From brass balls to barn doors, we’re diving headfirst into the Southern sayings, family one-liners, and old-school idioms that raised us, roasted us, and somehow still guide our lives and businesses today.

In this episode of the Sugar Spice & Spirits Podcast, hosts Natalie Pilkinton, Mindy Price, and Kelly Williams sip on a “Dirty Dr Pepper” (Malibu + Dr Pepper, thank you Ron Tarr!) and unpack the meaning behind Southern phrases like:

🗣 “Bless your heart”

🗣 “Not the sharpest tool in the shed”

🗣 “His cornbread ain’t done in the middle”

🗣 “You can’t pour from an empty cup”

🗣 “Don’t put the cart before the horse”

🗣 “The shortest pencil beats the longest memory”

🗣 “Ain’t my circus, ain’t my monkeys”

🗣 “If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving’s not for you”

🗣 “Shit in my hat” (yes, we go there)

We also talk about:

- How different generations (especially Gen X) hear and use these sayings

- Why tone matters when you say “to be honest” or “in full transparency”

- How idioms show up in **real estate, business, and leadership**

- Why you *really* shouldn’t air your dirty laundry on social media

- Boundaries, communication, and knowing when “just because you can doesn’t mean you should”

**Sip of the Day:** Dirty Dr Pepper Coconut Malibu + Dr Pepper - inspired by listener Ron Tarr, and the Texas-born classic from Waco’s Morrison Old Corner Drugstore. ---

**EPISODE CHAPTER IDEAS** (Adjust to your real timestamps)

00:00 – Cold open: From brass balls to barn doors

00:36 – Intro: Meet Sugar Spice & Spirits

01:00 – Sip of the Day: Dirty Dr Pepper story

02:20 – Southern idioms that raised us

04:00 – “The shortest pencil…” – dad wisdom that sticks

08:00 – LOL, emojis, and texting gone wrong

11:30 – Burning the candle at both ends & entrepreneur burnout

15:00 – Actions vs words in the age of AI

18:00 – “Ain’t my circus, ain’t my monkeys” & boundaries

22:00 – You can’t pour from an empty cup

28:00 – Confidence, clothes, and “just because you can…”

32:00 – Generational gaps & how we communicate

38:00 – Don’t air your dirty laundry online

41:20 – Your favorite sayings & listener idioms

42:20 – Wrap up & how to connect

🎧 **LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE**

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SugarSpiceandSpirits

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2swreJ0bmXSzOgobO6dLu9?si=d509f5eef08b437b

Listen on Apple Podcasts / Podbean: https://www.podbean.com/pw/pbblog-rvfbu-13c32dd

**Subscribe** so you don’t miss new episodes with sips of the day, spicy conversations, and real talk on life, business, and everything in between. ---

**JOIN THE CONVERSATION** Drop your favorite idiom or family saying in the comments: - What did your parents or grandparents always say? - Where are you from and what’s a regional saying we’d never guess? - What idiom makes *no* sense but still lives rent-free in your head?

We might feature your saying in a future episode!

Today we’re coming to you LIVE(ish) from Natalie’s flip house in Spring, Texas, sipping a gin–tequila margarita and talking about how real people build wealth through real estate—without pretending it’s all rainbows and unicorn cashflow.

In this episode of Sugar, Spice & Spirits:

• Natalie breaks down her current flip in Spring, TX (elderly seller, dated house, private money, big upside).

• Mindy and Kelly share the good, the bad, and the “I lost my butt” stories from multifamily investing.

• We talk about passive income, syndicators, IRA investing, and how to avoid getting caught in variable-rate, balloon-payment disasters.

• And yes, we absolutely toast to the trades, meetups, mentors, and the “millionaire next door” mindset.

If you’ve ever thought:

“I want passive income, but I don’t want tenants, toilets, and 2 a.m. phone calls”… this episode is for you.

• Why real estate is so much more than just being a realtor

• How flips, rentals, multifamily and passive deals actually work in real life

• What can go wrong with bad operators and variable-rate debt

• How to vet syndicators and protect your investment

• Ways to use IRA money for real estate (with the right structure)

• The power of meetups, mentors, and local investing communities

• Why “average” people quietly become millionaires through boring, consistent investing

• 00:36 Meet your hosts & today’s gin–tequila margarita “sip of the day”

• 02:30 Why we’re not just a “real estate podcast” and why that label is limiting

• 03:40 Natalie's flip on Lockridge in Spring, TX – elderly seller, dated house, private money

• 05:13 Joke of the day: why the investor brought a ladder to the open house

• 06:12 Mindy’s story: multifamily, mailbox money, and losing money with the wrong person

• 09:18 Kelly’s journey from “clueless about real estate” to profitable investor

• 13:38 Natalie on the multifamily bloodbath: variable rates, balloons, and market shifts

• 14:22 Cost seg, depreciation, and how the right deals can nearly offset your investment

• 17:39 Meetups, education, and how to spot slimy vs. value-driven events

• 19:46 Investor road trips: walking actual properties and learning in the field

• 21:07 Gas station story: why real estate creates freedom to give generously

• 23:54 Book recommendations: Rich Dad Poor Dad, Think and Grow Rich, Richest Man in Babylon, The Millionaire Next Door

• 25:23 Trades vs. college: why plumbers, electricians & AC techs are quietly winning

• 28:34 How an average guy became financially independent through real estate

• 29:06 Why you need passive income streams before you lose your job

• 30:59 “Spill the tea” show idea & how to send us your stories

• 31:21 Final toast: keep watching, sharing, and stacking that knowledge

Want the exact gin–tequila margarita recipe from this episode? 👉 Go to sugarspiceandspirits.com, subscribe, confirm your email, and we’ll send it in the newsletter.

Questions about real estate, syndicators, or investing? 📩 Email Natalie: nataliepilkinton@gmail.com

If you got value from this episode: ✅ Like the video ✅ Subscribe to the channel ✅ Comment with your biggest real estate question ✅ Share this with someone who needs passive income but hates their job

In this episode of Sugar, Spice & Spirits, Kelly, Mindy, and Natalie dive into the illusion of perfection on social media — the “Keeping Up With the Joneses” trap that leaves many chasing an image, not a life. Inspired by listener Stephanie Novak, the trio unpack the pressures of overspending, online personas, mental health, and self-worth. From fake it till you make it to faith, friendships, and self-care, they get real about the toll of comparison and the path back to authenticity. Recorded live at Natalie’s latest flip house, this episode blends humor, honesty, and hard-won wisdom — plus a “Salty Dog” cocktail you’ll actually want to try.

#SugarSpiceAndSpirits #Podcast #WomenInBusiness #Authenticity #SocialMediaPressure #KeepingUpWithTheJoneses #MentalHealthAwareness #FaithAndFriendship #SelfCare #RealEstateInvesting #CocktailsAndConversations #TexasPodcast #WomenPodcasters

Sugar Spice and Spirits podcast, Natalie Pilkinton, Mindy Price, Kelly Williams, Stephanie Novak, social media reality vs. facade, authenticity, fake it till you make it, mental health, depression, self-worth, faith-based discussions, female entrepreneurs, self-care, house church, women supporting women, real talk podcast, flipping houses, Texas real estate, Salty Dog cocktail, Gen X podcast, relationship honesty, keeping up with appearances, confidence and authenticity.