What Do Whisker Wars Have to Do With Real Estate Investing?

A few weeks ago I stumbled on show called Whisker Wars on the IFC channel. The program is a reality show that revolves around the extreme facial hair lifestyle.  The show is pretty interesting and coincidentally, my introduction to it coincided with my business partner’s quest to look like one of the show’s participants.

Last week I took several days off to celebrate Thanksgiving and spend time with my family. It was very relaxing and for several days I neglected to shave. By the third day, full of Whisker Wars motivation, I found myself asking, “I wonder what I would look like with a beard?”

Every so often this hair brained (excuse the pun) idea pops up in my head. For some reason the prospect of full-grown facial hair keeps coming back to me. Maybe it’s the draw of something new and different. It may also be the fact that until my late 20’s my scruff was limited to blotchy patches resembled to a skin growth more than a beard. The point is, I decided to let it grow for a few days and see how things turned out.

The results were predictable. In retrospect, I end up with the same results every time I get the itch.

By day 5, the beard was developing quite well. I no longer looked like a weekender delaying a good shave until Monday morning. Instead, the hair length made my attempt obviously intentional. I even shaved my neck to clean things up.

Day 6 was the turning point. That hair began to itch. In one day it went from “cool and presentable” to looking shaggy and feeling uncomfortable.

“Things will get better in a few more days,” I told myself.

That brings us to this morning – day 10. Looking in the mirror it was apparent that things had not gotten better. A few remaining “bald spots” persisted from my youth, and the whiskers continued to itch. It was simply a mess.

So I did the only thing I could. With disappointment, I got rid of the facial hair until the next time.

By this point you’re probably wondering, what does this have to do with Real Estate Investing?

Every week I talk to at least one person who tells me about the next, best thing in Real Estate. It’s always a new strategy or system to make more money faster than ever before. When I run into these people months or even weeks later, the results never seem to meet the initial hype.

Just like my periodic facial hair adventures, I think there a lot of Real Estate investors that are drawn into the newest, greatest program or system. Maybe it’s the adventure of the unknown, or maybe it’s a pursuit to find that one idea that will give them success where it has eluded them in the past. For whatever reason, a lot of people find themselves looking at these programs saying, “I wonder what I would look like with a beard?”

Please understand – I am not discounting all of the educators, coaches, programs and systems on the market. I endorse and promote those that I have used or found success with. Education is critical to any successful endeavor. But there are tried and true ways to make a lot of money in Real Estate investing. Focus and implement the proven systems before venturing into the unknown world of the newest, greatest thing.

Successful investors use wholesaling, fix and flip investing and rental properties to build cash flow and wealth. I suggest and practice concentration on the same.

The next time you’re tempted by the prospect of a new and exciting strategy, be prepared for the itch and bald spots of the scraggly beard that may result. Don’t wait until it gets ugly before taking out your razor for a nice clean shave.