Closing Fogel & The $$ We Didn’t Make
It’s finally here…the moment we worked so hard for. It’s closing time for our Fogel Flip project (cue the Semisonic melodramatic “Closing Time” single LOL) . After 12 long months we are passing the baton off and man does it feel good! It’s true…when we get to the end of these projects we are MORE than ready to lock the doors & pass off the keys and take a much needed break. Both physically and mentally, these remodels take a toll on our mind and body. While we often only show the “highlight reel” of our flips, each of these whole home renovations take a little bit of our soul with them when we leave; and sometimes they take a little bit from our pocket book too.
It’s not everyday that we air our “dirty laundry” for all the world to see but let’s be honest…sometimes we can spend an entire year investing our everything into creating something that we believe in, that we pray over, that we are inspired by. And in that…we can still be left empty handed. It’s no secret that real estate investments are a RISK. They just are…you can do all the market research, all the scouting, all the spreadsheets, all the budgeting, all the design planning and at the end of the day, you’re investment can still flop!
I’m not going to lie, we have been insanely blessed in our endeavors. We have found houses that nobody else seems to want and have been able to secure investors that believe in us to do what we do. We have been able to have full creative control over our processes, and designs. And along the way we have seen success; sometimes HUGE, sometimes small, and sometimes (as in the case of the Fogel Flip) none at all. When I say “success” in this case, I’m talking in dollar signs.
However, in the whole scheme of things… “success” is truly so much more than a dollar amount, isn’t it? It’s the lessons learned, the refinement of the process, and the connections made. It’s IN the midst of our seemingly “failed” attempts at doing something we believe in that we learn a little more about who we are and how to make what we love doing a little bit better for the next time around.
We truly feel like this business that we’ve cultivated, nurtured, and grown out of the ground isn’t just ours, I mean it is but more than that, it’s this gift that we’ve been given and together we have been commissioned to steward it. And we feel like when we find a home, it’s our duty to “leave it better than we found it.”
We recently had someone say to us, “I don’t know how you guys make any money on your flips with everything you do to them!” And at first I was a little insulted by this comment but then I remembered our mission; our mission is so much bigger than just a quick “lipstick flip” to get the biggest profit in our pockets. It’s more about bringing to life the forgotten places that no else sees potential in anymore, reimagining the story that will be told for generations to come, and creating a ripple effect in the community to inspire beauty within the walls of their home as well. Is it the “best business plan?” Probably not. But I believe, it’s what we were created to do.
So to all of you that are out there, reaching for the stars, living in alignment with what you feel like the Lord has called you to do, let our story affirm you in your failures. I know that may sound funny but seriously, your success isn’t found in your bank account, it’s found in your shortcomings; the mistakes you make, and the risks you take. In the famous words of Winston Churchill, “Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.” So embrace those failures and turn them into a deep well of beautiful lessons learned that you can continuously draw from in years to come.
Best, Tessa
