Wendell’s Weekly Wins and Whiffs

👋 Welcome to Wendell’s Weekly Wins & Whiffs — your front-row seat to the entrepreneurial and real estate rollercoaster, complete with high-fives, facepalms, and everything in between. Each week, I’ll peel back the curtain on life as an active investor and business builder: the triumphs that feel like victory laps, the flops that sting like a surprise plumbing leak, and the behind-the-scenes grind of running multiple companies. From flips that soar to admin headaches that test my patience, you’ll get the real, unfiltered scoop on both deals and business operations. Why? Because building wealth isn’t just about properties — it’s about building systems, partnerships, and businesses that can stand the test of time. My goal is to share the wins, the whiffs, and the lessons learned so you can sharpen your own edge in both investing and entrepreneurship.

Author

Wendell Butler
October 17, 2025

🏆 This Week’s Win – Lessons From the Market & Moments That Matter

This week brought two very different wins, one in business and one in life, and both reminded us why persistence and perspective matter.

Win #1 – A Tough Flip Finally Under Contract

One of our flips that has been sitting for quite a while is finally under contract. This property hit the market right when things shifted sharply into a buyer’s market, and our expected ARV took a significant hit. It was one of those situations where no level of planning can prevent a sudden market change.

We stayed patient, adjusted our strategy, and kept moving forward. Now we’re optimistic and ready to close this chapter. Fingers crossed for smooth sailing to the closing table, but regardless of the outcome, it’s a win in resilience and real estate reality.

Win #2 – A Weekend Reminder of Why We Do This

I also spent a long weekend at a wedding, and it was an incredible experience. Being present on one of the happiest days of someone’s life has a way of grounding you. It reminds you that all the hard work, long days, and sacrifice are ultimately for moments like that.

Success isn’t just about building wealth. It’s about earning the freedom to show up for life’s most meaningful memories.

💨 This Week’s Whiff — Hiring Lessons & Wearing Too Many Hats

This week was a real look in the mirror moment. I launched Flip Fuel Lending recently, and we already have our first loan in process, which is a big win. But here’s the reality check: I’m the one handling it. I’m supposed to be the owner building the company, not the one doing the work inside it.

🏦 Launching Flip Fuel Lending… and Learning the Hard Part

To grow this thing, I started trying to hire loan officers, people who can hunt, build relationships, and drive revenue. I put out a job post and let it run for 2 to 3 weeks. The problem? It wasn’t attracting the right people at all.

After talking with my consultant, I found out exactly why. The post wasn’t written correctly. It didn’t speak to the type of person I actually need. It wasn’t a talent magnet, it was just words on a page.

Back to the Drawing Board

So now I’m rewriting it from scratch with intention, clarity, and culture in mind. This is one of those growth areas I’m actively learning—hiring. It’s not about filling a seat, it’s about finding the right person for the right seat.

They say “hire slow and fire fast,” and if nothing else, I’ve definitely mastered the hire slow part.

The Lesson

If I don’t solve the problem of hiring, I’ll build another job for myself instead of a company. And I didn’t start Flip Fuel Lending to be another employee. I started it to build something that operates with or without me.

Here’s to getting the right people onboard, stepping fully into the owner role, and building a business that doesn’t rely on me to run.

🎯 Tactical Tip of the Week: Hire for Culture, Not Just Skill

When it comes to building a team, most people focus only on resumes, experience, and hard skills. But the truth is, skills might get someone in the door, but culture is what keeps them in the room. That’s why I started using something incredibly powerful in my hiring process: the Cultural Survey Index.

What the Cultural Survey Index Does

It helps you understand who a person is before you hire them—how they think, make decisions, handle pressure, and whether their values align with your company’s mission. It doesn’t ask, “Can they do the job?” It asks the more important question:


“Will they fit and grow here?”

Why It Matters

A poor culture fit will cost you far more than a lack of skill. It drains leadership, slows momentum, and creates unnecessary friction. The Cultural Survey Index acts as a filter, helping you avoid costly bad hires before they ever hit payroll.

How I’m Using It

I now run every candidate through this survey before advancing them. It has already helped me gain clarity on exactly who I’m looking for, and it’s quickly becoming one of the most valuable tools in my hiring process.

The Takeaway

Don’t just hire people who can do the job. Hire people who believe in the mission and fit in the role culturally. Culture isn’t accidental; it’s engineered.

👉 Action Step:
If you’re hiring now or planning to soon, consider adding a cultural survey to your process before the interview stage. It will save you time, energy, and expensive mistakes. Let me know if you ever want an intro to my connection there!

🔦 FROM THE FIELD: Training Isn’t Optional, It’s Leadership

One thing I’ve learned recently is this: hiring someone doesn’t solve your problems, properly training them does. A new hire isn’t a finish line, it’s the start of a responsibility. Too many leaders expect relief the moment someone joins, when in reality, that’s when the real work begins.

Here’s the Reality

Every new team member comes in with potential, but potential needs direction. Some people need detailed guidance and hands-on support. Others thrive with autonomy and clear expectations. If you don’t understand which type you’ve brought in, you’ll either smother them or leave them lost.

This is where tools like the Cultural Survey Index have been a game changer. It helps you understand how someone learns, how much structure they’ll need, and how to prepare your onboarding before they even start.

Training Is Not a Task, It’s an Investment

Training isn’t just about showing someone what to do. It’s teaching them how your company thinks, how it operates, and what standards matter. When you rush through this stage, you don’t save time—you just delay the problems until later.

Great businesses are not built on great hires alone. They are built on great onboarding.

Why This Matters

When employees make mistakes, it’s easy to blame them. But most of the time, it traces back to leadership not equipping them. Untrained people don’t fail because they don’t care. They fail because they were never shown how to succeed.

✨ Closer Thought

If you want people to take ownership, you must first give them the tools to operate. Hiring fills a seat. Training builds a teammate.

🎤 FINAL WORD

This week was a real snapshot of what building a business and a life actually looks like. We had wins, we had whiffs, and we had lessons that sharpen leadership. From finally moving a long-stuck flip under contract to launching Flip Fuel Lending and realizing how critical hiring and training truly are, it’s clear this season isn’t just about growth — it’s about refinement.

Flip Fuel Lending is officially in motion, first loan already in process, and now the focus shifts to people. Finding the right talent is one thing, preparing them to succeed is another. The Cultural Survey Index has already proven that hiring isn’t about plugging a position, it’s about predicting who will thrive inside the mission. Training is where that potential becomes performance.

And on a personal note, stepping away to be fully present at a wedding grounded everything. That reminder that success means nothing if you can’t step away and truly live. Money may buy freedom, but presence gives it purpose.

The truth is simple: you don’t just scale a company, you scale yourself.

Keep building. Keep evolving. Celebrate the wins, own the lessons, and never lose sight of the life you’re building it all for.

Thanks for reading,