375 Trixy Castro

Jeffrey Feldberg: [00:00:00] Trixy Castro is a dynamic entrepreneur who has launched and invested in over 50 companies across diverse industries. She is passionate about empowering individuals to excel in their business and entrepreneurial pursuits. 

She has a remarkable career, spending over two decades and is a known innovator in the real estate and finance industries. As the founder and former owner of Genesis Capital, she revolutionized real estate private money financing, growing the company to an industry leader. She created Genesis Auctions, a real estate auction platform to provide her borrowers access to additional inventory.

Trixy's visionary approach led to the acquisition of Hudson and Marshall, a renowned real estate auction platform, which she merged with Genesis Auctions. She then had two successful exits with Genesis Capital being sold to Goldman Sachs and Hudson and Marshall selling to Fidelity National Title.

Trixy continues to invest in, build, and sell new ventures.

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Welcome to the Deep Wealth Podcast. Well, Deep Wealth Nation, you heard it in the official introduction. We have a fellow entrepreneur, founder, visionary, success coach, mentor, you name it, she has done it, a true success story through and through, but I'm going to put a plug in it right there. Trixy, welcome to the Deep Wealth Podcast.

An absolute pleasure to have you with us. And Trixy, with your background, with your story, I'm really curious because there's always a story behind the story, but what's your story? What got you from where you were to where you are today?

Trixy Castro: Thank you so much for having me. It's a true pleasure to be here. I'm very excited to be here. Let me take you back to 14 year old Trixy that made the soccer team and the cheers and so each sport was, I think in those days, a thousand or fifteen hundred dollars. And I was so [00:05:00] excited to have made these two teams into want to be able to play with them, but I didn't want to, place any undue financial hardship on my parents.

So I decided to go earn the money. Well, it turns out at 14, you need a worker's permit and a ride to work and someone that'll hire you and so I quickly realized okay, I've got a week and a half to get this done. Let me figure out a better way. So I don't know if you remember the old computer paper with the bubbles on the side,

Jeffrey Feldberg: do. Yeah.

Trixy Castro: processor. Yeah. Yeah. so a neighbor had that. So I went to their house and then I took my younger sister's magic markers and long story short, I made these, beautiful business cards or so I thought called Trixy's Theater Time. And this was my very first company. And I went across the street to the elementary school where my younger sisters went and I went to the principal and I said, listen, this is what I'm doing.

Could you introduce me to the teachers? To make a long story short, within 30 days, I was making more money cash under the table than both my parents combined. What that taught me is where there's a will, there's a way. And at [00:06:00] that moment, I knew that I wanted to go out and build something really cool.

I knew that I wanted to be, Somebody that people could relate to and they could say, wow, if she did it, so can I. I wanted to inspire fellow entrepreneurs and women that, perhaps hadn't had these opportunities like myself to be able to think big and to think that way. And so, in order to do that, I, went into banking and I, walked in and asked Wells Fargo if I could have a job as a teller.

And I figured, I would learn it magically . And so I was in school at the same time and. I realized really quickly that there's a lot of opportunity if you're looking for it. But you've got to be willing to roll up your sleeves and do whatever it takes. And so while I was in college, I was working at this wonderful bank, Wells Fargo, and I was realizing that my largest depositors were gamblers.

They were real estate groups and they were in tech. So it wasn't trying to go to jail for counting cards. Tech was still fairly new. So I thought, you know what, let me [00:07:00] learn this real estate play and understand it. And so really understanding what was happening in those days, they were hiring these, real estate developers and groups were hiring kids my age, in their college years.

To have wads of cashier's checks walk down to the courthouse steps, and they were buying these foreclosed homes, fixing them up, and then selling them. This was pre the reality TV shows I decided, wow, this is an incredible niche because there isn't a lender.

that can lend to them at scale. So some of these groups were very sophisticated, they were doing 100, 125 flips a month, okay? And they were doing this in large volume, and yet because of banking guidelines, they would only qualify for let's call it Call it 10 loans and so I thought, my God, there's gotta be a better way to do this.

So I set out to do that. I set out to create a bank and to be able to be that debt provider for these groups. And so big vision, stars in my eyes, wanted to do it. And started my company with a phone and a desk. And I'm telling you a [00:08:00] tiny little desk. And my mother didn't speak to me for like two weeks because she was so upset.

She was like, I, we all, we came here from Cuba, to provide you and your sisters the American dream and you're supposed to do A, B and C, and so, it was such a surreal experience, because now, you've got this opportunity, but you've got to figure it out. And so I hired my first employee.

She was working for a prom dress. She was actually interviewing at my brother's health club. He used to be in the fitness industry. And I happened to be there working out and I said, wait a second. What are you doing? Why are you here? Where's your mom? Who's this boy, what's happening?

And so I'm just. She came to work for me. So now, my phones are being answered from three to six, when she's done with school. And I have my nephew at the time who was also in high school and he was my videographer and I paid him in gas money, which I would have given him anyways.

And then Brittany decides to have the audacity to try out and get the high school play. It was Bye Bye Birdie. So now I have [00:09:00] zero help. So we hire her best friend, Brittany. So to make a long story short. This is my dream team. Okay. And from that, we created something so special that we later then sold to Goldman Sachs, but to take you through it, it was really neat.

We all still work together. We've become friends that are family and it's been really exciting, but, Put that company called Genesis Capital together and had to learn it the hard way. Old school, raising money friends and family, high net worth, then family offices, then it was the institutional world.

And so, I didn't really So I really feel like I had all of this time to go through and, take years and years to go and raise what I would call the right type of money. The institutional piece, because I was already getting so much demand. And so to give you an example, I had maybe a hundred million a month.

With no loan officers. I told you who my team was a month of demand and I had raised maybe, 10 million. So there was, this [00:10:00] dynamic shift that. I needed to hurry up and it raised the right kind of money. And at the time in this space, it was very fragmented. It was very much the wild west.

It was, there weren't true groups that were doing this at scale where it looked and felt like a very organized ship. That could play in the capital markets world with the private equity firms, but that also had the velocity to be able to meet the client's demands. And so I kind of set out on this journey to.

Educate the space and to find that, that right fit to be able to build this machine. And so it was very much a passion, a vision. Went out and did every single job. So you name it, from answering the phones to, processing the loans, to underwriting, to going out and, Meeting with the borrowers, really understanding what their model was like, where were their challenges, how could I align myself as their debt partner, a second set of underwriting eyes.

So how could I help them avoid a mistake and intern myself. How could I then learn how the [00:11:00] servicing aspects worked? The entire thing. I mean, Really, it was just, Trying to figure out something that, I had never done before and the challenges were, incredible.

You can imagine coming out, and starting a company in 2008. When there's a downturn and so you have, All the chips against you. And I was very well aware that on paper, I didn't fit the role. Hi, my name is Trixy. Please give me hundreds of millions wait, billions of dollars to place into the marketplace.

I promise I'll do a good job. Wasn't really going to cut it. And so it was, okay, let me come out here. Let me build this machine that then we can monetize. So I could have a seat at the table. So then coming back to the space, now I have a track record. So that what I know that we can do matches up to what we've done and to where we're going.

And so that was always a vision. That was always a mission. And I think that being young, kind of gave me the stars in my eyes and like willing to fight for it and to just block out the noise, [00:12:00] almost like wearing blinders. But I learned quickly that raising money is a challenge, and that, running a business is a challenge.

It has its own set of series of difficulties from scaling to, the whole thing that comes with it. And I decided that I wanted to start a secondary company, a sister company, if you will, where I could be the person supplying the assets, the gold. At the time, it was the REO, the short sales, so I created an online auction platform where what I did there was I provided the highest and best executions for the banks and servicers like IE Wells, Chase, Fannie, Freddie, HUD, And helped them dispose of their portfolios with a large audience in the real estate development world.

And then on the other side of the house, I was helping them as a lender to scale their businesses. So it was two credit companies going at the same time, both in the same space with synergies. But it was a struggle because on the auction side, my competitor [00:13:00] had 1600 employees and I had, 18 shared resources between the platforms.

And it was very much the David and Goliath story and we were okay with that. We were okay with that because we knew what we knew. We knew we understood real estate and we knew we understood finance. We knew that we could underwrite an asset and understand what that house was worth.

And we knew that we could get the highest and best execution because we spoke buyer and we spoke lender. And so we could kind of be that intermediary and Realizing that, you're relying on tech, which I knew nothing about, so quickly was learning enough to get myself into how do I make this better mode.

And and as a lender, we knew the goal is to get paid back. Do not get left holding the bag. But it was, how do you sell it? How do you scale quickly. And how do you meet the market demands? How mitigate the risk? How do you make sure that your investors are protected?

Because I took, to me, the fiduciary responsibility of someone else's money was almost like an oath that I took. It was, come hell or high water, I am going Protect this because [00:14:00] they believed in me. They believed in the vision and in what we were building. And so every single loan was treated as if it was the only one we were ever going to do.

Every single asset that was sold was treated if it was the only one we were ever going to sell, and I think that builds a culture. of people being proud of their work product and of being innovative. So it's very collaborative. It's always been, hey, let's talk about how can we improve this process?

How can we scale? How can we, acknowledge that we're looking at a growth mode right now? None of us are going to see the light of day for three months. But let's do it together and let's create something meaningful. And I think that being very transparent with the team and being very open with the challenges that we faced and we were going to face and how we were going to work on them together really was, a way to learn by drinking out of the fire hose.

And it was a way to be able to really build something unique together. So it wasn't like a team of I, it was really a team of us. And that meant something that was really [00:15:00] meaningful to me as a person, as a business person, but also I think as an industry because so many times you're looking at competition and you're looking at it, as like the death/

but really there's a lot we can learn. There's a lot we can learn from each other. And so prime example of that is, a lot of times we're collaborating and we're building something that if we're just So, we're just able to talk about and find the right folks that perhaps have done this or have been through that.

There's a lot of wisdom to be gained and we continue to build the companies and be the engine that could. And we created like I said, both companies. Had the first big slug of equity, first group, Oak Tree Capital, that decided to take a gamble on us, on me, on, on this space, and they gave us the first 250 million of equity, and I, I thought that was amazing, but I knew that we would go through that really quickly and scale, and we did, and to make a long story short, we had all of the challenges that one can imagine, including, market conditions and, but, We scaled both [00:16:00] companies, the lending side, we got it to over a couple billion dollars a year of of lending.

And on the auction side, we, to get all of these banks and servicers, and we were able to really position ourselves as a value add, and had the good fortune to monetize both of those companies. So the auction company took Fidelity, and so the lending company to Goldman Sachs and both within nine months of each other.

So that's a whole nother episode of kind of that whole process and life afterwards and. But what I can tell you is that. So, that the vision and the passion was always to create housing opportunities for people and to be able to create regional jobs and to be able to level the playing field so that someone like my mother, who wasn't a real estate expert, could come in and buy it.

Real estate asset right? a home. usually that is one of the largest financial routes that one sinks in. And to be able to provide that to everyone and [00:17:00] all of the information that it takes. And so it was something that we're really proud of. And it was very mission focused. And being able to monetize the companies was great.

It was A way to keep score, a way to take some chips off the table, but really it was like I mentioned earlier, a way to establish more trust because we had now the transparency of a track. And so that was something that was so key and so lacking in the early days. So we made sure, and I made sure to make sure that was a pivotal focus of what we were trying to build because I knew that this was, round one and that can't take an entrepreneur.

You can't take that excitement of wanting to build and create things out of nothing away. And so it was an amazing experience and I couldn't be more grateful for it. And here we are today. I'm so happy to be able to start, kind of sharing the story, the good and the bad. The challenges that we had, the challenges [00:18:00] that we still have.

The obstacles, how we overcame them, because if something that I share could be helpful to the next person, then amazing. Then it was something that, you can learn and grow from, but one of the things that was always really key factor for me was. Understanding both in myself and in my team and anyone that I worked with, what is their why?

What is the motivating factor? What is the reason? We can all say our families, we can all say the basic things. But there's usually something that is Even more than that. And for me, it was, wanting to really create opportunity for people, because I am the American dream. My parents came here from Cuba and my mother made it to the 11th grade in Cuba.

And I am so grateful to have been born in the US my sisters and I, and to have had the opportunities. that we have as a result of that. But, there's more to it. Like I want to be able to create and add value. And I want to [00:19:00] be able to, be show that I'm grateful to be here by creating jobs.

And so all of these things that I think motivate us that sometimes as entrepreneurs, we don't stop to think about, we don't stop to think about our, why And is that driver something that, you're comfortable sharing and thinking about every day? And sometimes we don't stop to think about what the vision is.

And so in business, there are a lot of challenges. There are a lot of, valleys and peaks, but taking the time to really identify what you want. What does that end goal look like? And listen, many people thought I was absolutely crazy. And in many ways, probably, is she building an arc?

What is wrong with her. And that's okay, because I had that vision, and I knew what we wanted to do, and I understood that it was a behemoth type of a task, and that it hadn't been done, and that you're trying to institutionalize a space that people have never heard of and so you're trying to really not just educate, but create, and at the same time improve upon these [00:20:00] processes, but all of that takes money, experience, and the right people, and so I always had this like thirst for knowledge to try and learn from others.

Regardless of what business they were in, how could I take what they've done, and how could I improve what I'm doing, and how could I avoid pitfalls and so, now, being able to reflect back on it, on the, pieces where I think, okay, that was good that we did it that way, or hey, I should have done it this way.

I've been able to really look at it and say, okay, how can I add value to other entrepreneurs? How can we be of service? How can we be of help while building monster machines cause nobody wants to come into the game and lose. We all want to come in and win and have, some sort of feeling of, okay, that was great.

Check the box onto the next. So That's been what we've been up to. That's been what I've been up to for, I don't even know how many years. I feel like I've taken the last 15 years and built stuff and looked up and here we are.

Jeffrey Feldberg: Wow. Yeah. So much to unpack, Trixy, and what a ride, what a journey that you've had. Let's go back to the beginning though, really want to get more around your [00:21:00] mindset. So your parents come to the country, they're immigrants, making their way, have you, some of your siblings. What was it, Trixy, that had you be so audacious?

You just went out there at such a young age and began your entrepreneurial journey. Not sure if you realized that at the time, that's what you were doing. Maybe it just felt natural, which I'm sure it probably did. But where did that come from? Was that just within one of your gifts? Was that from the family discussions?

Where was that?

Trixy Castro: So I think that it came from just seeing my mom, who there was no stopping her. She was. Forced to be reckoned with and I can remember where she, I was three years old and she had a job interview and it was with a family to be in like a live in housekeeper slash caregiver and the nanny babysitter didn't show up so she had to take me.

And I remember her going to this interview and I, for some reason, I remember her having that nervous energy and this was a really beautiful home. It was certainly the most beautiful home I'd ever [00:22:00] seen. And I knew she wanted this because it was going to improve our lives. And I remember watching her work through that fear and that nervous energy and getting the job and then moving us in.

So there's a lot there because A, I didn't realize I grew up in someone else's home until I was 14 years old and that we were the staff, if you will. But B, I was exposed to more and it turns out this was an amazing immigrant family that came from Italy, okay, with 40 cents in their pocket and made and amassed their wealth through real estate and he started a bank.

So years later, I can think back to that because I thought, huh, interesting that I kind of went down that path but I never stopped to think okay, this is what I want to do. I think it was just those unspoken things and it worked. It was just being exposed to something that someone had done and watching my mom work through that because I obviously didn't want to see my mom stressed, but watching her come out the other side, I remembered [00:23:00] that holding onto that for many years and thinking, you know what?

I can do that too. So if you wanted something, you just figured out how to go make it happen and so it was just a very. Unique experience to be able to have watched her do that. So it wasn't so much about entrepreneurial spirit. Cause to be honest, that wasn't really talked about in my home.

It was survival is how do you put food on the table? It was, how do we make it from one day to the next? And it was always the goal is I wanted to go to college and it was just a way of life to figure things out. And I'm so grateful for those experiences.

Jeffrey Feldberg: Yeah. So much there in terms of going out there and seeing what your mother was going through. And it sounds like, Hey, if my mom is doing this, let me see what I can do. Let me see how I can help not only the family, but myself and just really get out there and do that. And so how those early days, you're incredibly young, that whole, I don't know, you didn't call it the entrepreneurial spirit, really that whole drive that you had, what were some of the early lessons that you learned at that young age that you took with [00:24:00] you into later on your companies?

And you had these massive exits, you're doing big business. Some that, some kinds of success that some people never get to. And here you were really knew it, all this, but Hey, you know what? I'm going to figure it out. I'm going to do it. I'm not going to let the so called barriers be barriers and more opportunities.

I'm going to learn. I'm going to grow. I'm going to expand. I'll figure out a way where some say there isn't a way going back to the early days. What did you take away from that? That helps you.

Trixy Castro: I think it was the ability to just block out the noise and just to be able to have that confidence in myself, which came from really learning my trade really honing in and becoming the best I possibly could at that and having that confidence to be able to speak about it, but truly to just filter out the noise because so many times people will talk to you from wherever they are and they're in that fear mode or you're expected to do something by all of these norms that have been set in front of you and being okay to break those norms. And in some cases, back to my mom, not something that she [00:25:00] was happy with and that was okay, Because I now have the tools to know that I could figure it out, and I could do it.

So, to your point, then it became the obstacles. All of these are just different day larger, but you have the tools to be able to navigate through them. But I think one of the most important things that has helped me and that I share with other entrepreneurs is you've got to be comfortable in your own skin.

You got to know that you are the business . A lot of people can give you their opinions and they probably come from a great place and good intention. But they don't know your business like you do. So you have to be able to reflect on it, good and bad. Okay, here's where I'm strong and here's where I, can improve upon and maybe get some work on.

And focus on both and build up the strengths, but don't let go of where, you can improve and backfill. Maybe there's others that can help with that and that's their area of expertise. So I think being self aware Enough to be able to say, hey, I'm not the best man or woman for the job in [00:26:00] this area, but I am the founder.

I am the entrepreneur. I am the machine. And I'm going to get in front of the challenges, and first to run into the battlefield, that's all great. But knowing what you're doing it for and surrounding yourself with people that can also take that mission makes a lot of, it makes a huge difference. And then what happens is, In many ways, it was almost like I wanted to clear the path for others it became this, it's more than just me. It's something larger than myself. And I wanted to be able to do it because I didn't want anyone to ever be held back. Because listen, let's face it. None of us fit. The norm of what you're supposed to look like in situation B, C, and D, because whomever is on the other side of the table, it depends on what they're looking for at the time right, in any industry.

And so if you can be comfortable in who you are, and you know that your product, and your mission, and your business is solid and what it needs to Then you're comfortable hearing the [00:27:00] no's and just getting to, continuing until you get to the yes . But it's a balancing act and it's being able to make sure that you're going for the yeses and that you're ready for it, but not, not sitting on your feet waiting for someday someday.

So, I learned a lot of grit, a lot of tenacity. I learned how to really be very strategic in my thinking because understanding that the world isn't always going to agree with what you want when you want it. And there's something called timing. And I was okay with that. Because I realized that it's still all a learning experience.

So for me, the mindset and the thinking was everything because the biggest deterrent was going to be in my own mind. Forget what everyone else said. It was, what was my self talk was it, yes, you can, and hey, be careful for A, B, and C, because these are areas that we need to improve on? Or was it getting stuck in, woe is me.

I was never going to get stuck in woe is me and never going to get stuck in, I don't think I can do this kind of a thing.

Jeffrey Feldberg: [00:28:00] I'm wondering with all of that, and you've really done a lot in a very short period of time and in preparing for our talk today. You can correct me if I'm on base or off base with this. You've made 50 investments. And in those investments, some of them have been yours, some of them have been others. And I'm going to ask a general question, and Trixy, you'd be absolutely right.

You'd say, well, Jeffrey, every company's different. And what works for one company isn't going to work for another company. And I would agree with that. Having said that though, back of the envelope, generally speaking, let's look at both sides here. What would be in the companies that you either started or you invested in that went on to become really successful?

What worked really well? And perhaps it worked across the different companies. If you can choose one strategy and then on the flip side, I know I'm complicating the question here on the flip side, if there was a company that perhaps didn't work or one that you walked away from, you didn't even want to get involved with it.

What wasn't happening or what was being done [00:29:00] that, geez, I don't think they should be doing that. I don't even want to get involved in that or, hey, look, we're doing this. Oh my goodness. How do we get into this? We've got to correct that. So we've got, on the one hand, what's really working that led to success.

On the other hand, geez, it's really not working or we're going in the wrong direction. What would you say, generally speaking, on either side of that? What would you want our listeners to know?

Trixy Castro: So I would say that. It comes, so much of it comes down to the entrepreneur . And to the team that they set around themselves. And you want to know that the person knows their numbers, knows their craft, knows their trade . Has their process, all of those things. But all things being equal, let's assume that's all done.

On both sides, whether it's something I've invested in or something that I've passed on. The person matters . It takes one to know one. You want to know that when their chips are down, that when it's crunch time, that person is going to roll up their sleeves and figure it out. And that they're going to be transparent with you so that [00:30:00] perhaps you can come in and be helpful.

Because assuming that all things are equal and that the skill set and the capabilities are there, Really, then it comes down to does this person have what it takes? Do they want it bad enough and is it in an area and in a time in their life? And so, I look at all of those things and I look to see if I'm the right value add for them.

Because there's businesses that, that I might not be the right fit, but I love what they're doing and I love who they are and I love the team that they've put together and I love the product. So, I may refer them to a friend of mine or to someone else that is a better fit because of what they're trying to do in their business model.

But, being able to Give them the tools or the access or whatever. That say like young Trixy didn't have is so meaningful to me. And so being a part of their journey is incredible. It's amazing for mine and I love it and I'm so grateful and I'll always continue to be an entrepreneur. But being able to actually add value to someone else's dream [00:31:00] has completely changed my thinking, even more so it's expanded my horizons. And you realize that there's good basic business principles that transcend all different platforms and all different businesses so being able to make sure that if we don't have those, we can adopt those and quickly, that's all really important. The ones that break my heart are the ones that I have to pass on because they're all heart and the passion is there and the entrepreneur is amazing, but perhaps the industry or the field they've chosen is just not a field where I could really add value or help them scale significantly or the model might be off and it just doesn't, it produce the revenue that Perhaps the capital stack that is being asked for, can marry off with. Those are hard because you so badly want them to have the win and you so badly are invested in what they're doing. So, I always am able to try my absolute best to connect them with someone that can help take them to that next level, because.

If I'm not the right fit again, it doesn't mean that I [00:32:00] might not be the right fit down the road. Doesn't mean that what they're doing isn't absolutely phenomenal and it doesn't mean that I don't want to, be able to add some value in whatever capacity, but those conversations are a little bit challenging.

I've had others where, the entrepreneur is amazing, but they're not flexible. And they're not flexible with market conditions or with learning new things. And that's a challenge because listen, In business, you got to be nimble. You got to be flexible. You got to be open minded right to the good and the bad.

And so I think that there's not a whole lot I can do with that. There's not a whole lot I can't. Change somebody, nor is that my job, but what I can do is try and create arenas and platforms where, we can lead by example. Here's a way that it's worked for us. Doesn't mean it's the only way, but we are very collaborative, very open minded and.

Jeffrey Feldberg: It's interesting, Trixy, because really the common theme that I'm hearing from your journey, from what's worked, what hasn't worked, working with other entrepreneurs, enabling them [00:33:00] wherever you can, it all comes back to the people. And that really shouldn't be a surprise. It's all people driven. And something that you said resonates because you said, Hey, an entrepreneur may be really successful.

That doesn't mean that's the right person on a go forward basis. And as you're saying that, if I'm going to put myself under the microscope I would say the Jeffrey, who was building his e learning company, hungry, will do anything, the go getter, day, night, you name it, he's there, post exit, he's achieved success.

He's more comfortable now from the financial freedom that comes along with that. Same person, but it's really a different business Jeffrey that's showing up, who not necessarily better, not necessarily worse, it just is what it is. Post exit Jeffrey isn't as hungry. He's achieved a lot of things that he wants to achieve, and it's not necessarily pedal to the metal, let's go, because for myself, looking back, I've checked the boxes of what I wanted to do, and my life has taken a different purpose, a different meaning, and so that really resonates with what you're saying, and the question I have with that, [00:34:00] we have someone in Deep Wealth Nation who's listening, they're looking at perhaps starting a business, or they have an established business, but they want to take it to the next level, and they want to bring on someone, whatever the case may be, When we get beyond the credentials of the person, whatever their success has been, how do you really know that whoever's showing up, putting their best foot forward is really who they say they are, and that person is the best fit?

How can you tell as best you can until you get into the trenches, you see what they're all about, and oftentimes, it's too late already. If you find out by then, it's too late. Oh my goodness. I made a mistake. They did the bait and switch. They put their best foot forward. The best sales job they did was in the interview and it's been all downhill afterwards.

Well, now we've lost time. We've lost money. It may cost money to get them out. It may be difficult to get that person out. So any strategies from the trenches that you've used along the way from day one, Hey, you know what? This person smells like a rose from the big picture, but you know what? I'm looking at the covers here.

I don't think so. I'm going to take a pass.

Trixy Castro: It's happened to me so many times both in [00:35:00] building my teams. And maybe perhaps aligning or hiring or whatever the wrong person to another entrepreneur. It's happened to me. And I think speaking from experience,

One thing I would do different is I would look at the entrepreneur for who they really are .

I so badly want them to win because that's what I've wanted. I can't do it for them, and more importantly, I can't want it for them. And so I really have taken a step back to look at the actions. To look at the actions of the person, because anyone can put on a great dog and pony anyone can say the right things and get past, hurdles A, B, and C, but What does that look like in real life?

What are their actions showing me? Because that's what they're telling me. Their actions are telling me something and so I really hone in on that because I know myself and that fatal flaw is I so badly want it for everybody. And I have to really understand that's a me thing. That's not really a them thing necessarily, sometimes it is, and the stars align.

But I have to be okay. [00:36:00] And almost like self check okay, calm down, Trix, just because you see the potential in the person and the model and the this and the, that doesn't mean that they're willing to put in the work or have been to do what it takes. Because to your point, Jeffrey was doing the different model, before and a different model looks different in the amount of hours or.

Only so many hours in the day. So it becomes, where is, where are you in your life? And where am I in my life? And does that match up? For me, for example, I have children now I didn't have, that was a very different thing. I have littles, and so they keep me in check. They're the real bosses but, I waited, as a woman in business, I knew at.

Those critical 10, 15 years that I was, my kids were the businesses that's when many women my age at that time were birthing children. I was birthing companies and I was okay with that but I knew that was a thing. So anyone I was working with in business as a partner, I was very open about that because It's a very big decision and a very big part of that.

But [00:37:00] now, where I am today, to your point that's still a very big part of that so I'm very open that I have children, and so my days look a little bit different and so Saturdays, I'm at soccer, and this is how it is. Whereas, maybe 10 years ago, it was very different.

Jeffrey Feldberg: Yeah. So true. And so really it's take our biases out of it. Really look at who the person is, what they're saying, even what they're not saying. But what I'm also hearing you say, Trixy, is actions always speak louder than words and see what's being done through the actions.

And oftentimes it's interesting when we're brought into a company to help them grow and increase their profits, much like what you've done with your companies. Sometimes we're brought in, it's not always the best situation. And when we're doing a deep dive. It's all, I should have seen it in that person.

The red flags were there. I was so excited. I want that person to work. I just ignored it. It's human nature. And it's a good segue let's go to a positive note now, because I know offline you're sharing with me something that really gives you some emotional fuel in the best of ways is you're now that you've had your success, you're out there, [00:38:00] you're helping other entrepreneurs, you're making a difference and you're doing for others what just hasn't been done before. So what's going on with that ?

Trixy Castro: Yeah, absolutely. So it's such an amazing experience and time to be able to do that. I can't help with everything but whatever I can, that's something that is really meaningful. And so, being able to identify the mission so for me, it's been very helpful. Mission based housing, creating jobs, regional opportunities.

Helping entrepreneurs scale what they already have. And so an industry I hadn't looked at with the merchant services. And so I was able to come in and partner with a gentleman who his background is in tech and marketing, and he's a genius in these things, all the things that I'm not in that space.

And so he was able to, with machine learning, figure out a way to cut entrepreneurs merchant fees. Significantly where they can scale their business. So that's a different thing for me right now. I'm coming in and I'm saying, Hey, listen, here's unfound money. That you have, don't change anything in what you're doing.

You don't have to change the providers, [00:39:00] none of that. We're just simply helping you cut these fees so that you can scale your business. So that is a whole new experience for me. I'm like, Oh my God, this is like the most amazing thing since sliced bread. Because again, I so badly want the entrepreneurs to win and freeing up cash is step one.

To be able to scale their businesses. And so it was a foundational piece that I was missing. Because how many ways can you free up cash for an entrepreneur without changing their day to day, their model, or creating more work? It's a bit of a challenge. So that was like a match made in heaven, if you will.

And something that I'm extremely passionate about. But all of it ties together with this entrepreneurial drive that comes from within, I think, in so many of us and how do we collaborate and to me, I love it. There's so much that we can do together.

Jeffrey Feldberg: Yeah. So nice to see how you're not just resting on your laurels. You've had some success. You've had tremendous success. You are a multi post exit entrepreneur with a number of liquidity events, but that hasn't stopped you from [00:40:00] paying good forward and really making a difference out there and being an enabler.

Let me ask you this before we go into wrap up mode, where I get to ask my favorite question to every guest. there a question, Trixy, that I didn't ask or a topic that we haven't covered, or even a message that you'd like to put out to the community?

Trixy Castro: Yes, I would like to say to every entrepreneur, remember you are the business. You are the business, so investing in yourself and taking that time to be able to do whatever it is that refuels you, whether it's meditating, praying, yoga, working out, whatever it is, take that time for you. Don't let life pass you by where then you look back later and you say, I shoulda, woulda, coulda.

Because you are the business and block out the noise. The number one advice I can say, remember that you're the business, block out the noise.

Jeffrey Feldberg: That's a terrific message and a wonderful takeaway for all of our listeners. Hey, before you go into your next call or your meeting, activity, whatever it's going to be, you're the business, take the time out, take care of yourself. And Trixy, that's right [00:41:00] in line with what we're doing here at the Deep Wealth Podcast because our tagline is helping you extract your business and personal deep wealth.

Because for us here at Deep Wealth and the team, we're our health, that's our first wealth. All the zeros in the bank, all the accolades, all the success mean nothing if we don't have our health. And it's a terrific insight. Well, the fun part, Trixy, we're going to go into wrap up mode here. I love this question.

It's an honor. It's a tradition here in the Deep Wealth Podcast. Let me set this question up for you. It's a really fun one. So when you think of the movie Back to the Future, you have that magical DeLorean car that will take you to any point in time. So the fun part, Trixy, is tomorrow morning, you look outside your window, not only is DeLorean car curbside, the door is open, it's waiting for you to hop on in, which you do, and you're now going to go back to any point in your life.

Trixy, as a young child, a teenager, whatever point in time it would be, what would you tell your younger self in terms of life lessons or life wisdom? Or hey, Trixy, do this, but don't do that. What would that sound like?

Trixy Castro: Oh, I would say [00:42:00] keep being yourself, Trixy. Keep wearing pink if you like pink, keep it. Don't let the noise block you out. Don't just block it out. Do not let it block you out of that room you want to get into or that deal you want to make. Use it to fuel you and give it your all every single time. That's a hundred percent what I would say to young Trixy.

Jeffrey Feldberg: Wow. So give it your all, keep on being you and just show up every day as you, it's a wonderful message. And you know what, that message we need more of today. And I don't know if you'd be on base or off base with us. I mean, All the social programming, the social media, we're seeing this one snapshot probably out of a gazillion snapshots where it's the perfect life.

And we're told, Hey, this is how you should be. But you're right, Trixy. My own personal thought is. Every one of us were born with a superpower. We're just not told what that is. So it's not only our mission, it's our duty to find our superpower and then take it and share it with the world. And really, if you think about it, that's what being an entrepreneur is, a business owner, founder, where we can help other [00:43:00] people take their problems, solve them, have them get to a better life, which is really what you've also been doing.

Trixy Castro: Couldn't agree with you more, 100%.

Jeffrey Feldberg: And Trixy, one last question. If someone has a question, they want to speak with you, they want to learn perhaps how one of your companies can help them and really make a change for them, where would be the best place online that someone can reach you?

Trixy Castro: So TrixyCastro. com, reach out to me there or on LinkedIn. I'm very hands on. I'm new to the social media space and to being able to tell the story, but I do have that. So that's the best way.

Jeffrey Feldberg: And for Deep Wealth Nation, it is in the show notes, it's point and click, it doesn't get any easier. Well, Trixy, congratulations, it's official. This is a wrap. You hit it out of the park. And as we love to say here at Deep Wealth, may you continue to thrive and prosper while you remain healthy and safe.

Thank you so much.

Trixy Castro: Thank you so much for having me. 

Jeffrey Feldberg: So there you have it, Deep Wealth Nation. What did you think? 

So with all that said and as we wrap it up, I have another question for you.

Actually, it's more of a personal favor. 

Did you find this episode helpful? 

Have you found other episodes of the Deep Wealth Podcast empowering and a [00:44:00] game changer for your journey? 

And if you said yes, and I really hope you did, I have a small but really meaningful way that you can actually help us out and keep these episodes coming to you.

Are you ready for it? 

The dramatic pause. I'll just wait a moment. Drumroll, please. Subscribe. Please subscribe to the Deep Wealth Podcast on your favorite podcast channel. When you subscribe to the Deep Wealth Podcast, you're saving yourself time. Every episode automatically comes to you, and I want you to know that we meticulously craft Every one of our episodes to have impactful strategies, stories, expert insights that are designed to help you grow your profits, increase the value of your business, and yes, even optimize your post exit life and your life right now, whatever you want that to look like.

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So all that said. Thank you so much for listening. And remember your wealth isn't just about the money in the bank. It's about the depth of your journey and the impact that you're creating. So let's continue this journey together. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for listening to this episode.

And as we love to say here at Deep Wealth, may you continue to thrive and prosper while you remain healthy and safe. 

Thank you so much. 

God bless.