From Homeless to Investing Over £10m for Me & My Investors

EPISODE SUMMARY:

We all go through ups and downs in life, but it takes a particular type of character to be able to really stand up and tell life that I'm going to keep getting up.  In this episode, we look at how Ibrahim did precisely that, his battles, and how he managed to turn his life around and become a property investor and speaker.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. Making a decision is the key to success. Abraham emphasized that when you truly decide and commit to a goal, you will surround yourself with the right people and resources to achieve it.

2. Having a clear goal and strategy is important for property investing. Abraham helps his clients figure out their goals and puts a strategy in place to achieve those goals through property. 

3. Relationships are important in business, especially in property. Abraham highlighted how building relationships with staff at an estate agency helped him get an interview and eventually a job.

BEST MOMENTS
"I was sleeping in a garage and my duvet was wet"

"You don't really understand at the age of 14, and you don't understand racism"

"They're always breaking points, there's a pivotal moment when they make a decision."


GUEST CONTACT METHOD
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CONTACT METHOD
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Transcript

SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people property journey decision brilliant achieve literally listening london 

Ree
0:02
Hey guys and welcome to the entrepreneur heroes podcast today we've got a very successful entrepreneur. We've got my boy, Abraham Braemar. How's it going, bro?

Ibrahim
0:13
I'm very good, man. Very good. I'm very excited to be here. Honestly. I'm super excited.

Ree
0:18
I so glad to have you here, man. It's been an incredible journey. And I think by not you telling people about that the sound wrong, people need to hear this. And, you know, just so you guys know, I've haven't known him a long time. But we spent a lot of time together the last couple of weeks. And you know, we bonded we've learned so much about each other man. And I was just inspired, inspired. And I said, Look, bro, you need to come on my show. Because I want to hear again, and there's probably a hell of a lot more that I'm going to learn on here today. Just like you guys. So how you Boomer?

Ibrahim
0:55
Yeah, really, really good, man. You know, is was it January 20. So a lot of things have been put in place so we can have a phenomenal year. That's been really good. Been busy. Measured, busy, but measured. For sure. How about you?

Ree
1:09
brilliant man. Great, great to you having a quick start to the year and it's busy. You know, it's for me, it's been Yeah, the same thing busy got ideas are being implemented. This podcast was something I decided to put in December, and January 20. And we've, we've done quite a few. And the goal is to get 100 this year. So if you guys are watching this now, and by the end of the day, you don't see 100 Feel free to troll me.

Ibrahim
1:38
Now you get to 100. Like the level of execution that you've put out, you mentioned December, you come up with this concept. And just after seeing it going 100 miles per hour to make it happen. So I've got no doubt, you know, if you don't exceed 100, even so now the Oder favor, you're my man now cheers.

Ree
1:55
By means a lot man means a lot. So um, January 20. We're actually out. Yeah, I don't even watch the news. But I'm hearing have no plan B things going back to normal. It's just madness, man. So while we get started, let's tell everyone, why don't you tell everyone who you are quick into our body.

Ibrahim
2:20
Brilliant. So my, as you mentioned, my name is Abraham Brahma. I'm a property investor and mentor on the public speaker as well. And really, that's you know, that's that's pretty much a there's no grand introduction. I think for me, I just come from really, really humble beginnings. And everything is all about working hard and execution. And that's so the Israeli so no, so grand introduction,

Ree
2:45
no grand introduction, but I'm a mentor. I'm a property developer and other speaker. It's one of those alone is a grand introduction.

Ibrahim
2:54
Yeah, yeah, you know, I do have to get to sometimes, like you got to give yourself a pat on the back. Because you are quite right. Sometimes we overlook what we've achieved. But sometimes there's just so much more. So it's a case of obviously keeping grounded and keeping your eyes on. What What if your eyes on the prize? That's it as an appraiser. That's it.

Ree
3:16
I hate you. I mean, a lot of us no matter where you achieve a lot, because you're you're so driven. You forget to look at that the gearshift before and you just go straight into that second year third, and you forget, it's it's natural, but it comes with the journey and, you know, gratitude and everything. And now it's begun that journey, like your journey wasn't like this, was it?

Ibrahim
3:39
No, no, no. Yeah, I mean, it's been a long one. I was I'm still on that journey. Like I said, in a way young men journey still is too long for sure. You know, but yeah, absolutely. You know, I was, you know, pretty much like most young men, when you saw come on come to the UK. I was actually born in Nigeria, was born in Nigeria was Bristol's 14 In Nigeria, my molecule moved to the UK. So she came over here to create, you know, greener pastures, you know, hopefully a better future for for me and his siblings. So

Ree
4:11
basically, we're interrupting you and no offense to anyone. You're basically a freshie off the boat. To our attorney, you're fresh here. And you've given away ah, yeah. Sure,
I
Ibrahim
4:27
um, but yeah, so that's pretty much it. But you know, coming into the UK two years in things that really sort of go as far as my mom probably plan, right, because she kind of worked, you know, how do these years to bring us over, but three years in? I found myself homeless in the streets. Yeah, this is uh, yeah, so um, but you know, is

Ree
4:52
in the streets in London. This was a

Ibrahim
4:55
London actually, this was in London. So we moved to London. I spent two years in London. Yeah. This is probably a factor because my mom said no, I do not like the way your life is going. So I'm moving you from London and we're going to Cambridge. There was a magazine, there was a stark difference between the cultures. You know, I went to school in Cambridge, for example, which was the serviceability college at the time I was at college, it was the fourth best school in the country. Wow. Right Now bear in mind that come from from London, which I went to an all boys school London, St. Joseph. So anyone that knows in Blackheath, which is Hood, Hood hoodie, completely different. So it's a Karma ties into this new culture, this new environment, in a way, you're the only black person in the school, you're having to get into fights in order to win No, later on. Number one, my sister was telling me that she was also getting racial abuse or a BA, you know, she didn't want to tell me because she knew what was gonna happen, right? Yeah. But you know, I was having to even defend myself. And I was getting into fights all the time, and all of that sort of stuff, which, obviously kind of still home, things happen in college, and it's okay, you know, what, that's me. And my mom came to heads, I left home. And if you do the things when you're doing on the streets, and you're trying to survive, you know, there's never saw that safety blanket, you know, there were periods where I literally had nowhere to live. You know, and I know, kind of what we were speaking to you about last time that you will remove this actually spend some time is living in the garbage. You know, this, this was my home, you know, for a good couple of months, I'm just living handy. Just these things happen in I'm not the only person in that situation. But that's what I don't like to dwell on these things. Because what happens is when you make a decision, and you really make a decision, then that's when things really start to change. And that's more what I want to talk about here, because this is about hopefully, helping people who are in a certain position in their life to realize what's actually possible and how they can move themselves forward. But it really came to one night in 2006. When I was in that garage, it was really, really cold. Windy, and just below the door, on the floor of the garage, there's there's a gap. And this is blowing the rain in the rain. I'm sleeping there, put my duvet and I do this wet share. And I just start crying. I literally just I didn't even stop crying tears were just coming out my eyes, right? Because I just felt ashamed. I'm like, I'm embarrassed. Everything I have done in my life so far kind of got me to the spirits. I've always known I was a smart person. I've always had like high hopes for myself. Yeah, cool. Nonetheless, I'm like, How did I find myself in this situation? And that's why I speak about decisions. Because it was in that moment that my life changed. Because I said to myself like this is not going to be I'm a pan Africanist, right. So, you know, I know about certain images of young black boys a lot of value. And these are things that I was like, You will not going to be a statistic. Right. And literally the very, very next day I reached out to my teacher who's like it always be do listen to tell him, he's like, you're gonna be great, you're gonna be successful. And I just, you know, I was just a bad one school rider really, but this one's kind of stuck in everyone likes someone to have confidence and hope. So I knew he would be the one to reach out to I reached out to him. You know, he gave me all of the support in the world. Two years from that point, I was at uni finished uni you know, went into sales and marketing you know, knocking doors selling makeup and charities. That was like the foundation of my

Ree
8:45
hiding from when so you come to my when our duck

Ibrahim
8:51
that was me, I could see him ducking while still not getting. But that, you know that that really was it. But that was the turning point of my life, I decided that this was not going to be my life. And the reality was, I've been on the streets for months and years before that. But that night when I made the decision that this is not going to be me. Doesn't everything change, you know, that's the power of decisions and that's the key thing now also get across

Ree
9:21
some amazing journey, man. I'm just just trying to take it in. So if I'm going back like obviously you came over and you're 14 you emigrated you came to this country and then you your sister in law, I'm assuming your family you in the area and you got racially abused man, but you had to deal with that. It's not why should anyone be ashamed of who they are their color? You know, it's it's something that it's just been there since a test of time and you've seen in the last few years. It's just it's profiles been raised and it to me it's like, what the hell I don't understand it, obviously. I've been a victim of that in the past, but I was born here. So for you, you've had to leave everything you've known coming to your family. Deal with us. How did that make you feel like you're in school? And

Ibrahim
10:13
this is it right? Because you don't really understand at the age of 14, and you don't understand racism. I've come from a country that as well is it has the largest populace of black people in the world. I had only ever seen black people in my life. By the time I came here, so for me, I came over here the white people because expecting I was going to England, I'll be watching TV I need to be why I didn't see any difference in any one of those laws. This is kind of what it is. So you don't really expect you know, racism is not something that we're taught by an engineer is not something you don't teach people about racism doesn't exist. So it's a it's a shock. When when so faces from someone says, you know, because you're black and you're not walk like you know, the call your names, you know, you know the names. I'm not gonna denigrate your show by by sort of repeating names, but you know, around, you get angry. First of all, you don't really understand what you're saying, right? You go home like mom, like, people call me this unlawful. Why is this? What was that what to say? And then you get the education. And then you start to get really pissed off because like I said, I'm a pan Africanist. I'm proud of being Nigerian, I'm proud to be African, even, you know, even back then I hadn't done research. But obviously, the older I got, the more start doing research into my heritage, you know, and a lot of this product, but even then, I knew that I was proud to be Nigerian. Yeah. So like, as soon as I understood what they were doing, I just got really, really pissed off. And that's when the trouble kind of starts, right? Because then you say something enough to get punched in your mouth. Right? That was 14 years of age. That was the only way of handling the situation.

Ree
11:54
So you had a lot of fights then in school? Yeah, yeah. Did you win all of them?

Ibrahim
12:01
Let's say you might have that did come over black girl. I know. He's getting a couple of links, as well as in my head that day. But like, I didn't grow up, I didn't grow up in comfort Nigeria, right. It wasn't like, I didn't come from you know, well, for Nigerian, and I grew up poor in Nigeria, as well. So, you know, just kind of been handed on myself for a long time.

Ree
12:23
And that's the thing we're fighting. There's no winners or losers, because people get hurt either way, man. So luckily, it's so you obviously had to deal with that. It probably changed who you are, right? Because you came here in a country where you knew you were going to be like, the alien. Right? And you're coming in you're doing your thing, you're just trying to learn you're getting abused. Because of that kind of abuse your way of handling it was violence, right? And because at that age, what do you know, like, especially a guy you can't be a 14 year old kid in high school going crying, you get even more bullied.

Ibrahim
12:59
So that's that's that's that's definitely what accounts for that's not the solution because people handled things differently for different backgrounds. So for me, you know, I kind of process the how you've said like, I can't accept this. And I can't just turn the corner and cry I've got to defend myself like this is this is pretty much the only way but I wasn't coming here thinking I was an alien. Also not literally I know what your balls and coming there with that mindset of oh, this is gonna be I was excited because you need to understand the the propaganda the message when you're when you're abroad, right of what the UK is. Yeah, beautiful, bro. Like this is um, like, my mum's in England. One day at some point, I'm going to England and this is amazing. This is beautiful. This life is gonna be great. So even to understand my psychological and housing thinking about people are going to call me racist. Oh, yeah. In Cambridge on the walking past the man and this is an older man and his spitting on the floor. Like it. I wasn't expecting all of that, right. 1000 a month I came in to, but luckily, luckily, as I said, I was born in Nigeria. So I know that there's no such thing as black wealth, like So Black was all around me. So I knew the color did not determine whether you're successful or not. Exactly. You know, I knew that right? Because I saw so much worth around me so I didn't have that inferiority complex. Luckily for me, I know a lot of people have suffered that, you know, I've got some friends one or suffer that right. But I didn't luckily, and my mom always kind of made that clear for me she she always kind of brief that into me from from the start from the start really. So that was that was pretty cool.

Ree
14:48
So it's Yeah, loving what you said it's you know, it's not the way to handle it, but it's how you process because if you think like nobody's born racist, okay, you put in Got a black baby kid next to a white one and Indian one, they're gonna play. It doesn't matter what they're gonna do, right? But it was age and environment they're in that's how they become it. It's they're not born in my little pupil part of human race.
I
Ibrahim
15:15
Racism is definitely lens, right. It's not like, you've just given the best analogy, they're like Kingston put kids in a playground and they're gonna mingle and they don't understand these things. You know, kids say keep saying some of the most racist shit. Right? And again, they say, right, just play for the just be honest. And this guy says that why is he? Why is he? It looks like? Yeah. Just pure innocence. Right. So racism is definitely something that's learned. It's the I think is my environmental. I think it is environmental. Right? Yeah. But, you know, that age, I'm not really trying to process why someone is racist, or why they've said certain things to me. I'm just processing, you're being rude. I'm not gonna tolerate it. So one of us is going to lose, right, that we were going it so I mean, it's not something that I advocate for sure. There's definitely

Ree
16:12
everyone has a limit in life. And there's so much you can tolerate from people, man. So, so so let's just obviously, you've had that journey. You've done that it led to this. And then obviously, it's affecting your family life. Is that why you guys had to move? First or

Ibrahim
16:29
from from London from London? Yes. So see my mom. You know, my mom saw things a certain way like so for me. I kind of grew up in the streets in Nigeria anyway. Right? So it's good. Like, you know how to move if that makes sense. You just know how to, you know, no mess of a Nigerian woman even man. Yeah, exactly. In my house she was in. So, but so for her, she will see certain things that she was concerned about. For me. I'm just like, Look, I'm not an idiot. I'm telling friends. I'm not like, I've never been someone who's had ill intent. You love whatever wanna talk about being on the streets. I've never been like, taking knives and stabbing people. That's never really been my thing. Right. But I'll protect myself. I protect my family. I protect my own but you know, I've always been a bit small raffle has been intelligent. Yeah, um, but nonetheless, obviously, when you're in certain environments, you can also be corrupted by the environment, right? So she she just saw certain things. And maybe she was right at the time. I didn't feel like I was going that certain path, but she was older than me. So maybe she felt I can see patterns. And I can see what this is going through. She was like, No, so the house in London packed up and move to a village in Cambridge grow a village.

Ree
17:47
You've come to a country where probably get experienced racism, but as a multicultural of people. Where there's black, there's Asian to the Chinese, everything in London, you're still getting abused. So then you go into an even smaller place where you even more minority?
I
Ibrahim
18:07
Exactly. Right. That's exactly. My mom for two weeks. I'm the same house just silent. But yeah, it wasn't it wasn't great. And then obviously you start school, you start to make some friends. But like you said, it happens, right, because now you're the only black kid. You're the only black boy your sister's the only black girl on the score. And it's yeah, it's happening and and what the difference

Ree
18:35
is already done this. We've done this. We've done it don't do it again.

Ibrahim
18:41
The difference is this time is there's no as you mentioned, there's no cultural awareness. Yeah, right. So anytime something happens, it's you. Yeah, you stand up. Like you're the only like, it's, you doesn't find it anyway, this is just as a part of your race, right? This is, so anything that happens is always your fault. So I think I think that made everything a lot worse. And there was a lot of resentment from within me personally. Because there was also a lack of understanding from like, my mom, because for her, she just doesn't want me to get into trouble. And she's like, you're in this amazing school. She's seen all this future. With aid, you start to get it, but then I'm just like, What are you on about? He was hitting this? You know, I'm a teenager, I'm pissed off. That's essentially how you know relationship eroded at home, and ultimately how to how to move on.

Ree
19:37
To just me trying to process this like me thinking as a complete outsider. Those people that kind of bullied you, at school, led to obviously have a journey where it's kind of broken relationship at home, right? Because they've scarred you. And then your mom's moving you out. Only because she's trying to protect you. And then you end up where you're like, you're not protecting me like I'm getting worse. And like you said, with age, it happens and, and it's a shame. But sometimes those moments is where like you said, you made a decision, you made that decision. And luckily, you had a teacher man that put his hand out to you. Because I remember like in school, I didn't really have teachers that put their hand out to me, they'll just like, send me out the door, gather costs. So it's brilliant. And like, how did you feel in that moment? Like when you're when your teacher kind of took you in and helped you?

Ibrahim
20:37
It's strange, because, well, you never know. You never know. But like, I knew she was because like, you know, this is a teacher, not from London. This is a teacher from my school in Cambridge right now. I just knew because of the way it always treated me in school, but I just need anyone you know, a lot someone like my partner for Marissa, it doesn't matter what I want to do. She's been with me from when I was a bum, right? To an OB to go for 10 years. Yeah. It doesn't matter what I did. Right, she's gonna believe in me. And that teacher was the same, I was disruptive in his class. Right? So it wasn't as if I was like, just always nice in his class really. Shilada even in his class, I was disruptive, right. But the way he dealt with things was just different from other teachers doing would handle the situation the way he would speak to me. And he would always tell me about the potential that I've got, he would always mentioned the potential, the potential, the potential, so I kind of knew when I reached out to him that he would be that right to help and guide me.

Ree
21:42
brilliant man, and, and, like, maybe everyone listening out there, you've got a man was he doing now, you know, he's a mentor, as a developer, as a speaker, but you know, I think it's important for to understand what you went through. could have made you a lot worse. But you for me, you took a decision. You walked for help, you got the help, and everything that happened in your life, you know, maybe it meant for that moment, there.

Ibrahim
22:13
Yeah. I truly I truly believe so. I truly believe so. Because if you look at pick any successful entrepreneur, right, and you speak to him about the stories, they're always breaking points, there's a pivotal moment when they make a decision. And they decide, okay, you know what, this is actually one quality, this is my direction. And it doesn't have to be something as drastic as being homeless. It could be something as simple as, as Bill Gates. Yeah. Right. He was at Harvard, who drops out of Harvard. Yeah, no one drops off Harvard. Right. His family wasn't up for it is like no, like, this is Microsoft. Is it? Right? Everyone's got that paper to mine and when they go make a decision, but when you make a decision, that means like Tony Robbins always says right, burn the freakin boats. Yeah. When you're on the island, and you've burned the boats, and you're warm. you're ever gonna win that war, you're gonna die. Right? So burn the boats. That's, that's good. Make a decision. And once you've made that decision, and you know, you're all in, that's when you truly become made as an intrapreneur. Because now you have to survive, and you're going to do whatever it takes to make it happen. And that's essentially everyone.

Ree
23:25
Brilliant, nice flippin amazing, amazing, inspirational story, man and everyone that's, that's listening. I'm sure you're inspired now. So and we're probably all wanting to know like, Okay, so that's been the journey. That's been the kind of the path and everything. So what made you transition because obviously, you said you were knocking on people's doors, doing sales and marketing and then you decided to go on the journey or now if I'm correct,

Ibrahim
23:53
absolutely. Absolutely. It was. It's about speaking about growing up in Nigeria, Paul, but just looking at the contrast, like I'm in I'm living I grew up in Lagos. Yes, I'm in a city where where I'm living is just poor. Right? But then you could go up the road is the amount of a mansion. A big house. How did that guy make his money? He's got gauge like massive gauge tool fences. He's got people driving them now. This is so for me. I've always seen property as like a sign of success. Okay, I looked at him like wow, like this guy's really successful right? Yeah. This is something that's been on my mind and look when I come to the UK homes under the hammer, you know, OD so programs I start getting into I'm watching. This is pretty cool. So once I got into sales and marketing and after uni, it was like almost a natural progression to go into like property. So it started off as an estate agent. Not really quite remember how I actually got that job. I said, because I didn't have an experience right? So what I did is I printed I see this there's this road in Southampton called London Road and 17 along the road. And they've got all of this estate agents lined up. And I walk into every single one of them with my CV. Now you look my thinking, I'm probably showing my age a little bit now, because

Ree
25:22
we already know man, 14 plus 20 years

Ibrahim
25:30
every single one, I walked into the largest stages in the UK, this is the final 100 CV. The manager wasn't actually in. Bar spent like a good 510 minutes with the staff. Yeah, we were cracking jokes. I was telling them I'm coming for depositions. I was like in a jovial way. I'm like, You do not want to lose me. Right? Like you need to tell the manager that he has just found his next superstar. You know, good, really, really good report. It was amazing. Um, he called me. He called me in for an interview. So clearly, you know, they had sold me, because he doesn't know who I am. He's got the CV, he's never done the stages. He's literally got no experience now. Yeah, it would normally just rip that up. Right. But that's the key thing about relationships. I always say in property. That was probably I mean, that's part of my character on the way. But that that taught me a lot. Like just in business in general, the power of relationships. Yeah. Right. Because if I hadn't built a relationship with the staff, that CD would have probably never got to the manager in the pin, I would have just been any other CV, right. But obviously, these would have actually had the experience. So Mongo just got in the bin. He said, like the power of relationships, property is all about relationships, whether you're dealing with agents or deluded investors, like they need to know like, and trust you. And once you're in that position with them, the rest of his history, everything else is pretty, pretty simple. It's obviously not that easy. But that's that's, that is the foundation of it. But that's how I got into a state agency. You know, I went there for the interview. I told him, I said, Listen, it was 17 and a half 1000 pounds basic. I just unbelievable. I said to him, I said, I said this is cool. That's coming as a junior negotiator. Yeah. I said, Give me a target. Right. I said this morning is not enough, as it is not enough. But I'm gonna take it, you give me a target in the next three months, right? I will smash that target. And then you got a raise up my wages to be the same as the senior the senior coordinator. And he said co anything he was going to happen? Learn a million years if you've never even touched a property before. As soon as that record, you know, didn't give me the raise. Of course, it was a corporate company. Protests were

Ree
27:54
applause my knees smashing me.

Ibrahim
27:58
But that's the most important thing, the most important thing is that he knows that I did it right. But I didn't get the raise a few months down the line. And, and it's pretty much been been the same since then. And then, you know, there was there was a fork in the road, there was a fork in the road where I made an erroneous decision. I've been in property. Now for years. I was building my cell phone, known in Southampton. And then what I decided to do was because I'm looking at all these brokers, and I'm like, I could do a better job than these guys. And then an opportunity came for a colleague of mine to open up an insurance brokerage. Okay. And this is why you have to be very, very careful when people think the grass is always greener on the other side. You know, what, potentially, I could have done a better job, right? On just a normal day today, I probably could have done a better job. And I've always wanted to be an entrepreneur. So I was like, this. Is it. As a manager, a manager, like you have a business owner. Yeah. Yeah, this is like, yes. And then. But um, you know, the truth is, I didn't get the right education. I didn't really know what was going on. I'm just like, I can do it. Right. Just turn them on if you don't have to do it. And that can only take you so far. And that's something that I've had to learn. I've always been talented. But this took me a massive, massive lesson. Like talent, Hard work beats talent all day, every day. Yeah, if the talent doesn't work hard. Right. I love that. But a talented hard working person is undefeatable. Yeah, right. And that was what I learned because ultimately we lost that business and not to take responsibility. It was my fault. Then I was in a situation well, I'm getting panic attacks. I'm scared to put my family because I've pretty much sacrificed everything right good job, essentially, beat myself up but given that up to go and do this new flashy thing that was gonna make in the millions, but without positioning myself correctly without getting the right education hanging around the right people in the industry, right mentorship, nothing go to others went into like a bull in a china shop. And ultimately, we lost that business. And it wasn't great. And that's pretty much what took muscle from then whatever I do, I'm going to become the best at it. And to become the best at it, you have to first educate yourself, surround yourself with people who've already done it and become successful at it. And then it goes mashapaug

Ree
30:33
100%, Master, great, great lesson, great analogy as well. Because sometimes you get some people just excited. And they're like, was it like, say, a one a patrol or want to be entrepreneur, that kind of thing. And because I think it's sexy, I think I'm an entrepreneur, it's a great thing to be, but it ain't. Because it's not that it's like, you know, the music, you you're winning the next day you're losing, and the thing is, like, no one else is going to come and save you. You have to do and if you've got a staff, you have no choice but to work because these people are relying on you as well.

Ibrahim
31:12
I wouldn't say it's looked great, because if I asked you right now, you know, what would you prefer your corporate job, or what you're doing now, you know, pretty much know the answer to that because of what you're it's been able to afford you in your life, right? We're talking about freedom, we're talking about money, we're talking about time, you know, I know you love your little girl, or you're always like, you know, older than the photos speaking to all your spending, you know, and these are the things that we're able to do. Yeah, you know, when my daughter was born, we had we had this meeting that we had to go to where you register your child, I'm sure you've had to do that we actually registered and I didn't even know that. I didn't know

Ree
31:48
the system, basically. Yeah.

Ibrahim
31:51
Did you did you know this one, because I was I think okay to simulate man is five months old, right? I didn't know this stuff that you had to go and register. Your child just thought they were born to give him a name. And that's it.

Ree
32:00
I'm giving him a national insurance number so I can pay tax. Flipping How do I want to put her in the system?

Ibrahim
32:07
100%. So this is it. But what happened is, we almost missed the appointment date. On the day. My Reminder goes off. Wow, I've got this is a 40 minutes and 40 minutes. I say to my partner, Marissa and she's not having it right. She's What is wrong with you? Because I was going to charge of that. Well, I was able to jump in my car, get them ready, jump on my car drive down, because it was during COVID. Right. So if we miss that appointment, I would have been able to get one for months. Okay, this was the big dealer. And we got back. And he also did weatherization. Like, we're free. Yeah, it's crazy. Like we literally laughed about it. Oh, we're laughing for Tom law. Imagine that. Imagine he used to work into this corporate company. Right? Imagine he was still doing that. Right? And you know, so yes, the journey is hard, right? Yes, its ups and downs. You just have to be prepared for that. But the rewards are sweet for those who can actually make it work. And that's the whole point of this podcast, right to tell people the realities of that journey. Only the strongest survive. But so you know exactly what the journey looks like. So you know how to actually map your way through it. And when you're going through those difficult times, just understand that tough times do not last, tough people do. Right? And you will make it to do oversight.

Ree
33:37
That's brilliant man, because everyone thinks is just such a great thing. And it is, don't get me wrong. But if you come in, and you're going to have these waves, if you're going to have a surfboard, you're going to enjoy it. If you try getting on there, like you've got a car, there's only one way so you need to surf the wave and, and embrace it and enjoy the process and when you get knocked down because you will enjoy that too. Nobody wants to be punched in the face. But in entrepreneurship, you're going to get punched in the face more times in shuttin Frank Bruner. Oh, you know,

Ibrahim
34:17
definitely gonna get punched in the face many many times. And you just have to, you just have to you just have to get rolling with it. You know, I was on clubhouse yesterday because I do a journal every morning. So this is my this is my journal. Every single morning right in the clubhouse yesterday. I said something wrong. And someone kind of attacked me for it. Wow. Yeah. And I hit me hurt me a little bit. It didn't just hurt me a little bit. I carried on to this morning. I have a morning routine. I exercise I meditate. And I'm just meditating about this gamla, why am I letting this person just consume my life? And the reason was, I couldn't didn't get angry at them. Because they were to the right.

Ree
35:03
Okay, so what did they say? We want to know? We want to know, what did they say?

Ibrahim
35:08
The topic was about rent or rent or HMOs. Right? Yeah. Um, I favor not renting sorry, because they're both renter and strategies HMOs a service accommodation. And I lean towards service accommodation. Because that's the Air Force a lot of what I do I help people build a property portfolio. Right? Yes, mainly through a lot of plumbing newbie properties. So because our properties are so strategically placed, you know, having them serviced accommodation units just makes sense. Yeah. And is Robert and Dan just having a normal typical buy to let it can have a serviced accommodation and just increase the ROI by like, two or three times? Yeah. So naturally, I'm going to lean towards that. And I said, Look, I'm a little bit biased in this conversation. But then when I was speaking about, you know, the HMO sir, you know, I spoke about, you know, potentially what happened to COVID. And how there was a rent freeze in on how the government was actually allowing landlords to evict the tenants. But we were talking about how Yes, it was a tough time. But some people were actually able to grow the businesses in that period of time. It's about how diverse you were had dynamic you were, for example, but the error that I had made was, there wasn't a rent freeze, right? You couldn't evict your tenants when there wasn't a rent freeze. And he put me up and took me to town. So I was like, cool job him. Because obviously, he kind of favored HMOs. But he was right. And the way I just looked at that today was that was feedback. That's what I wrote in my journal this morning, naturally, is great feedback. Yeah. such thing as failure in only perceived failure. But if you start looking at things as fear, you're never gonna move. Yeah. But let that just like demoralized me, decapitate me, I won't be able to actually come in today, and serve your audience and just kind of give them more unknown to help them along the journey. Because I'll still be in my company that I said that yesterday. But when I looked at his feedback, I was actually you know what, this is great for my speaking. Yeah. Because this tells me if you're not 100%, certain if you're 100%, sure. Don't say yeah. Right. Because there are people out there.

Ree
37:21
There's trolls, and luckily, they'll fishing the fish for anything. They see someone, you come out on social media, you say anything, and especially if they're in the same market, they're going to be pick out your favorite thing. And sometimes this is, you know, people make mistakes. It's alright. But it's like the herd mentality. They want to jump on it and attack you. Why? Because it makes them feel better. Absolutely, absolutely. What's their mind? I mean, like, how much how much they feel, if they want to try and make somebody small, and call him out and attack him. There's obviously something going on in their life, because they're projecting on to you. And as a result of that, it's messed up your day, and even up to this morning, you're thinking about this power, and you shouldn't be meditating.

Ibrahim
38:03
You know what, that's true. That's a mouthful to take accountability for. And I'm, and I'm not completely, like I said, once you start looking at it differently. I completely agree with him. And I'm, I'm thankful that he did what he did, because actually, it's loud to say that people are placed in your path to allow you to be great. Yeah, right. It wasn't courthouse. I don't know this guy. The truth is what he said yesterday is not going to make a bit of a difference to my life. Except if I actually take his feedback, and it makes me draw in and make it better. Yeah. Which is completely correct. I can let that decapitating. But actually, now when I took on the lesson, I was like, Wow, I'm so glad he told me that because on a different platform, right, that could become really important, actually. And that's something that could potentially be detrimental to my business. This wasn't some fun for that. But I'm thankful for the lessons from it as well.

Ree
38:57
When it happened on video, people would see your face so to get angry, it's tough.

Ibrahim
39:02
Exactly, exactly. It's all about how you frame things like Tony Robbins. If you haven't guessed, I'm a massive fan of Tony Robbins. What he says as well. If you just start thinking that things happen for you and not to you, that's gonna change your life. Yeah,

Ree
39:21
I say so. Yeah, I hear that man. And now anyone listening? Maybe had a bad day maybe you're driving right now listen to this. Maybe somebody cut you up. You know what the right and say look, this prick just cut me up is delay me on my set now for a minute now that maybe it's for you because maybe something's happened down the road. So you know what, something we just can't control now we'll just get into it. So our story's brilliant man the journey we've had your ups downs UPS down and he's come into and up now. So at the moment you're you were not moment you've been helping investors grow their portfolio. So how do you do that? You know, People can read the title of this podcast now, you know, from homeless to investing over 10 million for me and my investors. So you know what? People are still listening. Now let's tell them all about it now.

Ibrahim
40:11
Is this time to stop marketing? Do it? No, I'm not gonna do that. I know what I do is very, very straightforward. Because just to give you a bit more a bit more context to that when I decided to leave Southampton after that business, because I did feel like a failure at that time. In all honesty, I felt like I'd let my family down and everything else. But there was this new industry that was emerging in those things about the government's and you know, Boris is talking do you build in we've got a beaut 300,000 homes every single year for the next 10 years. That was just to hit our current supply and demand issues. But we weren't even doing that. The best year we had 180,000. So every single year does a deficit, right? So there's people that need these homes. But more importantly, from an economic standpoint, what does that mean? It does a deficit damage, there are more people in the waiting list. That means there's money, right? It means there's always going to be appreciating, when fulica over 100 years, you know, of empirical data in the UK property market increased doubles, on average every 10 years. That mean 10 years ago, she paid 100 grand for a property today, properties probably worked on Turkey, right? That's massive. Because of the supply and demand issue, I wanted to play a part in this. So I'm moved to London left Southampton moved to London, I work for the largest property investment firm in the city. But what I found, and don't get me wrong, I was in it, right. So I'm also culpable for this. I was in it. I was doing the job on a day to day. And it's it was simply we're working with these developers, some of the largest developers are contrary and we've got people wanting to invest in these developments. Whatever we had is what we sold to them. There was no strategical, there was no What are you trying to achieve? Those? No, no, let's put a plan in place for you. Do you want to retire? Do not leave a legacy behind you just looking for cash flow? does nothing, not the age, we've got this properties. This is what we're gonna sell to you. Now you're buying one of these units? Yeah, that corner was beautiful. Yeah, this is it's perfect. buy that one. Right. And that was it. But that just left like a doc wholly made, because when family members were coming to me, I couldn't sell them these developments. Because I was having a consultation call my family members, I'm like, What are you trying to achieve? I was the CO head. And I'm like, no, no, no, you don't want it. It's like this is this is not gonna hit your goal. Yeah. And the more times I did that, like, almost like the worst I felt. Because every day I was going into work. And having to just do this trove of people. I'm like, someone's mom, that someone says that someone died. And we just carried on doing it the same way. I've always been a bit of a person from where I come from, when I help delay Manana, people sort of move forward. Right? So that's, that's me that was all very careless was when my mum went into COVID in a postal I couldn't take time off. You know, that's a whole different story. And that was kind of the end. So what I'm doing now is I'm just helping directly my clients. So my clients come to me, and I say, let's, let's have a chat, we're gonna do a consultation, we're gonna figure out exactly what it is that you want to achieve in property, you might not know about property, but that's fine. What do you want to achieve? What's your end goal? I then put a strategy in place. And so they will say, this is what you're trying to achieve. This is how we need to go about it. Okay. This is how much money you've got in the pot right now. And this is how we're going to do it. If you want to work with me. If not, that's perfectly fine. But this is a strategy that you need to adopt to actually achieve your goal. Right. And that obviously was Motlanthe said as brilliant, helped me do it. Yeah. And then that's pretty much what I do. So at the moment, what I'm doing some sitting in between my clients, and these developers and this shark agents, because once you get to them, that's it. So I'm saying, here's what we're gonna achieve. That's all achieved. And then I'm able to go to every agent and ever develop and pick specific units that actually matches their criteria. Does that make sense? to shoehorn them into a property that we've got available? Essentially,

Ree
44:26
that's brilliant, man. I mean, anyone listening, that's thinking about property and, you know, why do you buy property? Most people would like for me, it's like, why do you buy property will you need to get on the property ladder? Okay, now I've got property what I do, I don't know, I need to rent it to someone. And that's it. I've done that for for many years, because I didn't know and I didn't know why I was buying a property. But, you know, like just hearing you if someone had said that to me, in the beginning of my journey, maybe my view and property would have been different. Maybe I would have decided okay, maybe this is my goal, but cuz, for me, maybe a lot of other people, they buy properties just because they get told, you know, it's a good investment. But the way you're describing it now, you know, no wonder people are more invested in it because you have a goal. I mean, I never even knew this.

Ibrahim
45:18
I think there's something I don't don't quote me on this, but it's my belief that there's roundabout 75%, which is a huge number of property investors, we could have accidental landlords, right? You just fallen into, I'll just go buy a property or let me just go, like, there's no strategy in place, there's no end goal, that's not how we're gonna get from one to 10, or even one to five, or wherever it might be one to 20 is not a strategy in place at all. But also, unfortunately, because people, if you're born in the UK, right, you understand the value property, whether it's your dad, your mom, your grandparents, they've told you, I paid six grand for this house, and now it's worth 300, can you know that you've just always known properties pretty good, right? Just buy property. So it's something that we're accustomed to on growing up. So unfortunately, we're inclined to go and invest in property, because we don't quite have the right knowledge, you've got agents who take advantage of that, right. And that's really kind of what I'm trying to, I'm trying to stop, listen, obviously, there's economic value in it from the balls. But the reason I really want to do this is just to be in that middle place. So you know, I help my clients source the properties, and negotiate on their behalf for them, right? You know, the legal process, I manage that whole legal process to make sure there's nothing going towards that they will abide by the contracts, if they need finance, we'll put a mortgage in place for the and then once it actually completed on the purchase, we didn't actually put a management company in place to make sure you know, I've got clients that work in Dubai, that live in Dubai, right. And they've got properties that they've never, ever seen the property and every single month, we're just getting cash in the bank.

Ree
46:57
We manage that totally hands free, stress free. I mean, where do I sign up?

Ibrahim
47:05
I send the contracts.

Ree
47:09
It's really good man. Because like, it said, like, for me, around got properties. And how I used to do it before was just how you mentioned, I'd go to like developer, or buy off plan. Okay, yeah, I'll go see the show home, brilliant, done the deal done. And then I'm with their agent, and then NASA,

Ibrahim
47:27
it says that that's how most people don't want you to battery. So that is literally how most people do it. And that's what we're trying to change. And I think and the reason for this also is, it's about creating change in the industry. Because these guys are gonna have to start becoming more genuine, and start caring more, because actually, market share has been taken away from us, we're not selling these developments as quickly now, because they've got this guy who seems to know His stuff is represented, and so I can't just mug him off and tell him something. Exactly. Now we're gonna have to be more conscientious in our approach our clients otherwise, you know, our service will start to dominate because people understand it a lot being ripped off. Right? Why would you pay an extra 10,000 pounds for a property that you don't have to? Just because you don't know any better? Right? So I think the more promo is developers, this agents that realize that it's actually going to be a shift in the industry. And you know, that's, that's the,

Ree
48:24
and this is what they pay you for that knowledge, that experience and that the fast track because, you know, like you said, 75% of people are accidental landlords. So do you listening and you've got property right now? I have an accident or not? No, could it be you? Maybe you are? And if you're not, then then great, you know, you're part of the 25%. If you are then, you know, definitely listen to what Abraham is saying, because there's some golden nuggets here. And, and definitely there's a shift if we've seen the last few years has been the biggest digital shift in the planet. So everything has had to shift. And this is another way of an industry of brick and mortar physical product, basically, which has shifted. So it's a great strategy, man. And I think a lot of people can can like get value from it. So obviously, the intimate details will be below in the description wherever platform you're watching this. You also mentioned the speaker stuff. So what made you now want to embark on that journey just very quickly.

Ibrahim
49:26
Like I said, Man, I come from nothing. I've gone from nothing. And there's there's power in words, words can shift people to make decisions. Like for me, everything comes back to decisions. I understand the power of decisions because a decision changed my life. And I think just properties why not? Right? So I speak to people by the power of investing in property and how that can literally give them freedom. Yeah, because the truth it doesn't matter what your situation is right now. The truth is, you can have your freedom in property. There's so many different strategies. If you've got very little money, we can discuss a strategy that you can actually adopt yourself, right? To build yourself up to the stage where maybe you're having conversations with me that you actually want to buy properties. But there are strategies in place. So I'm trying to create that gap between you know, there's, there's people who are where I'm at already under able to just invest and buy these properties, the people who are trying to build themselves up who, you know, the unhappy on the job, they're working so many hours, we're getting very little back in return. You know, they train all of this work, and they want to spend time with the loved ones, but they actually can't spend that time the loved ones that have been there. In all these people want to be in a position where they can do what they want, when they want with whoever done all of this, show them that is possible because most people don't think that's possible. And that's really what my my next mission is to show people that you can actually achieve your freedom. And here are the different options to get you there.

Ree
50:57
That's brilliant madness flippin amazing to hear, like, just just your journey, I'm inspired. And you know, even the, the whole journey you were when you did go through just to get that job to kind of be Stein, you're trying to start your company, and then coming back. It's brilliant man. And I think the key question that no, people are listening to the shows and whatever I'm gonna I ask them on one question, and that is, what is your number one secret to success?

Ibrahim
51:29
I think I've got a given a webinar. What's the one thing? The one thing I have to I have to put it down to decision? And I know that it's such a high level answer. But that's why when I was making the point, I said, when you decide, truly decide, because people go around making choices every day, making choices and making a decision, are two very different things. Once you've made a decision is, is it? Yeah, I'm burning the frickin boats. There is no turning back. It's the final countdown, whatever you want to say, right? But this is it does to a decision truly is because there are no second options. And I truly feel if anyone truly makes a decision, they will achieve it. Because what does that lead to that decision leads to you surrounding yourself. And as you can say, Okay, that's all well and good. But I haven't got the money. I'm not in the right environment, I haven't got this album, but that when you decide you will start to make different choices, you will start to make different decisions because you know, that's your goal. So you will surround yourself with those type of people, the type of content, you're going to start absorbing, it's going to be very, very different. The quality of conversations you're gonna start having with who you're having these conversations with, are going to change because you've decided, this is what I'm doing. To achieve this, this is what I'm going to have to do. And then all of a sudden the environment changes. Now when people talk about you know, law of attraction, don't get me wrong. I'm a massive believer law of attraction. Massive believer, hence why meditate, right? Yes, absolutely. But I think some people misunderstand the law of attraction. Law, some people believe the law of attraction to mean, you sit, there you go, I will be rich, I will be rich. And then the riches come, right. That's not how it works. The law of attraction to me is you make a decision. And you have that vision and that goal at the forefront of your mind every single minute of the day. And that vision and that decision is driving your every single action. And it just means you're able to do things that move you towards that goal that moves you towards that vision. That's the law of attraction to me, that's how it works. I'm not just gonna sit home and do nothing. Because I'm thinking of that everything that I do. And I will be taking a lot more actions now because it's at the forefront of my mind, everything that is going to lead me towards that direction. So for me, the secret to success is truly making a decision.

Ree
54:18
So what was that again? That was brilliant, I think yeah, 100% Especially how you translate it to the law of attraction because you know, a lot of people will sit there thinking they can just meditate she happens to don't and like you know, the ethos and your values come from decision to everything you do is based on that decision. So I love it, man. I mean, you know, I can't wait to get the lump the secret success formula from all these podcasts here. But you know, you guys can hear that. When he was in a garage and did he do they were soaked? He decided it decided and you know he got the help here. needed and, you know, he's continuing his journey to grow. And I can't wait to see what you're doing any year in 10 years time, you know, what is your journey going to be looked like, you know? And oh, it's brilliant. I think, again, I'm inspired every chat I have, like, everyday I'm blessed because I get to have on story. You know, I'm inspired man like in I like to feel I'm inspirational, working get inspired every day by speaking to good people like you, man. So thanks again for just coming on the show sharing your story. And it's not easy to speak about what you experienced, but it's made you who you are. And you know, like you said, not the finished article. You're still growing, still learning? Yeah, I just want to thank you again, for being here today. Thanks for everything, man.

Ibrahim
55:52
acknowledge you as well, you know, because I what you're doing is truly amazing. And I know you're doing this for a very, very selfless reason, you know, because we had the conversation and, you know, we've been through journeys, right. And that got us to where we are today. But there's, there's such a narrative out there that, you know, people talk about, you know, riches quickly, and all this other things. We know, that's not reality, we know there's a path and we know, it's literally like that. And it's really good that you're sharing these messages. I know some of the people that you've got lined up like this is going to be amazing. I'm going to be digesting your content because I also want to get inspired by these people. So you know, thank you so much for doing what you're doing and you are going to help you know 1000s And hundreds and 1000s of people so amazing man.

Ree
56:33
Appreciate man appreciate it and glad you're part of this journey with me. So as again, everyone I said all of these details are going to be below if you want to contact him go and slide in his DM drop me an email drop me a follow anything, you know, if you've been inspired, you want to get to property. Like he said he covers people, even if your budget is small. So you don't have to have the biggest budget like how we bought property years ago when you think you need a big deposit, like times has changed and because you know everyone got strategies got contact. So if you need some information, just hit him up. And hopefully your DMS are going to get overloaded with people on questions. Bring them on, bring them on. Cool. I love Well, thank you once again and we will talk soon. Have a good day. You too.