Can the drive that once fed substance use build a new life?
In April 2023, I spoke with Eudania Burrell, who goes by Dana. She is a federal agent with the Department of Homeland Security, a real estate investor, and a coach, and she has been in recovery from alcohol and drug use since 1998.
Her story moves from a young mother who did not know how to live to a woman who closes real estate deals with her own daughters. We talked about honesty, background checks, creativity, and the habits that keep her steady.
This is an archive episode, recorded when the show covered addiction and recovery broadly.
How did Eudania’s recovery begin?
At 0:38, she described starting to drink as a young teenager and moving on to harder drugs. By her late twenties she had three children, had never kept a job for long, and had never had a place of her own. For years, her parents softened the blows.
The wake-up calls came from the people she loved. She saw distrust in her children’s eyes, and her father once answered her call by saying she was not the child he raised. On February 14, 1998, after calling her sister for help, she went into detox, then a month of residential care, then a halfway house, where she began learning how to hold a job and how to be a mother.
Does a past with substance use close the door to a federal career?
From 8:24, she told the harder part of the story: when tourism collapsed after the September 11 attacks, her job in the service industry stopped paying and she faced eviction. Five years into recovery, she and her daughters ended up in a homeless shelter. It was not supposed to happen, she remembered thinking, when she was doing everything right.
She applied to the Department of Homeland Security and waited. At 10:47, I asked the question many people with a history like hers carry: will a background check end the dream before it starts? She had been arrested a couple of times for small infractions and was frightened.
At 11:50, she recalled asking an interviewer whether an arrest would keep someone from being hired. His answer was that it would only if you lie about it. So, she decided to be honest about everything. In her view, a truth that you own and take responsibility for cannot be used to hurt you.
Can the skills used to get drugs be turned toward something good?
At 13:41, I shared something I believe about the people who have the hardest time with substance use. Many of them have unbelievable potential, because the condition turns a person’s best mental resources against them. They become experts at finding drugs and keeping secrets.
Eudania agreed. At 15:06, she said that once she stopped using, she realized that if she was that good at getting drugs, she could be just as good at something she loved. She borrowed a question from her early recovery and now asks it of herself and her students: what lengths are you willing to go to for your success?
Is building a business a creative act?
At 17:02, I said that creative work seems to help people in recovery, and that business and entrepreneurship are creative too. You have to think outside the box and do things differently from everyone else. In that sense, her real estate work is a kind of art therapy.
At 17:47, she described the reward that matters most to her: helping an owner avoid foreclosure, or relieving an older couple of a property they could no longer keep up, gives her a feeling she called unmatched. At some point in a deal, she said, it stops being about the money.
How does a new investor find the right people to work with?
From 19:40, the conversation turned practical. When she started, Eudania cut poster board from a dollar store into postcards and wrote each one by hand, giving up a two-hour movie and other things that would not benefit her to do it. People called her and mentioned the handwritten postcard.
Interestingly, her method rests on trust as much as effort. In her view, each person is designed to work with certain people, and the people you are meant to serve are looking for you too, which is why she tells her students they cannot be a second-rate version of her, only a first-rate version of themselves.
Her internal compass matters to her as well, and she has turned down investors who did not feel right. At 22:02, I mentioned the old advice to go with your gut, since the digestive system has a nervous system of its own.
What keeps a person steady when the urge returns?
At 22:36, she explained that meetings were central in her first years, and that over time church, meditation, and other groups took a larger place. Her practice of recovery keeps evolving. One tool has stayed: when the thought of a drink comes, she plays the whole tape forward so she does not romanticize it.
At 24:52, I described a goal I set with new patients. In the beginning, that means deleting the numbers and contacts. Over time, a person builds so many barriers that they would not even know where to find a drug. Of course, alcohol is harder, because it is everywhere.
Her answer at 26:38 was a story. A few years earlier, something hurt her badly, and she stood in a store for about half an hour looking at bottles while she played that tape. She left without buying anything. In her experience, the urge fades once she names the feeling underneath it, talks about it, journals, or picks up the phone.
Is there only one way to recover?
At 30:56, she said that different groups have their own views, and that she took something from several of them and from church as well. Whatever works for you is what works for you. In her view, people should have the tools available and be free to choose what fits them.
At 32:03, I mentioned that Bill W., a founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, was reportedly interested in medical treatments. Still, it does not matter whether he liked them. If science produces a medical treatment that helps people, it should be used.
What is real estate wholesaling?
At 32:46, Eudania explained her strategy. She finds an owner who no longer wants or needs a property, puts it under contract, and sells that contract to another investor. Her buyers are usually people who renovate homes or hold them as rentals, which she sees as bringing value back to communities.
From 35:06, she said that no particular education is required, though the platform she uses charges a membership fee. Her grandmother used to say that people do what they want to do, and since we all have the same hours in a day, the real question is whether we make time for what matters. However, she admitted she wanted to invest for years and only began in 2020, after her job paused and her home flooded in the same week.
Who is Eudania Burrell?
Eudania Burrell, known as Dana, has been a federal agent with the Department of Homeland Security for about twenty years. She is a real estate investor with her own wholesaling business, coaches new investors, and has been in recovery since 1998. Two of her daughters now work with her.
What can listeners take away from this conversation?
A history with substance use does not decide what a person can become. Eudania’s story suggests that honesty about the past, steady barriers against the old life, and the same energy that once went into using can carry someone into work they love.
How do I approach this today?
Today my practice focuses on helping people come off benzodiazepines and other medications gradually, and on medication for alcohol and opioid dependence. Physical dependence is not addiction, and the safest way off is usually slow.
Call 911 or go to an emergency department if there is a seizure, confusion or hallucinations, or thoughts of self-harm. For thoughts of suicide or any mental health crisis, you can also call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
This page is educational. It is not medical advice, and listening to the episode or reading this page does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Decisions about starting, continuing, or tapering any medication should be made with your own physician.
Full transcript
A note from Dr. Leeds: my guests speak from their own experience and expertise, and the terminology they use is their own. Whatever the topic, this show holds to one distinction: physical dependence on a prescribed medication is not addiction. This transcript is educational content, not medical advice, and nothing here creates a doctor-patient relationship.
Read the full transcript (37 minutes)
Dr. Mark Leeds [00:02] Dana burrell welcome
Eudania Burrell [00:06] Thank you thank you I am wonderful thank you for asking how about yourself
Dr. Mark Leeds [00:10] Oh I’m good good thank you
Eudania Burrell [00:12] Good good
Dr. Mark Leeds [00:13] So yeah I was reading about your incredible story about your you know your adventures as an entrepreneur and real estate investing and that you had struggled at some point with addiction and overcome addiction. Tell me a little bit about the story, about how things came about, how you overcame your addiction and got into investing.
Eudania Burrell [00:38] I started drinking when I was about 13. I started using heavier drugs, about 15 and 17 even harder drugs. And all throughout drinking had remained, I would stop the drugs on and off for years. And in that time, I had three children by the time I was 24 years old. Towards the end of my drug use, I was about 28 years old. Three children, didn’t know how to live, didn’t know how to take care of them. I’d never had a job for more than six months in my life at that time. I’d never had a place of my own. I truly did not know how to live. My parents were always there to kind of soften the blows so my bottoms were you know not they were kind of high bottoms you know it wasn’t until towards the end where you know I ruined every relationship that meant anything to me and I could start to see it even in my children’s eyes you know every time I went back out you know I would catch a glimpse of you’re a liar mom you’re I can’t believe you I don’t trust you and I remember that feeling I can’t have them looking at me like that you know or you know picking up the phone while I would been out on a binge and my dad calling the house and saying, hey, dad, it’s Dana. Dana who? You’re not the child I raised. Click. Those were some of my wake-up calls. And I remember very vividly the night I did decide that I needed to get clean because the drugs had run out. I was crashing, and I was thinking some really horrible thoughts of hurting someone or myself. And I knew if I didn’t get off the street, I was going to die. I was going to end up in prison or I was going to kill somebody. That’s how crazy my mind had become. And so I called my sister, who is actually also was in recovery at the time. And she was clean at the time and gave me I told her I needed one night. They had a bed for me and detox and that I would go in the next morning. And that’s exactly what I did. The very next morning I went into detox. It was February 14th, 1998. What better gift of love can you give to yourself? I didn’t even realize it at the time. But at any rate, I went through detox and I went straight into treatment thereafter for 30 days. And I remember being in a co-ed meeting at the treatment center and the counselor saying to us, you know, statistically speaking, only two of you are going to make it. What? You know, that frightened the hell out of me. And I vowed that day, gosh, that I was going to be one of the two. And yeah, from there, I’m sorry, excuse me, still brings up a little bit of emotion every time I think about it. I went straight into a halfway house and I stayed there for about 45 days. Maybe a little longer, I can’t remember. But there is where I began to get my life back. Remember, I had never really learned how to live. So I was literally learning how to live, learning how to be a mother again, really for the first time, learn how to hold a job. Gosh, those were some of my milestones, you know, having a job for more than a year. That was a great celebration. And yeah, from there, I mean, I was able to raise my own children. And that in itself was truly a joy being able to watch them grow in a normal setting so to speak without drugs because no way in the world was I going to allow it to happen to my children you know I was never I was always very up honest about my addiction and I wanted them to know that road I traveled was for all of us. None of them ever had to go down that road because I traveled it for all of us. And I was able to keep them close to me and none of them experienced that, which I experienced. Fast forward, every one of them graduated high school, unlike me. So I got to see again, life through what it might have been to be normal. And so those were some beautiful milestones in my life. Raised them to adulthood. A couple of them went to college, off to college. One is married now. One has two children. The baby has gone on to work with Columbia University, has traveled the world and now works with me in my real estate business. I’m jumping way ahead. But in 2020, the world shut down. My job stopped. Let me back up a little bit. I do work for the Department of Homeland. I was lucky enough to get in right after 9/11. And I’ve been with them for 20 years. But at the time of 2020, I was with them for 18 years and the world shut down and my job literally stopped and my home flooded all within one week’s time. And at that, yeah, at that, and I got a little depressed and I knew depression does not fit me well. I’m a pretty upbeat person. I love life. I love people. I love being able to make a difference in this world. And so I decided this is it. I don’t care what it takes. I’m going to learn how to do real estate. And I sat for a couple of months learning with connected investors through connected investors, learning this thing called real estate wholesaling, micro flipping. And a few few short months later, I was able to close on my first three deals and I have not stopped. Everything that I am doing today I still have my job with the department of homeland which I love I’m now coaching and I’m a real estate investor with my own business and every one of those three I love and I remember my dad you know saying when I was growing up if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life and you know I always felt like I didn’t listen to him But, you know, now I’m in this space where everything that I do, I absolutely love. And so most of the time, it doesn’t even feel like I’m working. It feels like I’m doing what I love to do.
Dr. Mark Leeds [08:14] Wow. When you say you work with Homeland Security, does that mean you’re like a federal agent, like the equivalent of an FBI special agent? Oh wow
Eudania Burrell [08:24] I am a federal agent and you know I remember you know I back up a little bit you know right after 9/11 I had worked a job for about five years I was in the service industry and I loved what I did but because of 9/11 it killed tourism and so my job I wasn’t making any money anymore. And at that point, I decided to make a conscious decision because I ran the risk of being evicted from our apartment. And we went into a homeless shelter. Here I am five years clean. And this isn’t supposed to be happening to me. I’m doing everything right. You know, I’m following the rules. I’m, you know, I’m just, this isn’t supposed to be happening. Here we were homeless. I had no job and Department of Homeland was open and I applied online and there was a ready pool, which means you have to wait to be called, you know. So and so about I remember praying for the job. It was a late November, early December. And I was like, wouldn’t it be great if they called? Because here I am. I’m still homeless. I don’t have a job. I had friends collecting money for me just to give me gas money. My only saving grace is I owned my own car. And so right at early December, they called and offered me a position. And I remember getting my very first paycheck, $499 right before Christmas. And I was able to give my girls Christmas that year. And yeah, I’ve been with them for 20 years. It has been, it’s been filled with challenges, filled with so many joys. I’ve learned so much about myself being with the Department of Homeland, working with people from different parts of the world. Just having that up close and personal interactions with other human beings has taught me so much about myself. And it’s really increased my love walk, I believe. And I’m grateful for that. I really am.
Dr. Mark Leeds [10:47] I was wondering about that. There’s people, I think, that have that dream of getting into that kind of job. […] And I actually did an interview with the CIA when I was in college. I imagine at one point being a like a computer programmer, a software engineer working for them. And I remember the guy telling me that he said, well, I can tell you that we have one gray supercomputer, but I can’t tell you how many square feet. And if we have more than one, that’s public. And, you know, it was really fun because it was kind of like this top secret thing. And he said, we’re hiring spies, but we’re hiring computer programmers. But I know that people probably have might have dreams of doing that kind of thing and then if they have a like a an addiction problem they probably might think like well now I can’t do that because they’re going to look at my history and do background checks and whatever like how are you able to overcome that
Eudania Burrell [11:50] Oh my gosh that is exactly something I thought of well you know I’ll tell you, children are a great motivator. And so I knew once 9/11 happened, first of all, I wasn’t making money anymore. Second of all, I knew I needed to do something with my life. And this was a call to action. This was my chance to serve the country. This was my chance to stand up and push through and say, I can do this. I’m going to take a chance on me. And I was scared. I was scared as hell because I had been arrested a couple of times for just, I mean, small infractions, but it was still there. And I remember thinking to myself, they’re never going to hire somebody like me. You know, and if they do, what about my past? You know, will that stop it from going through? And I remember at the interview, my first interview was like nine hours long because they put you through this series of tests. And then the second one was six hours. And I remember asking the guy, I says, listen, will they not hire you if you’ve ever been arrested or if you’ve got some stuff in your past? And he said, only if you lie about it. Oh well hell I’m gonna be honest about everything and from that point for what I really recognize in me holding my own truth and letting people know my truth no one could hurt me with it because it’s not a secret it’s mine and I own it and so long as I own it and take responsibility for it accountability for it there’s no one could ever hurt me with my own truth yeah that’s what I got from it
Dr. Mark Leeds [13:41] Well that’s I mean if that if that was your entire story if we were having this interview like 10 years ago and yeah you know you were a successful homeland security agent and told me your story of overcoming addiction and childhood and you know getting to that point that would be an incredible motivator for a lot of people but now now here we are in 2023 you know and COVID is sort of coming to an end or over depending on who you ask and but during so during COVID you had a whole new adventure you I mean that’s and people you know people think of themselves even when they don’t have a history of addiction like you know I can’t do anything like that you know that’s not that’s not me that’s for like entrepreneurs and people who are naturals that know how to do this kind of stuff. But I think people with the people who have the hardest trouble overcoming addictions have like unbelievable potential because those are the people that have the hardest time overcoming addiction because addiction uses your, your best mental resources against you when it kind of takes over. Yeah. I mean, so you kind of become like a genius at how to get, how to get drugs and how to keep it a secret. And so now I agree. Yes. So you were able to use those powers for good now.
Eudania Burrell [15:06] Exactly. Exactly. And so, you know, you said something here. Yeah. I used all of my mental resources, all of my energy, time and, you know, try thinking of ways to get my next fix. And I was good at it. I was really good at it. And then when I got clean, I realized, damn, if I was that good at getting drugs, how much good can I be at doing something that I really love? And so, you know, one of the questions in recovery is what length are you willing to go to? What length are you willing to go to for your recovery, just like you were for your drug? And so I ask that in my daily life. What length are you willing to go to, Dana? And I now ask that of my students. What length are you willing to go to for your success? And so that’s always on the floor. And I’m willing to go to any length so long as it’s legal and, you know, I can get it done. But, yeah, I use a lot of my mental energy for good today. And boy, what a difference. You know, I think I read something in an article one time that drug dealers and drug addicts had the minds of CEOs, had the minds like CEOs, but they just channel it in a different direction. And so today I’m channeling all of that into every good part of my life to making it better, not just today, but every day, not just, you know, this moment, but every moment. And so I try to stay conscious of that. Even when I’m having a down moment, you know, I can ask myself those empowering questions. What next step can I take to make myself feel better? What next step can I take that’s going to take me in the direction of my dream? So, yeah.
Dr. Mark Leeds [17:02] Yeah. And another thing is that one thing I think that helps people in recovery is engaging in things that are creative. You know, like like some of the rehabs have art, art therapy and music therapy and business and entrepreneurship is creative. I mean, you really have to be creative and think outside the box and do things differently than other people are doing them. So it is it is an art, you know, so. So in a way you are. I mean, now you’re decades after, you know, that you already went through overcoming the addiction. But it’s an ongoing process, I think. And now you’re engaging in, you know, one of the greatest forms of art therapy.
Eudania Burrell [17:47] Absolutely. Yes. I. I love everything that I do today insofar as especially the real estate. Not only am I get to be creative, I also get to help people. And there’s no better feeling than knowing that you save somebody from foreclosure. Or somebody just could not afford to keep paying the taxes on a place that they didn’t need anymore. An older couple not needing a property or being too far to keep up with the property. So there are a lot, a lot of rewards to this. And it’s not always, you know, at some point, I think in a deal, it no longer becomes about the money. It becomes, I got to get this done for them. I got to get this done for the seller. And I found myself in that place so many times throughout this process. And again, there’s just no better feeling, no better feeling.
Dr. Mark Leeds [18:49] Yeah. Oh, wow. It seemed, I would think like, because I always imagine real estate, like those kinds of things like that, you know, if you’re looking for a potential deal in real estate, you know, like someone that can’t pay the taxes or someone that just wants to get out of their house quickly, or they have like an issue that they need help. I just imagine like there’s, for every one of those, there’s like a million real estate people kind of looking like sharks or hawks. They’re all like waiting for one of those to appear. But there must be like like you know ways to you know connect with people you know that not everybody knows I’m sure you probably in your coaching that you probably help people with that like how do you connect with people and find those people that you can work with that is beneficial for that you can help them and you can help someone else that needs a home and also you know grow your business
Eudania Burrell [19:40] Well you know I have a technique that I use that I share with my students and that’s postcard technique. And I implemented it right when I started. And I think Connected Investors themselves, they were kind of pleasantly surprised because what length I was willing to go to, I would write my own postcards. I would go to Dollar Tree and I’d buy those big poster boards. I’d cut them up into postcard sizes and I would sit and I would I would give up that two hour movie. I would give up things that I knew weren’t going to benefit me. And it caught on. Oh, my gosh. People would call me and say, hey, I got your postcard, your nice handwritten postcard. And what I found out in doing it that way, of course, I knew I couldn’t sustain it for that long. So I came up with some other creative ways to have my own card where there’s just a piece of me in every card. What I know to be true today is each one of us is specifically designed to work with certain people. And so I hold that to be true. And I trust that whoever I’m supposed to connect with, I’ll connect with. Whoever I’m supposed to work with, I’ll work with. I trust that. And I let my students know the same thing. You cannot be a second rate Dana Burrell. You can only be a first rate, whoever you are. And so be that and know that people just like you’re looking for people people are looking for you and they’re waiting for your phone call or they’re waiting for your postcard or email whatever it may be that you’re getting whatever way you get in contact with we each have our own internal compass and we kind of know we kind of feel certain things from people it’s just like somebody walking into it and you just know there’s something about that person that just doesn’t fit right with you and that’s your own internal compass and we you know I learned I’ve learned to trust mine and I mean even with dealing with other investors you know I’ve had a few run-ins where no things aren’t right with that guy and I’m choosing because I am the chooser not to work with that person. So, yeah.
Dr. Mark Leeds [22:02] Yeah, they say go with your gut, you know, don’t ignore it because your intestines have their own brain. Your stomach has its own separate brain that probably knows more than we do about what’s right and wrong.
Eudania Burrell [22:14] That’s right. That’s right. I agree.
Dr. Mark Leeds [22:18] So, wow. So as far as the, you were talking in the beginning about there’s no one size fits all solution, which of course I agree with. When you first went into recovery, like, were you involved in, like, the 12-step process, like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous?
Eudania Burrell [22:36] Was. I was. And it was a help for me. And I’m not going to say that’s something, every now and again, I still hit a meeting, but I have not kept up with it, with the meetings like I first did when I started recovery. First few years, I was heavily involved. That was, those were where my people were. And I was able to connect in that way. After, you know, some time, I found that church did it for me. You know, that spiritual aspect. I believe that, you know, God led me to the rooms, hence the rooms led me to God. And so, and then from there, you know, my spiritual beliefs began to, I want to say grow, not change, but grow, evolve. And I’ve gotten into other things. I do a lot of different other groups. I do a lot of meditation now, a lot of spiritual grounding and things like that. So my spiritual journey has just continued to evolve. And so that one size fits all, meaning what I started with does not mean I’m going to end with. I continue to evolve my practice of recovery. I know that I can’t take a drug or a drink. And I know those things that even if I entertain the thought, I play the whole tape out. Whereas, okay, if you pick up a drink, then you’re going to pick up a drug. Then if you pick up a drug, you’re going to probably start giving stuff away, selling your stuff, you know, I tape out so that I’m not romanticizing it. And so I’ve picked up a lot of tools along the way to keep me away from what I know is harmful to me and keep me focused on what I know is going to grow me. Does that make sense?
Dr. Mark Leeds [24:52] Yeah, definitely. Yeah, definitely. They also say that putting as many barriers as possible, you know, just in case, you know, that thought comes up, you know, just out of the blue, like, you know, forget all this. I’m just going to go do something. But, you know, like I tell some of my patients, you know, that, you know, like new patients that are just starting, you know, the difference between me and them is that if someone told me you have 24 hours to go buy some heroin or we’re going to kill you, I’d be dead because I wouldn’t even know where to begin to look for a heroin dealer. I mean, maybe I just asked the patient because otherwise I would just, I wouldn’t even know who to call where to start. Like, do I ask a friend? Do I go to a bar? I don’t even know how that happens. But yeah, so I tell my patients that’s one of our goals. You know, of course, in the beginning, delete all the phone numbers and delete all those contacts and social media connections, which isn’t easy because there’s so many connections these days. But my goal for them is at least after a year that they shouldn’t even know, you know, they should have as many barriers between them and the possibility of accessing a drug, you know, as many as possible, which, of course, for alcohol is a little bit more difficult because it’s everywhere. But yeah, like, you know, going from that, being able to speed dial the heroin dealer, and, you know, they use Uber for delivery and stuff like that. I mean, to get from that to the point where you don’t even know how to find this stuff. And that not only that, but like you said so you’ve built up enough recovery of you know spirituality meditation working through all kinds of issues and getting to a point where there’s so many barriers internally and externally that you wouldn’t you know you don’t have to worry if those little thoughts come up here and there
Eudania Burrell [26:38] No I don’t I don’t worry as much anymore because again I play that tape all the way through. I don’t romanticize it. And today I have too much to lose. I don’t want to, I don’t want to go back to, it’s not even the yet, you know, a lot of people talked about that when, you know, going back and forth from recovery to using, and then you start experiencing some of those things you’ve never done in your addiction. And I don’t want to experience the agains. I don’t want to go through that again. Yeah. And if it comes up, you know, I’ll let the, I’ll let the feeling or the thought flow through me rather than try and fight it, you know, if I, you know, try to figure out where is it coming from? You know, it’s coming from an emotion. It’s something that I don’t like. I’m resisting. I’m pushing back on that is bothering me so much that I want to pick up a drug or a drink. And I, you know, I’ll tell you a few years ago, there was one thing that hit me really, really hard, Mark. And I went to go get a drink and I stood in the store for about a half an hour. And I know everybody at the counter thought I was crazy because I was looking at all these drinks, but while I’m looking at these drinks, I’m playing that tape, but I’m feeling all these hurt feelings as well, all of it. And I remember looking at all of the drinks and thinking, damn, I never tried that. I never tried that one. I never tried that one, you know, and saying, well, if you do try that, you know, that devil and angel on my shoulder talking, having this conversation, well, you know, if you try that, this is what’s going to happen. And if you try that’s going to happen. And, you know, I eventually left the store. I didn’t pick up a drink. I thank God that I had enough tools and barriers to say it’s not worth it. It’s not worth it. I don’t care. No emotion is worth me picking up a drink today. And that’s usually what it is I’m fighting if I ever do have the urge. It’s something that is coming from me that does not want to deal with it, that does not want to look at it or expose it or put light on it. But once I put light onto it and I expose that feeling, that emotion, it begins to dissipate. If I talk about it, if I journal about it, if I, you know, pick up the phone, it dissipates. It goes away. This too shall pass.
Dr. Mark Leeds [29:20] Yeah yeah yeah definitely so yeah and that’s and I’m sure you’ve had many experiences of where you know you take the one sip or the one pill or whatever it is and inevitably always leads to that situation where you’re looking around saying how did I end up here again how did this possibly that one little sip and I’m back in this situation again
Eudania Burrell [29:45] What do they say one is too many and a thousand is not enough
Dr. Mark Leeds [29:49] Yeah so even today yeah so you still have like a good solid network of people to call if you do feel like you need to talk to people
Eudania Burrell [30:02] Oh absolutely absolutely those who are in recovery I can pick up the phone anytime. Even some new people, because I’ve met so many people along the way, not even in recovery, but it will come up. And it’s so funny because now it’s almost as if my spirit knows when to share that part of my journey with other people. If I hear or someone experiencing their own struggles with recovery or a family member. I’ll know when to bring it up and I’m able to then either help someone or connect with someone who is also in recovery.
Dr. Mark Leeds [30:48] Wow. Have you ever tried any of the other alternative groups like Smart Recovery or Celebrate Recovery?
Eudania Burrell [30:56] Different groups have their own feelings about different things. AA doesn’t like you to talk about your drug addiction which I don’t understand a drug is a drug is a drug and so you know I found some of my best I mean I’ve had success in both a n a there’s another one
Dr. Mark Leeds [31:22] Ca
Eudania Burrell [31:23] Cocaine anonymous I was a part of that as well so I’ve taken a little bit from all of that and also the church-based philosophy just bringing it all together and whatever works for you is what works for you and you know so when I saw your podcast you know one size doesn’t fit all I love that I love that because I think we’re all different and we all need different things. And if the tools are available for people, they should be able to choose what is best for them.
Dr. Mark Leeds [32:03] Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Definitely. They say that the founder of AA, Bill W., that he was interested in looking into medical treatments for addiction, And although it doesn’t matter whether he liked it or not, I mean, we can say that, you know, that, of course, if science advances and they come up with a medical treatment that helps people, that should be used if it’s beneficial. So I was wondering what you do in real estate. Is it similar to Barbara from Shark Tank? Because I always think of her when I think of a woman real estate genius.
Eudania Burrell [32:46] What I do is what’s called wholesaling and I find a property that an owner doesn’t not need want or need to get rid of I put it under contract and basically what I do is I sell that contract to another investor and I buy it for one price I sell it for another and I make a whole lot of money doing it, but I’m connecting with us. And that’s what I love about it because usually my buyers are people who are fix and flippers or buy and holds. So they’re bringing back values to communities. That’s what I love. I’ve just recently got into another strategy of real estate investing, which is sub two lease options and where we want to buy and hold this year. And so we’re taking, you know, again, you know, just like I have evolved recovery wise, I’m evolving in real estate. And so there’s always something new I’m learning. This is what I love about it because again, it’s not one size fits all. So there’s so many aspects to it that I can be involved in. And so I’m growing that part of my business this year.
Dr. Mark Leeds [34:06] Is there like if someone is interested, like are you taking are you accepting people as far as with coaching?
Eudania Burrell [34:14] So I do coaching through Connected Investors and people are always welcome to request me as a coach. I’m so grateful to Connected Investors because it literally it has changed my life. It’s changed the way that I move with money. It’s changed the way that I look at money. I now know that anytime I’m ready, I can walk away from my job. I’m just not ready to do so yet. And so, yeah, I’m grateful.
Dr. Mark Leeds [34:46] That’s a great thing because you may love your job, but there’s a lot of people that don’t love their jobs. So should a person, if they want to get involved in that, like with connected investors, like do they have to have a certain amount of money saved up or a certain kind of job or education? Like it is like where does a person have to be to get involved?
Eudania Burrell [35:06] No specific education. If you want to get involved, there is a fee, of course, to join connected investors because it’s a platform where it allows you to look up off market properties. All over the country, anywhere in the country, you can look up properties. And so and then you can also request a coach that will be entirely up to the member and request what coach you want. And if it’s me, Dana Burrell. Yeah. What I’ve learned in this and along the way, you know, my grandmother used to say something and it really never dawned on until maybe a few years ago. People do what they want to do. Yeah. Do what they want to do. And if you want to do something, you’ll find a way to make it happen. We don’t have to find time because we’re all granted 24 hours a day. We have to make time for the things that we love. And if it’s important, you’ll do that. I do know real estate is the number one vehicle that has created more wealth than any other vehicle. And I knew for a long time I wanted to get in. I just never found, I never made the time. I never could gain any traction until 2020. And I joined Connected Investors. Literally, my life has changed. And
Dr. Mark Leeds [36:36] And you didn’t have to become a real estate agent right you didn’t have to do
Eudania Burrell [36:39] I have no differences for this and I have made a whole lot of money close on a lot of deals and we continue to close on deals and I now have my daughters two of my daughters who work with me
Dr. Mark Leeds [36:55] Oh wow wow that’s incredible your story is unbelievably motivating it’s incredible
Eudania Burrell [37:01] Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. I so appreciate you giving me the opportunity to share it.
Dr. Mark Leeds [37:08] Yeah, thank you. Dana Burrell, thank you for joining me today. Thank you.
Eudania Burrell [37:12] Thank you. Mark, you take care.
