Matt Andrews Shares His Recipe for Building an Empire & Building Authentic Businesses & Relationships.

Kevin Harrington
Hi, I’m Kevin Harrington, an original Shark from the hit television show Shark Tank and you’re listening to the underdog podcast.

Pamela Bardhi
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of underdog today I have an amazing guest here with me, which I love so, so much, Matt Andrews.

Matt Andrews
Thank you, so good to be here on the underdog podcast. And Pam, great to see you and I love it. I’ve been excited about this. I told you, I’m ready. I’m ready to go.

Pamela Bardhi
Oh, yes, your energy is so beautiful. I’m like, literally the day that I met you via phone call. I was like he is just such a special, amazing human being can’t wait to get to know more. And today is that day. I mean, don’t get me wrong. We’ve had conversations and all that stuff. But today all about you. I cannot wait to get into your story. And I have a burning question for you, Matt. What inspired you on your journey to where you are today?

Matt Andrews
Well, that’s a big question. If I was just gonna answer it in any kind of succinct way. Like what brought me to where I am today, what I’m doing today, it’s collaboration. If I boiled it down to a single word, I love working with people. Whether that means in partnerships or in creative efforts, in business, in life, or whatever it is. I like in Thrive being around other people. And I’ve learned that about myself. And I knew that about myself growing up, I liked being around other people. I wanted to be around a gang all the time, and again, that was doing cool stuff. So a lot of what I do in business, I think it’s just kind of from that spirit of wanting to collaborate with other people wanting to surround myself with cool people.

That challenged me and pushed me and also people that have really different skill sets than me a lot of times too. And I really get fueled by being around those types of people and collaborating with them. Find ways to work with them, and create something with them. Plus something they’re doing or have them come in and plus something that I’m working on. So I guess that’s the short answer. Collaboration is what fuels me, it’s what I love. And that’s what’s really driven my success. Whether it’s been real estate or in the masterminds, mastermind world consulting world. Some of the other things I get into now with crypto and some of these other niches.

What really makes it work is not my knowledge in any of those niches, it’s my knowledge of, or my ability to work with people and find and create wins between people. So that’s how you and I got to know each other right? It was we started talking about how we create wins for each other. So that’s what it is, for me. Its collaboration is that piece.

Pamela Bardhi
I love that, I know, you’re such a collaborator, and like just such an awesome spirit. And you’re always up to like the most amazing things. So reeling it back a bit though. What did you want to be when you grew up?

Matt Andrews
When I was little, I think I probably wanted to be in a rock and roll band. I think guys probably my dream. Like I grew up in the 80s. I’m a child of the 80s. But I was listening to like 60s Rock, I was listening to The Beatles, and I was listening to the stones and stuff. So I started playing guitar when I was little and not an amazing guitar player by any means. But I could bang out my Beatle songs and stuff. So when I was little, I think I was like, Yeah, I want to be a rock star that looks like a good job. I want to be on stage and be adored and you know, sing songs that I’ve written and stuff.

So that was probably it somewhere along the line that turned into you know, being a business Rockstar, I guess.

Pamela Bardhi
Well, it’s funny how it plays out, like what you want to be when you grew up and it actually magnifies as you get older. And so it’s funny that that’s exactly where you are. I was just gonna say your business Rockstar. Like you’re on stage, you’re still doing everything. That’s for sure.

Matt Andrews
It’s like our mutual friend Frank McKinney. He just became a rock star in the world of real estate and luxury real estate, like, it was something he wanted. So I think that’s what’s unique about you. And that’s what I tried to bring is we bring our unique spirit. Whatever it is to the business with a project that we’re working on. We’re the consistent piece there, you know, so hey, if I want to be a rock star, and it’s not on stage with an actual band. But it’s in business, and it’s with real estate. And it’s with consulting and all these other things I do I can be a rock star that way.

Pamela Bardhi
Yeah, and you totally are. So walk me back to your childhood a little bit not so where did you grow up?

Matt Andrews
Yeah, so I grew up in Florida close to Tampa, but I grew up in Lutz. When I grew up in Lutz, Florida, it was all orange groves and cow fields. And now it’s all multimillion-dollar homes. Somehow all the orange groves are gone now in that area and the city moved into it, but I grew up there. So it was kind of country-ish, you know, north of Tampa where I grew up. My parents are entrepreneurs, my grandfather was a preacher. My great grandfather was in the produce business. He sold produce and actually had moved will produce mobiles that would go around the city. So I’ve got a multi-generational family that’s from that area, and all kinds of entrepreneurs of sorts.

Whether it was preaching and selling Jesus or selling produce Andrew Stanley and my lineage is people that have created opportunities and sold things. So that’s I grew up in a very supportive environment to try new things to be an entrepreneur, I wasn’t pushed to do one thing or another. But I was very supportive of you can do whatever you want to do, Matt. Especially from my mom, especially you could do whatever you want, you can be whatever you want. It’s your ticket, you write it. And I took that on from an early age, I thought, yeah, okay, I can I believe you, Mom, I can do whatever I want.

And so I’ve always tried things from the youngest age, I’ve always been maybe not afraid of failure. I kind of just look at it as, hey, let’s see what happens here. Let’s test this out, and kind of had that spirit of not being afraid to fail. And I think from an early age, my mom kind of instilled that confidence in me and said, Hey, try things and see what works and see what fits. I’m kind of a natural salesman, too. And I like having those conversations, and so I think from the time I was young. I was always trying to even without selling something or there being a financial complainer, I was trying to sell something.

I was trying to make somebody laugh, I was trying to get somebody to like me, I was trying to get my parents, friends, the other adults to notice me as a kid. And think I was cool or smart, or funny, whatever it was, I felt like I was trying to sell something. You know, try to sell me or communicate or bridge the gap between us. So that’s what felt good was the people always the people piece. And then that has led to lots of other opportunities in business. But that’s the consistent thing. So yeah, I grew up in Florida, went to college, got a degree in psychology. That I was going to be a family counselor and thought I was going to run a practice in that in that world.

Ended up shifting into business work for a fortune 500 company, was Rookie of the Year for this company. Nationwide, salesperson of the year was given all, company car, all this good stuff. And then they pulled the rug out from under me, changed my division completely shut down. What I was doing move me to a different part of the company that said, start over. Then I said, I’m going to try real estate. So that was kind of my real quick path, you know, school for psychology into business. Kind of something that’s not that abnormal for people like you and I to get the rug yanked out from under us to realize we’re not in control. And we’re employee not that there’s anything wrong with employment. But I didn’t have the control.

It was gone one day, you know, my pipeline was zeroed out. So that led me to real estate. And then real estate opened me up to everything. So I really learned business through real estate, I learned through single-family homes. What a profit and loss statement was, and how how to balance the books. And not that I was ever good at the accounting side of it or have been. But that’s how I learned business. So I equate everything. Now, no matter what the business is, what I’m acquiring, what kind of partnership. I’m setting it up, or how I’m setting it up. It all kind of equates back to how you flip a single-family house. Or how you wholesale a single-family home, I see everything in those terms.

Because that’s how I understand business if that makes sense. So that’s kind of the quick and now 22 years, I’ve been flipping houses. We started an education company and a consulting company, which has a publishing component too. Then I started running mastermind groups in the real estate space. And then really found a sweet spot with the family, which is the mastermind that you’re a part of. Which is a group of real estate entrepreneurs that are really focused on serving the real estate investing, community training, teaching, and doing joint ventures within that world.

So I put myself right in that sweet spot of collaborator and so that’s, that’s where I am today. But I’ve been all over the path when I was figuring out how to how to start my real estate business. And I tried everything and had done everything under the sun to find my sweet spots. I’ve just continued to add in little things as I’ve gone over the last 20 years. And the things that work have stuck and I’ve put them in as bedrocks of our business and the things that don’t work are the things that I don’t like.

I figure out a way to phase them out or sell them off or stop doing them in some way you know. And so today I focus on joint ventures more than anything else some real estate some other stuff. But that’s the main thing I focus on is working with people like you putting together good people the room, and getting the conversation started so that we can win together.

Pamela Bardhi
Hey, man, thanks so much for sharing that. I mean, what’s beautiful is the collaborator piece that you mentioned. And what I also love is that you were in the corporate world and then decided to step into the real estate game. I always love those stories.

Matt Andrews
I can suit and tie every day. You know me now right you know me now. Can you even see me in a suit and tying my hair and I had a suit and tie on every day?

Pamela Bardhi
Oh no too much maintenance man too much maintenance when it comes to that my goodness. So what led you to the real estate space? Those are always my favorite stories because like for me, mine went from restaurants to real estate. But mine was funny because like this was around 2012-2013. When like flip preflop and like all those shows became really low. Yeah. And I kept hearing about flipping and my uncle was flipping some stuff North Shore and that’s what I got interested in. And then the rest is history. So how did you get to walk into the real estate world?

Matt Andrews
Yeah, so I got into it a little bit pre-all the flipping shows. Like now there are networks that 24 hours a day. Somebody’s flipping a house on five different stations right back then. There really wasn’t any of that. So I came into real estate in like, 1999 2000. So my outlet was like, late-night infomercials. Like that was that was how I found out about real estate a little bit, I probably got turned on to it. But the reason I was paying attention to it, that’s really the story. Of how I got into real estate. When I was young. I love basketball. And I’m five, eight, and not the best basketball player. You’re not picking me first on the team. But I love playing. I’m just a fan of the sport.

When I was young, a friend of a friend was a coach for a community college close to Tampa. And I kind of got to be friends with this guy. He was the head coach of a small school. I got to watch a lot of practices. He would let me in the gym, I would watch practices, I thought this guy was his name is Rob. I thought he was the coolest guy I’ve ever met. He kind of let me in and let him let me watch, I didn’t bother anything, I watched the practices. He let me go on and away game with him one time right on the bus. Like he was like my idol. Like I thought if I could be like, Rob, and be a basketball coach on any level, but especially for a college.

I have made it that’s what I want to do. So I’ve always remembered Rob always thought about Rob got out of college, move back to Tampa. Somebody mentioned him and I said yeah, what is he still coaching? And they said no, he quit coaching and started flipping houses and makes millions of dollars now and I’m like he quit coaching. Why would you ever quit? That’s the best job in the world. What can what can be better than coaching basketball, I couldn’t imagine. And so I got funny story got connected with Rob again, he showed me what he was doing.

Really I bugged him found out what he was doing. I bugged him until he kind of showed me what he was doing. And I looked at a lot of the deals he was doing kind of a mixture of, we didn’t call it wholesaling. But wholesaling and rehabs and he kind of cracked the door open for me, let me kind of see what he was doing. I essentially worked for him for free a little bit just to get the knowledge exchange. And he agreed formally or informally, he kind of became my mentor, I kind of reluctantly. But he did it. Then not too long after, fast forward a few years, we’re doing a lot of deals together. He became a great friend and a business partner.

And to this day is somebody that I love and still talk to on a regular basis. I helped his son set up their property management company. There’s all kinds of things that we’ve done together now. But that’s how it started. I thought, man, if this basketball coach with the greatest job in the world stops doing that, to do this thing over here, maybe actually take a look at that. So that was what really planted the seed. Then I see a Carlton sheets thing at midnight or something on TV. And I bought that CD set that I bought around the grand book that I bought a Robert Allen book. Both those guys I mentioned are part of my mastermind, which is crazy, and your story.

But that stuff and you started studying and then just honestly, Pam like I’m sure you did at the beginning of your businesses. I just stumbled my way through the first two or three deals. Just stumbled like clumsily stumbled through the rehab through the acquisition through the rehab. I just did everything wrong and I know that’s so cliche, but I really did everything wrong. That first one I took what should have been a 25-30k profit. And I was lucky to come out of it with a 2k profit. That’s what I came out of it with on the first deal I did. And I say I was lucky because I did so much wrong, I should have lost money. The universe should have taught me a lesson.

And I just smacked me for 5k or something like that, you know, but I actually made 2k. That gave me just enough belief that okay, I clearly don’t know what I’m doing on a lot of parts of this business. But I still made this transaction work. Let me do another one to try and make it better. And then let me do another one try make a little bit better. So I stumbled my way with just a little bit of education. But no real training, and no real professional business pedigree and real estate, I got a few deals done. And then I just figured out and started creating some systems. Then I started seeing some other people do things that I could emulate. I started partnering but there was still not a lot of education at the time.

So I started partnering with a lot of people to become benefit them to find out how they were doing what they were doing. People that became great partners. I almost was like a junior partner to a lot of these guys because I would say hey look, I’ve got this part lockdown, or I’ve got this inventory over here. Let me come in and do what you’re doing with the hedge funds over there and get in and that’s how I would learn what they were doing. So I hustled and figured out how to find deals and figured out how to negotiate with the sellers and figured out all that kind of stuff. And then partner with a lot of people who knew the money partners are new the funds are new the big money whales buyers.

That type of thing and they would do a lot of deals like that and then just learn little by little would implement their strategies in my business. And that would make me an even better partner for them as I leveled up. So, that’s really what got me into it. I started flipping houses, for the most part, just one at a time. And bring it up, originally just me and a few guys sobs that I hired and me leading it very quickly. Me then hire professional crews to come in and do that stuff and figure out how to. Then become the manager of the crews, which you’re very well versed in.

You know how difficult that is, especially starting out in business, especially on the younger side, commanding that respect. So a big learning curve for me, they’re working with guys that were 20 years older than me. Had dealt with guys like me for years, and I’m just getting going. And so I stumbled through a lot, but eventually learned my path through good partnership. And through some selective education. If I started today, man, it’s like, there’s so much education, there’s so much help. There’s so many great sources that didn’t exist 22 23 years ago when I started that. In some ways, it was good, because I had to figure it out on my own.

But in other ways, I’m jealous of people starting today because you can really pick a niche and say, I’m gonna learn everything about this. And I can pretty quickly figure out who’s the right person to follow in that niche. It wasn’t that way back, then you had two or three guys, and they kind of taught you everything about real estate, all 8000 strategies. Like Robert Graham would teach you 800 ways to buy a house or whatever it was. But it got you into the mode of getting deals done. Making deals happen, solving problems, and creating wins, because getting deals done. And in my world of buying them from motivated sellers. If you can’t present them with a win, you’re not buying their house.

And if you can’t get the numbers, right, and buy that right, and help them win, you’re not going to make any money either. So it’s it really got me in the mode of sitting across from people at a table and bridging that gap. And starting to believe after I’d done it again, and again. Again, man, there’s nothing across this table that we can’t figure out that we can’t come to some kind of negotiating table. Did we not find some way to work together, you know, in some way, shape, or form. Once I was there with them, and so I realized that man if I can create wins in that way. Then I can take that same mindset and create wins for my lenders. That are helping me fund these deals or my buyers that are buying them over and over again as turnkey properties.

And I just set everything up as wins for everybody I’m working with from the seller to the buyer, and everybody in between. That’s the deal, right. And that was the formula for me, as simple as it is. It’s just like, let’s sit down and let’s make it work for me and for you. Let’s figure it out fast. And then let’s move on to the next one and do it again.

Pamela Bardhi
That’s amazing. Oh my gosh, there’s so many things you mentioned throughout that journey. First off, I love that you took the mentorship from a knowledge perspective. You’re like he didn’t pay me but because I think that a lot of people miss this because they think about the dollar signs. And it’s like a very short-term way of thinking and you played the long game. And the long game always wins. Like if you invest in that knowledge that’s going to be worth millions to you later, down the line.

And some people like are so short-sighted when it comes to this. And anybody who’s listening or thinking about trying something new. Like, find somebody that you really love and respect and want to learn about what it is that they do. Guaranteed if you put yourself in front of that person, and you say, I’m willing to learn and exchange for the information, hands down, people will help you

Matt Andrews
Yeah, if you can figure out how to be a benefit to somebody in a way that you know, and lead with. Here’s how this helps you, here’s how I can help you, or here’s what we can do here. And you lead with that, then you’ve got their attention. It’s when you go to people and you get this a lot because you’ve got your podcast and you’re a high-profile influencer. People come to you with opportunities all the time. And if it sounds like an opportunity, that’s all about them, your ears completely. I mean, you turn off in a second.

It’s kind of like, hey, Pam, let me tell you what we could do together and how it would really help me. It’s kind of like, even though you’re a really sweet person who wants to help people, and you really are like that, Pam. You’re still shutting your ears to that because it’s all about them. And so it’s really going into those situations, authentically leading with, here’s how I can help you or plus what you’re doing. Or here’s how I can be a benefit to you. Not, hey, I want to learn everything from you. What can I do to get you to do that, don’t leave it up to them to figure it out. Look at their business and figure out hey, if I could do this, would that help you cool.

I’m gonna do that for you and jump in and do that. If I could bring you some buyers like this, or if I could find some deals like this. Or if I could put together some capital like this, or if I could get you access to funds like or whatever it is. If it’s a benefit to them, jump in and do it. And then you will learn but if you present it as hey, I really want to learn from you. Can I Is there something I can do then you leave it to me and Pam to figure out well. Is there something this person can do? Well, now I’ve got a job with figuring out what this person to give them a chance to learn from it. It’s a weird thing.

So you’ve got to make it easy and you’ve got to lead with that benefit and be clear that hey, I’m going on end. I’m going to bring this benefit to you if this helps you. Regardless of where this goes, I’m leading with my best foot forward, and I’m leading with what’s going to help you. And I’m investing in the relationship versus trying to get something from you. I think that’s really the key. And you said long term, you said, the long view. You mentioned that before. That’s relationship building. So that’s what it was with that first, you know, my first mentor, the basketball coach turned house flipper.

Like, for me, it was really about investing in that relationship and serving him in a way that built the relationship was an immediate benefit to him in a way. Then allow that to happen over and over again, a year, two years, three years, fast forward 22 years, he’s still a friend and a business partner. And like I said, I work with his son on projects and stuff. So, you know, really, really cool, but it’s because you lead with that relationships. So I think what you said there about long term is key, it’s absolutely key. Because the long view is always going to be what’s the highest and best use of this relationship? How can we help most people with this relationship? How can we serve our communities most effectively?

Or, or make the most money or create the most opportunity with this relationship? Not what can I get in the next two weeks out of this relationship? What can I sell to this person, it’s just a different view. And people pick up on that so fast, and one can make you money for a little while, and then be over. And that’s transactional relationships, right. Then there’s real relationships that you’ve put time and energy and resources into build.

That can then create opportunities over and over again, but we definitely live in a transactional society. People drop off, there are a lot of people that know how to make money and how to create a one-time kind of like cash influx. But not a lot of people know how to create relationships that can refresh opportunities. And that actually grows with time like age like a fine wine as far as opportunity goes.

Pamela Bardhi
Right? Well, you mentioned something super important the reason why I picked up on that is because that’s the authentic selling. Not authentic selling, but like that’s like authentic business. I want to call it like that’s the big business relationship because there’s something really key about you, Matt. Not a lot of people have, like very, very few. And the reason why you’ve been so hyper-successful in doing what you do. Because of that value, you add to your authenticity. Like I guarantee you everyone in the room like in family mastermind. Like everyone would say point at MATT Like he’s the leader. He’s authentic. There’s no other group that’s like this that is so like, not ego-centered. And not egocentric.

Because I mean, listen, we’re in real estate, this is you know, look at industry this can be right. Egos and just the cutthroats of it all on it like that whole thing and to be in a room like that is a whole nother. It’s really refreshing because of the authenticity. I mean, like you were saying, like you used to buy Bob Allen’s books and Ron the grant and meanwhile, look like now they’re in your room?

Matt Andrews
Yeah. that’s crazy, right?

Pamela Bardhi
Saying where it’s like your icons become your friends, or you become just like them, it’s the coolest thing in the world. So for me, I would love a little bit more insight into your authenticity and business. Because I don’t know, that’s what I call it for you. But you have some strategies and stuff behind it, of how you took it to the next level. And building what you’ve built through that you touched on it a little bit, definitely want to get into that. And then I want to get into like your personal mindset because I know that that plays a lot in your success.

Matt Andrews
Well, you asked it. So you asked about like authenticity in business. And I think for me, and you and I’ve talked about this before, and you know some about this. My wife and I made a lot of my business partners and I are deeply involved in charities around the world. That’s something that’s been a really big piece for us. So that’s just one example of we have been able to pull with various businesses, mostly in real estate. We’ve been able to pull kind of charitable initiatives into our real estate world. And offer opportunities to our real estate people or communities. That they maybe wouldn’t have otherwise to give. To be a part of some charitable giving to be a part of building something creating something sustainable. Really to be a part of helping somebody else.

So they wouldn’t have the opportunity otherwise, to help and so I think that’s one thing that is big for me and my life personally. And so that’s authentic, something I love to do. It’s something that fulfills me, it’s something that makes me feel good. It’s something that brings me and my wife closer together. So sharing that part of my life and using business as a conduit to do more of that. I think this is an example of what you’re talking about using authenticity in business and growing. And I can talk tactics and strategies and I can say hey, for every six or seven wholesale deals I did. I kept one and that was my free and clear strategy.

You know, like, I mean, I’ve got we’ve got little like tactics and tricks I could say but that’s it’s really that piece is that first thing I said. That’s the thing that the overarching thing that makes it work, it’s not the tactic. It’s that mindset, and then also the other piece I try to stay constantly not jumping to something new. But taking what I’m doing and shrinking the mental bandwidth it takes from me to maintain and accomplish that and keep that going. While being able to now direct that bandwidth to new opportunities, new relationships, or new people. So much so that a lot of my day is designed to get a lot of my core stuff done very early in the morning.

So that a lot of the rest of my day, if I get certain other things done, that’s great. But if I go off on a wild tangent, because I met Pam Bardhi. And we ended up talking for two hours when we were gonna talk for 15 minutes, I can do that. Because I plan not, I can’t do that all the time. I can’t talk to everybody for two hours all the time. But I plan to have some of that time, right. So a lot of it is very purposefully, getting those core tests done. So that I’ve got enough bandwidth and ability. And just kind of freedom of mind, if that makes sense. You know, feeling like I can take a look at these other opportunities. Take advantage of these other with these other relationships present.

Because I’ve got things taken care of over here and I’ve systemized things or in my case delegated a lot to other people that are way better at it than I am. So that I can be open to possibilities. And I think that’s what kills a lot of business owners and why a lot of people stopped growing. If they’re working in the business so much, they can’t be open to other possibilities. It’s almost like oh, my gosh, take on something else. It’s like, and we’ve been there, we’ve all been there. You’ve been there, I’ve been there. It’s like if I took on one more thing right now I’d go crazy. As for me, who needs creative input, and needs to keep things fresh. That’s where I die if I sat in the same cubicle doing the same thing forever.

And it was just like, I just kept doing it if I couldn’t refresh or bring new elements in or bring new people in, bring new niches. Lately, it’s been raising, creating capital funds, that’s new for me over the last few years. And now crypto, I’m not an expert at all. But I have some great things going in that world. Because I had the bandwidth and the time to make some relationships that opened me up to those opportunities. A few years ago, I was too busy in my business, I didn’t have the bandwidth.

The opportunities would just fly by me. And I’d have to let them fly by. Because I didn’t I couldn’t pay attention to them. And I think for people like you and me that are chronic entrepreneurs, right and can take advantage of these opportunities. The worst thing for us is to not, we don’t need to take every opportunity. But I think the worst thing for us is having to close off from opportunity from the possibility of it. Because that’s what gets us up in the morning. Like what’s gonna happen today? What’s gonna happen?

Pamela Bardhi
Let me tell you that so I was in Tampa, so like, I’m sure you probably saw the photos. Jumping on every hour is as fun. Yeah, you’re probably laughing your ass off and watching us dress up as grannies. So what we did was we went on those pedal bars, those have like 12 seats in them. And then there’s like a bar in the middle. But like, all you do is pedal and they take you through like a one-mile radius. Like you have to pedal like there’s no motor. So there’s no gas, no electric, it’s BYOB. It’s all these things, right? I’m like studying it. And I’m like, you know, this is we’re going for a Bachelorette. The whole time everyone’s like drinking having a good time.

We’re dressed up as old ladies like having a ball. And all I could think about was like they’re charging $500 an hour for two hours. 250 An hour than then look, I’m thinking about their overhead and all these business models together. Yeah. And like everyone’s absolutely smacked. Here I am, like talking to the guys. Like, do you guys have franchises available? When you say chronic entrepreneur, it’s like, my mind is always moving in those directions. So like you said, like, you need that room for that creativity.

And that’s like, yeah, how do I take advantage of this opportunity? This looks like so much fun, like adding an experience here doing that. Because that’s the thing is like, most people will look at you now and be like. How the hell did he go from building houses to like, legit. A whole entire empire, which is God and your key to that is those relationships and how you’ve been building them. Incredible

Matt Andrews
100% There’s no way that I wouldn’t do 90% of what I do. If it wasn’t for relationships, partnerships. And that includes my wife, who has been my business partner in our traditional real estate business for years and years. And who when she came aboard our business quadrupled in like a year to she’s like a machine. From her to all different things that I’m doing now. Like if I didn’t have partners that had that expertise. Or had unique abilities that were different than mine, I wouldn’t do a lot of this stuff. So yeah, it is, so I don’t know if I’d call it an empire. I like that. I like you calling it an empire.

But whatever it is from flipping a few houses 22 years ago to doing what I do now. I feel there’s been some progress made there and that progress has been made. Especially in business through those relationships and through partnerships. So I’ve found what is true for me is that I’m at my best. And this is true and real estate and flipping houses and running mastermind groups and buying and acquiring businesses and selling businesses. Whatever it is, I’m at my best when I’m helping other people be their best. So when I meet somebody like you, and I see all these cool things you have going on with construction business and your real estate background, but then the podcast and all these other. The coaching business and your publishing and all of the stuff that you have going on, I just see amazing opportunity for interface.

An amazing opportunity of being Oh, I gotta introduce Pam and so because that person is just what she’s looking at. Pam was about to spend a million dollars creating this, I got to you like, Roddy, boom. You know, there’s an introduction, boom, instant partnership I get excited about that kind of stuff. And all the time, I was excited about stuff that has nothing to do with me like the stuff that does, right. But what I find is, is that if I have that spirit, and I stay excited about just making those connections. Connecting those dots, putting deals together. Whether I’m the principal and the deal, and I’m signing on the dotted line.

Or whether I made an introduction, and then I was out whatever it was, I feel really good about that. I feel great about that connection. And I feel like that created something that wouldn’t have been there before. And I feel like in some way I’m a conduit to those things happening. So the better I get at that, the better I get at helping others be their best. That’s when I’m at my best, that’s when I have the energy. That entrepreneurial energy that I think you and I are similar in that way we feed off each other. That’s why I think we like each other because we feel that energy. We feed off each other and we amp each other up even a little bit more, which is super cool. I love that.

Pamela Bardhi
No, it’s so amazing. It’s absolutely incredible. Because it’s like so much collaboration and so much that has happened in those relationships. But the thing is, like, the universe has these really cool laws like reciprocity, for example, and karma. So when you’re doing good things for other people, and you’re constantly pouring out. Some way somehow that gets poured back to you. And also, when you give, it’s a law of reciprocity, that like somebody wants to help you back.

And you’re not doing it for that reason, but it’s just how the universe works. Like you’re a giver, you’ll get back in different ways. Like, it’s just a whole nother world. And I just, I love that. I love that. So, Matt, for you, what has been your personal mindset throughout it all? How have you sustained because I know the mindset has really is really what you took it to the next level?

Matt Andrews
Yeah. You know, I think early on in business, I think I was driven. Certainly, we’re all driven somewhat by money and accumulation. Like, we want that security, right. So I was definitely driven to get into real estate because I saw that there was opportunity there for freedom. So I was driven in that way, I was driven to do something that made a difference that helps people in some way. I think that’s why I majored in psychology. Why I thought I was going to be a family counselor, and I did work all through college. And I worked with autistic children, and I implemented behavior training programs. And it was something I really loved, I felt like I was making a big difference.

So I wanted to go into business but also wanted to make a difference. I found real estate and found that I was solving problems and the way I did business, at least. Especially when I was doing a high volume and sitting across with motivated sellers a lot. You know, I was creating those wins. And people always shook my hand and thanked me at the end of the transaction because we solved a problem. So I think real estate, I liked the element of making the money and creating a business. Accumulating rentals and building a portfolio and building security for the family that I would one day build. But I think the other piece of it was a sincere desire to feel like I was helping somebody doing something big or small.

Whether it was somebody that had to sell a house, because man, that thing had a bunch of tax liens on it. And it had to go or whatever it was to counseling families and working with autistic children, whatever it was. I wanted to do something to help people and now, building through real estate. I just been able to kind of expand that out and do that on a larger level. So I think it was financially driven a little bit in the beginning, I think it was driven to, to help people now. And you know, I’ve got an eight-year-old daughter and a four-year-old son. A lot of my motivation now is they’re watching me, that’s a lot of my motivation now. It really is, and it’s a great motivation.

For me, it’s a very positive motivation for me that, wow, these two are learning everything. They’re learning about fatherhood, and what a man is supposed to be they’re seeing me run businesses. So what they’re learning about business right now they’re learning basically, for me. So now, it’s taken on a whole other thing over the last eight years with my daughter is so smart. She asked questions about business and gets all kinds of things that I didn’t think she gets, and she gets some. And it’s just I find out new things like that every day driving to school. She came up with something, I’m just like, No, I didn’t know you got that. No, you understood that.

So I think now, the motivation is a lot to continue to help people certainly continue to create that financial freedom to help other people create that financial freedom. To have the collaboration, but it’s also so that my kids can see what’s important and what I think’s important. And I want them to see how they can help people doesn’t have to be the same way as I do. But I want them to see me spending time on things that help people, that’s a focus for me. And they see that with my wife a tonne, too, because my wife, she works in our business. But she is just a champion and helps so many people in so many ways that people will never know about. Stuff that she’ll never draw attention to.

And my kids are the ones that see that though, they’re the ones that see the blessing bags for every homeless person on the street corner. They’re the ones that go with my wife when she goes to visit people in the hospital. And just all those things that they’re learning from. So that’s a lot of my motivation now is I want them to learn the right things. I want them to see the right things. And business gives us the ability, success, and business and financial freedom give us the ability to help more people. So this will kind of sum up my focus. And I think you’ll get this and like this.

Because I asked my kids this all the time. And it’s really, really simple, and two questions and responses back from them. So question and response, question response. So ask them, you know, why don’t we work? They can both answer me to make money to create income. And then I say, and why do we want to make money create income, and they say, to help people. I want them to know because every day I dropped them off at school, I’m going to work right? And I want them to know, I’m going to work. Why do I go to work? Well to make money? Why do we want to make money to help people?

Because if we’re not free ourselves, if we’re not if we don’t have stability, we can’t help anybody else with our money with our time with anything else. So that’s the lesson I want them to learn. And that’s a big driving force for me. So to that end, a lot of it is creating more collaborations and doing it in a way that allows me to offer more opportunities. And bring more opportunities to serve into that mix. You know about some of that stuff like our Haiti project, that’s part of our Mastermind and a lot of the other things we do. It’s taken those things and using the platforms, we have to take advantage and two, plus those opportunities. I want my kids to see it, I want them to do their version of that because they saw me doing it.

Pamela Bardhi
Hey, man, I love that I love because there’s so many feelings I have about business. Ever since I was a young kid. I was like, I want to be super successful and rich and business to say this, my dad tells me this all the time. And he’s a PM. Well, why do you want to do that? I said because I want to do more good for the world. Because when you have money, power, and respect us. Which you can, that’s what you can do and use it for good. And so it’s amazing. Oh, my God, I love it. I could get into a whole world when with all of that. That’s what I love.

Matt Andrews
Truth, right? And that’s the rebuttal to anybody that’s like, oh, you know, like, you’re always building businesses. And how much money do you actually need? Well, it’s how many people do you want to help? I do think you should not accumulate just to accumulate like adding zeros. That’s vanity at some point, right? You know, like, if you don’t need the money. And you can’t put it to use and it’s just but you can’t stop accumulating. Because that’s your drive or whatever, well, then you’re lost in a different way. But usually, my answer to that question is well, how much is too much? Or how much is enough? Or whatever?

What’s it how many people do you want to help? And what capacity? Do you want to be able to help them? How much time and how much money? Do you need to do that? You know, how are you helping people? Now, if you had 100 times more money? Could you help 100 times more people? Why wouldn’t you want to do that? So that’s what I think when people ask those questions, and when I think why do I keep going? It’s kind of like, well, why not? If what I’m doing is doing some measure of good even if it’s just a little bit. If I do some more and do it in an effective way that serves other parts of my life? Shouldn’t I do more? You know, like, why wouldn’t I?

What Would Matt Older Self Tell His Younger Self

Pamela Bardhi
Oh, man, I adore you, man. Now, this is one of my favorite questions. Okay. Which is what would your older self tell your younger self based on what you know, now? Business personal, whatever?

Matt Andrews
Yeah, I know, right off, don’t be afraid to look stupid. You know, fail fast look stupid, fast. Realising that you not know the answer is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign that you don’t know that answer. And then once you tell somebody, you don’t know it, and they tell you what it is, then you know it. And you don’t have to say you don’t know it again. So if it’s an ego thing, it’s a one-time thing. It’s a one-time ego hit. But I think that’s what I would tell myself is, you know, I failed, but I held myself back from quicker progress. A lot of that was on that first deal that I should have made 25k on I made 2k on but on a lot of my early real estate career, especially.

And in other parts of my life, too, and relationships. That thing was being afraid to ask questions to expose what I didn’t know to look stupid at a title company. Because I didn’t you know, it was my second transaction. And I didn’t know what that fee was. So I just acted like, okay, I guess I’ll just pay that 200. Like, and by the time you’re done your 100 deal never pay that stupid fee. Everyone knows that or whatever it is, right? But I was afraid. That’s just a little example. But I was afraid to ask those questions. I was afraid to look stupid in front of other people. I definitely held myself back in that way. I was also kind of afraid to take advice from other people too.

Because of the exposure that man if I ask the person this question, or if I get close to this person. They’re gonna realize I really don’t know what I’m doing on this thing. Or this transaction or this deal, or whatever it is. And I still have a little bit of that to this day, I’ve been in business 22 years, and people would say, I’m reasonably successful. I still feel that sometimes like, oh, man, this person is gonna know, I don’t know what I’m talking about. Then I realized the tremendous amount of power that I gained. And I started saying it almost verbatim like this when there were closings.

And I didn’t understand something or a realtor was telling me something, I didn’t get it, or there was a title or whatever. It was some technical legal issue on a property. I’d say, You know what? I didn’t understand that at all. Can you explain it again and pretend like I’m a third-grader this time? I would ask that question that way. So it was almost comically funny how much I don’t understand what you just said. It’s funny how much I don’t understand. And that making it like that showed a confidence that I had myself. I was so confident myself, I was confident enough to say, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Would you explain it to me again? Like I’m a dummy, and use smaller words and talk slow like, so I got good, eventually.

And that’s it. My business reflected that a few years into the business. I’m like, Look, I’m overlooking dumb. I want to know the answers to the questions. I need to know the answers to the questions, I need to know fascinator the right thing to do. And that means I look stupid for five minutes out stupid for five minutes. So I think if I went back, I tell my younger self to look stupid, faster, and more often.

Pamela Bardhi
And so Matt, like what’s up in your world now in the next six to 12 months, you’ve got so much amazingness happening? So what’s going on in your world?

Matt Andrews
Yeah. So I mean, we got a lot of cool projects going on, you and I have talked about a lot of them, right. Obviously, family mastermind is ground zero for a lot of my opportunities and a lot of the collaboration that I’m a part of in the real estate world. So family mastermind has always kind of first and foremost on my list of spending time creating more assets. They’re creating more collaborations with my members like you and I are in our other friends in the group. That’s a big piece. But I have recently moved into the crypto spaces with a couple of different crypto companies. And we just did our first test that I’m not the face of any of this stuff. You won’t if you Google, Matt Andrews, and crypto, you won’t see anything.

But these are companies that I own pieces of and, and have helped start or have acquired and then mixed with some other partners. So the crypto world, we’ve got two different programs coming out in that world. Which are going to feed into a crypto fund that we’re creating, which I think is gonna be really, really cool. And then getting into this world of NF Ts, and man, I can barely even tell you what I’m doing. I just know that it’s some really cool stuff with some amazing partners. A lot of this stuff, especially on the tech side, it’s a partnership play, a lot of times. It’s like, Hey, I don’t completely understand this NFT thing.

But if you’ve got this guy from the marketing director of Coca-Cola, and you’ve got this person from the NBA, and you’ve got this guy here. And we got you who’s got the track record of doing this kind of stuff for five years, yeah, I’m in. I’ll bring whatever I can bring to the table in terms of capital influence, that type of thing. That’s how I get into a lot of this stuff. So crypto NF t’s, not my expertise, but we got really cool stuff going on in those worlds, right. And then a lot of capital funds too. So around crypto but also around real estate, and around real estate data, and around Real Estate Software.

One of the things that I’m doing and have done more of the last year or two years. But I will do a lot more of the next probably five years is acquiring small software companies that perform some kind of function like a CRM. Or they generate leads for real estate investors or they do something specific for a practicing blue-collar real estate investor and take assets like that. And pulling them together to create larger enterprise level software. That we can then turn around and sell to partners or batch with other companies that we have. So a lot of what I’m doing is working on building ecospheres in the world of real estate investing tech software, but properties and capital funds as well.

So instead of building a real estate portfolio, it’s just a portfolio of companies that play well together and have good synergy. And my sweet spot is to be a minority position in most of those companies, so I can be an advisor role. So 10 to 20% is kind of my sweet spot. If I can be advising on companies and take on new ones that already have a great synergy and working with other ones that I own pieces of that’s really the play. And that’s the fun part for me, because it’s like, when something new comes in, it’s like, okay, this company is fantastic, alone. It makes money and it’s a fantastic enterprise.

But the way it plays with these other four companies I own and what they can do together as partners or roll up as one company together. That’s huge and that’s the kind of stuff that I love putting together because that brings me closer with my partners that make a tonne of money. And it’s just another world to be playing in. It’s kind of like buying the block. You know, like I used to try and buy as many as I could on one street so you could really bring a street Get up. It’s like trying to buy as many companies as I can in one little niche or one key area so that you can bring up that entire value. And use it or sell it or just have more opportunities.

So that’s what’s going on in my world, lots of lots of stuff like that. And then, of course, we’ve always got, you know, we’re managing our rentals. I’m always checking in with my property managers, and I still do some funding of some deals. And I’ll, every once in a while jump in and do rehab here and there when it’s when it falls in my lap, and a friend wants to do one with me. So I do that kind of stuff, too. But it’s mostly the funds and putting together some of those joint ventures on the software and, and tech side. Which, when I started 22 years ago, Pam flipped houses, unclogged toilets, and walked through water that was underneath the carpet pad and stuff like that.

I did not think I would be buying and rolling up software companies one day, so it’s amazing how similar they are, though. And that’s maybe one of my biggest lessons that I could say, and part to anybody watching right now is flipping that first house. What I learned there is not that different than flipping a company or rolling up a company like I’m doing today. The principles are the same, what makes it work, or what makes it fail, very, very similar. So I have just continued to probably do the same thing over and over again in some way. Just broaden it out, broaden the scope, broaden the niche, little by little, and that’s what keeps it fresh. And that’s what keeps it exciting.

Pamela Bardhi
So amazing, Matt, you’re so amazing. Oh, my goodness, I can talk to you all day, honest to God.

Matt Andrews
I got three more hours. Let’s go. Let’s go.

Pamela Bardhi
Now you’ve got to let everyone know where to find you and your awesomeness. Matt, where can everybody find you?

Matt Andrews
I appreciate it. Yeah, you know, I told you before, I don’t have anything for sale. I don’t generally but I like conversations with people that have great projects going. So here’s what I’ll do just if you go to mattandrews.com, that’ll redirect you right to my Facebook page. Shoot me a friend request, shoot me a message, let me know what you’re working on. If you’re in real estate, if you’re developing real estate if you’re putting capital funds together. If you’re on the tech side, if you’re a developer, if you’re in the crypto space. Talk to me, let me know what you have.

Drop me a link about what you’re working on. And let’s start a conversation I may not be able to get directly back to every single person, but I love to have good incoming relationships like that. So I can say, oh, man, that might be something that I could help with. Or that I should put them in touch with this person. And that’s how these things happen. Pam introduces me to you. We talk a little bit on Facebook or wherever it is.

And then we have a conversation and it maybe goes to the next level. So that’s how you can get me go to mattandrews.com. I think that fourth right to my Facebook. If not, you can just go to Facebook and find me. Matt Andrews look for this bald head and look for a really cute eight-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy and a beautiful wife and that’s me.

Pamela Bardhi
You’re so amazing. Matt, thank you so much for being here today. It was a true honor. You are incredible, my friend.

Matt Andrews
You’re the sweetest. You made me feel awesome. I love being around you. Your energy is contagious. And we were just together a few weeks ago but even on zoom. There’s not many people that I feel the energy on zoom. And I feel it so I love you and I love the energy you bring and appreciate everything you do for me and for all of our community.

Pamela Bardhi
I echo the same exact thing for you my friend energy radiates no matter what. And like I just adore you love you everything that you’re up to thank you so much for being here today. So that’s it for today’s episode of the underdog. Catch us next week, always dropping on Thursdays. And remember, if you’re interested in real estate or want to learn how to create more money and magic in your life, check out meetwithpamela.com and let’s chat sending you so so much love.