Jason and Shay Whitton on Mastering Marriage, Business and Children

My wife Shay and I don’t just do life together, we do business together too.

Starting Positive Real Estate wasn’t always a smooth ride and as a couple we experienced some low moments – both personal and financial.

However, one thing that has always remained a top priority for us is ensuring we are continually working on our personal growth.

So much so, that when we found ourselves at a crossroads where our last remaining money came through from the sale of our home, we made the decision right then to invest everything we had left into a personal development bootcamp.

We took the only money we had – $20,000, and we chose to spend it on ourselves and put it into the relationships that would guide us for years to come.

Two decades later we’re still on this path of personal growth. Collectively, Shay and I have invested close to a million dollars into self-development.

Was it worth it? Absolutely. It made us more successful as a couple, as parents and as business owners.

Here’s how:

MARRIAGE

When we talk about personal development, there’s no particular mould to fit. For us, we choose to invest heavily in books, courses, seminars and conferences.

Outside of this though, one of the best things we’ve ever done to work on ourselves and our partnership was seeing a marriage counsellor.

Often when we hear the term ‘couple’s therapy’ we immediately think there is something terribly broken in a relationship. However, seeing a therapist – for any reason – is actually an incredible tool for growth.

Counselling helps us to understand both ourselves and our partner better. Learning to recognise which of the life stuff we had to work on both separately and together allowed us to move forward as a stronger team for our family.

There is so much value in talking out your struggles with someone who has no personal agenda or investment in your life.

PARENTING

Raising a family always comes with its challenges.

For Shay and I, one of those has been parenting our youngest son, who’s diagnosed on the spectrum with high functioning Asperger’s and ADHD.

Dealing with a young child who has these heightened needs is like nothing any parent is skilled or tooled up to do – ever. Even as the adult in the relationship, there are things that can really push your buttons, and the best way to navigate those triggers is to work on yourself first.

For us, while we already had a wealth of tools to rely on, it was still hard to get through the tough times together.

The one thing that did make a huge difference was seeking help to unpack it and sort it out. Accessing support when you’re feeling out of your depth is absolutely golden.

Remember it’s not a failure to admit there are other people who know more than you. There are experts out there who can help you and your family grow together for the better.

WORK

Our journey to Positive Real Estate only came about because we invested in our personal growth first.

Without taking the last of our money and putting it all into a self-development bootcamp, we may have never considered the entrepreneurial route.

It was a commitment to be the best people we could be – we didn’t go into it thinking of the financial rewards. Choosing to get into property investment for me, was more of a conversation around adventure, and trying something new.

First, we started on our investment journey, and then later, Positive Real Estate was born.

And now, to this day, the foundation of the work we do in our business is heavily grounded in personal development and growth.

We encourage our employees to invest their time, their energy, and their vulnerability in self-improvement.

EVERYONE NEEDS A COACH

One thing Shay and I stand by in life and in business is this – everyone needs a coach.

In the same way we can sit across the table from a client and mentor them through their property investing journey, we too need to be on the receiving end of that coaching too.

Being expected to work out the nitty gritty of life by yourself is tough and quite frankly, impossible unless you have the skills to do so. Asking for help and allowing others who know more to guide you is something we all should practice more often.

The best part about our work is that we can be on the other side of these mentor sessions, sharing the knowledge we have accumulated over decades and helping others to succeed.

Our goal is to help as many property investors create reliable wealth and live the lives they desire. We offer up our expertise as frequently as we can at our free property investing seminars.

These nights are run by a team of professional coaches who expertly guide you through the property investing process and are able to answer any questions you may have.

If you’re ready to change your life through real estate, AND through personal development book here.

Spaces are limited.

By Jason Whitton
Group CEO Positive Real Estate