He Waited 13 Years to Take Action in Property. Here's What Happened Next

Table of Contents

• Thirteen Years of One Day
• When Financial Success Isn't Enough
• What Have I Done?
• What Happened When Jethro Started Taking Action
• Most Things Jethro Tried Didn't Work
• Talk to Everybody
• Don't Climb the Mountain Alone
• From 13 Years of Waiting to Top Performer
• Could Property Mastermind Be Right for You?
• Frequently Asked Questions

Thirteen Years of One Day

I first met Jethro Turner back in 2012, when he attended one of my property training days in Birmingham. That day, Jethro learned about property investing, our Property Mastermind Accelerator and the 12-Month Property Mastermind Programme. He remembers thinking that one day he would do it.

The problem was, one day turned into 13 years.

Fast forward to the final workshop of our 38th Property Mastermind Programme, and Jethro was not sitting in the audience anymore. He was standing on stage. He was one of five students invited to share their journey with the room, and he was recognised as the overall top performer from Property Mastermind 38. So when he finished, I could not resist saying, "It's about bloody time!" We all laughed, but there is an important lesson in Jethro's story, especially if you have been thinking about doing more with property but keep finding reasons why now is not quite the right time.

Over the next few weeks I am going to share the stories of the other four students who joined Jethro on stage. They came from very different backgrounds and followed very different journeys, and I hope their stories give you both inspiration and practical ideas. But let's start with Jethro, because his story actually began 13 years earlier.

When Financial Success Isn't Enough

Jethro did not spend those 13 years doing nothing. Far from it. He qualified as a doctor in 2009 and has worked as a GP, both privately and in the NHS, since 2017. He is happily married, has three daughters and had built a successful professional career.

The problem was the number of hours required to maintain it. By the beginning of 2025, Jethro was regularly working 60, 70 and sometimes even 80 hours a week. As he described it, he felt as though he was constantly on a wheel.

Then he read a book about different types of wealth, which encouraged him to think differently about time. One exercise asked him to consider how often he saw his parents and, based on that, roughly how many more opportunities he might have to see them in their lifetime. Jethro worked out that he might only see his mum another 30 times. That realisation hit him hard. Around the same time, he went on his first proper holiday since before Covid and started thinking seriously about the way he was living. He realised something needed to change. So, 13 years after first learning about Property Mastermind, he finally decided to take action.

Key takeaway: A good income is not the same as a good life. For Jethro, the turning point was not a number, it was realising how little time he was really protecting.

What Have I Done?

It is easy to look at someone being recognised as a top performer and assume they were confident from the beginning. Jethro certainly was not.

Despite being an experienced doctor and having some previous experience of owning and renovating property, he described starting Property Mastermind from what felt like a standing start. He remembers sitting in his first workshop, taking in all the strategies and information, and thinking, "What have I done?" He was already incredibly busy, with a demanding career and a young family, and now he had committed to building a property business on top of everything else.

Instead of trying to do everything at once, Jethro decided to trust the process and concentrate on one of the principles we teach: find the seller, not the property. Rather than spending all his time searching for the perfect property, he focused on finding people with property problems and then working out whether there was an appropriate solution. That change in approach began opening doors.

What Happened When Jethro Started Taking Action

Over the following 12 months, Jethro explored a range of opportunities using strategies including rent-to-rent, purchase lease options and HMOs.

One involved a three-bedroom terraced house which, with the owner's permission, was converted into four bedrooms and operated using a transitional housing model. Jethro reported investing around £18,000 into the project. At the time of his presentation, it was generating £4,089 per month in gross rental income, with the costs he presented leaving £2,139 per month.

Another opportunity involved a 10-bedroom, 10-en-suite HMO in Gateshead. An existing purchase option had originally been agreed at £360,000, while Jethro reported an investment valuation of £550,000. He and his team acquired the option, used bridging finance to complete the purchase and then refinanced. According to the figures Jethro shared on stage, approximately £26,000 of their original capital remained in the deal, and the property was cash flowing at around £1,700 per month before management. They also had plans to explore a different housing model that Jethro believed could increase that cash flow, although those figures were projections rather than realised results.

By the time he stood on stage, Jethro said his current property activities were producing close to £4,000 per month, with several more opportunities in progress. But for me, the numbers were not the most interesting part. It was how he had got there.

Key takeaway: Progress came from working with sellers and solving problems, not from chasing the perfect listing. The deals followed the conversations.

Most Things Jethro Tried Didn't Work

When someone is on stage sharing the deals that worked, it is easy to assume that is the whole story. It is not. Jethro was refreshingly open that for every opportunity he discussed, there were another 15 or 20 things he had tried that had not worked. Deals he had researched and rejected. Conversations that led nowhere. Properties that did not stack. Ideas that looked promising until he investigated them properly. That is property investing.

Jethro's advice was to "go for no". The more conversations you have and the more opportunities you investigate, the more often you will hear no. But those noes are part of the process that eventually leads you to the yeses. That is why one of his biggest lessons from the year was simply to take action. Send an email. Make a phone call. Search for an opportunity. Book a viewing. You do not need every action to produce a result. You need enough consistent actions to create momentum.

Key takeaway: Aim to hear no more often. Volume of action, not a single perfect move, is what builds momentum in property.

Talk to Everybody

Another lesson I particularly liked was that none of the opportunities Jethro discussed had simply come from searching a property portal or buying a deal from a sourcer. They came through conversations. Jethro spoke to property owners, landlords, contractors, investors and other people he met along the way.

In one case, a contractor who first became involved because Jethro wanted a quote for some work grew interested in what he was doing. That relationship eventually developed into a joint venture and opened up further opportunities. It is a great reminder of something I have taught for many years: tell people what you do. You never know who has a property problem, who knows someone who does, who has money they want to invest, or who might become part of your power team. Sometimes one conversation can completely change the direction of your journey.

Key takeaway: Your next deal is more likely to come from a conversation than a portal. Tell people what you do and keep the conversations going.

Don't Climb the Mountain Alone

Towards the end of his presentation, Jethro became emotional. He was very honest about how hard the year had been. He was still working long hours as a doctor while building his property business and raising a family. Then he said something that I think was one of the most important lessons of the whole presentation: "Mountains can be lonely places, so don't climb them alone."

Jethro talked about the support he had received from his coaches and from the Property Mastermind community. When things became difficult, he had people around him who understood what he was trying to achieve and could help him keep moving forward. This is something people underestimate when they think about property education. Knowledge matters. You need to understand the strategies, the numbers and the risks. But knowledge alone does not create results. You also need to implement what you learn, keep going when things do not work, and have people around you who can challenge your thinking and help you see opportunities you might otherwise miss.

Key takeaway: The people around you carry you through the hard months. Support is not a nice extra, it is part of how results actually happen.

From 13 Years of Waiting to Top Performer

At the beginning of his Property Mastermind year, Jethro told his coach that he did not believe it was possible to replace his professional income through property within 12 months, or perhaps ever. By the end of the programme, he had not replaced that income, and it is important to be clear about that. Several of the opportunities he discussed were still progressing, and future cash-flow figures were projections rather than guaranteed outcomes.

But something significant had changed. Jethro could now see a route that he had not believed was possible before. He described his journey as going from feeling overwhelmed, to trusting the process, taking action, building momentum and then starting to see results. His whole way of looking at property had changed too. He said he can no longer drive past a derelict property, an infill site or an underused commercial building without his mind starting to consider what might be possible. Once you learn to recognise opportunity, it is very difficult to stop seeing it. And after waiting 13 years to really get started, Jethro finished his year recognised as the overall top performer of Property Mastermind 38. Quite a turnaround.

Could Property Mastermind Be Right for You?

If Jethro's story has made you think about what might be possible for you over the next 12 months, you may be wondering what the Property Mastermind Programme actually involves. That is why I run a free online training called Everything You Need to Know About the Property Mastermind Programme.

During the session I take you behind the scenes of our 12-Month Property Mastermind Programme and explain how it works: the training, the support and the accountability involved, what is expected of you, and the time and financial commitment. I also explain the steps to take if you would like to explore joining us. You cannot simply join Property Mastermind from the webinar. We have a process in place so that you can do your due diligence on us, and we can make sure the programme is appropriate for you.

Everything You Need to Know About the Property Mastermind Programme

Join Simon for a free online training that takes you behind the scenes of the 12-Month Property Mastermind Programme, including the training, support, accountability and commitment involved, so you can decide whether it is right for you. You cannot join from the training itself; there is an application process so you can do your due diligence and we can make sure it is the right fit.

Register for the Free Training

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Property Mastermind Programme?

It is our 12-month property investing programme. Over the year you learn a range of strategies and, just as importantly, you get the training, support and accountability to actually implement them. Jethro is one of the students from our 38th programme.

How Do I Join Property Mastermind?

You cannot join directly from the free training. We have an application process so that you can do your due diligence on us and we can make sure the programme is right for you. The best first step is to register for the free online training, where the process is explained in full.

Can I Do It Alongside a Full-Time Career?

Many students do. Jethro built his property business while working long hours as a GP and raising a family. It takes consistent action rather than every spare hour, and the free training covers the time commitment honestly so you can plan around your own situation.

Do I Need Experience to Start?

No. Students come from very different backgrounds, and many begin from what feels like a standing start. What matters more than experience is a willingness to trust the process, take action and ask for help when you need it.

Will I Replace My Income in 12 Months?

There are no guarantees, and it would be wrong to suggest otherwise. Jethro did not fully replace his professional income within the 12 months, but he built close to £4,000 a month and, just as importantly, a clear route he had not believed was possible before. Property investing involves risk, and everyone's results are their own.

Final Thoughts: Stop Waiting, Start Taking Action

Jethro first learned about Property Mastermind in 2012. It took him 13 years to take the next step. His advice now is simple: do not wait as long as he did.

As you read the stories of the other students over the coming weeks, do not just look at what they have achieved. Look at where they started, the problems they hit, what did not work, and the actions they took to keep moving forward. Perhaps one of those stories will be the nudge you need to stop thinking about what you could do in property and start taking the next step.

Property investing involves risk, and Jethro's results are his own. They are not a guarantee of what someone else will achieve. But if his story has inspired you to get moving, use that inspiration to take your own next step. Because, as Jethro discovered, sometimes the biggest difference begins when you stop waiting and start taking action.