Scott Jones Ð 00:00 Ð 00:28
Welcome to Dream Big with Big Dreamers. Conversations for career growth, inspiration, and insight 
hosted by Donna Serdula and yours truly, Scott Jones. Here are the inspiring stories that shaped the 
careers of top executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals. These empowering discussions offer 
guidance and advice as you advance in your career. It's time to Dream Big.
Donna Ð 00:29 Ð 00:57
With me today is Michael Cuevas. Cuevas. Cuevas. did I say it right?
Michael, I don't care what you call me. Just call me, right? Michael Cuevas is the real estate marketing 
dude, and he has a video content creation company that specializes in the real estate space by scripting, 
editing, and distributing video content. Mike, thank you so much for joining us today.
Michael Ð 00:58
Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.
Donna Ð 01:00 Ð 01:27
Yeah, I'm excited to have you here as well. Now, I want to talk about you and your career and how you 
got here and those little steps that you took along the way. You and I had just done a podcast just the 
other day. I was on your podcast. One of the things I said to you was, I like you, Mike. You dream big, 
and I think you really do. So, can you give me a little bit of a background on where you came from here?
Michael Ð 01:28 Ð 03:30
Yeah. I'm born and raised in Chicago. I originally started my graduate college there. Believe it or not, I 
took real estate classes as the last elective. I needed this to graduate. It ended up being my career. I was 
an advertising major, but I graduated in 2002, and I went immediately into selling real estate in 
downtown Chicago, which is difficult. I was a 22-year-old kid. People just don't take you seriously when 
they're spending 400,000 dollars on a property, right? So, I had to overcome all of that stuff.
And I was a real estate agent for my whole career. Recently, three years ago, I decided to quit 
everything. I quit my job. I quit everything. I had an up and down career in real estate, and I had zero 
plan. I had this podcast called Real Estate Marketing Dude, and I picked up my family and I moved to 
Chicago. What I'm doing now wasn't even an idea when I was there, but I knew that I started building a 
software company a couple of years ago, and it's just something I never do.
I did everything wrong, and it went through my entire bank account to the point where I became broke. 
Like I went from making millions to go and broke. And I had the same entrepreneurial story that 
everybody shares. But I attributed all new faith over fear. I found Chris and I started following Christ and 
all of that gave me peace of mind to at the age of 37 years old, start over with two young kids and move 
to freaking the most expensive market in the country.
San Diego with no job. So, we just figured it out. And I believe I always made really good money in real 
estate. But I wasn't happy. I was miserable. I hated selling houses. I hated the emotional aspect of it. 
And I wanted to get out. I was burnt. I didn't enjoy showing houses on the weekends anymore. I would 
literally cringe on a Friday night, Saturday morning, waking up, thought knowing I had to go spend eight 
hours with somebody bitch and moan about GFCI outlets. And I just burnt out.
So, I had to make a move, man. And I just trusted my gut. And it wasn't easy. It was very difficult, but I'm 
glad I did. Looking back, in hindsight.
Donna Ð 03:31
Are you married? Do you have a wife?
Michael Ð 03:35
I have a wife, two kids. And I just had another one, 2 months ago. So, we now have three.
Donna - 03:40
Was she like, Mike, what are you thinking? We've got these kids.
Michael Ð 03:42
Maybe little bit, but I've always been entrepreneurial, you know? 
Michael Ð 03:51 Ð 04:37
We didn't know the road we were going to have until after we got here. It's the truth. Like everything 
was supposed to be nice. And I had something set up, another that can't be panned out realistically. But 
Here's what it comes down to, survival of the fittest. At the end of the day, when an animal has no food 
to eat, they figure it out. Right? And I see the same thing in entrepreneurialism is that we always are 
wondering, I believe if you have something that you love to do and you're passionate about that, people 
will naturally attract you.
And I'm living proof of that. I didn't. It was tough. I literally put my head down and I didn't stop working. 
I worked my butt off the last three years, but it's paying off right now. So, for anyone who's 
entrepreneurial and you're scared about going all in. If you don't, you're always going to suck it, I guess. I 
can promise you that. That's not a good way to live.
Donna Ð 04:38
No. Did you have an idea? So, you knew that real estate wasn't your passion at that point, but was 
marketing and advertising. Was that your real passion?
Michael Ð 4:45 Ð 5:46
I'm really good at marketing around real estate. I was really good at creating business. I just didn't want 
to be the guy that took the calls anymore when I did, right? Because I wanted to remove myself from 
the emotional aspects of the real estate business. I just don't enjoy it anymore, and I cringe it. But I was 
really good at the marketing side of it. So, I started a podcast in 2015 well before we ever moved. Two 
years before I even knew I was moving because I knew the concept that I had to build an audience, and I 
didn't know what the hell I was going to sell.
I just knew that as long as I had an audience, I'd sell them something, something, which is the 
fundamental concept of any business we got people all the time. They're like, oh, you're going to go 
start a business? Well, not before I do the research of who my audience was. So, I knew my audience 
would be a real estate agent. It's in some way, shape or form. I knew I had a podcast that was growing, 
and I just didn't know what I was going to do to monetize it until after I got out here.
And once I actually removed myself from the business, I saw where their needs were. And that's what 
created our service that we have today.
Donna Ð 5:47
And talk a little bit about your service.
Michael Ð 5:50 Ð 6:50
So, we saw a problem when I was in Chicago selling real estate. I hate the sales part of real estate. Don't 
know what you think about real-estate agents, but they don't have the highest opinion. Public highest 
public opinion. They're just under that used car salesman. Generally, people all the time. I hear it. 
Maybe you have a nice agent friend, but the general public doesn't regard real estate agents as the 
highest amount. A lot of times, most real estate agents are selling people. They're sales people. I don't 
like that.
I like serving first. I like selling through solutions and the brand. And I was really good at branding my 
business, so I would attract clients. So that's really the core of our business model today. I was really bad 
at cold calling people and being like, hey, you want to buy yourself a house out there? That's just not for 
me. Most people would be at all. Real estate is not the business for you. I disagree. You know, I think 
that it's a business for anybody that wants to build a business, but it relates around brand. So, video 
content, I thinkÉ
Donna Ð 6:51
And if you think about it like. The real estate agents who are really successful are the ones that have that 
really strong brand that people resonate to and are attracted to. They feel like they know that person. 
They can trust that person.
Michael Ð 7:00 Ð 7:28
It's a giant popularity contest. You're exactly right. 78% of business is done has done. People decide they 
already know the agent. They use them in the past or they're referred to so him. The vast majority of 
business for real estate agents, even lenders, is referral or personable. It's not through lead generation 
where it's opposite in every other business because it's a referral-based business. You don't get referrals 
from strangers. You get them from the people you know
Donna Ð 7:29
You had said earlier, you said that you found faith. You found Christ. Was this something that just 
recently happened as your life was in that state of flex?
Michael Ð 7:41 Ð 10:10
Yaa So what happened was all 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, we shifted to short sales in the last market crash, 
and we have the best years of our life. Production wise, we are closing 25 to 35 houses a month. Some 
of those I was buying, we're making a hundred thousand a month. I was a millionaire. Like, I was making 
a ton of money, and I went so deep into the short sale market that when it left, I didn't leave with it. 
Right. I went so deep into it; it was a fad.
I burnt out so bad that in 2013, I had to start over essentially, almost like, as a brand. I had a database 
and all that. But I almost started as a brand-new real estate agent. Right? I was depressed. I was losing 
20 Grand a month. I had a brokerage to paper. I rent in one night. I was by myself in my house, and I had 
this. I don't know what kind of experience you want to call it, whereas I felt the Lord was talking to me 
like, I can't explain it if something got my attention.
And this is a true story. I had a mentor at that time who was coaching me a year prior, and this 
gentleman is really into his faith. And at the time of my call, it my intervention. If he will, he sends me a 
text, mind you that he lives in Oklahoma City. Yeah, I was in Chicago. I haven't talked to him in months. 
This is right. When I'm looking up, the guy, I'm like, are you talking to me? This guy sends me a text, and 
I don't remember the exact words of it, but the tax is only he goes, hey, Mike, I'm just checking on you, 
making sure everything is going all right.
And I'm like, I don't know how you are texting me at this time, but I literally feel like I'm having 
intervention with God. He's like, well, sometimes God uses other people to speak through for him. And I 
was just like, Wow, literally. I don't know how to explain it, other than it just it happened, right? And 
there's some kind of thing there. The next couple of days, my wife comes home that night, and she's just 
like, I tell her what happens. I'm like, Dude, I just don't be like, you're crazy.
So, I remember I read the reading the Bible. I read Bill O'Reilly, Killing Jesus. I read the historic facts. I 
read everything. I was always religious, but I wasn't religious. Like, I'm Catholic, Mexican. That's what we 
are, weÕre Catholic. But, you know, I couldn't say. I practice. And I swear to God, every single time I 
would pick up the Bible, I would find the answer to the question I was looking for.
Donna
Really?
Michael 10:12 Ð 10:59
I stopped worrying, and I put my fear- and that's why I always say faith over fear. It's like my tagline. And 
every single time that I would do that, I cannot tell you how many times, like the anxiety would go away 
or something happens. I could tell you, there were months when I was in San Diego, I was like, oh, man, 
I'm I do payroll tomorrow, and 5,000 dollars shows up in my bank count from a prayer. I cannot tell you 
how many times that has happened to me and that's ever since then, I just put my date right into it.
Yeah. I go all in on everything. I'm not scared of anything. Because at the end of the day, if you're willing 
to put yourself out there and you truly believe in what it is that you're selling, you're going to make it.
Donna Ð 11:00 Ð 11:22
You know, and I feel if I'm just selling, there's nothing there. But if I'm helping people and I'm trying to 
change people's lives, I'm trying to give them something that they can use to do more, be more. 
Somehow. It's a totally different animal. Do you know what IÕm trying to say?
Michael Ð 11:23
It's mindset. It's serving first versus selling, and its people over profits.
Donna Ð 11:28
And when you put people over profits, the profits always come. That's the funny part.
Michael Ð 11:35 Ð 11:54
Especially in real estate, because the vast majority of business comes from referrals. And if you sell 
someone something, trust me, they're never going to give you referral again. When you help them 
accomplish something, it's different. Everyone cares on how you make people feel. And that's ultimately 
what we're in the profession of. We help people that have problems surrounding their house.
Donna Ð 11:55 Ð 12:06
Yeah. And they want to feel they want to feel that they're taken care of. Their understood. And you can 
help them. I mean, I think that's what's going to really make a person make that decision. What did your 
parents do for a living when you were growing up?
Michael Ð 12:07 Ð 13:20
What did your parents my mom always stay at home. My dad? Well, this is probably where I get to drive 
from through high school. My dad was really successful. I didn't grow up like a poor kid. I was pretty 
spoiled. But it was in college that my dad lost everything. And he lost his corporation. Lost his company, 
had a family feud with the brother, my uncle. Long story short, they buried themselves. This is like a 
multiple million-dollar company. We were set. He lost it. He went into depression.
So, the last two years of college, I had to put myself basically through it. They didn't have any spending 
money left to give me. And what my dad had to revert to is he started selling pails of soap to the 
Mexican restaurants in Chicago. So, they had a ton of soap. And one day just brought me down about 
300 gallons of soap. And I started a little soap business. And in College, just running door to door to the 
restaurants and saw them 25-gallon pails of soap so they could wash your dishes.
That's how I got through. Beers were only 25 cents on Wednesday nights. Back then, he needs to make a 
lot of money. Rent was only 300 dollars. But between that and selling some other things, I figured it out. 
And, you know, just from that point on, I realized, shit, IÕm by myself.
Donna Ð 13:21
Like, early on, when you started with real estate, did you feel that you had to drive to prove yourself or 
most of it?
Michael Ð 13:32 Ð 14:22
Yeah. Because for me, it was real. Probably about 5 or, 7 years later, I was actually one taking care of my 
parents. I knew that was coming.  For me, it was never just taking care of myself as me taking care of my 
whole family. And even at 22, I still had a family. It wasn't my own kids. It was my parents who turned 
into him. And that was just a reality of it. I believe it's always my obligation to take care of everybody 
around me. That's really what I did.
I saw that all coming because I knew when my parents lost the house and all that and that was all 
coming. So, I was working hard. The other part of it is just I'm super competitive by nature. I'm like, I 
love competition. So thatÕs just wired into me. But you have to be willing to put in the work like nothing 
comes easy. And I realize that. And that's one principle that my dad did teach me throughout, you know, 
growing up.
Donna Ð 14:23
Are your parents still with you today?
Michael Ð 14:26 Ð 14:39
Yeah. They're both in Chicago. Still in Chicago. No problem rotting away. They are. I'm trying to move 
out here, but they're stubborn.
Donna - 14:40 Ð 14:53
There's something about Chicago. IsnÕt there? For some people, it's a habit, maybe. What did you want 
to be when you grew up? You didn't want to be a real estate agent?
Michael Ð 14:54- 15:35
No. Nobody wants to be a real estate agent when they grow up. I like marketing. I was in my college 
degree. I was in marketing and advertising and all of that, I didn't know what I wanted to do. Honestly, 
my career choice was chosen by the last elective I took in college. And that's what I ended up doing. I 
didn't really know. I just saw someone like, hey, you can make a lot of money in real state. And that's 
why I went into it. And then once I went all in, I was all in.
He takes you any business, anyone entrepreneur. You're not going to make money the first year, you 
know, making money the second year really break even if you're lucky. If you do that, if you're really 
running a business, if you do an entrepreneur thing and great, you could probably turn profit right away. 
But if you're really, really running a business, your business isnÕt going to take off for two years.
Donna
Yeah
Michael 15:37 Ð 16:16
You have to realize that. And it happened with me and my real estate business that happened with me, 
in the short sale business that happened with me, in real estate marketing dude, that's happened with 
me and our software we are building. Every business takes time to do. But every business is also at least 
for our space is always built around brand, in attention. And as long as you have you understand the 
concept of an audience for anyone that's listening, like I'm thinking about going into this business. Well, 
you don't have to go into it right away.
What you need to do is start building the audience of the people you're going to sell your shit to now. 
Because that ultimately what's going to drive every business.
Donna - 16:17 Ð 16:38
Right? It reminds me of advice I had gotten years and years ago when I was in sales. I was the only thing 
a salesperson has is his book of business or her clients. And it doesn't matter what you're selling as long 
as you have that group, that book, that network, and ultimately it is it's your network, right?
Michael Ð 16:39 Ð 16:55
It is. People don't go back to the same restaurant because they like the food. They go back because they 
like the waiter. Many times, they like the ambiance. And then they like the food. Food is very good, but 
with bad service, they don't come back.
Donna Ð 16:56 Ð 17:18
Yeah, it's true. And I think it goes back to what you had said. It's how they made you feel. People don't 
remember what you did or what you said, but they remember how you made them feel. It's a great 
quote. I love it. I think that's really important. What do you wish you knew when you were starting out? 
Is there a lesson that you learned later that you wish you had learned earlier?
Michael Ð 17:19
Yes. When you know your numbers first.
Donna Ð 17:22
what do you mean by that? what do you mean by that?
Michael Ð 17:23 Ð 18:27
Well, entrepreneurs, like honestly, I was always I'm an idea guy, so I'm great at ideas. I'm great at 
building stuff. I'm great at creating things. But I was very poor at the business side of things, watching 
customer acquisition costs. And that is equally as important regardless of your drive. And if I were to do 
anything differently, it would be more financially fiscally responsible over time, because when things are 
going good, they're going good. And you don't think about it then. But I could tell you first-hand 
experience, I would just take some time to invest in 2012 ,13, 14É
I never went through what I went through the last six years. Previous or after that, you have to look at 
the big picture. Always nothing comes through, like, take some money, invest it. Take some money. 
Invest it. Because when it goes in business, least in ours, it's not always going to go good. there's going 
to be change. And if there is, you have to be ready for it. Look what happened with COVID.
Donna Ð 18:28 Ð 18:41
No one saw that coming. What has that been like? Have you learned anything from this? What was the 
major disruption that occurred to you that you think was a good thing to happen?
Michael Ð 18:42 Ð 19:07
So, we basically do virtual video production for people all around the country, so we are actually played 
into our favor. Believe it or not, we were just set up that way because the video was the only way to get 
face to face during COVID with people, which is so important. And the real estate market blew up at the 
same time. So, we lucked out in that sense, However, when it first hit. Yeah, we got shocked. Like, we 
lost a lot of business because people were scared. They're like, oh, the first thing most people do is cut 
costs, right? I know I did personally.
Donna Ð 19:08 Ð 19:13
Oh, Yea everyone did. If you are smart you cut because we didn't know what was blooming.
Michael Ð 19:14 Ð 19:39
But that's the thing. And then we went into instant creation mode. We started selling courses. We 
started selling this. We had events and online events. Right. So, there's always a way to make it. As long 
as your product, there's a need in any market. And that's really what I feel that we're selling is a vision. 
At the end of the day, we're solving a problem. At the end of the day.
Donna Ð 19:40
Right. Somebody had said to me once, it's about selling hopes and dreams more than anything else.
Michael Ð 19:48
Sell the sizzle.
Donna Ð 19:49
Yeah
Michael Ð 19:50
People don't come to us a sale. We're going to script it and distribute your video content. They come to 
us because as a result of us doing that, they're going to attract more business.
Donna Ð 20:00
Looking forward, looking ahead, what's the next big dream for you? Is there something that you haven't 
started working on but it's out there?
Michael Ð 20:10 -21:07
Yeah, I am in the middle of about three startups. Real estate marketing dude is one. We're launching a 
software that's just about done. That's what brought me to San Diego in the first place. That's been an 
eight-year headache. Eight years, no work, no pay, nothing but outgoing expenses. So that's finally 
coming to fruition. And we're launching a new a new course training model with a different partner that 
should spread off in some other partnerships. But that's exactly like I spent two years building, building.
And then now that the momentum is there opportunities come. And it's just what you do with those 
opportunities once they do. So right now, just like, we're excited because we're looking at developing 
several streams of income. They're all related the same thing. But I'm just focused on building, the 
bigger brand. Just let these things roll out. We put in a lot of work, so it's time for it to pay off. And they 
might not. You know what I mean? But it's not like we're going to go down without swinging.
Donna - 21:08
I have a feeling that going down is not even an option for you.
Michael Ð 21:17 Ð 22:16
Like, Yeah, you could say that. It's not. It doesn't. If you don't have people look at me and be like, hey, 
how does he not worry? It's like, because I have a steel freaking heart right now. I've been through the 
worst of the worst, the biggest stress of the stress. And the last stuff I won't even say on the show. But I 
believe that you go through parts of your life like that, because there's a bigger blessing around the 
corner. At least that's what my Faith teaches me, and they're called trials and tribulations.
So, when people sales, people say this a lot, too. Like, well, you got to keep getting rejected until you 
finally get that. Yes, it's the same thing. You got to go through pain to get gain. If you don't, it'll never 
pay off, and you'll never learn what it took to get there in the first place, which will be I don't think you'll 
ever have longevity in your business unless you experience that pain. I became a better businessman 
because of the pain I went through, not the other way around.
Donna Ð 22:17 Ð 22:34
Don't you feel, though, that once you experience it, you have to accept it. But once you've been in it, 
that's when the growth really occurs. But so many people don't even allow themselves to get to that 
point of feeling the pain or the awkwardness or the discomfort.
Michael Ð 22:35 Ð 23:20
Well, it's fear. Fear is understandable. Like if you don't have, like, without faith, I don't do any of that. 
The faith is what gave me, and I don't know what that may be for. I'm not telling everyone here you 
have to go find God. I mean, that's up to you. But you do have to put your trust into something, I 
believe. Maybe it's your family. Maybe you have a very strong partner at home that's helping you get 
through this. Or maybe you have a very supportive thing.
Maybe you had someone pass away. That's your why. But if you don't have the why upfront, you're not 
going to get there, period, because there's a reason why you're going to go through all of that, to do it, 
and you have to realize that. And then you just got to explore the journey. In hindsight, it was all fun at 
the time. It wasn't.
Donna Ð 23:21 Ð 23:32
Yeah, that so reminds me of something my father used to say to me. You may not be having fun now, 
but when you look back at this, you're having the time of your life.
Michael Ð 23:33
It is. Yeah
Donna - 23:34 - 24:09
You just don't know it right now. But I think there's something to be said in terms of taking the action, 
practicing, doing it over and over and over again, you know, not being afraid to fail, not being afraid to 
take those risks, you know, going all in. That is what I think, Mike, you do so very well. And because of 
that, you stay motivated and you're going to be you see, you reap the rewards of it.
Michael Ð 24:10
I saw a stat, I think, a Shark Tank. I watch Shark Tank all the time. So, 90% of new small businesses fail. 
So only 10% succeed, right? And that's a stat that will scare most people. But my question is always, like, 
well, out of the failed. When did they quit?
Donna Ð 24:26
when did they quit?
Michael Ð 24:27
Did they quit early on, a little too early.
Donna Ð 24:29
When they get it tough to get going orÉ
Michael Ð 24:35 Ð 25:00
No. without the passion behind it, it won't work like you have to want. And if you have that in there like 
that authenticity, especially with video.
If you're started business, you're going to get on video. If you're not, you're not going to get business. 
That just how it is right now. Well, when you're on businesses about how authentic you become, if you 
really want to attract with video, I don't care what you're doing video on I care that you're smiling while 
you're doing, because then everything else will become a lot more natural.
Donna Ð 25:01
as we're winding down this podcast, do you have any tips or tricks for a person who just sort of maybe 
feel stuck, what they can do to find that passion or to move ahead or to stay motivated?
Michael Ð 25:20 Ð 26:01
Get off your butt and go to an event with other people actually doing it? Surround yourself with those 
people. If you're just watching content online, the chances of you actually taking action are going to be 
very, very little. But when you put yourself in a room, you get on a plane ticket and you invest and you 
see other people actually doing it that will kick you in the ass and get you into gear. You have to get 
outside, help. You're not going to do it a loan.
And sometimes it's motivational being with other people, but you have to surround yourself with those 
people. Otherwise, you're not going to get out of the room. Every single group, at least in our space, 
there's like the whole, like, training circuit and the gurus and the people with all these products in real 
estate. It's a very small crowd, right? Every single one of them.
Donna Ð 26:02
To me, it feels like there's someone in every single bucket on Facebook advertising.
Michael Ð 26:11 Ð 27:43
There's a lot. But when they're just running a lot of ads, they're all marketers. Trust me, they're all in the 
same mastermind on the back end. They're all in the same group on the back end. It's a very small 
world. But every single one of those people put themselves in those rooms. The business partner I have 
today on my software, how I ended up in San Diego. I met at a Mastermind in 20 11 in Tampa Bay. On 
short sales. Today is my business partner. If I never put myself in that mastermind with him, I would 
have never met him.
I would never have moved to San Diego, and I never had a partner on a software company. The 
relationships you put you build are more profitable than anything. And if you don't get outside of your 
own space in your own market and see how people are doing it, you're never going to do it differently. 
So that's my big piece of advice. You have to invest in yourself. Buy a course. I was a Master course 
buyer. People that want to spend money to invest themselves, but yet they spend 30,000 dollars in a 
college education they're never going to use.
They'll go get their MBA in a degree they might never be monetized, but you could go take a course for 
1,500 dollars that tells you exactly how to launch the business you want, but yet they won't invest in 
that. So, the ballÕs right there. The question is, are you going to grab it or not? It's not that because no 
one's going to do it for you. So, when you actually break it down. The truth is, most people won't take 
action. The ones who do, will, and they'll be the ones that we're talking about. Or maybe they'll be the 
next guest on your show here. Right?
Donna Ð 27:44
LetÕs hope! This has been fabulous. I got a lot out of this. I think our listeners did, too. If a person wanted 
to reach out to you or maybe utilize your services, can you give us some information where we can find 
out more about you?
Michael Ð 28:00
Sure, you could feel free to visit us? Realestatemarketingdude.com. That's our handle on all the social 
platforms, too. If you just look for real estate marketing dude, we're the only marketing dude in real 
estate marketing out there. So, yeah, you could visit us. We have a podcast and check us out on our 
social handles. And any type of value I can add for you guys I'm sure you'll see a lot through the content, 
or feel free to message me on the site.
Donna Ð 28:25
Thank you so much, Mike.
Michael Ð 28:26
Thank you for having me
Donna Ð 28:27
Anytime! Bye Bye!
Scott Jones Ð 28:28
Thanks for listening to Dream Big with Big Dreamers. If you like the show, please do us a favor, go into 
iTunes and write a review and give us a rating or share it with a friend via social media or email if you 
think they'd benefit from these conversations. Thanks again for listening. And we'll catch you next time. 
Until then, keep dreaming big.