We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ephesian Brown a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ephesian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you’re open to it, can you talk to us about the best (or worst) investment you’ve made. What’s the backstory and the relevant context behind why you made the investment
The best investment I feel like I’ve ever made was investing in myself. What I mean by this is blocking out the noise and figuring out who I am and what I want to be. That personal investment is what led me to invest in my education. I chose my path and accepted everything that came with it. One of the best decisions I made was investing in mentorship. Learning from people who are where I aspire to be has helped fast-track my way to success. By “fast-track,” I don’t mean overnight success, but the right mentorship can make the difference between mastering a skill in four years versus eight.
An indirect mentor who had a significant impact on my journey is the Earn Your Leisure team. I drove to Houston for an in-person stock show called “Market Mondays Live” and met Rashad Bilal from Earn Your Leisure in the parking lot afterward. At the time, I had about $20k in the stock market, but I hadn’t launched a business yet. I knew everything about Airbnb, but I was scared to pull the trigger. I asked him if he were 22 and about to graduate college, and in my situation, how would he get to where he is now? He told me to start as many businesses as I could. Most would probably fail, but that didn’t matter because every failure is a learning lesson. Since then, I’ve launched numerous products and services without fear of failure or concern about what others think. That’s gotten me to where I am now—with a profitable Airbnb business, a stock market academy, an Airbnb e-book, and many other ventures in the works.
Another lesson I learned from Earn Your Leisure is the importance of adding value. I’m never just looking for ways to make money; I’m focused on finding ways to help people. The more people you help, the more value you add, and that naturally translates into dollars. So, for me, mastering a skill and helping as many people as possible has become a central focus in my businesses.
The only obstacle I had with investing in mentorship was getting into the right mindset. Most people are used to spending money on things that give a zero-sum return. Investing in your education is a long-term investment. It pays off in the long run, but you won’t see results in 24 hours. If I were advising someone else about mentorship, I’d tell them to only spend money with someone who has proven results, both in their own success and in the results that they’ve helped others achieve. Someone showing a lifestyle doesn’t prove they’ve mastered a craft—their work and the results of the people they’ve mentored does.
By continuously learning and staying focused on adding value, I’ve been able to tie together everything I’ve learned from the stock market and apply those principles to my businesses. For example, I can look at top luxury hospitality brands and reverse-engineer their profit margins to figure out how to make mine even better. Everything is connected when you invest in education and mentorship.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I first got into stock market investing through Ian Dunlap, aka TheMasterInvestor, who has been my sole mentor. Prior to that, I learned how to trade from another mentor, Archie Rice of GLFX Academy. Once I learned how to invest for the long term and structure a portfolio from Ian, I combined both approaches and took off. What motivated me to pursue the market was my fascination with charts and the idea of “passive income.” I always heard the phrase “making money in your sleep” but didn’t know how to make it a reality until I discovered stocks. Once I realized investing was simply about studying businesses, I was hooked.
SDS Investments currently has two subsidiaries. First, there’s SDS Suites, my five-star hospitality business, offering luxurious, modern Airbnb units. If you enjoy staying in elegant, high-end spaces, you’ll love our perfect five-star units. I started SDS Suites in 2022 and have been scaling it ever since. All of our units are based in Dallas, Texas, with plans for strategic expansion. SDS Suites provides a luxurious alternative to hotels for both business and leisure travelers. Additionally, I wrote an e-book that details step-by-step how to start and scale an Airbnb business.
The second subsidiary is SDS Academy, which is designed for both novice and seasoned investors seeking a simple yet profitable approach to building long-term wealth through the stock market. SDS Academy, launched in August 2024, is an online learning platform that has already helped many students make returns by executing on my strategies. The goal is to simplify investing and help students become self-sufficient while making money along the way. You can find more information at www.sdsacademy.online.
What sets my products and services apart is that I don’t gatekeep. I give out all the real, actionable information because I genuinely want to add value and see others succeed. Everything I teach comes from personal experience—I only share what I’m actively doing, whether in my Airbnb business or in the stock market.
I’m incredibly proud of the brand I’m building. I’ve received praise and recognition from my mentors, Ian Dunlap and Archie Rice, and I take pride in making my family proud as well. Seeing the smiles on their faces when I succeed is deeply rewarding. I’m also particularly proud of maintaining a perfect five-star rating on Airbnb, which isn’t easy to do with multiple units and many reviews.
At the core, I operate with integrity. I never sell anything for a quick dollar. I focus on adding value and always aim to over-deliver in everything I offer.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the idea that you can save your way to wealth. Growing up, I always thought that saving as much as possible was the key to financial success. But over time, I realized that simply stacking money in a bank account wasn’t going to get me where I wanted to be financially. The real path to wealth is accumulating assets, not just saving.
When I was 13, I told my mom that I would be a millionaire by 30. I had no idea how I would do it, but I knew I would find a way. Little did I know, God had a plan for stock market investing to be my calling, and He would use me to impact His people through the stock market. I have 4 years to fulfill that promise and let’s just say I’m on track. My first major shift in mindset came when I read The Richest Man in Babylon. That book introduced me to how money really works and shifted my thinking from trying to get rich quick to understanding that building wealth takes time, discipline, and skill.
After reading that, I realized if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. The slow, consistent route—building a skill and accumulating assets—was the only way to truly build sustainable wealth. Along the way, I’ve taken plenty of losses, but each one turned into a lesson that helped form my wealth-building philosophy. Just like in life, those losses weren’t setbacks; they were setups for future success.
Now, I constantly study to reinforce that philosophy. It’s similar to how we study religion and go to church on Sundays to strengthen our faith in God. By consistently learning, refining my skills, and putting my faith in the process, I’ve been able to start building the wealth I once dreamed of. My brain is a wealth of knowledge, and I am just now starting to receive the monetary reward.
The lesson I replaced the “saving mindset” with is this: Invest in assets that will grow over time and create multiple streams of income. You can’t save your way to wealth, but you can invest your way there.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
When managing a team, being personable is key. It’s the little things that count. Although you’re the CEO and the thought leader, it should feel like a partnership, not a dictatorship. Your team should want to perform well for you. One way to build morale is by being considerate and recognizing personal milestones. Take note of your team members’ birthdays or their kids’ birthdays and give them the day off on those special occasions or other important family events. These small gestures show you care and go a long way in fostering loyalty and building relationships. In my opinion, relationships are more important than money.
Also, it’s important to put yourself in the shoes of the people you lead. Just like you’d appreciate being recognized for a job well done, make sure to reward good work, whether that’s with kind words, bonuses, or other incentives. In my Airbnb business, I have a superb cleaning team, and I often share our 5-star reviews with them, thanking them for their service and letting them know how much of an asset they are to the business. This kind of recognition makes them want to continue delivering at a high level. As humans, we all want to be appreciated.
Another important principle is to lead by example. Never ask someone to do something you’re not willing to do yourself. Be on time, keep your word, and maintain a high standard of quality in your work, and your team will strive to do the same. When building a team, make sure you only work with people who align with your vision. I live by the motto “hire fast, fire faster” because it’s essential to find the right people who understand and respect your standards from the start.
I also believe in building systems that minimize stress on the team. When tasks and expectations are clear and concise, no one has an excuse not to perform at a high level. Additionally, it’s important not to micromanage. I learned from the book Principles by Ray Dalio to focus on the result, not the process. Everyone thinks and works differently, so as long as the desired result is achieved, allow people the freedom to work in their own way.
Lastly, I make it a point to reward excellence. For every 10 five-star reviews we receive, I give my cleaning team a bonus. This keeps them motivated and ensures they continue to perform at their best.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sdsacademy.online
- Instagram: @ephesian_b
- Other: Airbnb products: www.ephesianbrown.gumroad.com
