Kelli Garrett: Building A $400M Lending Empire

In this heartfelt and wisdom-packed episode of Burning the Ships, I finally sit down with someone I call my most-referenced guest of all time: Kelli Garrett — entrepreneur, private lender, mentor, and former college basketball legend. Kelli shares her remarkable journey from UPS corporate manager to real estate mogul, and how building a $400M lending business from scratch was never about just the money, it was about impact, culture, and becoming the best version of herself.Through stories of grit, growth, loss, and leadership, Kelli unpacks the principles that fueled her success and the cultural cornerstones that keep her company thriving. If you’re an entrepreneur, leader, coach, or someone grinding toward your next breakthrough, this episode is a masterclass in doing hard things with heart and humility.Key Talking Points of the Episode00:00 Introduction01:45 JJ’s Joke of the Week03:11 The beginning of my relationship with Kelli05:32 Who is Kelli Garrett?08:09 Kelli’s focus in business: Rehab Wallet09:37 Lessons from 12 Years at UPS12:04 How corporate experience can shape you as an entrepreneur14:16 Surviving loss and litigation18:43 From farm girl to college basketball record-holder20:40 How learning hard work early impacted Kelli’s life24:53 Learning to love what you do to achieve success27:08 Leading by example in life and business28:95 The growth of Rehab Wallet: $440M Deployed in 5 Years31:50 How leaders shape the culture of a company36:56 The importance of alignment in core values 40:02 How celebrating your milestones can impact you and your team45:39 The most common traits of people who succeed51:20 Why understanding your goals and how to achieve them is key53:44 What keeps Kelli going: achieving the best version of herself59:10 The real value of paying for coaching01:02:22 How investing in coaching can fast-track your successQuotables“Leaders create the culture, culture creates the behavior, and behavior creates the results.”“I’m not a lender—I’m an entrepreneur that owns a lending company.”“You can’t change the wind, but you can adjust your sails.”LinksEverything is Figureoutablehttps://www.amazon.com/Everything-Figureoutable-Marie-Forleo/dp/0525534997Rehab Wallet​​https://www.rehabwallet.com/