God has blessed me throughout my career with some amazing mentors. My favorite of all time, hands down, have been Billy and Becky Epperhart with WealthBuilders. Even when I wasn’t working directly for Billy and Becky, they took an interest in my success. Through their mentorship, I learned how to start a successful business, how to build wealth, and how to trust God through challenges. I could never have attained the depth of their wisdom from strictly traditional learning. I trust them and I am open to listen and learn from them on any subject. Through their mentorship, I “caught” wisdom and knowledge that was not available to me anywhere else at the time. I can honestly say, my relationship with Billy and Becky and Wealthbuilders has increased the quality of life in my career, family, and marriage. 

Dave and I find ourselves quoting nuggets to each other from Wealthbuilders seminars and consulting what we have learned from Billy and Becky before each financial decision we face. After moving to the Dallas area, Dave and I, along with my son Levi started Sweet Tea Properties with a variety of real estate endeavors. Our ventures currently range from long-term and vacation rentals to a total renovation flip that we are calling The Coastal Cottage.

In the process of starting Sweet Tea Properties we utilized Billy and Becky’s guidelines for finding real estate markets that work financially. Those guidelines provided us with the information we needed to study markets and locate the right area to begin our real estate investing. Some of those guidelines include: rent ratio to purchase price, median income calculation for maximum purchase price, cash flow minimums, and cash on cash return. 

Once we located a favorable area near us that projected the desired returns, we began purchasing properties that are now meeting and exceeding the guidelines in this market! It has been a wonderful family venture, and we are steadily building our portfolio as well as a legacy for  future generations. We are daily grateful for the wisdom so freely shared by Billy and Becky.

The amazing success we are experiencing in this real estate market has begun to spill over into the ministry side of our lives. We have begun taping our before and after progress with The Coastal Cottage for an HGTV style series being aired on Liftable.TV. Sweet Tea Hospitality is a combination of the excitement centered around purchasing, renovating and selling property in today’s market along with the Biblical principles used to become successful in building wealth.

My life purpose, to bring vision to reality, together with a designer’s taste (without a designer price tag), and my foundation in the Word is a power packed mix that is super fun and I hope will be inspiring. The principles I learned in business and at Charis Bible College are the same ones I now teach as the Vice President of Wealthbuilders. I also regularly apply these principles in my business consulting, life coaching and entrepreneurial endeavors. 

Billy always says “pay attention to what shows up at your door.” Dave and I have been amazed by the incredible opportunities that have literally come knocking at our door and we haven’t shied away from the hard work that naturally comes with those opportunities. Using my creativity, Dave’s ingenuity and Levi’s willingness to jump into the middle of anything, Sweet Tea has become an adventure beyond what we could have imagined when we started. 

When God gives an invitation to participate with Him in a venture, He provides everything you need to become a success, but there is always a certain amount of risk involved. It takes faith to know you are hearing God’s voice and that He is trustworthy. In Luke 6:46-47, Jesus gave us a pattern for accepting an invitation toward whatever adventure He is offering. He says whoever comes to Him (in relationship) and hears His words (receiving ideas, truth and wisdom) then acts upon them (stepping out in faith) will be building His house on a solid foundation. His house will not be shaken and he will weather every storm. Let me encourage you to step out in faith toward that thing the Lord has planted in your heart. He has a unique purpose for your life and it is a good one!