Wendell’s Weekly Wins and Whiffs

🏆 This Week’s Win: Progress You Can Feel

This week was a strong reminder that real progress comes from intentional decisions and steady execution over time.

On the business front, Flip Fuel Lending closed another loan, continuing to validate our underwriting process and execution capability. Just as important, the team has expanded to three active loan officers, which marks a real inflection point for the platform. What started as a one person operation is now a functioning lending business with real production capacity and room to scale. With the team in place and systems continuing to mature, we are well positioned and genuinely excited to ramp up in 2026.

After several conversations with current and prospective loan officer partners, another important insight became clear. To truly support the team and remove friction, the next strategic hire needs to be a dedicated loan processor. Adding this role would be a meaningful value add for the loan officers by freeing them up to focus on relationships and deal flow while ensuring files move through the pipeline more efficiently. It will also help loans get processed faster and more consistently, which benefits borrowers and the business as a whole.

When I look at the week as a whole, the win is clear. We are not just growing volume, we are improving the structure behind it. Each thoughtful hire and process improvement increases leverage and creates a better experience for everyone involved. This is how sustainable momentum is built.

Onward.

💨 This Week’s Whiff: Falling Off Rhythm

This week delivered a reminder that even good moments can throw you off track if you are not intentional about the reset.

I traveled home for my cousin’s wedding and it was an incredible time. Great people, great energy, and memories I am genuinely grateful for. That said, the trip completely disrupted my normal rhythm. I did not stick to my workout plan or my nutrition, and instead I went in the opposite direction. I overate, drank more than I normally do, and let a few days turn into a full reset in the wrong direction.

The aftermath was not great. I felt sluggish, unfocused, and honestly pretty bad for several days. That is usually the clearest signal for me. I do not even enjoy drinking much, and I generally avoid it because I know how negatively it affects my sleep, energy, and overall mindset when I do. This week reinforced that lesson in a very tangible way.

One takeaway I am sitting with is whether it is time to fully eliminate alcohol altogether. I have thought about it for a long time, and starting in the new year might be the right moment to treat it as a personal challenge. See how long I can go, how I feel, and what improves when there is no exception built in.

The whiff here is not the trip or the celebration. Those were worth it. The miss was letting a short window derail habits that usually keep me sharp and disciplined. The fix is simple. Reset, recommit, and move forward with more clarity about what actually serves me.

Back to the plan.

🔦 FROM THE FIELD: Finishing Strong in a Buyer’s Market

Our new build is nearly complete. At this point, we are simply waiting on the electric company to complete the final hookup so we can schedule the final inspection. Once that happens, we are across the finish line.

One important lesson this project reinforces is how strategy needs to adjust with the market. In the current environment, especially here in Charlotte, NC, we are firmly in a buyer’s market. With winter and the holidays slowing activity even further, standing out matters more than ever.

That means being intentional with finishes. Not blowing the budget, but upgrading selectively where it actually shows. In this home, for example, we chose quartz countertops instead of granite. It creates a cleaner, more modern, higher end look without a dramatic increase in cost. Small decisions like that can significantly impact first impressions and buyer interest.

In a buyer’s market, attention is currency. Sometimes spending a little more in the right places is what gets more eyes on the property and ultimately drives the sale. Don’t necessarily go “too crazy”, but a little here and there may help!

Finish matters. Timing matters. And adapting to the market is not optional.

Keep building,