From 2008 Crash to Creative Comeback

Chris Prefontaine’s real estate journey is a masterclass in resilience: after nearly losing everything in the 2008 crash while relying on banks and big down payments, he rebuilt from scratch using only creative, non-traditional techniques—no personal loans, no banks, no credit exposure. What started as survival turned into a thriving family business and the Inc. 5000-ranked Smart Real Estate Coach company. The secret sauce? Three bank-free buying strategies (owner financing, lease-purchase, and subject-to existing loans) that let him and his students scoop up properties on terms, often locking in low 2–4% mortgages that sellers are desperate to offload because “life happens”—divorce, job loss, inheritance headaches, or insurance spikes in places like Florida.

#CreativeRealEstate #NoBankNeededT

he Lucrative 3-Payday System That Replaces Your Job

Prefontaine’s trademarked “3-Payday” system turns every deal into a cash-flow machine: (1) a chunky non-refundable down payment from a rent-to-own buyer (average $25–30K), (2) monthly positive cash flow from the spread between what you pay the seller and what your buyer pays you ($300–$1,000+/month), and (3) a massive back-end payday from principal pay-down plus markup when the buyer cashes you out—totaling $45K–$350K per deal over 2–5 years. Students routinely replace six-figure salaries with just 5–7 deals; one former government engineer walked away from a 30-year career after his first five deals each cleared six figures. No flipping, no rehabs, no landlords-and-tenants headaches—just high-profit, predictable income that survives any market. #3Paydays #ReplaceYourJob

Why Now Is Actually the Perfect Storm

While the media screams “crash incoming,” Prefontaine sees a golden window: panicked sellers, tighter bank lending rules, and millions of low-interest mortgages owners want to escape create endless motivated leads. His students are buying subject-to at 2.75% and owner-financing free-and-clear properties with zero-interest principal-only payments while traditional buyers sit paralyzed. His blunt advice: pick a proven niche you love, find a mentor who’s survived real downturns (not just the last bull run), put on blinders for three years, and ignore shiny-object gurus promising riches in 30 days. Done right, creative real estate isn’t just recession-proof—it’s the fastest, safest way for regular people to fire their boss and build life-changing wealth on their own terms.

#RealEstate2025 #QuitYourJobWithRealEstate

Connect with Chris:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smartrealestatecoach/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/smartrealestatecoach Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smartrealestatecoach Website: https://smartrealestatecoach.com/ Free Master's Class:: https://wickedsmartacademy.com/mastersclass FREE Best Selling Book: https://wickedsmartbooks.com/christine Upcoming Events: https://smartrealestatecoach.com/events/ Free 15-Minute Strategy Call https://smartrealestatecoach.com/action/

Money Decisions Aren’t Logical—They’re Genetic

Most financial mistakes aren’t about lacking information—they’re about inherited “financial DNA.” Dr. Joaquin Wallace, a former athlete turned financial empowerment strategist, discovered this while working with both millionaires and people drowning in debt: the same emotional triggers and childhood money stories (“scar tissue narratives”) sabotage everyone, regardless of income. His 7-Stage Generational Wealth Model starts in the past—your “walls in” (what you learned at home) and “walls out” (what you saw in the world) create inherited financial narratives and encoded behaviors that form your unique financial genetic code. Until you name and heal these invisible scripts, more budgeting spreadsheets or stock tips won’t stick—you’ll just keep reverting to old patterns when life gets stressful. #FinancialTrauma #MoneyMindset #GenerationalWealth

Financial Literacy Alone Can Actually Shame People

Everyone’s pushing financial literacy right now, but Wallace warns it’s becoming an oversaturated, cookie-cutter market that often turns into financial shaming. Traditional literacy assumes one-size-fits-all rules (“just do X and you’ll be fine”), but if someone’s financial genetic code screams “the system is rigged” or “investing is gambling,” those rules feel irrational—and they rebel or freeze. Stage 3 (financial healing) and Stage 4 (financial edification + inclusion) must come first: therapy-style conversations to unpack trauma, then education delivered with servant leadership that honors each person’s story. Without this sequence, literacy just makes people feel broken instead of empowered. Even high earners suffer analysis paralysis because they’re terrified of returning to childhood poverty. #FinancialLiteracy #MoneyShame #BehavioralFinance

True Generational Wealth Isn’t Assets—It’s Reprogrammed Knowledge

The book’s provocative title nails it: Generational Wealth Begins with Generational Knowledge. You can die with millions, but if your heirs don’t understand the mindset, habits, and healed money relationship behind it, 90% of that wealth vanishes by the grandchildren. Wallace’s model is organic—you can move forward or slide backward depending on triggers—but the endgame (Stage 7) is leaving “financial footprints” your family can follow. The good news? Your financial genetic code isn’t fixed; through honest conversations, therapy, and intentional reprogramming, anyone can rewrite it. Start today by identifying your own scar-tissue money stories, then gift that self-awareness—and the book—to your kids. That’s the real inheritance that lasts.

#GenerationalKnowledge #FinancialHealing #LegacyPlanning

Connect w Dr. Wallace: Instagram Dr.Joaquinwallace Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dr-joaquin-wallace-91819514 Twitter: @_Joaquinmedia website: http://www.drjwallace.com Amazon Book Link: https://a.co/d/bvdHYZF

The Shocking Cost of Long-Term Care and Why Most Families Are Unprepared

Long-term care is brutally expensive—often $7,000 $15,000+ per month depending on location and level of care—and catches nearly every family off guard. Aaron Miller, an award winning elder law attorney, was personally motivated by his own family’s tragedy: his grandparents lost everything paying privately for a decade of nursing-home care, and years later his grandfather had nothing left, forcing Miller’s parents to drain their own retirement savings. He warns that “beauty shop and coffee shop” myths and outdated advice lead people to believe Medicare will cover it (it doesn’t, beyond a possible 100 days of rehab) or that simply giving assets to children is safe (it usually isn’t). The result is panic, massive financial loss, and heirs left with little or nothing.The Three Ways to Pay—and the Smart Strategies Most People MissThere are only three ways to fund long-term care: (1) private pay (which quickly exhausts savings), (2) long-term-care insurance or newer hybrid policies (Miller’s favorite, because premiums are far cheaper than one month of care, they multiply your money, and unused benefits go to heirs), and (3) government programs. Veterans can tap VA Aid and Attendance (useful for in-home or assisted-living care), while Medicaid—not just for the “super poor”—is how the middle class actually pays for nursing homes when planned correctly with an elder law attorney. Even if someone is already in a facility and spending down assets, a qualified attorney can often still protect a significant portion through crisis-planning techniques most families (and even many facility staff) don’t know exist.Proactively Protecting Assets and Peace of Mind—Start Sooner Than You ThinkThe best protection combines early action: buying long-term-care insurance in your 50s (or earlier) while you’re still healthy, and, if possible, moving assets into properly drafted irrevocable trusts at least five years before care is needed so they’re shielded from Medicaid spend-down rules. Miller stresses that revocable living trusts offer zero long-term-care asset protection, and gifting the house outright to kids can trigger huge capital-gains taxes, lose senior tax exemptions, and create family drama. Planning ahead—ideally decades ahead—preserves flexibility, keeps spouses financially secure, prevents children from having to liquidate their own futures, and replaces fear with relief. As Miller puts it, the best time to plant the oak tree was 20 years ago; the next best time is today.Connect with Aaron: https://www.aaronmillerlaw.com/Watch the video: https://youtu.be/T9K4zT8PbwM

Barry Levine, a bankruptcy attorney with nearly 45 years ofexperience, helps entrepreneurs facing overwhelming debt navigate tough choices. He stresses that optimism, while essential for starting businesses, often blinds owners to financial reality until it's too late—leading them to drain home equity or 401(k)s in futile attempts to save failing ventures.Levine prefers corporations over LLCs for their lower setup costs ($275 vs. $500) and tax advantages via Subchapter S election, warning that LLCs filingSchedule C can make owners fully liable for trust fund taxes without the corporate "discount." He advocates early action: record a Massachusetts homestead ($35) to protect up to $1 million in home equity, and secure family loans with UCC filings to prioritize them in liquidation.

Alternatives to bankruptcy include composition agreements,trust mortgages, or—Levine's favorite for small businesses—assignments for the benefit of creditors (ABC). This non-intrusive, paper-based liquidation lets owners buy back assets via a new entity ("Newco") for a promissory note, shedding debt while restarting quickly, often with creditor assent since chasing a gutted company yields nothing. Chapter 11 or Subchapter V reorganizations pause collections via automatic stays but are costly and rarely last a year. Personal guarantees on SBA loans, credit cards, or taxes oftenforce individual filings post-business closure, though trust fund taxes (unlike income taxes) are non-dischargeable and carry 10-year IRS liens that quietly expire if unrenewed.

Bankruptcy isn't catastrophic: discharged debtors becomeattractive credit risks (unable to refile for 8 years), receiving card offers soon after. Reaffirming debts like mortgages or car loans preserves credit reporting, while skipping reaffirmation discharges deficiencies—useful for underwater vehicles. Student loans, once undischargeable, now can be wiped outwith proof of good-faith efforts (e.g., income-based plans). Levine urges proactive "bulletproofing": encumber assets early, avoid sole proprietorships, and consult cynics for reality checks. As he quips, "It's only money"—creditors survive, but health and peace of mind matter more.

Connect with Barry: https://www.youtube.com/@barrylevine336https://www.levineslaw.com/

Christopher Hill, founder of Hands Up Holidays and ImpactDestinations, defines philanthropic travel as using financial resources to create meaningful impact while enjoying luxury experiences. Impact Destinations focuses on pure philanthropy, where travelers' donations fund expert-ledprojects—such as witnessing a rhino relocation in South Africa or sponsoring an Aboriginal art scholarship in Australia—in exchange for exclusive, behind-the-scenes access. Hands Up Holidays combines luxury vacations with hands-on volunteering, where clients finance materials and local labor for projects like building homes or classrooms, then participate in the finishing touches to connect deeply with communities. Hill's journey began in 2002 during a SouthAfrican trip that blended safari with house-building, inspiring him to leave investment banking and launch his companies in 2006 after two years of global relationship-building.

Popular destinations span Asia, Africa, and Latin America,with Central America (Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala) leading due to proximity for U.S. clients. Trips are fully customized—no group tours—tailored to preferences for timing, weather, activities (e.g., ziplining, snorkeling), and service type. For example, clients might install eco-stoves in Belize to reduce burns and respiratory issues, or build teacher housing in Tanzania alongside safaris. Hill personally curates itineraries based on client input via website forms, matching interests like whitewater rafting with suitable locations.Families dominate bookings, especially with children aged 10–15, seeking bonding and perspective; many return annually, including honeymooners who make it a tradition.

Hill advises aspiring entrepreneurs with unique passions tostart small—perhaps moonlighting—to test viability without high risk, noting his own low-stakes launch with savings and no dependents. He overcame burnout in finance through travel's pull, emphasizing that unmet needs signal opportunities. New offerings include Honduras for beginner-friendly literacy support amid island adventures. Trips vary from 8 days (2–3 on service) to a year-long family sabbatical post-business sale. Local English-fluent guides ensure seamless cultural immersion, while eco-luxury accommodations and sustainable dining enhance the holistic experience. Visit handsupholidays.com or impactdestinations.com to plan a transformative journey.

Connect with Christopher:

handsupholidays.com impactdestinations.com

Michael Uadiale, a serial entrepreneur and CPA, views the tax code not as a burden but as a powerful tool for achieving financial independence. He challenges the common perception that taxes are merely the government’s way of taking money, instead framing them as incentives designed to encourage specific behaviors. Uadiale emphasizes that the tax code is fair—though not equitable—and rewards those who understand and legally leverage its provisions. He criticizes traditional accountants who adopt a compliance-first mindset, often misrepresenting the IRS as the ultimate authority, when in reality, tax courts and Congress hold higher power. For entrepreneurs, he argues, the code offers vast opportunities unavailable to W-2 employees, enabling business owners to deduct ordinary and necessary expenses, optimize entity structures, and reduce taxable income significantly.Uadiale introduces his DECIDE framework as a strategic journey toward minimizing taxes:

-Deductions (using the BOND criteria—Business purpose, Ordinary, Necessary, Documented—to turn everyday expenses into write-offs); -Entity selection (e.g., choosing C-Corp for qualified small business stock benefits allowing zero capital gains after five years); -Credits (dollar-for-dollar tax reductions far more valuable than deductions);-Income shifting (paying family members through the business to move income into lower brackets); -Debt (using leverage, especially in real estate with 100% bonus depreciation, to acquire income-producing assets); and -Elimination (advanced strategies to erase tax liability entirely). He stresses that poor tax planning costs the average entrepreneur 13+ years of working life and urges proactive, year-round planning over reactive, end-of-year scrambling.Beyond strategy, Uadiale focuses on mindset and long-term vision. His firm begins client relationships with a “Financial Health Assessment” and “DREAM SSI” exercise—mapping current finances against idealized future lifestyles to align tax strategies with personal goals. He’s launching a new app to help real estate investors track hours and activities for real estate professional status (Section 469), ensuring audit-proof compliance while maximizing passive loss deductions. Uadiale encourages listeners to seek proactive, inquisitive tax advisors unafraid of audits and to treat tax planning as a core pillar of wealth-building—because, as he concludes, the ultra-wealthy don’t accept tax bills at face value; they engineer them.

Connect to Michael: https://www.skool.com/financialfreedomacademy/about?ref=df35f955ee3a41f181ebe0631acab05c

In this episode of *Get Your Fill, Financial Independence and Long Life*, host Christine McCarron speaks with Ashley Bizzell, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with 20 years of experience. Bizzell shares her journey from hospital critical care to telehealth, driven by a desire to help people reverse chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes rather than manage end-stage disease. She emphasizes treating root causes through lifestyle changes, particularly nutrition, to reduce medication use, lower A1C, and improve overall health span.

The core topic is the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD), a five-day low-calorie, plant-based eating plan that mimics the benefits of prolonged fasting without requiring total food abstinence. It triggers autophagy—cellular cleanup and renewal—while preserving muscle and reducing inflammation. Bizzell explains that the body shifts from burning glucose to fat, promoting metabolic flexibility, clearer thinking, and even improved skin texture. Unlike strict water or dry fasting, this approach is more sustainable and nourishing.

Bizzell highlights real results: patients have reversed type 2 diabetes, come off medications, and gained confidence in controlling their health. Coaching helps people reframe their relationship with food—shifting from deprivation to empowerment—and adopt sustainable habits like mindfuleating and a balanced, Mediterranean-style diet between fasting cycles. While currently self-pay, the approach is gaining recognition in medical circles as a powerful tool for longevity and disease prevention.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/M4afdYLQOKk

Connect with Ashley: http://l-nutra.com https://www.facebook.com/lnutra/

In this episode of the "Get Your Fill" podcast, host Christine McCarron interviews John Solleder, a seasoned entrepreneur with over four decades of experience in network marketing. Solleder, a four-time author with two bestsellers, has mentored two billionaires and guided four network marketing companies. He explains network marketing as a model wheredistributors sell products manufactured by others, earning significant profits without bearing production costs. He clarifies that multi-level marketing (MLM) and direct selling are intertwined, with MLM involving a tiered commissionstructure and direct selling focusing on end-consumer sales. Solleder highlights the industry’s historical roots, noting its origins in the 1920s with a Black woman in Mississippi and its growth through companies like Avon, driven initially by women earning "pin money" for small household expenses.

Solleder shares insights into the evolution and mechanics ofnetwork marketing, emphasizing its top-down approach where companies develop products and seek distributors to market them effectively, especially for technical products requiring explanation. He recounts his own entry into theindustry in 1983, starting with Herbalife, and how it taught him the importance of personal development and mentorship. His pivot to life insurance provided valuable lessons in sales leadership, which he later applied back in network marketing. Solleder stresses the importance of listening to top performers and adapting to challenges, drawing from his experience during the COVID-19 pandemic when he shifted to virtual platforms like podcasts and Zoom meetings to maintain engagement and grow his business, demonstrating the necessity of agility in entrepreneurship.

The conversation also explores the role of AI in modernbusiness, with Solleder admitting his initial reluctance but eventual embrace of the technology after seeing its potential to streamline tasks like writing books or analyzing data. He encourages entrepreneurs to leverage AI for tedious tasks, freeing them to focus on high-value activities like communication and sales. For business owners considering network marketing, Solleder advises connecting with industry leaders to evaluate product fit and emphasizes storytelling to engage customers. He concludes with advice for listeners tostay active in business, avoid early retirement, and prioritize health to seize opportunities in an era of innovation, underscoring the exciting potential of AI-driven advancements and the importance of personal well-being for a fulfilling life.

Connect with John: http://www.youtube.com/@john_sollederJohnsolleder.com