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In this episode of the Let’s REI Podcast, I sat down with my coach, mentor, and friend Jesse Stanton—founder of the AI Network and a leader who’s helped shape the trajectories of hundreds of entrepreneurs. Our conversation covered everything from his journey out of the Air Force, to losing money early in real estate, to building high-performing teams, unlocking active income, and developing the leadership skills required to reach the top 1%.
This blog post breaks down the most important lessons from our conversation—SEO friendly, story-driven, and packed with insights any new or seasoned entrepreneur can use.
The Alaska Origin Story: How Jesse Fell Into Real Estate
Jesse’s journey didn’t begin with an interest in real estate. It began with a Facebook message from someone he hadn’t spoken to in nearly 20 years.
At the time, he was an Air Force instructor stationed in Alaska—a job he loved—but he wasn’t thinking about wealth-building. That old friend introduced him to the idea of investing, and though Jesse initially resisted, he eventually joined an education program… and put $23,000 on two credit cards to do it.
The problem? It was more “content library” than community. When he asked questions, the response he got was:
“Go back and rewatch the video.”
That was the moment he realized he needed something more than passive videos—he needed real people, real support, and real accountability.
That’s when he found Subto and Pace Morby.
The Sentence That Changed Everything
Inside a YouTube comment section—of all places—Jesse stumbled across a line Pace wrote to a critic:
“Millionaires don’t complain about time.”
This hit him like a punch to the chest.
He was juggling a full-time job, a newborn, financial stress, Alaska’s four-hour time difference from the East Coast, and the crushing pressure of trying to succeed in real estate. That single sentence changed how he viewed time, excuses, and execution.
It sparked the now-famous season of 3:00 a.m. grind sessions—where Jesse sat in his car, in the dark Alaskan winter, calling Florida sellers for hours before heading to his Air Force shift.
It was one of the turning points that reshaped his entire life.
From Struggling Wholesaler to Resourcefulness Wizard
Like many new investors, Jesse made expensive mistakes early on:
- Skip tracing 20,000-prospect lists without follow-up structure.
- Hiring VAs with no system in place.
- Paying for tools he didn’t yet know how to use.
- Losing $20,000+ on lists, systems, and labor.
He made only $1,200 his first year.
But everything changed when he discovered a gap in the market.
Instead of spending money on leads… he helped other people close their leads.
Inside Subto, he noticed tons of investors were spending money on VAs and generating leads they weren’t following up on. So Jesse offered to step in and close those leads for them.
The result?
He made $72,000 in the first 60 days.
Zero overhead.
No marketing spend.
No new tools.
Just skill, execution, and resourcefulness.
This philosophy became the backbone of his later businesses—and the foundation of the Growth Co and now the AI Network.
The Pivot: From Real Estate Operator to Entrepreneurship Mentor
About 2.5 years into his investing journey, Jesse had an epiphany:
“I don’t own any property. My actions aren’t aligned with the outcomes I want.”
That realization pushed him deeper into leadership, systems, communication, and team-building. He started studying Dan Martell, joined Owners Club, and realized something that most new real estate investors never understand:
Real estate is not step one.
Active income is.
If you don’t have:
- money to solve problems,
- financial cushion for unexpected repairs,
- the ability to hire,
- or the emotional bandwidth to lead…
you’ll hit a ceiling fast.
“A problem that can be solved with money is no longer a problem.” —Dan Martell
Jesse now believes everyone should learn how to generate at least $1M in active income before trying to scale real estate seriously.
Not because real estate doesn’t work—but because the person you become on the journey to earning your first million is the exact person you need to be to scale a real estate portfolio safely.
The Two Skills That Create Top 1% Entrepreneurs
Throughout the interview, we kept circling back to two themes:
1. World-Class Leadership
Leadership isn’t a role—it’s a skill. It’s how you:
- communicate,
- listen,
- regulate emotion,
- inspire action,
- make decisions under pressure.
Real estate, entrepreneurship, raising capital, hiring teams—everything comes down to how well you lead.
2. World-Class Communication
This was Jesse’s biggest point.
If you can’t communicate:
- you can’t raise money,
- you can’t inspire a team,
- you can’t negotiate deals,
- you can’t articulate value,
- you can’t attract opportunities.
Communication is the highest-paying skill in entrepreneurship.
Not technical skill.
Not underwriting.
Not even sales.
Communication.
This is the exact skill he built through:
- running 200+ Calendly calls per month,
- teaching inside Growth Co,
- building community frameworks,
- coaching entrepreneurs one-on-one,
- and being willing to look stupid in order to improve.
And it’s the same skill he encourages everyone—real estate investor or not—to master.
The Faith-Driven Side Most People Don’t See
One of the biggest surprises in the episode was Jesse’s openness about faith.
He shared how deeply he believes our talents come from God—and that we’ll ultimately be judged not just on our actions, but on how we steward the gifts we were given.
It’s rare to hear an entrepreneur speak this vulnerably and openly. And it explains why he coaches the way he does—with intensity, love, and high standards.
How to Connect with Jesse Stanton
At the end of our conversation, I asked Jesse where people can find him online. In classic Jesse fashion, the answer came with humor:
“My OnlyFans… just kidding.”
You can connect with him here:
- Instagram: @JesseRStanton
- YouTube: Jesse R. Stanton
- Facebook: Jesse R. Stanton
If you’re interested in applying to the AI Network, Jesse mentioned they intentionally keep the community small and intimate. The application process ensures the right people join.
You can DM him directly—or reach out to me and I’ll point you in the right direction.
Final Thoughts
Interviewing Jesse again—almost exactly one year after being a guest on his show—was grounding, motivating, and clarifying.
His story is a reminder that success isn’t about resources… it’s about resourcefulness. It’s not about time… it’s about execution. And it’s not about real estate first… it’s about becoming the kind of person who can lead, communicate, and create value at a high level.
If you’re on the journey to escape your W2, build active income, or scale your entrepreneurial skills—this episode is one you’ll want to listen to more than once.
Want the Full Interview?
There’s even more to this conversation — including deeper insights, additional mindset shifts, and extended stories Jesse shared off the main recording.
If you want the full uncut version of this episode plus the exclusive bonus material, be sure to subscribe here: [link coming soon]
You won’t want to miss the extra gems Jesse dropped.