00:00:00 Archita: Have you ever hit a goal and still felt strangely trapped by it? Like the success came with a silent contract. More hours, more pressure, but less you. Today we are exploring a different path where discipline is in punishment and systems are in cages.

00:00:25 Archita: Welcome back to Inner Light, a space where we connect purpose to the way we actually live and lead. I'm Marcheta and today I am joined by Jabin makings and the founder of a real estate investment company built on partnerships, not ads. But this conversation isn't really about real estate. It's about leverage, focus, and building systems that don't trap you. So your work supports your life, not consumes it. If you've been feeling stressed, distracted, or quietly burned out, you'll walk away with frameworks you can actually use. Welcome to Inner Light. It's always a pleasure to host you.

00:01:10 Jaben Makings: Hey, thanks so much for having me back.

00:01:13 Archita: Yeah. And we, you know, all of us, uh, including our listeners, we learn so much from you about business. So yeah, before, uh, we talk systems and structure today, I'm curious, uh, what's a moment in your journey when you realized, uh, if I don't change how I am building this success is going to cost me?

00:01:38 Jaben Makings: That's a great question. So when I was first starting out, I was doing everything myself. And that's when I kind of realized that, you know, I'm going to hit a ceiling at some point and then I'm going to be stuck doing this in a glorified job for the rest of my life. So that's when I decided I needed to figure out how to leverage the other people and break free from the Same day to day stuff. Not to say that I don't do that. I still do a lot of the boring day to day stuff, but not as much as I used to. So it was definitely in the beginning when I was just getting into sales, I realized that I can't be. I don't want to be stuck doing the same thing for the rest of my life. I need to leverage other people.

00:02:26 Archita: MM. That's that's such an honest turning point because, uh, most people don't notice the cost until it's already collected. I'm glad that you, you know, um, you found it in the right time. So, um, given a lot of people think leverage means work less or find a hack, but you have lived the opposite focus, consistency and commitment. So what do you think most people misunderstand about leverage?

00:03:02 Jaben Makings: I think people misunderstand how how difficult it is to use use other people to work through. Right? I mean, it's people are what is going to make you the most amount of money, but people are also the hardest part of the business. Uh, you need to just take action. If you're thinking about hiring somebody or, or you, you have somebody currently, I think just getting into it and learning along with reading, reading some books and stuff, but a lot of people misunderstand that it takes people to do that. And there's also nowadays, it's not only just people, you can use AI to your benefit. Um, for example, I currently use automations literally every day. There's a website called manis, which is M a n u s and that thing will literally do any task or pretty much any task that you do on your computer currently. And it'll automate it. For example, I have indeed applicants coming in and indeed is a website I use to find, uh, new recruits for people to come work at the company. and there's a ton of applicants every single day. So what this automation does is it will go in and it will take the candidates out. Like I'll export them manually, upload them to manage it. And so it'll take those candidates and then it will upload them into our CRM, and then it will automatically send everybody a text message, basically qualifying them, making sure that they're a good fit. And then once they respond, I can jump back in there. And that's just like one of, you know, many ways that you can use, uh, this, this website called and get some of your time freed back.

00:04:41 Archita: Mhm. That's, that's really interesting. It's fascinating how AI has become, you know, such useful in such short time, but only if you know how to exactly use it. Uh, so where do you see, uh, you know, that misunderstanding show up most, in decision making time use or the kind of business model they choose.

00:05:05 Jaben Makings: Yeah. I think decision making is, is obviously a big one. Um. Yeah, I think leverage is, is very, very important. It's, it's kind of the root of all, of all things, being able to make a massive amount of money. You need to learn how to properly leverage the people. And a lot of people struggle with that. A lot of people, the biggest thing people struggle with is taking action. I would say like when I was first getting into it, I was, I was, I didn't really know what I was doing right. I was very afraid to hire people because I was afraid they would, uh, Uh, not like me and not not think I knew what I was doing and then end up leaving and quitting. And, you know, even if they do and I had some people do that, but that's okay. I just kept, I kept hiring and kept learning as I was going because I'm big on taking action and, and just doing the thing. And so that's exactly what I did. And I learned by trial and error. And I made a ton of mistakes. And I'm still making mistakes even now, today, but I'm learning from those every single day. And, you know, the more mistakes I get, I make, um, the quicker I can learn and get better.

00:06:19 Archita: So leverage isn't a shortcut. It's a design choice. And design requires honesty about what you're optimizing for. Um, that brings me to the question, uh, Jeevan, you've talked about shiny object syndrome, uh, bouncing between ideas because commitment feels hard. So what's actually underneath that pattern for most founders, is it fear, impatience or something else?

00:06:48 Jaben Makings: I think all of the above, right? For me, it was I was getting it was boredom. Boredom was a big thing. Um, seeing new things got me really excited. And then also when I hit like different pain lines and different things, I would think that it's going to be easier on the other side. I just wanted everything easy. And I think a lot of other people do that as well. And then what I'm now that I'm more experienced, like boredom has played a big part of me. Like I could see how boredom plays a big part in it. Um, because you get bored with the same stuff over and over again every day, which is what's required to be successful. So when you see something new to change things up a little bit, it seems very fun in the moment, but it typically will hurt you long term.

00:07:38 Archita: Yeah, exactly. And I think it's also because of the need to keep chasing more. So you can't just stick to one thing for a long period of time. But when you personally struggled with it, what helped you commit long enough to win without relying on motivation?

00:07:59 Jaben Makings: I think it was understanding that that's what it's going to take to be successful. Right. Because if you before I didn't, I didn't quite grasp that that's what was needing to be done. I didn't realize that that's what everybody else who's come before me that's successful had to do. So once I figured that out and realized that that's what it's going to take, and the consequences of me not enacting that are going to be that I'm going to be unsuccessful. Um, that's when I think really changed for me.

00:08:34 Archita: That's, that's powerful because it reframes inconsistency as a nervous system pattern and not a character flaw. And that's a kinder, more workable starting point. And let's let's make it real. Jeevan. In a sales driven business commission teams partnerships, pressure are. What are the early signs that your structure is creating burnout?

00:09:02 Jaben Makings: I think it comes from a lack of structure. Right? And if you don't have structure, then you will be burned out. If you're constantly switching back and forth from from different tasks every fifteen minutes. So you need to make sure that there is structure there. A lot of people don't like structure because they feel like it will bog them down and it will restrict them. Uh, when in reality, if you implement structure, it's going to free you quite a bit. Like I used to think that all the time I was like, I don't, I don't need structure. I'm good to go as it sits. But really I was, I was just wasting so much time and then being able to implement the structure freed up a lot more of my time.

00:09:47 Archita: Mhm. That that makes sense. And, and what's what's the difference between healthy intensity and a system that's quietly unsustainable?

00:10:00 Jaben Makings: I mean, in the beginning, there's it's probably not going to be super healthy. Like if you want to be very, very successful, you're going to have to work very hard and, and put in a lot of hours. So it's, it may not be the healthiest in the beginning, but you have that long term goal of being able to have freedom, right? That's the whole one of the biggest reasons why you start a business is for freedom and for money. And in order to get there in a fast period of time, you'll just have to, um, do a lot of things that are uncomfortable and, and aren't super healthy in order to achieve that goal.

00:10:34 Archita: Yeah. So it's, it's not just, uh, are we working hard? It's, is the machine eating, the people running out. Running it. So, um, yeah, that, that makes sense because a lot of times, especially nowadays, people are working hard and, uh, you know, they are still not seeing the results and they are feeling stuck. I think it's because the structure is like that or the lack of it. So definitely.

00:11:02 Jaben Makings: So yeah, no, absolutely. I'd say.

00:11:07 Archita: It's, uh.

00:11:09 Jaben Makings: It's one of the most rewarding things. It's, it's also very challenging at the same time with the, um, the people. So it's, it's constantly learning, right? If I'd say, if you are just getting started, just take action. You'll learn on the fly. Like I've learned so much just by doing the thing. Like there's a lot of people out there that will sit and study as much as they can and, and then never take action. And it's like, you're never gonna learn, you're never going to become the best if you don't just take action. Like everybody sucks at something when they first start. And I definitely did. But I just figured it out and kept making mistakes because mistakes are how you. The more mistakes you make, the faster you're going to learn. So just get out there and make mistakes and that's okay. That's all part of the process. Not everything is going to be perfect at first.

00:11:57 Archita: So basically take that risk instead of just always being in your comfort zone. So yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And if someone listening wants to build a business around relationships and not ads, not constant content, uh, what are the core parts of a relationship based sales system that actually scales?

00:12:20 Jaben Makings: Mhm. That's a phenomenal question. Yeah, we do, um, agent outreach, which is basically us reaching out to realtors in our market to find off market distressed properties that we can make cash offers on. Uh, and then most of the time we'll turn around and sell the contract to one of our investment partners or a fix and flipper willing to pay a higher price. And then we'll get to keep the spread in between. Um, so our business is completely relationship based. And the number one thing that everybody expects or everybody wants anyway is, is communication, right? That's our biggest thing. We get back to people very quick. We're very, uh, knowledgeable with the topic and then we get very competitive with our offers. But if you're, if you're starting a relationship based business, I would say communication is everything. Go the extra mile, especially if you don't have the experience or, you know, just the time under your belt, you want to go the extra mile with the communication and with your service in order to build those relationships. Right. And we do what's called wholesale. Everything I just described there was wholesaling, which I think is a phenomenal business for any of you guys looking to, um, make some Decent, decent cash. And what we do is we just talk to realtors, we cold call these realtors, we'll cold text them. Um, so you're thinking about doing that. Go on Realtor.com. Look for realtors in the market. It doesn't have to be your backyard, right? We do deals all over the country without ever seeing the houses and call these real estate agents on realtor.com and just tell them like, hey, I'm looking to get a pick up a property that needs some work. Do you have any pocket listings? Right. And a lot of times they're going to say no. The majority of the time they're going to say no. And then what you want to do, this is the most important part. You want to make sure to add them to a spreadsheet, or you want to add them to your CRM and make sure to follow up right. In my, my career, I've maybe done one or two deals that I've gotten on that initial call, right? So not very many at all. Every other deal has come and come from following up multiple times with those realtors. So follow up is everything. That's where all the money is. And back to your original question, I think that's that's one of our big things that separates us is we're just relentless with the follow up. And we will continue to follow up and follow up and follow up. Um, whereas a lot of people will just call and talk to their realtors and never talk to them again, never follow up. They expect them to send deals with no follow up, which never works. So follow up is a very big thing.

00:15:04 Archita: I love that because it gives people a roadmap, not vibes. And thank you so much for sharing that. A system that supports consistency even on messy weeks. So yeah. And now Jeevan, I want to offer two counterpoints and see what you think about it. Not to argue, but to go deeper. So some people hear discipline and think. It becomes another form of self-control that kills joy. So do you think this discipline always leads to freedom, or can it become its own kind of cage.

00:15:42 Jaben Makings: I don't think so. Discipline does does create freedom, right? Because if you're if you're not disciplined and. Not you don't have any self-control, you're probably not going to be making very much money. You're probably going to be working a regular boring job or bouncing around from jobs. Um, you're not going to be very happy in life, right? All those, all those things, money, happiness, happiness, all that stuff comes from self control and discipline. So if you can enable the self control and discipline, you're going to be able to make money. You're going to be able to create more happiness at home, um, within yourself, within your, within your family. Like I, I know if I didn't have self-control or discipline or like I didn't follow through with my commitments or promises to myself, like if I said I was going to get up early, um, all the time and I never did like, I wouldn't feel good about myself. I wouldn't be happy at all. So I think being disciplined does ultimately create the happiness and the freedom, right? Because if you don't have money, you don't have freedom, or if you don't have good relationships, you don't really have freedom.

00:16:49 Archita: Definitely. Agreed. And I think that being undisciplined is not the freedom people think it is, because it may sound very interesting and fun in the beginning, but in the long run, you know, it's not healthy at all. So yeah, and now, uh, relationship based sales sounds beautiful, but it can also become emotionally heavy, constantly managing people expectations and trusts. So do you think partnership models are always more sustainable than ads, or do they just trade one type of pressure for another?

00:17:29 Jaben Makings: I mean, it works great for us not to say it's for everybody. Uh, I think it's really, really great if you have no money and you're just breaking into a business. Definitely, definitely go this route. In my experience, though, it does take a lot more people and a lot more reps to get these deals, at least in the wholesaling side of things. We have to reach out to a ton of people in order to get deals, but they they are recurring. The deals are going to keep coming back to us over and over again, and that our marketing budget is, is very low. And I don't want to knock on on ads like it. It costs a lot of money. It's a different business model. And I think it's great if somebody wants to get into that. But I love the relationship based things just because of the marketing costs and then the recurring deals that they're going to keep sending to us.

00:18:16 Archita: That's such a clean truth because I believe every model has a cost, and the goal is choosing the cost you can carry without losing yourself in the process. So yeah, that that makes sense. And finally, uh, for the person listening who feels stuck, not lazy, not incapable, but just stuck. What's one question they can ask themselves this week to figure out whether they are in the wrong game or just missing the right structure?

00:18:50 Jaben Makings: Yeah, I mean, one question that they can ask themselves this week that I got a million different questions. I, I that would be good. I would say just start by looking at your goals, right? See where take inventory of where you want to be ten years down the road, five years down the road. Um, and then twelve months from now and then ask yourself, is, what am I doing? Is what I'm doing today getting me closer to those goals?

00:19:21 Archita: That's really helpful. Thank you for sharing that. And you know, here's the core insight of this conversation today. Burnout is often a structure problem, not a workload problem. And freedom comes from building systems that protect your focus and your life. So thank you so much for this conversation and for listeners who want to learn more from you. Where's the best place to find you and follow your work or connect?

00:19:52 Jaben Makings: Yes, go to Instagram. Uh, send me the message inner light, right? For the podcast at japanMail. That's my Instagram handle, jasmine dot makings. And I'll send you guys some free stuff. Uh, about my calendar and what my calendar looks like and how to properly set up your calendar because that's, that's one of the most important things.

00:20:15 Archita: Perfect. We'll make sure that's in the show notes as well so that our listeners can feel free to reach out to you whenever they want. If this conversation landed for you, take a quiet moment after this episode and ask yourself, is my current success plan building freedom or building a trap? And if you want more conversations like this practical, human and rooted follow inner light. Not because you need more noise, but because you deserve more clarity. I thank you for being here and I'll meet you in the next episode.