While most podcasters are chasing clout, Jesse and Earl just closed another client deal. This is what happens when you're building businesses while teaching business.

This episode pulls no punches.

Earl breaks down why the biggest economic collapse since 2008 is happening RIGHT NOW, while the mainstream media isn't saying a word. For 61 consecutive months, the bond market has been moving backwards. Warren Buffett dumped 100% of his Apple stock. Major banks are quietly failing and if you think 2008 was bad, this powder keg has 11 different time bombs stacked on top of each other. But here's what separates this episode from your typical doom-and-gloom podcast: we're giving you the playbook for what to do about it.

Jesse explains why small Business Owners can't afford to ignore AI anymore while corporations are shedding jobs and going lean. Earl reveals why international real estate opportunities in places like Dubai and Ghana are wide open for Americans who see the writing on the wall, and both hosts break down the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling that just made racial profiling legal for immigration enforcement, along with what that means for economic mobility in your community.

You'll also discover:

• Why the "big short" is happening again (and how to position yourself before it crashes)
• The AI literacy gap that's about to wipe out traditional small businesses
• How virtual assistants and offshore talent create leverage without payroll taxes
• Why fame is a trap and wealth is built in the shadows
• The "no complaining" rule that separates operators from pretenders

00:40 - We Really Do This

03:42 - Rebellious Spirit

08:24 - Working IN Business

12:38 - Tax Recapture Plans

14:31 - Business Systems Everywhere

17:35 - Big Short Explained

22:04 - Bond Crisis

24:12 - Powder Keg Warning

24:44 - Supply Chain Games

25:20 - Apple's China Mistake

27:16 - Innovation Decline

28:35 - Antitrust Shutdown

30:49 - Small Business Power

31:44 - AI Apocalypse

33:36 - Unlearn to Relearn

36:22 - Supreme Court Ruling

40:22 - Targeting Specific People

42:41 - America's a Sinking Ship

43:13 - International Opportunities

47:39 - Collective Buying Power

49:11 - Distraction Traps

50:03 - Muse vs Amusement

53:37 - Social Strategy

56:07 - Confidence vs Arrogance

57:32 - No Complaining Rule

59:24 - Fame vs Wealth

1:00:22 - Bond Exposure Check

1:04:51 - Closing Disclaimer

This isn't theory. This isn't motivation porn. This is two operators breaking down macro-economics, Supreme Court decisions, and global supply chain shifts while actively scaling enterprises.

Fair Warning: If you're looking for someone to tell you everything's going to be okay, this ain't it. But if you're ready to see the chessboard clearly and make moves while others are distracted on TikTok, this episode is required listening.

Join the movement. Head to https://www.theassetclass.us/classmates and become part of a community that's done talking and ready to build. No fluff. No gurus. Just Business Owners and Investors helping each other win.

Each one, Teach one. That's how we grow.

Space Command leaving Colorado Springs. Tuskegee Airmen memorabilia removed from the Air Force Academy. Opportunity zones created for Black communities now 92 percent controlled by others. What do all these have in common? Access.

Ice Cube said it best when reporters asked about the greatest barrier for Black entrepreneurs. His answer: access to capital. Black owned companies must show profits in 8 to 14 months while their counterparts get 52 months to figure it out. We have to move differently because we do not have five years to perfect the formula.

WHAT THIS EPISODE COVERS

👉🏾Space Command relocation and its economic impact on Colorado Springs

👉🏾Why Tuskegee Airmen history removal creates counterculture movements

👉🏾Opportunity zones and how resources get redirected away from intended communities

👉🏾Ice Cube breaking down access to capital barriers

👉🏾InvestFest critics proved wrong as 25K attended with zero incidents

👉🏾Robert F Smith being from the 719 and conscious capitalism in action

👉🏾Platos allegory of the cave applied to financial enlightenment

👉🏾Muse versus amusement and why entertainment is the enemy of greatness

👉🏾Vertical integration explained through real client examples

👉🏾Arbitrage simplified so anyone can understand wealth building

👉🏾Why average people in financial services make 7 figures through different conversations

Jesse presented on the behalf of the Black Chamber of Commerce on Access to Capital. Teaching entrepreneurs to build verticals that insulate businesses from outside forces.

Earl Harden from Tax Erasers turned a bartender from Applebees into a million dollar producer three years running. Proving the right conversation changes everything.

THE REALITY CHECK: A 2053 report projects average Black net worth hitting zero. Since that report dropped we got Earn Your Leisure, The Asset Class, Trappers Anonymous and forces rising up saying you thought it was a game.

Community is how we win. It takes a village.

While Cardi B court cases compete for attention spans, these political and economic matters impact generations of our lineage. If you pay attention it pays dividends.

00:10 Space Command Politics

01:12 Economic Defense Shift

03:42 Tuskegee Airmen Removed

06:11 Community Raises Children

07:04 Attention Span Competition

08:10 Platos Cave Allegory

10:46 Nonprofits Over Taxes

11:35 Dollars Are Votes

12:22 Opportunity Zone Failures

14:16 Access Drives Narratives

15:40 Media Controls Emotions

17:18 InvestFest HELL YEAH!

19:58 Proximity Brings Opportunity

22:51 Black Chamber Presentation

23:29 Robert Smith Colorado

24:23 Conscious Capitalism Defined

28:01 Conversations Create Pathways

30:21 Building Business Verticals

31:42 Vertical Integration Example

32:52 Plain Language Matters

34:17 Arbitrage Made Simple

35:53 Community Invitation Extended

37:12 Muse Versus Amusement

40:38 Self Discipline Accountability

42:28 Team Accountability Standards

44:50 Client Retention Analysis

45:40 Earning Your Success

This is not a soundbite. This is a community. If these conversations resonate you found yourself a home. Join the Community of Classmates building access together.

https://www.theassetclass.us/classmates

Proximity to greatness creates opportunity. Sometimes winning is just being in the right area. You definitely got to show up.

LIKE SUBSCRIBE SHARE

Car repossessions at all-time highs. Credit card debt through the roof. Housing unaffordable. 2027 economic contraction is coming—are you positioned to survive it?

🔥 JOIN THE COMMUNITY: https://www.theassetclass.us/classmates

WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER:

✅ Why $5K InvestFest VIP beats $300 general admission

✅ 2027 preparation strategies (tax recapture, business credit, international investing)

✅ Dubai real estate at $125K-$250K, Ghana condos at $180K

✅ Tax recapture programs turning past payments into investment capital

✅ Business credit strategy (0% APR vs 50% merchant cash advances)

✅ Grant Cardone's investment framework

✅ The 5-person networking challenge

THE 2027 WARNING: Ian Dunlap: 2027 brings significant economic contraction. If you're merely surviving now, when 2027 hits, it's game over.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Introduction to InvestFest

01:47 - Neglecting Self-Investment

04:05 - Building a Legacy

05:54 - Preparedness in Business

07:35 - Profit Margin Management

10:48 - Sales Background Insights

12:43 - Investing in Dubai

15:34 - Creating Wealth Opportunities

17:35 - Grant Cardone's Investment Advice

20:00 - Tax Distribution Strategies

22:07 - Forms of Leverage

24:32 - Global Economic Perspectives

27:40 - Understanding Money Flow

30:31 - Client Preparation Strategies

33:57 - Client Meeting Insights

📱 SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN:

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5R48eqppl3nOM3b4o8EpnT

🎧 Apple Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-asset-class/id1868271006

🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8ead326f-8ca3-45c1-a5b0-2909643735ec

🎧 iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-asset-class-316794136

KEY TOPICS: Three Forms of Leverage (Time, Money, Systems + Taxes) • Recognition > Commission • Magic Johnson at InvestFest • $125K pitch competition grants • International diversification strategies

💬 JOIN: https://www.theassetclass.us/classmates

Where business ownership meets generational wealth. No fluff—just frameworks positioning you for 2027.

👍 LIKE | 🔔 SUBSCRIBE | 📤 SHARE

#TheAssetClass #InvestFest #BusinessCredit #InternationalInvesting #TaxStrategy #WealthBuilding #EconomicPreparation

You're bringing in over a half a million dollars in revenue but still answering the phone, driving to job sites, and doing work that pays $15/hour. Sound familiar? This is the episode that breaks the cycle.

The $15/Hour Trap (And How to Escape It): Here's the reality: if you're the CEO working the front desk, updating spreadsheets, or driving employees to job sites, you're not building a business, you're buying yourself a job that pays way less than you're worth.

In this episode, we expose a Growth Framework that separates overwhelmed Solopreneurs from Business Owners experiencing true freedom:

✅ The 40-Hour Rule - If you have 40+ hours of productive, delegatable work, you're leaving money on the table every single week you delay hiring

✅ The Dialogue Process - Document your day-in-the-life activities to identify what ONLY you can do versus what's stealing your time at poverty wages

✅ The 80% Standard - Stop waiting for perfect employees. When someone can do a task 80% as well as you, delegate it and move to $1,000/hour activities

✅ Passenger Seat Productivity - Real case study: One simple role switch (employee drives, owner works) recovered 15+ hours weekly without spending a dime

✅ From Compliance to Ownership - The culture shift that turns employees from order-takers into innovators who bring YOU solutions

✅ Why Goals Give Suffering Meaning - How intentionality transforms the grind from soul-draining hustle into $300K investment accounts

The Mindset Shift Nobody Talks About: 60% of scaling is mindset. 40% is systems. We break down both.

Jesse reveals why business ownership parallels parenthood: your business is your baby, which is exactly why you helicopter-parent it into mediocrity. The same control that helped you survive as a solopreneur now suffocates growth at scale.

Earl exposes the micromanagement trap through John C. Maxwell's brutal definition: "The work you do to run away amazing talent, leaving your business gutted because of ego, fear, and lack of professionalism."

What You'll Walk Away With:

🎯 A framework for identifying when you're ready to delegate (it's probably yesterday)

🎯 How to set expectations that create ownership culture, not just robotic compliance

🎯 Why "getting it out the mud" without intention keeps you running in place for decades

🎯 The trust structure strategy that protects assets while eliminating personal liability

🎯 How to move from Robert Kiyosaki's "self-employed" quadrant to true "Business Owner"

Real Stories. Real Systems. Real Results.

This isn't theory from someone who's never done it. Jesse literally rebuilt his entire approach to business development after landing in a new city with zero connections. Earl works with mom-and-pop shops doing $700K/year all the way to multi-million dollar portfolios—same frameworks, different scale.

You're Overwhelmed Because:

❌ You never planned to scale, so you staffed reactively when the phone started ringing

❌ You hired hoping for perfection, then micromanaged when reality hit

❌ You never articulated the WHY behind your SOPs, so employees just follow checklists

❌ You can't take a day off without deep concerns about what it means for your business

The Promise: By the end of this episode, you'll have a Growth Framework that transforms $15/hour task slavery into 7-figure freedom. You'll know what to delegate, when to delegate it, and how to build the culture that makes it work.

Welcome to The Asset Class. No fluff. No theory. Just the frameworks we charge thousands to teach, delivered free every week.

Join the Asset Classmates. Let's build generational wealth together.