
Loading summary
Anthony Cota
I won't let my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis symptoms define me emerge as.
Justin Colby
You in two clinical studies, Trimfaia gusoquumab taken by injection provided 90% clear skin at 16 weeks in 7 out of 10 adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. In a study, nearly 7 out of 10 patients with 90% clearer skin at 16 weeks were still clearer at 5 years. At 1 year and thereafter, patients and healthcare providers knew that Tremphya was being used. This may have increased results. Results may vary.
Narrator
Serious allergic reactions may occur. Tremphya may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. Before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms of infection, including fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. Tell your doctor if he had a vaccine or plan to emerge.
Justin Colby
As you learn more about Tremphya, including important safety information@tremphya.com or call 1-877-578-35276. Our ad in Food and Wine magazine for patients prescribed trust support may be available.
Host
The last thing you want to hear when you need your auto insurance most is a robot with countless irrelevant menu options.
Narrator
Which is why with USAA auto insurance, you'll get great service that is easy and reliable, all at the touch of a button.
Host
Get a quote today, restrictions apply.
Anthony Cota
And again, you know, back to the YouTube university, the challenge is, and I think we all kind of face this in the beginning is without a coach, it's so easy to get Shiny object syndrome. Like you said, everyone has the right answer. Everything that you see on YouTube is possible and tangible, but if you're kind of just trying one of everything, you're never going to get anywhere. And like, I'm guilty of it. You know, when I first got into coaching, like, not necessarily under your advisement, but like I bought every comping tool I bought, you know, everything imaginable, right? And still through the first year I was like, okay, should I go try, you know, to learn tax deeds? And should I try this and that? And so like not having a coach to guide you and just tell you, like, hey dude, like, just chill out. You know, which I think we've had to have that conversation quite a few times. It I think you it's just a lot of time wasted.
Host
What is up the Science of Flipping Family I am back with one of my most special guests of all times. And I know at times I can say that a lot, but this one is near and dear to my heart because he is a student of mine. He has been a long time science of flipping coaching student as well as in reilive co member and he has crushed it over the last year and a half to two years. And he went all in on this business. He was making six figures in his other job. He said enough of that. Let me go all in on creating my life by design. And he is one of those shining examples that I want to highlight here on the science flipping podcast. My man Anthony Cota is in the house.
Anthony Cota
That's right, brother. Good to see you.
Host
Good to see you, man. So I want everyone who is newer in this industry, everyone who's having challenges in this industry, anyone who is trying to break in as a real estate investor, trying to figure out how to do their first deal or maybe you've done a couple. I want everyone to pay attention to this because he is my student. Has been for about a year and a half, two years, some. Something like that, right?
Anthony Cota
Y about two years.
Host
Y about two years at the science of flipping coaching but also has joined the newest coaching which is re live. So check that out. It's only $200 a month at re live co five days a week. So much so that he is actually one of the leaders in the group that helps other people get the deals done. But I want people to hear your story and not just the story. At 30,000 foot we're going to dive into your first deal and your second deal and how you got them. But I also want them to understand where you came from in the sense of nine to five job killing you newborn, not seeing your family and how to make a change. Why don't we just kind of start there? What were you doing? What did it all look like? And then ultimately how did you find me?
Anthony Cota
Yeah, absolutely, man. So I think, you know, I always find that the 9 to 5 talk funny because I think anyone knows that it's been any type of sales industry before. You know, it ends up being more like as soon as you open your eyes too, as soon as you go to bed, you know, whatever that looks like. Yeah, exactly. So yeah, I mean I, I was in the car industry, you know, four years. So just like we were just talking about, you know, eight hour days were not really relevant to me. It was more like 12, 16 hour days and, and that kind of laid six, seven days a week. And I don't want to say it's necessarily like burnout that got me to a place where I wanted more because I don't, I don't like to say that about myself, that there's any sort of burnout there, but a perspective that I had that it, the burnout didn't even come for me. It was more for my family, you know, so from putting in those 12, 16 hour days, five, six, seven days a week, you know, missing the birthdays, missing the, the sports games, you know, not going to any family members wedding, like, pretty much limiting everything to try to, to grow a life for us. Quickly realized that the time part was more important than the money. So, so we kind of had to reverse engineer where we wanted to be, right? And so we, we took a step backwards and started with time first and then started looking for money. And I think that's how we came across to you. You know, we were looking for avenues and always found real estate as a vehicle that could get us that time back as well as that money on the back end. And funny enough, my wife actually caught you on a Grant Cordone episode. And yeah, I was like, hey, we gotta check out this Justin Colby guy. And I was like, man, you know, like, I've never heard of him, but I know Grant. Like, I, I've watched him for a while. And dude, big shout out to gc.
Host
Big shout out to bt. I appreciate it Grant putting me on and you know, so, yeah, you know.
Anthony Cota
It'S funny because on our first call or like how I got introduced to your program, you kind of challenged me because the reality was is we sat down for a while because it was kind of like a week like before we made the decision to join your program. And one of the things that you said that kind of still rang true to me to this day, because we were pretty much ready to tell you no, like, that was the decision that we made. Like, hey, this is too risky. We don't really know this guy. You know, all the excuses that everyone makes, right? And I remember getting on a hold and kind of looking over at my wife and just asking her, like, man, like, we've spent so much more money on way stupider things than to actually just invest in ourselves. So like, what are we actually risking here?
Host
Right?
Anthony Cota
So, yeah, again, that was, you know, 2023, May of 2023, and here we are. Man, it's been such a blessing to be a part of this community. And you know, b, you always say, you know, do business with people who, you know, like and trust. And I, I definitely think over two years we've developed that for sure.
Host
Yeah, I, I, you know, I want to kind of go into the mindset that you talked about, because I think you've heard me say this, and I think everyone has heard me say this to some extent, is there's five principles in my world, and maybe there's a six, but there's really five that I believe to be just true, regardless of what you're doing. But it's like success principles in life, not just in business. But the first thing is you need to decide what you want. And that's what you and Ashley really had to sit down and figure out, right? And then As a part 1A and 1B of that, you have to decide what you want is 1A, but then you have to decide who you need to be to get it. And that is the bigger conversation, right, Is what do I not want? I want to not miss my family's birthdays. I want to not miss my family's weddings. I want to not miss this. So what do I want? I want more time. I want to be at these things. I want to have more time with the kids and the wife and the weddings and the birthdays. So that's what I want. And then who do you need to be to get it? And I think that's a really big takeaway that you did really, really well. The reason why you're here right now is because I've always admired that you are, like, cut from the same thread I am, which is you're willing to do whatever it takes to get the thing that you want because you decided what you wanted.
Anthony Cota
Absolutely, man. And funny enough, I. I was lucky enough to learn this at a really young age is to find a person that emulates the life that you want to live. You know, so I. I got really granular on my wife. And I both, like, that person not only needs to have the finances that we want, but they need to have the family that we want. They need to have the kids. Raising them the way we want our kids to be raised. So, you know, obviously through time, that it didn't happen on our first phone call, but we found that out, you know, through coaching with you for two years now. Like, that that's kind of the development process that we needed. Like, we needed someone that had all those aspects of life that we're looking for. And just like you were saying, is. Is I had to find out who I wanted to be. And then, you know, great mentor once told me, you know, you have to find that person who's doing exactly what you want to do and just beg them to help you. And luckily, you know, here we are.
Host
As Many of you know I'm constantly on the move, juggling multiple businesses, traveling and ensuring I get my morning work. Staying fresh isn't just a preference, it's a necessity. But let's face it, after back to back meetings, juggling two kids at home, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life, body odor can become an issue. But here's the deal. Mando has revolutionized how I stay fresh. This isn't just another deodorant. It's clinically proven to control odor better than a shower alone with soap. My favorite scent? Bourbon Leather. It's fresh, is subtle and doesn't clash with my clone. And I was surprised by how well the solid stick works, even after an intense morning workout. Mando Starter Pack is perfect for the new customer. It comes with a solid Stick Deodorant Cream Tube Deodorant, two free products of your choice like a mini body wash or a deodorant wipe, and free shipping as a special offer for listeners and new customers. You get $5 off a starter pack with our exclusive code that equates to over 40% of your starter pack. Use code colby@shopmando.com that is S H O P M A N D O.com Please support our show and tell them we sent you smell Fresher, stay drier and boost your confidence from the head to the toe. With Mando, I won't let my moderate.
Anthony Cota
To severe plaque psoriasis symptoms define me.
Justin Colby
Emerge as you in two clinical studies, Trimfire gusulkumab taken by injection provided 90% clearer skin at 16 weeks in 7 out of 10 adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. In a study, nearly 7 out of 10 patients with 90% clearer skin at 16 weeks were still clearer at 5 years. At 1 year and thereafter, patients and healthcare providers knew that tremphy was being used. This may have increased results. Results may vary.
Narrator
Serious allergic reactions may occur. Tremphye may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. Before treatment, you your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms of infection, including fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. Tell your doctor if you had a vaccine or plan to emerge.
Justin Colby
As you learn more about tremphya, including important safety information@tremphya.com or call 1-877-578-3527. See our ad in Food and Wine magazine. For patients prescribed Tremphaya, cost support may be available.
Host
You know, and funny enough, I've done a lot of coaching in my life. Like, I've cut checks for coaches, I've cut checks to be a part of masterminds. I've, I am a product of what I created. So the science of flipping. And now more recently, REI Live Co is developed because I understand what was given to me from others. Right. In the knowledge and the wisdom. The difference between just simple knowledge and wisdom is the act of going through it. Right. They've gone through it, so they have the wisdom of experience. And so what I do at REI Live, you know, do is to really help you guys do deals. But part of that is just the simple understanding of I'm way further down the path than most of you. Not in all segments of life. You, I think you've even actually been married longer than a half. Right. But we have a, you know, you started earlier.
Anthony Cota
Yeah.
Host
But we have a similar, you know, desire to be family men, to be lying, to provide for the others. And that's what connect keeps a connective tissue. But also it is really important for all you guys watching this and listening to this. And I don't care if it's Reilive Co or not, if you are not investing in someone that is further down the path than you want to be, don't complain about not having the thing that you want. Okay? That's my suggestion. If you want the thing, make the investment. Right? Is, and that's why I created Reilive Co at a price point of 200amonth, is because I'm well aware of all the coaches, which used to be me. Right. When you first joined, I had the classic 10,000, 15, $20,000 coaching. But now Reilive Co is $200 a month because I can help more people if I allow myself to open up the gates more. And so going back to kind of what we're talking about here is your commitment to say I wanted something different. You were working as a car salesman. You were working 80, 90 hour weeks on the clock.
Anthony Cota
Yeah. I mean, who knows how many hours off the clock, but yeah, about, yeah.
Host
And I mean, weekends were torched. Right. And so you said I had to make a change. Now, how was the start of your journey? How was the start of you breaking into real estate? Right. You still, you didn't quit your job. Because I'm not a coach that tells people to quit their job. Like, I don't, I don't just say, all right, go all in, burn the boats, blah, blah, bro. I say, listen, you have kids, you have a wife. Like, you got to pay the bills. I get it. But let's set up a plan. Let's set up a, you know, structure so you can reach a certain level of goal and, or see the light at the end of the tunnel and then you can quit your job. Right. So how was that initial journey while working full time with the newborn, with a wife, and now bringing on what I would call your, at the time, your second baby. Now this would be your third baby. But like, yeah, you know that when you create a business, this is our baby, it's our wife, it's our next thing, it's our love, it's our best friend. It is the thing that takes our time, just like family would, at least for successful people. Some people treat their business like. But how did you bridge that gap? How did you change it? How did you, you know, what did you do?
Anthony Cota
Yeah, I mean, man, when I first started again working full time in the car industry, I, I had to start waking up earlier, so I'd already, I drove an hour for work, so I'd already have to wake up at, you know, 6:30 to make it to work by 8. I'd realistically start waking up at 4 to start dialing people on the East Coast. Cause I, I live on the. And just making adjustments like that in her life. So, you know, I'd take lunch breaks to be on the calls, to be on the coaching calls. You know, I'd spend my nights comping properties, you know, after the kids go to bed. So I mean, you know, people always say you think you're Gonna quit your 9 to 5 for like freedom, but you know, you end up getting a 24, 7. And that's how it looked like for me, you know, up until I actually got the opportunity to leave my job. And the, the funny thing is, is that journey was about eight months right from, from when I met you until I actually quit my job. And under. You kind of go back to not telling people to burn the boats, you know, and that was kind of your advisement towards me. And I was just like, hey man, like, I have so much faith in what's happening here. Let's just go ahead and set him aflame.
Host
You, you just didn't listen to me. I mean now, by the way, you've always really listened to me. But this one, you just said, I'm done. Like I've had. I'm up in my threshold and it's over.
Anthony Cota
Yeah, 100, man. And it's kind of like I spoke on before. Like it wasn't because of my Burnout. Because I. I'm just. Like you said, we're cut from the same cloth. Like, I can go 100 all day, every day, get four hours of sleep, wake up the next day, be ready to go again. But, man, my family was getting burnt like they were getting torched. Again, no weekends. Like, not even a thought of a weekend. Luckily, you know, kids weren't in school yet. We were dealing with newborns. But, you know, when you have a wife that is just coming off a pregnancy and, you know, we're preparing for another one, like, it's. It's not easy for them, you know, and. And having a separated husband, like, we were kind of living two different lives, you know, she was being a parent to our kids, and I was being an employee to this business. So that, that journey, you know, it lasted about eight months again of just grinding early mornings, late nights, and just giving all my spare time, even at work again. You know, I was lucky enough to. To work at a job that allowed me breaks to where I can get on calls and learn the information, but just really long days in the beginning.
Host
Yeah. And this is, you know, it's funny, we talk about your, you know, job and no weekends and working to the bone and 80, 90 hours a week on clock and 30 hours a week, like, and then people take this, like, creating their own business, entrepreneurship, and they treat it like dirt right in. They don't take the same amount of sacrifice. You are willing, most people are willing to do that for a boss. Their boss. Their boss says, I need you to work 80 hours a week. All right, boss. That's what you're supposed to do. That's what my dad did, my grandpa did. This is what happens is blue collar, you work. Not disrespecting it, but then you go start your own business, and you don't take that same work ethic in your own business. And that was actually what I see to be your breaking point is you're like, I can't give my own business, my own journey, my own life, the same amount of time I'm giving this car dealership. And that's where you broke and said, I need to be able to invest the same amount of time. Because if you do, you'll ultimately reach the reward, which is the bigger thing, the more time. And, you know, I got a very sweet text message. Your wife the other day was so proud of you with your son at baseball practice. And she was like, thank you, you know, for everything, because you now get to have those moments. And that's Again, money is great and I want you guys to be beyond rich. But like, at the end of the day, that is ultimately what it boils down to. And you couldn't do that by serving two masters. Right. Like, I say it kind of funny, but I say you can't date two chicks at the same time. Like, it never works out.
Anthony Cota
Right, right, right.
Host
No one loses. Um, and so you made the right choice, but. You guys listening?
Anthony Cota
Yeah.
Host
I'm not telling you to quit your job either. And neither is Anthony, I don't think. I just think you need to really make a decision. Like, are you going to put forth the effort? Right. Because if you are going to hold a job and start your business and be a real estate investor, what are you sacrificing? I mean, give. Give some examples of the things you were sacrificing, doing all this. I mean, weekends, toast, morning, night. I mean.
Anthony Cota
Yeah. I mean, honestly, you know, and it. It kind of. I. I don't want to say, like, hurts me to mention this on camera, but, you know, like, there's even my own kids birthdays that we've sacrificed. You know, like our own, you know, holidays. Like, we. We've never put too much emphasis on, you know, like those additional holidays, you know, like Valentine's day and all those things. Like, we make very short work of them, but I mean, we've sacrificed just about everything. And. And on top of finances, you know, like, we. We kind of went into this solely based off faith, just through the understanding, like, hey, there. There can't be another way. And just like you were saying before, like, can't serve two masters. Like, when I go into something, I'm kind of all in. So I realized, like, working in the car industry, I was kind of half assing both. And it started to affect me as well, for sure. So, yeah, I mean, when it comes down to sacrifice, I mean, man, we were willing to sacrifice it all, you.
Host
Know, to some extent. I know you have. Right? Yeah. And we don't have to go into everything you're doing right now, but you know, being a lender and all this other stuff. But I think this is not for everybody. And. And what I'm about to say is not for everybody, but it is also for everyone. This is why the. The first principle of success is that decide what you want. Because Anthony Kota could have. Could have effectively kept his job and done a couple deals a year, probably not much more. Right. I mean, you were pretty time restricted, but you might have made an extra 20, 50, maybe 100 grand. A year, which would have been nice, but wouldn't have been fulfilling.
Anthony Cota
Yeah.
Host
Am I correct by saying that? Right. Like, sure, Norm's money, but I'm still working 90 hours of the dealership, and I'm still missing weddings. And does that make sense?
Anthony Cota
Yeah.
Host
And so the. The advice that I think everyone should hear, but also you need to make your own decision is you need to very quickly get to the point of, excuse me, what do I want? And be clear on it. And I'm not just talking about, like, you know, what's my why Type thing. I'm talking about, like, what is the vision of what you're trying to do for the rest of your life? And if it's not congruent with the work you're currently doing, the time you're currently spending, then you need to rewire pretty quickly. Again, I'm not telling you, quit your job, but the sooner the better. If that's not congruent. Right. For some of us men. Right. Is the providing mentality. I need to keep my job. I need to provide. I get that. That's why I don't force people to quit their job. But the faster you can get to, like, I'm ready to live my actual life and not just what historically speaking men do, then. Then that's what you need to decide. And I haven't even gone to the other four points of. Of success, but this is the main one. And that's why I think, ultimately, no, even though in the last two years, you still are not where you would like to be, but I also don't think two years is enough Runway. To measure where you're at. Right. I mean, the reality is, this is going to be a lifelong journey in real estate for me and for you. I'm not where I want to be. I've done this for almost two decades, dude. Right. I'm still not where I want to be. Now, am I a lot further than sleeping on a couch? Of course. But, you know, I think that's really important for people to understand is. Is what you're talking about. At what point is enough enough?
Anthony Cota
And then go, totally. And I'll kind of touch on that just for a second. You know, I was making a couple hundred grand a year, like, on autopilot in the car industry, started to become where I started to get repeat business stuff like that. Um, but one thing that you kind of touched on again, is, like, purpose. Like, who do we want to be as men again? We. We all have that kind of provider instinct that, like, Hurts if you can't do those things. But one thing that my wife and I decided, like, when leaving the car industry, because I didn't do a single deal when I decided to quit, I had two deals that blew up in my face, like, on closing day. So that's always fun. But I didn't get a single deal yet when I decided to quit. Um, and it was solely based off of the. The idea of just like you said, like, where do we want to be in the future? You know, Like, I. I know financially, like, I probably could have gotten to where we wanted to be somewhat in the car industry. I don't know if I would have had a relationship that stood on it, you know, so, like, when it. When it comes to making the leap, like, and, you know, we talk about this often, like, it comes down to a decision of who you want to be in the future. Right. Like, I knew that more important to me was. Was my family walk. You know, like, the finances came second. And that's kind of going back to what I said earlier. Like, we kind of had to flip the script on. On what it is that we're actually seeking. Because before, it's kind of like money first, family came second, you know, and so turning that around, a family first and then money second, and then I think that's what convinced us to make the ultimate leap. But we had to sit down with each other and just say, hey, like, we've built whatever we've built, you know, no big deal. We're 30 years old. You know, if we happen to lose it all in the next two years based off of us taking this risk, like, we'll lose it all, like, literally every single thing. We'll sell our houses, we'll sell our cars, like, if we can. If we come out of this thing in two, three years, and we're, you know, God forbid, 33, 35, and we're back at zero, and we have to start over. Like, we had three to five years of spending time with each other, getting more time with family that we ever had, and just living life on our terms. And that was the. That was the number one, like, dream that we had as a family since, like, we first met was, hey, like, we want freedom to make choices for ourselves, not. Not someone else making the choices for us. So I love it. At the end of the day, even if we went down to zero, man, like, the three to five years is a dream come true.
Host
Yeah, that's. I mean, that's how it's gotta be. It's it's, it's worth the risk, right? Because you get the time. Like we're in, you and I are technically right now like in a very similar scenario with our children. And I'll tell you could, if I didn't have children right now, could I be making more money? Probably, because I take the time to be with my children. And dude, it is the greatest moment of my life, right? And I'm sure you would agree, right? Our kids are literally like so close in age. It's crazy. Like we planned it. But dude, I literally, this weekend I was like, this is the greatest time of my life right now, watching these two grow. Because we have this window with kids, right, where they're not really that cute anymore when they get into the 8 year old, 10 year old, right? They start to get stinky and kind of like. So like we have this window and it's just, I'm enjoying it. And I think many of you out there might not be relating to this because maybe your kids are older, maybe you don't have kids. But I wanted the understanding of what is important in life is living your life on your terms. Like Anthony just said, that is all that actually really matters in this life. Because one of my mentors told me, invest in current living.
Anthony Cota
That's good.
Host
And that is the very same thing that Anthony is talking about. It is not about leaving it to your kids or your grandkids. It is not about hoarding it. It is not about how much is in your savings account. It is the current life that you have is one round, you get one trip on this roller coaster. It always ends, by the way. No one has ever made it out of this roller coaster alive. And, and he said, dude, invest in current living, make money and spend money respectfully. He's not saying go buy boats and be an idiot. He's just saying, like, do the things, invest in current living. And it's the same thing about being present and, you know, creating your life, right, that, that you want to live. And so let's dive into a little bit of real estate. I know I wanted people to get the headspace of what you've done, why you've done it, the commitment you've done. Because I need people to really get serious about this because real estate can create the very best life anyone has ever dreamed about, ever. Right. Now let's talk about some of your deals. You know, it took you eight months, I think nine months and some change.
Anthony Cota
Like, like 9ish. Nine, 10 months. Yeah.
Host
So you and I again, were like same person. Took me nine months to get my first deal.
Anthony Cota
Right.
Host
Took you about nine. And I was coaching you by the way, so it wasn't that you didn't know what to do. I was lost. I didn't have a coach. But it's, you know, again, two deals blow up at the closing table, buyers flake, you know, like walk us through that kind of initial journey for the first handful of deals and what it all look like.
Anthony Cota
Yeah, so again that, that was a challenge and that I respect the coaching aspect a lot because I think without having a coach, like I would have given up on those first two blown up deals. Like the, the way they happened, how it all happened, like if I didn't have someone there in my corner to tell me like, hey man, everything's going to be okay. Like there's going to be another deal that's coming along, like, you know, don't worry about X, Y and Z. I probably wouldn't have made it past those first two, two deals. So just speaking on just that really quick, like, you know, for all the people who more so believe in like YouTube University is the way to go, I think you can get by doing that. But man, I just find it hard to believe that if you don't have someone in your corner, like it's going to take you much longer and be much more difficult to get to that next step. But so yeah, then my first real deal came in January of 24. Came from, you know, that 10 months or nine months, however long it was, of literally just dialing agents, you know, day in, day out, five to 10 agents a day, follow ups. And I mean it wasn't a huge deal by any means. I think my first deal was like a $5,000 deal. I want to say it was in Birmingham, Alabama of all places, which, you know, beautiful place to invest. But yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Host
Which I own a lot of real estate in.
Anthony Cota
Yeah, definitely. But yeah, I mean it really just came from outbound agent outreach. You know, I think that's where my first handful of deals came from because I didn't really have any, you know, I didn't have the funds or honestly the confidence to go and start doing any off market acquisitions or anything like that. So I'd say my first handful of deals, 3, 4, 5 deals, all just came from talking to agents of properties that were already listed.
Host
Yeah, again, shocker. I coached you. That's exactly how I got my first deal. Right. You just were ahead of the curve in the fact that you have software now, Rei League machine and others that can actually give you access to listings. And I was just cold calling Realtors crazy. You know, it's funny, a lot of people and I still to this day reilive co. We focus for the people that don't have marketing budget. We focus on Realtors. And the reason being people say all the time you need to find motivated sellers. Like, that's our industry quote. Like, oh, what's the best way to find motivated sellers? They are literally everywhere. Because they're on the mls. There's no higher sign of motivation than a listed property. They are trying to actively sell their home. Now, what we need to do is be good negotiators and salesmen and show the other side the value that we see and why. Right. And if you do that, then you can win the game. But going and getting a free deal is great. I want to say the national average on deal cost is about five grand. If you talk about spending money and. And that's on average across platform. So it could be a little bit higher, a little bit lower, depending. But if you make ten grand on ad spend, you're effectively netting five just from the cost of the deal. But if you go to get a deal from a Realtor for free and make five grand, you've netted the same amount and you didn't have to go spend the money and take the risk. So I'm a still, still a massive proponent of working with Realtors. That's. How. How many deals did you do out of the gate kind of with Realtors before you started spending money on marketing?
Anthony Cota
I was probably at like, deal 10 to 12 before I started spending any money on marketing.
Host
You did 10 or 12 deals with realtors before you started spending money?
Anthony Cota
Yep.
Host
You must have a great coach.
Anthony Cota
Yeah, no doubt, man. And one thing I want to like people to understand, you know, is like, one thing that you said that kind of resonated with me is like, off market is great. Like, I think there's a lot of potential there. But Realtors can feed you forever. You know, if you get 10 good realtors on your side, that can feed you one or two deals a year. Again, just kind of like I was talking about in the car industry, like, you almost get to go on autopilot, and then everything after that is just cherry on top. Once you build that trust and relationship, people know you can close, know you're honest, ethical, like, you get. They start feeding you deals without you having to go search for them.
Host
Yeah, yeah, no, you know, that is one thing that People don't realize you build a good relationship with a realtor and they will feed you forever. And it's not like you can buy. Typically, most homeowners own one home. So typically you do one deal with one homeowner's great, but you're done. Realtors will feed you for. I still do deals with Realtors in Phoenix. I haven't lived in Phoenix for four years, and it has not been one of my main markets for a very long time. Right. Probably two years before COVID so call it 2019. So my point to that is I still make money from the relationships. But that's true about everything, right? That's true about the relationship you build with a homeowner on the phone. When you're on the phone, a lot of people get into the numbers and start negotiating, trying to wheel and deal with the homeowner and like they don't even know you or what you're doing. And next thing you know, you're trying to negotiate them to a low price. Right. So focusing more on the relationship, the conversation, and being sincere, that has always proved to be a better tactic. You come from a place of sales. What was it like converting from Realtor? And I think you're still doing deals with Realtors, correct?
Anthony Cota
Yeah.
Host
The most recent came from Realtor as well.
Anthony Cota
Yep.
Host
And you've done however many deals direct to homeowner. What is the pros and cons that you've experienced between the two? Like, is there one you prefer? Is it really just like they both work? It's just function of finding enough time to work them both. What are your thoughts between the two?
Anthony Cota
Yeah, I think the often conversation is that I have with people, especially like newer people that wanted to get into wholesaling. It's kind of like you have one of two things. Right. You usually have more time than money or more money than time, and the select few are blessed to have both. So I was under the. I had more time than money at, you know, in the beginning. So the conversations with Realtors are obviously a bit easier because they're already representing someone who wants to sell their house. But they're also challenging because they're listed on the open market to hopefully get the most substantial amount of value they could possibly get. And the Realtors are kind of protecting that. Right. In a sense that like they're. They're gatekeeping what the real price of the property should be based off of whatever they think it should be. Right. It has nothing to do with what the real value is, just what they think it should be. So if you can't get past that realtor, you're kind of sol. Right. The benefit of working direct to homeowner is the opposite. Like you get direct to homeowner, obviously there's, there's usually payment for speed and convenience of working with, you know, people like us, cash buyers, et cetera. So there's a lot of ease in that. And again, you get to build rapport and relationship through that as well before making those like, lower offers, like you were saying. Um, so preference. Honestly, I, I think if you have the means to do it, I think there's a good balance of both. Um, I think obviously Realtors are free. You know, you can dial as many realtors as you want on the open mls. Um, there are, you're, you're going to accrue costs trying to find off market deals, you know, so it's just, I think it's your threshold of, of what you're willing to spend and, or how much time that you have. Um, but there's also freeways, man, like you've taught before the social media method that you can find deals off market just using Facebook, which I've done a few times as well.
Host
So yeah, there, you know, listen. And again, this just goes back. Most people try to take a YouTube university approach. There's 62 different ways people are teaching on YouTube. There's no congruencies, no one's holding your hand. I'm not even saying those 62 are wrong. But if you just are trying the best you can. Again, it goes back to just like knowledge versus wisdom. If you're just trying to do it because, you know, the process of doing it, it's like a recipe, right? Like, you know, the recipe needs four eggs and you know, it needs flour and you know, it needs salt and you know, but you don't know the measurements and you don't know in what sequence that you want to add these things and should stuff be cooked. Like, not having someone showing you how to bake that cake, so to speak, is really of detriment because there is a lot of different ways to do this at very low cost. I mean, I literally am looking at my own business right now and we have really high cost on some of our marketing and we're debating whether we want to get rid of it to just go into a lower cost, wider volume, lead flow. Right. And I'm 18 years in this space and I'm still trying to figure out always what is the best. I pride myself on being someone that is the tip of the spear. So I'll go try things for everybody and then I'll bring it back like, hey, this really works, or hey, this didn't really work. Don't do it. Because then you might ask, hey, should I do this thing? And I realized it didn't work. I'll tell you no. But the reality is it's an ever fluid business, right? Like there is a small handful of people, very small, and they have been around about the same amount of time I've been around, that literally has stuck to the same thing, doing the same thing every day, same marketing strategy, et cetera. And it has worked for them for the most part. 99% of our space should diversify what we're doing.
Anthony Cota
Yep.
Host
On market, off market, free and paid.
Anthony Cota
I won't let my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis symptoms define me.
Justin Colby
Emerge as you. In two clinical studies, Trimfire guselkumab taken by injection provided 90% clearer skin at 16 weeks in 7 out of 10 adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. In a study, nearly 7 out of 10 patients with 90% clearer skin at 16 weeks were still clearer at 5 years. At 1 year and thereafter, patients and healthcare providers knew that Tremphya was being used. This may have increased results. Results may vary.
Narrator
Serious allergic reactions may occur. Tremphya may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. Before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms of infection, including fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. Tell your doctor if you had a vaccine or plan to emerge.
Justin Colby
As you learn more about Tremphya, including important safety information@tremphya.com or call 1-877-578-3527. See our ad in Food and Wine magazine for patients prescribed tremphy. Cost support may be available.
Anthony Cota
Agreed. And again, you know, back to the YouTube university. The challenge is, and I think we all kind of face this in the beginning is without a coach, it's so easy to get shiny object syndrome. Like you said, everyone has the right answer. Everything that you see on YouTube is possible and tangible. But if you're kind of just trying one of everything, you're never going to get anywhere. And like, I'm guilty of it, you know, when I first got into coaching, like, not necessarily under your advisement, but like, I bought every comping tool. I bought, you know, everything imaginable, right? And still through the first year, I was like, okay, should I go try? You know, to learn tax deeds and should I try this and that? And so, like, not having a coach to guide you and just tell you, like, hey, dude, like, just chill out, you know, which I think we've had to have that conversation quite a few times. It. I think you. It's just a lot of time wasted. And, you know, people always say time is money. So from a coaching aspect, like, you can go do the YouTube university, but you're going to spend a lot of wasted time just filtering, finally trying to find what works for you when the reality is all of them would work if you just stay true to one and kind of go, you know, head.
Host
On and give yourself the Runway like you got. You can't. Too often, I see everyone start to measure themselves 30 days in, 60 days in, 90 days in, and they measure themselves, they critique themselves, they judge themselves, or they judge, you know, they point fingers. The market, the interest rates at this, the that. You didn't even give yourself enough time to find the success. Right. It's the classic book that was written in the image of, like, that guy three feet from gold, or the little image of the guy in a tunnel, like an inch away from diamonds, and then he turns around and leaves. Is that. That's it. That's always it. It's right when it's like, you need to make one last call. Right? Like every sales coach has always said, it's always the 101st call. You set out to do 100 calls, make one more, because it's always that call that gets you the deal.
Anthony Cota
Great.
Host
Very briefly, let's talk about REI Live co. What is meant to you, what you see is going on in the community. I built it at the end of last year to launch this year. What is happening with REI Live? Let's talk a little bit about REI Live co. Well, first of all, I.
Anthony Cota
Wish you had invented it when I first started.
Host
Yeah, I get it. I get it, man.
Anthony Cota
No, I mean, realistically, there's just so much value there, you know, just being able to have. I think we have at this point, 10 calls a week, you know, so 10 live calls where you're able to transfer the phone over live to someone with, you know, 10 years, 18 years of experience, 20 years of experience. A collective amount between everyone that's coaching, you know, 40 years of experience in real estate. It's a. Again, I just wish it was there when I first started, because being able to transfer you, you know, or transfer Anthony, a homeowner and. Or an agent, just say, hey, man, can you take over this deal for me and close it. Like, oh, man, again, I can't go back two years, but. So I'll reminisce on that later. But yeah, just. Just the value from a new person or even a seasoned person that not only needs help just closing the deal that might not have the skills of a closer, or again, 18 years of experience, but also the value of the disposition side. Like, I. I found out five, six deals in like, I don't want to do disposition. I don't want to do both because it both takes so much time. Like acquisitions and dispositions need, in my opinion, like their own category.
Host
Yep.
Anthony Cota
So the fact that, you know, you're able to assist in whatever deals that we contract and help us. Disposition. And not only that, but through that we get to leverage your day along the way, you know, totally. It's. There's so much value in that. And I. I mean, I think it feel like I've kind of hung on your coattails doing that since I've started anyway. And now you've just given people the. The opportunity to do it as well. So.
Host
Well, as you should. I mean, listen, for those that don't know Reilive Co. And the running joke is it really is do. I'm not mispronouncing it. I couldn't afford the M. Right. I couldn't afford the M. So Reilive Co. If you haven't seen it, heard about it, been a part of it, check it out. But it is literally 200amonth to have up to 10 calls a week live in person. Not just coaching, but actively doing the deals with you. Right? Negotiating the deal, comping the deal. Lean on me and my team, my general manager and myself run the calls. Anthony runs the calls. And we are actively helping you go get your first deal or second deal or gain consistency. But the reason why I wanted to do it is I didn't want to get rich off of people anymore. And I did that. Like I said, like you said, right. You wish you had it when it was, you know, two years ago. And I've spent a decade charging 10, 15, $20,000 for coaching. And I just said, you know, God literally spoke to me and said, dude, do more deals. Right? That's where I ended. 2024. Do more deals. And I could have just built my business bigger, right? Spent more money, created more acquisition teams, or I could just do it with people. And yeah, I'm giving up 50%, but so is the other side. But now I'm doing more deals and I'M listening to what was told to me and I just say this is such a better way to win with people and get rich with people versus getting rich off people. And it just feels good. It feels way better and I enjoy it. Right? I mean, we literally, after this podcast, we literally have an REI Live call to go do this exact thing, right? And so, and then there's a premium version where I'll actually buy you guys leads, right? Where I'm actually spending money as part of the membership to buy you direct a homeowner lead. So again, if you just go to Reilive co, there's a jumpstart version, then there's a premium version. Doesn't matter 200 or 400. But guys, it really is empower it. It impacts me to make an impact on you guys by getting you guys these deals. Right? That's the idea, is get rich with you, not just get rich off you.
Anthony Cota
That's right.
Host
So, brother, this journey is not even over with us. We have a lot longer to go. It's going to be fun. We're going to go through a lot. Hopefully most of it is just amazing on amazing trajectory. But as you both know, business is business, right? You take the good with the bad. So that's great.
Anthony Cota
Yes, sir.
Host
I appreciate you. Love you, dude. Love your family. Love to see what you've done, the commitment you've made to your family first and foremost, but also to your own business, which is a part of your family. And so everyone go follow Anthony Cota. He is just a go giver. He's there for you. And Anthony Cota, Cota Creative Capital is also his handle and so just go check him out. But I appreciate you coming on the science flipping show.
Anthony Cota
Absolutely, brother. Love you, man. Appreciate everything you guys have done.
Host
If this was helpful and you think a person or two could use this information or needs to hear this, make sure you share it with two of your friends. See you guys on the next episode. Peace out, bro.
Anthony Cota
I won't let my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis symptoms define me.
Justin Colby
Emerge as you. In two clinical studies, Trimfia guselkumab taken by injection provided 90% clear skin at 16 weeks in 7 out of 10 adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. In a study, nearly 7 out of 10 patients with 90% clearer skin at 16 weeks were still clearer at 5 years. At 1 year and thereafter, patients and healthcare providers knew that Tremphya was being used. This may have increased results. Results may vary.
Narrator
Serious allergic reactions may occur. Tremphya may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. Before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms of infection, including fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. Tell your doctor if you had a vaccine or plan to emerge.
Justin Colby
As you learn more about Tremphya, including important safety information, at tremphya.com or call 1-877-578-3527. See our ad in Food and Wine magazine. For patients prescribed Tremphya, cough support may be available.
Podcast Summary: The Science of Flipping
Title: Faith Over Fear: The Bold Leap in Real Estate That Changed This Man's Life | Anthony Cota
Host: Justin Colby, Bleav
Release Date: April 18, 2025
In the episode titled "Faith Over Fear: The Bold Leap in Real Estate That Changed This Man's Life," host Justin Colby welcomes Anthony Cota, a dedicated student of The Science of Flipping coaching program. Anthony shares his transformative journey from a demanding career in the car industry to becoming a successful full-time real estate investor. This detailed discussion offers invaluable insights for both novice and seasoned real estate investors aiming to create a business and lifestyle of their dreams.
Anthony Cota discusses his four-year tenure in the car industry, highlighting the grueling work hours and the toll it took on his personal life. He explains:
Anthony Cota [04:03]: "I was in the car industry for four years, working 12 to 16-hour days, six or seven days a week. It wasn't burnout for me personally, but it was for my family. Missing birthdays, sports games, and family events made me realize that time was more important than money."
This realization prompted Anthony and his wife to seek a way to regain control over their time without compromising financial stability. They discovered The Science of Flipping as a vehicle to achieve both time freedom and financial growth.
Anthony emphasizes the importance of having a coach during his transition into real estate investing. He recounts his initial struggles with "shiny object syndrome," where he experimented with various strategies without clear guidance:
Anthony Cota [01:16]: "Without a coach to guide you, it's so easy to get lost in shiny object syndrome. I bought every comping tool imaginable and still felt overwhelmed, not knowing whether to try tax deeds or other methods. A coach helped me focus and avoid wasting valuable time."
Justin Colby echoes this sentiment, stressing that while YouTube offers a plethora of information, personalized coaching provides the necessary wisdom and experience to streamline the learning process.
One of the most compelling parts of the conversation revolves around Anthony’s strategy to juggle a full-time job with building his real estate portfolio. He outlines his disciplined approach:
Anthony Cota [15:01]: "I started waking up at 4 AM to dial agents on the East Coast, utilized lunch breaks for coaching calls, and spent evenings comping properties after the kids went to bed. This relentless schedule lasted about eight months until I was ready to quit my job."
Justin adds his perspective on the necessity of committing fully to real estate investing:
Justin Colby [12:33]: "If you want the thing, make the investment. I created REI Live Co at a price point of $200 a month to help more people achieve their goals by providing hands-on assistance with deals."
Anthony candidly shares his early setbacks, including two deals that fell through on closing day. He credits his perseverance and coaching support for overcoming these challenges:
Anthony Cota [28:10]: "Those first two blown-up deals were demoralizing, but without a coach to reassure me and keep me focused, I might have given up. My first successful deal came about ten months in, thanks to consistent outreach and the support I received."
A significant portion of the discussion delves into effective strategies for sourcing real estate deals. Anthony and Justin advocate for leveraging relationships with Realtors over direct-to-homeowner approaches, especially for those with limited marketing budgets.
Justin Colby [31:39]: "Working with Realtors is free and can consistently provide deals if you build strong relationships. It's often more efficient than spending money on marketing to find off-market properties."
Anthony concurs, highlighting the sustainability of Realtor relationships:
Anthony Cota [35:52]: "Building trust with Realtors can lead to a steady stream of deals without the need for extensive marketing spend. It's about being ethical, honest, and reliable."
Both hosts touch upon the critical principle of defining what success means personally and professionally. They emphasize that clarity in one's vision and the willingness to make tough decisions are paramount.
Justin Colby [07:02]: "Decide what you want and who you need to be to achieve it. If your current path doesn't align with your vision, it's time to rewire your approach."
Anthony adds that prioritizing family and personal fulfillment over mere financial gain was instrumental in his decision to pursue real estate full-time.
Anthony Cota [23:01]: "We decided to prioritize time with our family over staying in the car industry. Even if it meant risking our financial stability, the time we gained was invaluable."
Justin introduces REI Live Co, a coaching program designed to provide hands-on assistance with real estate deals. He explains its inception as a more affordable alternative to traditional high-cost coaching models, aiming to empower more investors by actively participating in their deal-making process.
Justin Colby [42:22]: "REI Live Co offers up to 10 live calls a week where experienced professionals help you negotiate and close deals. It's about getting rich with others, not just off them."
Anthony praises the program for its immediate value and support, reflecting on how it accelerates the learning and deal-closing process.
Anthony Cota [42:45]: "I wish REI Live Co had been available when I started. The live assistance and hands-on approach significantly enhance the deal-making experience."
The episode concludes with both hosts reiterating the importance of faith and commitment in the journey of real estate investing. They encourage listeners to invest in themselves, prioritize meaningful relationships, and remain steadfast in their pursuit of both financial success and personal fulfillment.
Justin Colby [45:17]: "If this was helpful and you think someone could use this information, share it with friends. Remember, invest in your current living and create the life you want to live."
Anthony Cota [45:45]: "Love your family and business alike. Appreciate everything you've built and continue to strive for your goals."
Key Takeaways:
Prioritize Time Over Money: Anthony’s transition underscores the importance of valuing time with family over financial gains from demanding jobs.
The Value of Coaching: Personalized guidance helps avoid common pitfalls and accelerates success in real estate investing.
Strategic Deal Sourcing: Building strong relationships with Realtors can provide a consistent and cost-effective stream of real estate deals.
Commitment and Perseverance: Overcoming early setbacks through persistence and support is crucial for long-term success.
Empowering Others: Programs like REI Live Co aim to democratize access to real estate success by offering affordable, hands-on coaching.
Notable Quotes:
Anthony Cota [04:03]: "Time was more important than money. We started looking for avenues that could get us time back as well as money."
Anthony Cota [01:16]: "Without a coach to guide you, it's so easy to get lost in shiny object syndrome."
Justin Colby [31:39]: "Working with Realtors is free and can consistently provide deals if you build strong relationships."
Anthony Cota [23:01]: "Even if we risked our financial stability, the time we gained was invaluable."
Justin Colby [42:22]: "REI Live Co is about getting rich with others, not just off them."
This episode serves as a compelling narrative for anyone looking to transition into full-time real estate investing, emphasizing the blend of strategic planning, supportive coaching, and personal commitment necessary to achieve both financial success and personal fulfillment.