Tracy, Mikayla, and I spend the bulk of our week helping people, but maybe not in the way you think.
Yes, we have a ton of educational materials, hundreds of videos, countless downloadable forms, and marketing templates. But there is the thing: most note investors do not have an information problem—they have a focus problem.
There is more education available today than ever before. Podcasts. YouTube. Webinars. Case studies. Communities. Yet many investors still feel stuck*. Usually, the issue is simple. They are spending time on things that feel productive rather than on things that produce results.
*Yes, bad information is out there, but it’s not the main reason people are stuck.
I was stuck in that trap for longer than I care to admit. I was busy…but not productive. I ended up solving my problem with three large Post-it notes (I will save that story for another time).
If you want a simple productivity framework, focus on these five things that tend to move note investors forward and avoid these five things that tend to slow them down.
Five Things to Focus On as a Note Investor
Focus 1: Learn Things You Can Actually Use
There is a big difference between general learning and targeted learning. Targeted learning answers questions like:
- How do deals actually get found?
- What makes a deal worth a second look?
- What makes experienced investors say no?
General learning feels productive… and it might be, to a point. Real deal knowledge is productive. If what you are learning does not help you better understand a deal, it may just be noise. Learn something with purpose.
Focus 2: Stay Close to Deal Flow
I learned long ago that nothing was more important than getting the phone to ring.
Does it really matter how much knowledge I have if no one calls me with a deal? Opportunities tend to go to investors who stay active in conversations.
This does not mean chasing every deal…far from it. It means staying in the flow of what is happening. Talk to other investors. Following up. Let people know what you do and what you are looking for. Let them know how you help people.
Deal flow usually comes from familiarity. People send deals to people they think of. What can you do to stay in front of their thoughts?
Focus 3: Build Real Relationships
This business is smaller than it looks. Yes, there are around $23B in notes created every year… but the essence of the business remains unchanged.
The investors who thrive are usually the ones people trust to close deals, communicate effectively, and remain calm when things get messy. They are known for being problem solvers.
You do not need hundreds of contacts. You need a handful of strong relationships. Trust builds opportunity faster than marketing.
Focus 4: Understand Who Does What
Every deal sits inside a small ecosystem. Buyers. Sellers. Institutional Investors. SDIRA companies, Servicers.
When you understand who solves which problems, structuring deals becomes easier. You stop looking at deals as isolated transactions and start seeing them as opportunities that need the right match.
Don’t ask, “Is this a good deal?” Start asking, “Who is this a good deal for?” – If you are lucky, that deal is for you.
Focus 5: Keep Your Money Moving
At some point, every investor learns this lesson. Growth happens when money is not staying stationary. You must keep re-investing.
I have met too many people who keep money on the sidelines waiting for a higher yield. The investors who grow are usually the ones who learn to invest the same dollars over and over again.
[Side note: Don’t chase high yields for the sake of high yields. A ‘projected’ amazing return does not make the deal better if you never get paid.]
Five Distractions That Quietly Hurt Investors
I think it is worth mentioning that IF there is a side of the coin that shows where you should be focusing, there is also a side of the coin that shows the most time-sucking distractions.
I think one of the biggest distractions is not jumping in until you are “100% ready.” Spoiler alert: no one is ever 100% ready. You get better by being in the mix, and that experience cannot come from the sidelines.
Confidence usually shows up after the activity, not before.
Another common mistake is talking about returns before understanding risk.
Experienced investors can spot this immediately. Credibility comes from understanding the downside, not just the upside. Know your exit strategies if you ever want out.
I already mentioned that a higher yield does not make the deal better. For us, the ‘return on investment’ is the last thing I look at when evaluating a deal.
Lack of capital can be another trap. Many investors use it as a reason to wait.
You don’t need to use your own money. That is not the way I started. There is a long line of people and companies that will pay you a great fee if you have a deal. In some cases, you can even get part of a note out of it (Buy Full / Sell Partial strategy).
Lastly, and worth mentioning, is building fancy systems too early. CRMs, phone systems, QR codes, and automated social media content.
Frankly, I have seen people not start for months because they needed their company logo to be just right. I can tell you your logo will not make or break a deal.
The Real Difference
Investors grow when they focus on becoming useful…they scale when they focus on becoming efficient.
Ask yourself this: “Is this helping me find deals, understand deals, or build relationships?” If the answer is no, it may be a distraction.
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