He Had 3 Heart Attacks in One Week — Then Built His Most Successful Life Yet episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 22, 2025 · 20 MIN

He Had 3 Heart Attacks in One Week — Then Built His Most Successful Life Yet

from Money Ripples Podcast · host Danielle Hollembaek

Start making passive income here: https://bit.ly/48Sh5nS  If you were to die today, would you honestly be happy with the life you've lived? That's not a hypothetical question for today's guest. In this powerful and emotional episode, I sit down with Derek Carlson, CEO of Realty ONE Group MVP, to unpack how a near-death experience forced him to radically change his life, his health, and the way he leads one of the fastest-growing real estate organizations in the country. Derek didn't just face adversity, he was hit from every direction. At the peak of his success, running a top-100 real estate brokerage nationwide and closing over $2 billion in annual sales volume, Derek suffered multiple heart attacks while on vacation in Europe. What makes this story even more shocking is that he didn't realize what was happening until he returned to the United States and collapsed into urgent care, where a doctor told him he was actively having a heart attack. That moment became the turning point of Derek's life. In this episode, Derek shares how sitting alone in a hospital room forced him to redefine what success actually means. He introduces the MVP Framework, which now stands for Mindset, Vision, and Purpose, and explains how this shift saved his life and reshaped his company culture from the inside out. But the challenges didn't stop there. Just months later, Derek's business was targeted during the National Association of Realtors class-action lawsuit, putting his company and livelihood at risk. Instead of collapsing under pressure, Derek doubled down on discipline, surrounded himself with elite mentors and mastermind groups, and made a bold strategic pivot by aligning with Realty ONE Group, ultimately becoming CEO of 10 franchises across Florida. We dive deep into what it really takes to lead through adversity, why health is often the missing piece for entrepreneurs, and how surrounding yourself with the right tribe can compress decades of growth into months. Derek also shares how his transformation sparked a ripple effect across thousands of agents helping them lose weight, get off medication, invest in real estate, and rediscover purpose beyond commission checks. This episode isn't just about business success. It's about what happens when life forces you to slow down and ask harder questions. If you're an entrepreneur, business owner, or high performer who feels burned out, stuck, or disconnected from your why, this conversation may be exactly what you need to hear. Derek's links: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekcarlson/  - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derekcarlsonmvp/?hl=en  - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/275638393296257/user/100004702208963/ 

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He Had 3 Heart Attacks in One Week — Then Built His Most Successful Life Yet

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This episode was published on December 22, 2025.

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