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Good Neighbor Podcast Estero
EP # 228 Embracing Change: Davidson Joseph's Journey from Nursing to Real Estate Entrepreneurship
What would you do if an unexpected encounter changed the course of your career forever? Meet Davidson Joseph, the inspiring owner of Redach LLC, who shifted from a stable nursing profession to the challenging world of real estate contracting in Southwest Florida. Hear how an interaction with an unlicensed contractor ignited his drive to become licensed himself, sparking a journey filled with resilience and tenacity. Davidson takes us through his transformative story, from losing everything during the 2008 market crash to rebuilding with sheer self-reliance and a refusal to accept defeat. His insights into personal growth through adversity and the pursuit of self-determination offer valuable lessons for anyone facing career challenges.
Davidson also shares his unconventional approach to business, emphasizing the power of robust subcontractor relationships over traditional employment models. Discover how he navigates the intricate dynamics of the construction industry, leveraging trust and flexibility to forge successful ventures. As he reflects on his personal journey from Haiti to Florida, Davidson highlights the courage needed to embrace entrepreneurship and the rewards that come with it. This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for those in real estate or any field seeking inspiration to push through obstacles and achieve their aspirations.
Redach LLC
Davidson Joseph
(239) 628-2543
davidsonjoseph215@yahoo.com
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, cabo, jim Schaller.
Speaker 2:Welcome Good Neighbors to episode number 228 of the Good Neighbor Podcast. Today we have Good Neighbor Davidson Joseph from Redash LLC. Welcome.
Speaker 3:Good morning, how are you guys? I'm happy to be here. Welcome, I'm happy to having me here, thank you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, absolutely. Always exciting to get to know people in the community and what they do and share that with our listeners. So, without further ado, let's jump right in. And why don't you share a little bit about what you do?
Speaker 3:Well, my name is Davidson Joseph. Originally, I'm from Haiti. I've been living in Southwest Florida for 25 years. There I go to school, become a registered nurse, my wife become a registered nurse. We've been a nurse now for 17 years, but about eight years ago I start playing with real estate in terms of construction. So I ended up paying a contractor to build a house for me. By the time he's done, he's still almost $16,000. Wow. And then come to find out he never had his license in the first place. He was borrowing it from another person. Oh, I was so mad. I still sell the house, make a little profit, but instead of blaming him, I take charge of my life. I say so mad. I still sell the house, make a little profit, but instead of blaming him, I take charge of my life. I say you know what? I'm a registered nurse. It cannot be that hard. So I go back to school, become a contractor.
Speaker 2:This was the best 16,000 I ever lost.
Speaker 3:That is. That is, you know, sometimes through adversity, adversity, we find our way, find our path. And if I can't explain it to you, this is the best thing that ever happened to me. So I ended up I say, okay, I need to learn this, instead of blaming him, I shouldn't know better. So I go to school, become a contractor now I own my, my craft. And then you say you know what, let me try to do one for me. I do first house and I sell it, and I do a second one, and the next year I do four for myself and I sort of make some money. Then next year I'll do eight, like right now, as I'm talking to you, I'm building 15 homes. Wow, not even one dime from the bank that is.
Speaker 2:That is awesome, that is crazy I love it I love it so I was gonna ask you how you got involved in it.
Speaker 3:But that's pretty, that's a, that's a great story the truth is, uh, when I first came to america I'm gonna tell you a secret, though my mother, my mother moved to america when I was three years old, so I never grew up with my mom, so she applied for green card for me and everything, but it took 22 years for the government to approve me to come here. That's a side note. We're not talking about immigration, but legal immigration is almost harder than illegal immigration. But when I came here, I was already 26 years old, and then I went to school, become a nurse uh, this is what we do. But in 2002, I started in real estate. I started buying and selling, buying and selling.
Speaker 3:By 2008, I have eight homes, beautiful homes in tempe, everywhere and the market crashed. I lost everything. I lost everything, but I didn't lose my experience, my flipping experience. That's when I go to school to become a nurse. I had to file for bankruptcy and I start from scratch. That's why I just told you I don't mess with people's money, I don't mess with banks. I start from the scratch. If I have to work three jobs, I work three jobs to save enough money to do one project. I know it's really against the rule right now, because everybody tries to use people's money to start projects. I always tell them everything is good when people are buying, everything is good when the music is playing. Everybody's dancing. When the music stop, you know who really is dancing with the wrong place in the wrong neighborhood. Because if the bank, if you're not selling, and the bank need this money, it's gonna take your property absolutely yeah, stuff that you've worked hard for.
Speaker 3:Oh, yes, sir, yes, sir. What I tell people? This is what I tell people. I hate losing. I know hate is a strong word, right? I hate losing 10 times than I love winning. When you win, there's nothing there, you just okay. I win, I build a house, I make $70,000. Okay, so what next? I build a house, I make $100,000. There is nothing to celebrate it, just rip it, just rinse and repeat. But when you lose, he haunts me. I cannot sleep. I blame myself, I blame everybody, I blame the world. I tell myself I will never lose again. So the reason there is risk is because you don't know what you're doing. So if I don't know what I'm doing, guess what? There's room for improvement, there's room for learning. So I went to basics. I start learning about just a piece of land. Just look at the piece of land. I can learn everything I need to know about that piece of land. If I don't know it, that's my problem. So I learn every step of the way. Yes, sir.
Speaker 2:And that is great. That is great because you know, like you said, through adversity or challenges, that's when people grow, that's when people learn, you adapt and you overcome and you've moved forward from that. You've learned from that.
Speaker 3:Yes, sir.
Speaker 2:Talking about challenges, I mean there's some big challenges. It seems like you've been through a couple, but what is one of the biggest challenges you've been since you started this?
Speaker 3:Tell you the truth because of my background, right, because I have gone through the recession of 2008, this teach me so much, right? So, being a developer now, if there was a challenge, it will be the. The challenge to scale there is in my seat. That's the greatest thing to balance. When do you scale? Because people always come to the party too late. If you were to ask me, I'll say the best time to scale in real estate was between 2010 and 2014. But this was the time people were running away. So, for me, as a developer, when do you scale? When do you go to the bank? Instead of doing 10 projects a year, try to do 50?. This is my challenge, and so, in terms of practicality, my biggest challenge was with my subcontractors. Just a side note, I run a big business with no employee. It's just me. My wife is there, we both 50-50%, so I don't have pay employee. I fully go to the subcontractor model. Basically, I will hire subcontractor for every part of the construction.
Speaker 3:When I started, though, the contractor business is almost like a universe on itself. You can call a contractor 50 times. He never pick up your phone. I have, because he doesn't know you like that. So the relationship in the business is more important than the business itself. Now, all my contractors now I create a model for them. When I met them, they said the first thing you do, you come to my house, let's sit and talk. This is where I live, this is my family, this is my house. You can always come here and find me and I go meet with them. And when I pick up the call on Sunday night, they're going to pick up that call If I have an emergency on the job site. The relationship is what makes them come to work, not the money I pay them.
Speaker 3:So to answer your question how do you scale? When do you scale? Answer your question how do you scale? When do you scale? That's the first challenge. The second one is how do you develop a bond with your subcontractor that's always going to show up for you on time, even if you don't have money to show them up front? I have people I can call right now and say okay, go to that piece of land, start clearing the land, bring dirt, get the pad ready for construction. That's almost $40,000 worth of work. They will go and do the whole thing without even the contract signed, because they know whenever they want to get paid. All they have to do is make a phone call or stop by the house. I'll write them a check.
Speaker 2:Very nice and that's great. That speaks volumes to the relationships that you've built.
Speaker 3:Yes sir, that was the biggest hurdle to go over.
Speaker 2:So let's talk about because you do things a little bit different. Let's talk about myths or misconceptions people have because of the way you approach things.
Speaker 3:Misconceptions. Everybody thinks they can do it Because there is. The biggest universe now is YouTube. The biggest university is YouTube and TikTok and Instagram. Somebody will go watch a video and they think they can do it. So you have a lot of people playing with stuff. They have no idea what's going on.
Speaker 3:So I would strongly suggest that, yes, you can do anything you put your heart into, but you can also do everything you put your mind into in terms of educating yourself. That's the biggest misconception, in my opinion. And the other misconception is because a lot of people think they cannot do it either, because they think it's overwhelming. Oh my God, oh my God, I don't know how you do all this. Overwhelmed Again, educating yourself. Find a mentor, find somebody that do not talk about it but actually doing it and say hey man, what do I need to do to tag along with you? Do you have a book? Do you have a course? Do you have a system? Are you taking internship people? I just want to know how to do this, but I don't want to do it by myself. I want somebody to hold my hand. So it's a two-way street. In one way, somebody thinks they can do it just by watching a video the other way. Somebody totally thinks they cannot do it. And I'm telling you this for the last three years I completely do not go to work anymore.
Speaker 3:I used to work in an NCH hospital. Everybody know me there. For 15 years I loved nursing. I've been a registered nurse. But when you work for someone, I don't care how much they pay you, but they pay you meaning they decide your value up front. But they pay you meaning they decide your value upfront and once you sign the paper you get the job. That's mean you accept the price, the value they're gonna pay you from that day forward. They may do a little three percent, five percent raise in there, but your salary is capped in their mind. Unless you're a salesperson, you get paid on commission. But if you pay hourly like when I left the last paycheck, I was making 75 an hour. That's good money, trust me.
Speaker 3:When I started in america I started four dollars an hour to move from four dollars to twelve dollars to sixteen, to eighteen to twenty, to get to 75 an hour. This is a lifetime for from where I'm sitting. But I ask myself what's next? I did not leave my job. I started a business on the side I go to work at night doing my 60 hours a week at night. During the morning I work and sleep three hours. I do that for four years. But I tell my wife the minute my side job start making more than the nurse, I will leave nursing. That's what I did three years ago and the rest is history.
Speaker 2:Wow, very, very nice, very nice. Now, you're originally from Haiti. What?
Speaker 3:brought you to.
Speaker 2:Southwest Florida.
Speaker 3:Well, my mom lived in West Palm Beach now for almost 47 years. So when I first came to America in 2000, I moved to West Palm. I spent two weeks with my mother. Then I moved to Orlando because I have a niece there. They said there's some job there. I moved there and started making four or five dollars an hour. Then I met with my wife. At that time she was living in Lehigh. So within a year and a half we get married. So we moved to jupiter, florida, and then there I build a little house. That was my first house. I built 92 000 square feet and before I even get married I build a house with a builder.
Speaker 3:Then, two years later, in 2000, I believe 2004, my wife finished college and she was admitted to Edison College in Fort Myers to the nursing program. And then she said well, she cannot go because we just built a house in Jupiter, florida. I said, uh-uh, we're going to sell the house. Education comes first. We're going to sell the house, education comes first. We're going to move over there. I didn't know. The house I bid in $92,000 was already worth $160,000, making $6 an hour at Walgreens. Back then my wife was working at Wendy's making $6.75. When we sell that house, everybody get their money and then we work away $42,000. That was like half a million dollars back then for me.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So from there we moved to Lehigh. We built a house and then I buy four pieces of lead at $4,000 each. And then I went to Ocala and buy one house and I buy another house in Silver Spring, ocala. That was all in that $42,000. Within two years, the land I bought in 2004, I sell each of them in 2006 for $50,000. Wow, that's how I started. That's why I say from 2000 to 2008, I already own eight homes.
Speaker 3:That first little move from Southwest, that was the open gate, Even though I lost everything. But I did not. I'll tell you why. When I lost all my house, I still have a quarter million dollars in the bank. So I let the house go and I get to another bank and I make a deal with the bank. I say I see you have a house on foreclosure. He says what are you going to do? I said I'm buying it cash for $82,000 in 2008. I buy house cash and I get off the mortgage risk. I own my house clear and free in 2008. Wow, it changed the game for me now because in 2014, all the bank is coming after me to sue me because I have so many foreclosures. So I filed for bankruptcy. They couldn't touch my private home. It was protected by Homestead.
Speaker 2:Nice, very nice.
Speaker 3:So my life is a dream man.
Speaker 2:It is I'm excited.
Speaker 3:I love it. It's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 2:So you sound like a very busy man, but when you get a moment of free time, what do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Speaker 3:Oh, my wife says my mind is already racing what I really? First of all, let's put it in context when you really love what you do, it doesn't feel like you're working anymore.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 3:So when I'm working, it doesn't matter whether, if I go to work at six o'clock and it's 10 o'clock, I'm still on the field. It doesn't feel like I'm working because I'm not constrained by nobody. I'm on my own time. I decide what I do. So when I'm tired I go home, or I might decide to stay home till 12 o'clock and use my phone to call subcontractors. But in reality, me and my wife, what we really like to do now we like to do a lot of vacation. We do a lot of cruises. We do a lot of vacation here and there.
Speaker 3:I go to church. I'm a Christian. I go to church every Sunday. I have many prayer meeting in my house with my kids and other family members on the phone at time. I watch a lot of content. I watch a lot of content. I learn. I'm always in the learning mode at the end with everything. I've built a beautiful pool in my house, so, if anything, you see me by my pool just just relaxing. I just like to be lazy, put my feet up and just read a book and just watch my pool, watch my kid. I have four kids, four beautiful kids, so I'm a blessed man.
Speaker 2:That's it. That's relax, a well-deserved relaxation.
Speaker 3:Yes, sir.
Speaker 2:So how would the listeners go about contacting you if they wanted to learn more about what you do or had some questions?
Speaker 3:ah, this is a good one. I used to have a website, but I don't maintain it. I let it go down. But guess what? I? I actually going to give you my. I don't know if it's permitted to give my my email. Oh yeah, absolutely, yep, uh, they can actually. Not only I'm gonna give you my email, I'm gonna give my personal cell phone. I'm an open guy, you know, I'm not. I'm not that crafted.
Speaker 3:I ask people two things be mindful of my time and then, most likely, just text me. Because I have so many vendors 50, 60 phone call I usually don't pick up my phone call anymore. I just let it go to text or or voicemail. If it's important, I will return the call. So my personal cell phone, which is I use for my business, is two, three, nine, six, twenty eight, twenty five, forty three. Two, three, nine, six, two, eight, twenty five, forty three.
Speaker 3:And my personal email when I get, when I get 239-628-2543. 239-628-2543. And my personal email when I get really a big shot. Maybe I won't give that anymore, but my personal email is actually my name. I got four or five emails, but I only use my personal email quicker than anything else. My personal email is my name, which is Davidson D-V-I-D-S-O-N, joseph, j-o-s-e-p-h. 215 at yahoocom Since I came to America.
Speaker 3:That was my first email and I kept it 25 years. I got the same email. But you know what it is. As you keep moving in this world, time is very limited for you. Everybody a piece of it. So what I'm working on now? I'm working to have my first uh book about construction. Very nice, right to see how many friends and family that call me. Hey, man, I start this house. Can you tell me what I do after I do the drywall? Where do I buy my roof supply? What about my foundation? So what I'm doing? I'm doing a simple, probably 100 page book and teach people. Hey, you don't have to talk to me anymore. Go grab the book 19 bucks. If you follow the book, you can make 60, 70, $80,000 a year. You don't have to talk to me anymore.
Speaker 1:But if you buy the book, you're happy.
Speaker 3:But if you buy the book, you're happy. Maybe you call me. I'm a designer. Of course that's for the future, but if somebody wanted to contact me, send me a text. Right now I'm helping a lot of good people in the community. I have nurses that are making $60,000 a year and then I build one project for them. They sell it. They make $90,000 profit.
Speaker 3:Very nice, very nice, you're doing the right things yes, sir, and even my friend asked me how you build so cheap for the people. I said guess what? Whether they build for with me, I'm still building what I can for me. If my capacity right now is 10 hours a year, whether you work with me or not, I'm still gonna make my 10 hours a year and I'm gonna be have a good year. So if a customer or client come to'm still going to make my 10 house a year and I'm going to have a good year.
Speaker 3:So if a customer or client come to me, I want to be mindful of their own money and I tell them don't build this house, because you're not going to make any money. This is what you build and you're going to make $60,000, $70,000 a year or you can keep it for your family, but I don't need your money to survive. So if I'm going to help you, I need to build for you where you make some money on your money. One of the things I tell all my investors you work for me. You make at least 20 to 22% return on your money. That's it.
Speaker 2:Nice, nice, I love it. I love everything you're doing. Davidson, it's been a pleasure getting to know you.
Speaker 3:Yes, sir, likewise.
Speaker 2:Thank you for being such a good neighbor and I hope to see you out in the community here soon.
Speaker 3:Yes sir, yes sir, Thank you, thank you. I'm glad I get to be part of the podcast with you, mr Jen.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast, estero. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPAasterocom. That's gnpasterocom, or call 839-296-2621.