Cows and Contracts

Jen Way

Real estate investing and homesteading don't have a lot in common on the surface. One involves spreadsheets, seller calls, and cap rates. The other involves mud, fencing, and animals that don't care what your ARV is. But spend enough time doing both and you start to notice something: the lessons are exactly the same. Cows and Contracts is a weekly podcast hosted by Jen Way — real estate investor, homesteader, and the person most likely to take a seller call while her chickens are losing their minds in the background. Every week Jen sits down with investors, coaches, and operators who've built something real — and digs into the decisions, the mistakes, and the hard-won wisdom that actually moved the needle. No fluff. No highlight reels. Just honest conversations from people who've done the work. Whether you're here because you want to build a real estate portfolio, because you're dreaming about a life that looks a little different than the one you have, or because you accidentally stumbled in and now you're wondering why there's a bull head on the wall — you're welcome here. New episodes every week. Guest interviews drop alongside solo episodes where Jen gets into the overlap between business and homestead life — the philosophy, the farm, and the hard truth that neither cows nor contracts care about your feelings. If this is your first time here, start with the intro episode. Jen lays out exactly what this show is, what it isn't, and why she started it from a homestead in Colorado called Sleepy Fox Farms. If you're already part of Jen's real estate community — welcome home. You've already been living Cows and Contracts. Now it has a name. Follow the show so you never miss an episode. Leave a review if it resonates. And if you know someone who's trying to build something real — send it to them. That's how this community grows.

Episodes

  1. Jun 18

    Tom Krol: Return the Car, Read the Book, and Go Make Money

    Tom Krol has been broke, fired from five jobs, booted from college, and through a bankruptcy. Then he followed a handful of uncomfortable, ancient principles — and never looked back. In this episode, Tom breaks down the mindset shift around money that changed everything for him (hint: it's not yours), makes a passionate case for never financing a car, explains why entrepreneurs should skip budgets entirely and measure net worth instead, and drops the one daily habit that will physically change your brain. Tom also closes with the rule that belongs at the top of every entrepreneur's list: revenue in first position — always. This one's got the receipts.

    36 min

  2. May 14

    Jose Cortes: She Was Right

    Jose Cortes thought he picked the right contractor. His wife disagreed. Nine months and hundreds of thousands of dollars later, he had to make that call. Jose is a Colorado investor, veteran, grandfather, and community leader in Pace Morby's sub-two and Gator networks. He's done wholesale, fix and flip, short-term, mid-term, arbitrage — and lost big once because hope overrode due diligence. This episode covers what it actually costs to trust the wrong person, why follow-up is where the real money lives, and why ready is a decision, not a feeling. Connect with Jose: joselensmoney.com

    30 min

  3. May 7

    Andrew Becker: The $3.5 Million Follow-Up Problem Nobody Talks About

    Andrew Becker built a real estate team that closed millions in volume, ran a lost commission report — and found $3.5 million they never collected. Not from bad leads. From agents who stopped following up after one phone call. In this episode, Andrew breaks down the data-driven systems that took his team's profit margins from 11% to 36.6% — including the 80/20 lead source framework that actually increased revenue while cutting their marketing overhead, the "zero dashboard" that made accountability impossible to ignore, and how a Saturday morning habit built an entire operating system for his business. If you're chasing more leads when the money is already in your pipeline, this one's for you. Connect with Andrew: Probate Engineers: https://www.facebook.com/probateengineersTeam Lead Talks Podcast: [link]

    51 min

  4. May 6

    Travis Goodwin: It's Not About the House

    Travis Goodwin thought real estate was about houses. Then he walked into an appointment, said almost nothing, and closed his first deal — just by listening. In this episode, Travis and Jen break down why wholesaling is a people business, how to have five meaningful conversations a day (not just five calls), and why small markets might be the most underrated opportunity in real estate right now. 🔗 Travis's free Facebook group: Small Market REI

    27 min

  5. May 5

    Martine Richardson: Boring is Profitable

    Martine Richardson built a multi-million dollar rental portfolio without using a dime of her own money — and she'll be the first to tell you she still makes mistakes. In this episode, Jen and Martine get into the real cost of skipping your own systems, why boring habits beat big launches, and the one affirmation your deals actually need to hear. No fluff. No Ferraris. Just 12 years of receipts. 🔗 Join her facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/637779191823541/ 🔗 Book a strategy session: strategy.thefreedominc.com

    34 min

  6. May 4

    I Was Going to Study Dolphins. True Story.

    Welcome to Cows and Contracts. I'm Jen Way — real estate investor, homesteader, and someone who was genuinely going to study dolphins for a living. This is episode one. The origin story. From a dirt track in rural Ohio to the University of Miami, a truck wrapped around a telephone pole, a Coast Guard rejection over a neck tattoo, six figures waitressing in Miami, and eventually — a wholesaler, a cabin in Beulah, and one very confused farmer who looked at me like I had a third eyeball when I told him I wanted one cow. None of it was the plan. All of it was exactly right. This is what Cows and Contracts is about. Don't wait to participate in your life.

    15 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

Real estate investing and homesteading don't have a lot in common on the surface. One involves spreadsheets, seller calls, and cap rates. The other involves mud, fencing, and animals that don't care what your ARV is. But spend enough time doing both and you start to notice something: the lessons are exactly the same. Cows and Contracts is a weekly podcast hosted by Jen Way — real estate investor, homesteader, and the person most likely to take a seller call while her chickens are losing their minds in the background. Every week Jen sits down with investors, coaches, and operators who've built something real — and digs into the decisions, the mistakes, and the hard-won wisdom that actually moved the needle. No fluff. No highlight reels. Just honest conversations from people who've done the work. Whether you're here because you want to build a real estate portfolio, because you're dreaming about a life that looks a little different than the one you have, or because you accidentally stumbled in and now you're wondering why there's a bull head on the wall — you're welcome here. New episodes every week. Guest interviews drop alongside solo episodes where Jen gets into the overlap between business and homestead life — the philosophy, the farm, and the hard truth that neither cows nor contracts care about your feelings. If this is your first time here, start with the intro episode. Jen lays out exactly what this show is, what it isn't, and why she started it from a homestead in Colorado called Sleepy Fox Farms. If you're already part of Jen's real estate community — welcome home. You've already been living Cows and Contracts. Now it has a name. Follow the show so you never miss an episode. Leave a review if it resonates. And if you know someone who's trying to build something real — send it to them. That's how this community grows.

Information

  • Creator
    Jen Way
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Jen Way