Moneeka Sawyer is often described as one of the most blissful people you will ever meet. She has been investing in Real Estate for over 20 years, so has been through all the different cycles of the market. Still, she has turned $10,000 into over $5,000,000, working only 5-10 hours per MONTH with very little stress.
While building her multi-million dollar business, she has traveled to over 55 countries, dances every single day, supports causes that are important to her, and spends lots of time with her husband of over 20 years.
She is the international best-selling author of the multiple award-winning books "Choose Bliss: The Power and Practice of Joy and Contentment" and “Real Estate Investing for Women: Expert Conversations to Increase Wealth and Happiness the Blissful Way.”
Moneeka has been featured on stages including Carnegie Hall and Nasdaq, radio, podcasts such as Achieve Your Goals with Hal Elrod, and TV stations including ABC, CBS, FOX, and the CW, impacting over 150 million people.
As the world becomes more of a sprint and too much about the grind, we often forget to live out our purpose, appreciate our passions, and listen to the messages from our own bodies. Now, more than ever, we need to pause, take a breath, and tune into our intuition. Moneeka Sawyer sits down with celebrity psychic and writer Laura Powers who talks about elevating your life and unlocking your fullest potential by fully understanding your unique intuitive cues. She talks about letting your multi-faceted nature shine, creating a blissful mindset, and setting the most intentional goals that lead to huge successes.
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Watch the episode here
Listen to the podcast here
About Laura Powers
Laura is an entertainer, celebrity psychic, actress, model, host, singer, writer, and speaker. She is the host of the popular film and television podcast, “Behind the Scenes with Laura Powers,” and her top 100 mind-body-spirit show, “Healing Powers Podcast.”
She is the author of 8 books and has more in process. She has magical adventures all over the world, meeting to connect with VIP clients for television, speaking, and other media appointments, and for the love of traveling.
Laura has been featured on several television channels and networks, including BuzzFeed, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, The CW, The Jet Set, Weakest Link, Beast Games, and many others. She was interviewed by Will Ferrell on his #1 podcast, “The Ron Burgundy Podcast.”
To learn more or connect with Laura, visit her website at www.healingpowers.net. You can also find her on Instagram @laurapowers44 or on X @thatlaurapowers.
Tune Into Your Intuition To Create Big Success With Laura Powers
Choosing A Blissful Life
Hello, ladies. It’s good to have you here. I’m inspired to chat with you about some personal things that are going on with me. A few weeks ago, my mom took a fall. She’s 87, and my dad is 94. I’m blessed to still have them with me. Many of you know that I moved to Sacramento so that I could be close to them in the later years of their lives, and also to help be a caretaker. That has become my primary thing. I’m here for them. Anyway, a few weeks ago, Mom took a fall and broke one of her feet. She broke three toes.
We were supposed to go on a family cruise. All of the family was getting together. We were going to go on a cruise. We’re supposed to be there right now, but because she was unstable, we decided to cancel the cruise. Two days later, she had a stroke. She had a stroke. First of all, thank you, God, for letting us be on land, for giving us preemptive warnings so we’re not on a cruise when this happens.
It has been such an interesting experience for me because you ladies know that part of what has happened for me is that over the last few years, I’ve had some difficult times in my business. I realized that my skill set around choosing bliss, although it has helped me to remain stable through my regular business stuff and through my regular life, when I hear a difficult point in my life around my business, I found that I was not as skilled as I had hoped to be.
I didn’t have the tools to handle the extraordinary circumstances. I had the tools that still allowed me to make good business decisions. I stayed creative. I solved my problems. I didn’t give up. I didn’t file for bankruptcy. I had all of those skills, but then I had a real crash and burn. Over the last year and a half after that experience, my journey has been to up level my bliss skillset so that when we’re now not just have a blissful life, but even in extraordinary circumstances, to be able to maintain that bliss for myself in a way that allows me to still be present, still be loving, still be resourceful, creative, and also still be able to be myself, and not to have external circumstances destroy my own inner peace.
Now here we are in another extraordinary circumstance. I love my mom passionately. Can you use that word for your mom? You know what I mean. I’m madly in love with my parents. To have this happening has been hard. What has been amazing is to watch myself in this space. I’ve been grounded. I’ve been loving. I haven’t lost my temper even once.
I’ve been able to make all sorts of good decisions. I’ve been able to negotiate with the nurses and the care team. When mom got transferred to rehab, I’ve been able to renegotiate all the food there, which is a thing, and her physical therapy and all of those things. I am so delighted with the up level of my skillset. I wanted to share that with you, ladies, not as a brag, but more to help you understand why I believe this is so important.
Why do I believe that this bliss piece is so important? It’s because when we’re in these situations that life throws at us, we get to show up as our best selves if we have those skills, at least some level of that skill set. As we uplevel that skill set, we can continue to be our very best selves and make the best decisions in our personal life, but also in our businesses. For instance, my mom was in the hospital, she had a stroke, and we had a water leak in one of my properties.
Water leaks are scary to me. I have a thing about those. It’s a big deal, but I have a weird, extraordinary response to those. In this particular case, I stayed completely grounded. I called my contractor, let him know what was going on with me, that I didn’t have any bandwidth. He handled the whole thing the same day. We had another situation with a garage door, a similar thing. I was in the hospital, I couldn’t handle it, I called a contractor, and he handled it.
The point is simply this. I was able to figure out exactly who to call, how to have a conversation with him so that I didn’t sound like I was freaked out. It allowed him to stay grounded so he could solve my problem, and everything got handled. This blissful mindset is such an important piece of running a successful, thriving business, but also running a successful, thriving life through it all, through the good and the bad.
Tapping Into Your Intuition
I wanted to share that with you, because I’m extremely happy with my own results. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to keep growing, but it’s exciting. The other piece that’s interesting about this last year and a half is that as I’ve been building my blissful mindset, one of the things that I realized is that one of the skills that I had lost touch with was my ability to tune into my intuition.
Most of my life for the last 30 years, as a real estate investor, I have been in tune with my intuition. I have an intuitive sense about which houses are going to be a fit for me. I have an intuitive sense about what kind of new tenant I want to have, and then attracting that tenant. When you meet tenants, they’re all nice. I do executive homes, and they’re all nice, but you have to have an intuitive sense about who is going to work and who is not and why, when it’s a good time to give up and ask them to leave, and when it’s a good time to work through and negotiate when issues are coming up.
My intuition has guided so much of my business and my life, and I feel like I lost track of that about a few years ago, and life became so much harder. I think that’s why I had so much difficulty with the issues that I was going through. A couple of years ago, I reconnected with a friend of mine who teaches all about how to live your life by intuition. She models it. Her life is so fluid, and she’s remarkably more successful than almost any other woman I know.
I respect her to the nth degree, and she runs her entire business and life based on her intuition. Because it has become such a big part of my life, I could tell you stories about what’s happened over the last year and a half. Can I tell you one story before I introduce Laura? Laura, give me a second. I want to tell one exciting story. I recently finished a screenplay for Choose Bliss. I finished it a year and a half ago.
I got an intuitive sense to hire somebody to write that screenplay. It was going to take me too long to go through that learning curve. I hired somebody, and that person I hired had an agent. It was a partnership. The agent has been marketing Choose Bliss, and we haven’t gotten a single bite. A few weeks ago, I was like, “This is important. I want this out. I tuned in to my intuition, and I got an intuition to listen to Abraham Hicks. One night, I listened from 10:00 at night to 3:00 in the morning.
Two days later, I got a call from a producer. Two days. How many screenplays get out there? Nobody knows where this is going to go. Ladies, if anybody is interested in a screenplay about living a blissful life, please let me know. I could use all the help I can get. How things change so quickly when you follow your intuition, you’re living in your bliss, and you take inspired action. Much of this guidance for me to live my life that way has been inspired, taught, and modeled by Laura. I want to bring Laura onto the show. Laura, how are you?
What an amazing introduction. Thank you so much. It’s always a pleasure to connect with you, Moneeka. I feel like you model this as well in your life. I feel like so much of intuition is also setting your intention for what kind of life you want to live. Making the intention of “I want a blissful life, I want a joyful life” is all so important.
Thank you. I feel like you get that. There are so many people out there that we can also choose who we work with, ladies. I am so grateful that I attract people like Laura who get that, that bliss is a big deal. It’s not just a big deal to me. It’s a big deal in life. It’s a big deal for our communities, for our businesses, for our children. It’s a big deal. It’s fun to work with people who get that. Thank you.
I feel like there’s a lot in our society that is consciously and unconsciously focused on suffering, and raising suffering up as a goal.
It’s valued.
It is like godliness through suffering. I completely disagree with that premise, but there’s so much we often have to unconsciously work through in order to allow ourselves to be in bliss. Sometimes we’ll hit a bliss cap. It’s like, “How much can I have? How much amazingness can I allow myself to have?” We sometimes have to keep working on that upper cap for ourselves to say, “Yes. I can have so much. I can take more.” There’s literally no end to it. I think it’s especially harder for women because women tend to be the caregivers, the ones who are focused on other people’s wants and needs.
Wanting to be a merger. Again, being a merger is valued.
Whether it’s a conscious desire or we’ve just modeled this, especially family patterns, for example. I love that you talk about this, and I think it’s important. I truly believe that a rising tide lifts all ships. The more that we have, the more that we receive. The more we include, the more we can pass it on. Our cups spilled over, and then other people were able to receive that. I love this conversation.
Intuition: The more you receive joy, the more you can pass it on to other people.
Also, I think it’s tied in with we can “work” in whatever we want. You have created a life that supports the lifestyle that you want through real estate and found a way to make it blissful. We can decide to do whatever we want. Now you’re doing screenwriting, which is amazing. I feel like the world is your oyster. We get to decide. We get to decide what kind of life we want to live, including what we do, as well as our bliss. Thank you for bringing this up as a topic.
Introducing Psychic-Medium Laura Powers
Thank you. Before we get too deep in here, I don’t have a bio for you. Did you want to tell my audience a little bit about your amazing self?
I do a lot of different things. I’m most known as a psychic medium. I have written several books on the psychic and spiritual realm. I’m an angel channeler. I can see past lives. I could see energy in a person’s body. I’m constantly using my intuition and my psychic abilities to navigate. That is also one of the things that I help people do. It’s to better learn and understand how to access their own intuition, because everyone has intuition.
Everyone has some form of psychic ability, whether they recognize that or not. I’m well-known as a psychic. I’m also an actress, a model, a writer, and a host. I’m a podcaster. I’ve been podcasting like you for a long time. I’ve been podcasting for about fourteen years. I do lots of different things based on what I feel intuitively to do, as well as what brings me joy. I do stand up. Last night I went and did some stand-up comedy, which is great.
It’s interesting. Depending on where you met me, you might have a different impression, because I do so many things. I also feel to say we are such diverse people within ourselves. We have so much to offer. We have so many facets, just like a jewel. A jewel does not have this one facet. We are like these beautiful, sparkling jewels, to honor that we can be multifaceted, we don’t have to be and do just one thing.
Embracing Your Multifaceted Self
I think as women, we already get that we are diamonds. I always say this, too. It’s so funny that you brought that up. We’re diamonds. There are all these different facets. When we think about that, we think about I’m a mom, I’m a daughter, I’m a wife, I’m a friend. We think of those as our facets. What’s true also is that we have a lot of those different things inside of us, lots of different interests.
I think in our world, we’re taught that you have to be one thing and do that well. Laura has been a podcaster for fourteen years, and I’ve been a podcaster for six. We’re good at that because we’ve done it for a long time, but it doesn’t mean that we don’t have the capacity to have other interests and pursue those things. Part of bliss for me is variance, like having some different things that I can focus on.
That’s not true for everybody, but I think it’s important that we recognize that it’s okay to have different interests, hobbies, in addition to all of those other things, all of those other roles that we play. Thank you so much for that, for mentioning the whole jewel thing, because I think you and I both have a lot of facets that we like to explore externally. Not just the roles, but the things that we enjoy doing out there in the world.
It’s funny. I didn’t know that you used that analogy before, but yes. I feel like that came in from spirit as a beautiful symbol that everyone can access. There are always these incredible opportunities, like whatever you seek is seeking you. Whatever the combination of things that you do, there are opportunities and connections that can be made. For example, years ago, I was a guest on Will Ferrell’s Ron Burgundy podcast.
I got invited on as a psychic, but one of the reasons they chose me is that I had been a podcaster for a long time. I had done improv. I did improv for years, like improv comedy. I was experienced in podcasting, interviews, improvising, and comedy. This was an opportunity that fit my skillset perfectly. Whatever it is that are all the things that you’re interested in, there are going to be opportunities like that for you that come in, and it’s like, “You’re the perfect fit for this,” even if it seems like a weird combination of things.
I’ve got one coming that’s exciting that I want to share. I have the opportunity on May 8th, my birthday, to dance with John Travolta.
That is so fun.
I know. The reason that I got that opportunity is that I talk about finance. I have a business partner who came through my podcast, where she talks about protecting wealth. She’s running a mastermind, and invited me over. It’s going to be on my birthday. I was like, “I don’t do business on my birthday. Sorry.” She’s like, “Would you like to dance with John?” I was like, “I’ll do that.” The interesting thing is that she gets to dance with him, but she’s a cripple.
She’s in a walker, and she’s bent over in half. I happen to be a choreographer. Where I play into this is that I am going to help John choreograph something for her and him. She may get on stage or not. If she doesn’t get on stage, I will do it, but because of my choreography background, because of my dance background, now I feel like I have the confidence to step in and help her and also support her on stage, and still be a beautiful addition to this dance with John.
It’s a skillset that I’ve had since I was three, which was just for fun. The way that I stay stable and grounded is to dance. Now here I am in this amazing situation that I would never be in. I wouldn’t have the confidence to be in it if I didn’t feel like I already had those skills that brought me so much joy.
I love that. You’re supporting your friends and helping her. You get to meet John Travolta. I love that. It’s so funny about John Travolta. Have you ever been to the Sphere in Las Vegas?
No, I haven’t.
When you come, we’ll have to go sometime. I’m bringing this up for something specific about John Travolta. I believe in following the whimsy, and I went to the Sphere with one of my VIP clients, and they have these talking android robots there, and you can ask them questions. We were doing a series of questions, like everyone was asking about something special on their birthday. People were having things brought up, like something to do with science or astronauts or whatever. It came to mind, and it was that the number one song on my birthday was Saturday Night Fever.
We are so similar in so many ways, Laura.
I didn’t even know that. I was like, “Of course, it was.”
I was having images in my mind of those two dancing, and me doing veil dancing as a backdrop behind them to add real beauty to the environment. Let’s see how it goes. We’ll see what they want. There are so many opportunities. I think building your many facets, also following your intuition, and also standing for your bliss. I don’t work on my birthday.
If I weren’t standing for my bliss, not that she doesn’t love me, but this may not have come up. Do you know what I mean? I would have been like, “No, I’m not coming. As much as I love you, I’m not going to do this on my birthday.” It’s standing for your bliss, standing for what is important to you, living your bliss, building the skillsets that feel yummy to you, and then going out there and letting your intuition direct your life.
Following Your Intuition At All Costs
One of the most challenging times is to follow your intuition when your intuition tells you to do something that logically doesn’t sound good. I’ve certainly had those times. My background is in poli sci. My Master’s in Poli Sci. I used to work in government and politics, a total of 180 from what I’m doing right now.
I wanted to step out of that world and plan. I got invited to a community meeting, and my logical mind was like, “I do not go to a community meeting. No, thank you.” The intuitive pull was so strong to go. I couldn’t ignore it. I went, and it ended up that one of the members of their board was someone I needed to connect with. She became my long-term client and connected me with other people who also became my long-term clients.
It was a wonderful thing about the relationship that was going to unfold from the meeting. It wasn’t about the community meeting, like whatever was being discussed at the meeting. It was leading me in a great direction. That’s one thing. It’s great to set our boundaries and our intentions, but like you said, also allow room for sometimes there’s something magical that’s going to come in. Being too rigid will stop the magic.
That’s true. If I had just been a deadpan, no, even though it’s against my values to do that, I was open. The other piece about that is understanding intuitively that things are coming. In other words, I understood that this is a person who loves me and has my best interests in mind. Even though I needed to set a boundary, there was this connection. There was also an intuitive sense that something good could happen if we continued the conversation.
That rigidity piece has come up for whatever reason, especially in the last couple of months, about how flexibility and that’s different than lack of boundaries. I think that can be a little confusing. Also, to trust if you have set your intentions and parameters to your angels and spirit guides or the universe, and you let them know this is what you want to experience. Something comes in that you’re like, “Is this outside of my boundary?” Yeah, be open and get more information like you did. You got more information that you were able to say, like, “Yes, I would like to do that.”
Trusting Your Feelings And Emotions
“I would love to do that. That sounds like a good idea.” Laura, could you talk a little bit about how we ladies and the ladies who are tuning in can get back in touch with that intuition? Maybe even like some exercises that we could do to make it into a game, to reconnect. As women, our intuition is so alive. Men have to work a little harder to get there. It’s one of those things, it’s one of our big resources, our one big advantage. Not one, but one of our many big advantages in the world, and specifically in real estate. Could you help us reconnect with that side of us?
One of the first fronts to look at is our bodies and our emotions. What are we feeling in our bodies? What do we feel emotionally in response to certain things? If you don’t mind, I’d love to talk about the event we went to.
I would love that. Yes, let’s do it.
Moneeka reached out to me. I love Moneeka and all the things she does. She reached out to me and invited me to this luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hilton, which was in honor of Paris Hilton and many other women. Moneeka was one of the women who was featured in the LA Magazine, LA Women Edition. When you reached out to me, Moneeka, I was in Egypt, and I hadn’t even figured out when I was coming back from overseas.
Logically, it would have made sense to be like, “I don’t know, I’m not sure. My plans yet or whatever.” The feeling was like, “Say yes, even if I didn’t understand the why.” The biggest part is stepping out of the logic and into the feeling. Business, in particular, is highly analytical, at least in terms of what we’re taught. The route to success and most of the successful people in business are highly intuitive.
That is a part of why they’re so successful. Leading into the feeling, trying to put the logic aside as much as we can, and then paying attention to what we feel in our bodies. I didn’t know too much about the event. The details I gave, I didn’t know too much about it when you invited me, but when you invited me, it felt exciting. That was what I leaned into. It was the feeling. Everything worked out beautifully.
Another friend and client of mine, who’s also an inspiring woman, ended up coming. Long story short, we ended up meeting Paris Hilton and had a short conversation. She’s lovely. It was also a wonderful room of women, very inspiring as a whole, very supportive. It’s exactly the room that I want to be in, which is loving, supportive, inspiring, and successful women who want to bring each other up.
The woman who did the intro, that’s literally what she said, “You either light someone up or you put their light out.” That was a room of people who were lighting each other up. Wonderful things happened. It was the right place to be. What got me to say yes was that feeling, like, “Yes, it felt fun and exciting.” Leaning into what we feel in our body is the first place that our intuition will show up for us. Alternatively, something can sound good, but if it sounds good and you feel dread or you feel heavy, that’s also telling you some information on the other side.
Paying Attention To Your Physical Cues
Talk to me a little bit more about those feelings so we can connect to those. You and I have practiced this for so long. I cannot even articulate what that is. Could you help my ladies understand it a little more?
First of all, pay attention to our bodies from a health perspective. My podcast is Healing Powers Podcast, and it’s a mind, body, spirit podcast. This has real importance. It’s not just for intuition, but also our own health, and paying attention to what our body is telling us. The first thing is paying attention and starting a daily practice of what our body is telling us. There’s the intuitive piece. There’s also listening to your body’s physical signs. Have you heard of the book, What Everybody Is Saying?
What Every Body Is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People
No, I haven’t.
It’s fascinating. It’s a book written by an author. I cannot recall his name, but he is a man who is hired by law enforcement agencies when they’re having a tough case. What he does is he goes in and analyzes specific body language, facial expressions. The book was very helpful for me to even decode my own responses to things sometimes.
Sometimes we’re so programmed intellectually that we’re cut off from ourselves, and we have to relearn. Even as children, “Go talk to the stranger,” even if our body says, “No.” “Go sit on Santa’s lap,” and you see all these pictures of kids crying. I’m like, if the kid doesn’t want to sit on the lap, I think you should honor that, “I don’t want to do that. That’s a strange man. I don’t know that person.”
We have to reprogram. One of the messages in the book is about, for example, how we point our feet towards wherever we want to go. If we’re talking to someone and our feet are pointed away, that’s a sign of not wanting to connect with that person for some reason. A lot of this is a practice of paying attention to our body’s physical cues and learning to feel into our body’s emotions.
This is a practice because so many people are so cut off that they don’t even honestly know what they feel. They’re so used to basing on someone else. The other thing that’s very helpful for this is meditation and reacquainting yourself with your own body and your sense of self and what you’re feeling in the moment. Usually, you’ll get a sense. If you don’t, then just sit with it, breathing, and allowing whatever you feel to come forward, and not just to feel like you have to hurry with it.
It’s interesting when you talk about your body. Oftentimes, my no response comes in my belly, and it feels like a belly ache. I need to be careful to ask myself not right after I’ve eaten food. If I’m having a belly ache after I’ve eaten, it might be because of what I ate, or that I ate too fast, or that I didn’t get enough water, or too much.
There are a lot of reasons. It’s that exact same feeling. I’ve got to wait for a couple of hours after I’ve eaten before I ask. If I’m at dinner having a conversation, I need to make a decision, and I’m getting that bellyache, I’ll say, “I will get back to you,” because I know whatever I’m feeling right now is not true. I’m digesting food. That access point isn’t available to me. It’s altered at that moment. There’s that.
I’m getting an idea that is worth listening to. I will feel a tingling, like there are stars, like I’m an angel, like there are stars right on the top of my hair. If I’m too tired, it will put me to sleep because it’s also the way that I relax. Just know how your body operates. Laura, I’ve been doing this intuitively. I didn’t even realize I was doing it until you said that. I know because I’m paying attention to what my body does, and that my messages come in as similar sensations, and there are certain times when I’m able to decipher those messages better. It gives me access to much more information if I’m aware of that.
That’s why I said it’s like an art of learning your body and your responses and figuring out how to deduce for yourself. Sometimes it’s an immediate yes or no. We’ve all had that where it’s like, “No. Hard pass.” Other times, we have to step with something, and that’s okay. One of the great ways that I get insight and clarity is when I’m driving, not in LA traffic or something, but when I’m driving and I can zen out, still be safe and everything, but I don’t need my full focus to drive on a pretty straightforward road. You still have some mental capacity to focus on other things. That’s one of the ways that when you process something, I’ll go and I’ll drive, or sometimes in the bath. Water is very helpful for me.
For me, it’s the shower.
Just learning those things. If you’re like, “I’m not sure,” then doing one of those things that helps you get into your core intuitive energy, and then honor that, and then trust yourself, too. A lot of the challenge with honoring your intuition is a lack of self-trust and questioning, “Am I going to make the mistake?” That lack of trust in ourselves can end up with us spinning because we’re always afraid to make the wrong choice. Also, I feel that as we get better at manifesting, the whole world is magic. It’s not about a right choice versus a wrong choice. It’s about what we want to experience, and also knowing there are so many ways we can call in the kinds of experiences that we want to experience.
Intuition: Honoring your intuition can be challenging because of your lack of self-trust. We may end up spinning because of our fear of making the wrong choices.
It’s not 100%, but in many cases, there’s no real wrong choice. It’s not like any choice that you make is going to make you die, in most cases, or get sick, or whatever. The world is a much safer place than we give it credit for. As we’re making those decisions also have the intention that I am safe, I am held, everything is going to work out for me. Setting out that intention as you’re making a decision frees you then to tune more into what’s right and what’s wrong for you, rather than making decisions based on fear or perceptions that are not true.
I want to talk a little bit about how sometimes our body’s messages can be a bit confusing, specifically as it relates to stress, anxiety, and excitement. Let’s say you’re stepping into something new for you. Public speaking, for example, can draw a lot of fear in people. I learned this, and it was resonant that the body’s response to excitement and stress, or anxiety is the same. What if you’re about to step on a stage and you’re suddenly like, “I feel so much anxiety,” but what if it’s just excitement?
Much of this is within the safety realm. It’s probably going to be pretty safe for you on a physical level to step onto that stage. It’s more about your intellectual or emotional fears in that moment. I’m safe, “I’m so excited.” Instead of “I’m stressed about this. This is so exciting. This feeling in my tummy and my palms is excitement. I’m excited about this.” We can start to reprogram the story we’re telling ourselves about what’s going on in that moment.
The Importance Of Focusing On Service
It is also interesting to understand that everybody else out there is having similar feelings. I have a big speaking engagement coming up, and I have to confess, I’m scared. I have been a good speaker in the past, but I was an internationally known dancer, too. Every single time, I would go on stage. I’d be in the back and ready to go on stage. I would forget my performance.
I would forget the choreography. I was completely overwhelmed with butterflies in my stomach. The music would start, and my body would start to move. I hear this over and over again that professional speakers will still get butterflies in their stomach and stuff like that. It’s also like we’ve been talking about getting to know your body. That’s not a “Stop, don’t do that” response. That’s something big and exciting that’s about to happen, even though it’s scary for you. It’s okay that it’s scary for you. You’re going to be safe in this situation.
A lot of this is also getting to know who you are and honoring that, not allowing other people to dictate how you should be feeling or tell you what you will be feeling, and then you beat yourself up because you’re not doing that. Tell you how to tap into your intuition when in fact that doesn’t work for you. Like learning who you are and what makes you tick, and how you operate. All of those things are going to help you tap into what’s best for you, what your intuitive senses are trying to say to you.
There are little tricks or shortcuts we can sometimes learn that help us. One of the ones that helped me, especially in the beginning of putting myself out there in this new way. Again, Master’s in Poli Sci, government and politics, working in the psychic spiritual realm. That was like getting a sex change or something completely different with how I was orienting with the world, as well as my self-identity, which felt like such a massive shift.
They experienced a lot of what I would say persecution fears, “Are people going to attack me and tell me I’m crazy,” or think “I’m a horrible, stupid person,” whatever. There was a lot of mental garbage I had to work through. One of the things I learned from psychic training that was very helpful for me in those moments was the phrase, “When you get nervous, focus on service.” Redirecting the focus from my ego, fear, whatever is going on in that moment, to like, “What am I trying to do here? What am I trying to accomplish?”
One of my big drivers in talking about all this stuff is helping others heal because I went through a big spiritual and physical healing journey, and I saw the tools that helped me, and I wanted others not to struggle as I had struggled as much. A strong drive for me, and my whole path was like, “I want to help. I don’t want people to be in a struggle.” When I focus on that and the information I’m trying to share, instead of all the mental stuff that helped me to be able to move through and not get stuck in this mental panic that can end up in a freeze state.
I love that. Focus on service. When you get nervous, focus on service.
It’s so easy to remember.
I had a girlfriend. I was going to another event in LA to talk about my screenplay. I was so scared because I’m a Northern California girl. I’m pretty simple. I don’t get the business. I don’t know anything. I have this message that’s important to me. I feel like if we do it in a movie, it’s going to impact more of the world. My book could only do so much. My voice can only do so much, but a movie could make a huge impact. The message is so important that I want to do this, and I know nothing.
I remember I was going to be walking into this room, and I was with another girlfriend. It was the LA Magazine photo shoot for the magazine, the article, and everything that we did, the event that you and I went to. I knew I was going to be meeting all these important women at this photo shoot, and the photographer, the owner of the magazine, and so many important people. A girlfriend of mine said, “Moneeka, carry around a little bliss ball and share it with people.”
I love that.
She got that bliss is my thing, I don’t know if you noticed this, the way that I was leading even the other day when we were at this event is there’s this heart forward feeling like I’m literally imagining I’m carrying a ball right in front of my heart and I’m walking up to people to try to share my little ball of bliss. That too is when you’re nervous, be of service. I want to share the joy. I want to model that joy. Each of us can do that.
Much of this is redirecting the focus. Where do I want my focus to be? Do I want it to be panic? No. It’s sharing bliss, and meaning bliss. The good thing is that the more we do that, the easier it gets to do that. My early childhood history is with a lot of physical trauma and abuse. That was where I was coming from. There was a lot of fear and anxiety because of my circumstances. I did have to do a lot of reprogramming. Now, that’s more my de facto. It is that blissful, joyful state.
We’re humans. It’s not like we’re always going to be in this sort of high-elation feeling. What we can do is that our standard baseline is way higher, so I feel like we can keep elevating that. What you talked about in your intro, which is even when things happen that could feel challenging, we don’t have to go so low in those moments. It’s natural to feel emotions. We’re human, of course. Also, we don’t have to get stuck in the troughs.
Knowing that and that we have the tools to get ourselves back up so we don’t have to be stuck in that energy is a game-changer. It’s life-changing.
Setting Intentions And Choosing Your Circles
I know that you are almost out of time. Is there anything that you wanted to share with the ladies before we sign off? I’ve loved this conversation so far.
Me too. I feel like there are so many wonderful gems. I would say I’m such a believer in manifesting and setting intentions. Whatever feels fun and exciting, I would like to experience that in my life. Set that intention, put it out there to the universe, and then pay attention to the messages that come forward for you, the invitations, the signs.
I believe our intuition is our inner compass to help us receive and experience joy and the magic of life. In order to fully receive what we want, we need to set that navigation system. A lot of people make the mistake of being like, “Whatever is for the highest good.” That’s a great streamer, but at the same time, there’s so much out there. There are so many things that could happen.
Getting clarity and setting intention, like, “I would love to have a screenplay to produce, I would love to go to Bali, I want to dance with John Travolta, or I want to connect with so-and-so.” Whatever those things are, put them out there, and then pay attention to your intuition as things start to shift, because our angels and spirit guides are listening to us. As we set these intentions or have these goals or even whimsical ideas of something that would be fun, different channels open up for us to help those things come into reality.
I agree with you on that. This has been so lovely. It’s always so wonderful to connect with you, Laura. Thank you so much for coming on the show.
You are so welcome. There’s one other thing that I was meaning to say, and this is about your circle and making sure that you’re connecting with those who have the same intentions and love, and support you. If you’re around a lot of naysayers, negative Nellies, or people who rain on the parade all the time, that’s going to be harder for you to keep your energy up. I think we’re in the process of that. When I look at my circle, and I was first learning about all this, I was definitely in a desire to help to the point where I was even unconsciously in a martyr pattern, even with energy. Paying attention to like, “Do the people in your life lift you up? Do they support you? Do they believe in you?” These kinds of things are also helpful in helping you manifest those dreams into reality.
Intuition: Connect with people who have the same intentions as you.
They talk about how you become the top five people that you hang out with, the people that you spend the most time with. It’s not a trite little saying. It’s true. We become who we hang out with because we take on each other’s energies and beliefs. No matter how strong you feel you are in your beliefs, you are going to take on some of this other stuff from the people you hang out with by osmosis. It’s easier to stay uplifted if the people that you hang out with are also uplifting.
It doesn’t mean that every conversation is happy. It doesn’t mean that we don’t have bad days. It doesn’t mean that we don’t dump on each other or vent, but it does mean that most of the time, we are uplifting to one another. When someone is having an amazing experience, the other people are happy for them. They want that experience for you. It’s like that. It’s not that you have to be happy and joyful all the time. That’s not real. That’s not how life works, but you want to be around people who are going to uplift you in a way, even in those down times.
They are happy for your success, too. Some people can be your friend when you’re having a hard time, but don’t know how to be your friend when you’re successful. I remember that moment when I divorced my ex-husband, and I had health issues. I was like at a low point at that time. Some people were there for me then, but when I got out of it, they didn’t know how to interface with me when I was good. It was a strange realization. What we want is the people who can be there and support us and understand, but also support our wins.
Episode Wrap-up And Closing Words
Celebrate with us, play with us, and bring us sheer joy. Thank you so much.
It was my pleasure. Moneeka, thank you so much for modeling this because we all need to see this and be reminded of this. I want everyone to know you can be successful. You can have joy. You can have passion. You can have all the things. You do not have to choose. I think you embody that very well.
Thank you. I believe the same about you, which is why I want to share so much of what I’m experiencing in life with you. Thank you for that.
It’s my pleasure.
Ladies, always remember. You can choose bliss. Bliss is your birthright. Choose to live your bliss every single day. I’ll see you soon. Bye.
Moneeka Sawyer is often described as one of the most blissful people you will ever meet. She has been investing in Real Estate for over 20 years, so has been through all the different cycles of the market. Still, she has turned $10,000 into over $5,000,000, working only 5-10 hours per MONTH with very little stress.
While building her multi-million dollar business, she has traveled to over 55 countries, dances every single day, supports causes that are important to her, and spends lots of time with her husband of over 20 years.
She is the international best-selling author of the multiple award-winning books “Choose Bliss: The Power and Practice of Joy and Contentment” and “Real Estate Investing for Women: Expert Conversations to Increase Wealth and Happiness the Blissful Way.”
Moneeka has been featured on stages including Carnegie Hall and Nasdaq, radio, podcasts such as Achieve Your Goals with Hal Elrod, and TV stations including ABC, CBS, FOX, and the CW, impacting over 150 million people.
Happy New Year to you!!! And let’s make 2025 the best year of your life.
My goal with this email is to help YOU, because here we are, heading into 2025 and you have an enormous opportunity in front of you to really create the future you want.
So to that end, I want to share just 2 things that may help in that regard. Two things I know will massively change the trajectory of your life and business over the next year.
Listen to the podcast here
1. Get super clear on what you WANT versus what you actually NEED.
Here’s what I mean by that. A lot of us go through life trying to aim for things that we think that we want. We think we want the vacations, the big house, fancy car, diamonds… you know, THE STUFF… whatever that is for you.
When in reality, what we actually need may be significantly less. Maybe we just need a nice roof over our head. Maybe we just simply need a car that gets us from point A to point B. Maybe we simply need to have someone who loves us and we spend time with that person on a consistent basis.
So the question is, what is it that you WANT versus what is it that you actually NEED?
If you sit back and really think about it as you make decisions moving forward, asking yourself… “Is this something that I actually need or is this something that I just want?” it will help you make more powerful decisions. So I encourage you to start there, get really clear on what it is that you WANT versus what it is that you NEED.
When we live from the standpoint of focusing on all of these things that we think we want, we’re trying to win an unwinnable race. You will never win the race of getting everything that you want, because our list of wants seems to grow endlessly! You know I’m not about deprivation, I’m about bliss. But chasing your endlessly expanding wants will most likely not lead you to sustainable bliss. It may give you a short-term high, but soon it will turn into another stress-point of something you need to continue to maintain and pay for. It’s an endless cycle of growing your obligation, which then require you to work harder for them, which makes you feel like you NEED more things to help you de-stress, which leads you to the next short-term fix, and then starts the cycle again. So, when looking at what you are going to spend your time and energy on in the coming year, focus on what you actually NEED. And then if there is extra income to get additional stuff, etc. that is icing on the cake.
For me, everything I need has to do with creating time freedom. You know that with me. So, everything I buy (my house, cars, clothes, everything) needs to support my time freedom. It should not ask me to have to work harder in order to sustain and pay for it. It should in fact require LESS of my time. It should amplify my time freedom. What is it that you feel you really NEED?
2. Create a THEME for the next year… NOT goals.
I have a love hate relationship with goals. There’s nothing wrong with having goals. But, goals in and of themselves are, often, too grandiose, and not based on what you TRULY want. Too many people declare, “I want to do X, and I want to achieve Y,” and live by such statements. But those goals aren’t based on your true NEEDS, deep desires, and core values. And they don’t inspire action.
While declarations are all well and good, from my perspective, goals aren’t the primary answer. Why do you think so many people join gyms in January and, by July, the gyms are empty?
What you want to be thinking about are THEMES.
Let me give you an example. For the next year, there is one theme that I’m going to live by.
It is RESIDUAL INCOME. As you ladies know, I am now in my 50’s. I’ve worked really hard for most of my adult life and I do love working, but I don’t want to continue to work hard, hard, hard forever. Things are already lightening up for me because of my themes of the last couple years. But I seriously need to step things up for myself to reach the time freedom desires I have in the next couple of years (which are mostly based on being able to spend time with and care for my parents).
So, what I’m really thinking about for this upcoming year is residual income.
Over the last many years my umbrella theme has been Time Freedom. So every year I have my umbrella theme and my annual theme. Those are examples of THEMES.
And, as I explore opportunities and work-related activities, I can weigh these against whether or not such actions move me closer to achieve my desire of creating more residual income or further away.
What could be your theme(s) for the next year?
Residual Income is my theme and I will make decisions based on that theme. Being able to go back to this simple question — “Do my actions allow me to create more residual income?” — will help guide me.
Hopefully, this makes sense to you. Again, I’m all for goals and vision boards and all of that fun stuff. I’m not knocking any of that. But, I want you to think about a theme, or maybe two themes for the next year. Then create your goals and vision boards based on that theme so everything is consistent and in harmony. This will inspire action and allow you to experience much more flow and success in achieving your goals.
Let’s revisit the goal I mentioned earlier about going to the gym. If getting in better shape is a true goal of yours, find a way to attach it to your theme so you are more motivated from the inside out to stick with it. For me for instance, my overlying theme for the last 10 years has been time freedom. Why? So I can spend more time with the people I love. If I am constantly sick, in pain, or not feeling vital, I’m not likely to be able to enjoy my time freedom very much. So keeping myself healthy and in shape is a high priority to me. I personally don’t go to a gym because I have to confess I hate them. But I dance every day to keep myself in shape and keep my mood joyful.
Here is how you can create your own Personal Theme for 2025.
1) Get a playful, fun Bliss Journal and write your THEME across the front.
2) Take a couple of hours away and tune into what you really want for yourself and what’s been holding you back. Journal about what you discover for 15-30 minutes.
3) Ask yourself what yearly theme would give you the breakthrough you are seeking. Don’t overthink this. Trust your heart.
3) Once you have your theme, share it with important people in your life who can support you and cheer you on through the year.
4) In your new Bliss Journal dedicated to this theme create a practice of journaling around your theme at least 1-3 times per week.
Follow these instructions and watch your life transform this year.
I’d love to hear what a potential theme or themes could be for you over this next year and/or how these ideas above landed for you.
My sincerest hope for you is that the next year is intentionally designed so that it is the best year of your life.
If you implement these suggestions, I guarantee you’re going to have a much different year than if you just simply go into the next year trying to answer the question of, “What do I do next?”
I talked about this in this week’s podcast episode. If you’d like to hear it:
Moneeka Sawyer is often described as one of the most blissful people you will ever meet. She has been investing in Real Estate for over 20 years, so has been through all the different cycles of the market. Still, she has turned $10,000 into over $5,000,000, working only 5-10 hours per MONTH with very little stress.
While building her multi-million dollar business, she has traveled to over 55 countries, dances every single day, supports causes that are important to her, and spends lots of time with her husband of over 20 years.
She is the international best-selling author of the multiple award-winning books “Choose Bliss: The Power and Practice of Joy and Contentment” and “Real Estate Investing for Women: Expert Conversations to Increase Wealth and Happiness the Blissful Way.”
Moneeka has been featured on stages including Carnegie Hall and Nasdaq, radio, podcasts such as Achieve Your Goals with Hal Elrod, and TV stations including ABC, CBS, FOX, and the CW, impacting over 150 million people.
Welcome to strategy #10 of the Real Estate investing for under $1000 series. Real estate wholesaling is a lucrative and exciting niche within the real estate industry that allows individuals to generate profits without the need for substantial capital or in-depth knowledge of property management. This strategy involves finding great real estate deals and then selling them to investors for a profit. Today we’ll take a deep dive into the world of real estate wholesaling, explaining what it is, how it works, and giving tips for success in this dynamic field.
What is Real Estate Wholesaling?
Real estate wholesaling, is a method of property acquisition and resale that doesn’t involve buying, renovating, or managing real estate. Instead, wholesalers act as intermediaries, connecting motivated sellers with real estate investors, and earning a fee or commission in the process. It’s essentially finding great deals and passing them on to buyers, which makes it an appealing entry point for those interested in real estate investing.
Listen to the podcast here
Wholesaling to Start Your REI Journey
Real Estate Investing For Women
The Wholesaling Process
Find Motivated Sellers: The first step in real estate wholesaling is to find properties that can be acquired at a significant discount. Motivated sellers can include people facing foreclosure, divorces, or those with distressed properties. Wholesalers can find these opportunities through various channels, including online listings, direct mail marketing, and networking.
Negotiate Contracts: After identifying a potential deal, wholesalers negotiate a contract with the seller, often using a Purchase and Sale Agreement or Assignment of Contract. It’s crucial to secure properties at a price that leaves room for profit when selling to investors.
Build an Investor Network:
Wholesalers establish relationships with real estate investors, including rehabbers, landlords, and flippers, who are willing to purchase properties quickly. An extensive network can help ensure a fast turnaround on deals.
Market the Deal: Wholesalers then market the property to their network of investors. This typically involves creating a deal package with property details, photos, and the sale price. Email marketing, social media, and local real estate meetings are common ways to reach potential buyers.
Assign the Contract: When an investor expresses interest in the property, the wholesaler assigns the contract to them for a fee. This fee is typically a percentage of the sale price and can vary depending on the deal and market conditions.
Close the Deal:
The investor closes on the property, and the wholesaler collects their fee, often through an escrow service.
Key Tips for Real Estate Wholesaling Success
Build a Strong Network: Your success in real estate wholesaling is heavily dependent on your network. Attend real estate meetings, join online forums, and connect with fellow wholesalers, investors, and professionals in your area.
Focus on Marketing: Effective marketing is critical in finding both motivated sellers and investors. Invest in a professional website, social media presence, and a marketing strategy to attract both sides of the transaction.
Hone Negotiation Skills: Negotiating with sellers and investors is an essential skill for a wholesaler. You must secure properties at favorable prices while maintaining good relationships with all parties.
Understand Your Local Market: Real estate markets can vary significantly from one location to another. Understanding the dynamics of your local market is crucial to identifying opportunities and pricing your deals correctly.
Compliance and Legalities: Wholesaling can involve complex legal matters, so it’s essential to understand local laws and regulations related to real estate transactions. Consult with legal counsel if needed.
Conclusion
Real estate wholesaling offers a unique path into the world of real estate investing. By acting as a matchmaker between motivated sellers and investors, you can create a profitable business without the need for large capital investments. However, it’s not without its challenges, and success depends on networking, marketing, negotiation skills, and a thorough understanding of your local real estate market. With dedication and persistence, real estate wholesaling can be a rewarding venture for those willing to put in the effort. And as you can see from the process I just described, wholesaling is a very active form of investing in real estate. Unlike the other strategies mentioned in this series, this is REALLY NOT passive. So be aware that this strategy requires very little capital to get started, but it will require your time and a learning curve.
Ladies, this is the last strategy in the invest for under $1000 series! I hope you found this series thought-provoking, inspiring, and informative.
Next week I’ll play a replay of a really great episode I recorded on wholesaling. See you then.
Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!
Moneeka Sawyer is often described as one of the most blissful people you will ever meet. She has been investing in Real Estate for over 20 years, so has been through all the different cycles of the market. Still, she has turned $10,000 into over $5,000,000, working only 5-10 hours per MONTH with very little stress.
While building her multi-million dollar business, she has traveled to over 55 countries, dances every single day, supports causes that are important to her, and spends lots of time with her husband of over 20 years.
She is the international best-selling author of the multiple award-winning books “Choose Bliss: The Power and Practice of Joy and Contentment” and “Real Estate Investing for Women: Expert Conversations to Increase Wealth and Happiness the Blissful Way.”
Moneeka has been featured on stages including Carnegie Hall and Nasdaq, radio, podcasts such as Achieve Your Goals with Hal Elrod, and TV stations including ABC, CBS, FOX, and the CW, impacting over 150 million people.
Welcome to strategy #6 of the Real Estate investing for under $1000 series. Today we’re going to talk about the rise of online real estate marketplaces that have revolutionized the way we invest in properties, making investing in real estate accessible to a broader range of investors with varying budget sizes.
Listen to the podcast here
Fractional Ownership and Rental Income Sharing Investing
Real Estate Investing For Women
The Birth of Online Real Estate Marketplaces: A Paradigm Shift
As you know, traditionally, investing in real estate meant purchasing an entire property or committing a substantial sum of money to a real estate project. This approach excluded many individuals who lacked the financial resources to invest in this way. Enter online real estate marketplaces – platforms designed to democratize real estate investing by allowing investors to pool their resources and invest in properties collectively. These platforms offer a range of investment models, including fractional ownership and rental income-sharing arrangements, making it possible to enter the real estate market with a low minimum investment requirement. We’ve already talked about some such platforms in our Crowdfunding and Micro-Investing App episodes, but let’s dive in to see how you can utilize some other resources.
Fractional Ownership: Sharing the Real Estate Pie
One of the groundbreaking concepts brought to life by online real estate marketplaces is fractional ownership. This model enables investors to own a percentage of a property rather than the entire thing. This way, the cost of purchasing a property is distributed among multiple investors, lowering the entry barrier and enabling a more diverse range of people to become real estate investors. Fractional ownership is particularly appealing for high-value properties that would otherwise be out of reach for individual investors.
A while back I did an episode with Elise Alexander at AceTrader and we talked about investing in Farmland. This platform and investing style is a perfect example of fractional ownership investing.
Rental Income-Sharing: Profits Without the Landlord Role
Another innovative approach is the rental income-sharing model. In this scenario, investors contribute to the purchase of a property, and as the property generates rental income, the profits are distributed proportionally among the investors. This method not only provides an additional stream of income but also eliminates the responsibilities and headaches associated with being a landlord, such as property management, maintenance, and tenant relations.
Advantages of Online Real Estate Marketplaces
I’ve mentioned this before, but here are the advantages of using online real estate marketplaces:
Diversification: With lower investment minimums, investors can diversify their portfolio across multiple properties or projects, spreading risk and potentially increasing returns.
Accessibility: Online platforms make real estate investment accessible to a wider audience, including those who lack the substantial capital traditionally required to enter the market.
Liquidity: While real estate is often considered illiquid, some online marketplaces offer secondary markets where investors can buy and sell their fractional ownership stakes, providing a degree of liquidity that wasn’t feasible before.
Expert Management: Many online platforms have a team of experts who handle property management, ensuring that the properties are well-maintained and generating steady income.
Reduced Commitment: I haven’t mentioned this one before. Fractional ownership and rental income-sharing models allow investors to participate without the heavy commitment of managing a property full-time.
Considerations Before Diving In
While the concept of online real estate marketplaces is undoubtedly exciting, potential investors should exercise caution and conduct thorough research before making any financial commitments. Here are a few factors to consider:
Platform Reputation: Research the track record and reputation of the online marketplace. Look for user reviews, media coverage, and any information available about the platform’s history and performance.
Property Selection: Evaluate the properties available for investment. Consider location, potential for appreciation, rental demand, and the overall strategy of the platform.
Fees and Costs: Understand the fees associated with investing through the platform. These could include management fees, transaction fees, and other charges that might impact your returns.
Exit Strategy: Before investing, have a clear understanding of how you can exit your investment if you choose to do so. Some platforms offer secondary markets, while others might have limitations on selling your fractional ownership.
Market Research: Familiarize yourself with the real estate market in which the properties are located. This topic is worth its own whole series of episodes, but here are a few quick things you can look at to evaluate a market: job growth, economic health, laws and regulations like rent control or tax breaks for real estate owners, and of course demographics. A free tool you can use to get started is NeighborhoodScout.comOn one of my shows before, someone also mentioned doing a search for “United van lines movers study” and you’ll get their most recent annual study on where people are moving to and from.
There are several online real estate marketplaces that offer opportunities for investors to participate in real estate through fractional ownership or other innovative models. Keep in mind that the availability of these platforms can vary by region and over time, so it’s a good idea to do your own research to find the most up-to-date options. Here are a few prominent platforms I found:
EquityMultiple: EquityMultiple is a platform that offers both debt and equity investments in commercial real estate properties. While they provide a variety of investment options, some of their offerings may include opportunities for investors to earn a share of rental income.
Cadre: Cadre offers a platform for accredited investors to access institutional-grade commercial real estate deals. They provide investment opportunities in a range of property types, including office, multifamily, and more.
Patch of Land: Patch of Land provides a platform for investing in real estate-backed loans. They emphasize short-term residential and commercial property loans that are often used by real estate professionals.
Groundfloor: Groundfloor is unique in that it focuses on providing real estate loans to house flippers and property developers. Investors can participate in these loans, which are secured by the underlying property.
AceTrader: As I mentioned earlier, A while back I did an episode with Elise Alexander at AceTrader and we talked about investing in Farmland. This platform and investing style is a perfect example of fractional ownership investing. Although I haven’t personally invested on this platform yet, since I was personally referred to this platform by a couple people I trust, I feel comfortable recommending you look into it. So, next week I’ll replay the show we did on this so you can get an idea of how this works, and maybe even be inspired to move forward investing with AceTrader, or in this format.
In Conclusion
Online real estate marketplaces have transformed the way people invest in real estate, opening doors for a wider range of investors to participate in this lucrative asset class. Fractional ownership and rental income-sharing models provide flexibility, reduced commitment, and the potential for significant returns. However, as with any investment, due diligence is crucial. Carefully research platforms, properties, and associated costs to ensure you’re making informed decisions that align with your financial goals. With the right approach, online real estate marketplaces can be a powerful tool for diversifying your investment portfolio and tapping into the world of real estate.
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Moneeka Sawyer is often described as one of the most blissful people you will ever meet. She has been investing in Real Estate for over 20 years, so has been through all the different cycles of the market. Still, she has turned $10,000 into over $5,000,000, working only 5-10 hours per MONTH with very little stress.
While building her multi-million dollar business, she has traveled to over 55 countries, dances every single day, supports causes that are important to her, and spends lots of time with her husband of over 20 years.
She is the international best-selling author of the multiple award-winning books “Choose Bliss: The Power and Practice of Joy and Contentment” and “Real Estate Investing for Women: Expert Conversations to Increase Wealth and Happiness the Blissful Way.”
Moneeka has been featured on stages including Carnegie Hall and Nasdaq, radio, podcasts such as Achieve Your Goals with Hal Elrod, and TV stations including ABC, CBS, FOX, and the CW, impacting over 150 million people.
Hi there Ladies! Today I’d like to take a quick break from our how to invest in real estate for under $1000 series to share some insights about why I’m doing this series, and how it can help you no matter how much money you have to invest. These strategies are for everyone!
Ladies, you know the main purpose of this show is to help you build wealth to create time and place freedom for yourself and your families. And I want to help you do this in a way that feels blissful (or at least close to blissful), rather than overwhelming. In order for me to achieve this goal, you ladies need to actually take action and make investments! Nothing happens until you actually take action. And I feel it is my job to help you move forward to taking educated action.
Listen to the podcast here
This Series is for Everyone!
Real Estate Investing For Women
In this show I’ve shared a lot of investing strategies over the years. But one of the things that I am finding is that many of the strategies I discuss can feel overwhelming, intimidating, or unreachable. Some of this has to do with people thinking they don’t know enough to move forward.
To that I just want to say, so much of real estate investing is a learn as you go experience. Of course you need to learn about the strategy you want to pursue. You need to evaluate the market you want to implement your strategy in. You need to have your finances and reserve finances all ready to go. But the truth is, the biggest chunk of your learning will happen once you actually start investing. That’s why I recommend having a coach, mentor, or community to connect with whenever you have questions. Because once you’re in it, it can feel daunting when things don’t go exactly as planned. So, please please please don’t plan to go it alone. Please get some support, okay?
The next reason I hear that so many of you haven’t been able to take action is because of time or money. I totally understand, and that is why I am doing this series we’re now in the middle of. The thing I love about the strategies we are talking about is that they don’t require much of your time or money. But they allow you to start getting involved in the real estate market. They allow you to dip your feet in and start to get comfortable with investing in real estate.
But when we talk about not having enough money, that is subjective. For some of you that means you have only a few hundred dollars. But for some of you that may mean you have a couple HUNDRED thousand dollars, but you don’t know where to put it or how to invest it, and you’re scared to put it all in one place. Or you’re just too afraid to get started. That’s all okay. I know the fear is real. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get started.
No matter how much money you have, a little or a lot, you can get started in real estate investing using the strategies I am discussing in this series. You can just put a little in to get your feet wet. You can put a bit in several strategies to test them, see which ones you like best, and to diversify your portfolio.
The other thing many of you ask me is that you want to invest in real estate, but you are in the process of saving up for that first investment in a property. So you want to know where to put the money you are saving. And preferably you’d like to invest in real estate assets because they are safer and more stable than the stock market and mutual funds, and they make much more than just putting the money in a savings or money market account. Well, in this series I am sharing several places you can put that money to help it grow and also keep it liquid. Liquidity is important because that way as soon as you have the money saved to buy your first property, you can get immediate access to it. You don’t need to wait to sell a property or get an equity loan or line. Instead, you can liquidate your investment and use the money usually within a week. And in the meantime, you’ve been getting safe returns to help those saved dollars increase in value faster (without a high risk of losing your principle). It is true that no investment is completely risk free, so you’re not guaranteed to not lose money, but in these strategies, you have a significantly better chance of holding onto your principle, and growing it, than if you put it in more volatile investments like stocks and mutual funds.
And, in other safe investments like savings accounts, money market accounts, and bank CD’s most of the time you will actually lose money. How? Because they don’t keep up with inflation. This means that property values will increase over time at a much faster rate than these investments. Which could mean you will never have enough money to invest in the kind of property or location you are interested in.
But if you are investing real estate money in real estate assets, your money should grow in line with the increases in real estate appreciation. Not exactly, but more closely, depending on the strategy you pick.
I don’t want to be doom and gloom here. There are lots of markets to buy property in, so you can always find a place to invest in properties. But you know for me I like to keep things blissful, so I like to be able to choose what and where and for whom I buy my properties. So, having more cash available gives me more options to do that.
Over the last many years, as we’ve been holding or stashing and growing our real estate money to make investments, we have been investing in Ginnie Mae’s directly through our account with Vanguard. The Ginnie’s track the current mortgage rates. So when mortgage rates went so low, this investment no longer made any sense. Real estate prices were skyrocketing, but our money was making like 2-3%. We were definitely losing headway with this strategy. So I started searching for other options of where to put our money and keep it liquid. That’s how I started to learn about all the strategies I’m talking about in this series. And I thought this would be good information to share with all of you too, whether you have a lot of money or not.
I just wanted to give you some perspective on why I’ve been doing this series. I hope today I’ve given you not only context, but some things to think about. And more importantly, some inspiration to look at what you can take action on. Whether it’s one of these strategies, or one of the many others I’ve talked about on this show over the years. Because nothing happens without action.
Okay, that’s it for today. I look forward to seeing you next week and until then remember, goals without action are just dreams. So go out there, take action, and create the life your heart truly desires.
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Moneeka Sawyer is often described as one of the most blissful people you will ever meet. She has been investing in Real Estate for over 20 years, so has been through all the different cycles of the market. Still, she has turned $10,000 into over $5,000,000, working only 5-10 hours per MONTH with very little stress.
While building her multi-million dollar business, she has traveled to over 55 countries, dances every single day, supports causes that are important to her, and spends lots of time with her husband of over 20 years.
She is the international best-selling author of the multiple award-winning books “Choose Bliss: The Power and Practice of Joy and Contentment” and “Real Estate Investing for Women: Expert Conversations to Increase Wealth and Happiness the Blissful Way.”
Moneeka has been featured on stages including Carnegie Hall and Nasdaq, radio, podcasts such as Achieve Your Goals with Hal Elrod, and TV stations including ABC, CBS, FOX, and the CW, impacting over 150 million people.
Moneeka Sawyer
Laura is an entertainer, celebrity psychic, actress, model, host, singer, writer, and speaker. She is the host of the popular film and television podcast, “Behind the Scenes with Laura Powers,” and her top 100 mind-body-spirit show, “Healing Powers Podcast.”
