Ish from ‘The Joe Budden Podcast’ Talks Embracing Public Spotlight to Educate Communities on Real Estate & Financial Freedom
While most recognize Antwan “Ish” Marby as the insightful co-host of The Joe Budden Podcast, his entrepreneurial prowess extends far beyond the world of podcasting. With over two decades of experience in the real estate and construction industry, Ish has built an impressive portfolio of successful ventures in these fields.
Since joining The Joe Budden Podcast in 2020, the native of New Jersey has captivated audiences with his thought-provoking commentary on the show, which has become a cultural phenomenon and the leading podcast in its genre. Simultaneously, Ish has steadfastly expanded his real estate and construction businesses, solidifying his reputation as a multi-talented entrepreneur.
As he continues to make waves in both podcasting and business, Ish’s multifaceted career inspires aspiring entrepreneurs looking to make their mark in diverse fields. But, his career isn’t developing solely to be self-serving. A self-proclaimed shy person, Ish looks forward to opening himself up more as his persona continues to rise in an entertainment space. The reason, the Black community and audiences like those he speaks to on Wednesday and Saturday lack knowledge about the opportunities to empower their own lives financially.
In an interview with The Source, Ish reflects on his time with The JBP, growing as a member of the entertainment media, and how he can infuse the community with the knowledge he has amassed in his real estate career, which he reveals, will be published in a book.
I’ve enjoyed your time on The JBP. Congrats on being there and growing in that role. How does it feel to be a part of that platform and the success over there?
Professionally, I don’t really know. It was number one when I got here. So it wasn’t like I built it from the ground. After the Rory and Mal situation, I saw Joe a little more rattled than I had seen before. Joe and I have been friends a really long time. I can say I felt kind of good helping him steady the ship and not lose that number-one status. Personally, it’s a little uncomfortable. You’re in Wawa or Target and people are just running up to you. That’s a little different situation for me. For the most part, all of the feedback is positive. “You, I love you guys. You my favorite. Can I DM you about some real estate stuff?” People will literally ask me things, and I could be with my mom, and then somebody asks me about real estate books. While it’s different, it’s refreshing. I enjoy it. It’s dope.
On that blending of worlds, as a Patreon user. It feels like y’all put in a lot of hours
More than anybody.
So within that, you have your entrepreneur life in construction and real estate to balance. How do you find that balance in both, then also just be a human, father, and find fun for yourself?
You see, I cut my hair off, right? [laughs] I had big curls when I started there. But honestly, some of the stuff is kind of on autopilot. Especially with construction. I take care of that on Monday and Wednesday. We record on Tuesdays and Fridays. So I take Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday as the entrepreneurial side. I’m a landlord as well, I get pulled in all types of different directions. But for those particular gigs, there’s no punch out. I’m accustomed to that. The pod took more adjustment for sure because the others are second nature to me. I was coming into a really different space, and I always tried to shy away from the media and industry. Joe tried getting me to do my podcast for seven or eight years. I take my hat off to y’all working in the media and industry space. This is a dog eat dog a lot of times. I’m here now, so I’m going to embrace it.
You’re embracing it, naturally, by just this, talking to me today. But you’re not just having this conversation as a JBP member but also about what you’re doing on your own. What led you to see how your personal endeavors can impact those across the culture?
That’s a really good question. Important too. I think that we, as young black men, need to see more people that come from where some of us come from. That didn’t play ball or rap. That didn’t DJ or produce a record. It’s other routes than jump shots and rapping. For me, I’m someone relatable. Someone anyone can talk to, DM me all day. I really have conversations in my DMs. I’m helping people, letting them know not to take bad deals. We have to see other people we can identify with as successful. We have options out here. We don’t really see the options on our faces every day. Everybody can’t rap like JAY-Z. Everybody can’t get on a microphone four times a week and be compelling. We have to show these Black kids it’s a ton of available options for them.
You exhibit extensive knowledge in real estate and construction. What sparked this for you, and what do you see from it in your future?
My uncle was a co-contractor. I lived with my uncle. He was a plumber by trade too. So my entire life, I’ve been navigating through this space. I knew about couplings and pipes when I was ten years old. So what I did, it sounds funny, I was up at like three in the morning watching an infomercial. They are pitching a free one-day seminar, and I signed up. There were two people in there. I called my boy the next day and ask him to roll with me. They sell more stuff there, so they get us on a week-long boot camp. Eight in the morning to eight at night. Five days boot camp for $1,500. Me and him split it at $750. After that, it was over from there. I was working in corporate, somewhat successful in finance. I worked for two companies: American Express Financial Advisors and a junior analyst at a pharmaceutical software company. I’m moving up. I’m maybe 26. But that boot camp, it just showed us stuff that investors still don’t know today. I left that bootcamp and felt like Superman and hit the ground running, knowing I could get this money. And right after that, I got laid off. And that just reinforced what they were teaching in the boot camp, financial independence. You don’t want anybody else to feed you because if they do, they have the ability to starve you.
So again, at 26, I got that rough lesson. I trained my boss, and they kicked me out for her. I experienced that. I never wanted to feel that again. I bought my first house in 2003, and it was a three-unit. I probably weighed 120 pounds. No facial hair, no nothing. Just a kid. Contractors are thieves, and without me knowing what to do, they would tell me $1900 for a job, and I knew it was wrong. I would tell them a better and cheaper way. When I was working right across the street from the World Trade Center, I started to read the how-to books on the train every day. I knew the process from my grandfather, but now I know the theory behind my actions. In that three family, I did the bathroom, and it came out the fire for then, If I looked back now, I would think it was. But then I pulled money out from that house and bought another three families the next year. Did the work and pulled money, and did it again. I knew as I bought new houses, my workload would grow. My third house was another three-family, probably needing a hundred grand of work. I wasn’t making that at my job. I sat down with my girl at the time, and she was against me venturing out, I begged and begged and got my way. I renovated that, sold it for a hundred and some change in profit, and was off to the races. I ended up building a nonprofit, it was 11,000 square feet. I was scared to death. But after I did that project, I knew I could do whatever I wanted in this space. Even right now, I’m talking to you sitting on the steps of one of my new projects.
When I hear you get in this real estate and construction bag on the pod, I take notes. I imagine there are other listeners who take down the information you say. Do you plan to reach out beyond The JBP to give more details on how people can make the same leap you did?
Yea, this interview was the first step for me. I’m naturally shy, although I got a big mouth on the Pod. But now, I have no choice but to apply what I know to this forum. Everybody has been trying to force me to do so. Like Ian Dunlap and Storm, who we both had on the pod. Those guys are trying to force me to get on Instagram lives and do a lot of stuff because beyond it being lucrative. Our community really needs it. Earn Your Leisure is so dope. So many people out here are doing this, but Ian told me that I have the hands-on knowledge to take someone with zero information and make them a millionaire or successful. Literally, with practice knowledge. A lot of times, and I don’t want to insult anybody, financial guys literally give you theory. If you take a business course in college, a professor may have never made a million dollars in his life but he’s teaching you theory. So I know I can show someone how to get their credit right and get into some multi-family houses and become self-sustaining in the real estate business. I know our community needs it.
I think what’s empowering to your knowledge is when I hear you with the cast, it feels like an older brother. It allows for a character to be shown behind the success.
It’s very personal. You get me talking about the Lakers or something wild like masturbation. Then go into a trust and a will for the family. I think that’s what Joe has done that other people haven’t, built a world like distant cousins. You feel comfortable and more relatable when it comes to certain things.
Do those topics about more financial matters come from a pre-planned conversation?
We’ve had a couple of episodes that are legit borderline arguments. For instance, one where we really broached the real estate topic came from things that are unknown cause many of our parents never owned a house. So we think you have to have 20% to put down, a 750 credit score, and money to fix it up. We won’t jump off the mountain. But you won’t know if you got wings if you don’t jump. A lot of us got the wings. So those conversations are answering questions or rebuttals in real-time. Joe and I go at it about the race thing at times because we’ve been brainwashed to think that white people are inherently set up for success, and we are not. There are advantages in the world, but we can accomplish anything, and I always push that narrative. Most of the JBP stuff is impromptu. We can have a small argument at lunch and then decide to stop and save it for the pod. Me and Joe’s screaming matches? Those are organic, bro [laughs]. Some of them I wish I could take back cause we look like fools, but it’s all organic.
You mention that barrier to information. I can agree that a lot of information is foreign to the home-buying process as someone who did it. To remove that information wall, are there any venues you specifically want to go into next to make that information more available?
I’m going to write a book. I’m currently working on the outline. I think sometimes we get intimidated by some of the books. The jargon, the lingo, all of that stuff. I’ve been told that when I talk to people, I break it down so easily that it eases intimidation. So I think my voice is needed in a book for the people who don’t have experience in these forums, and that could help bridge the gap. Between people that are first-timers and avoid making the mistakes as a first-time home buyers or pushing them to get a piece of property that they can live in but also make money off of and then from there, using that property to invest in more areas. And then, guess what? I don’t pay my mortgage. The mortgage of where I stay is paid by a rent of others. That’s a viable plan to get you and your kids on a track to financial freedom.
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