Wealth in Yourself

Building Bulletproof Real Estate Businesses: Diversification and Resilience with Shane Wilson What happens when a real estate investor loses everything in a market crash and comes back stronger than ever? In this raw and inspiring episode of The Wealth in Yourself podcast, host Josh St. Laurent sits down with Shane Wilson, a seasoned entrepreneur and real estate expert with over 20 years of experience who has flipped over 100 properties and built multiple successful businesses. Shane's journey is the epitome of entrepreneurial resilience. After catching fire in 2006 and buying 27 houses at age 27, he lost everything in the 2008 crash, going bankrupt with over $1 million in bad debt. But this setback became the foundation for his current success, teaching him invaluable lessons about diversification, risk management, and the importance of multiple income streams. "The biggest thing I learned back then is to diversify my skill sets. So I have multiple skill sets now and multiple income streams," Shane explains, describing how he rebuilt his empire with a completely different approach focused on sustainable growth rather than rapid expansion. Shane brings a refreshingly honest perspective to real estate investing, challenging the get-rich-quick mentality and emphasizing that success requires relentless persistence, proper risk assessment, and understanding that real estate is fundamentally a sales and marketing business. His no-nonsense approach cuts through industry hype to deliver practical, actionable advice. The conversation reveals how Shane transformed his 2008 failure into wisdom, building a diversified business empire that includes a real estate team, property management company (managing 120+ units), and insurance agency - all designed to work together and provide stability through market cycles. 💰 What you'll discover: Why Shane went bankrupt in 2008 and the critical mistakes that led to his downfallHow to identify motivated sellers and the psychology behind successful deal-findingThe real truth about real estate investing vs. running a real estate businessWhy diversification and multiple income streams are essential for long-term successShane's "selfish" approach to building teams and delegating tasks you hateHow to leverage AI and modern tools while maintaining the human touch through door-knockingWhy most real estate investors fail due to ego and overleveragingThe importance of maintaining 50% equity-to-loan ratios for peace of mindHow to build adjacent income streams that complement your core businessWhy experienced investors should mentor newcomers (and how beginners can find mentors)Shane shares brutally honest insights about the entrepreneurial journey, including why he prefers smaller, profitable teams over massive operations, and how he structures his businesses to require minimal daily involvement while maintaining quality control. The episode takes a personal turn when Shane discusses how his business structure allowed him to be present every day when his father battled kidney cancer - highlighting the true value of time freedom that proper business design can provide. Shane's advice for newcomers is counterintuitive: don't spend your first $1,000 on education or marketing. Instead, find an experienced investor and offer to work for free in exchange for knowledge and mentorship. Connect with Shane Wilson:Website: ShaneWilsonTraining.com (Free community and content)Social Media: Search "Shane Wilson Real Estate" or "Shane Wilson Training"LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanewilsonrealestate/ To learn more about Josh and Wealth In Yourself:Website: www.wealthinyourself.com Connect with us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/wealthinyourselfhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/wealth-in-yourselfhttps://www.youtube.com/@wealthinyourselfhttps://www.facebook.com/officialwealthinyourselfhttps://twitter.com/josh_stlaurenthttps://tiktok.com/@wealthinyourself