Episode 571: The Five Step Formula for Getting Unstuck with Chris Prefontaine

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August 05, 2026•3 min read
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In this solo episode, I wanted to make a couple of important announcements and get real about why most real estate investors never actually do a deal. Starting now, we're pivoting the Smart Real Estate Coach podcast to twice a month: the first Wednesday will be a solo cast from me, and the third Wednesday will feature someone from our Smart Real Estate Coach family sharing their own success story, many of whom started with zero experience.

I get honest about my own story here too, including hitting a real low point between 2008 and 2012, going from an oceanfront home to a one-bedroom apartment in my mid-40s, starting over completely. What changed things wasn't the market, it was me finally admitting I was the problem, which also meant I was the solution. I break down why most investors don't fail from lack of knowledge, they fail because they never actually get in the game with a real, structured plan.

I also announce the rebrand of what used to be our In The Trenches Bootcamp, now called Deal Lab, a hands-on, in-person experience where you're calling real leads, structuring real offers on a whiteboard, and walking away with real metrics and a plan, not just concepts. I walk through the five step formula I use with every student: get honest about where you are, decide where you want to go, identify what's really blocking you, build a massive action plan with help, and track it relentlessly.

Finally, I announce this year's 3 Paydays Live event, September 27th through 29th, which is going back to our roots this year with no outside speakers, just our family team and coaches who are doing deals in the trenches every single week. If you've been stuck studying instead of doing, or waiting for permission you're never going to get, this episode is the direct nudge to finally get in the game.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:23 Introducing new announcements and updates to the show

02:13 The podcast's new format: twice monthly, solo casts and family member success stories

03:16 Why now is the biggest opportunity Chris has seen in 35 years in the business

04:13 The real reason most investors fail: never getting in the game with a real plan

05:08 Why staying in one niche for 3 to 7 years matters more than chasing shiny objects

06:06 Introducing what used to be In The Trenches Bootcamp, now rebranded as Deal Lab

07:03 Chris's own rock bottom: a one bedroom apartment in his mid-40s after an oceanfront home

09:16 Why "drifting" without deciding is the most expensive thing an investor can do

09:38 The four year stretch, 2008 to 2012, that cost Chris millions in missed opportunity

10:00 A real member example: designing a one year, one million dollar three paydays plan

12:09 The advice from a past podcast guest: "just get in a different room"

13:36 How Deal Lab actually works across its two and three quarter days

15:13 The five step formula: honesty, direction, identifying blocks, action, and tracking

16:11 A member's real 90 day metrics, and why numbers turn a hobby into a business

18:07 Announcing 3 Paydays Live, September 27 to 29, with no outside speakers this year

19:24 What's new at this year's event: hands on workshops and extended Q&A

Quotables

“If you're stuck, the good news is guess what, you're also the solution.”

“If you don't have numbers, you have a hobby. You don't have a business.”

“There's not a lack of deals right now. There's just a lack of knowledge on how to structure the right deals.”

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