A Failed Truck Driver
1994 was the year I dropped out of Cleveland State University. I would describe myself as an angry 20 year old kid with zero direction in life. I had been surrounding myself with the wrong crowd and as a result, had a very questionable future. The one thing I did have going for me was a stubborn tenacity to survive. I was willing to try almost anything to find my path. My ex-con/felon roommate helped me get a job in trucking. I had done everything from packing furniture into semi’s to working the docks and loading trucks, to eventually driving over-the-road, gone for weeks at a time on the open road.
I was making more money than I ever had and was never home to spend it. Life was pretty okay. Until I was driving through Cleveland one day and grabbed the local newspaper and noticed a head line on the front page “RTA Employee Indicted on False CDL Charges” You see, I didn’t take a test to get my commercial driver’s license, like everyone else did. I paid $100 cash to a friend of mine that I worked with on the docks and was able to buy my way into a truck driver position.
So I had to give up my license and with it went my truck driving career.
It was around this time that my Aunt Velma would often come to mind...
Nobody in my family ever built a significant level of wealth…except one aunt. That was my Great Aunt Vilma. Vilma was a very quiet, smart, and shrewd lady. Her and her late husband built an empire together before his passing and today that wealth still benefits her heirs many generations after her. Velma’s secret? Real estate investing. Buy and hold. From apartment buildings to parcels of land the US Postal She had built her life and her wealth through it, and deep down, I wanted to follow in her footsteps.
In 1999, I took the plunge and got my real estate license. I started at DePiero & Associates with Century 21, ready to take on the world. What I didn’t realize then was how much grit and resilience it would take to make it. My first year was tough, full of self-doubt and wondering if I had made the right decision. But slowly, as I started helping families find homes, I realized what made this work fulfilling for me. It wasn’t just about selling houses; it was about giving people a foundation for their dreams. By 2012, I had built up enough confidence and success to launch the Stasek Group. I had over 20 agents on my team. Back then, I thought I had arrived. But in hindsight, that was just the first rung of the ladder.
Fast forward to 2015, and I was starting to see the playing field a little differently.
Being a listing agent taught me one hard truth—if your calendar isn’t packed with high-value appointments, you’re losing ground.
That’s when my partner and I came up with what seemed like a crazy, simple idea at the time—Appointments Today. We hired a team of inside sales associates who did nothing but make calls to fill our calendars. The system worked like a dream. My weekly schedule transformed, and soon, I was coaching agents across the region, teaching them how to do the same.
But as the years rolled on, something started to shift. Those old methods, the scripts we once perfected, began to lose their magic. The world changed. Homeowners didn’t respond the same way anymore. And for me? It was a wake-up call.
Creating One Big Fire
By 2017, there was a fire inside me I couldn’t ignore. It wasn’t enough to build my own success; I wanted to create something bigger, a community where agents could collaborate, learn, and grow together. That’s when Jay Kinder, Michael Reese, and I came together. We pooled our passions and energy to create Honey Badger Nation.
I’ll be honest—at first, I never imagined we’d grow it into what it is today. What started as a community evolved into a movement—over 15,000 agents worldwide. Honey Badger Nation isn’t just about real estate; it’s about life itself. It’s about helping people overcome the barriers that hold them back, finding fulfillment, and unleashing their potential.
There’s an electricity in the air when I work with the team, coaching them on the kind of mindset, marketing, and content that transforms their careers. What motivates me most isn’t just seeing others succeed but knowing we’re solving real problems. Whether it’s helping agents master modern strategies in a changing market or raising funds through initiatives like Rock N Rescue CLE to fight human trafficking, our work matters.Looking back, my life has been a series of moments that seemed like failures but were actually doors to something bigger. Losing my CDL, becoming a rookie agent, the trial and error of growing my business—all of it shaped me. My purpose isn’t just to help others close deals; it’s to help them believe in their power to create something extraordinary.
Take the Next Step Toward Your Business Transformation
Book a personalized strategy call with me today and start building a more profitable and sustainable real estate future.
