Episode Details

Eugene Morales joins me for Part 1 of a conversation that's been more than a decade in the making.

Eugene was one of my earliest partners when we worked together at Armadillo Homes, one of my early mentors in real estate, and ultimately became one of my closest friends. What's crazy is that Eugene was also there when I first talked about wanting to start a podcast — and we actually recorded a rough test episode together more than a decade ago.

Now everything comes full circle as Eugene finally joins me on Anything & Everything.

We go back to Eugene's childhood growing up on the West Side of San Antonio and talk about poverty, family, happiness and why sometimes you don't realize what you didn't have until you're older.

Eugene also opens up about once feeling ashamed to talk about where he came from — and eventually realizing that his story was exactly what could help him connect with and empower other people.

From there, we get into real estate, homeownership, why people become complacent, Grant Cardone, Dave Ramsey, financial advice that doesn't apply to everybody, and why there's rarely one financial strategy that works for every person.

And because Eugene and I have known each other forever, we eventually start telling stories from the old days — including Gold's Gym, John Hope and a supposed heart attack that turned into one hell of a story. 😂

🎙️ In this episode:

•  How Matt and Eugene originally met 
•  Working together at Armadillo Homes 
•  Eugene being one of Matt's earliest real estate mentors 
•  The podcast test Matt and Eugene recorded over a decade ago 
•  Eugene growing up on San Antonio's West Side 
•  Growing up in poverty without realizing you were poor 
•  Why simple times can become some of your best memories 
•  Eugene becoming ashamed of his upbringing 
•  Learning to embrace where you came from 
•  How Eugene's childhood shaped his real estate career 
•  Helping people believe homeownership is possible 
•  Why you can't save everybody 
•  Complacency and the constant climb toward success 
•  Buying vs. renting 
•  Why financial advice isn't one-size-fits-all 
•  Matt's problem with Grant Cardone's homeownership advice 
•  Eugene's problem with Dave Ramsey 😂 
•  Saving money vs. making more money 
•  Gary Vee and communicating authentically 
•  San Antonio slang that never leaves you 
•  The old Gold's Gym days 
•  John Hope stories 
•  Eugene rushing John to the doctor thinking he was having a heart attack 

🧠 Big takeaways:

•  Growing up without much can completely change your relationship with success. 
•  You don't necessarily realize you're poor when everyone around you lives similarly. 
•  Your past can become an asset instead of something you're ashamed of. 
•  Homeownership can feel impossible until someone gives you an actual path. 
•  Financial advice needs context — what works for a millionaire may not work for an average family. 
•  Having a blueprint means nothing if you're unwilling to follow it. 
•  Sometimes increasing your income can be more powerful than obsessing over cutting every expense. 

⏱️ CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introducing Eugene Morales
 00:46 Eugene Turns the Interview Around on Matt
 01:23 Matt & Eugene's Original Podcast Test
 02:03 What Eugene Taught Matt About Sales
 02:56 Going Back to Eugene's Childhood
 03:09 Growing Up on San Antonio's West Side
 04:06 Growing Up in Poverty
 04:38 "We Didn't Know We Were Poor"
 05:32 Do People Forget Where They Came From?
 05:39 Eugene Was Once Ashamed of His Past
 06:27 Turning His Story Into His Purpose
 07:40 Why People Become Complacent
 07:59 Buying a Home in a Difficult Market
 08:43 Matt