What started out as an invitation for my guest, Ben Kirkpatrick, to pick my brain about real estate investing, ended up turning into a very spiritual conversation. Ben is a self-proclaimed “newbie investor” who took the plunge and the first property he purchased is an investment property as opposed to a primary residence, a trend that is becoming more common amongst first-time homebuyers. When a nightmare tenant damaged Ben’s property, he quickly learned that whether you pay for an education or learn by experience, one way or another you’re paying. I hope you’ll get as much out of this conversation as I did.

1. Action is the First Investment

Ben’s story is a powerful reminder that taking imperfect action is more valuable than endlessly planning. Many aspiring investors stay stuck in education mode. Even though his first deal came with unexpected challenges, it moved him from the sidelines into the arena—and that’s where the real growth happens.

2. Every Mistake is a Masterclass

Ben’s nightmare tenant situation turned into a real-world education in property management, leasing, and resilience.

3. Know Your Zone of Genius—and Stay In It

This episode celebrates radical self-awareness. Knowing where your time, energy, and gifts are best used allows you to scale smart. Whether it’s hiring a property manager or outsourcing repairs, choosing alignment over ego is a major success move.

4. Real Estate is a Spiritual Journey Disguised as a Business

This isn't just a story about properties—it's about trusting the process, tuning into purpose, and doing the inner work alongside the outer hustle. When you lead with values like compassion, generosity, and integrity, the universe supports you—often in miraculous ways.

5. You Don’t Have to Own a Million Doors to Be Wealthy

Being strategic and heart-aligned can lead to both fulfillment and financial freedom.

Want to learn more about real estate investing? Hop on the waitlist for the Soulful Investor Society, a community membership for real estate investors and those who'd like to get in the game. Once on the waitlist, you'll be the first to know when the doors open AND you'll get lots of amazing freebies, including a FREE 1:1 coaching session with me, where we'll map out your plan from start to finish, so you can finally buy that investment property and scale your portfolio.

You can also find me on IG @annreedandco where I share daily musings on real estate, mindfulness, being an almost empty nester, and more.

In this episode, your host, Ann Reed, flips the script and shows up as a guest along with her husband, Dexter, to share their journey as real estate investors-something neither of them ever imagined they'd be doing, until they did. Here are the top takeaways from today's show.

1. You Don’t Need a Fortune—Just the Right Knowledge

“If you have the funds but don’t know the rules of the game, you can’t play it.”
Ann and Dexter highlight how close they were to launching their real estate journey earlier—but lacked a knowledgeable guide. The empowered investor learns that real estate is possible without massive wealth, as long as you're equipped with the right mentorship and education.

2. Equity is Power—Use It Strategically

“Rather than pulling equity out and buying an investment property, we built our ADU...and rented it on Airbnb.”
They leveraged their primary home’s equity to build an income-generating ADU—proving that thinking creatively and strategically about your home’s value can jumpstart passive income and future purchases.

3. Create a Legacy, Not Just Cash Flow

“Our goal was to accumulate properties and have at least one for each kid.”
The long-game vision is powerful here. Ann and Dexter’s strategy isn't just about wealth now—it’s about planting generational seeds so their kids inherit knowledge and assets. Empowered investors are legacy builders.

4. Impact Investing Can Start with One Door

“We figured out a way that you can invest in real estate and have it be beneficial to the investor—and to the community at large.”
Their nonprofit, Modest House Foundation, embodies conscious capitalism. They’re housing people in transition and showing that social impact and profitability can go hand-in-hand.

5. Start Where You Are—Regular People Build Wealth Too

“We’re seriously such regular people. If we could do it, anybody can do it.”
Their journey proves that you don’t need to come from money to build wealth through real estate. With a willingness to learn, take action, and stay the course, anyone who is empowered can build their portfolio one property at a time.

Want to learn more? Hop on the waitlist for the Soulful Investor Society and you'll be the first to know when the doors open AND you'll get lots of amazing freebies, including a FREE 1:1 coaching session where we'll map out your plan from start to finish, so you can finally build that real estate investment portfolio.

You can also find me on IG @annreedandco where I share daily musings on real estate, mindfulness, being an almost empty nester, and more.

In this episode, Astin Brown, a relational therapist and coach, who also happens to be a budding real estate investor shares her tips, tricks, and advice on how to show up as the best version of yourself and how to effectively share your desires in a relationship-trust me, this is integral when approaching real estate investments. Astin also asks me her burning questions and gets advice on how to dive into real estate investing, something she and her partner have been wanting to do for awhile, but haven’t yet pulled the trigger. Here are the top takeaways from this episode:

1. Your relationship dynamic impacts your investing potential.
Understanding and strengthening communication with your partner is a key step in aligning on big financial moves like real estate.

2. Don’t abandon yourself when met with resistance—get curious instead.“Start with yourself, without abandoning yourself… be curious: what is your partner really hesitant about?”

3. Investing can be a catalyst for healing, growth, and alignment.
Real estate is more than numbers—it’s a spiritual path, an opportunity to grow in self-awareness and connection.

4. Know who you are relationally—it influences everything.
Astin introduces the idea of the relational self, which is deeply empowering for investors—especially those navigating decisions with a partner. Self-awareness here isn’t just personal development—it’s a strategy for success.

5. You always have a choice-own it!

This is a powerful mindset reminder: even when you're at an impasse, you’re not stuck. Empowered investors take aligned action, not reaction—making clear choices rather than abandoning their desires or building resentment.

Follow Astin on instagram @thebestrelationalselfpodcast or tune into her show, The Best Relational Self podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts.

Want to learn more about real estate investing? Hop on the waitlist for the Soulful Investor Society and you'll be the first to know when the doors open AND you'll get lots of amazing freebies, including a FREE 1:1 coaching session with me, where we'll map out your plan from start to finish, so you can finally buy that investment property.

You can also find me on IG @annreedandco where I share daily musings on real estate, mindfulness, being an almost empty nester, and more.