Meet Alex Payne | Entrepreneur, Investor, Mindset Coach & Podcast Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Payne and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
What makes me happy are two things:

1. Doing what I love! It is essential to do something you enjoy doing. This goes for your job as well as other interests in life. In my mid-twenties, I realized that some of the happiest people in the world are those who genuinely enjoy their craft. This is simply because when you do the things you love, it doesn’t feel like work. You enter the state of “flow” and channel your energy and creativity into the things you enjoy doing. There is an old saying: “The man who loves walking will get further than the man who is walking to a destination.” This means that when you enjoy the process, you will be far more successful than the person who is only doing the necessary work to reach a specific goal. Life is not a sprint, it is a marathon and we have to enjoy the journey.

2. Helping other people succeed in life. I have had many mentors in my life. I still do. I believe that mentors are stairs to success. Not only do they teach you how to get to where you want to get, but also show you the mistakes to avoid. You always want to find people who had already achieved what you want to achieve and learn from them. My mentors have taught me many things such as business, self-mastery, spirituality, finance, fitness, etc. They helped me dive into self-awareness and enter the path of self-mastery. Now, that I have achieved a certain level of success and have the time and ability to share my wisdom with others, I dedicate my spare time to mentoring other men. I use my podcast platform combined with my public speaking and coaching skills to mentor and educate younger generations. And when I see the people I coach succeed in life, become more self-aware, more confident, and physically and financially fit, it truly makes me happy. At the end of the day, life is about helping others. It is our responsibility as human beings to help other human beings and leave this planet a better place.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work primarily consists of being an entrepreneur, real estate investor, and operator. I own a small business where I acquire residential real estate and turn it either into a long-term rental property or short-term rental property, depending on where it is. Long-term rental properties are usually easier to set up and run. Most of the time, I renovate them, find the “right” tenants and lease the property to them. But, the short-term rental properties are my creative outlets. Short-term rental properties are where I let my creativity run wild and let my inner child take over.

What sets me apart from others is my creativity and being open to new “adventurous” ideas. When I acquire a property for short-term use, I usually remodel it first, then design and furnish it. I have a creative home designer on my team and she is the best at what she does. My main criteria is to make the house a fun place for others to stay during their vacations and travels. I like to travel myself and oftentimes, I prefer to use AirBnb and Vrbo to find fun and exciting places to stay at. Therefore, I implement the same idea into my own properties. For example, when I found my “perfect house” in the DFW area, I fell in love with it immediately. My house is located in a beautiful area next to a pond and a lake. It has two floors, four bedrooms, and a big backyard, so there is plenty of space for a big family or a group to stay. I designed it with lots of vibrant colors and catchy decor. Each bedroom has its own style and vibe to it. There is a big loft with an arcade, full-size pool table, interactive dart board, video games, and other fun things to do. I have a section for adults as well: a lovely bar area with social games, surrounded by LED signs. I also have a fun social media section with a green grass wall, an artsy wallpaper, and a signature LED sign. It is perfect for catchy social media photos and creating fun memories. In my backyard, I have a fireplace to bring the family together after a long day of fun activities. There are many other amenities such as outdoor games, bicycles to ride around the park, a game room, TV’s with streaming channels in every room, a sound system, and many other amenities to enjoy.

All of these ideas are the things I enjoy myself when I travel. I love staying in places that are authentic, entertaining, vibrant, and bold. When I design and decorate my short-term property, I think about one thing: what would I enjoy having if I were to stay here with my family and friends? And that is what separates me from others! My DFW short-term rental property is called “The Epic House” because it is an epic amount of fun. Not to mention that it is located without a 10-15 drive to the Cowboys Stadium, the EPIC Water Park, Six Flags, major shopping centers, restaurants, and other entertainment centers. My DWF “The Epic House” earned a Superhouse status on AirBnb within two months of being launched and has been booked up every weekend ever since. My guests love the house and the reviews speak for themselves.

I attribute all of that to my teams and my own creativity, hard work, and belief in what we do. Of course, it was not easy, and I had to go through a lot of hurdles to buy, renovate, design, and launch this property. I had to deal with Dallas snow storms in the wintertime, crashing my rental car, orders not being delivered on time, flights being canceled, people not delivering on their promises, furniture items delivered damaged, AC and water heaters breaking during heat waves, “guests from hell’ staying at my rental property, and many more things. But, those are simply the challenges that come along the way when you’re a business owner. With every new challenge, I implement my usual strategy: I look for the most effective solution and I take massive action. I do not dwell on the problem, and instead, I get creative. I have people on my team who I can rely on and who help me. They understand my vision and share my ambition. It is very important to have the right people on your team.

The most important lesson I have learned along the way is that when you really want something, you will find the way. The universe will throw curveballs your way to test how badly you want something. And when you want something really bad, you will give it all your effort. Once you have exhausted all your efforts and given it your best, the universe will see it and give you what you want. But you absolutely have to believe it first and do the necessary work.

If you want something, go after it and give it your best effort. Nothing is impossible, you just have to believe it. The universe will send the right people your way. Some people will help you achieve your dreams and others will teach you certain lessons. But everything happens for a reason. You just have to think perspicaciously and understand what any given situation or person is teaching you.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I were to show my friend around the DFW area, I would definitely take him to Billie Joe Coffee in Grand Prairie. As a coffee lover myself, I love the quality of their coffee and delicious pastry. Billie, the owner and operator has a great and inspiring story to share.

I would also take my friend out to the Bishop Arts District. Bishop Arts District has a great vibe to it. There are numerous delicious restaurants to eat at and speakeasy bars to check out.

I would definitely catch a game or two at the Cowboys Stadium. I love animals so Dallas Zoo and Dallas World Aquarium are definitely a must-visit.

I enjoy being outdoors and doing outdoor activities, so I would definitely do some boat cruising and fishing at Joe Pool Lake. There are also many different hiking trails in the area that I would take my friend to.

Six Flags and The EPIC water parks are a must-visit when in DFW. They are a perfect escape during the summer heat.

Being from California myself, I am a breath fan of In-N-Out burgers. So one can only imagine my excitement when I discovered the In-N-Out restaurant in Arlington, which is only about a 10-15 min drive from my house.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, I want to recognize my mother for instilling a mindset that I can achieve anything I put my mind to. She taught me the importance of hard work and love. I am very grateful for her and all she has done for me. I would not be where I am without her.

Second, I want to recognize my girlfriend – Nicole for believing in and supporting me. She is always there to pick me up when I am down and remind me that I am worthy of my dreams. It is extremely important to have a supportive, loving, and understanding partner in life. With love, anything is possible. Love is the most powerful driving force in the universe.

And last, but not least, I want to recognize all the phenomenal books that helped me on my journey of self-mastery. I have a personal library and I can name so many great books that helped shape my character and my life. But if I were to name the Top 5, they would be:
“Outwitting the Devil” by Napoleon Hill
“Hard Times Create Strong Men” by Stephan Aarnio
“Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki
“Extreme Ownership” by Jocko Willink
“Essentialism” by Greg McKeown

And of course, I want to recognize all my mentors, past and present for guiding me and showing me the way to becoming a better person and succeeding in life.

Instagram: DFWTheEpicHouse & PurposeOverPleasurePodcast

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZmw6p5OXu_Rqhwap8unnww

Other: TikTok: @ChoosePurpose