In this episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with Brian Hall — a Richmond real estate broker, investor, and property management company owner who has seen just about every cycle this business can throw at you.

Brian shares the honest version of what a real estate career can look like: early curiosity about investing, success selling real estate, a massive crash tied to a development deal in Costa Rica, and the long road back after losing nearly everything in the mid-2000s. Instead of declaring bankruptcy, Brian rebuilt from the ground up, paid back every dollar he owed, and slowly re-established himself in the market.

We also dive into the burnout that can come from rapid growth, why he intentionally downsized his business after scaling hard for several years, and how he’s now focusing on building a simpler, ...