership. Tim’s story isn’t just about building a real estate empire, it’s about rebuilding with intention when everything gets hard.

From climbing to 4,800 doors and then intentionally scaling back to just 2,000, Tim shares the lessons he learned the hard way—through lawsuits, market shifts, partner friction, and being millions underwater. We talk about staying consistent, navigating failure with integrity, and the massive impact that community and mindset have when your back’s against the wall.

If you’re an entrepreneur, investor, or high achiever in any space, this episode will hit home. Real talk, real strategy, and real legacy—it’s all here.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction 04:13 Why Tim’s consistent voice built trust over time 05:45 Tim’s response to public criticism on BiggerPockets

11:45 Tim’s story: from blue collar Ohio kid to multifamily investor 13:35 Growing his rental portfolio to 4500 doors by 2021

14:36 COVID chaos, eviction moratoriums, and carrying toxic deals 16:02 Two biggest survival tools: community & doing the work

19:05 Narrowing from 12 states to 2: getting lean and focused 21:10 Ego & real estate: did the door count ever matter too much? 23:00 “More” = more stress, more problems, more distraction 25:00 Tim’s first mastermind story: drunk on New Year’s Eve, PayPaling $5K 29:45 The ROI of proximity: how he tripled his income in 10 months 34:19 The birth of Legacy Family 37:31 From liability to asset: how a game night became a mastermind 41:40 The mindset to have everything figured out

43:50 Surviving a $100M Texas deal gone wrong and raising $20M to fix it 50:04 The difference between relational vs. transactional members in masterminds 51:38 The 3-year Principle

55:40 Social media presence ≠ real reach

01:01:31 The impact of reputation and consistency in networking

01:08:28 How Tim prioritizes family over everything (including business)

01:12:16 Why proximity builds better kids and how his family travels with his mastermind 01:14:05 Time blocking, boundaries, and making work serve your life

Quotables

“I made $400,000 in 10 months after I finally invested in the right room. That wasn’t luck—it was community + doing the work.”

“The people who’ve stayed in the room for 2–3 years? That’s who I’ll be judged by.”

“More wasn’t better. More was just heavier. Heavier debt, heavier stress, heavier everything.”

Links

Tim Bratz

https://www.instagram.com/timbratz/

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com

In this week’s ramble, I dive deep into a book that hit me harder than I expected: The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. This isn’t just another mindset book, it’s a framework for how to reclaim your peace, your focus, and your freedom by letting go of the things you can’t control… especially what other people think.

From family drama to business gossip to childhood wounds, I unpack how this book reshaped my thinking and why I believe this mindset shift belongs in the top 3 most impactful reads of my life. I also share personal stories—some raw, some emotional—about how “letting them” has helped me step into a stronger version of myself.

If you’re feeling weighed down by criticism, expectations, or needing to be understood—this episode is for you. It’s time to burn the ships of validation and get back to owning your life.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

01:48 JJ’s Joke of the Week

02:23 The 3 books that shaped my mindset 05:05 Why you should listen to the audiobook version 06:37 What the “Let Them” theory is all about

08:59 “My reaction to their reaction won’t change their reaction”

10:39 Why this matters for overthinkers, people-pleasers & high achievers 12:23 Let them judge you and stop explaining yourself into exhaustion 13:53 How judgment kept me up at night about leaving corporate

16:10 Their opinion of you is none of your business 17:10 Let them leave: family, friends, employees, clients

20:21 Why I chose distance to protect my kids

23:23 Let them talk: gossip, criticism, doubt 26:25 The power of silence against people talking about you

27:39 Let them not support you: not everyone will clap when you win

29:02 Burn the emotional ships: stop needing validation

Quotables

“My reaction to their reaction won’t change their reaction.”

“Clarity doesn’t require consensus—just commitment.”

“You never hear someone ahead of you talking down to people behind them.”

Links

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com

The Let Them Theory

https://www.amazon.com/Let-Them-Theory-Life-Changing-Millions/dp/1401971369