“I Won’t Live My Life A Victim” From Growing Up On The Reserve to Golden Handcuffs with Jules Mckenzie

Erwin  

Greetings friends, all 17 of you. This is the truth my real estate investing show for Canadians and I too am Canadian coming to you from Oakville, Ontario, just west of Toronto. I hope you’re all taking the time to connect and network with fellow like minded investors, weather’s getting better things are opening up, I don’t know actually what’s closed anymore. I do try to do these things as often as possible; to you know, spend more time around like-minded people, because you never know if things are gonna go bad. So you’re gonna need people who are like minded, have friends, so that you in case anything goes bad, you know who to lean on for support. My mom, my dad, my brother, they’re all investors in real estate or stocks, or both. I have a whole bunch of buddies plus my teams, both stock hacker Academy and iWIN real estate, they’re all investors and stocks options, real estate investing. Of course, in cryptocurrency, mainly Bitcoin. Life is short. Hence, I’m always trying to be efficient with my time and spending that time with people I can learn from or inspire me. Luckily, I’m married Cherry Chan. so I don’t go that far, to get some really good mental stimulation. We have an informal book club. For example, we’re both reading Ray Dalio’s principles for dealing with the changing world order. We’re almost done. I think we’re both almost done. I’m almost done; on the last chapter. Most people out there, they have no interest in these subjects. And they’ll call us conspiracy theorists. However, those same people could, you know, to do better off reading a book, maybe around history of the world and not just go back the last 100 years, maybe go back last like 300 years. And you’ll see that things are cyclical, and it might help prepare you for what’s to come. Cherry and I, of course, do our part to share what we’ve learned to the best that we can let the best practices are to prepare for what all the government banks are doing, like the bank of Canada, the US Federal Reserve, they all continue to create more money out of thin air, not tied to anything, not backed by gold or anything like that, just to fund the spending that they have and sadly, assets will grow in value. Something I have a lot of. At least, I think how long I can always use more. And on the other hand, they’re sadly destroying savings, people’s savings and making housing as an example more and more unaffordable to those who don’t have assets. 

Erwin  

We covered all this in our live and in person events. Yes, that’s right. We’re back to live and in person and it feels good. Feels good to be dialling back my zoom expenses. We just cut one of my Zoom accounts, we cut we cut it down by like 80% in cost or since we’re back to doing in person events. By the time you listen to this episode, we’ll have hosted a few dozen people on the weekend on an investment property tour in Hamilton to touch feel and smell some investment grade duplexes at different stages of finish. This is in Hamilton, Ontario, if I didn’t mention that. One property has not been renovated. It’s been it was just recently closed on one has just been renovated. And it was just staged. I’m recording this on Thursday, I think it was just staged on Wednesday, pictures are done. And one is an existing duplex. like to say thank you to my team and my clients for making this happen. Only one of these properties is for sale. And we used to do tours of mostly properties that were on sale but because of the way the pandemic is not all sellers want us to have a couple dozen investors run through their properties. So thanks to my network and my my team and my clients for making this event possible. Also, they’re going to have lunch together. So isn’t that nice? To have lunch with like minded people. And I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’m like super grateful and like almost like nostalgic to be able to, you know, hang out with groups of friends again, be in busy restaurants. 

Erwin  

On Saturday, April 23. We have our next real estate meetup; Cherry and I’s real estate meetup. Our topics include how to renovate for ROI that’s return on investment. We have a lot of experience doing that. A recent experience on how our team won a multiple offer scenario for a client to purchase a new house integrate at great price. Plus, we’ll announce details of our new joint venture matchmaking programme. You don’t want to miss out on that, especially if you’re a newer investor, you definitely want to see the details on this. And no, I’m not looking to raise capital. I’m just looking to help people to find resources so that they can get into investment property because I don’t know a better investment for the long term and the way the world is, again, you don’t want to miss out on this. Our March meetup did sell out our first live only only live we had no virtual option. We weren’t recording it. It’s a lot more production for us to have to record anything. So we did not record it. So don’t delay registrations will be open likely shortly for those on our email newsletter. So yeah, so if you’re on an email newsletter, just check it out when we have when we announced the event and then make sure you register. 

Erwin  

This past weekend, I had a night out with a young investor buddies in downtown Toronto, a group of eight guys including myself, who like to have fun, eat great food, drink nice wine and do fun things together. We hang it up at once per quarter. We’re all investors in again Real Estate Development, what name it, just name it stocks, of course, again 6 out of 8 of us made it to this event. We don’t always make it is you know, life gets in the way, especially those with young kids. But six of us did make it out and we had a lot of fun. We started the night grabbing some drinks and then escaping an escape room have five minutes to spare the escape room allotted 45 minutes, we got it and 40 we did take one hit though, that might have been my bad. This is my first, if anyone doesn’t know I’ve done a lot of escape rooms. But this is the first one I’ve done since the pandemic started. And we did awesome as a group. Time goes by fast in escape rooms. If you’ve ever done these before, if you haven’t, I recommend it. Do it with some friends, do with some family do with your older kids. Time goes by fast when you are in an escape room. Since it’s a timed event. If you run out of time you fail to escape so nobody wants that. So time goes by fast and time goes by faster. And you’re allowed to bring adult drinks inside the escape room and even give us walkie talkies to order more Transpower within also to you know, ask for help and ask for tips. But yes, we can also order drinks, which we may have done. Next, we had to find dinner at Kost. It’s a nice restaurant downtown Toronto on the 40th floor. So it has features panoramic views of the city. When it’s warmer, there’s a pool deck as well. Food and Wine was excellent. I include some pictures on my Instagram that’s included in this post. From there on after that the details are hazy, so I’m not going to try recount any but much fun was had. Well yeah, of course, being who we are, we chatted a lot about investing in real estate cryptocurrency, how much cash we should hold, gold everything from this night out with the guys actually. So because of this night out with the guys, we’d always get together. So it’s not it’s not easy for us to coordinate make plans. But from this event, we did make plans, we’re going to visit a city in the US to scope out further look at some small development opportunities on the other side of the border. So pretty cool. For me, I think most folks know I’m heavily invested in Ontario, specifically Hamilton in St. Catharines. In Toronto, I have a property in Toronto and for for Cherry and I, there’s nothing wrong with a little diversification south of the border. And the group of people I’m going to be investing with, they’re pretty talented people, and morally and ethically solid people. So I’m excited for this. 

Erwin  

Onto this week’s show. I’m super excited to have back on the show my friend Jules McKenzie, who I find super inspiring. And unfortunately, I’m going to warn some of you right now, he is a super successful real estate investor, having owned a lot of properties way more than I did. And he’s had over 20, 30 I forget how many property over 50 properties I think. He’s trimmed that down significantly as he sold some off and paid off debts. But he’s got a good number of keepers. He’s raised millions and millions of dollars of capital to buy real estate and Barrie and Orillia, but here’s the boring part. He is a police officer with over 30 years of experience. So I think that categorises him as a legal expert. And some of you are not going to like his opinion about the protests that went happened in Ottawa. So I’m just gonna warn you that now. But if you want a professional legal opinion, his opinion on what happened there, maybe you want to listen to that part. I personally I’m open minded. I don’t care if I don’t get offended easily. Personally, I don’t get offended easily. But I know some of you out there will. Jules does share how he how he too protest is at Parliament Hill at a different time, but he protested to Parliament Hill. And his experience was very different than what happened earlier this year. With the truckers and the anti COVID mandate protesters and whatnot the occupation, what was deemed an illegal occupation. Anyways, we talked a lot about real estate on the show and in general on general, we talked on the show a lot of tips and tactics, including previous interviews I’ve had with Jules Jules is back for the third or fourth time I’ve lost count. So feel free to go back and listen to those if you’re looking for tools and tips and tactics. Today, we’re gonna more focus on the obstacles that Joe’s had to overcome being an indigenous Canadian and growing up on a reserve, substance abuse. If you’ve ever met Jules, you’ll know he’s one of the happiest people you’ll ever meet. And you’ll have no idea about his tragic past. But what I find inspiring about Jules is he refuses to live the life of a victim. And he’s living proof of how how important mindset is, as Jules has come from tougher upbringing the most and has achieved immense financial success. If you do enjoy the show, which I think you will, please look up Jules McKenzie on Facebook or Instagram and send him a message letting him know that you want to read his book, Jules is on the fence about writing a book. I don’t think he needs the encouragement, but just in case, as I believe his book will help a lot of people, not just young Indigenous Canadians, but I think he’ll help a lot of people, people who have come from who have obstacles that they think they can’t overcome. Some of them are Yeah, some of them are terrible, near impossible, but it really does still always start with believing in oneself. So I think his book will help more than just our 17 listeners. And if you agree, if you could be so kind to drop him a message. All right, please enjoy the show. 

Erwin  

Hi, Jules. 

Jules  

Hi, Erwin.

Erwin  

What’s keeping you busy these days?

Jules  

Oh, geez, I wouldn’t know where to begin. So I just finished a course at the Ontario Police College. I’ve been promoted to Detective; I didn’t even show you my badge. 

Erwin  

Oh, cool. 

Jules  

It was so cool. Because I’m not the first one to be in that position. But I don’t know. I just think it’s a it’s a really nice badge. That’s a Rhema police detective badge.Can you believe it? 

Erwin  

Wow, well, detailed. Oh, it’s really pretty.

Jules  

See that? Anybody can be the detective Erwin.

Erwin  

I’m not going to talk to that. You just had such an easy life. Born into a life of privilege.

Jules  

I was definitely privileged, my daddy gave me everything.

Erwin  

We’ll get into that because we’re not letting you off on that. But you are tanned so things haven’t gone that bad.

Jules  

Things have gone pretty good. Oh, man it was so so good to get away? We were down in Bahamas and NASA for a week.

Erwin  

Just a week?

Jules  

Yeah, just a week.

Erwin  

Was it hard coming back?

Jules  

Still got stuff to do. Like I still got a life to live.

Erwin  

Which is interesting. Because you do quite well. Yeah. Right. You don’t have to work? Well as financially you do not. I don’t think you have to work.

Jules  

We thought about I thought about cashing out a couple of times. But my chief, you know, my police chief promoted me into this position. They leased a car. I got I got an expense account and a credit card. I got a clothing allowance. And just like you keep doing this to me are making it hard for me to retire.

Erwin  

Golden handcuffs. Yeah, so funny.

Jules  

I never thought it would happen to me. Oh, if my mommy could only see me now.

Erwin  

You have an unmarked car which just so cool. Because I asked him like if so you pointed it out to us because like, oh, yeah, I’ve seen unmarked cars. I know when it’s a cop. I know I see them. I see them every rear view mirror, I see when I pass an unmarked car like but that you that yours doesn’t look. 

Jules  

There’s no way, No. That was based on CI so research that it’ll blend in. So Oh, it’s a car that I would not purchase. And it’s a car I’m not particularly proud of. I’m allowed to take it home but I don’t, I have a big beefy Dodge Ram pickup truck.

Erwin  

Well, you’re huge. Yeah. What are you 6’3, 6’4? What are you?

Jules  

Probably Probably 6’3. I think I lost an inch, maybe a half an inch off my height. As I get older.

Erwin  

Whoa, heavyweight? You’re lifting forces. It’s extra compressive my spine? Yeah. And while you’re everything else and probably don’t even have any have much knee cartilage left or whatever.

Jules  

Well, the one knee there’s no cartilage left. The other one. I just got the back half of the meniscus left. So I gotta I gotta watch that every once in a while. Yeah.

Erwin  

Cause I remember, I remember I hurt myself enough times doing whatever, mostly basketball, I’d rolled my ankles enough. And then like, enough of that for myself. That’s when I started my CrossFit journey. Thanks to some friends including like Nicaragua. And it because it’s so linear. Like, it’s like no one’s touching you first off. And again, everything’s in one direction basically. Right? either forward or backwards or sideways. Whatever. Pretty controlled. Yeah, compared to playing a sport. And I remember you telling me that you were running and I knew you had bad knees and that pained me. And I’m not gonna say anything. Right? Because you don’t tell anyone what to do. Yeah, right. Because you enjoyed it. You loved it. But would you do anything different?

Jules  

Well, funny. You mentioned that because I remember we were talking off off camera about the podcast you did with the individual from.

Erwin  

Cowan, Yeah. 

Jules  

What’s his name? Callum?

Erwin  

Callum, Cowan

Jules  

Callum Cowan. Okay. Yeah. From phenom highperformance clinic. And at the time, you were pretty heavy into the CrossFit stuff. And I was just starting in CrossFit. But I was frustrated. I didn’t feel that I was achieving the results that I should be achieveing. 

Erwin  

You were doing fantastic. I saw your videos, you’re doing pull ups like like a madman.

Jules  

But I was still seemingly overweight; I was 268 pounds at the time and felt heavy, felt sluggish, lethargic. And you know, it came down to the diet. And I remember having this conversation with my coach, my crossfit coach and I said what do I got to do to change and he just kind of sat down in front of me and the kneecap to kneecap says Jules, if you really want the results, you’re gonna have to change everything. And I said, What do you mean change everything. You have to change the way you train, you’re gonna have to change the way you eat. You’re gonna have to change the way you sleep. Because this is not serving you. It’s not it’s not going well. And I was I left that meeting equally frustrated and then I was listening to your podcast about phenom, the ketogenic diet and chain making all those kinds of changes. So I got in for an appointment with with one of the doctors there, a naturopathic doctor, we did some food sensitivity testing, and I found out I was sensitive to a lot of things.

Erwin  

And do you remember what were some of the highlights. What were you sensitive to?

Jules  

So potatoes. Big one The pastas, anything refined. I was like, essentially all the all the things we’re not supposed to have on keto, I was, I was sensitive to, for a brief period at the beginning I was I was sensitive towards eggs as well, which was torture, because it was just a steady diet of meat and vegetables. But I lost so much weight so fast. I lost a lot of strength with that as well. And I was kinda that was kind of frustrating, but, you know, it’s still slowly starting to come back now. You know, I did a one rep max 255 Back Squat, which was a lot for me. When I first lost the weight, it was relatively fast. So I’d say in about three months, I was down 40 plus pounds, and I could barely back squat 75 pounds back it was it was to the point where it’s just embarrassing.

Erwin  

Wait, wait, wait, so pre ketogenic diet, how much you could back squat?

Jules  

Pre ketogenic diet, I was back squatting, I think my one rep max was 275. Okay, yeah. And then when I lost my weight, I could barely lift off 75 pounds. But in addition to that, you’re aware that I had my knee surgeries, I have terrible meat. Well, it’s not so terrible. Now, because I got my diet under control. I don’t have as much inflammation as I did previously. And I lost a lot of strength. And I was wearing these carbon fibre braces to keep my knee stability in place. And I was having difficulty with my knees because the knee pain was was not subsiding. But I went to a really sports medicine and got hooked up with a doctor there Jason Pour. And it was kind of like threefold so I got involved with them as well, in addition to being involved with phenom for my diet, but he gave me diet counselling because it was hard to get on the ketogenic diet, because I was grazing all day long. If not into the evening, if not both.

Erwin  

On things you should be eating or things you shouldn’t?

Jules  

Things I shouldn’t. of course, come on. You know, police food. I was eating a lot of police food. Doughnuts. Oh, man, I had a reputation uphold. So working with Jason, he got me on some diet counselling. So all it all really was was I read a book by Dr. Jason Fung, who’s Oh, yeah. Oh, so. Yeah. So the obesity code. Yeah. And then he says we’re going to adopt fasting into your life. And at the time, he says.

Erwin  

That’s the name of the book? Obesity code? 

Jules  

The obesity code by Dr. Jason Fung. Excellent guy. He has got some really you got to mean. 

Erwin  

You worked with him directly? 

Jules  

No, I didn’t work. Well. Not at all. I don’t think I’ve ever met them. I might have met him at a REIN meeting. I have a memory of that.

Erwin  

You kidding me? 

Jules  

I’m not kidding. 

Erwin  

He’s famous now because of George St. Pierre. 

Jules  

Absolutely is. Yeah. But I believe I’ve met him at rain mean, if Dr. Fung if you’re out there, please don’t hesitate to give me a call sometime.

Erwin  

What a small world.

Jules  

I want to extend my gratitude. But I learned about intermittent fasting, I started to implement it in my life. And it was hard like anything, you know, you have the Keto flu. You’re you feel hungry all the fucking time. You know, you’re pissed off and edgy. But then eventually, things start turning around for you, right? Like you get you get over that hump. And I remember my first fasted workout where I could actually feel like I was just so energised and so charged. And it wasn’t so much to weightlifting, but my gymnastic ease type stuff. My callisthenics just took off. Like I was able to burpee like a madman was able to continue to do pull ups. You know, those kinds of things really took off and I just felt so so charged up and energised that now nowadays if I work out after I’ve eaten something then I feel like what I used to feel prior to all this stuff sluggish slow, kinda sleepy you know but if I go go workout fasted even if it’s a 36 hour fast like I just you know you start out and the way my coach is doing it now so I got a different coach. She’s coaching me to do some heavy lifting for a brief period of time maybe 5,10 minutes of some lifting five by five of back squats or front squats or combination of clean and jerks are power, snatch whatever the case may be. Then we take five minutes and then we go into the workout of the day, you know, which could be anything but now I do that if I do that fasted, it’s just phenomenal. If I do that after a prolonged fast and for me a prolonged fast is 36-40 hours, which is a lot. Yeah, I just I know that I’m I’m positively influencing my body’s natural testosterone level and the strength just takes off. It’s terrific. Oh, it’s just, it’s just so awesome. 

Erwin  

That’s pretty cool. 

Jules  

Yeah.

Erwin  

And just to backtrack, Dr. Jason Fong is he is.. isn’t he a kidney doctor?

Jules  

 He actually, as far as I understand he treats a lot of patients that suffer with diabetes.

Erwin  

Yeah. Yeah. So he actually went he or she tried instead of trying to fix people’s kidneys, he went to the source problem. Yeah. Which was they are overweight.

Jules  

Yeah, absolutely. And you know, you don’t need to take well, I guess you could take drugs for that. But that’s, that’s not the best solution. 

Erwin  

There’s more gentle, we can Well, I’d say it’s more gentle solution to be to be intermittent fast. And to want a vacation. 

Jules  

One of the best things about this lifestyle is fasting is free.

Erwin  

You save money you saved and you save time.

Jules  

You save time, too. I love it. Yeah. So if you skip a lunch, yeah, that’s an hour extra your day that you can just, you know, be productive.

Erwin  

For me, what I love is because my kids are young, so the mornings are a rush to get them at the door. But I don’t have to worry about my own eating. So I have all this extra time to like, you know, help my kids with homework or brush my daughter’s hair. Like it’s just nice, especially at that time when it’s usually hectic for most households. Yeah, yeah. Oh, pretty cool. That’s pretty cool. Obesity code. Yeah, no, he’s definitely my to read list is Hi. I’d love to get to it. But yeah, I’m already implementing a lot of this stuff. I can’t fast as long as I’m more of a more of a morning fast kind of guy.

Jules  

Yeah, I’ll do that 36-40 hour fast at least once a month, and then a couple times a week, I’ll do a 24 hour fast. So I’m basically my eating window is condensed down to six hours, sometimes eight, depending on what I got going on at work. But yeah, that’s, that’s kind of how I do it now, basically, two meals a day, sometimes one, sometimes none. And mentally, I just stopped making a big deal out of it. It’s like, yeah, so what.

Erwin  

Do you know how many calories you’re eating the day then know when you’re not roughly ballpark?

Jules  

No, I don’t count macros. I just know enough that it’s not so much the time I spend eating as much as the time I don’t spend eating. The biggest thing that scared me is because of my indigenous background. I know that a lot of my relatives have diabetes, and suffer from obesity. So I knew that every time you eat something, whether it’s good for you or not, you spike something in your body called insulin. You get enough insulin spikes, that hormone is going to take the food you just ingested, and turn it directly into body fat. So you gotta be aware of that.

Erwin  

When you do have a meal. are they bigger than what you used to eat before?

Jules  

Yeah, in some cases, yes. Okay. Yeah. Fine.

Erwin  

I’m trying to paint a picture for the listener, but you’re not starving yourself? 

Jules  

Absolutely not. No, some people look at me, it’s like, holy shit. Like you’re eating two breakfasts.

Erwin  

Yeah, yeah. So you’re kind of like you’re almost making up the calories in a single meal or two versus versus spreading it through the day. 

Jules  

That’s right. Yeah. 

Erwin  

Okay, awesome.

Jules  

So and then, and that’s predominantly to prevent insulin spikes, which is a hormone that’ll make you gain weight.

Erwin  

So Jules, you are on the show. Within two years. We’ve talked a lot. This is the third or fourth time on the show. We’ve talked a lot about real estate. Can you share what your current holdings are?

Jules  

Yeah, I can. We’re holding 11 properties. One is Angie’s beautiful bed and breakfast type property. The Kavana House; Kavanahouse.com. It truly is a bed and breakfast.

Erwin  

As in you serve breakfast. Yes. It’s weird to say Airbnb. Like, let’s remember what the last B stands for. Yeah, but no one serves breakfast at an Airbnb. 

Jules  

No, you attend this anonymous place, get your keys anonymously through a key code.

Erwin  

Sometimes you can’t tell you when the that’s why you’re there.

Jules  

Yeah. So I don’t know if that’s if that’s the kind of experience you want, have at her but you know, I know. I know. I like having breakfast. You know, getting breakfast served to me, if I’m staying somewhere nice. And this place is beautiful. So Angie got this vision when we’re down in. We went to Las Vegas. I can’t recall which anniversary it was. We were down there for four days. And we were on our way getting ready to check out and head head home and it’s like I gotta I need some more time. So we rented a car and we drove down to Phoenix, Arizona. And we stayed she found us this online Bed and Breakfast. She said let’s instead of staying hotel, why don’t we try this bed and breakfast and the host was terrific. It was a beautiful house in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona. And she was also a great tour guide. So we went to the haunted hamburger in Jerome, Arizona, which is essentially a little formerly a copper mining town on the side of Mountain.

Erwin  

Is that the name of the place? 

Jules  

Yeah. Jerome.

Erwin  

It is not a restaurant then?

Jules  

No, the restaurant is called the haunted hamburger. It’s in Jerome, Arizona, okay, if you get a chance to you gotta go. It was terrific. And it was such a fun little town to be walking around. And but yeah, that’s where she got the idea for the bed and breakfast. And we executed that during the pandemic. That was fun. Good timing. Oh, man. We had everything lined up. And then, you know, once it came time to execute, we closed our purchase at the end of July 2020. The contractor says, Yeah, we got we’re gonna have to delay this a couple of months because we can’t get materials.

Erwin  

Lumber, drywall.

Jules  

Lumber, drywall, Yeah, you name it. We couldn’t get it. Yeah. But we get we managed to get through that.

Erwin  

You wouldn’t have guests, so anyways, right? 

Jules  

No, yeah. No, no, we didn’t. I think we had our first guest early last year. And it was a doctor that was working overtime at soldiers Memorial Hospital, because we’re about 300 yards from the hospital. I remember the doctor showed up. And he said, well, where’s the hospital? And I pointed down the road. And I said, it’s 300 yards right down there. He says, oh, so I can leave my car here. So yeah, absolutely.

Erwin  

Was he just trying to stay away from his family while you work? Or was he visiting from out of town? 

Jules  

No, he was from he was from downtown Toronto. So he’s a doctor at one of the hospitals in downtown Toronto. And he was a fill in for somebody who had to take some leave some time off. And that particular doctor, which I am sure you would prefer to remain anonymous, he has stayed with us a couple of times now, along with a couple of or a another medical professional, who’s come to stay with us as a result of this doctor’s experience with us. So it’s pretty good. It’s like the Ultimate House hack. 

Erwin  

Yeah, cause you sold your home to move into this property. Yes. And you mentioned you before we’re recording, you mentioned Victorian, how many square feet? What year was it built?

Jules  

So it’s about I think it’s about 2500 – 2600 square feet.

Erwin  

Right? And how much how much is your space?

Jules  

Our space is small, but we don’t know. It’s just the two of us. All right. We’re empty nesters. So we built an addition on the house with a garage so I can have all my fitness equipment there. And we just live in the back. And we actually manage Angie’s really got a good vision and an eye for this stuff. She’s really turned that place into, you know, just a comfortable place to hang out. We have our own side porch. In the summertime, we could sit out, have coffee and enjoy the outside. If it’s too cold. In the wintertime, we have a gas fireplace in our living room, we just turn it up. It gets it’s actually really good. There is an aspect of my personality that’s introverted. Angies, you know, not a total introvert. But she likes to she likes more peace and quiet and nobody around than she does having people around.

Erwin  

Which is funny because you’re very close to your guests. Yeah. This property. Yeah. Versus your home at no guests.

Jules  

Yeah. So, you know, being cooped up and locked up during the pandemic, you know, in a beautiful Victorian home, you know, it’s kind of nice, actually.

Erwin  

Nice. Yeah. Nice.

Jules  

I almost I almost felt bad. That when it was time to start churning out guests and accepting guests. It’s like, I don’t really want to share this place. It’s too it’s too nice.

Erwin  

You will likely be slammed this summer.

Jules  

I would assume that we will be. Yeah. Any book No bookings next week for March Break? Um, I think we do have some bookings. I haven’t really checked in with Ange. See. That’s more her side of the business. Operating that.

Erwin  

Cool. Very cool. Oh, then what? Have you sold anything off? Because I think you used to have more properties. Didn’t you have 17 Last time you were here? Because she must have turned some over?

Jules  

Yeah, yeah. So it was it was 20 or 19 properties when I last was on your show. So we sold off most of our single family residential property. So all the townhouses are gone. They basically tripled in value from the time when we purchased them get profit, to the time that we refinanced them and paid out our initial investors to the time that we sold them and paid ourselves out, you know, it’s pretty good. That afforded us a really nice Victorian home and, you know, all the renovations that went into it, because it was it was substantially more expensive during pandemic to get those renovations done than if it wasn’t, but that’s okay. You know, when you have a vision, you have a clear vision for yourself and your spouse, what’s happening externally, like a pandemic, it doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t matter. So that’s one thing I learned. If you have a strong enough belief in your vision, for the both of you, there really is no hurdles or obstacles or red walls in the way you just bust through that stuff.

Erwin  

You take no prisoners. Yeah, you have no, you have no experience with being written about being resilient to you. We’ll get to that.Cause I’m not letting you off the hook. Now I asked you if we could talk about this before about the law. Yeah. because there are some in our community who have different opinions on the law. Not everyone can have an opinion. I’m not taking, I mean, turn it around. I’ll take my lawyer’s opinion. Or I’ll ask the police officers opinion on what the law is on what what a peaceful protest is, for example, right now, I’ll just let you What would you like to say is you’ve had experience with protests. Alright, you’ve, I’ve watched TV, I’ve watched lots of…

Jules  

Let me… how do I go about explaining this, I have to keep in mind that I am a law enforcement officer still active as a law enforcement officer. 

Erwin  

So that might qualify you as a legal expert.

Jules  

It might might it might.

Erwin  

Right versus someone on Instagram.

Jules  

But I will just I will just say it like this. I’m an indigenous person. And I watched my dad fighting for Native rights pretty much my whole life, you know, before he passed, he was the vice president of Indians, the Quebec Association. He was locked up during the brief period of the first Quebec referendum because the Quebec government didn’t want him influencing anybody’s decision on the yes vote the separate. That was terrifying. Watching my dad being arrested by a couple of key VP officers. And, you know, he was he was released on without charge later on. 

Erwin  

They hold them when they’re charging him?

Jules  

Yeah, of course. 

Erwin  

Oh, okay. Yeah, that’s normal. Right. Today’s world?

Jules  

Absolutely Normal, Yeah, like you’d be better be careful Erwin, You walk outta here. You might be arrested without charge for in hell for you know, a 48 hour period. I’m being facetious listeners. This was the environment that I grew up in, followed in my father’s footsteps a little bit. We were protesting some amendments to Bill C 31. During the mid 80s, when I was going to Cambrian College in Sudbury. And there was about 80 of us from I think it was from North Bay, Sioux Sainte Marie, and I believe even Trent University. There was a large Native student population down there. We went to Ottawa, to make this protest at Parliament buildings.

Erwin  

In Ottawa.

Jules  

In Ottawa.

Erwin  

On Wellington street?

Jules  

On Wellington Street, and we walked on the grass and we walked up towards the doors. And we were greeted by a whole raft of RCMP officers with their shields and their batons and they beat the shit out of us and pushed us off the lawn.

Erwin  

They came dressed and ready for you. Oh, yeah.

Jules  

We barely got set up. We barely got set up and we were pushed, physically pushed off. I remember, you know, oh, I skipped that stair. But I’m hitting this stair. I’m falling flat on my face. Here I go. And we’re more or less, you know, forcibly evicted off of the the the grounds of the permanent buildings.

Erwin  

How long were you only along were you on the grounds for I would say how long we did you set foot on the grounds until you were met with police force. 

Erwin  

This was planning of about a month in advance to I wasn’t one of the planners, but I got caught up in this thing. And I knew they were planning and for about a month, we went down on a bus with somebody. We raised enough money to rent the bus. We went down there. We probably lasted from the time we arrived till the time we were forced off probably about 90 minutes. Yeah. It was pretty quick. It was pretty brutal.

Erwin  

So we did have to go before we’re like parliament that this was not legal. So in those 90 minutes time, like they there was like, you know, I went through all seven levels of government to say that you guys shouldn’t be there. 

Jules  

It must have. Because we were threatening. We were such a threatening group of, you know, these skinny little Indigenous students that you know, had placards and phrases drafted on signs and whatnot. And we didn’t even I don’t even think I got my sign up in the air.

Erwin  

This is I’ve watched a lot of TV and I think from this the trend I noticed is that treatment of protesters have gotten softer and through the years like I literally worked at Queen’s Medina and I was still going to the office. I’m not the brightest person you know that but during during 2020.

Jules  

But dude, that was that was they didn’t take it easy on them. 

Erwin  

No, they didn’t. They didn’t. 

Jules  

There were some of them that just got clobbered. Right.

Erwin  

So that’s my context. And then I see what happened in Ottawa. Right.

Jules  

I was brutal. I mean, you know, I don’t want to speak badly about certain police leaders, but to say something along the lines of they’re too well organised. Their trucks are too big and heavy. There’s too many of them. Like, give me a break. Like there’s an obvious double standard that still exists, you know, in society, maybe just the government. I don’t know. But I know that this still is the most beautiful richest freest kind tree in the world, when an indigenous person from my backroom, you know, can amass millions of dollars in real estate, and have a beautiful lifestyle, you know, I’m still a big believer in it. It just kind of irks me that, you know, I know what happened when I went to protest in Ottawa, it wasn’t pleasant at all. And then, you know, the poor people in downtown Ottawa, had to endure, I think it was 21 days of this, you know, honking and the streets blocked and the bowling people in, you know, bouncy castles and hot tubs and just this total disregard for public order, and the law and other people’s right to enjoy their property and their businesses and their freedoms. You know, I don’t know, I was kind of I was kind of disappointed with the, the way that whole thing went down. I mean, all the prime minister had to do with this, give them 15-20 minutes of his time. Let them vent, they probably would have moved on. I don’t know, maybe.

Erwin  

I’m empathetic, both sides to because I can. We both know, people that were affected really poor, badly by the pandemic, and mandates and stuff like that. And also, like, like I was saying, before, we’re recording as a landlord. It’s, you know, part of our mandate as landlords is to provide our tenants with the quiet, peaceful enjoyment of the property. Yeah, right. That wasn’t quiet and peaceful. It definitely was enjoyment of people’s property. Who live downtown Ottawa. All right. So yeah, yeah. People aren’t punching each other in the face. But that’s not that’s still not peaceful. It needs to be more comprehensive. Yeah. Right. Honking Yeah, parked cars. Yeah.

Jules  

Impeding other people’s right to be mobile, you know, in their within their surroundings. Like, there’s people that couldn’t get their cars around downtown Ottawa, because there’s these giant trucks blocking it.

Erwin  

I don’t know, I think the lesson is, then some of these, these leaders actually thought that I don’t know if they’re serious or not. But they actually thought that because they were being peaceful. They weren’t breaking the law. 

Jules  

They knew, they knew they’re breaking the law. We know they were breaking the law, but…

Erwin  

They are telling their followers, this is okay. Hold the line. Right. If you know what you’re doing is illegal. And you tell people to hold the line, then you’re telling people to do illegal things? 

Jules  

Yeah. 100%

Erwin  

Maybe get some good legal advice.

Jules  

I remember back in the day, when I was on a line similar, there was nobody yelling hold the line. Hold your head. This isn’t gonna hurt. 

Erwin  

Mercy, or this move on from the it’s so sad. It’s yeah.

Jules  

One things is, you know, the, the, the opinions. So I don’t know how to articulate this correctly. So. And I realised that we’re on a public show, but it seems to me that with social media, the media in general, there were some people that were thinking, you know, this is not right, this is against my rights and freedoms. And there was just a select few that were thinking that but once one or two, were able to get that out vocally in the public, then other people quickly jumped on board. You know, and it created this very divisive, you know, almost like Fox News versus CNN kind of polarisation of opinions. And, you know, some people really jumped on that, like, my, my, my previous crossfit coach, you know, I feel I feel so my heart goes out to him because he didn’t want to get vaccinated. He was a successful firefighter, worked hard to get it to that position. But, you know, his premise for this was that he was a tutor, Afghan war veteran, and he earned his right, you know, to express his freedom. And yeah, he probably has, but you know, at what cost? He’s got two little kids. He’s got a beautiful home and a beautiful wife lost his job and now lost his business. You know, was it really worth it? I don’t know.

Erwin  

So I want to go I want to change things a little bit. So one of my early mentors he told me about a friend of his who was really rich right. This is how rich he was; he bought… his kid needed a car. So he bought him a seven series BMW. So my mentors asked his friend, you know, they have three series, right? And then the dad said, Why am I want to drive it once in a while? I can’t be seen driving a three series. Right, he’s that rich. And then there’s another story we asked him like, Hey, you are your dark skinned complexion, other people with that complexion, wear the headdress, where is yours? And he said to my mentor, this is Canada. That’s I want to be successful in business. I need to look more like people who do business here. Alright. He’s willing to make that sacrifice. I’m not saying right or wrong. I believe in freedoms as well. Yeah, yeah. I believe everyone should have the freedom to choose us willing to make that that sacrifice for his freedom and to become better financially successful. And that’s always stuck with me in that, what are you willing to do to be successful? I’m willing to do a lot for my family. Right? And so yeah, to each their own. 

Jules  

Yeah, absolutely. 

Erwin  

Crazy. Damn. Could you imagine if not it’s a terrible question? I’ll ask it anyway,

Jules  

No, ask it anyways, let’s do it.

Erwin  

Can you imagine if no, it’s too bad, it’s come to terrible, it’s terrible. I’m not going to ask you this.

Jules  

I will say this, the growing up that I had, and watching my father fighting for indigenous rights back in the day, you know, I heard him say phrases like, well, that Canada US border doesn’t exist for us. You know, when I can remember a couple of occasions, we’re going down to Syracuse, New York, and my mother telling my dad, be polite with the Border Services guard, so we can cross and have a peaceful afternoon

Erwin  

May kick your ass? 

Jules  

No. not my dad, no, he had to express his opinions. And guess what, it was a quiet, quiet, quiet ride home after the fact. But, you know, I recognise the fact that, yes, indigenous people, you know, essentially, we’re here first, we have a right to be self determining, self sustaining, and a right to our own independence. But essentially, isn’t that what I’m doing now? I’ve amassed a portfolio of real estate. I’ve taken your stock hacker course. So I’m learning how to how to do that. I’m essentially self determining my future. And I’m making our family financially independent, and self sustaining. You know, and I didn’t have to impose, you know, at the time, my personal views and political views on others, to the point where I want you to have the same opinion as me. No, I was trained through the trainings that you and I have had to create situations where people can win, win win situations, and make deals, and not just make deals where one person wins, or one person loses, just making Win-Win deals, you know. So that’s the big difference between me and my dad, I don’t even know where that came from Erwin. Holy shit, you just drew that out of me. I’m not a I guess I’m not a radical indigenous rights person. I do respect that. And I do. There are still some beliefs and values I have around that, you know, but they mostly are around an indigenous person’s right to hunt and fish, I still very much believe in that. 

Erwin  

Those rights being taken away? 

Jules  

There, they had been threatened in the past. And as far as I know, they’re they’re not being threatened right now. But I still believe that indigenous people should, you know, engage in those activities to to maintain that tradition.

Erwin  

Why shouldn’t they? Yeah, you all need to eat. Yeah. And so many laws in this country are designed to protect your ability to earn an income and so like, which is like the part of eating.

Jules  

One of the things that happened that caused my dad to act the way he did in the late 70s, early 80s Was that the, in Quebec, the forestry officers were attending the homes of indigenous people and pulling out moose meat, and fish and other things because they didn’t, they were hunting and fishing without licences, when previously, we did not require licences, to in order to do this, nor were we subjected to, you know, losing all our sustenance for a year. Because essentially, we would go out in the fall, get enough meat to last the whole year, until the subsequent fall, I mean, that they do these things for conservation reasons. Indigenous people have always been, you know, had conservatory values towards the land, and the animals and the resources on it, in it. Anyhow, there I did digress a little bit. 

Erwin  

There’s some interesting people.

Jules  

But I still love the culture. I’m still a part of a small traditional drumming group. We do a ceremonial drum. We attend certain indigenous events and we certainly like to sing songs and honour those war veterans that have gone on before us. 

Erwin  

What was it like growing up?

Jules  

What was it like growing up!

Erwin  

What was the name was there is there a category for the name of this the type of school you went to?

Jules  

Just Command public school? 

Erwin  

Okay, so we’re trying to get to is like residential schools has been making massive headlines as it deservedly so. Yeah. The school that you belong to is that can’t be categorised as a residential school?

Jules  

No, sir. I was I didn’t. I wasn’t subject to that my parents were and unfortunately, my parents were from the generation where you didn’t talk about those kinds of things. Just As a listener may have a grandfather who was in World War Two, who didn’t share any of his war stories or experiences while he was overseas. 

Erwin  

So your parents never told you about it? 

Jules  

No. My father never never talked about those kinds of things. 

Erwin  

Dark days, eh?

Jules  

Yeah. So I’ve heard, I’ve heard stories from other relatives where, you know, yeah, our auntie and our uncle are buried buried in a mass grave in behind the traditional church or the church by the trading post. I’ve heard those stories.

Erwin  

Jesus.

Jules  

But I’ve had relatives that have gone to residential school. And, you know, right or wrong. That’s our history. That’s, that’s what’s happened.

Erwin  

So we’ve detailed I don’t want to bring it all back up, because I know it’s not the easiest. You’ve been through some shit. 

Jules  

Yeah, I have been, but I’ve also personally and grown and developed myself to the point where, for lack of a better term, I don’t hold resentment. I don’t hold a grudge. 

Erwin  

You’ve gone through an education system that was very not for you. Yes, absolutely. Remember, I recall someone pulled a gun on you and your home? Yep. All right. It’s threatening you in front of your father. Recall, you’ve had some substance abuse issues. Yeah. Which is not surprising being confirmed. Consider what you’ve gone through Policing is not easy today. I can’t imagine how easy it was for you and your community when you started. Right. So none of this was easy. 

Jules  

No. So then, none of it was I think that, you know, reaching out for help, and being courageous enough to reach out for help was my saving grace. You know, I seen other of my peers that had a seemingly calm, reasonably successful lifestyle. They were healthy, they were happy. And I just reached out, I said, Well, how did you do that? What are you doing that’s so different from what I’m doing? And one of the things was, well, I don’t drink. 

Erwin  

So you’re unlimited introvert. And you still reached out and asked the question. 

Jules  

Yeah, I did. 

Erwin  

But to ask the question, you have to admit, I have a problem. 

Jules  

Yeah. That was hard. 

Erwin  

You did that.

Jules  

I did that. Yeah, absolutely. I did that. It was shortly after I got on my career with the opp. I joined the opp when I was 21. And I was far too young to be a police officer.

Erwin  

And then to see what you would see. Yeah. Oh, man. Oh, yeah.

Jules  

Because it was essentially my life on repeat. Because I was put into a predominantly indigenous community in Northwestern Ontario, to be part of the police department where nobody in a community trusted the police. And then my peers in the police department didn’t trust me because I was I looked a lot like them, like the people that were serving. So my whole past has blew up in my face again. Of course, I turned into a raging pissed off alcoholic.

Erwin  

Right, because who are the people you’re arresting? Yeah, who who filled the prisons and the jails? Yeah.

Jules  

And I had to add to fit in with, with my peers, you know, and do what they were doing. And I didn’t feel too good about that. But there was these three guys from the Galway police, First Nations indigenous policing. And they had this twinkle in their eye. And they had this message about, you know, living a clean, sober lifestyle. And I just remember asking them, well, how did you do that? How does that work? And in their own way, all three of them took the time to express this to me and gave me that message of strength and hope you know that I could. I couldn’t do it if I wanted to. And yeah, that was my my introduction into Alcoholics Anonymous.

Erwin  

And so are you completely sober you don’t touch this stuff at all. Don’t touch.

Jules  

stuff at all. 30 years, continuous 30 years continuous sobriety see that anybody? If you get 30 years.

Erwin  

30 years, people can do a month, people can’t do a weekend. 

Jules  

I was just on a course at the Police College. And we were staying at a hotel in London. And we went the one night we went to a place it was just this Roadhouse bar kind of thing. And they were all drinking. And I never said oh, I’m beyond that. I don’t drink. You know, I didn’t do any of that. I just I had my, my glass of water with lemon and a coffee and a big vat of chicken wings. And I just joked and laughed and had a good time like everybody else. And a lot of them didn’t even notice it. There was one that did notice  and ended up buying my supper for me. They said well, we all we all put in 20 bucks and I put in the 20 bucks as well, because there was I think there was 40 of us. So I threw my 20 bucks into the pot because they were having this big brouhaha when we’re done our course. But they said no, you you’re not drinking It’s only fair that we pay for your meal. So they, they bought my my chicken wings and my, my salad and my dessert. I did cheat a little bit, I added dessert last night Erwin.

Erwin  

I too would rather take my calories as food and through drink. Yeah, just as a generality. Like, I enjoy eating food over drink. Yeah.

Jules  

But I’ve been sober, longer alive now that I don’t even remember what the compulsion was like to want to drink. I don’t even remember what that was like now.

Erwin  

So in the past episode, you said something that was really powerful for me.

Jules  

What would that be Erwin? 

Erwin  

You don’t remember? 

Jules  

No, I’m sorry. And please, please don’t take this wrong. Wait. Like, because I seem to I seem to have this happened to me a few times. So my friends as you have a conversation, a conversation with me, after some subsequent significant events and success in their lives. And they say Jules, thanks a lot, you remember that thing? You told me? I did exactly that, and it worked out really well. So after that conversation, I’m kind of sitting around saying, Wow, what the heck did I say to them? What did I say to them that, you know, help them step over that hurdle or break through that brick wall, whatever that was.

Erwin  

It was one of your conversations with maybe it was a like you’re AA partner some like that along those lines, someone who is coaching mentoring you, you were telling them, like what your life was, like all your problems? And I think they said to you something like, wow, you sound like a victim? 

Jules  

Yes, that’s it. That was it. So the guy that I’m working with now. And he’s, he’s a, for lack of a better term, He’s a giant in personal finance and wealth planning. With one of the big banks, you’d recognise his name immediately if I shared that. But we both have an agreement that, you know, our sobriety and our personal anonymity go hand in hand.

Erwin  

I’d like to meet them. 

Jules  

So this is who I’ve been working with since and he was part of a small group in the mid 90s. That went to lamonta. Oaks, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, and brought back a series of the 12 steps from the founding fathers of Alcoholics Anonymous. So we’ve been doing the 12 steps as they originally intended to be done, which is a very deep searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. When he said, You need to stop acting like a victim, or stop portraying yourself like a victim. He knew what he was talking about. And, you know, I had to inventory a lot of things, and deal with them and get rid of them. How do you do that? Well, first, you got to admit that there’s a problem. And you’ve got to admit defeat. And then you got to be willing to change and admit that there might be a power out there greater than yourself that could restore you to sanity, because of the insanity of whatever this thing is, that is defeating you. And once you’ve got that done, then you make a decision to turn your will and your life over to the care of that power, be it God or a power greater than yourself, as you understand them. Not as the Roman Catholic Church understands them, not as a spiritual, indigenous medicine man understands him or her. But as you understand this power greater than yourself, you turn your will and your life over to it, then you get the work. And step four, and five, you’re doing a certain and moral inventory of yourself, you’re learning certain facts about yourself, you’re learning that there’s certain defects that these resentments have activated. And then you, you learn what part you played in that. So in some cases, it was easy for me to say, well, they don’t like me, because I’m an indigenous person. And that’s why I didn’t get the promotion. They didn’t like me, because I’m a police officer, so that’s why I didn’t get that real estate deal. You know, stop that friggin blaming, it’s not serving you. Well, you need to overcome that you need to find out what it is in yourself that’s holding you back, and overcome it, and inventory it and deal with it. And then in the subsequent steps, we learned, you know, what our defects of character are. And then we make a promise to the God of our understanding that, you know, we’ll endeavour to do the opposite of them, and carry on, you know, during the day, I will do a quick step one to nine if something comes up. And what I mean by that is, you know, you get the phone call, or somebody does something or something happens to you that activates those is the feelings that get activated. And when the feelings get activated, certain defects get activated. And that’s when you have to watch yourself because that’s, at least for me, that’s when times I’ll say something that’s awkward or aggressive, and I got to go back and apologise later So instead, in steps, nine and 10, I will pause and I’ll ask, ask what? I’ll refer back to that power greater than myself that restore me to sanity? And then I’ll just listen listen for the answer. And if I if I calm myself enough, the answers will come and I’ll do the right thing as opposed to blaming and being pissed off and jaded and all the rest of that kind of thing. It’s an awesome lifestyle and then in subsequent steps, I continue to to meditate and pray and grow and develop and take all those things that I learned in step 12 And share it when I can you know, maybe one of your listeners is feeling hopeless and down and jaded and pissed off you know, if they think that a lifestyle like mine can can help them I’m happy to to sue them in the right direction. I mean, one of our since the pandemic we’ve been doing our step studies on Zoom and we’ve had people on our steps studies right across the country it’s been it’s been tremendous.

Jules  

As much as I’m tired of zoom it’s kind of nice sometimes too.

Jules  

It really is.

Erwin  

Yeah, we could have zoomed if you wanted to.

Jules  

No, I prefer meeting you in person. I know we can zoom, I know that.

Erwin  

Speaking of, because you’re a big guy 

Jules  

Kind of big. 

Erwin  

I can’t imagine someone saying Jules, you sound like a victim.

Jules  

Though the guy that the guy that I’m mentoring right now he’s he’s got a martial arts background. So you know, and we’ve sparred, so I hope I was all bruised up. I had the time of my life. It was fun. But, you know, he’s kind of a Tai Chi, martial art type guy, very subtle. He moved in some high, high moving networks, in training, Special Forces type people. I’ve really had the benefit of some of that, as well. 

Erwin  

But someone called you out.

Jules  

Oh, well, he was he was the right guy at the right time. I mean, the old saying, so. Yeah, he’s still right. I’m still alive dude.

Erwin  

You mean you didn’t kill him? No, no.

Jules  

I’m not sure that I would win that one. But the saying goes like when the students ready the teacher will appear. 

Erwin  

That’s crazy, man. 

Jules  

And when the students ready, the teacher will appear.

Erwin  

Because I bring this up, because so many people have suffered last two years. And then you’ve suffered a lot.

Jules  

Wow, it’s not in recent history.

Erwin  

Oh, come on. Who do you know how to? So a lot of people have bad last two years. Yeah. I’m sure you’re good. Two years before you’re 18 years old. We’re probably worse than their bed these last two years.

Jules  

It was rough. Yeah. It was rough. No doubt about it was rough growing up. 

Erwin  

What would you say to those people? 

Jules  

I hope that things are better. I hope things that are are peaceful. And I hope you’re surrounded with those that you love, and you’re not harbouring any resentment or discontentment in your life. Because I know what it’s like for me to do that. And I don’t wish that on anybody.

Erwin  

How often are you working on this?

Jules  

Ah, we do studies in the fall. And then we do another one in spring we are spring one is going to start up near the end of April. So I facilitate the zoom and the technical side of that. And my mentor, our sponsor, he does heads up the study. 

Erwin  

Sorry, what does the sponsor mean in this context?

Jules  

So in a context of, for me, so my guy more or less says that, for him the in Alcoholics Anonymous, you have to get a sponsor. So this is somebody that you call on before you drink. That’s what, that’s the theory behind it. 

Erwin  

Got it. the opposite of your drinking, buddy. 

Erwin  

Yeah, completely the opposite. And there was some sort of a hierarchy approach to this. So your sponsor is up here, and you’re down there. And that’s who you look up to? Well, he didn’t want that. He said, that’s, that’s not going to work for me when I met this guy, and actually met him through a contact that I had in REIN. You know, he said that that doesn’t work for me. He said, you and I can walk a distance together. As long as you walk with me, we can immerse ourselves in doing step study work. So as soon as you stopped doing step study work, this whole deal is done. We’re done working together. So it wasn’t a condition of working together. But, you know, as I continue to learn about myself and grow and personally develop, doing the steps, more is revealed, Erwin, like more is revealed more what more of my past things that need to be inventoried and dealt with more talents and opportunities that I have to bring good into this world. You know, just more, more realisation of how much I love My beautiful wife, you know, and and want to respect her and bring joy into her life, and all those kinds of things.

Erwin  

So I’ve done some digging around on my own past, and then unpacking some things. So like, one one is like, you know, I’m Chinese, I’m a child of Chinese, you know, I thought, oh, my gosh, should I touch Chinese parents? Oh, there we go, you know, you bring home a 95? Like, where’s the five? Right time, that type of stuff stuff? And so and that’s partly what drives me. Yeah. So I understand where that’s from. Right. So when you’re talking to people, do people know, understand where they come from? Like, how they unpack their past? You know, I mean, are they even looking in their past to determine like, why why they are the way they are? 

Jules  

Which people are referring to?

Erwin  

Anyone, like these people that that are part of these semi annual events.

Jules  

Okay, so the people that get involved in a study, for example…

Erwin  

Because where I’m going is, I don’t know, if enough people like actually look at themselves a lot enough?

Jules  

No, I would, I would venture to say that you’re right

Erwin  

Because one of the biggest problems for people stopping them from being successful is their own self doubts. So like, go dig into what those self doubts are, where they come from.

Jules  

I also think it’s fear. Before there’s a breakthrough, there has to be a breakdown. So essentially, that’s what we’re doing when we’re doing steps study work.

Jules  

Painful, isn’t it? 

Jules  

It’s horrible.

Erwin  

Telling people you’re being evicted? 

Jules  

Yeah, that can be tough. And as I said, you know, I learned that from who I’m working with, you know, he says, I said, I’ve been really having a hard time inventoring, this stuff from my past. And he says, Jules, ultimately, there has to be a break down before there’s a break through. So that’s, you know, it can be unpleasant. But the rewards on the other side of that are tremendous. And you know, things things like, you know, selling properties at triple their value, things like getting promoted at work, your boss getting you a company car, and an expense account and a credit card in your own corner office, you know, those kinds of things started happening as a result of inventory and then dealing with you’re dealing with your ship for lack of a better term, right.

Erwin  

And that’s what I wanted to touch discuss on the show, because so many people, they don’t do it. Yeah. So many people have failed to start. Yeah. Like, I meet so many talented people all the time. And they say, I can’t do that. Yeah. Do what you do.

Jules  

Yeah. self doubt. Yeah. Unnecessary self doubt at that.

Erwin  

And I’d hazard a guess most of them didn’t have as hard time as you did. 

Jules  

Probably not, No.

Erwin  

Like, I’ve never had a gun pulled on me.

Jules  

Yeah. And Erwin, if you’re content with a mediocre lifestyle, then good on ya? That’s your choice. 

Erwin  

Yeah. It’s nothing wrong with it. 

Jules  

There’s nothing wrong with it. But if you want what we have, then you have to be willing to put the work in and overcome certain challenges and obstacles because everybody goes through them. Nobody is exempt. This was not handed to us. We had to work our tails off to get it.

Erwin  

We say we but you had to work harder. I’m a son of a doctor.

Jules  

Yeah, but he didn’t buy you your investment properties. He didn’t lease this or purchase this beautiful office space for you or organise what you had to get organised in order to put this show on. You did all that? 

Erwin  

Yeah. It was so much easier. You know, having my university education paid for, for example.

Jules  

 You know, as good parents should?

Erwin  

Oh, can you share what you did for your kids financially? Because they went to school…

Jules  

They went to school, so I didn’t push them. I didn’t look for the 95% and ask them where in the 5% was I didn’t push them that hard on academics. But what I did do is subject them to the audios that I was listening and read the books that I was reading and we played that cash flow board game by Robert Kiyosaki. Yeah, so yeah, cash flow, not the kiddy version. I’m talking about the regular version, and even 202 we played.

Erwin  

Oh, when did 202 come out? 

Jules  

Yeah. 202 came out around 2001 2002. Like, it was a while ago. But I didn’t push them hard on academics. And I was conflicted about that. But I see as I see them starting to develop their own path. I realised now, if I would have pushed my son, for example, you know, every every cop wants their son to become a cop and carry on this legacy of being a law enforcement officer. Because we’re a law enforcement family. And I knew, you know, from our our training, and my own personal growth and development journey, that that’s bullshit. My son is a beautiful man. beautiful, powerful man. And he’s got to contribute his gifts and his talents to the world and leave his own mark and make this a better place just as we are. And I realised that it’s not going to look exactly the way I did it. And it’s certainly not going to include pushing a cruiser or wearing a uniform.

Erwin  

Sorry, you mentioned books and audios. Can you share what those are?

Jules  

Man, I wouldn’t know where to begin, like, just looking around in this office here. I mean, I’ve read a lot of these books, just as you have. 

Erwin  

They’re just decoration. Yeah. 

Jules  

The 10x, by the way, is 10x. listening to audio word grant narrated, it’s really entertaining. I had such a good time listening to that. It was awesome.

Erwin  

He’s a wonderful speaker.

Jules  

Stephen Covey. 

Erwin  

Yeah, that’s a good one.

Jules  

Of course, I didn’t read they never read the real estate cycle book. I don’t know if they could digest that one. But, you know, they did real estate investing in Canada, my beautiful wife still hosts book club. So we do a book club one book a month, and with the kids. And now while now it’s mostly her friends, so Angie has her friends come over once a month. And they’re reading a book about something and discussing it. And it so far, it’s it’s evolved into women only. Which is fine.

Erwin  

Any recent books you like?

Jules  

Let me I was just talking about this last night, I was at a dinner after our course. And the guys were asking me what I read what they were asking me well, what’s Why are you so different? Why do you have this glow about you? And why are you still here working when you could have retired? And all and the truth is, I still really enjoy what I do. It’s a cool thing. Like I liken it to my childhood, and wondering how I could be my hero, Batman, you know, so essentially had the kind of Batman lifestyle during the day, um, this, for lack of a better term, this rich real estate investor, and a family of that has a legacy of real estate investing. And then at nighttime, I dressed in my uniform, and I’m suited up and I’m going out, you know, catching criminals and breaking down doors and seizing drugs and all that kind of stuff. There. I digress again. Oh, yeah, right here. Rethinking humanity is a book that I’ve read, I have to read it again, because very detailed, but essentially, it’s five foundational sector disruptions, the lifestyle of civilizations, and the coming age of freedom. And, for me, the author is James Arbib and Tony Seba, and it was published in June 2020, during the pandemic, and it’s their vision for what’s what’s coming. So things like autonomous vehicles. Cool. You know, this.

Erwin  

Wasn’t this guy. On on REIN recently. 

Jules  

Yeah, he was. Yeah. So I read I read the book. There is a lot of detail in it. So I have to read it again. It takes me a little longer to absorb you know, this information than the average but once I get it, man, I got it.

Erwin  

Cool. No, I started watching the, the the interview. My Tesla’s coming in June. 

Jules  

Nice. So I am allowed to buy a Tesla truck. cybertruck when it comes.

Erwin  

We don’t know when it’s gonna come out. 

Jules  

We don’t know when it’s gonna come out, But chances are sometime after June 30 2023. They will come out.

Erwin  

Maybe? I hope so. They’re still busy making the other ones and also the price. Cost materials has gone up so much. Yeah. So why wouldn’t they sell it for like 40? Grand us? Yeah, they can’t make it for that.

Jules  

I doubt very much that they will be.

Erwin  

We’ll see. So the reason I asked all these questions about like, you know, like, you sound a lot like a victim, for example, is could you amass the wealth and success that you had?

Jules  

Not blaming other people for my woes? No, there would be no way you because you’re constantly making excuses. Well, I can’t do that, you know, because people don’t like me, because I’m an indigenous person. Well, I say no, that’s not true. Like this. It’s no view to have because, you know, we both know that that’s not true. 

Erwin  

But what even like knowing you, I didn’t know until like years into knowing you. Yeah, right. I’m just ignorant. I don’t care. 

Jules  

And that’s the truth about it. Like nobody cares. Like, you’re Chinese, and nobody cares. Because really, people come to you to get mentored as an expert in real estate investing and stock hacking. You know and you just happen to be Chinese. Still don’t care.

Erwin  

Don’t care as long as you’re a good person. Yeah.

Jules  

As long as you’re a good person, you’re making a contribution. You’re doing the best that you possibly can. That’s what that’s all what real people really care about.

Erwin  

So what’s the future of your investing? We’re talking a bit about that. I know I got before we were recording.

Jules  

So I did to kind of take a step back so I don’t know if you remember to teach because of Dr. Paul Stoltz.

Erwin  

Oh, it’s been a while since I know.

Jules  

But it was impactful on me. So he talked, one of his teachings was about climbing, and then camping, and then climbing or your climber or that camper. So, Angie and I liken that to, we’re gonna camp for a little while. So, my boss, I was taking a lot of time off to attend real estate events, and do cool things and meet investors and hold events and all that kind of stuff. But my boss kind of says, well, I need to pull you back, you know, he can’t take all this time off. So I kind of went back and concentrated on the organisation.

Erwin  

Just tell him you are looking for white collar crime.

Erwin  

Or five years from now. 

Jules  

And I could do that. I have an interest, I have an unusually high understanding of those matters. But anyhow, there we go again. Yeah, I don’t Oh, man, I’ve got 16 months to go in policing.  That’s it. I’ve lied to myself saying all these years, I’ve, since I became into this realm of investing, I’ve been saying, Oh, I have this great deal is positive cash flow. Oh, by the way, I’m a police officer as well. So you got that added security. But that job doesn’t define who I am as a person. While you know, that lie is is just that like, Yeah, I’d still do very much identify as myself as a police officer, you know, sworn in to uphold the law, protect the public, be the best I possibly can be mentor, rookies coming after me. You know, and just all around, do my part to support the team that I work with. So not really sure, well, I know that I can comfortably retire my badge, and my gun and walk away from it. I know that financially, that’s, that’s not the issue at all. But there’s a side of me, that’s going to have to reinvent myself. And I don’t know, maybe it’s doing what you do, you know, owning a big real estate firm and employing lots of people and making multiple transactions and having a show and hosting courses and whatnot, maybe it is I don’t know, or maybe I take some of those CCIM courses, and get my licence and lease or sell commercial real estate, because it’s something I’m really interested in, I really liked the idea of triple net lease, I know that there’s not a whole lot of experts in the geographical area that I’m in, in Orillia that do that kind of thing. So maybe there’s an aspect of that I can do. Or maybe I just continued to enhance my new skill that I learned from from your organisation in stock hacking, you know, because I take that much lead now. And I’m starting to realise that this probably was probably five minutes this morning to you know, to place a trade that I that I did didn’t execute it. I think it got executed. I don’t I didn’t even look. It was before trading hour started. So I just did my thing, did a little bit of research last night and executed my trade this morning and just left it. I may look at it on the weekend. I may not I may look at it, not till Monday.

Jules  

Or five years from now. 

Erwin  

When it turns into a million bucks.

Jules  

Yeah, so who knows? I know that the idea has been pitched to me several times about writing a book. Oh, yeah. Not really sure what that book would be about other than my personal experience and story. 

Erwin  

You inspire a lot of people. 

Jules  

I hope so. 

Erwin  

I think it’d be a disservice to the world if you didn’t.

Jules  

There it is. You do what you do best day. You challenge people. You see, you see, you recognise the attributes that they have you challenge them to offer them to the world and be a better person.

Erwin  

Oh, if you’re interested in the greater good. You want to be Batman? He’d do it.

Jules  

He would definitely do it.

Erwin  

Yeah. All right. All right, man, a date on it.

Jules  

Oh, do you want a date on that too?

Erwin  

Two years, two years, two years from now? Sure. 

Jules  

Okay, that’s good. That’s good timing.

Erwin  

March 11 2022. 

Jules  

So I gotta have it ready to go to the publishing in March 11 2024.

Erwin  

It’s very reasonable for you to write a book in a year. Jocko Willing says he writes an hour a day, especially for the for the importance of what what it would mean to people.

Jules  

Yeah, I’m gonna have to do some mind mapping and figure out what what this would be about what I would have to offer. And I wish I could remember some of the things I’ve told my peers over the years that they have to come back and tell me I’ve been so successful. You remember that thing we talked about? I did that. 

Erwin  

We can have that chat, another time. We didn’t talk about multilevel marketing today.

Jules  

Oh no, we didn’t, but I can honestly say that what multilevel marketing did for me was get me into the habit of reading nonfiction books, listening to audios, I mean, they were on cassette tape back in the day, and attending seminars full of like minded people. That’s what multi level marketing did for me. So while I didn’t make a lot of money in multi, I didn’t make any money in multi level marketing. What it did was create those attributes that you need, you need to learn, you need to study, you need to open to change, and you need to be a leader in those things in order to, you know, money first appears as an idea in your brain that you’re going to in order to manifest that it’s going to take a lot of education. 

Erwin  

And to get out of your comfort zone.

Jules  

And get out of your comfort zone. Absolutely. I was naturally an introvert, being a police officer.

Erwin  

And get to ask for sales. 

Jules  

Yeah, you got to do the ask. Sorry. Sorry, listeners, it really comes down to it, you’re gonna have to do the ask, you’re gonna ask have to ask that person to be your co venture partner, you’re gonna have to ask that seller to take your ridiculous offer. You’re gonna have to do those things.

Erwin  

There’s ask yourself what your what are you willing to do to be successful? 

Jules  

Yeah. Yeah, morally and ethically. 

Erwin  

Oh, yeah. Obviously, they won’t be listening to this show otherwise. 

Jules  

Yeah.

Erwin  

Jules, thanks so much.

Jules  

Hey, Erwin. It’s always a pleasure, man. Thanks for having me.

Erwin  

Before you go if you’re interested in learning more about an alternative means of cash flowing like hundreds of other real estate investors have already, then sign up for my newsletter and you’ll learn of the next free demonstration webinar I’ll be delivering on the subject of stock hacking. It’s much improved demonstration over the one that I gave to my cousin chubby at Thanksgiving dinner in 2019. He now averages 1% cash flow per week, and he’s a musician by trade. As a real estate investor myself, I got into real estate for the cash flow but with the rising costs to operate a rental business, it’s just not the same as it was five to 10 years ago when I started there are forget the cash flow reduces your risk. The more you have, the more lamps you can absorb. And if you have none, or limited cash flow, you’re going to be paying out your pocket like it did on a recent basement flood at my student rental in St. Catharines. Ontario. If you’re interested in learning more and register for free for my newsletter at www dot truth about real estate investing.ca. Enter your name and email address on the right side. We’ll include in the newsletter when we announce our next free stock hacker demonstration. Find out for yourself what so many real estate investors are doing to diversify and increase our cash flow. And if you can’t tell I love teaching and sharing this stuff.

 

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