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The Global Economic Shift

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 20:14:25 GMT

The Global Economic Shift

Please read this letter in its entirety even though it is a bit longer than usual. I will be addressing numerous economic topics in this letter, and I will be making a significant announcement about our interest rate.

First, let me start by saying we always strive to stand up for the interests of our investors. We want to be a trusted and reliable ally. Our dedication to protecting and growing the hard-earned wealth of our investors is at the heart of everything we do.

The recent, and as-of-yet unfinished, banking crisis is merely a symptom of much larger and systemic issues. Issues like excessive debt, growing geopolitical tensions, and concerning societal unrest/polarization. The economic, financial, and political system we have been accustomed to is showing serious cracks. Moving forward, it’s becoming more likely that central bankers and governments will not be able to simply “paper over” our problems. There is, however, good reason to be optimistic about the future, while also considering the risks and challenges ahead.

We think truth has never been more relevant and is of the utmost importance. The banking crisis is not over. History tells us the unwinding of excessive debt never happens in a predictable or orderly fashion. This time will be no different. Bank failures are the first symptom of a shift in the “economic sea.” Higher interest rates will have a growing impact on a global financial system accustomed to cheap credit. I discussed reasons for recent bank failures (like Silicon Valley Bank) in previous emails. To summarize, for many years, banks have been able to finance themselves through short term deposits and short-term loans. These short-term deposits and loans have then been lent out long term to consumers. This practice resulted in a profit from the interest margin. Since the summer of 2021, this has become increasingly difficult.

Consequently, central bankers are finding themselves in an incredibly difficult situation. Several factors are limiting their ability to fight and kill inflation decisively. A recession is needed to push inflation down. So, more drastic tightening might be required. However, a hard-landing scenario and subsequent long-term low growth are feared in view of high debt levels. On the other hand, a return to quantitative easing bears the danger of out-of-control inflation. Central bankers are literally stuck between an inflationary rock and a recessionary hard place. The key question is whether they can tame or even stabilize inflation without inflicting severe economic pain. Many economists believe economic growth will remain lackluster for the foreseeable future. Central bankers are attempting to pull off a difficult balancing act of what most are hoping will be a “soft landing.” The trick is keeping inflation from running out of control, avoiding a credit crisis, a stock market crash, and a severe recession. Stock market valuations seem high and appear prime for another correction.

Inflation has receded somewhat since the beginning of the year. However, the 2% objective seems difficult to achieve in the foreseeable future. There are too many forces at work that are bound to keep prices high for quite some time. That said, I’m coming around to the idea that interest rates will not be going back to the ultra-low levels they were at over the last 15 years.

Since 3D Money’s investment focus is on cash flowing real estate, the interest rate discussion seems to be the giant elephant in the room. Real estate is the 800-pound gorilla, as it is by far the largest asset class. Real estate accounts for half of all global wealth. The residential real estate market alone in the US is worth $285 trillion. This dwarfs all other asset classes. This is relevant because, more than ever, real estate is financed with debt. We believe central banks and politicians will avoid rocking that boat by raising interest rates too far to fight inflation. Additionally, bank and government balance sheets are highly exposed to rising rates. Banks, because of their high level of mortgage exposure. Governments, because of their continuing budget deficits and massive ballooning debt.

There are several ways the government can reduce or mitigate the excessive debt levels they find themselves in. The most likely path seems to be inflation and financial repression. Inflation (or currency devaluation) eventually depreciates the purchasing power of creditors and savers. Consequently, it can be used as a form of debt reduction. It leads to a slow and covert destruction of wealth and debt. Politicians frequently choose this option because the price the public pays in not immediately felt. The bill comes due later. Financial Repression means regulations and taxes in favor of government finances. As Vladimir Lenin put it, “The way to crush the bourgeoisie (middle class) is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation.”

So, the current situation we find ourselves in creates a difficult dilemma. The fundamental questions are, “Should I be in the market or out of the market?” And … “Should I hold cash in banks that seem unsafe, or invest in stock markets that look unstable?” History tells us there are periods of time that have more predictable cycles, while there are other periods of time that are more volatile with the ups and downs of a roller coaster. We are currently in the latter, more volatile option.

Against this backdrop, 3D Money stands as a defensive beacon. A lighthouse, if you will, that can help you navigate the economic dangers and perils that are all around us. A “shotgun approach” to diversification (a bit of every asset class, sector, and geography), or a passive buy-and-hold strategy with a traditional 60/40 equivalent portfolio, will likely not work well in this environment.

We are in an age of “real stuff,” and we should expect to see tangibles outperform other financial assets in the foreseeable future. Historically, alternative investments have done well in terms of wealth preservation during times of elevated inflation and rising interest rates. Alternative investments are best described as assets that don’t fall into traditional investment categories such as stocks and bonds. They can include commodities like gold and silver, real estate, and private debt. Beyond that, there are also other investments such as art, classic cars, wine, antiques, etc. Bottom line, the rising tide that drove US equities to perform well during the last decade is likely subsiding. We need to accept the fact that we are experiencing a fundamental and global transformation. It will bring amazing new opportunities, but it will also bring some pain. The world we live in today is different from what we have become accustomed to over the past few decades. More importantly, the paradigm of cheap money is looking like a thing of the past.

With that in mind, we spent significant time praying about and considering the current 6% interest rate in our Offering. We were hesitant to raise rates, because our fundamental belief was that higher rates were temporary in nature and would go back down in due time. With that reality fading, we have decided to raise our interest rate on new money and renewing notes to 7%. This change will be effective immediately. Please give our office a call if you have recently (within the past few months) invested or reinvested money with us at 6%. We are prepared to adjust your interest rate accordingly. Bottom line, we want happy investors, and we will do our best to accommodate when possible.

I close with a quote I recently came across from John Piper, “Once you walk through the door of love into the massive unshakable structure of Romans 8:28, everything changes.” He goes on to explain that when God’s people really live by the future grace we’ve been promised, we are the freest, strongest, and most generous people in the world. Our light shines as we give glory to our Father in heaven.

Praying your light continues to shine brightly,

Jeff Huston and the 3D Money Team

invest@3dmoney.com

320-905-3306

Will There Be A Banking Crisis?

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 13:59:26 GMT

Fall of 2020, the Covid Pandemic was raging, the economy was shut down, inflation was 2%, interest rates were near zero, and the Federal Reserve was printing massive amounts of money. While the Central Bank printing presses were running full steam, I heard two economists make statements that seemed impossible to believe at the time, because the world was at a standstill.

Chetan Ahya, Managing Director and Chief Asia Economist at Morgan Stanley said: “The driving forces of inflation are already aligned, and a regime shift is underway.”

Paul Tutor Jones, Hedge Fund Manager said: “We are witnessing the great monetary inflation…an unprecedented expansion of every form of money unlike anything the developed world has ever seen.”

As we now know, our current economic reality is quite different from what it was just 2 ½ years ago. Interest rates have risen significantly, inflation remains stubbornly high, and banks are tightening credit and hording deposits because they have massive unrealized losses in their bond portfolios. There are now legitimate concerns about the stability of the banking system.

About the only thing that remains constant is the ridiculous childish gridlock that continues in Washington. I wish they would stop playing politics and start doing their job of governing. But I digress…

I was recently piloting my plane from Dallas back to Minnesota. As I began my decent, I flew into the smoke that had migrated down from the Canadian wildfires. My visibility went to near zero. It reminded me of today’s investment environment and outlook. Visibility is currently quite low. Therefore, it is more important than ever before to have a sound, long-term strategy with a clear focus. Risk management needs to be a key priority.

This is a good time for investors to do a fundamental review of how they are positioned, and determine what needs to change now to optimize investment results in coming years.

Making sound investments has always been based on anticipating how the world might evolve. While no one has a crystal ball on making bullet proof long-term predictions, I believe many of today’s key trends and themes can be utilized to make smart investment decisions.

So, while there are a lot of uncertainties in the short-term, I believe investors should remain almost fully invested with high allocations in real assets. This is your downside protection against inflation, a falling dollar, and an unstable financial system.

The most important advice we can give you at this point is to set your priorities right. That means, first and foremost, having a very safe and secure place to store your wealth. This is relevant because we have been receiving increased questions concerning our current 6% rate. I recently had an investor ask me if I thought our rate should be higher since there are short term CD’s floating around offering rates that seem too good to be true. My response was that you must ask the question, “Why would a bank be willing to pay…say…5% for deposits whe n they are making loans at 7%?” That spread is not enough for their business model to work. So, why would they do that? The only answer I can think of is that they need more deposits to shore up their depleted capital. All this reminds me of Mark Twain’s quote when he said, “The return of my money is more important than the return on my money.”

What to own, has really become one of the most critical questions in wealth and risk management. The recent banking crisis shows that investors simply can’t assume banks are safe anymore. There are great benefits and opportunities to be found when investing in cash flowing real assets. This doesn’t just offer more diversification, but it greatly enhances wealth protection as well. Additionally, we find that our clients use the monthly cash flow for all kinds of wonderful things, enhancing their lives and the lives of those they care about.

If you’d like to speak with someone about securing your investments, we would love to connect with you!

Gratefully,

Jeff Huston and the 3D Money Team

invest@3dmoney.com

320-905-3306

Chasing The Wind

Thu, 25 May 2023 16:28:26 GMT

I’m mad at myself! I let myself get sucked into the endless news cycle again. I’ve never considered myself a news junky, but there have been times when I’ve been more “connected” than others. A few years ago, I made the decision to cancel all my news subscriptions except one. Since then, I have only been reading the Wall Street Journal. No nightly news, no magazines or other newspapers, no talk shows, no social media. I did that, because all the other news sources caused me to do what King Solomon referred to as “chasing of the wind” in the book of Ecclesiastes. It consumed my thinking and wasted way too much of my time.

“Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. Everything is w earisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.”
Ecclesiastes 1:4-8 NLT

Reread that last verse, the one in bold print. Isn’t that an amazing summary of the 24-hour news cycle? No matter how much we hear, we are not content! For the past several years, I’ve been true to my self-imposed limits and guardrails in this area. However, a couple months ago, I cracked the door open. I’d go on YouTube periodically to catch up on the latest happenings in the news cycle. As I did that, I got caught in their spiderweb. They kept me clicking for more and more content…wasting more and more of my time. Thankfully, I recognized the error of my ways and quickly put a hard stop to it. It can be such a trap for me! Maybe it is for you too?

In the book titled “Your Attention Your Property,” the author addresses “thinking about your thinking.” He says that we can step back and not only see what our attention is focused on, but we can experience how we are fully conscious and present with the particular experience we are having. We can do this at any given time , we just need to make a habit of actually doing it. We must learn to focus our attention, so that we can gain the ability to think about things.

For me, the endless news cycle causes an emotional reaction to physical things, to other people, and to other people’s thoughts. When I’m in “the cycle,” I’m not thinking clearly about my own thoughts. I’m 100% focused on someone else’s thinking. When that happens, I end up thinking negatively. However, when I take back control of my thinking, I’m able to align my ways with God’s ways. My thoughts become aligned with God’s thoughts. It’s a beautiful thing.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart because it determines the direction of your life.”

So, how do we guard our hearts? There are multiple ways I guard my heart, but one of them comes down to always making my contribution bigger than my reward. I want to spend my life being a value creator, not a value extractor. It’s why I love capitalism.

The way I see it, there are two kinds of people in the world. Those that embrace, promote, and believe in Capitalism and those that hate it! For me, Capitalism has been the growth process that has multiplied my uniqueness as a businessperson and as a God follower. The people that want to lead us toward socialism don’t know what they are talking about! Capitalism is about Value Creation. Socialism is about Value Extraction. In 1800, the French economist Jean-Baptiste Say coined the word “entrepreneur.” He said, “The entrepreneur shifts economic resources out of an area of lower and into an area of higher productivity and greater yield.”

I love that. It perfectly summarizes our value proposition at 3D Money. Since 2010, we have been doing jus t that. Looking for opportunities to shift resources (people and assets) from a lower level of productivity to a higher and greater yield.

Our investment focus on opportunities creating housing, jobs, and food, positions us for an ever-expanding future of value creation for our investors, our team members, and our customers.

Once again, we want to thank you for your continued trust and confidence.

Sincerely,

Jeff Huston and the 3D Mo ney Team

invest@3dmoney.com

320-905-3306

P.S. About a year ago, we offered you a PDF copy of the book “Your Attention Your Property.” If you didn’t get one but would like a copy, please send a request to info@3dmoney.com

We are happy to email you one (as a thank you gift from us).

Acquiring GVL Poly

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 18:43:50 GMT

Will Rogers once said: “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” The world is changing at break-neck speed. Geopolitical, social, and economic challenges are all around us. It only takes a brief listen to the news to know we are in tumultuous times.

Over the past few months, I have been unpacking enhancements we are making to our investment strategy and portfolio. Last month, I went into detail about our partnership to produce and process ethical and humane, cage free eggs. This venture is good for our investors, because it will provide significant stable cash flow to our real estate portfolio. In this month’s letter, I’d like to focus on our recent acquisition of GVL Poly and its focus on the creation of well-paying manufacturing jobs.

GVL is a rotational moulding company that was founded over 30 years ago. Rotational moulding is a process that involves filling a heated mold with a plastic resin material. It is then slowly rotated, causing the softened material to disperse and stick to the wall of the mold forming a hollow molded part. In 1993, GVL Poly used this process to play a significant role in transforming the agricultural industry with their introduction of the poly corn snout. This product created and continues to support greater efficiency in the harvesting of corn.

Since then, the company has expanded its product offerings. Today, their product lines are evenly balanced between agricultural, residential, and industrial products. The following is a cross section of products produced in each area.

Agricultural:

· Poly Snouts

· Cab Components

· Consoles

· Fenders

· Diesel, Gasoline, & Hydraulic Tanks

· Shields

· Livestock Feeders

· Seed Hoppers

· Storage Tanks

Residential:

· Coolers

· Small watercraft

· Off-road vehicle accessories

· Hunting and Fishing gear

· Diesel, Gasoline, & Hydraulic Tanks

Industrial:

· Reservoirs

· Air ducts

· Safety covers

· Shields

· Tanks

· Barricades

· Barriers

GVL currently employs 50 people including manu facturing, production, administrative, shipping & receiving, engineering, and accounting staff, with plans to add 15 new jobs this year. The company currently does just over $10M in sales with $2M in net profit. All but 1 employee stayed on in the ownership change. While relatively small compared to s ome of their peers, GVL is unique in that it is the only rotational moulding company in North America to successfully utilize SMART Moulding Technology.

This groundbreaking technology is being utilized to refine the rotational moulding process, reduce energy consumption, and save on raw materials. GVL is pleased to be working with Leonardo Smart Rotational Moulding Machines. They are designed and produced by Persico Rotomoulding of Italy.

Significant opportunity exists in this company to grow top line revenue and bottom-line profit. This will be done through expanding production in the existing facility and customer relationships, as well as adding new relationships. GVL is proving to be one of our most stable acquisitions to date.

As I mentioned last month… from an investment standpoint, it continues to be all about cash flowing real estate . In housing, the cash flow comes from tenants paying rent. In manufacturing, the real estate income comes from the operations of producing a product. In farming, the real estate income is from the production of food. The revenue may come from different sources, but it all points back to our primary objective of investing in cash flowing real estate opportunities .

If you would like more information, give us a call or email us.

Gratefully,

Jeff Huston and the 3D Money Team

invest@3dmoney.com

320-905-3306

P.S. We have had a few requests from investors who have money to invest, but the amount available is less than our stated minimum of $50,000. We have heard you and have responded. We are happy to announce that for qualified investors, we are now able to take investments beginning at $25,000.

Creating New Jobs & Cash Flow

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 16:33:19 GMT

Creating New Jobs & Cash Flow

L ast month I shared some exciting news about 3D Money’s expanded investment focus. This expansion came as the result of a simple question we asked ourselves: “Beyond housing, how can we further support the families and communities we serve?”

The answer led u s to include opportunities that create local jobs. It also led us back to our agricultural roots. We now have a focus on locally grown food. Specifically, the production and processing of ethical and humane, cage free eggs. This venture not only provides significant and stable cash flow to our real estate portfolio, but it also creates more jobs.

The investment combination of housing, jobs, and food is financially wise. Additionally, the combination also works together seamlessly - complimenting each other as one moving part. We view it as our mission and ministry to bring light and hope to the families we serve. It’s now more than a roof over their heads… it’s a job… it's an opportunity… it’s nutrition… it’s multiple aspects of a healthy life.

From an investment standpoint, it continues to be all about cash flowing real estate. In housing, the cash flow comes from tenants paying rent. In manufacturing, the real estate income comes from the operations of producing a product. In farming, the real estate income comes from the production of food. The revenue may come from different sources. However, it all points back to our primary objective of investing in cash flowing real estate opportunities.

We have had amazing feedback from many of you since last month’s letter went out. The consensus is that this is an excellent move. We have heard that you like the stability investing in housing has provided and, we see this as furthering that end. We have also received some questions about the well-publicized bird flu and any risk that may pose. So, I thought I would address that question, and unpack some additional information about the egg venture.

The family farm that we have partnered with is one of the largest egg producers in the Upper Mid-West. They currently produce and process enough eggs to feed 3.5 million people per year with 100% of their daily egg consumption. The farm’s focus is on a cage free bird environment. They currently own 3.5 million layer hens and have another 1 million layers they contract process. Their existing 3 locations typically have 4 barns per farm. Each barn houses 2 flocks of 150,000 birds each.

We’ve partnered with them to build a fourth farm. It will have 4 layer buildings, housing a total of 1.2 million birds. There will also be a fifth building used to grow new flocks for when the existing hens age out (typically 2 years) . The expansion will create 40 new jobs and will cost $100,000,000. $65M of the funding will be provided by commercial lenders, and the remaining funds will come from 3D Money. The real estate for the farm has already been purchased and permitted in Renville County, Minnesota (population of 15,000.)

The barns will be built with the latest biotechnology and ventilation for protection against disease infection. None of their existing farms have ever been infected with Avian Bird Flu. However, should that happen, the US Department of Agriculture pays to dispose of and repopulate the flocks. This process typically takes three to six months. The only cost to the farmer would be the loss of egg production while repopulation takes place.

The Wall Street Journal recently published analyses of employment trends since the start of the pandemic. These trends show that small businesses, those with fewer than 250 employees, have hired 3.67 million more workers than they have let go. Companies with 250 or more workers have trimmed their payrolls by a net 800,000 employees.

Small businesses currently employ two thirds of all workers. This sector of the economy must remain strong if we want increased GDP growth. These numbers prove that small business is where the real action is! Big business is cutting back, while small businesses are expanding. We are proud to be on the expansion and abundance side of the equation. Furthermore, we are grateful for the continued trust and confidence you place in us by allowing us to be a part of your financial future.

Please call or email us if you are concerned about your current exposure to market risk, or if you are tired of the continued low yields on bank CD’s and your other fixed income accounts. Consider giving us an opportunity to explore whether 3D Money might be a right fit for you.

Gratefully,

Jeff Huston and the 3D Money Team

invest@3dmoney.com

320-905-3306

Housing, Jobs & Food

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 15:06:04 GMT

Peter Lynch is one of the most successful and well-known investors of all time. He is the legendary former manager of Fidelity. Lynch once said: “Know what you own and know why you own it.” I hold tightly to that statement as an investing staple.

Over the years, I’ve had many people ask why we invest in the type of real estate that we do. For instance, we have stayed away from investing in commercial office buildings. My thinking has been that e-commerce will continually put downward pressure on traditional brick and mortar stores. That belief has mostly held true. Then, the pandemic hit and the move to remote work and online shopping grew exponentially. Of course, no one knew the world was going to be shut down, but we were happy we didn’t have exposure in office space.

Kastle Systems, which operates key-card entry systems in office buil dings around the nation tell us that pre-pandemic, offices were 90% occupied. That rate dropped t o just 10% at the height of the pandemic and currently stands at 47%. At the same time, only 39% of office leases have come up for renewal since the pandemic. This leads me to believe that much of the pain in the commercial office building market is still in front of us . As leases come due, it’s a good bet companies will be renegotiating rents (at best) or downsizing their footprint.

For over a decade, our company focus has been in the multifamily apartment space. We provide reasonably priced housing to modest income families, and we do it in outstate regional hubs in the Midwest. Our belief has been that people will always need housing. Additionally, we feel middl e income workforce housing is a defensive and stable investment market to concentrate in.

Building on the idea of stable investment opportunities, we are excited to announce a strategic focus expansion to our real estate strategy.

Over the past few years, the multifamily market has become expensive. In other words, it has been hard for us to find properties to purchase where the numbers make sense. So, last year, we began looking for other complementary investment opportunities. We found a small manufacturing company in our geographic area that fit our parameters. We were able to purchase it under market value, creating a significant stream of steady cash flow. The current leadership and staff (48 employees) all stayed on. Additionally, with some capital investment, there is big opportunity to grow the bottom line by adding a third shift.

The acquisition of this company expands our investment focus from just housing, to include “Jobs.” We love being in the business of creating jobs, and it complements our housing portfolio nicely. Tenants need jobs so they can pay rent.

The final piece to introduce you to is our 2023 business opportunity focus. Here is some background information. For several years now, we have known and have been friends with two brothers who are multigeneration egg producers. They are strong Christian men who currently produce and process about 3,000,000 eggs per day! They are extremely good operators and are 100% focused on cage free bird environments.

Over the past several months, we have been in negotiations with them and have come to terms on a partnership. We are going to help them expand their operation. I have always loved the business of agriculture. I view it as tier one wealth. Producing food for the world is an honorable and worthy pursuit.

This partnership completes the third leg of our “investment stool.” Housing, Jobs, and Food. We believe this creates an extremely well-rounded, stable investment fund, and we look forward to sharing more about this with you in the coming months.

Please give us a call or shoot us an email, if you have interest in expanding your involvement with us in our “Housing, Jobs, and Food pursuits.” We greatly value our partnership with you, our investors. Without you, we would not be able to do what we do.

Sincerely,

Jeff Huston and the 3D Money Team

320-905-3306

invest@3dmoney.com

God's Kite String

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 19:52:25 GMT

Over a century and a half ago , tourism, industrial growth, and population explosion caused the area around the mighty Niagara Falls to undergo significant transformation. Railroad advertisements called the majestic Falls “the central vortex of travel.” However, spanning the 800-foot-wide, 225-foot-deep gorge was a huge obstacle. So, the government of upper Canada and the state of New York commissioned a company to build a suspension bridge. They planned to charge a toll of $.25 per passenger. Big business back then!

By 1848, the construction of the bridge faced its first obstacle. They needed to stretch a line or a wire across the river so building could begin. A local ironworker suggested offering a cash prize to the first person who could fly a kite to the opposite bank. A young boy named Holman Walsh was successful at getting a kite string across the gorge, and subsequently claimed his $5.00 prize.

Once a kite string was attached across the gorge, they were able to attach a stronger line, followed by a rope and eventually a cable. Ultimately, they were able to attach a basket to the cable that could hold one person. Long lines ensued for people to be pulled across from one side to the other for a fee of $1.25.

Soon after, a foot bridge was constructed. Then, a bridge that could support a horse and carriage, followed by a train bridge. Today, thousands of cars cross that same gorge every single day. But … it all started with just one little kite string!

That story reminds me t hat little things, done the right way, can add up to big and wonderful things. Zechariah 4:10 says: “Do not despise these small beginnings.”

Whatever you are building right now (in your career, your family, your ministry, or your business,) don't despise the day of small, humble, and seemingly insignificant beginnings. Allow Jesus to multiply and grow the little things in your hands. Trust Him to do something amazing in and through you.

In John 6:1-14 (feeding of the 5,000,) Jesus tests Philip by asking him, “How shall we feed all the people?” Philip, like me, immediately looked at the problem logically. He realized it would be impossible to come up with enough food to feed everyone. So, he dismissed the idea. On the other hand, Andrew found 5 loaves and 2 small fish. He saw something small, and even though he didn't know how it would work, he still brought the fish and loaves to Jesus. He could have succumbed to the fear being laughed at. Or, he could have let logic get in his way, knowing what he had to offer could barely feed one person, let alone 5,000.

My point is this, we should want to be men and women who bring even the smallest of opportunities and needs to Jesus. Then, trust Him to do what only He can do. I don't want to dismiss anything Jesus could use to do something amazing in my life or someone else’s life, just because I think it's too small or won't work.

Speaking of small beginnings that turn ed out to be a really big deal, we celebrate the birth of a baby this month. A small baby boy who changed the course of human history! His life, death and resurrection, built a bridge that span the chasm of sin separating us from a Holy God. It started with a baby (God’s kite string…if you will) and became the most precious gift ever given.

Throughout history, individuals have t ried many ways to gain or earn eternal life, but every attempt has been unsuccessful. This is why “God’s Kite String” is so remarkable. Jesus was sent by God to live among us. To ultimately pay the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross in our place. He is the bridge that every one of us so desperately needs. Thank you, God, for Your indescribable gift!

This Christmas season, the 3D Money team wants to thank you once again for the trust and confidence you place in us. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your lives.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours,

Jeff Huston and the 3D Money Team

invest@3dmoney.com

320-905-3306

Money Is NOT Math

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 16:23:52 GMT

My business coach recently told me that “confidence is the most important capability a person can develop.”

I don’t disagree. Yet…we are living in very turbulent times. So, here’s the question I want to address in this month’s letter: “How can a person experience a greater level of confidence in their financial life?”

Before we talk solutions, we must first discuss things that erode confidence and security surrounding money. I see traditional financial planning as a big part of the problem , because it leads people to the incorrect conclusion that “Money is Math.”

Money is NOT math! Let me illustrate…

Suppose you had six oranges in your kitchen, and it’s a really nice day. So, you decide to take your six oranges out to the backyard picnic table. You proceed to eat one of the oranges, but then you hear someone at the front door. You leave the remaining oranges on the table and head back into the house. So, you had 6 oranges and you ate one … how many oranges do you have left?

It's not a trick question…you have 5…right? Six minus one equals five. That’s the math of it. But remember, we are talking about money and money is not math. So, if the oranges are money, the correct answer is: Zero!

Here’s why. While you were away, the neighborhood kid stole two of them, a squirrel carried one away, and the other two rotted. As a result, you don’t actually have any oranges left.

In this example, the neighborhood kid stealing is like the government taking taxes. The squirrel represents new innovations being created and old products wearing out. The oranges that rotted represent the effects of inflation on your money.

Again, my point is that money is not math. That being said, traditional financial planners continually lead the unsuspecting public to that conclusion. This ultimately undermines the confidence people experience in their financial lives. The common theory is that if a future target is known, you can simply reverse engineer the problem to get the desired result. Sounds simple, right?

Frankly, there are problems to this approach of financial decision making. These problems play out every day and have contributed to people finding themselves way behind in their wealth-building journey. By the way, the solution has nothing to do with asset allocation!

The marketing tactics that financial institutions regularly use show the long-term attractive results of staying invested. However, the fine print in disclosures state there are no guarantees. As this scenario plays out, it’s like walking backwards enjoying the beautiful landscape behind you, but not seeing the cliff that you are heading towards. All this leads us back to the place where our money-confidence is drained, due to all the uncertainty surrounding it.

Relying on sound economic truths is a better and more sound approach to building confidence in your financial future. Here are a few solid baseline principles I suggest considering:

· Protect first. It’s been said the best offense is a good defense. An important step in planning your financial future is to ensure adequate protections in all the important areas. In many cases, there are products available that can cost-effectively bundle protections.

· Minimize taxes. Taxes are your biggest lifetime expense. It’s a BIG DEAL! Yet, many people take a casual approach to paying taxes. I say that life either happens by design or by default. You decide. You can be reactive in tax preparing or proactive in tax planning.

· Reduce risk. The right question to ask before making any investment is: “ What backs the investment? ” When Wall Street works (on paper), it feels good and seems easy. But, when it doesn’t work, it can fall apart quickly! As long as our debt-fueled system exists, hard assets are arguably the best tool to help you sleep soundly at night.

Final thoughts:

At 3D Money, we have confidence in an investment portfolio that is grounded in real estate. We aren’t saying there won’t be downward pressure on everything, including real estate, when the economic storm clouds roll around. That being said, real estate is … well … REAL … and in most cases it’s essential. When other businesses fail, there’s nothing left. The equity disappears when good will is gone. I know I sound like a broken record, but the right real estate, in the right market, managed by the right team, is about as good as it gets for building resilient wealth in tumultuous times.

Could you use a “financial tune up?” We can help point you in the right direction. Give us a call or shoot us an email. We’d love to have a conversation with you.

Thank you for your continued partnership,

Jeff Huston and the 3D Money Team

invest@3dmoney.com

320-905-3306

Living In The Wrong Time Zone

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 16:25:41 GMT

Living In The Wrong Time Zone

As many of you know, I’m a pilot. I love flying, and I feel blessed and grateful every time I’m in the left seat.

Leonardo da Vinci said:

“For once you have tasted fl ight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward. For there you have been and there you will always long to return.”

Those words are completely true of me. As I write this letter to you, I’m sitting in my hangar office with a window that looks out over my airplane. I like being close to the airplane, even if it’s a day I’m not flying.

It fascinates me th at flying parallels many principles of real life. For instance…in instrument flying (flying in the clouds where you can’t see anything), you must learn to trust what the flight panel is telling you. When I was first learning to fly by instruments, I was told about something called “The Sacred Six.” These are the six instruments that are the most critical to keeping the airplane flying. Digging one step deeper…of the 6…there is one gauge that is more important than any of the others. This gauge is called the “Attitude Indicator.”

Let’s take a moment to really think about that. If you’ve ever looked in the cockpit of an airplane, you know there are a LOT of gauges, switches, and screens. But in all that spiderweb of avionics, six of the indicators are considered more important than the rest. Then, of the six, there is ONE that pilots prioritize out of them all. Again, that gauge is called the “the attitude indicator.”

The importance of attitude in flying is undeniable, and I’m convinced it is critically important in life, as well.

Charles R. Swindoll said: “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes.”

It's been said that time is measured in minutes while life is measured in moments. The average person spends 46.9% of their time thinking about something other than what they are doing in the present moment. This means we are only present about 50% of the time. I call it “living 15 minutes ahead.” When we do this, we miss the moment we are in. Essentially, we are living in the wrong time zone.

I was in three different time zones this past week. When that happens, I sometimes have a hard time going to sleep and waking up at the right times. My body tries to tell me I’m in a different time zone than my watch reads. That’s ok for travel, but in life, I’m striving to live in the present time zone. I don’t want my mind to be in the past or a future time zone. This takes some work because I have a propensity to be infected with “destination disease.”

How about you? Are you struggling with living in the wrong time zone or keeping a positive handle on your attitude indicator? The prayer in Psalm 90:12 puts it this way: “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Some days I’m not very good at any of this. I tend to forget what I should remember and remember what I should forget. God’s promise in Philippians 1:6 is so wonderful, “He who began a good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished…”

Take heart brothers and sisters. Even if the storm clouds rise around you and it seems that evil is winning…remember this: “the Lord is in His Holy temple.” Meaning, God is firmly seated on His throne. Nothing is outside of His care or oversight.

My spirit tells me there are some of you reading this letter who need prayer. If you let us know how we can pray for you, we promise to partner with you in petitioning God with those requests. Send us an email or give us a call.

I know this month’s letter is not about the economy, money, or investments, it’s just what’s on my heart today.

Blessings on you,

Jeff Huston and the 3D Money Team

invest@3dmoney.com

320-905-3306

Cash Is TRASH

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 15:38:04 GMT

I recently saw a sign that said: “Modern man is one who drives a mortgaged car on a bond-financed highway with credit card gas.” It’s no secret, the US has a debt problem .

Actually, the whole world has a debt problem. In fact, the world’s debt is currently 400% of the GDP. On May 23rd of this year, the IMF released a statement that said: “The world is facing the greatest headwinds since WWII.”

Historically, debt cycles typically run 75 to 100 years. Right now, we are peaking in one. Governments have 4 choices as to what they can do when the top pf a debt cycle is reached.

1. Austerity (they can lower expenses and balance the budget)

2. Restructure the debt

3. Default on obligations (interesting fact, Japan holds 18.28% and China holds 14.87% of all US debt)

4. Print money and deficit spend, which bails out the people

Each choice has consequences. It is tempting to simply turn a blind eye to what’s happening around us, because everything seems so out of our control. Being willing to look at the Macro signs is critical to ensuring you are positioned correctly to economically survive and even thrive.

We are naturally drawn to look at or focus on micro signs around us. Here is what this might look like:

#1. Standing at the gas pump trying to figure out why it’s costing you so much;

#2. Chewing on a chicken leg and complaining about how expensive it is. Macro signs are more difficult to see because we are immersed in them…like a fish in water. They are invisible. A fish doesn’t know what water is because it is their environment.

Which of the above four choices do you think will most likely occur? I ask because it’s important. In fact, Fortunes will be made and lost on the answer to that question. If you even slightly care about the health of your finances, I implore you to consider the government’s likely choice.

If you believe (like I do) that they will print money and deficit spend (option 4), consider this example I recently heard of what the Fed printing money looks like:

“If I have the only bottle of water within 100 miles and you are really thirsty…I mean you are dying of thirst…You’d likely be willing to pay a lot of money for that one bottle. But if I have 5 bottles, you might buy all 5, but you’d probably negotiate to pay less. If I have 1M bottles, you won’t pay much at all…because there’s so many of them.”

This illustrates what is currently happening and it explains why Cash is Trash. As I wrote in last month’s letter, most banks are not significantly raising deposit rates because their balance sheets are flooded with cash. Many banks are now saying they don’t even want more deposits. If that’s true, why would they pay higher interest to attract more of them?

All this brings us back to a statement I’ve made before…“the right real estate managed by the right team, is about as good as it gets for growing and protecting your wealth in uncertain times.”

One final thought, if you still have money invested in the markets, remember that the bull goes up by the stairs and the bear goes out the window . Now might be a great time to consider taking profits off the table and redeploying them to risk-adjusted options. Give us a call, we’d love to have a conversation with you. We have a couple opportunities we are raising funds for.

What’s Your Non-Negotiable?

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 23:16:00 GMT

THE FREEDOM OF MONEY

As a guest on The Overflow Worship Podcast, Jeff Huston and Andrea Olson discussed the various aspects of leadership and the lessons we can learn from the roles we step into. They share advice and insight from their leadership experience in the workplace and within the local church.

Jeff Huston had the opportunity to be a guest on The Overflow Worship Podcast with Andrea Olson. Andrea is a leader in the Christian community, founding Overflow Worship , serving as a worship leader and team coach, releasing music as a Christian musician, and loving her family well, as a wife and mother. In addition, she has a special place in Jeff’s heart, as she also holds the title of his daughter!

In this episode, Andrea and Jeff discuss various aspects of leadership and the lessons we can learn from the roles we step into. In addition to being a successful entrepreneur and Founder/Owner of 3D Money, Jeff has also served many years as a servant leader in the local church; he has worked with church staff, elder boards and has even been responsible for leading worship. He shares advice and insight from his leadership experience in the workplace and within the local church.

Many churches across the country have had difficult conversations regarding the differences between traditional and contemporary worship. In the local church, there was quite a bit of division over this topic, and Jeff’s church was no different! While serving alongside his church at the time and helping lead worship with his wife, Carol, Jeff had the opportunity to speak into this divisive topic and address questions like, “Is worship about a style of song or is there more to it?”

During that time, Jeff said he helped the church try to figure out what their non-negotiable was. There are things in our faith we should be willing to die for, there are things we should be willing to defend, and then there are things we should be willing to discuss. Jeff said they had to learn in those early years which category worship fell into.

That same principle can also be applied to businesses and organizations outside of the church, as well. As a leader of an organization or company, it is important to recognize what is non-negotiable, and spend your time appropriately, whether defending a stance or inviting conversation and discussing it.

Jeff said, “Our primary passion and focus has always been to the local church. Carol and I had the opportunity to help direct our church and give leadership through that time. We learned a lot of things, and we did a lot of things wrong that we would do over again. We gained a lot of perspective by leading worship together as a couple, and leading a body of believers together through a conflict.”

About 10-15 years ago, Jeff felt a strong calling in his life to pursue a leadership role in the church, which took him out of worship. His wife, Carol, is still actively involved leading worship in their church. Today, that experience leading worship has helped give him a unique perspective in the other roles Jeff currently serves in.

Sometimes we are called to a role for a specific point in time to teach us valuable lessons. We need to make sure to take those lessons with us and apply them in other areas of our lives. Determine your non-negotiable and figure out what is worth dying for, defending and discussing.

The ABCs of Leadership

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 23:16:01 GMT

THE FREEDOM OF MONEY

What are the fundamental building blocks of being a great leader? How do we lead our team and those around us well? As a guest on The Overflow Worship Podcast, Jeff Huston discusses this topic with Andrea Olson.

Andrea kicked off the conversation by sharing how important it is to get people on the same page with the context, not just the content. She said, “I believe our role as leaders is to bring people along with us well. You must lead them well. The two biggest aspects of that are clarity and communication. Regardless of your platform, if you are not clear or pointing them in the right direction, you’re not doing your job.”

What does that practically look like, though? How can we be leaders to our teams and lead with clarity?

Jeff shared some insight to answer those questions by stating, “I believe that to be a great leader, you have to self-lead. You need to be great at leading yourself. We can probably all think of leaders who have not led themselves well. Leading yourself well is where it begins.”

The second thing that Jeff shared was regarding recruiting or hiring people, especially leaders in your organization. He asked, “Are you looking for a vision or are you recruiting to a vision? Most of the time, organizations are not clear enough about who they are and who they are not.”

In the book “Good to Great,” Jim Collins talks about how it is more important to decide who you are not, rather than deciding who you are. It is going to be hard work clarifying that, but it is so vital! Hiring someone with a great vision might seem like the right decision, but if it does not fit with your organization’s vision, they are not the right person.

As Jim Collins says in his book, “Great vision without great people is irrelevant.” However, not every person is going to have a vision that aligns with yours. Collins says, “A company should limit its growth based on its ability to attract enough of the right people.”

The third thing that Jeff believes is necessary to lead teams well is having a transformational mindset; instead of getting work done through people, you should strive to get people done through the work you do. That is a powerful concept. That is what Jesus was all about, getting people done through work. It is not just about having someone complete a task, but instead helping a person move from point “A” to point “B” through the work that they accomplish.

How are you leading your team? Are you living your life with intentionality? Lead with clarity and communication; and don’t forget to lead yourself well to lead others well!

Amazon Bestselling Author & Business Leader Applies Biblical Wisdom to Company

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 23:16:02 GMT

THE FREEDOM OF MONEY

Proverbs 4:23 is of particular interest. It says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” How do you guard your heart? Both Andy Stanley and Billy Graham have discussed the importance of setting up guardrails in your life. As followers of Christ, it’s not wise to trust society, culture, or external influences to take hold of our hearts. According to scripture, we must guard our hearts above all else!

If you were given the opportunity to be granted anything, what would you choose?

In the Bible, we are told that King Solomon was given that choice, and he chose wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:7-12). He is often referred to as the wisest (and wealthiest) man who ever lived. Additionally, he is the author of multiple books of the Bible and is credited with writing over three thousand proverbs.

Proverbs 4:23 is of particular interest. It says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” When the wisest and most wealthy man who ever lived is quoted saying, “Above all else…” it’s important to take notice! I took note, I shared some of those thoughts in our YouTube video, “Above All Else.” At a very young age, in light of this verse, I made a commitment to pursue wisdom-based living.

How do you guard your heart? Both Andy Stanley and Billy Graham have talked about the importance of setting up guardrails in your life. As followers of Christ, it’s not wise to trust society, culture or external influences to take hold of our hearts. According to scripture, we must guard our hearts above all else!

As someone who values wisdom-based living and being a life-long learner, I have practiced setting up guardrails not only in my personal and spiritual life, but also regarding how I constructed our Alternative Investment Company, 3D Money . When I envisioned this company, I knew there would always be crises that would arise. It was important to create a business that would have a high degree of insulation from the roller-coaster of economic and political gyrations. Just like it’s important to set up guardrails to guard your heart against external influences that can corrupt it, 3D Money is a lucrative solution to the eroding external influences that surround your money, like taxes, Wall Street fraud and depreciation of the dollar.

3D Money is a real estate investment company dedicated to searching out value-add, cash-flow opportunities in real property.

Our 3D Money Team has over 100 years of experience, and we have an impeccable track record of investing in stable and secure opportunities with predictable income. The right real estate, in the right markets, managed by the right team is as good as it gets in building resilient wealth in turbulent times.

Our goal is to help investors build wealth through real estate, alleviating the stress and monotony that typically accompany traditional investments. We provide investors with options to fit their unique financial goals by offering a three-year account, paying 6% right now. We use our expertise to enhance how the investors’ money works for them — providing people with confidence and security in an ever-changing economy.

# # #

In addition to being a successful business owner, entrepreneur, Amazon Bestselling Author, frequent guest on podcasts and sought-after keynote speaker, Jeff Huston also started The Jeff Huston Show — a not-for-profit platform dedicated to coaching and inspiring people on their journey towards freedom (the freedom of time, money, relationships and purpose). The goal of The Jeff Huston Show is to allow people to step into their future with confidence, security and success!

Are You Living With a Scarcity Mindset or Abundant Mindset?

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 23:16:03 GMT

THE FREEDOM OF MONEY

What kind of mindset do you have? Is it a scarcity mindset or an abundance mindset? Do you have limiting beliefs, or is your perspective open? Learn the difference between the two mindsets, the benefits of having an abundance mindset, and the practical steps you can take today to change your perspective!

In our previous blog, “Is a Formal College Education Necessary to Succeed?” I answered the question, “What is your view on formal college education today?”

In that blog, one of my points was that our current educational system is behind the times. One of the reasons why I think that is because to be successful in life and business you need to be good at collaborating and sharing information with other people; but that is not how the school system works.

Years ago, my dad told me, “Good business is only good business if it’s good for all parties.” I think that’s so true. When thinking about personal, financial or professional relationships, we should be coming at it from the viewpoint that it should be good for all parties. If it’s only good for me, it’s not good business. If it’s only good for you, it’s not good business.

To me, it’s just as important to have a good deal as it is to create a good business relationship, a relationship that is valued by both parties. If I end up paying $500 more than I wanted for a boat or a car or something like that, I believe that I will end up getting better service and treated better along the way. To me, that’s just a way of being respectful.

Now, I’m not talking about being stupid. We can still be prudent and negotiate well. I think that scripture and most wisdom backs up that we shouldn’t be careless and should instead be good stewards of what we have. But at the same time, it’s alright for there to be a little bit of meat left on the bone, so to speak, when we’re doing business with someone.

You can get rich by being cheap. But at the end of the day, you’re still cheap. I don’t want to live my life being cheap. I don’t want to beat the guy down to the last dollar. I want to live my life with an abundant mindset, not a scarcity mindset.

A scarcity mindset says there’s a finite amount of resources in the world today and you need to protect all that you can because there’s a limited amount. If someone else gets something, that means there’s less for you. This is destructive and creates unnecessary competition, founded on the idea that, if someone else wins or is successful in a situation, that means you lose.

In contrast, an abundant mindset leads to a much happier and more fulfilling life! With this point of view, you’re in the driver’s seat. It is believed that creating an abundant mindset is beneficial for many reasons. It allows you to:

Feel secure and confident in your life endeavors and create successful outcomes
Create memorable and meaningful life experiences
Take full advantage of and enjoy new opportunities that arise
Exude happiness despite circumstances

In the book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” Stephen Covey defined the term abundance mindset as “a concept in which a person believes there are enough resources and successes to share with others.” How do you gain an abundant mindset today? There are a few things you can do to create this mindset.

You can recognize the power of your thoughts, take time to notice your thoughts and begin to make a conscious effort to shift your thoughts towards abundance. You can also practice gratitude, as it is one of the most widely recognized tools for creating abundance, with numerous studies on the power of gratitude on well-being. Carol Dweck, author of the book, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” offers another step towards developing an abundance mindset. When talking about building beyond a growth mindset, Dweck said, “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”

If you want to move out of a scarcity mindset, then start taking action today with one of the steps listed above to develop an abundance mindset!

Is a Formal College Education Necessary To Succeed?

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 23:16:04 GMT

THE FREEDOM OF MONEY

Jim Rohn has a quote that says, “If you don’t design your life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” What does designing your life plan look like? Is a college education needed to succeed? If not, what does it look like to be a life-long learner?

Today, we’re going to answer a question asked by Jan from Wisconsin. She asks, “What is your view on formal college education today?”

I think it’s valuable for us to talk about what the relationship education plays in our lives. I have really seen over the years a progression or evolution that is happening in the area of education. It’s my belief that our current educational system is very much behind the time. Our education system was originally designed for an industrial age, made to produce factory workers. However, we don’t produce quite as many factory workers anymore. We are in an information and technology age...and I don’t think our education system has caught up to that.

An example of this is how business gets accomplished in the information age, smart business happens through collaboration. I have so many business relationships that are valuable to me and I collaborate with on a regular basis. The crazy thing is, if I were to have collaborated when I was in school, it would have been seen as cheating. Yet today, it’s how business gets done.

Robert Kiyosaki wrote a very interesting book a number of years ago called, “ Why ‘A’ Students Work for ‘C’ Students and ‘B’ Students Work for the Government. ” It’s a very interesting book that I would recommend. The whole idea is that if you’re an “A” student, you’re too intent on passing tests and focused on the academic side of things. In addition, “A” students don’t like to make mistakes, and that’s a problem with “A” students, they think making mistakes is a bad thing.

Whereas “C” students make all kinds of mistakes — I was a “C” student myself! Sometimes, I even struggled to pull in “C’s” in school. I didn’t go very well and I didn’t enjoy school because I was more interested in the practical, hands-on side of things. I wanted to understand how I was going to be able to practically use what I was learning. I was more interested in becoming “street smart” as opposed to “book smart.” Now don’t get me wrong, I read books. I love reading! I discipline myself to read because some of the smartest “street smart” people are avid readers, so I value books. But more than valuing books themselves, I value the application that they can have in the relationships and real-life experiences out in the marketplace and Mainstreet.

I think that formal college education is important in some fields. I don’t have a college education and I believe that I’ve been reasonably successful in life. When I was young, I used to think less of myself because I didn’t have a college education, I had a little bit of an inferiority complex. Today, I almost hold that as a merit badge, I’m proof that you don’t have to obtain a college education to be successful. However, there are fields where it is an entry point to get in the door of certain careers. For instance, doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, and others need to have a formal college education. But I think it’s field-specific. What I am saddened, even disgusted by, is when someone goes to college and they don’t know what they’re going to do.

I’m big on intentionality. I think that being intentional is a key thing in life. At the end of the day, be intentional about what you do, whether it’s with your faith, family, fitness or in any of the four areas of freedom — time, money, relationships and purpose. All those things come back to intentionality. As it relates to college education, why spend thousands and thousands of dollars on an education if you’re just going to end up getting a job that pays barely more than you would receive if you never went to college in the first place? Being intentional about your education is so important because it plays such a key role in so many aspects of your life.

I’ll leave you to think about this quote from Jim Rohn; he said, “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”

The Freedom of Relationship

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 23:16:05 GMT

THE FREEDOM OF MONEY

In this blog, we'll answer the question, "What does it mean to have freedom of relationships?" Relationships are messy. But meaning, purpose, and life come from the people around us and our relationships. Are you creating enough margin in your life to spend time in those relationships in meaningful ways?

Jeff Huston, the Founder/Owner of 3D Money, has a podcast called the Jeff Huston Show — a nonprofit platform dedicated to coaching and inspiring you on your journey towards freedom!

There are four freedoms we talk about here at the Jeff Huston Show: the Freedom of Time, Freedom of Money, Freedom of Relationship and Freedom of Purpose. Today we’ll be answering a reader’s question about the Freedom of Relationship.

Today’s question comes from Betsy from Minnesota who asks, “What does it mean to have freedom of relationships?” That’s a good question. Simply put, “Freedom of Relationship” means that you have enough margin in your life, in all areas of your life, that you get to choose who it is that you get to spend your time with.

Does that mean that all of life is rosy and perfect? No. There is a proverb that says, “When the manger is empty, there are no oxen in the field.” I believe the meaning of the proverb is to emphasize that when the barn is all swept clean and there’s no mess, it also means there are no animals or oxen that can go out into the field and get work done. If you want to get work done in the fields, you’re going to have a messy barn.

How does that relate to relationships? If you want to have a life that is free from conflict and free from complications, just don’t have any people in it. But that’s the paradox of the proverb; because people are where much of life’s meaning, purpose and worth comes from. But we also have to recognize that when we have people in our lives there are going to be messes. When I say “Freedom of Relationships,” I don’t mean that there won’t be any messes or complications in your life. I simply mean that you have enough freedom and flexibility in your life to make the choice of who you’re going to spend your time with.

Let me give you an example. A while back I was talking with a husband and wife. I had never met the wife before, so I asked her a little bit about herself. I knew that she worked, so I asked her, “Where do you work?” She told me about a company that she works for a few towns over. I followed up by asking her, “Well, do you like your job?”

She responded by saying, “Oh, no. I hate my job. I just hate it!”

I was shocked. So I asked her, “Have you thought about doing something else or getting a new job?”

“I’ve been there for 14 years and I’m getting close to retirement,” she said. “I just don’t want to start over again.”

So I asked her how long it would be until she retired? And she responded by saying seven more years!!

I didn’t say this out loud, but I thought to myself, “Are you kidding me? You’re going to spend seven more years of your life at someplace that you hate! And how many years have you already been there that you hate?”

Life is way too short. You only get one shot at this...and then it's on to eternity! So why not make the most of it? Why would anybody spend seven years of their life in a job that they hate with people they don’t like?

That’s an example of relationship freedom. In this situation, I believe that the lack of freedom was self-imposed. There was nothing that says she couldn’t get a job — she was very employable, but mentally she was stuck in bondage in her current role and she wasn’t willing to think outside of herself and look for something else.

Sometimes, with “Freedom of Relationship” there are boundaries that we create. There are self-imposed boundaries and there are externally-imposed boundaries. For instance, examples of externally-imposed boundaries would be if someone says the job market is tight and they can’t leave their job because they don’t think they can get another one that pays as much or they’re in a geographical region where there’s a downturn and they’re just thankful to have a job. I think those situations are probably fewer than the self-imposed boundaries we create for ourselves. But I do acknowledge that there are external circumstances that are factors.

Let’s say I had enough money saved up so I had six months of cushion financially. That might give me a little flexibility to take a chance on something new or begin looking for something else in the hopes of putting myself in a better environment. If you don’t have any margin in your life though, you don’t have nearly as much “Freedom of Relationship.”

So what does a good relationship look like? The importance of communication has to be recognized as a key in good and healthy relationships. If you don’t have healthy communication in any relationship — with your spouse, a significant other, a co-worker, a friend or a boss — it’s going to be a long-term limiting factor in how healthy those relationships are.

Let’s take it a step further and answer: What does healthy communication look like? I think it’s the ability to disagree or see a different point of view and still function. To be able to stand on the edge of the coin and see both sides is very valuable. Wisdom comes when we can see both sides and recognize those sides might be opposing but we still have the ability to function.

I think we’ve lost that in this country, and I just don’t understand it. If one side is seen as intolerant and one side is seen as narrow-minded, we’re not able to see and mediate our differences because we get so dogmatic and set in our own viewpoints that we’re not able to see another side. That really does grieve me.

How does this help us understand what a healthy relationship looks like? Well, first and foremost, you have to have a relationship where you can hold differing points of view and disagree in an agreeable way.

I have a great example of this. A number of years ago, I had an employee who had polar opposite political views than me. Nonetheless, we had great conversations about it...because we respected each other. I respected her and she respected me even though we had different viewpoints. That’s a healthy relationship. I appreciated that relationship and therefore chose to spend more time with her because we valued and respected each other.

My perspective on what it means to have “Freedom of Relationship” is to have the ability to have margin and flexibility in the areas of time and money so you can choose the relationships you spend time with. You can choose to spend time with the relationships that mean the most to you.

This is only the start of the conversation! If you want to hear more about how to create “Freedom of Relationship” in your life, then check out the full podcast episode below!

The Freedom of Purpose (Part 2)

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 23:16:06 GMT

THE FREEDOM OF MONEY

In this blog, we dive deeper into the Freedom of Purpose. Join in on my conversation with two young men as we talk about how gratitude plays a part in purpose and why we should be lifelong learners.

Jeff Huston, the Founder/Owner of 3D Money, has a podcast called the Jeff Huston Show — a nonprofit platform dedicated to coaching and inspiring you on your journey towards freedom!

In our previous blog, “The Freedom of Purpose (Part 1),” I shared how I recently met with a couple of young men, two brothers from Spokane, Washington. One of them was just starting college and one of them was just finishing college. They were asking me all sorts of questions about personal development, career decisions and life in general.

The young man who just recently graduated from college asked me, “Now that I’ve graduated college, how do I get started in investing in real estate?” Before I answered him, I asked his dad a question, who happened to be sitting there with us. I asked him, “When did you complete your education?” He answered by saying, “I still haven’t! I’m a life-long learner.”

I, of course, knew he was going to say that because I knew his dad well and I knew how he thought about things. And that’s how I see it too. We should never complete our education, we should be life-long learners. Just because you graduated from college doesn’t mean your education is done. The best thing that you can do to start investing in real estate is to start educating yourself on the subject. Don’t whip out your checkbook and try to go buy a property. The first thing you have to do is educate yourself by seeking out people, courses, books, etc.

The other thing that I thought about as we were talking about being a lifelong learner is an experience I had when I was getting out of farming. I grew up as a farm kid, and really that’s all I ever wanted to do from the time that I can remember. When I graduated from high school, I started farming; but then I got caught in the Agricultural crisis of the early 80’s and I was displaced occupationally. By that time I was in my mid-20s and had a wife and two kids, I had financial needs that couldn’t be met with a minimum wage job.

At that time in my life, I was talking with a man who would later become a mentor of mine. He said, “Jeff, a man is worth about $8 an hour from the neck down. But from the neck up, it’s unlimited. And going forward you’re going to have to decide which end you’re going to earn your income with.” At that moment I understood that “from the neck down” was a physical, manual labor job. I knew I needed to start investing in my knowledge of things. I made a commitment to myself that year, and since then, there hasn’t been a year that I haven’t been involved in a coaching or continuing education program.

My conversation with these two brothers progressed from there. As we were talking about mindset, I brought up the concept of gratitude. Gratitude is such a key component in my life. I believe that the superpower of the twenty-first century is gratitude! I’ve found that nurturing a culture of gratitude sets you apart as a business, church, couple or individual.

The people close to me in my life, they know what I stand for. In this upside down world, that’s a game changer — for someone to take a stand on something they value as opposed to trying to blend in like everyone else. For me, something I value is having the mindset of gratitude.

What is the result of gratitude? I think it affects your attitude. When I begin in gratitude, it changes my attitude. When I’m thinking about what I’m grateful for, I’m not thinking about what I’m not grateful for.

There’s a quote by Charles Swindoll that says, “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

That’s so powerful. The two biggest takeaways for developing purpose is the idea that if I begin in gratitude it changes my attitude because it forces me to think from a grateful mindset and the idea that we are way more valuable “from the neck up” than “from the neck down.” Those are both really big keys to developing purpose. We have to be lifelong learners and we have to start from a place of gratitude.

The Freedom of Purpose (Part 1)

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 23:16:07 GMT

THE FREEDOM OF MONEY

In this blog, we'll unpack the Freedom of Purpose. We'll discuss how to define the purpose and what we should be focusing on to hone our purpose.

Jeff Huston, the Founder/Owner of 3D Money, has a podcast called the Jeff Huston Show — a nonprofit platform dedicated to coaching and inspiring you on your journey towards freedom!

There are four freedoms we talk about here at the Jeff Huston Show: the Freedom of Time, Freedom of Money, Freedom of Relationship and Freedom of Purpose. Today we’re going to unpack the Freedom of Purpose. I’m excited for this topic because purpose is really about what’s going on inside of you. People might think that it’s an external idea, but purpose really comes from within.

Purpose is really about who you are as opposed to what you do. Who are you when no one is around? Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

I’ve mentioned this on previous blogs and podcasts, but when I was in a career transition a number of years ago, I was trying to decide what God wanted for the next chapter of my life. I was so focused during that time in petitioning God and seeking His direction for my life and what he wanted me to do. When I finally heard his voice, it was “Jeff, I’m more interested in what you become than what you do.”

I set out from that point on to identify the characteristics of what I wanted to become. What did I want more of in my life? What characteristics did I want to expand? Zig Ziglar said, “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” What you become is reflective of your purpose.

I recently met with a couple of young men, two brothers from Spokane, Washington. One of them was just starting college and one of them was just finishing college. They were asking me all sorts of questions about personal development, career decisions and life in general. I really appreciated their interest in gaining wisdom.

The fact that they asked great questions was impressive. I see many great young people on a regular basis that are smart, interested in life, engaged, growing and succeeding. And that was the case with these two brothers. When I sat down with them, they asked me how I got started in the real estate business.

They asked, “What are the keys to being successful in the real estate business?” I think there was another question behind it though, and that question was “Why was I doing what I was doing?” I think they expected me to talk about how it’s financially lucrative, how you can utilize leverage, how you have the potential of using other people’s money and working with banking money as opposed to your own money. But that’s not what I started out with.

What I started with was another Zig Ziglar quote, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” So many times the focus is on yourself and what’s in it for you, when the most successful people are more focused on how they can help other people. And I know that when I’m focused on that, I’m more likely going to be at the right place at the right time.

The first step to accomplishing this is to not focus on yourself. When my business partner and I were starting out a number of years ago and acquiring real estate, we talked to some other landlords and real estate investors. There was one person in particular that said something that was quite offensive to us. He referred to his tenants as “his animals.” As my business partner and I were driving away from that meeting, I said to him, “Let’s make a pact that if that’s ever the track our brains start going down, let’s agree we sell everything and get out.” Because we believe that every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their economic position in life.

Again, it comes back to the mindset of focusing on other people and helping them get what they want. It’s not a give-to-get thing. It’s just your purpose, it’s who you are — as a human being, as a man or woman, as a God follower. And that makes no difference whether you’re a real estate investor, a business owner, an employee, a home-maker, if you’re retired or working for a non-profit. Whatever you choose to do, do it with the mindset of helping other people get what they want.

Stay tuned for the second half of this blog, “The Freedom of Purpose (Part 2).”

The Freedom of Money

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 23:21:20 GMT

THE FREEDOM OF MONEY

In this blog, we discuss the Freedom of Money by answering the question, "What should the goal of building more assets be?” Did you know that you have more assets in your life than just your financial assets? We'll cover the four categories of assets in your life and address this question from a deeper perspective.

Jeff Huston, the Founder/Owner of 3D Money, has a podcast called the Jeff Huston Show — a nonprofit platform dedicated to coaching and inspiring you on your journey towards freedom!

On The Jeff Huston Show, we talk about ways you can increase your freedom of time, money, relationships and purpose. In today’s blog, we’re going to talk about money; which is a topic that has numerous potential land mines awaiting because we all have different experiences with money — we were raised differently and have different paradigms. Money can be a very stressful thing in our lives and can produce potential conflict in our relationships.

We received a question from John in Florida, who asked, “I know we all need money, and I’ve seen it do some good things. But I’ve also seen some destructive sides to it. What should the goal of building more assets be?”

This is an insightful question and caught my attention because on the surface I think it can seem very basic. When on a deeper level, there’s a lot more to unpack. I don’t know John’s faith background, but many of our readers (or listeners of our podcast) are God followers, as I am, and if his question is coming from that standpoint, I can really see where there can be a struggle with this.

In Psalm 62:10 it says, “...though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” So the danger is in setting our heart on riches and material things. We’re also warned in 1 John 5:21, at the very end of the chapter, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” But I never really thought that applied much to me. I don’t have graven images or carvings of physical idols in my household. I don’t have anything like that to worship or admire. But when I read that verse in the New Living Translation, it came alive to me. It reads, “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.”

See, idols are not just about graven images. An idol is anything that takes God’s place in our hearts. So I think the danger of money, if I’m reading into the question that John asked is: What should the goal of accumulating assets in light of Psalms telling us not to set our heart on those things? How do we filter all of that as God followers in light of accumulating wealth?

To start, I’d like us to think a little differently about assets. A number of years ago I was introduced to this idea by Lee Brower with Empowered Wealth. If I were to ask you to list all your assets, you might think, “My investments are worth this much, and I have this much money in these bank accounts, I have some real estate with some equity, and I have a business that has value, etc.” More than likely, you’re going to list out all your financial assets. And I would agree, those are assets.

But I would also like to propose that we have other assets that we don’t often think about. We don’t take time to recognize most of these other assets though. What I would like to suggest is that we think of our assets in four different categories, or quadrants.

The first category is what I’m going to call our Core Assets: our relationships, health, values, integrity, worldview, faith, belief system, etc. Those are all at the core of who we are, and those are in fact assets.

The second category is our Educational and Experiential Assets. So if you went to college and have a college degree, that would be an asset. You’ve also had experiences in your life, good experiences and bad experiences — personally, I’ve learned more from the bad experiences than the good experiences. I like this quote from Hellen Keller, “A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn.” How do we make the turn? We make the turn when we adapt to the mistakes or the curve balls life has sent our way. There’s a question I love to ask people, “When did you complete your education?” Well, of course the right answer to that is “I never have and I never will!” We should strive to be life-long learners. Living wisely is really the goal. Our life education and our life experiences help us to live wisely.

The third category is Charitable or Community Assets. These are things that we contribute to that are outside of us, they’re bigger than us: things that we participate in or volunteer our time for. How do you live out your faith? In the Bible, the writer of James says we have to take action in what we believe. These actions in regards to our community are also assets.

And then we have Financial Assets, which include the things discussed earlier: bank accounts, investments, real estate, business interests, etc.

So here’s my question for you, if you wrote down a list of all of the things that you value in each of those categories or quadrants, what would they be? Now, those are your assets, that’s really your net worth. Your net worth isn’t just financial assets minus liabilities. It’s a sum total of all those things in each of those quadrants that are important to you.

Let’s say that I waved a magic wand and everything in those quadrants disappeared. You’re bankrupt in the true sense of the word. You don’t have your health, you’ve lost all your relationships, you don’t have your faith, finances, or any of your other assets. It’s ALL gone.

Now, let’s say out of the goodness of my heart, I wave my wand and let you pick one of the four quadrants to have back. Which quadrant would you choose to get back first? My guess is if you’re like most people, you’re going to choose your Core Assets. That makes sense. Let’s go one step further.

I’m going to wave my magic wand again and give you one more quadrant back, but only one! Which one would you choose? Well from my experience, when I’ve done this with people, most people choose their Educational and Experiential Assets in life. Why is that? Because if you have your Core Assets and my Educational and Experiential Assets, you can rebuild your Financial and Charitable/Community Assets.

We started out this blog talking about money and accumulating assets. John’s original question was, “What should the goal of building more assets be?” Well, if we view our assets as just piling up more money, then we’re missing what (I think) life should be about. Isn’t it interesting that we started talking about financial assets and yet financial assets didn’t even make the top two categories of assets if everything is stripped away.

Finances, as we all intuitively know, isn’t the most important thing in life, but it is important. If I go back to John’s question, if I think more globally about assets, the goal of accumulating more assets is to live wisely and to live better.

Click below to listen to the entire Jeff Huston Podcast about the Freedom of Money.